Continental Wrestling Association
Encyclopedia
The Continental Wrestling Association (later on “Championship Wrestling Association”) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett
. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling. This promotion was a chief NWA territory during the 1970s and early 1980s while operating out of Tennessee
and Kentucky
. The CWA was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance
until 1986 and affiliated with the American Wrestling Association
until 1989. In 1989, the CWA merged with the World Class Wrestling Association
to form the United States Wrestling Association
thus ceasing to exist as a separate entity.
and Jim White
, The Fabulous Fargos, and a host of other teams were regulars. During the mid 1970s the focal point of the territory changed from tag wrestling to singles action around the same time as Jerry Lawler's rise to become the "King", and a split that forever changed the territory.
In the mid 1970s the territory split in two, with separate promoters for each half. Jerry Jarrett ended up as the promoter in charge of Memphis, Louisville, Lexington and Evansville while still part of NWA Mid-America, while Nick Gulas, who had been the primary booker, continued to promote the other half of the territory. A dispute arose between Nick Gulas
and Jerry Jarrett. Many of the wrestlers in the promotion were upset at Nick Gulas for over booking Nick’s son George Gulas in the extremely profitable Memphis half of the territory. George Gulas was not built very well at all, he was tall and lanky but physical build was something which was not all that important to the fans in the area, but he was also not a great worker. It was very hard to believe, even for wrestling fans used to poorly-built wrestlers, that George could regularly beat his larger more experienced foes. George was given matches and wins over long time veterans of the territory without "paying his dues". This started the rift, and eventually Jarrett decided to go his own way. Jarrett decided to break away by starting competing cards at the Cook Convention Center in March 1977. Nick Gulas, who lived in Nashville, eventually made "Music City" his home base, running weekly cards at the Fairgrounds and all over mid-Tennessee. Originally Gulas was backed by many of the areas top draws but Jerry Jarrett had two aces up his sleeve. First he was backed by Jerry Lawler, who had just toppled Jackie Fargo as the headliner of the area, and second was that with Lawler he had Memphis. Memphis was clearly the hot spot for the territory. Gulas did attempt to run shows in Memphis for some time but without the headliner, Lawler, he could not compete. The split between Gulas and Jarrett created the Continental Wrestling Association as a totally separate promotion run by Jarrett. In 1980 after only three years, the Gulas territory folded when Nick Gulas retired and the CWA took over some of the more profitable locations (e.g. Nashville).
The cornerstone of the CWA was the weekly Monday night shows from the Mid-South Coliseum
in Memphis, where the cards regularly drew full houses. These shows were repeated in some form weekly in Louisville and Nashville (on Saturday nights). Having three major shows at all three cities, and additional shows through other towns in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Northern Alabama made the promotion loads of green into the early 1990s. These shows showcased a series of legendary wrestlers as they made their way through the Memphis territory; future superstars such as Hulk Hogan
performed there before the birth of Hulkamania, as well as NWA headliners such as Harley Race
, Terry Funk
, Jack Brisco
, and Ric Flair
. A who's who of wrestling superstars made visits to the area, usually to face Lawler. While Lawler was oftentimes a "heel" or bad guy wrestler he was still the "home team." No matter what dirty tricks the "King" had played on the locals, when an out of town wrestler would surface, Lawler was cheered. For a while Lawler was managed by an old high school pal Jimmy Hart
. That was until Lawler broke his leg in a backyard football game. During Lawler's absence, Hart proclaimed Paul Ellering as the "New King" of wrestling. When Lawler returned he engaged in one of the biggest feuds in the promotion's history.
The biggest run of the promotion was the Jerry Lawler-Jimmy Hart
feud which would last throughout the 1980s. Jimmy Hart's "First Family" included dozens of wrestlers who Hart brought in to face Lawler. Included in this list were The Iron Sheik, The Dream Machine, The Nightmares, Eddie Gilbert
, Ken Patera
, Jesse Ventura
, Hulk Hogan
, Bugsy McGraw
, Kevin Sullivan
, Bobby Eaton
, "Killer Tim Brooks", Paul Ellering
, and countless others. The feud ended when Hart was signed by the WWE and Lawler won a match against Eddie Gilbert in which the stipulation was Hart leaving the territory.
The federation also aired live Saturday-morning wrestling cards from the studios of WMC-TV
in Memphis, hosted by Lance Russell
and Dave Brown. In the territorial era of wrestling, many local promotions had huge ratings with their wrestling shows, but none of them topped the ratings for the weekly CWA show which drew previously unheard of shares behind the strength of Lawler's local popularity.
Throughout the late 1970s, the 1980s and into the early 1990s, Jerry Lawler also engaged in bitter top of the card feuds with Dutch Mantell, Robert Fuller
, The Mongolian Stomper
, Bruiser Brody, Jimmy Valiant
, Austin Idol
, Rocky Johnson
, Tommy Rich
, Randy Savage
, Rick Rude, and Bill Dundee
among others. These men were on and off again partners to Lawler. One week they were allies the next week they were feuding. Of all the foes Lawler feuded with, Bill Dundee was probably his most bitter rival. The "Superstar" was easily the second biggest draw behind Lawler, despite his short frame, Dundee's charisma made him a draw. Fans were nearly split in the area as who they would cheer for no matter which wrestler was the "good guy."
The Mid-South Coliseum also played host to one of the most famous angles not only in the CWA but in all of wrestling, an angle that would get nationwide exposure on Late Night with David Letterman
.
would routinely wrestle women during his shows, soon proclaiming himself the “Intergender Wrestling Champion” where he would offer women $1000 if they could beat him. As part of this performance, Kaufman would imply that these matches were “real” and thus also imply that professional wrestling was not “real”, which countered the sacrosanct belief of fans in that era that wrestling was "real".
Kaufman even started appearing on the Mid-South Coliseum shows wrestling women in the undercard matches, and after winning Kaufman would berate the Memphis crowd and proclaim his own greatness in the sport. He even went so far as to claim that no woman could beat him and if they did – he would marry that woman. Enter Jerry Lawler, proud defender of wrestling and angry at Andy Kaufman for mocking the sport that made him a star, so he decided to coach one of Kaufman’s opponents. Kaufman still won despite Lawler’s coaching and gloated like it was going out of style, until Lawler had enough and pushed Kaufman, sending the comedian on a tirade.
The fans loved every second of it, watching the local star defend the sport against the arrogant actor from Hollywood. When the inevitable Lawler/Kaufman match was finally held, the Mid-South Coliseum was packed to the rafters. The delighted fans saw Lawler execute two Piledrivers (a move that was "banned" in Memphis) after which Kaufman was carried out of the arena on a stretcher (kayfabe). The following day several newspapers reported that Kaufman had in fact broken his neck.
Several weeks later, Kaufman returned to the Mid-South Coliseum wearing a neck brace, and the skinny comedian vowed to get even with Lawler no matter what. The feud got national exposure in several newspapers after Kaufman’s supposed injury, and it would get even more press after Kaufman discussed it on Saturday Night Live
. But that was just a preview of things to come.
On July 27, 1982, Kaufman and Lawler were guests of David Letterman
on Late Night with David Letterman
. Kaufman still wore the neck collar to indicate that he still had not gotten over the brutal match five months earlier. After the two argued back and forth, Lawler got fed up, stood up and then slapped the comedian out of his chair and off the stage. Kaufman responded by throwing a cup of coffee on Lawler and then storming off while cursing up a storm.
The wild antics of Lawler and Kaufman made the NBC network executives uneasy, believing that the hatred between the two was real and that mayhem could break out at any time. Kaufman and Lawler would keep claiming that their hatred was real, that their actions were real and that they would maim one another if they got the chance. Kaufman and Lawler's famous feud and wrestling matches were later revealed to have been a staged "work", as the two were actually friends. The truth about it being a work was kept secret for more than 10 years after Kaufman's death, until the Emmy nominated documentary A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman aired on NBC
in 1995. Coincidentally, Jim Carrey
is the one who reveals the secret, and would later go on to play Kaufman in the 1999 film Man on the Moon. In a 1997 interview with the Memphis Flyer, Lawler claimed he had improvised during their first match and the Letterman incident. Although officials at St. Francis Hospital stated that Kaufman's neck injuries were real, in his 2002 biography "It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes," Lawler detailed how they came up with the angle and kept it quiet. He also said that Kaufman's explosion on Letterman was the comedian's own idea.
World Title from Nick Bockwinkel
, but due to the match's controversial ending, the title was returned to Bockwinkel with a rematch scheduled for January 1983. On the night of the match, manager Jimmy Hart
showed up in Bockwinkel’s corner, face bandaged after being beaten up by Lawler in December. Near the end of the match a familiar face showed up – Jimmy Hart. In the confusion Bockwinkel managed to win the match after which Andy Kaufman unwrapped the bandages to reveal the ploy, thus reigniting Lawler’s feud with Kaufman. The Lawler/Kaufman feud would end in the early part of 1983 after Jerry Lawler threw a fireball at Kaufman, ending his run with the CWA. After Kaufman left, Lawler refocused his efforts on Jimmy Hart and his First Family
stable.
Lawler challenging for the World title and almost winning it was a recurring theme throughout the mid-1980s, with neither the AWA nor the NWA being willing to actually put their main title on Lawler. The NWA World title was not defended very often in the Memphis area, usually touring with companies that had more political clout in the Alliance, which meant that the CWA actually featured the AWA World champion more regularly than the group of which they were actually dues-paying members.
In 1988, plans were set in motion to actually merge the AWA and the CWA into one federation in an attempt to counter the World Wrestling Federation
’s national expansion. The federation was renamed the Championship Wrestling Association in late-1987 when Jerry Lawler began co-promoting with Jarrett. Subsequently, all singles titles in the CWA (AWA Southern, CWA/AWA International and NWA Mid-America Heavyweight) were merged in order to recognize one CWA Heavyweight Champion.
On May 9, 1988 in Memphis, Jerry Lawler took on the reigning AWA World Champion
Curt Hennig
and won the title. As the year went on the AWA/CWA alliance was expanded to include the World Class Wrestling Association
out of Texas, with a title unification match set for the AWA’s first (and only) pay-per-view
, AWA SuperClash III. Lawler won both titles in controversial fashion—the match was stopped due to excessive blood loss from Kerry Von Erich
-- and was declared the “Unified World Champion”, cementing his claim by carrying the AWA, CWA and WCCW titles with him.
Due to controversies following the PPV, the CWA (and WCCW) broke off their relationship with the AWA and Lawler was stripped of the AWA World title. In retaliation, Lawler kept the physical AWA World Heavyweight championship belt for not getting his payoff for SuperClash III.
in 1989, thus ending the era of Continental Wrestling Association.
Jerry Jarrett
Jerry W. Jarrett is an American promoter and former professional wrestler, and the father of wrestler Jeff Jarrett. He is the co-founder and former part-owner of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling. This promotion was a chief NWA territory during the 1970s and early 1980s while operating out of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The CWA was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
until 1986 and affiliated with the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
until 1989. In 1989, the CWA merged with the World Class Wrestling Association
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
to form the United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
thus ceasing to exist as a separate entity.
The split
The professional wrestling territory commonly referred to as the “Memphis Area” was originally part of the NWA Mid-America promotion that was founded in the 1940s and operated in Memphis, Tennessee and in Nashville, TN, but also included stops in Chattanooga, TN, Jackson, TN, Louisville, KY, Lexington, KY, Bowling Green, KY, Evansville, IN, Birmingham, AL, Huntsville, AL, Tupelo, MS, Jonesboro, AR, Dayton, OH, Wheeling, WV and even small towns in southeastern Missouri, northern Georgia and eastern North Carolina. The "NWA Mid-American" territory was a tag team hot bed for most of its early years, featuring tag teams in nearly all of its main events, and sometimes featuring only one or two singles matches to compliment an evening of tag matches. Such teams as The Von Brauners, The Interns, The Infernos, The Bounty Hunters, Tojo Yammamoto and Jerry Jarrett, Don and Al Green, Bobby Hart and Lorenzo Parente, The Fabulous Kangaroos, Jerry LawlerJerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
and Jim White
Jim White (wrestler)
James "Jim" White was an American professional wrestler during the 1960s and 1970s in the southern United States. He was the frequent tag team partner of Jerry Lawler.-Professional wrestling career:...
, The Fabulous Fargos, and a host of other teams were regulars. During the mid 1970s the focal point of the territory changed from tag wrestling to singles action around the same time as Jerry Lawler's rise to become the "King", and a split that forever changed the territory.
In the mid 1970s the territory split in two, with separate promoters for each half. Jerry Jarrett ended up as the promoter in charge of Memphis, Louisville, Lexington and Evansville while still part of NWA Mid-America, while Nick Gulas, who had been the primary booker, continued to promote the other half of the territory. A dispute arose between Nick Gulas
Nick Gulas
Nick Gulas was an American professional wrestling promoter in the Southern United States. Also known as The King of Managers and King B, Gulas helped start the careers of such wrestling stars as Tojo Yamamoto, Jackie Fargo, and Jerry "The King" Lawler in the 1960s and '70s, the Bounty Hunters with...
and Jerry Jarrett. Many of the wrestlers in the promotion were upset at Nick Gulas for over booking Nick’s son George Gulas in the extremely profitable Memphis half of the territory. George Gulas was not built very well at all, he was tall and lanky but physical build was something which was not all that important to the fans in the area, but he was also not a great worker. It was very hard to believe, even for wrestling fans used to poorly-built wrestlers, that George could regularly beat his larger more experienced foes. George was given matches and wins over long time veterans of the territory without "paying his dues". This started the rift, and eventually Jarrett decided to go his own way. Jarrett decided to break away by starting competing cards at the Cook Convention Center in March 1977. Nick Gulas, who lived in Nashville, eventually made "Music City" his home base, running weekly cards at the Fairgrounds and all over mid-Tennessee. Originally Gulas was backed by many of the areas top draws but Jerry Jarrett had two aces up his sleeve. First he was backed by Jerry Lawler, who had just toppled Jackie Fargo as the headliner of the area, and second was that with Lawler he had Memphis. Memphis was clearly the hot spot for the territory. Gulas did attempt to run shows in Memphis for some time but without the headliner, Lawler, he could not compete. The split between Gulas and Jarrett created the Continental Wrestling Association as a totally separate promotion run by Jarrett. In 1980 after only three years, the Gulas territory folded when Nick Gulas retired and the CWA took over some of the more profitable locations (e.g. Nashville).
NWA affiliate
After the split from Nick Gulas, the CWA became a National Wrestling Alliance affiliate, which entitled the CWA to NWA World Heavyweight Championship defenses. The champion would regularly tour through the territory defending the title against top contenders. With the World champion being a “traveling champion” the main title of the CWA was the Southern Heavyweight Title, which was nominally sanctioned by the NWA (into 1978) or the AWA (beginning in 1978).The cornerstone of the CWA was the weekly Monday night shows from the Mid-South Coliseum
Mid-South Coliseum
The Mid-South Coliseum, also known as "The Entertainment Capital of the Mid-South", was a multi-purpose arena, that seated 10,085 people, in Memphis, Tennessee...
in Memphis, where the cards regularly drew full houses. These shows were repeated in some form weekly in Louisville and Nashville (on Saturday nights). Having three major shows at all three cities, and additional shows through other towns in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Northern Alabama made the promotion loads of green into the early 1990s. These shows showcased a series of legendary wrestlers as they made their way through the Memphis territory; future superstars such as Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
performed there before the birth of Hulkamania, as well as NWA headliners such as Harley Race
Harley Race
Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
, Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
, Jack Brisco
Jack Brisco
Freddie Joe Brisco was an American professional wrestler, better known as Jack Brisco or Uvalde Slim. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance , becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco...
, and Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
. A who's who of wrestling superstars made visits to the area, usually to face Lawler. While Lawler was oftentimes a "heel" or bad guy wrestler he was still the "home team." No matter what dirty tricks the "King" had played on the locals, when an out of town wrestler would surface, Lawler was cheered. For a while Lawler was managed by an old high school pal Jimmy Hart
Jimmy Hart
James "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional...
. That was until Lawler broke his leg in a backyard football game. During Lawler's absence, Hart proclaimed Paul Ellering as the "New King" of wrestling. When Lawler returned he engaged in one of the biggest feuds in the promotion's history.
The biggest run of the promotion was the Jerry Lawler-Jimmy Hart
Jimmy Hart
James "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional...
feud which would last throughout the 1980s. Jimmy Hart's "First Family" included dozens of wrestlers who Hart brought in to face Lawler. Included in this list were The Iron Sheik, The Dream Machine, The Nightmares, Eddie Gilbert
Eddie Gilbert
Edward Gilbert may refer to:*Eddie Gilbert , Australian Aboriginal cricketer*Eddie Gilbert , American wrestler*Ed Gilbert *Edward Gilbert, U.S...
, Ken Patera
Ken Patera
Ken Patera is a former professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and Strongman competitor.-Weightlifting/Strongman career:Patera is a former Olympic weightlifter and American powerlifter...
, Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
, Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, Bugsy McGraw
Bugsy McGraw
Bugsy McGraw is the ring name of former professional wrestler Michael Davis. He also wrestled under the name "The Skull." He is not to be confused with the other wrestler named Mike Davis.-Total Nonstop Action Wrestling :...
, Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)
Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...
, Bobby Eaton
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
, "Killer Tim Brooks", Paul Ellering
Paul Ellering
Paul Ellering is a retired professional wrestling manager.-Professional wrestling career:Before entering the wrestling business, Ellering was an accomplished weightlifter...
, and countless others. The feud ended when Hart was signed by the WWE and Lawler won a match against Eddie Gilbert in which the stipulation was Hart leaving the territory.
The federation also aired live Saturday-morning wrestling cards from the studios of WMC-TV
WMC-TV
WMC-TV is the NBC affiliate television station for the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. The station serves roughly the western third of Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, northeastern Arkansas and the southeastern corner of Missouri over the air on satellite and on various cable systems. Its...
in Memphis, hosted by Lance Russell
Lance Russell
Lance Russell is a former professional wrestling announcer in the Memphis region from 1959 to 1997, particularly in NWA Mid-America and its descendant as the dominant promotion in Memphis, the Continental Wrestling Association...
and Dave Brown. In the territorial era of wrestling, many local promotions had huge ratings with their wrestling shows, but none of them topped the ratings for the weekly CWA show which drew previously unheard of shares behind the strength of Lawler's local popularity.
Throughout the late 1970s, the 1980s and into the early 1990s, Jerry Lawler also engaged in bitter top of the card feuds with Dutch Mantell, Robert Fuller
Robert Fuller
Robert Welch is a professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Robert Fuller and Col. Robert Parker. Robert and his brother Ron co-owned Continental Championship Wrestling for a time.-Career:...
, The Mongolian Stomper
Mongolian Stomper
Archie Gouldie is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Mongolian Stomper.-Stampede Wrestling:Gouldie held the North American heavyweight title a record ten times between 1968 and 1984, quite a streak of longevity for that time frame...
, Bruiser Brody, Jimmy Valiant
Jimmy Valiant
James Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.-Personal life:...
, Austin Idol
Austin Idol
Mike McCord is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name the "Universal Heartthrob" Austin Idol.-Professional wrestling career:McCord graduated from Robinson High School in Tampa, Florida...
, Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. Quite popular in his own right in the 1970s and 1980s, he is also known for being the father of actor and professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson...
, Tommy Rich
Tommy Rich
Thomas Richardson , better known by his ring name, "Wildfire" Tommy Rich, is a professional wrestler. He is best known for his wrestling career in Georgia and Memphis throughout the 1980s.-Professional wrestling career:...
, Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
, Rick Rude, and Bill Dundee
Bill Dundee
William "Bill" Cruickshanks is a Scottish born-Australian professional wrestler better known by his stage name Bill Dundee. Cruickshanks is the father of Jamie Dundee and the father-in-law of wrestler Bobby Eaton....
among others. These men were on and off again partners to Lawler. One week they were allies the next week they were feuding. Of all the foes Lawler feuded with, Bill Dundee was probably his most bitter rival. The "Superstar" was easily the second biggest draw behind Lawler, despite his short frame, Dundee's charisma made him a draw. Fans were nearly split in the area as who they would cheer for no matter which wrestler was the "good guy."
The Mid-South Coliseum also played host to one of the most famous angles not only in the CWA but in all of wrestling, an angle that would get nationwide exposure on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
.
Andy Kaufman comes to Memphis
In the early 1980s, Andy KaufmanAndy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
would routinely wrestle women during his shows, soon proclaiming himself the “Intergender Wrestling Champion” where he would offer women $1000 if they could beat him. As part of this performance, Kaufman would imply that these matches were “real” and thus also imply that professional wrestling was not “real”, which countered the sacrosanct belief of fans in that era that wrestling was "real".
Kaufman even started appearing on the Mid-South Coliseum shows wrestling women in the undercard matches, and after winning Kaufman would berate the Memphis crowd and proclaim his own greatness in the sport. He even went so far as to claim that no woman could beat him and if they did – he would marry that woman. Enter Jerry Lawler, proud defender of wrestling and angry at Andy Kaufman for mocking the sport that made him a star, so he decided to coach one of Kaufman’s opponents. Kaufman still won despite Lawler’s coaching and gloated like it was going out of style, until Lawler had enough and pushed Kaufman, sending the comedian on a tirade.
The fans loved every second of it, watching the local star defend the sport against the arrogant actor from Hollywood. When the inevitable Lawler/Kaufman match was finally held, the Mid-South Coliseum was packed to the rafters. The delighted fans saw Lawler execute two Piledrivers (a move that was "banned" in Memphis) after which Kaufman was carried out of the arena on a stretcher (kayfabe). The following day several newspapers reported that Kaufman had in fact broken his neck.
Several weeks later, Kaufman returned to the Mid-South Coliseum wearing a neck brace, and the skinny comedian vowed to get even with Lawler no matter what. The feud got national exposure in several newspapers after Kaufman’s supposed injury, and it would get even more press after Kaufman discussed it on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. But that was just a preview of things to come.
On July 27, 1982, Kaufman and Lawler were guests of David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
. Kaufman still wore the neck collar to indicate that he still had not gotten over the brutal match five months earlier. After the two argued back and forth, Lawler got fed up, stood up and then slapped the comedian out of his chair and off the stage. Kaufman responded by throwing a cup of coffee on Lawler and then storming off while cursing up a storm.
The wild antics of Lawler and Kaufman made the NBC network executives uneasy, believing that the hatred between the two was real and that mayhem could break out at any time. Kaufman and Lawler would keep claiming that their hatred was real, that their actions were real and that they would maim one another if they got the chance. Kaufman and Lawler's famous feud and wrestling matches were later revealed to have been a staged "work", as the two were actually friends. The truth about it being a work was kept secret for more than 10 years after Kaufman's death, until the Emmy nominated documentary A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in 1995. Coincidentally, Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
is the one who reveals the secret, and would later go on to play Kaufman in the 1999 film Man on the Moon. In a 1997 interview with the Memphis Flyer, Lawler claimed he had improvised during their first match and the Letterman incident. Although officials at St. Francis Hospital stated that Kaufman's neck injuries were real, in his 2002 biography "It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes," Lawler detailed how they came up with the angle and kept it quiet. He also said that Kaufman's explosion on Letterman was the comedian's own idea.
AWA affiliation
At the end of 1982, Jerry Lawler had seemingly won the American Wrestling AssociationAmerican Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
World Title from Nick Bockwinkel
Nick Bockwinkel
Nicholas Warren Francis "Nick" Bockwinkel is a retired American professional wrestler. He mainly competed in the American Wrestling Association in the United States...
, but due to the match's controversial ending, the title was returned to Bockwinkel with a rematch scheduled for January 1983. On the night of the match, manager Jimmy Hart
Jimmy Hart
James "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional...
showed up in Bockwinkel’s corner, face bandaged after being beaten up by Lawler in December. Near the end of the match a familiar face showed up – Jimmy Hart. In the confusion Bockwinkel managed to win the match after which Andy Kaufman unwrapped the bandages to reveal the ploy, thus reigniting Lawler’s feud with Kaufman. The Lawler/Kaufman feud would end in the early part of 1983 after Jerry Lawler threw a fireball at Kaufman, ending his run with the CWA. After Kaufman left, Lawler refocused his efforts on Jimmy Hart and his First Family
The First Family (professional wrestling)
The First Family was the name of two professional wrestling stables led by Jimmy Hart, first in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association, then in the late 1990s in World Championship Wrestling.-CWA stable:...
stable.
Lawler challenging for the World title and almost winning it was a recurring theme throughout the mid-1980s, with neither the AWA nor the NWA being willing to actually put their main title on Lawler. The NWA World title was not defended very often in the Memphis area, usually touring with companies that had more political clout in the Alliance, which meant that the CWA actually featured the AWA World champion more regularly than the group of which they were actually dues-paying members.
In 1988, plans were set in motion to actually merge the AWA and the CWA into one federation in an attempt to counter the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
’s national expansion. The federation was renamed the Championship Wrestling Association in late-1987 when Jerry Lawler began co-promoting with Jarrett. Subsequently, all singles titles in the CWA (AWA Southern, CWA/AWA International and NWA Mid-America Heavyweight) were merged in order to recognize one CWA Heavyweight Champion.
On May 9, 1988 in Memphis, Jerry Lawler took on the reigning AWA World Champion
AWA World Heavyweight Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
Curt Hennig
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
and won the title. As the year went on the AWA/CWA alliance was expanded to include the World Class Wrestling Association
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
out of Texas, with a title unification match set for the AWA’s first (and only) pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
, AWA SuperClash III. Lawler won both titles in controversial fashion—the match was stopped due to excessive blood loss from Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Gene Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring names Kerry Von Erich, The Modern Day Warrior, and The Texas Tornado and was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers...
-- and was declared the “Unified World Champion”, cementing his claim by carrying the AWA, CWA and WCCW titles with him.
Due to controversies following the PPV, the CWA (and WCCW) broke off their relationship with the AWA and Lawler was stripped of the AWA World title. In retaliation, Lawler kept the physical AWA World Heavyweight championship belt for not getting his payoff for SuperClash III.
The end of an era
After the cooperative attempt with the AWA failed, Jerry Jarrett bought WCCW from the Von Erichs and unified the two promotions as the United States Wrestling AssociationUnited States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
in 1989, thus ending the era of Continental Wrestling Association.
CWA alumni
The list of wrestlers that had short stints in the CWA is too extensive to list. The list below is a partial list of CWA regulars, guys who stayed around for a good period of time, made a name for themselves or got reestablished in Memphis.Singles wrestlers
- Adrian StreetAdrian StreetAdrian Street is a Welsh professional wrestler known for his flamboyant, androgynous wrestling persona, brought to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Street was often accompanied to the ring by his long-time manager Miss Linda, and the two worked primarily as villains...
- Andy KaufmanAndy KaufmanAndrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
- Austin IdolAustin IdolMike McCord is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name the "Universal Heartthrob" Austin Idol.-Professional wrestling career:McCord graduated from Robinson High School in Tampa, Florida...
- Bam Bam Bigelow
- Big Bubba the Belt CollectorFred OttmanFred Ottman is a retired American professional wrestler best known as Tugboat or Typhoon and teaming with John "Earthquake" Tenta as The Natural Disasters in the World Wrestling Federation. Ottman is also well-known for his infamous "Shockmaster" gimmick in World Championship Wrestling...
- Bill DundeeBill DundeeWilliam "Bill" Cruickshanks is a Scottish born-Australian professional wrestler better known by his stage name Bill Dundee. Cruickshanks is the father of Jamie Dundee and the father-in-law of wrestler Bobby Eaton....
- Bob ArmstrongBob ArmstrongJoseph Melton James is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States...
- Brad Armstrong
- Buddy LandelBuddy LandelWilliam Ansor is a professional wrestler better knownas "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel.-Career:Buddy Landel started his career in 1979 as a young talented athlete in ICW. He left high school even though he had received letters of intent to play baseball and football at the University of Tennessee...
- Don Bass
- Dutch MantelDutch MantelWayne Keown is an American professional wrestler, and author better known by his ring name, Dutch Mantel or Dutch Mantell. He currently is semi-retired but still makes occasional wrestling appearances. He was previously with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a writer behind the scenes...
- Eddie Gilbert
- Jeff JarrettJeff JarrettJeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
- Jim NeidhartJim NeidhartJames Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...
- Jimmy HartJimmy HartJames "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional...
- Jimmy ValiantJimmy ValiantJames Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.-Personal life:...
- Jerry RobertsJacques RougeauJacques Rougeau Jr. is a retired French-Canadian professional wrestler from Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation under his own name, and as The Mountie. Rougeau has held fifteen championships during his career...
- Jesse VenturaJesse VenturaJames George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
- Jerry LawlerJerry LawlerJerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
- Kamala
- King Kong BundyKing Kong BundyChristopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
- Max PainMaxx PayneDarryl Peterson is an American musician, actor and professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling as Maxx Payne and in the World Wrestling Federation as Man Mountain Rock.-Career:...
- Randy SavageRandy SavageRandall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
- Rick Rude
- Robert FullerRobert FullerRobert Welch is a professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Robert Fuller and Col. Robert Parker. Robert and his brother Ron co-owned Continental Championship Wrestling for a time.-Career:...
- Ron BassRonald HerdRonald Heard is a former American professional wrestler, best known under the name Ron Bass. His gimmick was a Texan cowboy who entered World Wrestling Federation rings to the sound of a bullwhip.-Career:...
- Ron FullerRon Fuller (wrestler)Ronald Welch is a retired professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Ron Fuller and Tennessee Stud. He is the elder brother of Robert Fuller...
- Scott ArmstrongScott ArmstrongJoseph James, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler and referee better known as Scott Armstrong. He is currently under contract to World Wrestling Entertainment. He is the oldest son of Bob Armstrong and has three brothers that wrestle, Brad, Steve and Brian.-Early career:James started...
- Sid ViciousSid EudySidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
- Steve ArmstrongSteve ArmstrongSteve Armstrong is a professional wrestler and is the son of the legendary "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. He has three brothers that also wrestle: Scott, Brad and Brian.-Professional wrestling career:...
- Terry TaylorTerry TaylorTerry Taylor , is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation...
- Tommy RichTommy RichThomas Richardson , better known by his ring name, "Wildfire" Tommy Rich, is a professional wrestler. He is best known for his wrestling career in Georgia and Memphis throughout the 1980s.-Professional wrestling career:...
- Toru Tanaka
Tag teams
- Badd CompanyBadd CompanyBadd Company was a professional wrestling tag team in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s, which later went by the name the Orient Express. It is rumored that the team name was derived from the rock band Bad Company...
(Paul DiamondTom BoricThomas "Tom" Boric is a retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Paul Diamond. He is best known for being one half of the tag team Badd Company with Pat Tanaka and for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as Kato, one half of The Orient Express also with Pat Tanaka...
and Pat TanakaPat TanakaPatrick "Pat" Tanaka is a semi-retired American professional wrestler best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association as one half of Badd Company and the World Wrestling Federation as one half of The Orient Express...
) - The Fabulous OnesThe Fabulous OnesThe Fabulous Ones was a professional wrestling Tag team consisting of Stan Lane and Steve Keirn that was active between 1982 and 1987 with brief reunions during the 1990s...
(Steve KeirnSteve KeirnStephen "Steve" Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from...
and Stan LaneStan LaneWallace Stanfield "Stan" Lane is an American professional wrestler, trained by Ric Flair, who started wrestling in 1974 in Championship Wrestling from Florida. For a brief time in Florida, he was nicknamed Nature Boy...
) - The Midnight RockersThe RockersThe Rockers were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty that teamed from 1985 to 1992. The team worked for Central States Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, Continental Wrestling Federation, Continental Wrestling Association and the World...
(Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
and Marty JannettyMarty JannettyFrederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
) - The MoondogsMoondogsThe Moondogs were a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation and in two Memphis promotions: the Continental Wrestling Association and the United States Wrestling Association...
(RexRandy ColleyRandy Colley is a retired professional wrestler better known as Moondog Rex.-Professional wrestlling career:Colley competed in the World Wrestling Federation, where in 1981 he won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Moondog King as the Moondogs...
and SpotLarry Latham (wrestler)Larry Booker was a professional wrestler best known as Larry Latham, Iss Spot and Moondog Spot.-Career:...
) - The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky MortonRicky MortonRichard Wendell "Ricky" Morton is an American professional wrestler who has worked for such wrestling organizations as Jim Crockett Promotions, the American Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action...
and Robert GibsonReuben KaneRobert Gibson is a professional wrestler. He is famous as half of the tag team known as Rock 'N Roll Express, with Ricky Morton.-Early career:Cain started wrestling as Robert Gibson in 1977...
) - The Midnight Express (Norvell AustinNorvell AustinNorvell Austin is a retired American professional wrestler who made his debut in the late 1960s. Austin worked for most of his career in the Southern United States, most often in tag team competition. Norvell Austin is most famous for teaming with Sputnik Monroe in one of the first "mixed races"...
, Dennis CondreyDennis CondreyDennis Condrey is an American professional wrestler, best known as being one half of the tag team Midnight Express....
, Randy RoseRandy Rose"Ravishing" Randy Rose is a professional wrestler.-Career:Randy Rose competed in 1981 in Alabama's Southeast Championship Wrestling and formed The Midnight Express with Dennis Condrey and Norvell Austin. They dominated the tag team scene there until Condrey signed with Mid-South Wrestling in 1984...
) - Pretty Young Things (Koko B. WareJames Ware (wrestler)James Ware , better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware, is a retired American professional wrestler who made his professional wrestling debut in 1978. He gained most of his popularity in the World Wrestling Federation when he was known as the Birdman...
& Norvell AustinNorvell AustinNorvell Austin is a retired American professional wrestler who made his debut in the late 1960s. Austin worked for most of his career in the Southern United States, most often in tag team competition. Norvell Austin is most famous for teaming with Sputnik Monroe in one of the first "mixed races"...
) - The Rock 'n' Roll RPMsRock 'n' Roll RPMsThe Rock 'n' Roll RPMs were a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Tommy Lane and Mike Davis, that competed in several professional wrestling promotions throughout the Southern United States. They were known for their bright colored tights and hanging bandanas. Allen Martin was later...
(Mike DavisMike Davis (wrestler)Michael Davis was an American professional wrestler best known as one half of the tag team Rock 'n' Roll RPMs with Tommy Lane which lasted several years. The RPM's were one of the most well-known heel tag teams throughout the southern United States in promotions such as World Class Championship...
and Tommy LaneTommy Lee Jones (wrestler)Tommy Lee Jones was a professional wrestler. He was best known for wrestling in southern United States wrestling promotions as Tommy Lane, one-half of the "Rock 'n' Roll RPMs" with Mike Davis.-Early career:...
) - The FantasticsFantasticsThe Fantastics are a professional wrestling tag team composed of Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers.-History:While in the Mid-Southern area, Terry taylor was teamed with a budding young wrestler named Bobby Fulton, who at the time was a jobber on TV but showed promise...
(Bobby FultonJames HinesJames Hines is a professional wrestler better known as Bobby Fulton of The Fantastics.-Career:James Hines started wrestling as a 16 year old in 1977 as Jimmy Hines....
and Tommy RogersThomas CouchThomas R. Couch is a professional wrestler better known as Tommy Rogers of The Fantastics.-Career:Couch started wrestling in 1980 as Tommy Rogers in North Carolina...
) - The Nasty BoysThe Nasty BoysThe Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, active from the mid to late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling...
(Brian KnobbsBrian KnobbsBrian Yandrisovitz , better known as Brian Knobbs, is an American professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Jerry Sags.-The Nasty Boys:...
and Jerry SagsJerry SagsJerome Saganovich is an American professional wrestler best known as Jerry Sags. He is one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Brian Knobbs.-Career:...
) - The Zambuie Express (Elijah Akeem and Kareem MuhammadRay CandyRay Canty , known by the ring name Ray Candy, was an American professional wrestler for the Jim Crockett Promotions and various other regional wrestling territories...
)
CWA titles
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CWA World Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) The CWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the American promotion, the Continental Wrestling Association. It existed from 1979 to 1981..-Title history:... CWA World Tag Team Championship The CWA World Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association. It lasted from 1980 through 1983.-Title history:-References:*... AWA International Heavyweight Championship The AWA International Heavyweight Championship, originally known as the CWA/AWA International Heavyweight Championship was a major professional wrestling title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association... CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship The CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association... NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship The NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title defended in the US states of Tennessee and Alabama.The title began in 1957 and lasted first 1980 when it was first abandoned when Jerry Jarrett took over the Mid-American titles from Nick Gulas... |