Southern Championship Wrestling (Georgia)
Encyclopedia
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling
promotion
that was founded in Atlanta, Georgia
by Jerry Blackwell
and operated from 1988 to 1990, and was continued by his successor, Joe Pedicino
, who ran the promotion as Georgia All-Star Wrestling for another year.
Though short-lived, the group showcased some of the top talent from the American Wrestling Association
and National Wrestling Alliance
as well as notable on-air talent including Pedicino, Rick Stewart, Rhubarb Jones, Paul Heyman
, and booker Buck Robley. It was one of the top independent organizations in Georgia during the late-1980s, rivaling Jody Hamilton
's Deep South Wrestling, and the state's last territory-era promotion prior to the collapse of the NWA territory system.
in early-1988. Blackwell, then a star in American Wrestling Association
, had run shows under the "AWA Georgia" banner the previous year using talent from the AWA. One of its biggest shows was held at the Cobb Civic Center in Marietta
and was headlined by Blackwell, Wahoo McDaniel
, Sgt. Slaughter
, The Iron Sheik, Curt Hennig
, Jerry "The King" Lawler
, and The Original Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey
and Randy Rose
). Condrey and Rose were scheduled to appear in SCW as the AWA World Tag Team Champions
, however, the angle was dropped when Condrey was unable to appear. His place was taken by Comrade Busich
and introduced by their manager, Paul E. Dangerously
, as "Ravishing Randy and Comrade Busich, the substitute Original Midnight Express."
Blackwell eventually began promoting on a full-time basis with involvement from Joe Pedicino
and others. The first events and TV tapings were held in January 1988; the second tv taping (January 24) was headlined by Bruiser Brody and drew 630 fans. Matches from these shows were first shown on a weekly syndicated tv program, Southern Championship Wrestling from Georgia, which aired live on certain tv stations. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer called these first tapings "a pretty lively and fun to watch indy show, and has better caliber wrestling than most indies". The first Southern Heavyweight Champion, "Gentleman" Chris Adams, won the championship by defeating Buck Robley in a tournament final on June 25, 1988, in Columbus, Georgia
. The first Southern Tag Team Champions were crowned in a tournament final that same year in Macon
, when "Wildfire" Tommy Rich
and Ted Oates defeated Bob Orton, Jr.
and "Dirty" Dick Slater
.
, and the national expansion of World Wrestling Federation now in full swing, there was little opportunity for SCW to develop a larger territory of its own. The promotion was mostly limited to the southern Georgia area with regular shows in cities such as Alpharetta
, Atlanta
, Columbus, Georgia
, Griffin
, Macon
and Marietta, Georgia
; most of its television tapings took place at Gordon Clements' Alpharetta Auction Barn and Miss Kitty's Saloon in Marietta. Within its first three months, SCW was running between five to seven shows every two weeks and sold out shows in Marietta on at least two occasions.
, Akio Sato, Bob Orton, Jr.
, David Sammartino
, "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers
, "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez
, and Boris Zhukov & Soldat Ustinov were among the AWA veterans who appeared for the promotion in addition to wrestlers from the Central States and Mid-South territories. Other stars included "Outlaw" Joel Deaton, Nick Busick
, Ranger Ross, Joey Maggs, and Thunder and Lightning (Steve Lawler
and Dino Minelli). SCW held the distinction of airing some of Bruiser Brody's final televised matches before his 1988 murder in Puerto Rico; SCW television footage was used on PWTW's "Bruiser Brody Tribute Show" that fall. Terry Funk
and the Von Erich family
also made appearances on early tv tapings. Promoter Rex Luther later provided undercard talent as well.
SCW also had important backstage and on-air personnel. Bill Dromo was introduced as the figurehead president. Randy "Pee Wee" Anderson
was one of its referees. Rhubarb Jones, a popular morning radio DJ in Atlanta, and Joe Pedicino
served as announcers, and were later joined by Rick Stewart from Central States Wrestling. A 22-year-old Paul Heyman
, who was also working for Windy City Wrestling in Chicago
, appeared as "Paul E. Dangerously" alongside The Original Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey
and Randy Rose
) before moving on to World Championship Wrestling
to feud with the Jim Cornette
and The "New" Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton
and Stan Lane
). Most importantly, Buck Robley returned to pro wrestling after a four-year absence to become the promotion's booker. SCW also marked the final appearance of longtime NWA star Mr. Wrestling II
who feuded with Robley before retiring in 1989. Their feud began with Robley's surprise debut in the promotion by having himself sealed in a wooden crate and "delivered" to the ring while Mr. Wrestling II was being interview with Joe Pedicino. When the masked wrestler investigated the box, he was attacked by Robley. As booker, Robley introduced other creative ideas such as a “$10,000 Slam Battle Royal” held at the Marietta Civic Center.
's Deep South Wrestling out of Marietta. Hamilton and his training facility
had a working relationship with Jim Crockett Promotions
and enjoyed the use its stars. On the independent scene, both promotions competed for talent and shared many of the same wrestlers. Mr. Wrestling II
, for example, jumped back and forth between SCW and DSW during this period.
Within two months of SCW's debut, Dave Meltzer
's Wrestling Observer was reporting "a major war" between the two organizations. Deep South Wrestling ran on Channel 69
which was a competitor against the station
that aired Pedicino's "Pro Wrestling This Week". The rival station had created its own Saturday night wrestling bloc to compete directly with Pedecino's show, but failed to challenge him in the ratings. For this and other reasons, such as Pedicino airing SCW programming, he and his co-host Boni Blackstone
were drawn into the Blackwell-Hamilton war. In February 1988, DSW parodied Pedicino and Blackstone on its television program with the following skit;
SCW also poked fun at Crockett's promotion on occassion. In an appearance by Michael Hayes
of The Freebirds, he joked with an SCW crowd "[The NWA] may be the major league, but their checks are minor league." The year-long rivalry between SCW and DSW ended when, following an in-ring injury, Hamilton sold off the promotion in 1988.
. By end of the decade, however, the NWA's decades-old territory system had ended while the WWF came to dominate the U.S. wrestling industry. Losing interest in the promotion, Blackwell decided to close down SCW in early-1990. It was the last-ever territory-era promotion to run in the state of Georgia.
as an announcer for the promotion. Future WCW star Marcus Bagwell made his debut in the promotion under the name Fabian. He was also able to retain many of SCW's former stars. These were mostly independent wrestlers such as Jimmy Holiday, Tony Zane, Billy Starr, John Michaels. Joel Deaton, Nick Busich
, and Steve "The Brawler" Lawler
.
In early-1990, Pedicino hired Scott Hudson
and Steve Prazak as announcers for the promotion. According to Hudson in a later interview, both men had been fans of "Pro Wrestling This Week" and impressed Pedicino when they volunteered to replace the regular announcer following a poor performance at an GASW show in Carrollton, Georgia
. Initially working without pay, they were eventually hired full-time. With their experience in radio and television, they became valuable members of the promotion. Pedicino continued running GASW until 1991 when he and former USWA commissioner Max Andrews decided to start a new promotion, the Global Wrestling Federation
, in Dallas, Texas
.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
that was founded in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
by Jerry Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. Blackwell competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest, but withdrew early in the competition due to an injury...
and operated from 1988 to 1990, and was continued by his successor, Joe Pedicino
Joe Pedicino
Joe Pedicino is a retired American professional wrestling announcer, commentator, promoter, television and radio producer...
, who ran the promotion as Georgia All-Star Wrestling for another year.
Though short-lived, the group showcased some of the top talent from 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...
and 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...
as well as notable on-air talent including Pedicino, Rick Stewart, Rhubarb Jones, Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
, and booker Buck Robley. It was one of the top independent organizations in Georgia during the late-1980s, rivaling Jody Hamilton
Jody Hamilton
Joseph "Jody" Hamilton is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1"...
's Deep South Wrestling, and the state's last territory-era promotion prior to the collapse of the NWA territory system.
History
Southern Championship Wrestling was established in Georgia by Jerry BlackwellJerry Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. Blackwell competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest, but withdrew early in the competition due to an injury...
in early-1988. Blackwell, then a star in 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...
, had run shows under the "AWA Georgia" banner the previous year using talent from the AWA. One of its biggest shows was held at the Cobb Civic Center in Marietta
Marietta
- Places :*Marietta, Georgia, a suburban city located in Atlanta Metropolitan Area*Marietta, Illinois*Marietta, Indiana*Marietta, Minnesota*Marietta, Mississippi*Marietta, New York*Marietta, North Carolina*Marietta, Ohio*Marietta, Oklahoma, in Love County...
and was headlined by Blackwell, Wahoo McDaniel
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...
, Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
, The Iron Sheik, 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...
, Jerry "The King" Lawler
Jerry 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 The Original Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey is an American professional wrestler, best known as being one half of the tag team Midnight Express....
and Randy Rose
Randy 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...
). Condrey and Rose were scheduled to appear in SCW as the AWA World Tag Team Champions
AWA World Tag Team Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
, however, the angle was dropped when Condrey was unable to appear. His place was taken by Comrade Busich
Nick Busick
Nick Busick is a former police officer turned professional wrestler who competed in Georgia All-Star Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation, but is best known for his brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name "Big Bully" Busick.-Professional wrestling career:Busick...
and introduced by their manager, Paul E. Dangerously
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
, as "Ravishing Randy and Comrade Busich, the substitute Original Midnight Express."
Blackwell eventually began promoting on a full-time basis with involvement from Joe Pedicino
Joe Pedicino
Joe Pedicino is a retired American professional wrestling announcer, commentator, promoter, television and radio producer...
and others. The first events and TV tapings were held in January 1988; the second tv taping (January 24) was headlined by Bruiser Brody and drew 630 fans. Matches from these shows were first shown on a weekly syndicated tv program, Southern Championship Wrestling from Georgia, which aired live on certain tv stations. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer called these first tapings "a pretty lively and fun to watch indy show, and has better caliber wrestling than most indies". The first Southern Heavyweight Champion, "Gentleman" Chris Adams, won the championship by defeating Buck Robley in a tournament final on June 25, 1988, in Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
. The first Southern Tag Team Champions were crowned in a tournament final that same year in Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, when "Wildfire" 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:...
and Ted Oates defeated Bob Orton, Jr.
Bob Orton, Jr.
Robert Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Cowboy" Bob Orton. He is the father of wrestler Randy Orton, who is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment...
and "Dirty" Dick Slater
Dick Slater
Richard Van Slater , better known by his ring name "Dirty" Dick Slater, is a retired American professional wrestler who wrestled in the 1970s, 1980s, and mid 1990s for various promotions including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling .Slater began wrestling with Mike...
.
Territorial reach
Given the constraints of the NWA territory system, with the Southeast controlled by Jim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
, and the national expansion of World Wrestling Federation now in full swing, there was little opportunity for SCW to develop a larger territory of its own. The promotion was mostly limited to the southern Georgia area with regular shows in cities such as Alpharetta
Alpharetta, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,854 people, 13,911 households, and 8,916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile . There were 14,670 housing units at an average density of 686.7 per square mile...
, Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, Griffin
Griffin, Georgia
Griffin is a city in and the county seat of Spalding County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 23,643.-Geography:Griffin is located at ....
, Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
and Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
; most of its television tapings took place at Gordon Clements' Alpharetta Auction Barn and Miss Kitty's Saloon in Marietta. Within its first three months, SCW was running between five to seven shows every two weeks and sold out shows in Marietta on at least two occasions.
Notable talent
With Blackwell's connections to the AWA and, to a certain extent, various NWA members, the promotion sported one of the top rosters in the Georgia independents. Austin IdolAustin 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...
, Akio Sato, Bob Orton, Jr.
Bob Orton, Jr.
Robert Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Cowboy" Bob Orton. He is the father of wrestler Randy Orton, who is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment...
, David Sammartino
David Sammartino
David Lugogo Sammartino is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for being the son of former World Wide Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino.-Career:...
, "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers
Doug Somers
Doug Somers is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers...
, "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez
Manny Fernandez (wrestler)
Emanuel "Manny" Fernandez is an American professional wrestler currently wrestling for different independent promotions. He is best known by the his ring name "The Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez.-Professional wrestling career:...
, and Boris Zhukov & Soldat Ustinov were among the AWA veterans who appeared for the promotion in addition to wrestlers from the Central States and Mid-South territories. Other stars included "Outlaw" Joel Deaton, Nick Busick
Nick Busick
Nick Busick is a former police officer turned professional wrestler who competed in Georgia All-Star Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation, but is best known for his brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name "Big Bully" Busick.-Professional wrestling career:Busick...
, Ranger Ross, Joey Maggs, and Thunder and Lightning (Steve Lawler
Steve Lawler (wrestler)
Steve Gowen , better known by his ring name Steve "The Brawler" Lawler, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer...
and Dino Minelli). SCW held the distinction of airing some of Bruiser Brody's final televised matches before his 1988 murder in Puerto Rico; SCW television footage was used on PWTW's "Bruiser Brody Tribute Show" that fall. 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...
and the Von Erich family
Von Erich family
The Von Erich family is a professional wrestling family. Their actual birth names are "Adkisson", but every member of the family who went into the wrestling business used the ring name "Von Erich", after the family patriarch, Fritz ....
also made appearances on early tv tapings. Promoter Rex Luther later provided undercard talent as well.
SCW also had important backstage and on-air personnel. Bill Dromo was introduced as the figurehead president. Randy "Pee Wee" Anderson
Randy Anderson
Randy "Pee Wee" Anderson was a professional wrestling referee who worked for the National Wrestling Alliance 's Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...
was one of its referees. Rhubarb Jones, a popular morning radio DJ in Atlanta, and Joe Pedicino
Joe Pedicino
Joe Pedicino is a retired American professional wrestling announcer, commentator, promoter, television and radio producer...
served as announcers, and were later joined by Rick Stewart from Central States Wrestling. A 22-year-old Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
, who was also working for Windy City Wrestling in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, appeared as "Paul E. Dangerously" alongside The Original Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey is an American professional wrestler, best known as being one half of the tag team Midnight Express....
and Randy Rose
Randy 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...
) before moving on to World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
to feud with the Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
and The "New" Midnight Express (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...
and Stan Lane
Stan Lane
Wallace 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...
). Most importantly, Buck Robley returned to pro wrestling after a four-year absence to become the promotion's booker. SCW also marked the final appearance of longtime NWA star Mr. Wrestling II
Mr. Wrestling II
John "Johnny" Walker , better known as Mr. Wrestling II, is a retired American professional wrestler. As Mr...
who feuded with Robley before retiring in 1989. Their feud began with Robley's surprise debut in the promotion by having himself sealed in a wooden crate and "delivered" to the ring while Mr. Wrestling II was being interview with Joe Pedicino. When the masked wrestler investigated the box, he was attacked by Robley. As booker, Robley introduced other creative ideas such as a “$10,000 Slam Battle Royal” held at the Marietta Civic Center.
Rivalry with Deep South Wrestling
SCW's talent pool and popular television program, in addition to limited national exposure via Joe Pedicino's "Pro Wrestling This Week", saw the promotion quickly rise to the top of the Georgia independent circuit. The number one "outlaw" promotion at the time was Jody HamiltonJody Hamilton
Joseph "Jody" Hamilton is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1"...
's Deep South Wrestling out of Marietta. Hamilton and his training facility
WCW Power Plant
The WCW Power Plant was a professional wrestling school located in Atlanta, Georgia and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton, was in operation throughout the 1990s...
had a working relationship with Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
and enjoyed the use its stars. On the independent scene, both promotions competed for talent and shared many of the same wrestlers. Mr. Wrestling II
Mr. Wrestling II
John "Johnny" Walker , better known as Mr. Wrestling II, is a retired American professional wrestler. As Mr...
, for example, jumped back and forth between SCW and DSW during this period.
Within two months of SCW's debut, Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer
David A. Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford has praised Meltzer's work, saying that "Meltzer, I believe, is the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism." Meltzer has written for the Oakland Tribune, the Los Angeles...
's Wrestling Observer was reporting "a major war" between the two organizations. Deep South Wrestling ran on Channel 69
WUPA
WUPA, channel 69, is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia. An owned and operated station of the The CW Television Network, it identifies itself as "CW 69". It is owned by CBS Corporation, which is half-owner of The CW. Founded November 10, 1980, the station is broadcast locally in...
which was a competitor against the station
WATL
WATL is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, USA affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by the Gannett Company and is a sister station to WXIA-TV , Atlanta's NBC affiliate. WATL's callsign refers to ATLanta, the station's city of license, also known as "the A-T-L" for its airport code...
that aired Pedicino's "Pro Wrestling This Week". The rival station had created its own Saturday night wrestling bloc to compete directly with Pedecino's show, but failed to challenge him in the ratings. For this and other reasons, such as Pedicino airing SCW programming, he and his co-host Boni Blackstone
Boni Blackstone
Bonnie "Boni" Blackstone is a retired American professional wrestling announcer, commentator, model, television and radio producer. She was a popular on-air personality in regional territories of the Southern United States during the 1980s, as part of the announcing team in the Global Wrestling...
were drawn into the Blackwell-Hamilton war. In February 1988, DSW parodied Pedicino and Blackstone on its television program with the following skit;
SCW also poked fun at Crockett's promotion on occassion. In an appearance by Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes may refer to:* Michael Hayes , TV director of Dr. Who episodes, such as the serial City of Death* Michael Hayes , Irish Fine Gael politician...
of The Freebirds, he joked with an SCW crowd "[The NWA] may be the major league, but their checks are minor league." The year-long rivalry between SCW and DSW ended when, following an in-ring injury, Hamilton sold off the promotion in 1988.
Demise
Blackwell continued to operate SCW throughout the steady decline of the National Wrestling AllianceNational 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...
. By end of the decade, however, the NWA's decades-old territory system had ended while the WWF came to dominate the U.S. wrestling industry. Losing interest in the promotion, Blackwell decided to close down SCW in early-1990. It was the last-ever territory-era promotion to run in the state of Georgia.
Georgia All-Star Wrestling
Shortly after Jerry Blackwell pulled out of SCW, Joe Pedicino decided to continue on by himself. In May 1990, the promotion was relaunched as "Georgia All-Star Wrestling". Though no longer having access to AWA talent, Pedicino was able to bring in former wrestlers from Jim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
as an announcer for the promotion. Future WCW star Marcus Bagwell made his debut in the promotion under the name Fabian. He was also able to retain many of SCW's former stars. These were mostly independent wrestlers such as Jimmy Holiday, Tony Zane, Billy Starr, John Michaels. Joel Deaton, Nick Busich
Nick Busick
Nick Busick is a former police officer turned professional wrestler who competed in Georgia All-Star Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation, but is best known for his brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name "Big Bully" Busick.-Professional wrestling career:Busick...
, and Steve "The Brawler" Lawler
Steve Lawler (wrestler)
Steve Gowen , better known by his ring name Steve "The Brawler" Lawler, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer...
.
In early-1990, Pedicino hired Scott Hudson
Scott Hudson
Raymond Scott Hudson is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Washington State University. Hudson was educated at Caltech, where he received his bachelor's degree in engineering and applied science in 1985, his master's degree in electrical engineering in 1986, and his PhD...
and Steve Prazak as announcers for the promotion. According to Hudson in a later interview, both men had been fans of "Pro Wrestling This Week" and impressed Pedicino when they volunteered to replace the regular announcer following a poor performance at an GASW show in Carrollton, Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia
Carrollton is a city in West Georgia, United States, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,388...
. Initially working without pay, they were eventually hired full-time. With their experience in radio and television, they became valuable members of the promotion. Pedicino continued running GASW until 1991 when he and former USWA commissioner Max Andrews decided to start a new promotion, the Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...
, in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
Southern Championship Wrestling (1988-1990)
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Georgia All-Star Wrestling (1990-1991)
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Championships
| Championship | Notes |
|---|---|
| SCW Heavyweight Championship | |
| SCW Southern Tag Team Championship |
Programming
| Programming | Notes |
|---|---|
| Southern Championship Wrestling from Georgia |
Further reading
- Hamilton, Joe and Scott Teal. Assassin: The Man Behind The Mask. Hendersonville, TN: Crowbar Press, 2006. ISBN 0-9745545-3-7.