Jim Crockett Jr.
Crockett, c. 1982
Birth nameJames Allen Crockett Jr.
Born(1944-08-10)August 10, 1944
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 2021(2021-03-03) (aged 76)
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Cause of deathKidney Failure
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Jim Crockett
Debut1973
Retired1994

James Allen Crockett Jr. (August 10, 1944 – March 3, 2021) was an American professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1989, he was part owner of Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). From 1976 to 1987, Jim Crockett Promotions also owned the Charlotte Orioles, a minor league baseball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina as well as a short stint as the owner of the Winston-Salem Polar Twins in the Southern Hockey League from 1974 to 1975.[1]

Early life

Born to Jim Crockett and Elizabeth (Eversole) Crockett in Charlotte, Jim Jr. graduated from Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1960. He and his younger siblings (David, Jackie, and Frances) were largely uninvolved in professional wrestling until their father's death in 1973. The elder Crockett had been a promoter of wrestling and other forms of entertainment since 1931 (with JCP joining the NWA in 1950).[2]

Career

Taking over Jim Crockett Promotions

Although Jim Crockett Sr. had decided his son-in-law John Ringley would run JCP, Jim Jr. reluctantly took over ownership of the company that same year.[3] Crockett brought in wrestler George Scott as head booker,[4] and he signed wrestlers from across the country, from veterans such as Wahoo McDaniel to younger wrestlers like Ric Flair.[5]

NWA president

First term

In 1980, Crockett was elected to his first term as NWA President, which ended in 1982. He had a working relationship with Maple Leaf Wrestling, based out of Toronto and owned by Frank Tunney, until Tunney's death in 1983. Tunney's nephew Jack Tunney switched Maple Leaf Wrestling's working agreement to Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF).[6] Crockett then formed a short-lived relationship with Verne Gagne and his American Wrestling Association (AWA) to form Pro Wrestling USA.

Second term

Crockett was elected to a second term as NWA President in 1985. He bought Vince McMahon's Saturday night TV time slot on Superstation WTBS and his business began to flourish. The following year, he organized the first annual Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup, in which wrestlers from eight NWA regional territories participated in a day-long tag team tournament at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The Road Warriors defeated Ron Garvin & Magnum T. A. after 7½ hours to win the tournament. Although Crockett had organized the tournament as a tribute to his father, several rival promoters suspected he was using the event to further his own plans for expanding his promotion nationally.

Their suspicions increased as Crockett began holding wrestling events in Memphis and Florida without contacting the local NWA promoters. He eventually purchased promotions based in Oklahoma and Kansas City in the Mid-South territory and began airing his own televised wrestling events, which were syndicated across the United States.[7]

Third term

Crockett was elected to a third term as NWA President in 1987. That same year he bought out Championship Wrestling from Florida and the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), thus acquiring such talent as wrestler Sting and commentator Jim Ross. Although initially planning to keep the UWF and NWA as separate promotions in order to promote an annual inter-promotional event similar to the Super Bowl, Crockett instead moved the old UWF headquarters from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Dallas, Texas.[8] and incorporated its stars into his own promotion.[9]

Crockett promoted his company, JCP, as the NWA, since he owned six NWA territories and was the NWA President, much to the confusion of fans.[10]

Crockett sells his promotion to Ted Turner

By November 1988, Crockett was near bankruptcy and, through promoter Jim Barnett,[11] sold his company to Ted Turner, who renamed it World Championship Wrestling (WCW).[12] Crockett remained NWA President until 1991.[13]

Short-lived attempts at returning to wrestling

Crockett attempted a return to wrestling with a wrestling network in 1994 called the World Wrestling Network. It was short-lived, and he left the sport for good in 1995. Crockett also brought the NWA back to the Dallas Sportatorium for an equally brief tenure during this time.[14]

Post-wrestling career

After his retirement from professional wrestling promoting, Crockett worked as a Texas realtor and mortgage loan originator.[15][16]

Death

On February 28, 2021, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer reported that Crockett was in grave condition.[17] Four days later, Robert Gibson reported that he died from complications of liver and kidney failure.[18] His brother David attributed his death to COVID-19, which Crockett contracted two months earlier. He was 76.[19]

Awards and accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ Crossley, Drew (August 30, 2014). "Southern Hockey League 1973 Archives". Fun While It Lasted. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  2. ↑ Flair, Ric (May 11, 2010). Ric Flair: To Be the Man. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-2174-0.
  3. ↑ Flair, Ric. Ric Flair: To Be the Man. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. ISBN 0-7434-5691-2
  4. ↑ Oliver, Greg (November 2001). "George Scott: Making Mid-Atlantic sizzle". SLAM! Sports.
  5. ↑ Neumark, Jared (February 15, 2006). "The Last Rassler, George South remembers when Charlotte ruled the ring". CreativeLoafing.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2007.
  6. ↑ Will, Gary (June 2004). "Tunney-Crockett partnership approved, 1980". Gary Will's Toronto Wrestling History. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012.
  7. ↑ Greenberg, Keith Elliot. Pro Wrestling: From Carnivals to Cable TV. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2000. (pg. 60) ISBN 0-8225-3332-4
  8. ↑ Hyatt, Missy and Mark Goldblatt. Missy Hyatt, First Lady of Wrestling. Toronto: ECW Press, 2001. (pg. 77) ISBN 1-55022-498-0
  9. ↑ Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. (pg. 124) ISBN 0-06-103101-1
  10. ↑ "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Tom Caiazzo. Steve Williams: How Dr. Death Became Dr. Life. Sports Publishing, 2007. (pg. 116) ISBN 1-59670-180-3
  11. ↑ Ross, Jim. "J. R.'s Cookbook: True Ringside Tales, BBQ, and Down-Home Recipes". New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. ISBN 0-7434-6504-0
  12. ↑ Bischoff, Eric. Eric Bischoff: Controversy Creates Cash. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. (pg. 60) ISBN 1-4165-2729-X
  13. ↑ "National Wrestling Alliance: Presidents / Executive Directors".
  14. ↑ Courier, Mike Mooneyham Special to The Post and (March 6, 2021). "Legendary wrestling promoter Jim Crockett Jr. helped shape industry". Post and Courier. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Jim Crockett « Real Estate Mortgage Network". Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  16. ↑ Rickard, Mike (March 5, 2021). "Jim Crockett Jr. - Dead at 76". Wrestler Deaths.
  17. ↑ "Wrestling promoter Jim Crockett Jr. in grave condition". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  18. ↑ Staff, HBN (March 4, 2021). "Jim Crockett Jr. Passes Away". Heel By Nature. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  19. ↑ Mooneyham, Mike (March 6, 2021). "Legendary wrestling promoter Jim Crockett Jr. helped shape industry". The Post and Courier. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Se revelan los nuevos miembros del Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame 2021". January 14, 2022.
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