National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling

399 Pages·2007·2.12 MB·English

by  Tim Hornbaker

NATIONAL
WRESTLING ALLIANCE

NATIONAL
WRESTLING ALLIANCE
The Untold Story of the Monopoly
That Strangled Pro Wrestling
Tim Hornbaker
ECW Press
Copyright © Tim Hornbaker, 2007
Published by ecw press
2120Queen Street East, Suite 200,Toronto, Ontario, Canada m4e 1e2
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans-
mitted in any form by any process — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise —
without the prior written permission of the copyright owners and ecw press.
library and archives canada cataloguing in publication
Hornbaker, Tim
National Wrestling Alliance : the untold story of the
monopoly that strangled pro wrestling / Tim Hornbaker
isbn-13: 978-1-55022-741-3
isbn-10: 1-55022-741-6
1.National Wrestling Alliance — History. 2.National Wrestling
Alliance — Corrupt practices. 3.Wrestling promoters — United States.
4.Wrestling — United States — History — 20th century. 5.Wrestling —
Corrupt practices — United States. I. Title.
gv1195.h67 2006 796.8120973 c2006-904102-4
Editor: Michael Holmes
Production: Mary Bowness
Printing: Transcontinental
This book is set in Adobe Garamond and Trajan
distribution
canada:Jaguar Book Group, 100Armstrong Ave., Georgetown, on l7g 5s4
united states:Independent Publishers Group,814North Franklin St.,
Chicago, il 60610
printed and bound in canada
table of contents
\
Introduction vii
1. The Origins of a Wrestling Monopoly 1
2. International Expansion 13
3. The Undisputed Champ: Lou Thesz 30
4. The Backbone of the Alliance: Sam Muchnick 46
5. The Nekoosa Strangler: Ed “Strangler” Lewis 61
6. Chicago’s Consummate Entrepreneur: Fred Kohler 77
7. The Red-Haired Shooter:Joe “Toots”Mondt 94
8. Wrestling’s First $100,000 Gate:Thesz vs. Leone 109
9. United States v. the National Wrestling Alliance 120
10. Sonny Myers v. the NWA 143
11. The Founding Father Resigns 160
12. The Expansion of Capitol Wrestling 174
13. NWA World Heavyweight Champions (‒) 196
14. Distinguished Wrestling Champions 220
15. Promotional Wars 250
16. Booking Wrestling’s Future: The Members of the NWA 272
17. NWA World Heavyweight Champions (1975–Present) 323
18. NWA History(1975–Present) 346
Acknowledgments 367
About the photos 368
Photo credits 371
Introduction
Crystallized in the annals of professional wrestling are the glory days of the
National Wrestling Alliance, once standing as the most powerful organization in
the sport’s history. Formed several years after the end of World War II, the nwa
bloomed from a modest Midwestern trade agreement into an exclusive syndicate,
and its members demonstrated a newfangled methodology and foresight in the
hopes of enhancing the industry. Cooperating to define a layered doctrine,
regional circuits or “territories,” and the streamlining of titleholders, nwa mem-
bers improved all aspects of grappling. The group appeared to be an honest
collection of people serving wrestling’s best interests, which, in turn, left the nwa
with few detractors.
Over the course of several years, the nwa morphed from a well-intentioned,
localized union of promoters into an international conglomerate with an esti-
mated 500 affiliates. Effectively pulling the strings of wrestling’s biggest
superstars, while providing exceptional entertainment for legions of fans world-
wide, the Alliance soon controlled wrestling and its $25 million-a-year revenue.
On the surface, there didn’t appear to be anything wrong with the nwa’s prac-
tices.
But by allowing their imaginations to spiral recklessly out of control, nwa
members created complex fortresses that steadily punctured holes in the law.
Persistent complaints about an illegal monopoly eventually attracted the atten-
tion of the Department of Justice, and set the table for a Federal Courtcase that
was supposed to have ended the nwa’s exclusive reign. The coalition was shaken
to its very foundations, but found a way to survive. Through the hard work of
the organization’s major supporters, and the dedication of the thousands of
wrestlers who traveled the world to meet the astronomical demand for pro
wrestling, the Alliance endured.
Loyal fans today acknowledge the nwa’s vast tradition, and respect the men
and women who were committed to the institution and the sport as a whole.
Wrestlers like Lou Thesz, Buddy Rogers, “Whipper” Billy Watson, Danny
Hodge, Pat O’Connor, Gene Kiniski, Jack Brisco, the Funk Brothers, Harley
Race, and Ric Flair were the heroes who built the National Wrestling Alliance,
and for more than four decades, symbolized professional wrestling excellence.
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