Thanks for this show, I really enjoyed it. I grew up in Buffalo, sarting watching the old NWF. It covered Western New York (NOT upstate, anyone from Buffalo to Rochester will correct you, lol 😄) and Cleveland and the surrounding area. They had a close relationship with Toronto and Detroit and somewhat with Pittsburgh. At the end of the NWF, they actually took over Pittsburgh for a very short time. Anyway, once the NWF went under and Johnny Powers dropped the NWF title to Antonio Inoki in Japan, that title became the premiere title in New Japan Pro Wrestling until the creation of the IWGP title. The NWF was a good promotion, but like so many others, they killed themselves off by "hotshoting" the territory, TOO MUCH over the top angles that drew a solid house, but no long or even medium term, booking. The downturn in the economy also played a major role in Pedro Martinez and Johnny Powers getting out of the business end of wrestling. Of course, Martinez did try to promote nationwide wiyh the IWA afterwards. I remember when BTW came into Buffalo post NWF: the shows were NOT good. We had matches occasionally from Detroit due to how closely thosr promotions worked with each other from time to time. It wasn't the same. On the flip side, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling came in to Buffalo after BTW. By contrast, their very first show at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo drew just under 11,000. The Crocketts then got into Toronto via George and Sandy Scott, who were both stars in JCP in the 1960s. George was born in Scotland, but Sandy was born in Hamilton, Ontario (the same homr of Johnny Powers). Scott was able to broker a deal where the Crocketts bought into partial ownetship in Toronto. Western New York and Southern Ontario have always had very close relationships, much like Eastern Michigan did with Ontario. Anyway, Mid-Atlantic, then became a big draw in Toronto and Southern Ontario, but they eventually lost their TV to the WWF in 1982, while still having TV in Hamilton on CHCH channel 11. The Crocketts started sending less and less talent to Toronto and that is when Jack Tunney, nephew of legendary Toronto Promoter Frank Tunney, started duing business with Vince McMahon Jr. The loss of TV on CHCH 11 helped to launch the WWF expansion across Canada, as that channel was seen in many major cities in Canada.
Have you two considered including video clips of play-by-play, color commentary and promo participations from the past? Great content. Thanks for the stories.
I was raised in Detroit and grow up a huge wrestling fan and no one can ask this question. I was at Cobo Hall with my family and Ernie Ladd wrestled a tall white wrestler name Randy Oats who was that? I can't find nothing about Randy Oats, and the man I did find on TH-cam name Oats isn't the same man to short.
I found a Jerry Oates who wrestled in Big Time in 1980. Him and Ernie Ladd where on the same card in June 1980, but did not wrestler against one one another. If the card is accurate, Jumbo Tsuruta and Giant Baba would have been there.
Born & raised going to Cobo Hall in Detroit. Pompero Firpo, The Sheik Johnny Valentine & Haystacks. Pure professional wrestling. I've loved it for 54 of my 60 yrs🤣🤣
I always ponder if the Sheik would have even been successful if he didn't run the territory and have 100 creative control over his character. He wasn't that much larger than a typical jobber. He had no real muscle definition. No physical move set beyond the pencil in the forehead. I dont even think his camel clutch was that good as compared to others who performed it.
Does anyone remember “Big Time Wrestling / Big Time Country” which appeared on my local cable public access channel in the 80’s ? I think it was only 30 min, featured an undercard match ( John Bonello has in one!) , then a lady wax featured singing a country song, followed by a main event match.Canf remember what tv studio it was taped out of, much less any shows being promoted in any arenas.
50 years later, I can still hear Bobo saying "Sheik, when I get you in the rang." That's spoken in Bobo's drawl, by the way. Just can't see Bobo and the Sheik as a tag team.
I don’t want to sound snarky either with that said each territory was regional till Vince McMahon Jr made it National when he came to the GCW and than he bought out the VHS tapes from the library. Then the Brisco’s had ownership and other promoters like Jim Barnett from GCW had ownership took over. I personally don’t like kayfabe unfortunately people and their podcasts are talking about it.
That was in Toronto. The Sheik was a draw in Toronto and sent.uch of his talent to Toronto when he , I believe, was co-cbooking some matches there,...probably with his own talent he sent. The 4-5 minute match with fire thrown leading to a DQ grew old very quickly in Toronto and attendance was dropping. To help bring attendance back up, they booked Andre to face the Sheik. They drew the first sizable house in a while because everyone in attendance was hoping Andre would destroy The Sheik, and someone would FINALLY get a definitive win over him. He couldn't even put over Andre, the biggest draw in the sport behind the NWA Champion, at 7 feet tall and 400 pounds. That match killed Toronto for a while.
I tend to agree. If you didnt grow up in Detroit, This is kind of boring. The hosts dont project well. In contrast there is an AWA memory talk show. The hosts laugh, have special guests, tell jokes, and it is a very lively show.
My great grandfather died at 94. When Big Time was on, no kids in the living room. He acted as if he thankfully to me he never heard the word KayFabe.
Thanks for this show, I really enjoyed it.
I grew up in Buffalo, sarting watching the old NWF. It covered Western New York (NOT upstate, anyone from Buffalo to Rochester will correct you, lol 😄) and Cleveland and the surrounding area.
They had a close relationship with Toronto and Detroit and somewhat with Pittsburgh. At the end of the NWF, they actually took over Pittsburgh for a very short time.
Anyway, once the NWF went under and Johnny Powers dropped the NWF title to Antonio Inoki in Japan, that title became the premiere title in New Japan Pro Wrestling until the creation of the IWGP title.
The NWF was a good promotion, but like so many others, they killed themselves off by "hotshoting" the territory, TOO MUCH over the top angles that drew a solid house, but no long or even medium term, booking.
The downturn in the economy also played a major role in Pedro Martinez and Johnny Powers getting out of the business end of wrestling.
Of course, Martinez did try to promote nationwide wiyh the IWA afterwards.
I remember when BTW came into Buffalo post NWF: the shows were NOT good. We had matches occasionally from Detroit due to how closely thosr promotions worked with each other from time to time. It wasn't the same.
On the flip side, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling came in to Buffalo after BTW.
By contrast, their very first show at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo drew just under 11,000.
The Crocketts then got into Toronto via George and Sandy Scott, who were both stars in JCP in the 1960s. George was born in Scotland, but Sandy was born in Hamilton, Ontario (the same homr of Johnny Powers). Scott was able to broker a deal where the Crocketts bought into partial ownetship in Toronto.
Western New York and Southern Ontario have always had very close relationships, much like Eastern Michigan did with Ontario.
Anyway, Mid-Atlantic, then became a big draw in Toronto and Southern Ontario, but they eventually lost their TV to the WWF in 1982, while still having TV in Hamilton on CHCH channel 11.
The Crocketts started sending less and less talent to Toronto and that is when Jack Tunney, nephew of legendary Toronto Promoter Frank Tunney, started duing business with Vince McMahon Jr.
The loss of TV on CHCH 11 helped to launch the WWF expansion across Canada, as that channel was seen in many major cities in Canada.
Have you two considered including video clips of play-by-play, color commentary and promo participations from the past?
Great content. Thanks for the stories.
I was raised in Detroit and grow up a huge wrestling fan and no one can ask this question. I was at Cobo Hall with my family and Ernie Ladd wrestled a tall white wrestler name Randy Oats who was that? I can't find nothing about Randy Oats, and the man I did find on TH-cam name Oats isn't the same man to short.
I found a Jerry Oates who wrestled in Big Time in 1980. Him and Ernie Ladd where on the same card in June 1980, but did not wrestler against one one another. If the card is accurate, Jumbo Tsuruta and Giant Baba would have been there.
Born & raised going to Cobo Hall in Detroit. Pompero Firpo, The Sheik Johnny Valentine & Haystacks. Pure professional wrestling. I've loved it for 54 of my 60 yrs🤣🤣
This is before my time. But I really enjoy this video and hearing the old stories.
I always ponder if the Sheik would have even been successful if he didn't run the territory and have 100 creative control over his character. He wasn't that much larger than a typical jobber. He had no real muscle definition. No physical move set beyond the pencil in the forehead. I dont even think his camel clutch was that good as compared to others who performed it.
Thank you for this.
Does anyone remember “Big Time Wrestling / Big Time Country” which appeared on my local cable public access channel in the 80’s ? I think it was only 30 min, featured an undercard match ( John Bonello has in one!) , then a lady wax featured singing a country song, followed by a main event match.Canf remember what tv studio it was taped out of, much less any shows being promoted in any arenas.
Saw many of the greats in Boston in the late 50s; Killer Kowalski was our “World Champion.”
50 years later, I can still hear Bobo saying "Sheik, when I get you in the rang." That's spoken in Bobo's drawl, by the way. Just can't see Bobo and the Sheik as a tag team.
In St.Paul Mn. I saw some of the greats when I was a boy.
In maple leaf gardens, the sheik should have put Andre the giant over in 74 . And had Andre put up an undefeated streak .
Thank You
Your welcome thank you for watching
I remember Jackie Fargo and his brother. The Japanese wrestlers.
That goes way back
I don’t want to sound snarky either with that said each territory was regional till Vince McMahon Jr made it National when he came to the GCW and than he bought out the VHS tapes from the library. Then the Brisco’s had ownership and other promoters like Jim Barnett from GCW had ownership took over. I personally don’t like kayfabe unfortunately people and their podcasts are talking about it.
Class all the way..no GD's or FU 'S
do another one !
Jim Cornette said the Sheik killed the territory when he fireballed Andre the Giant
That was in Toronto.
The Sheik was a draw in Toronto and sent.uch of his talent to Toronto when he , I believe, was co-cbooking some matches there,...probably with his own talent he sent.
The 4-5 minute match with fire thrown leading to a DQ grew old very quickly in Toronto and attendance was dropping. To help bring attendance back up, they booked Andre to face the Sheik. They drew the first sizable house in a while because everyone in attendance was hoping Andre would destroy The Sheik, and someone would FINALLY get a definitive win over him.
He couldn't even put over Andre, the biggest draw in the sport behind the NWA Champion, at 7 feet tall and 400 pounds.
That match killed Toronto for a while.
@dominicrossitto5890 Thanks for that info I thought it was Detroit.
Dayton was a good stop for the longest time, but got old
It might have been a good tag team Ernie Ladd and the magnificent zulu.
Channel 62..... never heard of it.... UHF 😂😂
Guys if the promoter is building a palace off the backs of his workers who he's nickel and diming, it's a great time to try something else, right?
It fell to….WWE.
This should be called boring time talk show
Shut your hater ass up
Applesauce, Lit. I love these Memories.
I tend to agree. If you didnt grow up in Detroit, This is kind of boring. The hosts dont project well. In contrast there is an AWA memory talk show. The hosts laugh, have special guests, tell jokes, and it is a very lively show.
Thanks for not watching.