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ru wThis is the third chapter in the changing of the wrestling guard, World ('lass Championship Wrestling moving fromKXTX TV Continental Productions to l,ee Martin Television Production, and the beginning of a new era in this strange business: Wild West Wrestling!L^st Friday was U*e Martin's first production for World ('lass and Southwest Sports Promotion out of the Sportatonum It was also my last appearance on that television program I will be moving over to the new program Wild West Wrestling, if I can pronounce it without flubbing, which will 1m* shown on KXTX TV, Channel 39 in Dallas and syndicated around the country Ironically WCCW will also stav on Channel m at its same time 11 a m Sunday No time vet for Wild WestSouthwest Sports promotions at the Sportatonum and the Will Rogers Coliseum are both under the same business management, but of course have different television outlets Southwest and F rit/. Von Erich lied m with Bum Bnght not too long ago and that started the disintegration of the relationship with Channel 39 and Continental ProductionsFirst, the new video cassette promoting the Von Ench family was produced at Dallas Post, a Bright subsidiary It appears atxiut half of Dallas is a Bright subsidiary ' Not too long after that. Von Ench notified Channel 39 he was pulling the WCCW production and Lee Martin would handle that and the syndication Fridav. .. .u, W ' Wwas to tn* Channel 39 s laM production at theSportatonum. but there was some more hagglingwhich you may have noticed has been a bitvicious at times and the Martin group started two weeks early When these things happen, the talent, announcer*, etc . are usuallv the last to be informed Rather than be suprised afw*r the lat videotaping with the announcement that myser\iet* wouldn't in- ruHtifd tnn ause a * Brightowned announcer *ould U* taking oxer, ! asked the people in charge about their plans Lee Martin an honest and pleasant young man, a» ! discussed tht* plans for his companv *4nii tin television program Martin ruis a stateof the arttelevision physical plant and 1 m sure iw will produce a wrestling program of high quality Then I had discussions xuth the lt;out mental j tYoduction folks *ho have spent fixi* xear^ uith WCCW a show which changed the wrestlingbusiness when it 'Yam** on line in television stations around the countrv The result of thoM*discussions was mv continued associations with■W.KXTX i ontmental Productions and the new program ; Wild Weal Wrestling,I The program will be produced from many1 locations mciudmg Billy Hot s in hurt Worth andapter Three*mm\mmm -11 ■■■■■. ■ ■ 1WrestlingBILLMERCERGilley's in Houston The man who put together tin* talent which made the original WCCW program famous, Ken Mantell, is eorraling the wrestling talent for this program So far the cast includes The Iceman, Bruiser Brody, John Tatum (without Missy Hyatt*, Jack Victory The Missing Link Savannah Jack Wild Bill Irwin and a cameo appearance by the “Face,” Sunshine'Mantell also has a wrestling instruction school underway next to Billy Bob's in Fort Worth called StarFind He has been receiving about 150 applications per day!So here we are with a new production a competitive marketplace locally md across the countrv and that same excitement that we all had when we started WCCW five years ago Early indications are that there is a lot of interest in other television markets for another and new wrestling program hard to believe, with all those others out there Southwest Sports promotions at the Sportatonum is having a hard climb back after all the talent losses of last vear Crowds have been extremeiv small m Dallas and at Will«rRogers Coliseum in Fort Worth The annual Krum High School wrestling event, which has raised money for various projects, made only fct this vear and drew less than 100 fans Kevin VonwEnch was not on the card and that is one of the main problems for the local promotion and the gateKevin is carrying the Von Ench name alone Itis a sad state for the family that was riding the crest of international adoration just a couple of years ago Whv m -witch from the Von Erich promotion after all these years'’ Maybe I’ll write a book someday, but for now let s just say I incentives and motivations of a ‘talent especially after 10 years in the same spot And. really. 1 always thought of announcing wrestling as more of a hobby than a professional involvement From the* incentives. 1think the Southwest promotion thought the samething!■
Newspaper Details
Grapevine Sun
Grapevine, Texas, US
Thu, Jun 04, 1987
Page 11
Full Page
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Anonymous
TN, USA 13 Jun 2019
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