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Andnow...ChanterThreeThis is the third chapter in the changing of the wrestling guard. World Class Championship Wrestling moving from KXTX TV Continental Productions to l-.ee Martin Television Production, and the beginningof a new era in this strange business W ild West Wrestling'l-ast Friday was la*e Martin's first production for World Class 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 Ik* shown on KXTX TV, Channel 39 in Dallas and syndicated around the countryIronically, WCCW will also stav on Channel 39 at its same time 11 a m Sunday No time yet for Wild WestSouthwest Sports promotions at the Sportatonum and the W ill Rogers Coliseum are both under the same business management, but of course have different television outlets Southwest and Fritz Von Erich tied in with Hum Bnght not too long ago and that started the disintegration of the relationship with Channel iyand Continental ProductionsFirst, the new video cassette promoting the Von Ench family was produced at Dallas Post, a Bright subsidiary It appears atout 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 *-\ndication Fridav■ wwas u- u* Channel 39 s last production at the Sportatonum. but th**rr mon* hagglingvkhu h you may ha\lt;* n 'vicious at times and tht Martin group started two weeks earlyWhen these things happen the talent, announcers, etc are usually the last to be informed Rather than be supried after the hist videotaping with the announcement that my services wouldn't be needed because a ’ Bnghtowned announcer *ould t** taking over. 1 asktnl the people m ctiarge about their plans [a-* Martin an honest and pleasant oung man and 1 discussed the plans for his company and the television program Martin has a state of the art television physical plant and 1 m sure he vuli produce a ^restitng program of high tjuahU Then I had discussions with the Continental I Production folks whlt; have spent five years with urcw, a show which changed th» wrestling business when it “came on line m television stations around the count r\ The result of those discussions was mv continued asso* lations with KXTX ( ontmental Productions and the newprogram: Wild West W rest 1 mgThe program will be produced from many locations including Billy Bob in Fort Worth andn't**‘5P* 0trWrestlingBILLMERCERGilley's in HoustonThe man who put together the talent which made the original WCCW program famous, Ken Mantell, is corraiing 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 15o applications per day!So here we are with a new production a competitive marketplace locally and across the country and that same excitement that we all had'■'wP-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 ail the talent losses of last vear Crowds haveWbeen extremeis small in Dahas and at WillWRogers Coliseum in Fort Worth The annual Krum High School wrestling esent. which has raised money for various projects, made onlythis vear and drew less than 100 fans Ke\in V on•• *Ench was not on the card and that is one of the mam problems for the local promotion and the gateKevin is carrying the Von Ench name alone It is a sad state f«*r th*- family that was nding the crest of international adoration just a couple of years ago Why my ■'Witch from the Von Erich promotion after a!! these years'’ Maybe I'll write a book someday. but for now let's just say incentives and motivations play a part in the life 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, 1 think the Southwest promotion thought the samething!■Mr H
Newspaper Details
Grapevine Sun
Grapevine, Texas, US
Thu, Jun 04, 1987
Page 11
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TN, USA 19 Jun 2019
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