CWF storyline

[Mr. Twang]

Death of the Territories has really feeled me with nostalgia for some of my little kid mark out storylines from the old Continental Wrestling Federation. For those who don't know the CWF ran in the Alabama and Tennessee territory and at the time that I was watching was booked by Eddie Gilbert. I've decided to try to write a couple of storylines from the old CWF. My first one is the Turning of Wildcat Wendell Cooley. Here is the events as I remember them with the help of kayfabe memories.

 

1. Danny Davis is wins a Camaro.

2. Danny Davis and Ken Wayne are attacked during the presentation by Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden.

3. A tag team war breaks out between the Nightmares (Davis and Wayne) and Fuller and Golden.

4. Meanwhile Wendell Cooley is embroiled in a war of his own with Fuller and Golden ally Dutch Mantell.

5. Finally The Nightmares demand and are given a cage match blow-off match with the person losing the fall being forced to leave for 6 months.

6. Cooley is named special guest referree which enrages Fuller and Golden.

7. Night of the match Cooley gets injured and cannot referree.

8. Through dastardly tactics Fuller and Golden defeat The Nightmares forcing Ken Wayne to leave for 6 months.

9. Cooley apologizes to Davis and vows that he will help Davis regain the tag titles.

10. Tag match between Davis and Cooley v. Fuller and Golden ends with Cooley turning on Davis

11. Cooley, Fuller, and Golden continue to beatdown Davis until the Midnight Rockers chase them to the back. Davis is left in a pool of blood.

12. Announcer Gordon Solie tells a cameraman to follow Cooley, Fuller, and Golden to the back where Fuller gives Cooley a briefcase of cash, but tells him he has more work to do because this beating will not stop Davis. Cooley assures them that he will finish Davis once and for all.

13. Fuller and Golden come out to gloat. They call Cooley out, but as he makes his way out he is attacked by a bandaged Davis and the Midnight Rockers have to restrain Davis.

14. Cooley is interviewed by Solie and explains that he did it for the money.

15. Cooley announces that he is no long "Wildcat" but "Hot Property" Wendell Cooley.

16. Fuller announces the formation of the Tennessee Stud Stable consisting of himself, Jimmy Golden, Dutch Mantell, and Wendell Cooley.

 

 

This turn literally left me crying in the floor in front of the television. I mean Cooley was the consummate hero in Continental, so his turn was bad enough but for him to turn on The Nightmares was more than an 8-year old could take. Its amazing though that with this group of journeymen, I had completely forgot that the Midnight Rockers had even been in Continental.

 

If I can get this one to work out then I may try to write "The Breakup of the Nightmares." Which I want to say started when Ken Wayne returned but I'm not sure.

[Wool94]

Cw

 

I remember it well. But didn't he become a face again shortly thereafter? My favorite two feuds growing were were of the Bullet and the Flame/El Fuego and Wildcat vs. Adrian Street! Some fantastic memories!!!

[D. Boons Ghost]

I remember it well. But didn't he become a face again shortly thereafter? My favorite two feuds growing were were of the Bullet and the Flame/El Fuego and Wildcat vs. Adrian Street! Some fantastic memories!!!

 

Heh! Street would call Cooley 'Gwendolyn' during that feud.

[Moderndaywarrior]

I remember it well. But didn't he become a face again shortly thereafter? My favorite two feuds growing were were of the Bullet and the Flame/El Fuego and Wildcat vs. Adrian Street! Some fantastic memories!!!

 

 

Yes,the Cooley heel turn only lasted maybe 6-8 weeks,it was supposed to go longer but got cut short (IIRC it either didnt do good numbers or someone leaving/injury or a similar problem meant they had to turn him back face,I'll look it up.)

 

EDIT: The consensus among most "who would know" is that the Cooley heel turn got cut short because it didn't go over well,so they turned him back.

[Wool94]

Cwf

 

Wow...i miss Gordon Solie and all of the CCW/CWF wrestling. That was my youth!

[Moderndaywarrior]

Heh! Street would call Cooley 'Gwendolyn' during that feud.

 

Come to think of it,you could almost fast forward to the WWF a few years later,with Razor Ramon as Cooley and Goldust as Street.

 

Knowing Vince,I wouldn't doubt it's where he got the idea from.

[jma96]

cool

 

wow thats great i remember all of it

[D. Boons Ghost]

Street maintains that Dustin Rhodes was such a fan of his gimmick during a Florida or Mid Atlantic run (can't remember which one), Rhodes pretty much ran with it the first chance he could.

 

And why not? Unlike Adrian Adonis' eventual (and forced) Flower Shop persona, Street nailed the violent transvestite character perfectly. Goldust was (and still is) a natural extension of the gimmick.

 

The sad thing about it is that so many people have no clue as to the influence.

 

 

It's really too bad that McMahon had/has such a man crush on 'Big Guys', as the Exotic One and Miss Linda would have been a good fit in the WWF during their expansion phase. Imagine what one Kiss of Doom on Hogan or even Savage would have pulled in, money-wise.

 

Cha-Ching!

[Moderndaywarrior]

Street maintains that Dustin Rhodes was such a fan of his gimmick during a Florida or Mid Atlantic run (can't remember which one), Rhodes pretty much ran with it the first chance he could.

 

And why not? Unlike Adrian Adonis' eventual (and forced) Flower Shop persona, Street nailed the violent transvestite character perfectly. Goldust was (and still is) a natural extension of the gimmick.

 

The sad thing about it is that so many people have no clue as to the influence.

 

 

It's really too bad that McMahon had/has such a man crush on 'Big Guys', as the Exotic One and Miss Linda would have been a good fit in the WWF during their expansion phase. Imagine what one Kiss of Doom on Hogan or even Savage would have pulled in, money-wise.

 

Cha-Ching!

 

I agree,having seen both,Goldust did in many ways emulate some of Street's mannerisms,in speech,promos,and certain spots.

 

Street in the 80's WWF would have ruled,that begs for an Adrian Street/Adrian Adonis "Flamboyant" tag team....you'd have Street to do the interviews (a la Jesse Ventura's role in the East West Connection),but the difference being,you'd have a HECK of a lot better workrate in the ring out of Street than "The Body"......plus the WWF actually had a kind of deep tag division at the time....Street/Adonis vs Bulldogs would have been sweet.

 

As far as the Kiss of Doom, that has a Street/Andre program written all over it......big man takes a shocking loss,then it goes to a Big Angry Giant/Sissy feud.

[Wool94]

I remember seeing them (The Rockers) advertise that they were coming to Continental and never saw them wrestle. I was so excited. I think I read somewhere later that they actually ticked everone off in CCW and split town early or something to that extent.

 

I also remember Ric Flair coming on a few occasions and even though we really didn't have NWA coverage here locally, we still realized what a huge deal it was.

 

What I remember the most and I don't know why, is when El Fuego stated that he wasn't the Flame. I'm not sure how old I was at that time, but I remember actually believing him. Man, some of that stuff was pure gold.

 

I'd love to see the Dr. Tom Pritchard/Dirty White Boy feud played out as well.

 

I'm really surprised that after all these years, the WWE still haven't really given Pritchard the chance to work as Color Commentator. He is hilarious.

 

As a kid/teenager, it about broke my heart seeing the Armstrongs become jobbers in WCW. I actually remember seeing Wildcat Wendell in one match on the Saturday Morning Program.

 

Just some random thoughts.

[BHK1978]

The sad thing about it is that so many people have no clue as to the influence.

 

You know I never put two and two together until you mentioned it. I mean I knew who both men are but I just never saw it until now.