Southwest Championship Wrestling '83: Joe Blanchard tries to go national!

[blue collar fan]

This thread is a 'what if' re-imagining of what might have happened had Joe Blanchard, owner of Southwest Championship Wrestling, been able to get the financial backing to take SWCW national, which Blanchard was actually contemplating trying to do in 1983.

 

As a matter of fact, SWCW had a tournament in Houston, TX, in May of that year to create their own World Champion. Adrian Adonis won the tournament. Unfortunately, things fell flat after that and, with no hope of becoming a national company on the horizon, the SWCW version of the World Title was quietly dropped.

 

SWCW was also the first wrestling promotion to have a weekly show on the USA Network. Unfortunately, due to sometimes heavy blood and skits like the one where Scott Casey dumped a bucket of 'pig dung' on Bobby Jaggers, USA began to frown on the program's content. That and the fact Joe Blanchard was beginning to have problems making his $7,000-a-week payments for the air-time on USA would lead to Vince McMahon ultimately taking over the slot with his more 'family friendly' wrestling programming.

 

Any fan who saw the two products on the USA Network at that time know that SWCW delivered a better in-ring product. The show had a rougher, grittier, edgier and much more believable and realistic feel than the WWF.

 

While delving into pure fantasy speculation on this thread, I'll start things in the spring of '83. There had been no World Title tournament yet. And the promotion was still on the USA Network and was a major ratings winner for the network at the time.

 

Can Joe Blanchard find the right financial backer to fund his grand plans to turn Southwest Championship Wrestling from a regional promotion to national wrestling powerhouse with the USA Network as his promotion's springboard???

 

Stay tuned...

[blue collar fan]

WORLD CHAMPIONS (APRIL 1983)

 

AWA: Nick Bockwinkel

(Defended the title in the SWCW territory.)

 

NWA: Ric Flair

 

WWF: Bob Backlund

 

 

SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING ROSTER (1983)

FACES

 

Ivan Putski

Ken Lucas

Buddy Moreno

Al Perez

Scott Casey

Bob Sweetan

Manny Fernandez

Ricky Morton

El Santo Negro

 

HEELS

 

Bob Orton, Jr.

Geno Hernandez

Adrian Street

Sheepherders

The Grapplers

Bobby Jaggers

Tully Blanchard

Adrian Adonis

Eddie Mansfield

Cocoa Samoa

 

MANAGERS

 

Don Carson (The Grapplers)

Johnathan Boyd (The Sheepherders)

Christopher Love (Tully Blanchard)

Miss Linda (Valet: Adrian Street)

 

OCCASIONAL APPEARANCES

 

Nick Bockwinkel (AWA World Champion)

Jerry Lawler

Bruiser Brody

[blue collar fan]

DATELINE: SAN ANTONIO, TX - 1983 - THE OFFICE OF SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING OWNER/PROMOTER JOE BLANCHARD

 

It's early April, 1983, around 7pm CST.

 

Joe Blanchard, owner/promoter of Southwest Championship Wrestling (SWCW), sits at his office desk waiting for announcer Steve Stack and ring announcer Sam Menacker, both close and trusted associates, to discuss some major issues concerning the potential future of SWCW.

 

The pro wrestling landscape is starting to change thanks mainly to the rapid growth of cable TV. Fans can no longer just see the stars in their territory on local TV and stars in other promotions only in the pulp wrestling magazines. They can now see a galaxy of wrestling stars on TV thanks to cable. It's inevitable that some promotions are going to have to take the ultimate gamble and go national because their programs are beamed all over the country.

 

One of those promotions beamed from coast-to-coast is Southwest Championship Wrestling. It is the first-ever wrestling promotion to air on the USA Network and one of its hottest shows even though it airs on Saturday mornings (11am E/8am P).

 

Joe Blanchard is one of those owners eyeing a national expansion. His regional promotion is small, operating in San Antonio and the surrounding area. Joe thinks he has a good foundation of talent to build on. But he knows he needs to add a few major name wrestlers to the roster to give his national promotion aspirations the boost they will greatly need.

 

And the only way to lure good talent into your fold is with cold, hard cash. And with what Joe Blanchard is planning he's gonna need plenty of money. He needs the money to pay the talent and SWCW staff (which will surely expand if he goes national); expand his promotion into other cities and states; build a nationally syndicated TV network; add more tapings for more shows. The list goes on and on. Joe can only realize his dream with an extremely well-to-do financial backer. If there's no big money player out there willing to fund Joe's dream, then there will be no expansion for Southwest Championship Wrestling.

 

Steve Stack and Sam Menacker arrive at the same time and enter Joe's office together. After a brief greeting, Joe offers each man a beverage. Both men ask if Joe has any beer and Joe obliges the pair by brandishing a couple of Budweiser's from a small fridge behind his desk and next to the wall under a Texas state flag. Joe grabs himself a Coke.

 

The three engage in small talk for a few minutes while sipping their beverages before they get down to the brass tacks of the meeting.

 

Joe: "I've been in contact with some programming higher-up from USA. They've apparently got some problems with some of the things that have happened on our show."

 

Sam: "Problems with what, exactly?"

 

Joe: "Some of the suits have complained about the sometimes heavy blood on our program. They also complained about the segment where we had Scott Casey dump a pucket of pig crap on the head of Bobby Jaggers. They're saying they've got kids who watch the show because it's on on Saturday mornings and they don't think that kind of stuff should be airing at that time of day because it's too violent or sends a bad message."

 

Sam: "What are you going to do?"

 

Joe (takes a drink of his soda): "Well...(sighs)...cutting out something like the pig crap segment will be easy. We just won't do anything like that again. As for the issue of blood...I mean...this is a professional wrestling program we're talking about here. Blood's just part of the business. The only thing I can think of here is trying to meet half-way and reduce the level of blood on the program."

 

Steve: "Uh, Joe. I'd like to add my two-cents on this matter."

 

Joe: "Go ahead."

 

Steve: "We're looking to make Southwest a national promotion."

 

Joe: "Yeah."

 

Steve: "I think we really need to placate the top brass at USA on this issue. I mean, we need that network more than it needs us. It is our prime vehicle for expanding into other areas. We should just drop blood from the USA show for the forseeable future. In syndication, show blood. But let's just keep it off of USA for right now. We have a good in-ring product and we don't need a lot of blood to show the fans that Southwest is one of the best and most exiciting promotions around."

 

Joe: "Eh! I don't know. You need blood in this business sometimes. It can add real drama to a match or an angle. Reducing it on our USA programming, fine. But..."

 

Sam: "Joe, I think Steve's right about this. We need that cable clearance. They can throw us off their network at any time, even though we're one of their best rated programs. Any programs taped for USA from here on out need to be blood-free. I know we've got some shows taped for the next few weeks that are going to air on there. If there's any blood on those shows, you need to contact the exec you've been talking to and let him know it's on there, but after those shows air, no blood on Southwest Championship Wrestling on USA.

 

"We lose that cable air-time, we can forget even thinking about going national."

 

Joe: "I understand that. But it's wrestling... Blood lends an air of realism to our sport like nothing else can. I'm gonna look into whether or not they'll go for a reduction of the blood on our program rather than dropping it all together."

 

Steve: "That might be worth a try. But, I'm betting they'll want you to ban blood altogether. And they hold all the cards here, Joe. They may agree to your blood reduction plan. But they can kick us off their network any time they damn well feel like it. Let's also not forget that we started airing our show on their network just four months ago and we pay the hefty price of $7 grand a week to be on there. Money's already tightening up around here. We need to do whatever we can to stay on their good side so those USA execs might give us a little leeway if we ever start falling behind on our payments and need a little time to regroup."

 

Joe: "I can't argue that point, Steve. $7 thousand a week is an awful steep price for a small outfit like ours to pay to get the kind of exposure we want. We need to find a big-time financial backer pretty soon or we're gonna be drowning in a see of red ink."

 

Steve: "What's up with our current money man, Fred Behrend."

 

Sam: "Yeah, what has the bail bonds king been up to lately?"

 

Joe: "Fred's a good guy to have help us bankroll things on a regional level. But it's not like he could give us the long-term infusion of money we would need if we expand. We need a heavy hitter who can come in and give us a guarantee that he can primarily fund our expansion plans for the next few years until we can become financially stable enough that we can run things free of any outside help. We can only go so far with Fred.

 

"Now, Sam, you told me about two wealthy businessmen on the West coast who might be interested in helping fund this venture. Details, please."

 

Sam: "Sure. The first man is named George Argyros. He made his millions in real estate and is also the owner of a Major League Baseball team."

 

Joe: "A Major League Baseball Team? Who?"

 

Sam: "The Seattle Mariners."

 

Steve: "The Seattle Mariners?! I'd hardly call that owning a Major League Baseball team."

 

The three burst out laughing.

 

Sam: "Seriously, this guy has the money from his smart real estate decisions. He's friends with Mike LeBell, who used to run Los Angeles."

 

Joe: "Yeah. I know Mike. He ran the WWA."

 

Sam: "Anyway, LeBell told Argyros about your plans and he was intrigued. I understand that George is pretty conservative with his money. And he's not really a wrestling fan. But he likes the concept here of attempting to go national with a wrestling promotion. He understands the importance of cable TV for pro wrestling. George apparently believes that it might be worth gambling a few million on this project because the payoff down the road could be huge. LeBell told me that George would just be looking for the right company to back. So, there's a good potential opportunity here, Joe. But I was told we'll really have to sell George on why he should get behind your plan."

 

Joe: "Who's the other interested party?"

 

Sam: "Bob Lurie."

 

Steve: "Bob Lurie. That name sounds familiar."

 

Sam: "He's the owner of the San Francisco Giants."

 

Joe: "The Giants, huh? They were pretty good last year. Almost came back to overtake the Braves and win the National League West. So, what's his story?"

 

Sam: "Like Argyros, Lurie made his millions in astute real estate deals. But that's where the similarities end. Lurie's a friend of the legendary Bay Area wrestling promoter Roy Shire. Unlike Argyros, however, Lurie is a fan of the business. Shire informed Bob of your plans and Bob sat up and took notice. He thinks the idea of a wrestling promotion going national is a great idea. He's another guy who sees the explosive growth of cable TV and believes that kind of penetration into millions of American homes will be a boon for the wrestling business. From what I've heard, Shire thinks Lurie's close to being sold on a deal to bankroll a national wrestling promotion. He just needs to hear the right things from the right people to get him to him commit."

 

Joe: "Sam, that's excellent news. Sounds like we've got two good candidates lined up to give us the financial lifeline we need to get this thing rolling. Now, we just need to see if we can set up meetings with Lurie and Argyros in the near future."

 

END PART 1 OF DISCUSSION

 

(In part 2 of the discussion between Joe Blanchard, Sam Menacker and Steve Stack, the three discuss their own SWCW talent; outisde talent that they'd like to talk with about joining SWCW if they get the $$$ to go national; a national TV syndication deal; and the first cities they'd like to move into across the country if they can expand.)

[horseman4life]

good job..Always thought SCW could have been bigger if given the right oppertunities. will be following this. I am going to be doing a Mid Atlantic/NWA dynasty. I love the old territorial days of the 80's. Good job and good luck.

[olympia]

I know of another 80's era territory diary that's about to explode onto the scene as well. Good to see some old school revival going on

 

look forward to seeing who will carry the torch for the SWCW to the national scene when the title tourney begins

[blue collar fan]

DATELINE: SAN ANTONIO, TX - 1983 - THE OFFICE OF SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING OWNER/PROMOTER JOE BLANCHARD

 

(KEY: 'Jack' is Jack Adkisson, aka, Fritz Von Erich. He is the owner/promoter of Southwest Sports/World Class Championship Wrestling.

 

'Verne' is Verne Gagne. He is owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association.)

 

 

(This is a continuation of the discussion from my previous post between Southwest Championship Wrestling promoter Joe Blanchard and his close associates, announcer Steve Stack and ring announcer Sam Menacker.)

 

Joe: "Let's put the search for a financial backer to bankroll us in our efforts to go national on the backburner right now and turn our attention to another subject. And that subject is our own talent base here in the company.

 

"We've definitely got a strong foundation to build on with Gino Hernandez, Adrian Adonis, Manny Fernandez, Bob Orton, Bob Sweetan, my son Tully, the Sheepherders, the Grapplers and the like. But, as things stand right now, if we were to try and go national soon, we'd need to ask ourselves if these guys, as our top stars, could carry the load.? I think most fans look at our top guys as regional stars and not national stars; though they would definitely be built into national stars over time with the national expansion."

 

Stack: "I have to agree, Joe. Even though our show airs nationwide on the USA network, we're still Southwest Championship Wrestling. So most of our viewers obviously look at us as a regional outfit. They don't look at our top wrestlers as national superstars. At least not yet."

 

Joe: "Exactly. That's why I believe it's imperative that we go out and aggressively look to sign a couple of major national stars. We need that name recognition. We need a Hulk Hogan or an Andre the Giant. We need a Ric Flair or Kerry Von Erich. These guys, even though they work for regional promotions, are national, heck, international superstars, thanks to cable TV exposure and the wrestling magazines."

 

Sam: "Are you hinting that if we get strong financial backing that you're gonna make a play for Hulk Hogan?"

 

Joe: "There's no way we're gonna get Hulk Hogan. Not a chance. When he's on one of Verne's AWA cards, attendance shoots up astronomically from what I'm hearing. Hogan really connects with the younger genrations of fans. He's the hottest face in the business right now. Even though Verne can be stubborn as a pack mule sometimes, I can't see him letting Hogan get away from him for quite a few years. Hogan looks to have a long shelf-life at the top. Throw in all the mainstream publicity he's gotten the last year or so and Verne would be crazy to let him slip through his fingers. If he doesn't have Hogan locked up in a long-term deal he'd be smart to pull the trigger and do it. I know if we had the money and Hogan was a free-agent, we'd definitely make a serious play for him and try to get him to agree to at least a two or three year deal of some kind. Bottom line: Hogan means money no matter where he goes."

 

Sam: "You brought up Kerry Von Erich. You think Jack would be open to a talent trading deal to get Kerry in here for some dates as we've done with World Class in the past?"

 

Joe: "If we expand, the major stars we sign would need to be under an exclusive contract to us in North America. They'd need to be around full-time because we'd have to build around them for awhile.

 

"So, Kerry would be out of the question because Jack controls his sons with an iron grip. You know Jack, he's very domineering when it comes to Kerry, David and Kevin. I don't think his sons will ever be able to break away from his grasp until they're dead.

 

"And as for Ric Flair. Word I've gotten is he's strongly loyal to the NWA. Love to have him as he's a fine talent. He'd be great to help kick off a national expansion. But it's not gonna happen for the forseeable future."

 

Stack: "What about a guy like Harley Race or Ted DiBiase?"

 

Sam: "I really love Harley. Talk about a guy who gives you instant credibility. Harley works a very real style. He's legit in the eyes of the fans.

 

"And DiBiase is a rising star. Solid worker. Heard that back in 1981, the NWA considered putting the World Title on him and having him, Flair and Rich exchange the belt."

 

Joe: "Harley's a tough call. Like Flair, he's an NWA loyalist. Plus, he has a stake in the Central States Wrestling promotion. I'd love to get him if we could, though."

 

Sam: "I think he'd listen. From what I've heard, he's not too happy with the way things are going in the NWA right now. And Central States isn't doing all that well right now, either."

 

Stack: "Might not be a bad idea to get a feeler out there to Harley and see what his interest might be in signing with Southwest if we go national."

 

Joe: "Let's do that. Harley's a very believable World Champion because of his legit toughness. Let's prod around a little and see if any interest is there on his part and what we could be looking at money-wise."

 

Stack: "What about DiBiase?"

 

Joe: "Definitely another guy to seriously consider if we expand. When it comes to in-ring workrate, he's one of the best out there today. He's another guy we need to put a feeler out on and gauge his interest. Might have a better chance of landing DiBiase rather than Harley."

 

Sam: "Shifting gears, we had talked in the past about Stu Hart's kid, Bret, and Angelo Poffo's son, Randy. They're both excellent talents and just beginning to establish themselves. The problem for both is no national exposure because they work for small promotions. I definitely know these guys would listen if we contacted them about the opportunity to be part of a national expansion."

 

Joe: "I've seen tapes of both of them. Real good workers. Randy Poffo is a much better talker and has way more charisma than Stu's boy. They would be good additions. But they're not at that top level. At least not yet. But they would be solid guys to have on our roster and with national exposure, could be part of the next group of top-level stars in the business."

 

Stack: "If you had to make a decision and pick one of them right now, who would you take?"

 

Joe: "Randy, without a doubt. Because he is already the complete package. Bret still needs to learn how to talk and his charisma is in question. I can't believe Randy still flounders in his father's outlaw promotion. He's a hidden gem and right on the cusp of being a breakout star if given the right opportunity.

 

"The one thing that would make me want to try and sign Hart right away is if we could also sign Tommy Billington."

 

Stack: "Tommy Billington?"

 

Joe: "You know, the Dynamite Kid. I've seen some of this guy's matches from Japan and all I can say is wow! What a talent! Like Bret, not a great talker. But, he's one of the best workers in the world right now. Top 10, easy. I also saw some of the matches he had with Bret in Stampede and they were outstanding. The matches they could put on would be start-of-the-art for the times. Style of matches that most American fans have never seen before. I could seem them battling it out over a title and the fans would take to them based on their in-ring performances alone."

 

Sam: "Those three young lions would certainly be a worthy addition if we go nationwide. Randy Poffo is definitely the one I'd move to the top of the wish list almost immediately.

 

"Say, any news on the syndication front?"

 

Joe: "It's still being explored. We need to penetrate some major markets first. Syndication would be more important than the USA show because millions of households still don't have cable. It's vital we get our syndication in big markets all over the country. Because even though we're on all over the country on cable, it's still a limited, but growing, audience."

 

Stack: "Any ideas on where you want to try and get the syndicated show on first?"

 

Joe: "Some of the first markets I'd like to place the syndicated show in are Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston, Baltimore/Washington, San Francisco, Miami, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. Definitely want to expand the show throughout Texas. Some other markets I'd like to hit early on are Chicago, Milwaukee and Indianapolis. And the biggest fish of all...St. Louis."

 

Stack: "Sounds quite ambitious right out of the box. What about the old boys' network of other promoters? You'll definitely be stepping on some big toes in many of those areas."

 

Joe: "Steve, we need to be aggressive. Yeah, it will ruffle a few feathers if and when we can expand our syndication. But, this is a new era in professional wrestling. I believe the days of the regional promotions are slowly drawing to a close. If you don't think big you won't survive. If the fans see all these wrestlers on a national basis through cable and syndication, you can't just keep promoting regionally because fans outside your territory will want to see your wrestlers live. If you've got a national show or shows and never promote anywhere but locally, fans will eventually give up on your product because the promotion's not coming to their area live. It's a natural progression. Plus, you've got to take into account that one day someone is going to go national. We might as well try and strike the first blow and gain the early foothold."

 

Sam: "That ties directly into the house shows. You get the syndicated TV clearances you want, where do you go first on the road?"

 

Joe: "That could be a little more of a sticky wicket than getting our TV on in other markets on local stations. When you start doing house shows in another promotion's territory, well, we all know the history of the NWA. We need to brace ourselves for potential threats and intimidation as well as attempts at possible lawsuits because of our expansion.

 

"But the boundaries of the territories are all arbitrary. If and when we push forward with our plan, the only thing they'll be able to do is cry foul. NWA promoters don't own anything. Eddie Graham doesn't own Florida. Jim Crockett doesn't own the Carolinas. Verne Gagne doesn't own the upper Midwest. Don Owen doesn't own the Pacific Northwest. Fritz doesn't own the Dallas Metroplex area. Jim Barnett and Ole Anderson don't own Georgia.

 

"The cold, hard reality is that cable TV is changing the rules of the game. The time for national promotions to start emerging is now. It's inevitable.

 

"And let's take a look at what Verne's done for a minute. He's expanded the AWA out of its traditional territory into Las Vegas, San Francisco, Denver. I understand that some of his closest associates are begging him to take the AWA national because they have a strong roster spearheaded by Hogan, but Verne is balking at the idea. That's old-line think in a time when a new line of thinking is necessary for wrestling promotions to survive and thrive well into the future.

 

"And Sam, to answer your question, the first three major cities I'm looking at promoting in are Atlanta, Miami and the pro wrestling capitol of America, St. Louis. But none of this happens, of course, without a big money player coming on board and backing our expansionist plans with a lot of operating capital."

 

Stack: "Joe, listening to you talk gets me fired up and I want to see the plan succeed. But a part of me says these plans are so grandiose that we may see Southwest go under even as a regional promotion because the company's plans are looking beyond the immediate area."

 

Joe: "You're right, Steve. But we are rapidly moving towards a time in this business where you either gamble big or fall by the wayside. The sun is setting on the territories whether anyone likes it or not. It's the reality of the situation."

 

(In the third and final part of this discussion, Joe, Steve and Sam discuss the SWCW World Title Tournament scheduled for late May in Houston and what the fate of that tournament might be with the expansion plans on the table; a possible name change from the regional sounding Southwest Championship Wrestling; and talk about the rumors of an upstart promoter named Vince McMahon, Jr. also making plans to go national.)

[blue collar fan]

DATELINE: SAN ANTONIO, TX - 1983 - THE OFFICE OF SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING OWNER/PROMOTER JOE BLANCHARD

 

(This is third and final part of a discussion that took place in April 1983 in the office of Southwest Championship Wrestling owner/promoter Joe Blanchard and his close associates, announcer Steve Stack and ring announcer Sam Menacker.)

 

Sam: "Joe, if we are able to go national, it seems like we're gonna have to think about a name change from Southwest Championship Wrestling."

 

Joe: "I've been thinking about that myself, Sam. But if we're able to launch a national expansion, I think we can hold on to the Southwest name until we get more established around the nation. Since we're on he subject, are there any ideas for a new name?"

 

Stack: "Hmmm... Let's see. You've already got the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and World Wrestling Federation. I think we need something that doesn't have National, American or World in the name."

 

Joe: "Like what?"

 

Stack: "Right off the top of my head...I have nothing."

 

Sam: "A good name for a national promotion... Might not be a bad idea to call it International, Global, Universal or something along those lines."

 

Joe: "We'll definitely have to start seriously thinking of a new name real soon so we're prepared to get all our legal ducks in a row if we expand. We'll need to find a logo designer that is top-notch who can create a real stand-out logo for us. It needs to be something that will really grab the fans' attention.

 

I have to say, Sam, that I really like a promotional name starting with Global. Would make us sound world-wide and not just like we're strictly an American outfit. Let's mull it over and see what we can come up with in the next few days."

 

Stack: "Global Wrestling Federation?"

 

Joe: "Nah. The 'Wrestling Federation' part sounds too much like the last part of the name of McMahon's promotion. We need something that will really stand out, separate us from the competition and make people take notice. Just think about it for three or four days, guys.

 

"One thing I know for certain, we'll definitely have to have a new name if we crown our own World Champion. Southwest World Champion sounds like an oxymoron."

 

Sam: "We've got that World Title tournament coming up at the Summit in Houston in late May. That's next month. There's no way we can turn things around that fast and have a new name and logo and have all the i's dotted and t's crossed on the legal matters regarding these issues. Hell, there's no chance of beginning our expansion by then."

 

Stack: "What are you going to do about the tournament, Joe?"

 

Joe: "It's a tough call, Steve. Sam is right that we can't really change things that fast. But I don't want to crown a World Champion under the Southwest banner.

 

"I think we might have to re-book that show in Houston. Instead of a tournament to decide our first-ever World Champion, maybe we could have something like an 8-man tournament where the winner gets $50,000 dollars and a big trophy."

 

Sam: "I like that idea. And the winner of that tournament also earns an automatic slot in a future tournament to determine our World Champion."

 

Joe: "That sounds really good. I think we should get to work on that right away. We're gonna have to change our advertising for Houston on short notice. Plus, since some shows are already in the can where the World Title tournament is talked about, Steve, we'll have to re-shoot those segments so you're talking about an 8-man tournament where the winner gets $50 grand, a trophy and automatically qualifies for a future World Title tournament." '

 

Stack: "That'll be a lot of work, Joe. Plus, I've done interviews with some of the wrestlers talking about the tournament already."

 

Joe: "We have no choice. Re-shoot the interviews with those wrestlers."

 

Sam: "The boys aren't gonna like this."

 

Joe: "It's gotta be done whether they like it or not.

 

"So, just so we're all on the same page, we're gonna go with the 8-man tournament at Houston in late May rather than the World Title tournament."

 

Sam: "Got it."

 

Stack: "We'll have to start on the changes for the show ASAP."

 

Joe: "We'll start tomorrow.

 

"Another thing I wanted to talk about were these rumors coming out of New York. I hear that Vince McMahon Jr. is also making some serious noise about wanting to go national as well with the WWF. I know that last year he bought out his father and his dad's business partners Arnold Skaaland, Gorilla Monsoon and Phil Zacko.

 

"A reliable source I know who works in the cable TV industry told me that McMahon has been in contact with some of the programming execs at USA and has inquired about the status of our timeslot on the network. Junior's* been asking whether we're making our payments on time and he's also found out, most likely from someone at the network, about USA frowning on our sometimes heavy use of blood and some of the segments like the one where Scott Casey dumped pig dung over the head of Bobby Jaggers. He apparently told them that he can deliver a more family friendly product. I think he's angling for our timeslot. This could become a very touchy situation and greatly affect any plans to go national that we have."

 

Stack: "Joe, we are gonna have to walk a very fine line with USA. Like I said earlier, I think we need to cut out the blood on our cable show and just use it on the syndicated program. The WWF, being based out of our media capitol up there in New York, is probably a lot more appealing to USA than a wrestling promotion based out of San Antonio.

 

"Add to that the fact that McMahon literally has millions of dollars at his disposal and we don't. He can pay more for that timeslot than we could ever hope to. We're gonna have to be creative to weather this storm. We really need to try and set up meetings with Argyros and Lurie as quickly as possible to see if we can start getting bankrolled to compete. The reality is that we just can't compete with McMahon right now."

 

Joe: "I've seen some of Junior's TV programming and can tell you that we have the better in-ring product. We have a far better roster of talent than he does. That's got to account for something."

 

Sam: "Look at the big picture, Joe. McMahon will start putting on these slickly produced TV programs. We're gonna have to try and match up with that."

 

Joe: "There's no way we can do that at this time. The actual wrestling and our angles are gonna have to be our main selling points right now."

 

Sam: ""From a TV production perspective, while we can't match McMahon in slick production values, we could spruce things up a bit at the Junction*. Maybe add some banners or something like that. Change the lighting up a little bit. This stuff can be done on the cheap but still make us look big-time to the viewers at home. Another thing I've noticed that some promotions are doing are video packages. I think we could put together some nice video productions built around our wrestlers and our angles and match highlights."

 

Stack: "He's onto something, Joe. Think of it, the big TV craze with all the youth today is what? It's MTV. Music video packages featuring some of our top guys. And it can be done relatively cheap and still look like a million bucks to the viewer. Also, how about some video pieces on guys we sign who are coming into the promotion. Build these guys up in the weeks before they appear on our shows so when they actually debut on the program it's a huge deal."

 

Joe: "It all comes back to money. Your ideas sound really progressive. They're good ideas. But right now, the reality is that we're gonna have to compete with solid in-ring work and strong angles. We get the financial backing, then we can start implementing those ideas on a more serious level. We're already stretching it financially thanks in large part to the $7,000 bucks a week we have to pay USA to air our program. That's $360,000 dollars a year that's gone right off the top of our finances. That's a lot of money for us. Since we're currently a small regional outfit, we can probably continue those payments for the next several months...maybe another year. It's imperative that we get a big money guy to bankroll us soon or we can forget even dreaming about national expansion.

 

"And throw in the Junior factor and we've got a real storm brewing on the horizon. Sam, how soon do you think we can talk with Argyros or Lurie?"

 

Sam: "I'll make a couple of calls and see what I can do. These bigshots, they often tend to operate on their own time schedule, everyone else be damned."

 

Joe: "Well, time is something we don't have a lot of right now. We'll talk more in the coming days."

 

END OF MEETING

 

(* The Junction was the name of the arena where Southwest TV was taped. It was a converted grocery store.)

 

(* Junior was the name some promoters used to call Vincent Kennedy McMahon. It was used disparagingly.)