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The Texas Two Step: Wild West Wrestling

The Texas Two Step: Wild West Wrestling

Posted: Sep 12th 2024 By: Brian Damage - RingTheDamnBell.Wordpress.com

While they may never have crowned a world champion in their short existence, Wild West Wrestling (WWW) burned brightly for a while in Texas in the mid 80s. Today, Brian goes back in time today with his look at Ken Mantell’s promotion.

In 1986, Bill Watts was trying to go national with his Universal Wrestling Federation. (UWF) In doing so, he pulled the playbook of the WWF and Vince McMahon by poaching talent from surrounding territories in the southwest. He mainly took from his old ally World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). He took guys like the Freebirds, Iceman King Parsons and his biggest score…longtime WCCW booker Ken Mantell.

Ken Mantell saw a bigger opportunity with the ambitious Bill Watts and the UWF. So Mantell up and quit WCCW to book for the UWF causing bad feelings between him and Fritz Von Erich. As it turned out, the UWF was hemorrhaging money and wound up selling off its assets to Jim Crockett Promotions. With Jim Crockett Jr, the new owner of the UWF, he let go several talents to trim the fat and cut costs. One of those cut loose was indeed Ken Mantell.

Out of work with the UWF and having burned bridges with WCCW…Mantell made the decision to start his own wrestling promotion to rival WCCW and take control of the Texas territory. In 1987, his rival promotion was known as Wild West Wrestling aka WWW. To fill out his roster, Mantell hired all of the talent that the UWF no longer wanted including former students of the UWF’s wrestling school and frustrated WCCW talents.

His biggest acquisition however…was longtime WCCW favorite Bill Mercer as his play by play man. To go head to head with his former employer, Ken Mantell needed a memorable wrestling venue like the Dallas Sportatorium. Mantell chose the self proclaimed world’s largest Honkytonk…restaurant/nightclub Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth.

According to former Wild West Wrestling star the late Dewey ‘Missing Link’ Robertson…..Wild West was doing pretty well in the Dallas/Fort Worth market…beating WCCW in attendance and profits. While not blowing away the competition…Wild West Wrestling was apparently at least a viable threat to WCCW.

The constant poaching of talent from places like the UWF and Wild West…along with continuing tragedies like the deaths of his son David and top star Gino Hernandez…Fritz was burned out. He made the decision take a step back and retire. Fritz put World Class Championship Wrestling up for sale. Seeing an even bigger opportunity…Ken Mantell bought into WCCW with a 40 % share…the remaining and ultimately controlling 60% share went to his sons Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. The brothers received 30% each….the only caveat to the deal with Mantell was he couldn’t allow certain former WCCW wrestlers who burned bridges back into the promotion…ie Fabulous Lance (Formerly known as Lance Von Erich)

With Mantell now co owning WCCW and still in control of its rival Wild West Wrestling…Mantell used the more established WCCW as the A show while using WWW as the B show….much like Raw and Smackdown of today. Eventually, with business not doing as well…Mantell cut costs by merging both talent pools of WCCW and WWW into one promotion.

In the end…..Wild West Wrestling never crowned a heavyweight champion in its short existence…only tag team champions and it would disappear from fans memories.

 

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Spotlight in History

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Week of Sun 07-26 to Sat: 08-01

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  • 07-27 2008 Kevin Morgan became the OECW Heavyweight Champion
  • 07-27 2014 Spike became the MSWA Oklahoma Champion
  • 07-27 2019 C. M. Burnham def. Antonio Vega for the ASP Inter-County Title
  • 07-27 2019 Murder Squirrel became the BPW 365 Champion
  • 07-27 2019 Karnage def. Murder Squirrel for the BPW 365 Title
  • 07-27 2024 Brandon Groom became the BPW Lion Heart Champion
  • 07-27 2025 Drake Gallows def. Billie the Kiid for the ASP Heavyweight Title
  • 07-27 2025 C. M. Burnham def. Brixton Barricade for the ASP All Time Title
  • 07-27 2025 Brixton Barricade def. C. M. Burnham for the ASP All Time Title
  • 07-28 2002 Terry Montana def. Shadow of Death for the OCW Oklahoma Hardcore Title
  • 07-28 2007 Shane Sanchez def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Title
  • 07-28 2007 Montego Seeka def. Eric Rose for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Title
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  • 07-28 2024 Brixton Barricade def. Brandon Barricade for the ASP All Time Title
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  • 07-28 2024 Brixton Barricade def. C. M. Burnham for the ASP All Time Title
  • 07-29 1974 Arman Hussein def. Bull Ramos for the TSW North American Title
  • 07-29 1978 Ernie Ladd became the TSW North American Champion
  • 07-29 1979 Bruiser Brody def. Mark Lewin for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-29 1985 Brian Adias def. Gino Hernandez for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 07-29 2000 Northern Threat (Luc Lapointe & Jean Paul) became the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champions
  • 07-29 2003 Payton Scott & Ty Magnus became the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 07-29 2003 Angel Williams & Brandon Bishop def. Payton Scott & Ty Magnus for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 07-29 2005 Chiquita Suzuki def. Leather for the SRPW Womens Title
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  • 07-29 2017 Legion (Rob Cabella & Shawn Shields) def. Team Dean Machine (Christopher Dean & Jerry Dean) for the BPPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
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  • 07-30 2016 The Initiative (Clint Cassidy & Abel) def. Jon Cross for the UWE Tag Team Titles
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  • 07-31 1959 Mickey Sharpe & The Black Panther def. Frankie Kovacs & Jerry Miller for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Titles
  • 07-31 1964 Karl Kox def. Bull Curry for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-31 1987 Tony Atlas def. Abdullah the Butcher for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 07-31 1999 The Millenium Warriors (Red Eagle & Thunderwolf) def. The Casualties of War (AWOL & Shrapnel) for the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
  • 07-31 2008 High Society (Al Farat & Thomas Trump) became the 3DW Dual Kombat Champion
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  • 07-31 2015 Brock Landers became the MSWA Mid-South Cruiserweight Champion
  • 07-31 2021 Rob Cabella became the WAH Spotlight Champion
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  • 08-01 1979 Angelo Mosca def. Bob Sweetan for the TSW Brass Knucks Title
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  • 08-01 1980 El Halcon def. Gino Hernandez for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
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07-27
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