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Review of Jim Crockett Promotions History DVD

Posted: Aug 20th 2013 By: mikeiles

?Amazing DVD that should be a MUST BUY for all wrestling fans who lived in the 1960?s, were born in the 1970?s & grew up in the 1980?s.?

For several decades professional wrestling was a regionalized product across the United States, with invisible lines that promoters or territory owners didn?t cross. One family controlled the Mid-Atlantic (Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North & South Carolina) area and that was the Crockett family. Jim Crockett Promotions as it was called was run by ?Big? Jim Crockett until he passed away on April 1, 1973 when his son Jim Jr. picked up the reigns with assistance from a retired wrestler named George Scott and then a son of a plumber named Dusty Rhodes as the creative minds. The promotion would reach tremendous heights as a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until it all came crashing down in 1988 when it was purchased by Ted Turner morphing into World Championship Wrestling and we all know how that ended. The same production group (Ellbow Productions with help from Kickstarter donations) behind the critically acclaimed History of the NWA World Heavyweight championship is responsible for a three DVD production called JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS: THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

Here is the chapter listing: Big Jim Crockett, Sr., Tag Teams, John Ringley, George Scott, Valentine and Wahoo, Plane Crash, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Rotating Bookers, Dusty Gets the Job, TBS, Four Horsemen, Magnum TA, National Expansion, Starrcade ?87, What Happened & Legacy of Jim Crockett Promotions.

Personalities interviewed for the documentary: Jim Crockett Jr., David Crockett, Jackie Crockett, Dusty Rhodes (RF Video footage), Ric Flair & Arn Anderson (RF/Highspots Video footage) George South, Jim Cornette, JJ Dillon, Tully Blanchard, referee Tommy Young, journalists Bruce Mitchell & Mike Mooneyham, Nickla ?Baby Doll? Roberts, Rock N Roll Express (Ricky Morton/Robert Gibson), Magnum TA, Ole Anderson, ?the #1? Paul Jones, Abe Jacobs, ?Masked Superstar? Bill Eadie, Ivan Koloff, Don Kernodle, Jimmy ?Boogie Woogie Man? Valiant & Ron Garvin.

If you have seen the Rise/Fall of WCW produced by the WWE, some of this is repeat stuff but there is much to learn about Jim Crockett Promotions, such as when ?Big Jim? passed away the promotion was willed to the son-in-law named John Ringley who didn?t last long due to his own personal issues. In the 1960-1970?s the territory was a tag team dominated place but that changed when Johnny Valentine, Ric Flair, Wahoo McDaniel, Ricky Steamboat & Blackjack Mulligan arrived. There were other players to help in the growth namely the feud between Wahoo McDaniel/Paul Jones vs. the Andersons (Ole/Gene) and Jay Youngblood/Ricky Steamboat vs. Sgt. Slaughter/Don Kernodle.

The DVD covers the major events of the promotion like the 1975 plane crash that injured Flair, Valentine, Bob Brugers, David Crockett & Tim Woods; Starrcade 1983, Magnum T. A.?s career ending car wreck, Black Saturday/birth of WCW Saturday Night on WTBS, the creation of the Four Horsemen & the war with the WWF for TV time. Each event of course with the non-WWF spun version of it like Wahoo McDaniel seeing Flair in the ER after the plane wreck, Flair seeing Magnum during his hospital stay & Jim Jr.?s reason for buying the UWF. The major issue many people will have with the DVD is actually two big questions; the first is the notion Magnum TA popularity was so huge he could have been on an equal level as Hulk Hogan in the 1980?s. Some people in the film claim Magnum was heading to Hollywood before the Rock/Hogan/Cena ever did. Not sure on that one to be honest. The other big question is how did Mid-Atlantic die off in 1988?? The gun appears to be in the hand of either Dusty Rhodes or Jim Crockett Jr. who were spending more than they made on private planes and expansion of the promotion like buying Bill Watts? Mid ?South/UWF promotion. The interviewed people all give an opinion that paints both men with the Scarlett Letter along with the JPC accountant.

Just to recap, disc one is the 2:14 long documentary. Disc two clocks in 2:08 is archival footage of matches done by an old film camera plus George Pantas, The Dusty Finish, Clash of Champions, Crockett Cup, Great American Bash, US Title, JJ Dillon?s Crib, Jim Cornette?s Crib, Fanfest Promo, Kickstarter Promo 1, Kickstarter Promo 2. BONUS INTERVIEW MATERIAL FROM: Ole Anderson, Paul Jones, Jackie Crockett, JJ Dillon, Magnum TA, Tommy Young & Masked Superstar. Disc three is extended interview footage with Jim Crockett Jr., Baby Doll, Tully Blanchard, Jimmy Valiant, Rock-N-Roll Express, Ron Garvin, Ivan Koloff, Don Kernodle & Jim Cornette.

Purchase this amazing DVD from www.Highspots.com for $29.99.

In addition to reviewing pro wrestling themed DVD?s and books since 2001, Alan Wojcik is part of Kayfabe Wrestling Radio heard weekly on Wild Talk Radio (www.wildtalkradio.com) , Go Fight Live (www.GFL.TV) & www.PWMania.com we can be heard all over the world plus your smartphone through Tune In Radio and iTunes for your Apple equipment (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wild-talk-radio-network-on/id580051506). Be sure to check out www.facebook.com/kayfabewrestlingradio, Follow us on Twitter @MyNameIsWojcik @Bruiser_Schmidt @Kevin_K_Scott @WildTalkRadio