NWA/WCW Title Questions

[Daishikaze]

I can't really answer your questions, but I did see the title tourny final match with Madusa, and I didn't like how it ended, Hokuto didn't need any help from Ono, I felt that was ridiculous.

it made her win look cheap and the title look meaningless(which it was at the time, but to become the first champ by a screw job finish doesn't help it at all).

[Dan Poutsma]

I can't really answer your questions either. I remember Hokuto winning the Women's heavyweight title over Madusa and maybe one or two mentions of a Women's Cruiserweight title, but that's about it.

[BulldogPatty]

Quick question: what was the deal with the old World Championship Wrestling TV title...80's or so the one that actually said that on it...who held it etc...

[Dan Poutsma]

That belt was used for the Georgia Championship Wrestling ("World Championship Wrestling" on TBS) "World Television title" and was different than the Jim Crockett Promotions "NWA Television title" in the Mid-Atlantic. Ronnie Garvin and Jake Roberts held it.

[KANe Rock]

Btw, anybody know the exact date when WCW dropped NWA "affiliation" to its titles, TV shows, etc. Generally accepted that it was 01/01/91, but some sources mentioned that it was a little earlier - in 12/90.

[Dan Poutsma]

I haven't seen it, but my understanding is that, at Starrcade, the announcers called the Sting-Black Scorpion cage bout the "first" WCW World title match. I was told that they also referred to The Great Muta, who was involved in the Pat O'Conner Memorial tag tournament, as a former WCW Television champion. Old TV reviews also indicate that, at least on World Wide Wrestling, that weekend's show was the first where the talent began to be referred to as WCW stars/wrestlers. The previous week or two before the event, a promo spot aired for Starrcade with a giant WCW logo saying something along the lines of "World Championship Wrestling, featuring the stars of the NWA". But I too have read that it was in 01/91 when Jim Herd "officially" announced on TV that everything was going to be WCW from that point on.

[KANe Rock]

Hmm... Ok, then pair of additional questions.
When initially that WCW logo debuted? It was a lot earlier. I saw it at Clash of the Champions X, I believe. I recall the logo over entance, but ring apron did not have any logo and old "AWA" logo was gone... When they got NWA logos and banners out from their arena and studio design?
Also there was "WCW" team instead of NWA in "Family Feud" episode aired in May 1990 (WCW vs. GLOW).

[Dan Poutsma]

The WCW name/logo was in use as early as 1989. If you have the Ric Flair DVD set, watch disc 2 covering his feuds with Ricky Steamboat and Terry Funk.

At Clash 6 in the match with Steamboat, the WCW logo is used in the graphic introducing the participants, but there's a big TBS/NWA banner hanging in the arena and Jim Ross and Terry Funk consistently call the title the NWA World championship, playing up the history and prestige of it. Also. in the extras covering the controversial finish to that match, the graphic introducing Jim Herd bills him as WCW Exec. Vice Pres. while Ric Flair's attorney, Dennis Guthrie, when threatening to sue if a rematch is not made, makes reference to both World Championship Wrestling (mentioning Herd as Exec. Vice Pres. and Ted Turner as owner) and the National Wrestling Alliance (also mentioning Steamboat as the NWA World champion). There are also interviews with Flair and Steamboat where they are introduced with a graphic featuring the AWA looking NWA logo, and in the rematch at WrestleWar, Jim Ross says quite a few times that the fans are watching the NWA.

In the Funk section, during the press conference where Flair announces that he's not going to retire after being attacked by him at WrestleWar, the podium has the WCW logo on it and Jim Herd says "we here at World Championship Wrestling". Flair also mentions World Championship Wrestling and then a few seconds later says National Wrestling Alliance. In the I Quit match at Clash IX between them, there's also a banner that says World Championship Wrestling hanging in the arena.

By the time 1990 began, the WCW logo had started to become plastered on banners all over the inside of the arenas and on their TV shows and it seemed as if a concerted effort was made to start phasing out the NWA. At Clash X, before Terry Funk brings out the Horsemen to interview them, he says World Championship Wrestling when over the course of the prevous year he had called it the NWA. That year they also introduced the entrance ramp used for Clashes and PPVs with the giant WCW logo at the top and also started emblazing the logo on their ringskirts.

Part of the reason for the double-use was that the legal/corporate name of the company was World Championship Wrestling, Inc. after the TBS purchase of Jim Crockett Promotions (explaining why Turner was called the owner of World Championship Wrestling by Flair's attorney). But aside from that segment where World Championship Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance were distinguished as somewhat different bodies by him (along the lines of WCW sanctioned by the NWA), for the most part it seems like the names were used in an almost interchangeable manner by the promotion up until they ceased any mention of the NWA whatsoever and started referring to everything exclusively as WCW.

[KANe Rock]

They moved TV tapings to Centerstage Studio on Clash VI weekend (with Power Hour on 03/31/89), maybe WCW logo debuted then? Also when they started call their flagship TV show on TBS just "Saturday Night" instead of "World Championship Wrestling"?

[Dan Poutsma]

Didn't they start calling it WCW Saturday Night around 1992???

[KANe Rock]

But it was dubbed "World Championship Wrestling Saturday Night" (or what?) when or after additional show "World Championship Wrestling Sunday Edition" (which became "Main Event") aired. Am I wrong? I'm not too familiar with weekly JCP TV...

[Dan Poutsma]

They had World Championship Wrestling on Saturdays and then World Championship Wrestling Sunday Edition on Sundays. Sunday Edition was replaced with NWA Main Event in Spring 1988 when Crockett Promotions was still running thngs. They didn't start using Saturday Night until after the Turner buyout.