06.06.2004, 12:28
Burlington, North Carolina
Times-News
Thursday, June 22, 1972
Highlightin Sports
By Bill Hunter
Promoting is big business
George Becker, who probably made in excess of $50,000 a year – some say much more – wrestling for promoter Jim Crockett of Charlotte, decided that Crockett was making perhaps three or four times more money – some say much more – than he was making.
So the popular Becker, known primarily for his tag team role with equally popular Johnny Weaver, bolted the Crockett organization and became a promoter himself.
Evidently, the pitfalls of promoting were greater than Becker realized, and the dollars that Crockett was making with his established outfit didn’t seem to flow into the coffers of the new wrestling group.
At any rate, he left the front office end of the business and is back grunting and groaning before paid audiences again, although not as often as he did.
Crockett for years has had the wrestling business sewed up in the state of North Carolina, a virtual monopoly. Joe Murnick in Raleigh, a fine promoter in his own right, takes care of cards in the eastern part of the state,a nd it was Murnick, along with his sons, who promoted the wrestling events held in Burlington.
Crockett has many wrestlers under contract, and his oragnization can put on wrestling programs in two or three cities on the same night. Most of the events are held in larger towns where the attendance is likely to be very good.
It was not always that way, however, for even Crockett had to start small and work his way into the bigtime. Years ago many of the bouts were held in high school gyms before 200 or 300 people.
Television Helped it Grow
But the sport grew, thanks in part to the cathode tube and the huge audiences that watched the sport – if it can be called a sport – on television. Now it’s hard to book a match with that organization if less than 3,000 people can be accomodated, and the days of wreslting in out-dated high school gyms are over.
Not so for the new group that is beginning to provide competition for Crockett. Johnny Gordon, Bobby Brooks and Bob Hooper are the officers of Carolina Wrestling Promotions, and it is that group that is promoting this Saturday night’s card at Fairchild Park. Becker, as we mentioned, was a ramrod in the outfit for awhile, now is no longer connection with it other than in a performing capacity.
In the past, the local baseball club did business with the Crockett gropu, and everything, actually, was quite satisfactor if you overlook the fact that getting dates was not easy and getting Friday or Saturday night dates – the only ones which will really get the fans out – were about as easy as pulling a tooth with a pipe wrench.
Jon Richardson tried several times to line up a date with Crockett’s group and was never able to get a commitment. The new group was more than willing to come here, offered the baseball club a higher percentage and gave them the vital Saturday night date.
“We’re new,” said Brooks, a vice president of Carolina Wrestling Promotions, “and like any new organization, we’re starting out rather small and hoping to build.
“There was no friction between Becker and the Crockett group that I know of. There was a belief that there was room for competition with them, particularly since they were hitting the big cities and the sport was not availabel to many of the smaller towns.
“Right now, we’re going into these smaller places, and while we’re not drawing the big crowds at the present time, we’re well satisfield with the way things are going. We have 15 or 20 wrestlers in our organization and are working to get more.
“We feel that our wrestlers put on a program that is actually more exciting than that put on by the Crockett group. At least, that’s what a lot of fans tell us.”
Well-Known In Other Areas
The names are new, at least. There’s The Bruiser, who is famous in the Detroit area. And Ripper Ox is well-known in mat circles in half the United States, says Brooks, who notes that a wrestling bear has been added to the roster (he’ll be here Saturday night).
One of the organization’s founders, Gordon, takes to the mat as the famous Flash Gordon, and he’ll probably draw the assignment of taking on the 600 pound bear at Fairchild Park Saturday night.
As we talked to Brooks, it developed that Becker may not be able to make Saturday night’s card. He was on a trip to New York earlier this week.
Wrestling fans will see a group of new wrestlers, new names as the new promoters try to gain a foothold among grunt and groan fans in North Carolina. Whether it can buck the smooth-running Crockett organization is a moot question, but fans who see Saturday night’s card can get some idea of their own.
Times-News
Thursday, June 22, 1972
Highlightin Sports
By Bill Hunter
Promoting is big business
George Becker, who probably made in excess of $50,000 a year – some say much more – wrestling for promoter Jim Crockett of Charlotte, decided that Crockett was making perhaps three or four times more money – some say much more – than he was making.
So the popular Becker, known primarily for his tag team role with equally popular Johnny Weaver, bolted the Crockett organization and became a promoter himself.
Evidently, the pitfalls of promoting were greater than Becker realized, and the dollars that Crockett was making with his established outfit didn’t seem to flow into the coffers of the new wrestling group.
At any rate, he left the front office end of the business and is back grunting and groaning before paid audiences again, although not as often as he did.
Crockett for years has had the wrestling business sewed up in the state of North Carolina, a virtual monopoly. Joe Murnick in Raleigh, a fine promoter in his own right, takes care of cards in the eastern part of the state,a nd it was Murnick, along with his sons, who promoted the wrestling events held in Burlington.
Crockett has many wrestlers under contract, and his oragnization can put on wrestling programs in two or three cities on the same night. Most of the events are held in larger towns where the attendance is likely to be very good.
It was not always that way, however, for even Crockett had to start small and work his way into the bigtime. Years ago many of the bouts were held in high school gyms before 200 or 300 people.
Television Helped it Grow
But the sport grew, thanks in part to the cathode tube and the huge audiences that watched the sport – if it can be called a sport – on television. Now it’s hard to book a match with that organization if less than 3,000 people can be accomodated, and the days of wreslting in out-dated high school gyms are over.
Not so for the new group that is beginning to provide competition for Crockett. Johnny Gordon, Bobby Brooks and Bob Hooper are the officers of Carolina Wrestling Promotions, and it is that group that is promoting this Saturday night’s card at Fairchild Park. Becker, as we mentioned, was a ramrod in the outfit for awhile, now is no longer connection with it other than in a performing capacity.
In the past, the local baseball club did business with the Crockett gropu, and everything, actually, was quite satisfactor if you overlook the fact that getting dates was not easy and getting Friday or Saturday night dates – the only ones which will really get the fans out – were about as easy as pulling a tooth with a pipe wrench.
Jon Richardson tried several times to line up a date with Crockett’s group and was never able to get a commitment. The new group was more than willing to come here, offered the baseball club a higher percentage and gave them the vital Saturday night date.
“We’re new,” said Brooks, a vice president of Carolina Wrestling Promotions, “and like any new organization, we’re starting out rather small and hoping to build.
“There was no friction between Becker and the Crockett group that I know of. There was a belief that there was room for competition with them, particularly since they were hitting the big cities and the sport was not availabel to many of the smaller towns.
“Right now, we’re going into these smaller places, and while we’re not drawing the big crowds at the present time, we’re well satisfield with the way things are going. We have 15 or 20 wrestlers in our organization and are working to get more.
“We feel that our wrestlers put on a program that is actually more exciting than that put on by the Crockett group. At least, that’s what a lot of fans tell us.”
Well-Known In Other Areas
The names are new, at least. There’s The Bruiser, who is famous in the Detroit area. And Ripper Ox is well-known in mat circles in half the United States, says Brooks, who notes that a wrestling bear has been added to the roster (he’ll be here Saturday night).
One of the organization’s founders, Gordon, takes to the mat as the famous Flash Gordon, and he’ll probably draw the assignment of taking on the 600 pound bear at Fairchild Park Saturday night.
As we talked to Brooks, it developed that Becker may not be able to make Saturday night’s card. He was on a trip to New York earlier this week.
Wrestling fans will see a group of new wrestlers, new names as the new promoters try to gain a foothold among grunt and groan fans in North Carolina. Whether it can buck the smooth-running Crockett organization is a moot question, but fans who see Saturday night’s card can get some idea of their own.