Smoky Mountain Wrestling
Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Appalachian area of the United States from October 1991 to December 1995, when it was run by Jim Cornette. The promotion was based in Knoxville, Tennessee, with offices in Morristown, Tennessee.
| Acronym | SMW |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 30, 1991 |
| Defunct | December 1995 |
| Style | Rasslin' |
| Headquarters | Knoxville/Morristown, Tennessee |
| Founder(s) | Jim Cornette Sandy Scott |
| Owner(s) | Jim Cornette |
History and overview
Formation
Cornette formed the promotion in October 1991 upon leaving World Championship Wrestling, with Sandy Scott and backed financially by music producer Rick Rubin.[1] The first events and TV tapings were held in October and November 1991. Matches from these shows were first shown in February 1992. The first Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champion, "Primetime" Brian Lee, won the championship in a tournament held at Volunteer Slam on May 22, 1992, in Knoxville, Tennessee.[2] The first Smoky Mountain Tag Team Champions were crowned in a tournament final at a TV taping on April 23, 1992, in Harrogate, Tennessee, when The Heavenly Bodies defeated The Fantastics; the match would air on May 9, 1992.[3]
Territorial reach
Cornette had initially envisioned a territory reaching from Kentucky into as far as South Carolina and Georgia. Though they did eventually run events over that large of a region, including a few shows at the Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta, Georgia, the promotion's biggest towns included Knoxville, Tennessee, and Johnson City, Tennessee. SMW event tours also included high school gyms and fairs in cities throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.[4][5][6][7]
In 1993, Smoky Mountain Wrestling signed deals with World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation to showcase their wrestlers on the larger companies' shows.[8] This led to The Rock 'n' Roll Express wrestling The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Stan Lane) at SuperBrawl III in February 1993.[9] The Heavenly Bodies (Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) then faced The Steiner Brothers for the WWF Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam 1993,[10][11] and then defeating The Rock 'n' Roll Express at Survivor Series 1993 for the SMW Tag Team Championship.[12][13]
Notable talent
The promotion featured a number of wrestlers who were regulars in the Southeastern wrestling scene the Heavenly Bodies, Stan Lane and Tom Prichard and later Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray.[14] The Heavenly Bodies, managed by Jim Cornette, were featured heavily throughout the years as they worked storyline feuds with The Rock 'n' Roll Express, The Fantastics and The Armstrong Family (especially Bob Armstrong)[14] SMW also featured a number of younger wrestlers who had not yet made their mark on a national stage, including Bob Holly,[15] New Jack, Al Snow,[16] Balls Mahoney, Chris Jericho,[17] Glenn Jacobs (then known as Unabomb, later better known under the ring name Kane),[18] Lance Storm,[17] Chris Candido,[19] Tammy Lynn Sytch,[19] Brian Girard James (B.G. James / Road Dogg) and D'Lo Brown, but ultimately, like most independents, was not financially successful. Cornette eventually signed a working agreement with the World Wrestling Federation to trade talent, manage and serve as an on-air talent for that company.
Brian Hildebrand was a Smoky Mountain mainstay, occupying such myriad roles as Head of Merchandise, referee (under his alter ego Mark Curtis) and sound director.
Style and controversy
Cornette, a traditionalist, catered to fans that Mick Foley described as "old-time fans...who still believed in good guys and bad guys, and to whom cheating was still reason to get upset." Bob Caudle, who was the play-by-play announcer on the TV program, would also proclaim at the beginning of each show that Smoky Mountain Wrestling was "professional wrestling the way it used to be, and the way you like it." This was in sharp contrast to ECW, in which edgy angles, "tweeners" and anti-heroes increasingly took precedence over clearcut heroes and villains. Smoky Mountain was, however, the birthplace of the controversial "Gangstas" gimmick, where black wrestlers New Jack and Mustafa would cut promos about activist Medgar Evers, while also using fried chicken and watermelon as props. The gimmick, among other things, led to the end of the friendship between Cornette and Mark Madden and their ongoing feud to this day, as Madden--who at the time was coming off the heels of getting Bill Watts fired from WCW after informing Hank Aaron of Watts' employment within the Turner Broadcasting System following publications of controversial comments made by Watts--had called the Gangstas gimmick racist.[20][21]
National Wrestling Alliance
The promotion had a brief association with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), whose flagship promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling had split away in August 1994, leaving the NWA with no World Heavyweight Champion. A 10-man tournament was held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in November, featuring many SMW wrestlers; the participants were Tracy Smothers, Devon Storm, Eddie Gilbert, Johnny Gunn, Chris Candido, Al Snow, Dirty White Boy, Jerry Lawler, Lou Perez, and Osamu Nishimura. The winner was Chris Candido, who defended his title mostly at SMW events.[6][7][22] In February 1995, however, Candido lost the belt to Ultimate Fighting Championship winner Dan Severn,[22] who as a freelancer decided to become a traveling World Champion, depriving SMW of a basis for World Heavyweight championship matches. However in April 1995, The Rock 'n' Roll Express won the NWA World Tag Team Championship for the fifth time, giving SMW a handful of World Tag Team championship matches.
Demise
Though the promotion was highly thought of, it struggled to get a profitable television deal, and operated throughout a wrestling recession that would not end until the second half of 1996. After years of operating in red ink, and the loss of financial backing from Rubin, Cornette shut the promotion down in December 1995 to work full-time with the WWF. The last SMW show was held on November 26, 1995 in Cookeville, Tennessee (though it had been announced on SMW TV's November 25, 1995 episode that upcoming shows were to be held at the Collett Street Rec Center in Morganton, North Carolina on December 1, 1995, and at Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, Tennessee the following night), and featured the entire SMW roster attacking Jim Cornette, who was then pinned by referee Mark Curtis.[23] Several SMW wrestlers would soon obtain work in the WWF, including Tracy Smothers, The Dirty White Boy, and Boo Bradley. WWE now owns the SMW video library.
Both Curtis Comes Home and the 2005 sequel show, held in memory of SMW head referee Mark Curtis are considered "unofficial" reunion shows.[24][25]
Former personnel
Major events
1992
| Date | Event | Venue | Location | Main event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22 | Volunteer Slam | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Brian Lee vs. Paul Orndorff[4] |
| July 17 | Summer Blast | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Brian Lee & Ron Garvin vs. Paul Orndorff & The Dirty White Boy[4] |
| August 8 | Fire on the Mountain | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Brian Lee vs. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship[4] |
| November 26 | Thanksgiving Thunder | Memorial Gym | Hazard, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[4] |
| November 27 | National Guard Armory | Welch, West Virginia | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[4] | |
| November 28 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship [4] | |
| November 29 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[4] | |
| December 25 | Christmas Chaos | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) and Jim Cornette for the SMW Tag Team Championship[4] |
| December 26 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) and Jim Cornette for the SMW Tag Team Championship[4] | |
| December 27 | Raleigh County Armory | Beckley, West Virginia | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) and Jim Cornette for the SMW Tag Team Championship[4] |
- NOTE: the Thanksgiving Thunder series of matches between The Rock 'n Roll Express and The Heavenly Bodies each were contested under different rules. The first match was a falls count anywhere match, the second a Texas death match, the third a street fight, and the last a barbed wire steel cage match. The team listed last for those matches was defending the SMW Tag Team Championship that particular night.
1993
| Date | Event | Venue | Location | Main event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2 | Bluegrass Brawl | Pikeville College Gymnasium | Pikeville, Kentucky | Bobby Eaton and The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) vs. Arn Anderson and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Dutch Mantell and The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden)[5] |
| May 9 | Volunteer Slam II: Rage in a Cage | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Brian Lee, The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) and The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden) vs. Kevin Sullivan, The Tazmaniac, Killer Kyle and The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard)[5] |
| May 15 | The Last Tango in Tennessee | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Tracy Smothers vs. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship[5] |
| July 8 | Summer Blast | Memorial Gymnasium | Hazard, Kentucky | The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Rey) |
| July 9 | Fleming-Neon High School | Fleming-Neon, Kentucky | The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Rey) | |
| July 10 | Raleigh County Armory | Beckley, West Virginia | The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Rey) | |
| July 15 | Evarts High School | Evarts, Kentucky | The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Rey) | |
| July 16 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Rey) | |
| July 17 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Tracy Smothers vs. Brian Lee for the SMW Heavyweight Championship[5] | |
| August 13 | Hot August Night in Mo-Town | East High School Gymnasium | Morristown, Tennessee | The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray)[5] |
| August 14 | Fire on the Mountain | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong, The Armstrong Brothers (Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Jim Cornette, The Bruise Brothers (Ron Bruise and Don Bruise), The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray)[5] |
| August 20 | K-Town Showdown | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong vs. Jim Cornette[5] |
| October 1 | Big Apple Grapple | Paintsville High School Gymnasium | Paintsville, Kentucky | 13-man Battle Royal |
| October 7 | Parade Of Champions | Memorial Gymnasium | Hazard, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)[5] |
| October 8 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)[5] | |
| October 9 | Knox County High School | Barbourville, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)[5] | |
| October 10 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)[5] | |
| November 25 | Thanksgiving Thunder | Memorial Gymnasium | Hazard, Kentucky | The Bruise Brothers (Ron Bruise and Don Bruise) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) |
| November 26 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Bruise Brothers (Ron Bruise and Don Bruise) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) | |
| November 27 | Knox Central High School Gymnasium | Barbourville, Kentucky | The Bruise Brothers (Ron Bruise and Don Bruise) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) | |
| November 28 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Bruise Brothers (Ron Bruise and Don Bruise) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray)[5] | |
| December 25 | Christmas Chaos | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Brian Lee vs. Tracy Smothers vs. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship[5] |
| December 26 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Brian Lee vs. Tracy Smothers vs. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship[5] | |
| December 27 | Knox Central High School Gymnasium | Barbourville, Kentucky | Brian Lee vs. Tracy Smothers vs. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship[5] |
1994
| Date | Event | Venue | Location | Main event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 13 | Sunday Bloody Sunday | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Bruise Brothers (Don Bruise and Ron Bruise) vs. The Moondogs[6] |
| March 10 | Golden Week | Cobb County Civic Center | Marietta, Georgia | Bob Armstrong vs. Jim Cornette[6] |
| March 11 | Johnson Central High School | Paintsville, Kentucky | The Dirty White Boy and The Dirty White Girl vs. Brian Lee and Tammy Fytch[6] | |
| March 12 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| March 13 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| March 15 | Clinton County High School | Albany, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| March 17 | Nixon Center | Hyden, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| March 18 | Knox County High School | Barbourville, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. Tom Horner and Robert Gibson for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| March 19 | Cawood High School Gymnasium | Harlan, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. Tracy Smothers and Robert Gibson for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| April 1 | Bluegrass Brawl II: The Famous Final Scene | Pikeville College Gymnasium | Pikeville, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] |
| May 20 | Volunteer Slam III | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Jake Roberts vs. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship[6] |
| July 1 | Summer Blast | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Dirty White Boy vs. Bruiser Bedlam[6] |
| July 2 | Knox County High School | Barbourville, Kentucky | The Dirty White Boy vs. Bruiser Bedlam and Jim Cornette[6] | |
| July 3 | Cobb County Civic Center | Marietta, Georgia | The Dirty White Boy vs. Bruiser Bedlam[6] | |
| July 4 | Paintsville High School Gymnasium | Paintsville, Kentucky | Bambi and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Tammy Fytch, Chris Candido and Brian Lee[6] | |
| July 7 | Cawood High School | Harlan, Kentucky | Tracy Smothers vs. Bruiser Bedlam[6] | |
| July 8 | Raleigh County Armory | Beckley, West Virginia | Tracy Smothers vs. Bruiser Bedlam[6] | |
| July 9 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Dirty White Boy vs. Chris Candido for the SMW Heavyweight Championship[6] | |
| August 5 | The Night of the Legends | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong, Tracy Smothers and Road Warrior Hawk vs. Bruiser Bedlam and The Funk Brothers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk)[6] |
| August 6 | Fire on the Mountain | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong, Tracy Smothers and Road Warrior Hawk vs. Bruiser Bedlam and The Funk Brothers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk) |
| September 30 | Big Apple Grapple | Paintsville High School Gymnasium | Paintsville, Kentucky | The Dirty White Boy, Tracy Smothers and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Boo Bradley, Bruiser Bedlam and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa)[6] |
| November 17 | SMW/NWA Championship Wrestling America (NWA World Heavyweight Championship tournament) | Stanton Hall | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship |
| November 18 | Pleasantville High School | Pleasantville, New Jersey | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| November 19 | National Guard Armory | Cherry Hill, New Jersey | Chris Candido vs. Tracy Smothers for the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Championship | |
| November 24 | Thanksgiving Thunder | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] |
| November 25 | Paintsville High School Gymnasium | Paintsville, Kentucky | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| November 26 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| November 27 | Cobb County Civic Center | Marietta, Georgia | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| December 25 | Christmas Chaos | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] |
| December 26 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Tracy Smothers vs. Bryant Anderson[6] | |
| December 27 | Mulberry Street Recreation Center | Lenoir, North Carolina | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| December 29 | Peel's Palace | Erlanger, Kentucky | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] | |
| December 30 | National Guard Armory | Ashland, Kentucky | Bobby Blaze and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[6] |
1995
| Date | Event | Venue | Location | Main event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 28 | Super Saturday Night Fever | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | 16-man K-Town Rumble match[7] |
| February 25 | Brawl in the Hall | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Gangstas (New Jack & Mustafa) |
| February 26 | Sunday Bloody Sunday II | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack & Mustafa)[7] |
| March 18 | March Madness | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Dirty White Boy vs. Buddy Landel[7] |
| March 19 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Dirty White Boy vs. Buddy Landel[7] | |
| April 7 | Bluegrass Brawl III | Pikeville College Gymnasium | Pikeville, Kentucky | Tracy Smothers and The Undertaker vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa)[7] |
| April 8 | Fright Night | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong, Tracy Smothers and The Undertaker vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa)[7] |
| May 19 | Volunteer Slam IV | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Ricky Morton vs. Al Snow[7] |
| May 20 | Charlotte Memories | Grady Cole Center | Charlotte, North Carolina | The Dynamic Duo (Al Snow and Unabomb) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[7] |
| July 15 | Summer Blast | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Dynamic Duo (Al Snow and Unabomb) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)[7] |
| August 4 | Super Bowl of Wrestling | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Shawn Michaels vs. Buddy Landel for the WWF Intercontinental Championship[7] |
| August 12 | Fire on the Mountain: Night of the Dream Matches | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Thugs (Tony Anthony and Tracy Smothers) for the SMW Tag Team Championship[7] |
| October 20 | Halloween Scream | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Tommy Rich vs. Buddy Landel[7] |
| October 21 | East High School Gymnasium | Morristown, Tennessee | Tommy Rich vs. Buddy Landel[7] | |
| October 27 | Cookeville Community Center | Cookeville, Tennessee | Tommy Rich vs. Buddy Landel[7] | |
| October 28 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Tommy Rich vs. Buddy Landel[7] | |
| November 23 | Thanksgiving Thunder | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Robert Gibson and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Thugs (Tony Anthony and Tracy Smothers) and a mystery partner[7] |
| November 24 | Knox Central High School Gymnasium | Barbourville, Kentucky | Robert Gibson and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. Ricky Morton and The Thugs (Tony Anthony and Tracy Smothers)[7] | |
| November 25 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Robert Gibson and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. Ricky Morton and The Thugs (Tony Anthony and Tracy Smothers)[7] | |
| November 26 | Cookeville Community Center | Cookeville, Tennessee | Robert Gibson and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. Ricky Morton and The Thugs (Tony Anthony and Tracy Smothers)[7] |
- NOTE: the Halloween Scream series of matches between Buddy Landel and Tommy Rich each were contested under different rules. The first match was a Tennessee Chain match, the second a Falls Count Anywhere match, the third a First Blood match, and the last a Barbed Wire match. The Knoxville, Cookeville and Johnson City shows of the same tour also had special "Treat or Treat" tag team matches with Brad Armstrong and The Wolfman against Terry Gordy and Headbanger Thrasher. The stipulations included throwing money into the crowd (if Wolfman loses the fall), Gordy and Thrasher's heads shaved bald (if Thrasher loses the fall), ten lashes with a leather strap (if Gordy loses the fall), and the SMW Heavyweight Championship (if Armstrong loses the fall). After Gordy pinned Armstrong to win the SMW title in Knoxville, the stipulations to both Gordy and Armstrong were switched.
Tournaments
Smoky Mountain Wrestling held a variety of professional wrestling tournaments between 1992 and 1995 that were competed for by wrestlers that were a part of their roster.
SMW Tag Team Championship Tournament
The SMW Tag Team Championship Tournament was a tournament to crown the first-ever SMW Tag Team Champions. It was held between March 12 and April 23, 1992; the finals of the tournament was originally scheduled for Volunteer Slam on May 22 in Knoxville, but the teams that made the finals, The Fantastics and The Heavenly Bodies, decided to have the tournament final on the April 23, 1992 TV taping, which aired on May 9.[26]
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||
| The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) | Pin | |||||||||||||
| The Batten Twins (Bart Batten and Brad Batten) | 06:15 | |||||||||||||
| The Heavenly Bodies | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Joey Maggs and Danny Davis | 08:37 | |||||||||||||
| Joey Maggs and Danny Davis | Pin | |||||||||||||
| The Koloffs (Ivan Koloff and Vladimir Koloff) | 07:21 | |||||||||||||
| The Heavenly Bodies | Pin | |||||||||||||
| The Fantastics | 09:55 | |||||||||||||
| The Maulers (Rip Morgan and Jack Victory) | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Johnny Rich and Davey Rich | 10:31 | |||||||||||||
| The Maulers | Pin | |||||||||||||
| The Fantastics | 08:37 | |||||||||||||
| The Wild Bunch (Joel Deaton and Billy Black) | Pin | |||||||||||||
| The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Jackie Fulton) | 11:52 | |||||||||||||
SMW Heavyweight Championship Tournament
King of Kentucky Tournament
The King of Kentucky Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held in Hazard, Kentucky on June 24, 1993.[27]
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||
| Bobby Blaze | DQ | |||||||||||||
| Killer Kyle | ||||||||||||||
| Bobby Blaze | ||||||||||||||
| Brian Lee | ||||||||||||||
| Brian Lee | ||||||||||||||
| Jimmy Golden | ||||||||||||||
| Brian Lee | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Tracy Smothers | ||||||||||||||
| The Dirty White Boy | ||||||||||||||
| Tim Horner | ||||||||||||||
| The Dirty White Boy | ||||||||||||||
| Tracy Smothers | ||||||||||||||
| Chris Candido | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Tracy Smothers | ||||||||||||||
NWA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (1994)
The NWA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on November 19, 1994, to decide a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. The previous champion Shane Douglas had infamously "threw down" the NWA title in favor of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship after defeating 2 Cold Scorpio at the NWA World Title Tournament three months earlier.[28]
| Qualifiers | Quarterfinals | Semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||||||
| Tracy Smothers | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Devon Storm | |||||||||||||||
| Tracy Smothers | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Eddie Gilbert | |||||||||||||||
| Eddie Gilbert | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Johnny Gunn | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| Chris Candido | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Al Snow | |||||||||||||||
| Chris Candido | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| The Dirty White Boy | |||||||||||||||
| The Dirty White Boy | DQ | ||||||||||||||
| Jerry Lawler | |||||||||||||||
| Tracy Smothers | Pin | ||||||||||||||
| Chris Candido | |||||||||||||||
| Osamu Nishimura | Draw | ||||||||||||||
| Lou Perez | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
| BYE | |||||||||||||||
Carolina Cup Tag Team Tournament
The Carolina Cup Tag Team Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held at the Grady Cole Center on August 13, 1995.[29]
| QuarterfinalsTaped March 12 | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||
| The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Bobby Fulton and Boo Bradley | ||||||||||||||
| The Heavenly Bodies | ||||||||||||||
| BYE | ||||||||||||||
| BYE | ||||||||||||||
| BYE | ||||||||||||||
| The Heavenly Bodies | Pin | |||||||||||||
| The Thugs | ||||||||||||||
| The Thugs (The Dirty White Boy and Tracy Smothers) | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Tommy Rich and The Punisher | ||||||||||||||
| The Headbangers | Pin | |||||||||||||
| The Thugs | ||||||||||||||
| The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) | Pin | |||||||||||||
| Robert Gibson and Curtis Thompson | ||||||||||||||
Final champions
| Championship | Last Recognized Champion | From | Until | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMW Heavyweight Championship | Jerry Lawler | May 22, 1992 | December 30, 1995 | [2][30] |
| SMW "Beat The Champ" Television Championship | Bobby Blaze | December 12, 1992 | 1995 | [30][31] |
| SMW Tag Team Championship | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) | April 23, 1992 | November 26, 1995 | [3][30] |
| SMW United States Junior Heavyweight Championship | Bobby Blaze | September 13, 1993 | July 29, 1994 | [30][32] |
† After SMW closed, Brad Armstrong declared himself SMW champion and defended the SMW Heavyweight Championship in the United States Wrestling Association. He eventually lost the belt to Jerry Lawler on December 30, 1995.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (December 22, 2007). "WWE". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. p. 11.
- ^ a b c Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Tennessee) Knoxville: Smokey Mountain Wrestling Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Tennessee) Knoxville: Smokey Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cawthorn, Graham. "Smokey Mountain Wrestling > Ring Results > 1991-92". The History of WWE. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Cawthorn, Graham. "Smokey Mountain Wrestling > Ring Results > 1993". The History of WWE. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Cawthorn, Graham. "Smokey Mountain Wrestling > Ring Results > 1994". The History of WWE. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Cawthorn, Graham. "Smokey Mountain Wrestling > Ring Results > 1995". The History of WWE. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
- ^ . Wrestling Observer. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
- ^ Hoops, Brian (2008-02-18). "Nostalgia Review: WCW SuperBrawl III; Sting vs. Vader Strap Match, Hollywood Blondes, Barry Windham vs. The Great Muta, Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ "About". The Doctor's Note with Tom Prichard. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ "Full Event Results". WWE. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ Earl, Dennis (2015-11-23). "Survivor Series Trivia". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ "Full Event Results". WWE. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ a b "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 100 Tag Teams of the PWI Years: 17 The Heavenly Bodies". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States: Sports and Entertainment publications LLC. October 18, 2003. p. 20. November 2003.
- ^ Milner, John M. "Hardcore Holly". Canoe.ca. Québecor Média. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ Leverro, Thom (2006). The Rise and Fall of ECW. Simon & Schuster. pp. 83–84. ISBN 1-4165-1058-3.
- ^ a b John, Milner; Richarad Kamen. "Chris Jericho bio". SLAM Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ Smith, Jason. "Weekend show pays tribute to Midwest stars". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ^ a b Murphy, Ryan (January 12, 2011). "Where Are They Now? Sunny". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ "411MANIA". Mark Madden: Jim Cornette is Like a ‘Two-Dollar Hooker’.
- ^ "Hank Aaron Sparked Pro Wrestling's First Major Racism Story 25 Years Ago". Deadspin.
- ^ a b Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Remember when... Smokey Mountain Wrestling was still around?". Power Slam Magazine. Lancaster, Lancashire, England: SW Publishing LTD. August 2003. p. 12. 109.
- ^ Cornette, Jim (August 2014). "REMEMBERING BRIAN & BUBBA". Fighting Spirit Magazine. Uncooked Media Ltd. 1 (109).
- ^ Johnson, Mike (May 8, 2012). "THIS DAY TO HISTORY: TNA IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED, WWE HOLDS SLAMMY AWARDS PRIVATELY FOR BUSINESS PARTNERS, NIKITA AND MUTA TEAM, FUNK INDUCTED INTO PRO WRESTLING HALL OF FAME, MARK CURTIS MEMORIAL, WRESTLEMANIA 24 BUYRATE BREAKS ONE MILLION, DGUSA TAPES FIRST PPV IN CANADA AND MUCH MORE". PWInsider.com.
- ^ "SMW Tag Team Title Tournament". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ "King of Kentucky Tournament". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ "NWA World Title Tournament 1994". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ "Carolina Cup Tag Team". ProWrestlingHistory.com.
- ^ a b c d "SMW Title Histories". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Tennessee) Knoxville: Smokey Mountain Wrestling "Beat the Champ" Television Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Tennessee) Knoxville: Smokey Mountain Wrestling United States Junior Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
External links
- Kayfabe Memories
- The History of Smokey Mountain Wrestling