This edition will look at a United States Wrestling Association (USWA) card from Kennett, Missouri. This particular show took place on Feb. 12, 1993 at the American Legion Building. Let's do a little USWA background refresher before moving forward.
The USWA was the latest incarnation of Memphis Wrestling promotions owned by Jerry Jarrett and Jerry "The King" Lawler. In the late 1990's, Jarrett bought the declining World Class Championship Wrestling from the Von Erichs. He renamed it USWA and actually promoted in both locales. Jarrett's Memphis company, at the time known as CWA for either Championship Wrestling Alliance or Championship Wrestling Association, later took on the USWA name as well.
The Kennett American Legion Building hosted Memphis based cards for years and probably the most notable was a 1992 show featuring a recreation of the Tupelo concession stand brawl, featuring the Moondogs against Lawler and Jeff Jarrett.
Growing up, I really didn't see the Memphis promotions although I "sorta" followed them through the Pro Wrestling Illustrated family of magazines edited by Bill Apter. Many in the business called them the "Apter Mags."
Let me say this. I didn't follow the USWA because I didn't want to. I simply had no access at the time to get it. I lived in Dexter, MO, which was just miles out of the USWA TV distribution area. While towns less tha 20 miles south of Dexter could get Memphis programming on WMC TV-5, I could not because my cable system carried St. Louis area stations, including a St. Louis Channel 5. However, thanks to my grandfather's super powerful antenna, I was able to see the occasional USWA show. The reception was fuzzy, but hey I could hear the action which was all that I needed to get excited when I heard the mention that the USWA was coming to Kennett in February 1993.
I immediately asked my parents if it was okay to go. They agreed. Then the search for tickets began! Having only attended World Wrestling Federation cards, where early ticket purchases produced the best seats, I was really unaware that you need not buy a USWA ticket in advance to get a "front row" seat at this particular time in history. But, I still asked my dad to go to Kennett and get me a ticket. He did so and we ended up with a front row set of tickets for me, my mom and dad. I was in wrestling heaven!
As you can see from the flyer below, this show was pretty loaded for a local card. And I like this fact - only five matches and nine workers on the card with maybe one or two referees and an announcer. Let's run down the card shall we?
The results were as follows: The Master of Terror def. Scott Campoine; Miss Texas def. Leslie Balenger; "Nightmare" Danny Davis def. The Master of Terror; Brian Christopher def. Jeff Jarrett to retain the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship; MAIN EVENT: The Honky Tonk Man def. USWA Unified World Champion Jerry "The King" Lawler in a non-title match.
Notes: I remember this being a decent crowd. Being only 12-years-old at the time, I didn't think about houses and gates (LOL). Not sure of an exact count, but pictures I have from this show the seats fairly full ... At the time I had no clue who the "Master of Terror" was. Could it have been my friend and mentor "Nightmare" Ken Wayne? Ken are you out there to help me answer this one? ... I had the chance to get wrestlers' autographs for the first time in my life. I secured the "John Hancocks" of Lawler, Jarrett, Davis, Campoine and Miss Texas ... I also was able to catch the Honky Tony Man's wrist tape. He had taken the tape off and used it to choke Lawler during the main event. He tossed it in my direction and with an assist from my mother, it was mine! Fans after the bout asked if we would show it to the referee to show that Honky was cheating. Heck no! This was a souevenir baby from one of the greatest WWF Intercontinetal Champs ever!!! ... My dad, who watched Memphis wrestling waaaaay back in the day, had no clue of the current product but was semi-familiar with the WWF. He knew the "Dangerous" Danny Davis, who did a heel referee gimmick and turned wrestler under the guidance of Jimmy Hart and the Hart Foundation in the mid to late 1980's. I informed my dad that the "Danny Davis" wrestling that night was NOT the WWF Davis ... This show introduced me to wrestling at a regional/local level. It was the first of several non-WWF/WCW shows I would attend.
Thanks for reading. In the next edition of "Thompson's Markives" I will review a Power Pro Wrestling show from the summer of 1999, held in the same Kennett venue. This show featured such names a pre-WWF Kurt Angle and Fatu in his days just before becoming Rikishi. Names who are very familiar to us locally such as Brandon Baxter, Corey Maclin, Derrick King and Alan Steele also worked this show. Stay tuned. I'll give you the full story soon! Have a Merry Christmas all.
(Brian Thompson may be reached by e-mail at bptbookings@yahoo.com.)
