We are in the middle of our “1985 Territory Review” Series! Its a a weekly review of the territories in the year of 1985. In order to add context on where 1985 falls in the spectrum of the territory era of professional wrestling, here is my historical framework entitled: “Stages of Growth of the Territory Era”:

Stage One: Conception (1925 to 1935)

Stage Two: Formation (1935 to 1945)

Stage Three: Innovation and Expansion (1945 to 1955)

Stage Four: Investigation (1955 to 1965)

Stage Five: Re-Consolidation (1965-1975)

Stage Six: Fragmentation (1975-1985)

Stage Seven: Disintegration (1985-1995)

1985 is the first year in the last stage of the territory era, and we are reviewing what is remaining of the system as the Disintegration Stage gets started. By the time we reach the halfway point in this stage, 1990, only a bare thread of the vast network of wrestling territories will remain. By the end of the Disintegration Stage, 1995, only one territory, in Memphis, is barely breathing, and by 1997 would be gone.

One of the strongest territories left in 1985 was Mid-South Wrestling, which started off 1985, much the way 1984 ended, very strong. Bill Watts, due to his over a decade long relationship with Ted Turner, which was established during the Georgia Wrestling War in 1972, had secured a spot for his Mid-South Show on WTBS. Not only was the show performing, but there were talks of Watts and Turner teaming up to promote shows together. But in stepped Jim Barnett and Jim Crockett, worked out a deal to get Jim Crockett Promotions show on WTBS in place of the WWF and also secure exclusive rights to wrestling on the channel, which left Watts out in the cold.

This was more than likely the beginning of Mid-South’s decline, as Watts own interest in pro wrestling was slowly waning. Coming off a highly successful year in 1984, wanting to put more time and energy in his family and looking for new worlds to conquer, all made pro wrestling struggle to get Watts’ attention. On today’s show, we take a look back at the year of 1985 as I am joined by frequent guest co-host Greg Klein, who details a lot of Mid-South history on his own show, Greg Klein’s Old School Rasslin Talk. We hope you will come along for the ride as we take the Time Tunnel back to 1985 and Mid-South Wrestling!

• (00:00:02) - Podcast
• (00:00:34) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Podcast
• (00:05:42) - Time Tunnel: A Guest Appreciation
• (00:06:48) - An audience in every state in the United States
• (00:09:15) - The Top 5 States That Listen To Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History
• (00:10:34) - 1985 Territory Review
• (00:11:34) - 1985 Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Match
• (00:12:20) - 1985
• (00:23:08) - NWA Mid-South
• (00:23:55) - Brad Armstrong
• (00:28:40) - Junkyard Dog vs Ric Flair
• (00:33:23) - UWF on TBS 1985
• (00:43:56) - The New Starrcade
• (00:44:30) - Rock and Roll Express vs The Guerreros
• (00:48:20) - Jake Roberts vs Ted DiBiase
• (00:53:17) - Dibiase Turn In Mid-South Wrestling
• (00:57:27) - Dibiase vs Butch Reed
• (01:06:33) - "The WWF Is Changing The Look of Everything"
• (01:07:20) - The Announcing Team in 1985
• (01:12:23) - Jake and the Barbarian in Houston
• (01:21:24) - The Snowman and the Fantastics
• (01:24:54) - UWF 1985
• (01:30:57) - Bill Crockett on The Dusty Angle
• (01:38:38) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel: How to Support The Show
• (01:43:02) - Ian Douglas Sponsors His Ring In the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
• (01:45:04) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Podcast

Our podcast focuses in on a by-gone era of regional booking offices of wrestling talent in historic towns and legendary buildings around the world.

Jimmy Ault aka Frankie Cain aka The Clubfoot Inferno aka The Great Mephisto and on and on was one unique individual. Born in Columbus, Ohio in the early 1930s, Cain grew up mostly destitute and in extreme poverty, often homeless and starving. He learned how to survive on the streets, working gimmicks and cons just to stay alive with the other street kids he hung around. He learned learned how to box, became a “smoker” and became a traveling carnival worker . At one point, he learned how to become a wrestling shooter and was indoctrinated into the business in Al Haft’s Columbus promotion where he saw the guy he still considered the greatest professional wrestler he ever saw, a guy who called himself, “The Great Mephisto.”

Cain then set about traveling through almost every territory of the 20th century during the territory era becoming beloved by Cowboy Clarence Luttrall, Roy Welch and others. He became teenage friends with Eddie Gossett (Graham) while living near Chattanooga, Tennessee traveling the roads and talking about their dreams together when they made it in the wrestling business. Frankie Cain was probably the last living person in the wrestling business who dated back to Jim Londos’ time in professional wrestling.

Later in life, Cain became friends with Crowbar Press publisher, Scott Teal while the two were attending a Gulf Coast Wrestlers’ Reunion Event. After gaining Cain’s trust, Teal began to record and document Frankie’s memories both in audio and video form and published some of them in his “Whatever Happened To?” newsletter while also making Frankie a regular columnist. After Teal stopped doing the newsletter and starting publishing books, the two took their conversations about Cain’s life and published a two-volume set of books documenting the life of Franke Cain. In the last few days, Frankie Cain passed away and today, I am proud to welcome Scott Teal to the Richards Ranch to pay tribute to the life and career of his close, personal friend, Frankie Cain. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

• (00:00:02) - Podcast
• (00:00:33) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Bonus Episode
• (00:02:01) - Frankie Kane: From The Inferno to Raising Cain
• (00:06:56) - Tribute To Frankie Kane
• (00:12:08) - Frank Sinatra on His Early Days
• (00:18:47) - WWE Legends
• (00:22:32) - How long was it before you met Frankie Monroe's
• (00:25:13) - Frankie's Whatever Happened To My Book...
• (00:31:48) - Was Rocky Smith Your Best Friend?
• (00:32:06) - Frankie Chicane
• (00:38:53) - Frankie Jones on Working For Nick Jackson
• (00:45:31) - Favorite Memory Of Frankie
• (00:50:31) - Frank Sinatra on Frankie Ray's Contribution To Wrestling
• (00:55:21) - Crowbar Press Remembrance of Frankie Kane
• (00:57:55) - Tribute To Frankie Kane

We are in the middle of our “1985 Territory Review” Series! Its a a weekly review of the territories in the year of 1985. In order to add context on where 1985 falls in the spectrum of the territory era of professional wrestling, here is my historical framework entitled: “Stages of Growth of the Territory Era”:

Stage One: Conception (1925 to 1935)

Stage Two: Formation (1935 to 1945)

Stage Three: Innovation and Expansion (1945 to 1955)

Stage Four: Investigation (1955 to 1965)

Stage Five: Re-Consolidation (1965-1975)

Stage Six: Fragmentation (1975-1985)

Stage Seven: Disintegration (1985-1995)

1985 is the first year in the last stage of the territory era, and we are reviewing what is remaining of the system as the Disintegration Stage gets started. By the time we reach the halfway point in this stage, 1990, only a bare thread of the vast network of wrestling territories will remain. By the end of the Disintegration Stage, 1995, only one territory, in Memphis, is barely breathing, and by 1997 would be gone.

In 1985, Jim Crockett Promotions was thriving. In mid-1984, they replaced the booker, Dory Funk, Jr. with Dusty Rhodes from the Florida Territory. Although ‘84 ended in a lukewarm fashion with the terrible finish and future plan blown up from Starrcade ‘84, during the first three months of 1985, Rhodes’ talent changes and new programs were taking hold. Then, the most important catalyst for the growth of JCP happened in the month of March. Jim Barnett, then an employee of the WWF brokered a deal with Jim Crockett, Jr to buy the WWF’s contract for the Saturday night time slot on WTBS, Channel 17 in Atlanta.

With the stroke of a pen on a contract and a check for $1,000,000, Jim Crockett Promotions had national exposure beyond their syndicated television network, which primarily served the JCP loop of towns in the Mid-Atlantic Territory. Crockett, Jr. also made a deal with Ole Anderson and Fred Ward to take over the Championship Wrestling from Georgia company, which mainly included a few rings and the talent roster serving Georgia, Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan. The new WTBS contract also carried a clause giving Crockett the exclusivity for pro wrestling on the TBS channel, knocking off the Bill Watts’ Mid-South Wrestling show from the channel.

In the Summer, Crockett also acquired the Rock and Roll Express from Mid-South along with Buddy Landel and Terry Taylor, while also getting The Midnight Express with Jim Cornette from World Class. The big show concept was also expanded as Rhodes created The Great American Bash for July in Charlotte, drawing a record crowd at the baseball stadium. It was an amazing year of expansion for Jim Crockett Promotions and helping me review the year of 1985 is a new member of our Time Tunnel family, Jammie Ward. With Jammie’s help, we roll through the year, hitting the highs and the lows for 1985 for Jim Crockett Promotions!

• (00:00:02) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History: Jim Crockett Promotions
• (00:03:27) - MOVING BACK TO KENTUCKY WITH Greg Klein
• (00:08:07) - Gino Hernandez Bonus Episode
• (00:11:21) - Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985
• (00:13:13) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Podcast
• (00:14:04) - Jim Crockett On National Expansion
• (00:22:52) - Barry Wyndham On Leaving The WWF
• (00:23:36) - Jim Crockett Promotions
• (00:30:48) - Ric Flair on His 1980 Turn
• (00:35:46) - Barry Blair on Dusty Rhodes' NWA Championship Run
• (00:40:43) - Dusty on The Russians vs Ric Flair
• (00:43:53) - The Great Dusty Rhodes vs Tully Blanchard
• (00:45:12) - Ricky Crockett vs Rick Flair
• (00:46:25) - Flair's California Booking Deal
• (00:53:05) - Flair on the Dusty Tully Feud
• (00:54:35) - Neville on Dusty Crockett In 85 Still Promoting
• (01:02:17) - Dusty Finisher
• (01:02:41) - Top Baby Face in the WWF in 1985
• (01:08:55) - The Rise of The Rock and Roll Express
• (01:10:42) - The Midnight Express and Rock and Roll Express
• (01:13:36) - Buddy Landell on His Nature Boy Turn
• (01:16:50) - The Great American Bash 85
• (01:22:35) - Dusty on TBS Return
• (01:29:37) - Jim Crockett on the WWF takeover of his territory
• (01:37:01) - Jimmy Fallon on Dusty Rhodes
• (01:39:23) - 1985 Territory Review Series