Posted August 12, 201312 yr comment_5555981 Did he draw well in Central States in the 70's - 80's? He is bad everywhere he's gone and I have NEVER once heard a "you should see him vs..." or that kind of talk and never heard anyone defend him as a wrestler...yet he was featured in several areas and in big roles.... How did he last so long in a big role if he was soo bad and universally seen as bad...unless I am missing something... Curious where the disconnect is.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5555982 I LOVE this topic! The only thing that makes sense is if he was good friends with Bob Geigel. ??? Conversations I have with older fans around Wichita usually go like this: "Oh yeah we used to go watch the matches, the one guy I remember is Bulldog Bob Brown" "Was he a good wrestler?" "Oh hell no, that's just the guy I remember"
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5555983 From my understanding, he practiced on a sketch pad regularly and eventually drew very well.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5555985 I would had bet my mortgage that this thread was started by Brick.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5555987 Bill Dundee. He's a bigger draw than Kurt Angle after all. This forum declared it so.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5555988 Bill Dundee. He's a bigger draw than Kurt Angle after all. This forum declared it so. Pretty sure that thread happened at DVDVR.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5555989 I wouldn't call Bob Brown a great draw but he was good enough for the small buildings that CS ran. Sure they ran Kansas City but on the Kansas side other than the rare shows at Kemper Arena which Bob was midcard on those shows. Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas was OLD and not very big.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5555996 I believe a group still runs Memorial Hall in KCKS to this day. There is a building in Wichita named "Bob Brown Memorial Expo Hall" that is attached to Century II which is the building where Bob Brown mowed through his opponents. My dad always told me the Expo Hall was named after the Bulldog and he would always say "that's why the building sucks". Just found out today that it was named for some politician. Yeah at this point I'm just scraping for info to keep this thread alive.
August 12, 201312 yr Author comment_5555999 Seriously, this has bugged me since I really got into wrestling...NO ONE has ever said Bob Brown had a must see match or feud.. Was Central States SOOO bad that hte only guy they could rely on to stay and make programs around was shitty Bob Brown? Are there any stats anywhere on their numbers? Did Geigel even want his own territory to do well? Shit, Harley was part of it...how did HE still go with Bob? Its a nice area of the country...surely SOMEONE would like to headline there... Or was he like Geigel's puppet and did what he said no matter what...or maybe some other deeper shit was involved... Maybe Brown sent friends around getting pictures of certain promoters to use as collateral to keep him on top...what else is there? And more than one place thought enough of him to put him into a position...semi main or main...
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556000 I've only seen a little Central States footage but none of it was good. Really bad production values and very weak talent pool.
August 12, 201312 yr Author comment_5556001 Buck Robely is really funny when he talks about his short time in Central States and how there was no way he was going with Bob Brown on top and brought in a bunch of his own guys.. His story gets a little blown up (way bigger deal than it was) after that, but still good.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556007 Any reason why no one ever talks or seems to care about Central States? Of all the territories, it seems to be the one that literally no one gives a shit about. Apart from Brick.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556008 I'm thinking about dropping a line to Harley Race and asking him about Bulldog Bob Brown. Anyone ever try to contact Harley? I emailed back and forth with his wife BJ about 10 years ago, but she has since passed. I seriously might try to contact Harley with some of these questions, if that is even remotely possible. Also, there may or may not be a "Best of" Bulldog Brown comp in the works.
August 12, 201312 yr Author comment_5556009 Hey, I am all in to help with that if needed....THIS shit needs answered... Plus maybe he knows of some more Central States footage....
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556010 Flair always shit on the territory saying that it was an embarrassment to defend the NWA title at a Ford dealership in Kansas in front of 40 fans against Rufus R. Jones.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556012 Any reason why no one ever talks or seems to care about Central States? Of all the territories, it seems to be the one that literally no one gives a shit about. Apart from Brick. Out of all the 80's territories this one wasn't covered much in the 20 plus publications that were around back then might have something to do with it. They did have the rankings at times in the Apter mags, but that was about it, never any articles from what I remember. From the little I have seen it was really bad in the 80's. I think this was after JCP purchased it they were pushing the MOD Squad, enough said. It was worse than Wild West IMO. I have heard of people liking it in the 70's on KM though.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556014 Here's the NWA promotions in 1979: http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/members/1979.html We probably should admit that Central States wasn't the worst of the bunch. Fundamentals out of New Mexico? Fred Ward Promotions in freaking Macon? Here's 76: http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/members/1976.html Eastern Sports Association in New Brunswick? Central States was low on the list, but there were other arm pits of pro wrestling.
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556015 Fred Ward was very successful as he ran Macon, Columbus, Albany and the rest of South Georgia. They had solid houses up until the promotion started going up north
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556019 Yeah the TV show in the Southern part of the state would be half Techwood/half Macon or Columbus
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556020 I guess out of "respect" for Ward they let him be his own NWA promotion rather than being rolled under GCW?
August 12, 201312 yr comment_5556021 Fred Ward was a major player in the NWA. He was a VP for years plus check out his position in the various incarnations of GCW in the NWA post Ray Gunkel Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc. Atlanta, GA: -James E. Barnett - Initial Director -Paul Jones - Incorporator -Fred Ward - Initial Director -Roy Welch - Incorporator -Paul Jones - Initial Director -Lester Welch - Incorporator Southeastern Wrestling Corp. Atlanta, GA: -James E. Barnett - Initial Director -H. Wynne James, III - Incorporator -Fred Ward - Initial Director Fred Ward Promotions, Inc. Columbus, GA: -Ralph T. Freed - CEO -Frances Ward - CFO -Frances Freed - Secretary Championship Wrestling from Georgia, Inc, Columbus, GA: -Ralph T. Freed - CEO -Fred Ward - CFO
August 13, 201312 yr comment_5556024 Mike London was another local promoter, he booked talent out of the Amarillo office. Most town promoters were just affiliates, not members. Ward had his own TV so he makes more sense than London, though. The Maritime territory paid really well, it just didn't run year-round. It was definitely above KC in stature, connection to St Louis aside.
August 13, 201312 yr comment_5556030 I grew up in northern Iowa, which was part of the AWA. When I talk wrestling with my co-workers here in central Iowa, the two wrestlers they always mention are Bulldog Bob Brown and Rufus R. Jones. I think I'll stick with Bock and Martel!
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