Respect: David Crockett Makes Appearance at the NWA Crockett Cup

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

This past weekend (March 19-20), the National Wrestling Alliance presented the 2022 Crockett Cup tournament on pay-per-view. It was the modern-day NWA's second revival of the tournament that bears the name of the legendary family that promoted professional wrestling for over 50 years in the Carolinas, Virginia, and eventually nationwide. 

In 1986, Jim Crockett Promotions presented the first in an annual series of tag team tournaments named to honor the patriarch of the family, a man who first began promoting professional wrestling in 1933, James Allen Crockett. The first Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament was held at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA.  Subsequent tournaments were held in Baltimore MD, and Greenville SC/Greensboro, NC. Jim Sr.'s widow Elizabeth presented the Crockett Cup trophy to the winners of all three of those events.

Sadly, the tournament series ended after only three years. The Crockett family business was sold to Ted Turner in late 1988, and Turner's new WCW promotion chose not to continue the tournament.  

Move ahead 31 years later. The modern-day NWA led by owner and promoter William Corgan, as part of a series of efforts to rekindle the tradition of the NWA, decided to bring the tournament back. In 2019, the organization held the event re-branded simply as "The Crockett Cup" in Charlotte, NC, the longtime home of Jim Crockett Promotions. Two of Jim Crockett Sr.'s children, Frances Crockett and Jackie Crockett were at that event that year to present the trophy to the winning team. 

The Covid-19 pandemic derailed plans for both the 2020 and 2021 events. In that interim, Frances, David, and Jackie lost their oldest brother Jim Crockett, Jr. in early 2021. 

But throughout, Corgan was determined to bring the Crockett Cup back again. The 2022 event was held in Nashville, TN, and was a big two-night affair that culminated on Sunday 3/20 with the finals of the tournament as well as an NWA World Heavyweight title defense.

There were lots of things that William Corgan did to make the event memorable, but there was one special thing he arranged that helped make special magic and that was the appearance and involvement of perhaps the most well known of all the Crockett family, David Crockett. David not only presented the trophy, he lent his unique brand of commentary to several of the tournament matches.

David Crockett, seated between NWA broadcaster Joe Galli and former NWA World
Champion Tim Storm, calls action during the NWA Crockett Cup.

David's appearance for the NWA comes on the heels of his multiple winter appearances for AEW Wrestling on their nationally televised programs. (Read more about that here.)

As older fans will remember, not only was David Crockett instrumental behind the scenes in the family  business, he was a commentator on their televised wrestling shows for over 14 years. He first teamed up with the legendary Bob Caudle in 1974 to host Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in the cozy confines of WRAL-TV studios in Raleigh, NC. He later hosted World Wide Wrestling in the arenas in the 1980s with a variety of co-hosts including Johnny Weaver and Tony Schiavone. But he is probably most remembered as the co-host of the nationally televised World Championship Wrestling program that aired each Saturday at 6:05 PM on the Superstation WTBS in the mid-to-late 1980s. 

David's enthusiasm during that time leapt off the screen, representing the fan's point of view in many of the matches and angles that aired each week. His excitement was infectious. He has pointed out many times in recent years that the excitement that came through on his commentary was born out of the fact that despite being part of management in a thriving family business, he was first and foremost a fan himself. It showed each week, and David's unique brand of commentary is still fondly remembered to this day.

David told me he came away from Nashville very impressed with the NWA production team, which reminded him a bit of JCP's mobile production team in the 1980s - - small but efficient, and professional. And he also was impressed with the level of talent in the ring through the two day event.

But most of all he seemed genuinely touched by his personal interactions that weekend, and the respect shown him by not only Corgan's management team, but also the broadcast team, production crew, and the locker room.  

"I could not believe how wonderful everyone was," he wrote me. "It was a humbling experience. The whole time I was thinking, I wish Dad, Mom, and Jimmy could have seen the respect everyone gave them."

It is wonderful to see David having such fun being involved in wrestling again. The best part, though, is witnessing the modern-day NWA carry forward the legacy and tradition of the original Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup. Having David Crockett there and part of the event brought major credibility to the NWA's efforts in that regard.   

Photographs provided by George Pantas.

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MORE PHOTOS

Joe Galli, David Crockett, and Tim Storm (all lower left) call the action at the 2022 NWA Crockett Cup in Nashville. The Crockett Cup trophy can be seen in the background, far right.

Director Billy Trask and David Crockett in the NWA production truck.

2022 Crockett Cup Champions Jay and Mark Briscoe with David Crockett
The Briscoe Brothers are soon to be inducted in to the Ring of Honor Hall of Fame.

David Crockett (L) with the beautiful Crockett Cup Trophy
With David is a friend of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway George Pantas, a wrestling documentarian and also Commissioner of Virginia Championship Wrestling in Norfolk, VA.

For results of the entire Crockett Cup show, visit here.
To order the PPV replay visit Fite TV

David Crockett to Appear at Crockett Cup 2022

The National Wrestling Alliance announced today (3/9/22) that David Crockett, member of the legendary Crockett family that promoted wrestling and other entertainment events for decades, will be appearing for both nights of the 2022 Crockett Cup Tournament held this year in Nashville, TN.

His appearance for the NWA follows several appearances he made this winter for AEW Wrestling when the company toured some of the key cities in the old Mid-Atlantic territory, including Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh.

Obviously, the Crockett family participation lends great credibility to the NWA's efforts to revive the Crockett Cup, one of the most remembered and celebrated events in the final years of Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s. The tournament is named for the patriarch of the Crockett family, Jim Crockett, Sr., who first promoted wrestling in the early 1930s. He was a pillar of the Charlotte community and a longtime stalwart member of the National Wrestling Alliance from the 1950s until his death in 1973.

The modern-day NWA revived the Crockett Cup tournament in 2019 in Charlotte, where David's sister Frances and younger brother Jackie both appeared to present the trophy during that evening. The 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. 

The tournament returns for 2022 on March 19 and 20 at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. The NWA World Heavyweight Championship and other NWA titles will also be on the line during the event.  

For ongoing up-to-date details on the event, follow the NWA on Twitter (@NWA)  or on Facebook. For tickets visit https://www.simpletix.com/e/nwa-crockett-cup-tickets-99885.

Tony Schiavone Reveals the Behind-the-Scenes History of the Crockett Cup Trophy

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

On a recent edition of the "What Happened When" podcast, Tony Schiavone revealed some previously undisclosed history regarding the origins of the iconic Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup tournament trophy that was presented to the winners of the annual event during it's all-to-short three year history. 

During the "Superstars on the Superstation" primetime special from February 7, 1986, Jim Crockett Promotions announced that the NWA would dedicate a new annual tag team tournament to his late father, naming it the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup. At that point in the time, the site of the first annual event had not been announced, but Crockett announced he hoped it would be in their hometown of Charlotte. Of course, the NWA part of this was just part of the storyline; this was all a Jim Crockett Promotions event, part of the Crockett's follow-up to the 50th anniversary celebrations that had taken all during the year before.

A photograph of the trophy was shown on the screen.

Tony Schiavone and Conrad Thompson were reviewing the program in watch-along fashion on Tony's "What Happened When" podcast, when Tony took a moment to explain the little-known history of that actual trophy. 

"That cup had been with the Crocketts for a number of years," Tony told Conrad. "It was just a big silver cup, no inscription on it."

Tony knew this history well because his earliest work for the Crockett family was as a radio play-by-play announcer for the Charlotte O's, the minor league farm team of the Baltimore Orioles that the Crockett family owned. 

"The Charlotte O's won the Southern League championship, Doug Dellinger walked out with that cup and presented it to our manager, John Hart," Tony laughed. "I remember the report from Tom Sorenson said, 'The Charlotte O's won it, they celebrated, and a big ol' policeman with a big ol' cup came out and gave them their championship.'"

In fine pro-wrestling tradition, though, that presentation was a bit of a swerve. 

"That was not the Southern League championship [trophy], that was Frances Crockett being a promoter," Schiavone explained. "And the fans popped!"

Souvenir Program from the 1984
Championship Season
(funwhileitlasted.net)

The Crockett's bought the Asheville Orioles in 1976 and renamed the team the Charlotte Orioles, which would popularly become known as the Charlotte O's. The family then bought historic old Griffith Park, an old ballpark that had been home to the Charlotte Hornets which disbanded after the 1972 season, and they renamed it Jim Crockett Memorial Park (fondly known to the locals as simply Crockett Park) in 1977. Jim Crockett, Jr. promoted wrestling shows their in the summer for several years, too.

Frances Crockett became the manager of the team, becoming the first woman to hold that role in professional baseball. Under her stewardship, and led on the field by future Hall of Famer Cal Ripkin, the O's won the Southern League Championship in 1980 after which she was named General Manager of the Year by The Sporting News. They won again in 1984. Although Tony didn't mention which year Doug Dellinger brought out the big cup, we're guessing it had to have been 1984 since Tony didn't begin work for the Crocketts until 1981. 

Crockett Park burned to the ground in 1985, but the big silver cup apparently was not stored in the storage bunkers under the bleachers, or it would have been destroyed like lots of other wrestling and baseball memorabilia was with the fire. 

As plans were formulated for the first Crockett Cup, someone in the family remembered the big silver trophy. It would soon be engraved with the Crockett Promotions 50th anniversary logo and presented to the winning team of the tournament each year.

The tournament only lasted three years (1986-1988), ending after the family sold the business to Ted Turner in November of 1988. New Orleans, Baltimore, and Greensboro were the only three cities to see that trophy presented to the tournament champions. Sadly, Charlotte never got the cup as Jim Crockett had hoped for in 1986. 

Here at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway, it's often the little details we love learning the most. Thanks to Tony for sharing this bit of history on his podcast that otherwise would be lost to the sands of time.

Related posts:
Sundays with Schiavone (our interview with Tony)
The Original Crockett Cup (1974)
Crockett and Watts at the Crockett Cup (1986)

What Happened When Podcast (with Tony Schiavone and Conrad Thompson)
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Tony Schiavone on What Happened When

The Original Crockett Cup (1974)

The 1986-1988
Crockett Cup Trophy

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

One of the more famous and still talked-about wrestling events ever is the Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament that took place for Jim Crockett Promotions from 1986-1988. The image of the large cup presented to the annual tournament winners is iconic, and still resonates with fans to this day. The modern-day National Wrestling Alliance even resurrected the tournament in 2019, and although the follow up event in 2020 was sidelined by the covid pandemic, they hopefully will continue that renewed tradition. 

What is less known is that the 1986 Crockett Cup wasn't actually the first trophy to carry that name. Hockey fans in particular will be interested to learn that in 1974 the Southern Hockey League (SHL) named their new championship trophy after the late Jim Crockett, Sr. It would be called the James Crockett Cup. Crockett was a big supporter of hockey in Charlotte, and the league generally. He had passed away one year earlier. The league would at various times have teams in many of the traditional Mid-Atlantic Wrestling cities, including Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Richmond, Roanoke, Hampton, and Norfolk. 

The Roanoke Rebels were the first
team to win the James Crockett Cup

The 1973-1974 season championship came down to the Charlotte Checkers and the Roanoke Rebels. Charlotte and Roanoke were linchpin cities for pro wrestling in the region, promoted by the Crockett family, and in the case of Roanoke, local promoter Pete Apostolou as well. Apostolou also had ties to hockey in Roanoke.

The first winners of the James Crockett Cup, for the 1973-1974 season, were the fighting Rebels from Roanoke. The Checkers from Charlotte won the next two seasons.

Ironically, much like the Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup in wrestling, the hockey championship trophy was only presented for three years, from 1974-1976. The SHL folded in the middle of the 1976-1977 season.  Jim Crockett Promotions was sold to Ted Turner in 1988, ending the three-year run of the Crockett Cup in wrestling. 

I've not come across a photo of the actual Crockett Cup trophy for the SHL, but we're always keeping an eye out. A nice little bit of Crockett family history.

Thanks to Mark Eastridge for his assistance with this article.

Debbie Ringley at the Crockett Foundation Talks About the 2019 Crockett Cup

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Late edit: The NWA has announced that the Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) will be competing (!) in the 2019 Crockett Cup.  Also, they plan to announce the seeding for the tournament this Tuesday 4/9.) 

Later this month the National Wrestling Alliance will present the 2019 NWA Crockett Cup, bringing back the tournament that was originally presented by Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-to-late 1980s. (Event is Saturday 4/27: More information.)

The tournament was originally named the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup in honor of the longtime promoter of pro-wrestling and other entertainment events in the Carolinas and Virginias going all the way back to 1935.

The tournament was discontinued after the Crockett family sold their business to media mogul Ted Turner in November of 1988. In 2017, The Crockett Foundation in Charlotte revived the idea of a tournament in the family name promoting the Crockett Foundation Cup in conjunction with Classic Pro Wrestling, an independent promotion in eastern Virginia. That tradition continued with Charlotte area PWX Wrestling at BB&T Ballpark in 2018.

Now the Crockett Cup returns as part of the modern day NWA, working with Ring of Honor Wrestling as well as the Crockett Foundation to present the tournament on a national stage once again.

 Event Tickets  |  VIP Experience Tickets  |  Dinner with Aldis/Scurll/Mack Tickets

I recently conducted a makeshift "email interview" with Debbie Ringley about how the tournament came together. Debbie is the granddaughter of Jim Crockett, Sr. (daughter of Frances Crockett and John Ringley) and president of the Crockett Foundation in Charlotte, a charitable organization helping veterans and service animals.


Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Your family has been out of the wrestling business now for over 30 years, as hard as that is to believe. You now have this opportunity to continue the Crockett tradition in pro wrestling with the renewal of the Crockett Cup. It’s very exciting for fans, especially those of us that go back in time a bit. How did all of this come together with the NWA and Ring of Honor Wrestling?

Debbie Ringley: David Lagana with the NWA came to the Crockett Cup that was held by PWX Wrestling at BB&T Ballpark last summer. He brought [NWA World Champion] Nick Aldis with him as part of the main event that night. The conversation pretty much started through follow up emails and conversations following that meeting.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Were you aware that the National Wrestling Alliance was in the middle of a renaissance? Or did this hit you out of nowhere?

Debbie Ringley: I did not know that it even still existed. I have found out that if wasn’t exactly being taken care of in the way it should have been, but I believe the new owner has the respect for the organization that it deserves.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: The annual tournament that your family put on from 1986-1988 honored your grandfather, Jim Crockett, Sr.  Will the new tournament honor his legacy as well? Or will it be more to honor the family business broadly and their legacy in wrestling, and specifically in Charlotte?

Debbie Ringley: From what I understand, it will be a more broad look at my family’s legacy.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: I see that they have announced that several stars from JCP in the 1980s will be making appearances at the Crockett Cup: Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock & Roll Express), Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, as well as Jim Cornette and all three members of the Midnight Express: Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane. Many of these same wrestling legends are also “tag team partners” with the Crockett Foundation. What other presence will the Crockett Foundation have at the event itself?

Debbie Ringley: We will be there with all of our swag and of course the books you were so kind to help us put together.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Will this show benefit the charitable work of Crockett Foundation in any way?

Debbie Ringley: Yes. The NWA has said they will be making a donation to the Crockett Foundation that night. I have heard through the grapevine that Billy Corgan (the new owner) is a big fan of veterans organizations.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Will any other members of the Crockett family (your mom or your uncles) be involved in any way?

Debbie Ringley: I hope so but nothing has been confirmed as of this date.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: What have been some recent activities and events connected with the Crockett Foundation and what do you have upcoming in 2019?

Debbie Ringley: In July we will have our annual Crockett Foundation Night at BB&T Ballpark. We will also be attending TMPT Con 3 in Richmond, VA on May 18, 2019. There are about 3 other things that will be announced in the coming months.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway:  Thanks Debbie! David and I look forward to seeing you there that night. It's very exciting to see the Crockett Cup return, especially to the Charlotte area.

Debbie Ringley: Thank you, Dick. See you there!

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The 2019 Crockett Cup presented by the NWA, ROH, and the Crockett Foundation, will take place Saturday night, April 27, at Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC, just northeast of Charlotte. Tickets are on sale now. There will also be several other special events surrounding the tournament including a fanfest Saturday afternoon where you take pictures and get autographs of the NWA wrestling legends in attendance that day including Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock & Roll Express), Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, as well as Jim Cornette and all three members of the Midnight Express: Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane!

Nick Aldis will defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship that night (as is tradition with the Crockett Cup tournaments of the 1980s). There is a special dinner to be held the night before (Friday April 26) with Aldis as well his opponent Marty Scurll, and NWA National Heavyweight Champion Willie Mack.

For links to Twitter and Facebook information about the Friday dinner, Saturday afternoon fanfest, and Crockett Cup event Saturday night, visit our Crockett Cup update page on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway or the specific links below.

Follow the NWA (@nwa), the NWA World Champion Nick Aldis (@RealNickAldsis), and Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) on Twitter.


Support the Crockett Foundation by visiting their online store, filled with lots of wrestling goodies. For more information on the Crockett Foundation, visit https://crockettfoundation.com 

Midnight Express, Rock & Roll Express, Magnum T.A., and Nikita Koloff to Appear at the Crockett Cup 2019

BREAKING | Legends of the @NWA & Jim Crockett Promotions are coming to #CrockettCup

The Midnight Express (Lane, Condrey & Eaton)@TheJimCornette@therealmagnumta@RealRickyMorton@TheRobertGibson@NikitaKoloff1

Tickets on Sale tomorrow via @RingOfHonorhttps://t.co/F9d6QpGPbS pic.twitter.com/wVmkKF4Psf

— NWA (@nwa) February 5, 2019

Crockett Cup Anniversary

April of 2016 is the 30th Anniversary of the first Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament, honoring the memory of one of the great wrestling promoters in the history of the business.

The first Crockett Cup tournament took place on April 19, 1986 at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA. The Road Warriors defeated Magnum T.A. and Ron Garvin in the finals.

In the photo above, Jim Crockett, Jr. and Bill Watts stand with the Crockett Cup trophy in front of the seedings board for the tournament.

Learn about the history of this special and rare photograph on this earlier post on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway:
Robert Riddick: Crockett and Watts at the Crockett Cup

Crockett & Watts at the Crockett Cup

Honoring photographer & friend Robert Riddick, Jr.

Rob Riddick once told me that one of his favorite trips was to New Orleans in April of 1986 for the inaugural Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament. George Napolitano, through the assistance of Tony Schiavone in the Crockett office, made it possible for him to get credentials.

Ironically, it would be an event where he wasn't allowed to shoot many of the matches, since they limited the number of photographers that could shoot ringside, and those would be the guys like Napolitano, Bill Apter, and the photographers from Japan. But what made the trip so memorable for him was that he was able to get this shot.

Rob told me he was walking through one of the long hallways in the Super Dome before the evening session and noticed Jim Crockett and Bill Watts having a conversation in front of a set where they had the Crockett Cup trophy on display in front of a huge board with the tournament brackets. He worked up the nerve to interrupt them and ask them could he get a picture, sensing the brief opportunity to get them together in such a setting. Watts told him, "I don't have my jacket with me." Rob assured him that wasn't a problem in the slightest.

Without being asked, the two reached up and each held the trophy for the photograph which Rob told me was one of his all-time favorites given these two giants in wrestling together for that rather historic show.

As mentioned earlier, we are featuring some of Rob Riddick's favorite photographs to honor his memory as part of an ongoing series here on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.