The Crown Jewel

 

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

A special thanks to my friend Andy McDaniel who presented me with this replica of the 1959-1973 NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt. It was the version of the NWA belt held by Pat O'Connor, Buddy Rogers, Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr., Harley Race and even briefly by Jack Brisco. I chronicle that belt and its history in my book Crown Jewel.

Andy wrote me a nice note, too. "I am so proud of your Jim Melby award and hated I had to miss that moment," he wrote. "I hope the detail of this belt is a great homage to your last book."

It was a generous and thoughtful gift and I treasure having it. Thanks Andy!

Melby Award  |  Crown Jewel

Crown Jewel in the Book Store

 

The Gateway Book Store

 

Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store

Lou Thesz, Dick Hutton, Pat O'Connor, Buddy Rogers, Gene Kiniski,
Dory Funk, Jr., Harley Race.

The storied history of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from 1959-1973,
and a look at the belt itself, the "crown jewel" of championship belts.

Crown Jewel: The NWA Championship 1959-1973

 

Mid-Atlantic Gateway Bookstore

Slam Wrestling reviews Crown Jewel

Slam! Wrestling graphic

BOURNE GIVES READERS A ‘CROWN JEWEL’ OF A BOOK
by Greg MosorJak for Slam! Wrestling (slamwrestling.net)

When it comes to the history of wrestling as it concerns the Jim Crockett National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territory that includes Virginia and North and South Carolina, Dick Bourne is the foremost authority. A native of Mount Airey, NC, Bourne is not only interested in the history of the NWA, but also the design and lineage of its championship belts. Bourne has written several books on the history of the NWA title belts and his most recent is Crown Jewel: The NWA Championship 1959-1973, out now and self-published.  It is a short but comprehensive look at the title reigns of seven NWA champions in this time frame....

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW HERE.

When the WLW TV Title Belt was worn as the NWA World Heavyweight Championship

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

In a follow-up question regarding an upcoming review of my book Crown Jewel for the SLAM! Wrestling website, Jamie Hemmings (book editor for SlamWrestling.net) asked about a reference in the book to the old WLW TV title belt that NWA World Champion Dick Hutton occasionally wore as the world title belt during his championship reign 1957-1959.

"Greg [Mosojak] mentioned in his review that Dick Hutton wore the WLW TV title [belt]," Jamie wrote me. "I just wanted to check with you what WLW stood for? It's not a promotion I was familiar with."

For those reading this and not familiar with why an NWA World champion would be wearing a regional TV title belt as champion, I go into that in detail in the book. It's part of the story of the strange two- year period where the NWA had no title belt at all, which eventually led to the creation of the crown belt. That belt and its title history are the subject of the book.

WLW wasn’t a wrestling promotion. The initials were the call sign of a TV station in Columbus, OH that aired live wrestling in the early 1950s for Ohio promoter Al Haft.

Haft created the title in 1951 to be defended on his TV show and in his larger cities such as Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. The title was only around for about three years (1951-1954) but Haft kept the old belt in his office for years afterward. When Thesz kept possession of his NWA title belt after losing to Hutton in November of 1957 in Toronto, Hutton (and the NWA) were without a championship strap. Left to his own devices, Hutton borrowed the WLW TV belt from Haft just to have a title belt to carry to the ring with him. It isn’t clear if he asked for it or Haft suggested it. Regardless, it was a pretty sad situation of the barely 10-year old Alliance.

WLW-700 was the AM radio station in Columbus, and the first TV station there was WLW-C channel 3 in 1949 (later just WLWC, now WCMH.) Promoter Al Haft aired live wrestling from the WLW studios, and the WLW TV title was one of his main attractions, both on TV and at arenas.

Crown Jewel covers all of this and more in the fascinating story of the crown belt and the six NWA World Heavyweight Champions that wore it and defended it from 1959 to 1973. From Pat O'Connor, Buddy Rogers, and Lou Thesz to Gene Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr., and Harley Race - - some of the biggest names in the history of the sport held that belt. 

Crown Jewel is available now on Amazon.com. More information can be found in the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store.  

 

Rickard Reviews Crown Jewel for Wrestling Memories and Merchandise Website

by Mike Rickard
Book Review for Wrestling Merchandise and Memories Website

Wrestling historian Dick Bourne has done it again with his new book Crown Jewel: The NWA World Championship 1959-1973, a 170-page book which carefully details the events leading to the creation of the belt as well as the men who defended it before dropping it to the next champion. It also includes an amazing collection of photos of the champions, press clippings covering title changes, and other fascinating pieces of history that make it irresistible for wrestling fans, historians, and belt collectors.
​
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship was once the most-recognized title in the world of professional wrestling. For decades the NWA World Heavyweight Championship exemplified the prestige that wrestling promoters sought to impress upon fans whenever and wherever it was defended. Anyone familiar with the history of wrestling knows the giants that held the belt.....

--> Read Mike Rickard's entire review on the Wrestling Merchandise and Memories website.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Full Disclosure: Mike Rickard is a regular contributor to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway; we feature his long running fantasy wrestling tournament Crockett Cup '85 (most recent matches here.) Mike has written book reviews (and other pieces) for Canadian Bulldog's World: Merchandise and Memories website for years, and has always been very supportive of my book projects and our work here on the Gateway in general. He is the author of "Wrestling's Greatest Moments", as well as the autobiographical "Laughing All the Way to the Bank (Robbery): How An Attorney Survived Prison" and the novel "Flunky: Pawns and  Kings." His website is located at MichaelRickard.com. 

Maple Leaf Wrestling Takes a Look at Crown Jewel

Photo by Andrew Calvert / MapleLeafWrestling.com

Crown Jewel and the Love of Wrestling
http://mapleleafwrestling.blogspot.com/2020/11/crown-jewel-and-love-of-wrestling.htm
by Andrew Calvert

On my latest visit to see my friend Roger Baker I was able to take him a copy of Dick Bourne's new book Crown Jewel The NWA World Championship 1959-1973. One of my favorite of Roger's photos is featured in the book, a shot of Kiniski (lifting his ring jacket to show the belt) facing off before a title bout with Carpentier in Toronto in '66.

The book is jammed full with the history of the title, the origins of the belt, and the names that held it. Pat O'Connor, Buddy Rogers, Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr., and Harley Race. This time Dick goes back a bit before the scope of the Mid Atlantic Gateway site -and it is a fascinating read with all of the quality and great photos you expect with all of Dick's books. 

Of course Toronto was a big part of that title, especially in the earlier years......

>> Read the entire review on the Maple Leaf Wrestling website

Dr. Tom Prichard talks at length about Crown Jewel on "Taking You to School"

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway 

"It was a huge part of what attracted me as a fan. And I think today, too many people are jaded and don't appreciate the little things like that. Which really, back then, they were big things, but looking at it now with all the other glitz and glamour, and lights, camera, action, they are little things now. It's all the pieces and parts that make up professional wrestling, and "Crown Jewel" is a huge piece and huge part of the history of wrestling."

- Tom Prichard on "Crown Jewel" and what made the NWA belt so special.
"Taking You to School" Podcast

I was really pleased and honored that Tom Prichard, a fellow for whom I have a great deal of respect, spent nearly twenty minutes on his podcast Monday (11/9/20) talking about my new book Crown Jewel. Tom's podcast, titled "Taking You to School," is part of the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcasting network, and hosted by John and Chad, two of the nicest guys you'll meet in and around the wrestling business.

John led off the discussion mentioning a post he'd just seen on the Gateway that Prichard wrote, and Tom explained it was actually an email that he had written me. I had asked permission from him to post it on the website. (See: Wrapped Up in History: Dr. Tom Prichard on "Crown Jewel")

He then took off on a near 20-minute dissertation on how much this version of the NWA World Title belt meant to him as a kid growing up, and how much it means to wrestling history.

"He's put out some great books, " Tom kindly said of my series of books on belts. "This one, though, really hit home." 

Tom was born in Texas in 1959, the same year the NWA "crown belt" was presented to then champion Pat O'Connor. In Texas, the Funk family dynasty were the major players and local heroes. He became a fan at a very young age, and so when Dory Funk, Jr. won the title from Gene Kiniski in 1969, the belt Funk wore became the symbol of excellence to Tom and his brother Bruce and thousands of other wrestling fans who went to see their heroes at the Sam Houston Coliseum every Friday night. He was there in Houston the very last night an NWA champion wore the "crown belt" into the ring and that belt was retired, when Jack Brisco defeated Harley Race for the title in June of 1973.

As a result, the book all these years later seemed to really connect with the Prichard boys (Bruce's reaction here) and Tom spoke almost lovingly of the classic old belt, the little details that made it special (and that are presented in great detail in the book) and what it meant to him and to fans in that era, and how important it is in wrestling history.

Take a few moments to listen to Tom's podcast, linked below, and enjoy his memories of the old belt, the legendary title it represented, and the great wrestlers that wore it during that time. There is also some great discussion about Tom's close friend Brad Armstrong, who died eight years ago this month. 

TWO MAN POWER TRIP OF WRESTLING
"Taking You to School" with Tom Prichard
Crown Jewel, Brad, & NJPW

"A hell of a book," Tom told Poz. "I highly recommend it." 

No better recommendation than that. 

I want to thank Tom Prichard and his co-host John Pozarowski for the nice things they both had to say about this book and all my books. I am beyond flattered. 

More information on Crown Jewel can be found in the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store. You can find purchase links there or search for it on Amazon. 

Bruce Prichard Talks "Crown Jewel" on Something to Wrestle

On a recent episode of the enormously popular "Something to Wrestle" podcast (the King Kong Bundy Episode, No. 239), Bruce Prichard and co-host Conrad Thompson discuss our recent book Crown Jewel, a look at the famous belt and the history of the NWA World Championship from 1959-1973. The discussion takes place at 14:42 into the podcast.

Transcript:

BRUCE PRICHARD: Okay, I'm going to do something very uncharacteristic for me. I've been doing a lot of uncharacteristic sh*t.

CONRAD THOMPSON: I agree.

BRUCE: (Holds up book) Can you see what that is?

CONRAD: Yeah, that looks like our man Dick Bourne's new book "Crown Jewel", the story of the NWA World Title from 1959-1973.

BRUCE: Yeah, and you need to send me Dick's number so I can thank him personally because this is my favorite championship belt of all time, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from, as you said, 1959 to 1973. This is the belt worn by Pat O'Connor, Gene Kiniski, Buddy Rogers, Dory Funk, Jr. Harley Race wore it for a few short weeks or months before he dropped it on July 20, 1973 in Houston, TX, to Jack Brisco in the third fall with a Lou Thesz press. But, it's interesting, as I look back at some of the pictures he has of this particular belt - - you know as a kid, you fantasize - - like I got to hold this belt when, on July 20, 1973 in Houston Texas at the Sam Houston Coliseum, I was sitting in Section 5, Row 12, Seat 8 - - and Jack Adkisson, Fritz Von Erich, was holding this particular belt and I asked him if I could look at it and hold it, and did for a second. But to me it was always...

CONRAD: The belt.

BRUCE: ... thick gold, and heavy, and it just appears to be very thin in real life, and that's bothering me a little bit. 

CONRAD: When you're a kid, everything seems bigger and larger than life. And then you become an adult and your like, well, maybe not so much. But this belt, I know you've told me for years and years, it was your favorite of all the NWA world titles. You grew up on this one, and of course it was replaced by what we now know as the "ten pounds of gold" and then of course "big gold." But this was like your one. So when Dick told me he was doing a book on this, he sent me a copy of it, and I said "hey, can you send one to Bruce?" ... and you got a special one. But everybody can grab their own right now at midatlanticgateway.com or you can just look for it on Amazon. It's called "Crown Jewel: The NWA World Championship from 1959 -1973" and our old pal Dick Bourne, who did the Horsemen book, the Big Gold book, he did the Ten Pounds of Gold book, his belt series continues, and I thought this would be right up your alley. So I'm glad, (a) you got it, and (b) you remembered to put it over here for Dick.

BRUCE: It is. Well, because I've damn near read almost half of it, just in bits and pieces, the parts that I wanted to read about, and the part about Salvadore Lutteroth, Jr. and getting the jeweler in Mexico City to do the championship, which I had told you guys about and some people poo-poo'd me. But it's an interesting, very interesting read if your in to that kind of thing, it's the holy grail. It's funny because I had always noticed that there were two different straps on this belt, two different leathers, but I always thought, ah man, you know in the old days maybe their just touching up the picture, making the strap look bigger, and different parts. But the leather that Dory had on his was much softer leather than the normal championship belts at that time, and I always thought that was cool as hell. Don't know why. But, you know Thesz taking the belt - - and the fact that the globe! -- the world globe on the one when Dory got it, it came off. And for years I always thought it was all just one piece, and it wasn't. And that's freaking me out, too.

CONRAD: Really cool book, check it out over at Amazon.com or MidAtlanticGateway.com. Shout out to Dick Bourne, one of the best rasslin' book writers around.

BRUCE: Yes sir! I highly recommend it. 

 

*********

Check out the King Kong Bundy episode, No. 239, over at the Westwood One site for Something to Wrestle, on SomethingToWrestle.com, or download the show from anywhere you get your podcasts. 

Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard is co-hosted and produced by Conrad Thompson and is presented by the Westwood One Podcast Network. 

 Follow Bruce Prichard (@bruceprichard), Conrad Thompson (@heyheyitsconrad), and the show (@PrichardShow) on Twitter.

Wrapped Up in History: Dr. Tom Prichard on "Crown Jewel"

The following post is edited from an email I received from Tom Prichard after he had read my new book Crown Jewel. A photo Tom took in Houston when he was 15 years old is included in the book. I sent him a copy, and was really pleased to get such a nice note back from him: 

Thank you so very much for the book. I had a chance to sit down for a couple hours and read it. Read and study the pictures.

A couple times…

I was born in 1959 and wrestling was the first thing I remember seeing on TV that really caught my eye. I grew up in El Paso and the Funks were our heroes. We moved to Houston summer 1969 after Dory won the belt. The first time I saw the belt live was at the Sam Houston Coliseum and still remember how cool it looked. Like you mentioned in the book, a lot of people never saw or knew there was a nameplate. It always had a mystery about it to me anyway and I like seeing the details and intricate designs so many of the older belts have.

I’ve found myself googling “Houston 1969” and getting lost in the buildings, structures and businesses that are long gone but played a huge part in my life. I know we can’t go back and “it ain’t yesterday no more” but reading Crown Jewel and looking at the pictures was like wrapping myself up in a cool blanket and going back in time to some of the GREATEST times of my life!

Crown Jewel is loaded cover to cover with
photographs and memorabilia.

History doesn’t seem to mean much to a lot of the guys in the business today. I can understand in some aspects and in other ways I can’t. It’s being diluted more and more as time passes. We’ve crossed the line, jumped the shark, etc. but I still believe it’s important to know who came before you and what impact they had. Good or bad.

For some reason Shawn Michaels reminds me of Rogers. The cliques, entourage, manipulation, heat, etc. Nothing’s really new except we all get a little older as time passes.

I always wanted to be a wrestler. Growing up it was the Funks who inspired me. I got to meet and become friends with some of the people who I admired growing up. Reading and hearing about how things really went down (according to whoever is telling the story) is still fascinating to me.

I had dinner with Bruno about 15 years ago in Tampa. Sal Corrente invited me and I was stoked! Bruno came across so genuine and nice I had to ask him about the Buddy Rogers match. Knowing the rivalry and bits and pieces of the story I asked Bruno if Buddy had a heart attack the week of the match. Of course Bruno laughed and said no, Buddy actually wrestled the entire two weeks right up to that match. I love the stories, fabrications, flim flam and over all larceny involved with the carnies and showman who found their way in and never left.

If I’m going to be honest with myself I believe those aspects intrigued and attracted me to the business more than anything else. Lou took HIS belt when he dropped the TITLE to Hutton. Hutton never had a belt but he was the champ. O’Connor got the belt and the stories were burned into it from there on out. How crazy is it that nobody knows where it is. That huge part of history seemingly gone forever…

This was a great book for all the reasons mentioned as well as the passion I felt from reading it.

Great job. I really enjoyed it.

Tom

*******************************

Follow Tom Prichard on Twitter @drtomprichard and be sure to check out his podcast Taking You to School with Dr. Tom Prichard, part of the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Empire podcast network.

New Book CROWN JEWEL Available Now!

 

For more information on this book, visit the Crown Jewel book page
in the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store.

BUY NOW ON AMAZON.COM

Crown Jewel Update

Our new book Crown Jewel will be out soon, and we hope you'll check it out. It will be available exclusively* on Amazon.com and via links in the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store.

The book tells the story of both the famous NWA title belt in use from 1959-1973 as well as the grand title history during that time. The six champions who wore the belt were Pat O'Connor, Buddy Rogers, Lou Thesz (during his final reign as NWA champion), Gene Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr., and Harley Race. You can throw Jack Brisco in there, too, if you count his one-week with that belt while the domed globe belt got new leather. 

But there is also the story of the near two-year period that the NWA was without a belt at all, following Lou Thesz's unhappy departure from the Alliance in 1957. His hand-picked successor Dick Hutton had no title belt at all for his entire reign.

The entire story, plus a treasure trove of documents, program covers, newspaper articles, and event posters. It's all there.

Crown Jewel will be on sale in early October. Follow us on twitter for notification of the on-sale date.

*If you can't or don't want to purchase on Amazon, you can contact us via the email address on the Contact Page of this website, and we'll get a book to you.