smoky mountain wrestling

He was so knowledgeable, dedicated and determined. During the late eighties, as wrestling got more cartoonish, Rubin did what any fan with money would do - he forked over some money to Cornette to start a traditional territory like the ones they both had grown up with. 6/8 11/5 1/21 3/12 Rock, and The Dynamic Duo, This page was last edited on 23 November 2022, at 01:50. 7/1 It was special. 8/20 7/9 7/17 5/22 Former employees in SMW consisted of professional wrestlers, managers, play-by-play and color commentators, announcers, interviewers and referees . List of former Smoky Mountain Wrestling personnel - Wikipedia 10/14 2/20 11/4 CORNETTE: Bullet Bob was one of the most important parts of Smoky Mountain from the start. 6/6 Fire On The Mountain 1994 It was exciting to be just getting out of the military and getting my start in wrestling. 6/26 2/18 1/17 6/20 They voted for ours, but WWE stayed on the air anyway. A 10-man tournament was held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in November, featuring many SMW wrestlers; the participants were Tracy Smothers, Devon Storm, Eddie Gilbert, Johnny Gunn, Chris Candido, Al Snow, Dirty White Boy, Jerry Lawler, Lou Perez, and Osamu Nishimura. One of the Largest collections of Wrestling footage. Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based in Knoxville, Tennessee from 1991 to 1995. If he was seven-foot and 300 pounds, hed kill 20 people. Cornette said, Kid, you got eight minutes. 2/6 Rick Rubin on Wrestling, How Roddy Piper Turned the Beasties Bad Fire On The Mountain Watch The Rock 'n' Roll Express battle The Heavenly Bodies in a Loser Leaves Town Steel Cage Match. I knew something was wrong. I had never seen a cut that deep. 7/4 7/8 4/1 So I thought to myself, Well at least Knoxville is still an old-time wrestling town. I started booking a territory in my mind to keep myself from going crazy. Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Appalachian area of the United States from October 1991 to December 1995, when it was run by Jim Cornette. That really raised my opinion of him right there, when he did that. If you're thinking Rubin produced a Fozzy album at some point, you'd be wrong. There, he functioned as both a singles competitor and a tag team specialist, capturing pretty much every title one could win in the company save for the Heavyweight Championship. BOB ARMSTRONG: Cornette was a fan club president of mine when I was in Memphis. 3/20 The Thugs (Tony Anthony and Tracy Smothers) and a, Robert Gibson and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. Ricky Morton and The Thugs (Tony Anthony and Tracy Smothers), This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 01:59. They were heartthrobs. Rock defeated The Wolfman Buddy Landell, The Punisher, Tommy Rich, Terry Gordy, Sgt. Both Curtis Comes Home and the 2005 sequel show, held in memory of SMW head referee Mark Curtis are considered "unofficial" reunion shows.[24][25]. The previous champion Shane Douglas had infamously "threw down" the NWA title in favor of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship after defeating 2 Cold Scorpio at the NWA World Title Tournament three months earlier. Twenty-eight wrestlers from 16 schools made this year's All-WNC wrestling list, led by Robbinsville junior Kage Williams' 57-0 campaign. 11/19 3/15 Smoky Mountain Wrestling Results - The Official Wrestling Museum In addition to making occasional appearances on the independent circuit in Georgia and Alabama, Armstrong acted as the commissioner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling and worked backstage with Southeast Championship Wrestling and the Continental Wrestling Federation. 6/1 The Mountain 7 has released its all-conference teams for the 2022-23 winter sports seasons. They used to call us the flying squirrels and mean it. 3/12 Under Cornette, it was fresh and exciting. 5/19 Displaying items 1 to 100 of total 637 items that match the search parameters. 3/28 King Of The Mountain Tournament Parent He has a bad temper and sometimes he lets it get the best of him. 9/19 I used to say on commentary, A lot of these people have never left this town. Bob Caudle would say, What do you mean? Id say, Because they dont have a Rand McNally road map to know how to get out of this place.. But the southern style that Cornette grew up with and pushed forward with his promotion still lives on to this day. 9/8 5/15 Christmas Chaos - Day 2 Thanksgiving Thunder - Day 1 We passed this guy who had killed a deer. 6/11 The Last Tango In Tennessee Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. Speichackerstrasse 2, Oberstdorf, 87561. 6/10 9/18 2/27 Last updated by Sean Sweeny on April 28, 2014 Title History Career Highlights 1993: Rob Mayze wrestled as "Prince Kharis" in Jim Cornette 's Smokey Mountain Wrestling managed by Daryl Van Horn .. November 26, 1993 - Thanksgiving Thunder: Pince Kharis (debut) defeated Tim Horner with the sleeperhold.. 6/10 CORNETTE: Until April 1995, we were doing fairly well. 12/2 6/11 It didnt mean anything for the average Smoky Mountain Wrestling fan, but it was the tape traders that were the ones watching this stuff because they knew who Kanemura was. Smoky Mountain Wrestling was short-lived, but made a big impact. Brad has his old Badstreet costume from WCW, which we turned inside out, put on Brian and called him The Dark Secret. 7/3 Cornette formed the promotion in October 1991 upon leaving World Championship Wrestling with Stan Lane, Tim Horner and Sandy Scott. He rolled out of the ring and had a weird look on his face. Who is after two or three years in the business? Thanksgiving Thunder - Day 1 Rasslin' 8/27 (2) Thanksgiving Thunder - Day 4 And its an art that can be lost. Christmas Chaos - Day 2 ALL-WNC BOYS BASKETBALL: Here are the 2022-23 All-WNC boys basketball teams, player of the year and coach of the year, ALL-WNC GIRLS BASKETBALL Here are the 2022-23 All-WNC girls basketball teams, player of the year and coach of the year, ALL-WNC WRESTLING: All-WNC wrestling 2023: Kage Williams' perfect season highlights another strong year, Player of the Year: Jackson Lyda, West Henderson, Coach of the Year: Brandon Brooks, West Henderson, First Team: Lukas Kachilo (West Henderson), Truitt Manuel (West Henderson), Grant Putnam (West Henderson), Cal Drake (Franklin), Max McClure (Franklin), Parker Cabe (Franklin), Kehler Lamb (Franklin), Bryson Rowe (North Henderson), Noah Pierce (North Henderson), Micah Pierce (North Henderson), Josh Heiny (North Henderson), Caiden Brewer (East Henderson), Reece Alverson (East Henderson), Caiden Robinson (Pisgah), Sawyer Belue (Pisgah), Jett Benson (Tuscola), Co-Player of the Year: Chloe Burch and Dot Mills, Pisgah, Coach of the Year: Brandon Holloway, Pisgah, First Team: Cayce Lovelace (Pisgah), Whitney Boone (Pisgah), Maddie Rhea (Pisgah), Tori Ensley (Franklin), Cali Queen (Franklin), Avery Moffit (Franklin), Roselyn McCollum (Franklin), Jaza Wilson (West Henderson), Jania Wilson (West Henderson), Ava Heffner (West Henderson), Kayden Lyda (West Henderson), Greenlee Flynn (Smoky Mountain), Xalia Spencer (Smoky Mountain), Lexi Gunter (North Henderson), Amy Rhymer (North Henderson), Karsen Cherry (Tuscola), Kaylee Foushee (East Henderson), Wrestler of the Year: Kane Bryson, Pisgah, Coach of the Year: Erik Wilson, Smoky Mountain. SMOTHERS: He never came back to the dressing room. 9/24 12/3 1986 1988 . I worked with my dad in a Loser Leaves Town Match dressed up as a ninja.. Jericho was working in Mexico and Japan at the time and he thought Smoky Mountain would get his foot in the door in the States. 10/21 K-Town Showdown 7/8 . It was a great time for me. 10/9 Every Version Of Jim Cornette, Ranked From Worst To Best - TheSportster 7/15 They could get pretty rowdy. That became The Headbangers. What Smoky Mountain was trying to do was to find that market. Fans didnt know how to take them. 9/1 Pisgah @ Smoky Mountain . . 1/22 Christmas Chaos - Day 1 How to Explore Bavaria in One Week: 4 Complete Itineraries Later, Mark Curtis came running up to me saying, Jericho went to the hospital. Sullivan got at him with this spike, and we had to censor it because it was so gross. It doesnt matter what kind of match I prefer, I have to deliver the kind of match that the people who bought the tickets want. 5/5 When I went to Smoky Mountain, it was totally different than what I remembered Knoxville wrestling being like. 7/31 In February 1995, however, Candido lost the belt to Ultimate Fighting Championship winner Dan Severn, who as a freelancer decided to become a traveling World Champion, depriving SMW of a basis for World Heavyweight championship matches. 4/17 He had so much heart and loved wrestling more than anybody Ive ever met. 5/29 ARMSTRONG: The guy has more guts than I ever thought. STORM: Jericho was still going back and forth to Mexico and Japan, so he was going 100 miles an hour in one territory and 10 in the other. 6/5 They take their rasslin very seriously. The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner), The Bruise Brothers (Ron Bruise and Don Bruise) vs. 1/22 SMW - Pro Wrestling The Smoky Mountain Wrestling 1991-1995 8/26 The promotion was based in Knoxville, Tennessee, with offices in Morristown, Tennessee . 12/4 Unfortunately, four years in, Smokey Mountain had to close its doors in 1995. Bluegrass Brawl II Related: 5 AEW Stars That Jim Cornette Hates (& 5 He Actually Likes). BROWN: My first night, I worked a match with Tracy Smothers in the opener as AC Conner and then in the main event I dressed as one of The Gangstas. That was the genesis. When you see guys later in a WWE locker room, theres an instant connection that you did time in the territory together. ARMSTRONG: I got to wrestle with all four of my sons at one time or another while Smoky Mountain was going on. Fire on the mountain: The oral history of Smoky Mountain Wrestling - WWE ROAD DOGG: Once my skills were improving and could carry the Armstrong name, I started wrestling as Brian Armstrong and tagging with my brothers. He was the best performer of the three of them, so I made him their posse member. CORNETTE: I met Rick Rubin through Cat Collins, a DJ friend of mine that had worked for Rubin at American Recordings. MANTEL: What held Smoky Mountain back was their markets were too small. 9/4 Wrestling was not popular in America. 11/4 9/4 6/5 (24 reviews) "Room and hotel were not as described. 10/15 7/2 His talent was great, but the fans didnt know exactly how to take him. 7/10 To some of them, it wasnt just entertainment. 7/24 4/17 It was a really big deal and Jericho did more than he should have. 4/15 Jim Cornette People had never seen it before. Results Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship. 2/26 9/2 MANTEL: Cornette started at about 14 or 15-years-old taking pictures. 7/1 6/19 3/25 Not wrestling heat. Like many territories in a post Vince McMahon Jr. CORNETTE: Rick Rubin only came to Smoky Mountain shows once. A lot of experience. 3/4 ARMSTRONG: You have to show southern fans you know what youre doing and The Mummy made it really hard to do that. Nobody really did that back then have wrestlers from all these different promotions come in. 9/23 [6][7][22] In February 1995, however, Candido lost the belt to Ultimate Fighting Championship winner Dan Severn,[22] who as a freelancer decided to become a traveling World Champion, depriving SMW of a basis for World Heavyweight championship matches. Knoxville/MorristownTennessee 11/12 8.8/10 Excellent! People knew him, he could talk and knew how to work the style. ARMSTRONG: He worked himself to death. Its an art. Alongside his on-screen managerial duties, being the US spokesman for Yokozuna, Corny would start helping with the booking and he was able to help Vince McMahon usher in The Attitude Era before some other Vince came along to drive Cornette insane. 9/5 Cornette had initially envisioned a territory reaching from Kentucky into as far as South Carolina and Georgia. He was a retired wrestling legend and talked better than anyone on the roster. Sunny, New Jack, D-Lo Brown, Lance Storm, Chris Jericho, and more were able to first get noticed due to their time with Cornette. [23] Several SMW wrestlers would soon obtain work in the WWF, including Tracy Smothers, The Dirty White Boy, and Boo Bradley. 12/1 One time, before I took the hood off, I worked with my dad in a Loser Leaves Town Match dressed up as a ninja. [1] The first events and TV tapings were held in October and November 1991. 11/5 5/27 I couldnt believe it. 1/18 6/18 MANTEL: The business had morphed. 12/9 Being around veterans who had been there, done that, they were willing to share what they had learned. Matches from these shows were first shown in February 1992. I live 500 miles away from Knoxville, but wed go up and stay until the matches were over and then drive home. Era, SMW did exactly what it needed to do. SMW Night Of Legends is a Professional wrestling event of Smoky Mountain Wrestling which was taped on August 5, 1994. Brian Hildebrand was a Smoky Mountain mainstay, occupying such myriad roles as Head of Merchandise, referee (under his alter ego Mark Curtis) and sound director. 7/14 11/26 It wasnt big enough to take that next step. ROAD DOGG: Jim Cornette gave me the name The Dark Secret, because it was a dark secret that the Commissioners son was the one under the hood. 4/2 After a while, he became a great fan favorite. 11/11 However, in April 1995, The Rock 'n' Roll Express won the NWA World Tag Team Championship for the fifth time, giving SMW a handful of World Tag Team championship matches. STORM: I told Jericho that I was talking to Jim Cornette about going to Smoky Mountain. It was Marilyn Manson before he got famous. Find the all-conference team for each sport below. Legends like the Rock And Roll Express extended their runs as well as perennial Journeyman like Tony Anthony, one of the regions hottest heels - The Dirty White Boy (WWE fans would know him as the Plumber, TL Hopper). 8/11 The last SMW show was held on November 26, 1995 in Cookeville, Tennessee (though it had been announced on SMW TV's November 25, 1995 episode that upcoming shows were to be held at the Collett Street Rec Center in Morganton, North Carolina on December 1, 1995, and at Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, Tennessee the following night), and featured the entire SMW roster attacking Jim Cornette, who was then pinned by referee Mark Curtis. TRACY SMOTHERS: They were hillbillies. 11/13 He unmasked himself when I called him out for being ashamed of his father. 1/28 7/23 2/5 2/26 10/1 Every night he went out there and busted his hump. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. 10/2 CORNETTE: All the talent in Smoky Mountain either got their big opportunity later, like Al Snow, Candido or Unabomb, or already had their opportunity, such as The Rock n Roll Express and Bob Armstrong. 5/6 The next spring, I beat him in a cage with a tennis racquet and sent him to the hospital and Scott came back with Steve, his other son, and then we did this big Lumberjack Match. The Great Muta, Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff", "Weekend show pays tribute to Midwest stars", "Hank Aaron Sparked Pro Wrestling's First Major Racism Story 25 Years Ago", "THIS DAY TO HISTORY: TNA IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED, WWE HOLDS SLAMMY AWARDS PRIVATELY FOR BUSINESS PARTNERS, NIKITA AND MUTA TEAM, FUNK INDUCTED INTO PRO WRESTLING HALL OF FAME, MARK CURTIS MEMORIAL, WRESTLEMANIA 24 BUYRATE BREAKS ONE MILLION, DGUSA TAPES FIRST PPV IN CANADA AND MUCH MORE", Professional wrestling in the United States, Universal Wrestling Federation (Herb Abrams), Heart of America Sports Attractions/Central States Wrestling, Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance, International World Class Championship Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling/Portland Wrestling, Southern Championship Wrestling (Georgia), Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)/Mid-South Wrestling, Wrestling Association of Championship Krushers, Ladies Professional Wrestling Association, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smoky_Mountain_Wrestling&oldid=1136583174, Independent professional wrestling promotions based in Tennessee, Entertainment companies established in 1991, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Brian Lee & Ron Garvin vs. Paul Orndorff & The Dirty White Boy, Brian Lee vs. 4/22 CORNETTE: The last one to come was young Brian [aka Road Dogg]. 6/4 8/13 182: Landon Pope, Pisgah. First Team: 106: Aydan Mull, Tuscola. [27], The NWA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on November 19, 1994, to decide a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. 4/18 132: Kavan Wilson, Smoky Mountain, Mason Maybin, East Henderson. 10/16 2/13 STORM: Chris worked every single night like it was WrestleMania. CORNETTE: I had to get Lance paperwork to work in America. Summer Blast 5/3 2/11 10/1 145: Wesley Murray, East Henderson. Visit Heini-Klopfer Ski Jump Chairlift in Oberstdorf | Expedia 9/11 Cable was not that widespread, a lot of people used antennas in the hills. 8/28 CORNETTE: Rob Mazzie was 6-foot-8 and 300-something pounds. WWE for the first time ever acknowledged another wrestling promotion. What was I gonna do? The promotion was based in Knoxville, Tennessee with offices in Morristown, Tennessee. 10/29 11/14 [9] The Heavenly Bodies (Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) then faced The Steiner Brothers for the WWF Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam 1993,[10][11] and then defeating The Rock 'n' Roll Express at Survivor Series 1993 for the SMW Tag Team Championship.[12][13]. 3/29 Learn the amazing story of Smoky Mountains rise and fall from the men who lived it, including an exclusive conversation with Jim Cornette himself, speaking to WWE.com for the first time ever. 12/24 Volunteer Slam III ARMSTRONG: Tracy actually pinned a bear and the guy who owned the bear came to me the next day and said, Please tell Tracy to take it easy on my bear. He was a fantastic wrestler. 1/23 4/29 Christmas Chaos - Day 1 The result was a unique Appalachian institution that attracted fans who traveled over the hills on the backs of mules to watch performers like Chris Jericho, Road Dogg, Sunny and a guy called Dirty White Boy. CORNETTE:This woman in Barbourville, Ky, grabbed Tammy [Sytch] and dragged her on the gym floor by her hair and wrists, determined to drag her out of the back of the building. 2/25 Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. Of course, 90% of the shows were in small little towns and rec centers and community clubs. 7/23 8/20 138: Jacob Ed, West Henderson, William McCoy, Smoky Mountain. It was obvious that he was saying as long as we broke even, we could do whatever we wanted. Jim Cornette | Pro Wrestling | Fandom 1/15 106 113 120 126 132 138 145 152 160 170 182 195 220 285 . The last SMW show was held on November 26, 1995 in Cookeville, Tennessee, and featured the entire SMW roster attacking Jim Cornette, who was then pinned by referee Mark Curtis. Jim CornetteTim HornerStan LaneSandy Scott 2/4 Pisgah @ Smoky Mountain on Jan 17, 2023 in , NC. 2/19 It was sold out with like 5,000 people. The company was being mismanaged and we were arguing about our contracts. 4/8 Recently, music producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin was a guest on his former employee, Chris Jericho's podcast. Fans had rallies for us not to come to town and paid to see us lose. What made this small, regional organization so memorable? They were either already established stars or were guys that went on to become stars. CORNETTE: Buddy [Landel] shouldve been a top level performer in one of the big companies, but never got a shot because Buddy was his own worst enemy. ARMSTRONG: They were completely different. 5/14 They built a lot of heat. 7/22 4/21 This was in sharp contrast to ECW, in which edgy angles, "tweeners" and anti-heroes increasingly took precedence over clearcut heroes and villains. Thanksgiving and Christmas had been a big time of year for us, but when Thanksgiving weekend in 1995 earned us less than it had the previous year, I knew it was inevitable to halt things. Not meant to be an exact copy, but this is basically the Palace of Versailles of Bavaria. BROWN: [Smoky Mountain] was like my first year in college. 2/27 9/24 There were zero shades of gray. Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) - YouTube DLO BROWN: [Cornette] was a good character and a good entertainer, but he also knew TV stations, syndication, how to book venues and how to promote. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Four years later, it was gone. In hindsight, considering where we were, Jim was right. 7/2 7/24 3/17 From what I understand, Jim paid really well. DUTCH MANTEL: Sometimes the best baseball managers are not the greatest players, but they spend their playing days in the dugout watching the manager manage the game. Its hard to make your product seem impressive enough when youve got WWE and WCW to compete with. [28], The Carolina Cup Tag Team Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held at the Grady Cole Center on August 13, 1995. Christmas Chaos - Day 2 Then he studied under Bill Watts, who had a great wrestling mind. Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) Inactive promotion in the Americas region. From 1992 until the promotion's end in 1995, Chris Candido wrestled for Jim Cornette 's Tennessee-based outfit Smoky Mountain Wrestling. 1/22 6/16 11/20 Watch a Tammy Sytch manage Brian Lee in a Coal Miner's Glove Match. I didnt want it to get to a point where I owed talent money. Watch the infamous and controversial Prince Kharis in action. 5/22 Event history SMOTHERS: In 1993, Dirty White Boy burned the rebel flag in a trash can while I was handcuffed. The day-long Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Festival will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. May 6 at the Townsend Visitors Center, 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, after the Bigfoot 5K race at 9 a.m. 4/7 We did the match and it had a crazy emotion to it.We were wrestling against WWE Superstars and founding members of Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Flash Flanagan defeated Thrasher Sgt. 3/13 CORNETTE: Nobody knew what the hell we were doing because we werent talking with any wrestlers. 12/10 6/4 2/19 He was used as a star of yesteryear that still had it in him and had the crowd on the edge of their seats the whole time. Its simple as that. The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray), Brian Lee vs. Tracy Smothers vs. Theyre very vocal about who they like and who they dislike. 3/27 3/11 The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship, The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Rey), Tracy Smothers vs. Brian Lee for the SMW Heavyweight Championship, The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray). 1/28 I started listening to my audience and trying to engage them rather than trying to entertain the fan that I was. Eddie left without telling me, so I needed a cocky guy to be Unabombs partner. Thanksgiving Thunder - Day 2 5/28 Volunteer Slam IV The promotion had a brief association with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), whose flagship promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling had split away in August 1994, leaving the NWA with no World Heavyweight Champion.

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