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Death of the territories : expansion, betrayal and the war that changed pro wrestling forever

Title
Death of the territories : expansion, betrayal and the war that changed pro wrestling forever / Tim Hornbaker.
Author
Hornbaker, Tim
Publication
Toronto : ECW Press, ©2018.

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StatusFormatAccessCall NumberItem Location
TextUse in library JFE 19-1681Schwarzman Building - Main Reading Room 315

Details

Description
viii, 264 pages; 23 cm
Summary
"For decades, distinct professional wrestling territories thrived across North America. Each regionally based promotion operated individually and offered a brand of localized wrestling that greatly appealed to area fans. Promoters routinely coordinated with associates in surrounding regions, and the cooperation displayed by members of the National Wrestling Alliance made it easy for wrestlers to traverse the landscape with the utmost freedom. Dozens of territories flourished between the 1950s and late '70s. But by the early 1980s, the growth of cable television had put new outside pressures on promoters. An enterprising third-generation entrepreneur who believed cable was his opportunity to take his promotion national soon capitalized on the situation. A host of novel ideas and the will to take chances gave Vincent Kennedy McMahon an incredible advantage. McMahon waged war on the territories and raided the NWA and AWA of their top talent. By creating WrestleMania, jumping into the pay-per-view field, and expanding across North America, McMahon changed professional wrestling forever. Providing never-before-revealed information, Death of the Territories is a must-read for fans yearning to understand how McMahon outlasted his rivals and established the industry's first national promotion. At the same time, it offers a comprehensive look at the promoters who opposed McMahon, focusing on their noteworthy power plays and embarrassing mistakes."--Publisher's description.
Subjects
Genre/Form
History.
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references (pages 243-263).
Contents
The established system -- Titan Sports -- The beginning of the end -- Southern California -- The surviving territories -- A new era in professional wrestling -- "They sure got rid of me" -- The great TV expansion of 1984 -- An industry at war -- Rock 'n' wrestling -- Cooperation and crisis -- WrestleMania -- The only game in town -- Year of the supershow -- The war expands again -- Grappling with turbulence -- Manifest destiny -- Loyalty versus money -- A bruising tragedy -- The end of an era.
Call Number
JFE 19-1681
ISBN
  • 1770413847
  • 9781770413849
OCLC
1033535954
Author
Hornbaker, Tim, author.
Title
Death of the territories : expansion, betrayal and the war that changed pro wrestling forever / Tim Hornbaker.
Publisher
Toronto : ECW Press, ©2018.
Type of Content
text
Type of Medium
unmediated
Type of Carrier
volume
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 243-263).
Other Form:
ebook version : 9781773052328
Research Call Number
JFE 19-1681
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