Western States Sports: Difference between revisions

In 1955, retired wrestler [[Doc Sarpolis|Karl "Doc" Sarpolis]] purchased Southwest States Enterprises from Detton for $75,000 USD.<ref name="Hornbaker2007">{{cite book|author=Tim Hornbaker|title=National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Professional Wrestling|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npQBhSTtvCsC&pg=PT336|year=2007|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|isbn=978-1-55490-274-3|pages=335–336}}</ref> He offered local wrestler [[Dory Funk]] the opportunity to buy-in to the promotion, which he accepted.<ref name="FunkWilliams2012">{{cite book|author1=[[Terry Funk]]|author2=Scott E. Williams|title=Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ik_fWwp0TLEC&pg=PT27|date=2012|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing|Sports Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-61321-308-7|pages=27-28}}</ref> In addition to booking the promotion, Funk was its biggest star. Sarpolis was elected president of the NWA in 1962.<ref name="Hornbaker2007"/>

Funk's sons, [[Dory Funk Jr.]] and [[Terry Funk]], began wrestling for the promotion in the mid-1960s. After Sarpolis died in 1967, Funk purchased his shares from his widow, giving him full ownership of NWA Western States Sports.<ref name="FunkWilliams2012C">{{cite book|author1=[[Terry Funk]]|author2=Scott E. Williams|title=Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ik_fWwp0TLEC&pg=PT43|date=2012|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing|Sports Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-61321-308-7|pages=43}}</ref><ref name="Solomon2015">{{cite book|author=Brian Solomon|title=Pro Wrestling FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Most Entertaining Spectacle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A5DqCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT280|date=2015|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-1-61713-627-6|pages=280}}</ref> Dory Funk died in 1973, leaving the Funk brothers as owners of the territory.<ref name="Pope2005">{{cite book|author=Kristian Pope|title=Tuff Stuff Professional Wrestling Field Guide: Legend and Lore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jcRlZN7dIP0C&pg=PA159|date=2005|publisher=[[Krause Publications]]|isbn=1-4402-2810-8|pages=159}}</ref>

In the early-1970s, the Funks developed a working relationship with [[Giant Baba]], owner of the [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]] promotion. A talent exchange between the two promotions saw Japanese wrestlers such as [[Genichiro Tenryu]] and [[Jumbo Tsuruta]] wrestle for Western States Sports.<ref name="BacklundMiller2015">{{cite book|author1=[[Bob Backlund]]|author2=Robert H. Miller|title=Backlund: From All-American Boy to Professional Wrestling's World Champion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YTCGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT99|date=2015|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing|Sports Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-61321-696-5|pages=99}}</ref><ref name="JohnsonOliver2013B">{{cite book|author1=Steven Johnson|author2=Greg Oliver|author3=Mike Mooneyham|author4=[[J.J. Dillon]]|title=The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and Icons|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0wxLpfRhZqcC&pg=PT177|date=2013|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|isbn=978-1-77090-269-5|pages=177}}</ref>

By 1980, ticket sales were beginning to decline and the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] was beginning a national expansion. The Funk brothers sold the territory to wrestlers [[Blackjack Mulligan]] and [[Dick Murdoch]] for $20,000 USD.<ref name="FunkWilliams2012B">{{cite book|author1=[[Terry Funk]]|author2=Scott E. Williams|title=Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ik_fWwp0TLEC&pg=PT93|date=2012|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing|Sports Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-61321-308-7|pages=93}}</ref><ref name="Rickard2010">{{cite book|author=Mike Rickard|title=Wrestling's Greatest Moments|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDQQg4IBJPMC&pg=PT52|date=2010|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|isbn=978-1-55490-331-3|pages=52}}</ref><ref name="Solomon2015B">{{cite book|author=Brian Solomon|title=Pro Wrestling FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Most Entertaining Spectacle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A5DqCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT93|date=2015|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-1-61713-627-6|pages=93}}</ref> With business continuing to slump, the promotion closed in 1981.<ref name="Cagematch"/>

Western States Sports aired an hour-long television program on [[KVII-TV|KVII-TV (Channel 7)]] each Saturday afternoon.<ref name="Hornbaker2007"/><ref name="DiBiase2009"/><ref name="Andrews2014">{{cite book|author=Danny Andrews|title=Things I Have Saw and Did: 50 Years of Thinking Out Loud|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=he-8BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT275|date=2014|publisher=[[Xlibris Corporation]]|isbn=978-1-4990-7386-7|pages=275}}</ref> The program aired in [[West Texas]] along with [[New Mexico]] and [[Colorado]]. It was hosted by Steve Stack.<ref name="FunkWilliams2012D">{{cite book|author1=[[Terry Funk]]|author2=Scott E. Williams|title=Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ik_fWwp0TLEC&pg=PT49|date=2012|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing|Sports Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-61321-308-7|pages=49}}</ref> The program featured a combination of matches recorded in the KVII studios in Amarillo, matches recorded at [[house show]]s, interviews, and clips of matches from other territories.<ref name="Parrish">{{cite web|title=Regional Territories: Amarillo|author=Ashley Parrish|url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/amarillo/amarillointro.htm|work=KayfabeMemories.com|accessdate=November 29, 2017}}</ref>

|{{small|The NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship was created in 1969 when the [[NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version)|NWA North American Heavyweight Champion]] Dory Funk began to be billed as the NWA Western States Heavyweight Champion. From 1969 to 1981 it was the premiere singles championship in NWA Western States Sports. The championship was abandoned in 1981 when the promotion stopped trading.}}<ref name="WesternHeavy">{{cite web|title=NWA Western States Heavyweight Title|date=2016|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/w/nwa/ws-h.html|work=Wrestling-Titles.com|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref name="BacklundMiller20152">{{cite book|author1=[[Bob Backlund]]|author2=Robert H. Miller|title=Backlund: From All-American Boy to Professional Wrestling's World Champion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YTCGCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT95|date=2015|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing|Sports Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-61321-696-5|pages=95}}</ref>

* [[Sputnik Monroe]]<ref name="Loverro2007">{{cite book|author=Thom Loverro|title=The Rise & Fall of ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JrGwTebNiUIC&pg=PA25|date=2007|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|isbn=978-1-4165-6156-9|pages=25}}</ref><ref name="Chenevert2011">{{cite book|author=Stafford O. Chenevert|title=Amber Waves of Grain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ttvNBpHi_BkC&pg=PA15|date=2011|publisher=[[Xlibris Corporation]]|isbn=978-1-4628-5526-1|pages=15}}</ref>

* [[Thunderbolt Patterson]]<ref name="WilsonJohnson2003">{{cite book|author1=Jim Wilson|author2=Weldon T. Johnson|title=Chokehold: Pro Wrestling's Real Mayhem Outside the Ring|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=epCYZj7Li-AC&pg=PA142|date=2003|publisher=[[Xlibris Corporation]]|isbn=978-1-4628-1172-4|pages=142}}</ref>

* [[Harley Race]]<ref name="RaceTritz2004">{{cite book|author1=[[Harley Race]]|author2=Gerry Tritz|title=King of the Ring: The Harley Race Story|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yKlr1fZuWIEC&pg=PA25|year=2004|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing|Sports Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-58261-818-0|pages=25}}</ref>

* [[Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)|Dusty Rhodes]]<ref name="RhodesBrody2012">{{cite book|author1=[[Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)|Dusty Rhodes]]|author2=Howard Brody|title=Dusty: Reflections of Wrestling's American Dream|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yGUPAWdai_IC&pg=PT47|date=2012|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing|Sports Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-61321-244-8|pages=47}}</ref>

* [[Ricky Romero (wrestler)|Ricky Romero]]<ref name="Honea2011">{{cite book|author=James T. Honea|title=Trouble Times Two|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uwxzwrZjhxMC&pg=PA52|date=2011|publisher=[[Trafford Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-4269-6243-1|pages=52}}</ref><ref name="Hornbaker2017">{{cite book|author=Tim Hornbaker|title=Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UuGLDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT699|date=2017|publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated]]|isbn=978-1-61321-875-4|pages=699}}</ref>