| Smoky Mountain Wrestling | |
| Acronym: | SMW |
| Established: | October 30, 1991 |
| Folded: | December 1, 1995 |
| Style: | Rasslin' |
| Location: | Knoxville, Tennessee Morristown, Tennessee |
| Founder: | Jim Cornette Sandy Scott |
| Successor: | NWA Smoky Mountain (unofficial) |
| Owner: | Jim Cornette |
| Parent: | WWE (WWE Libraries) |
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. The promotion was based in Knoxville, Tennessee, with offices in Morristown, Tennessee.
Cornette formed the promotion in October 1991 upon leaving World Championship Wrestling, with Sandy Scott and backed financially by music producer Rick Rubin.[1] The first events and TV tapings were held in October and November 1991. Matches from these shows were first shown in February 1992. The first Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champion, "Primetime" Brian Lee, won the championship in a tournament held at Volunteer Slam on May 22, 1992, in Knoxville, Tennessee. The first Smoky Mountain Tag Team Champions were crowned in a tournament final at a TV taping on April 23, 1992, in Harrogate, Tennessee, when The Heavenly Bodies defeated The Fantastics; the match would air on May 9, 1992.
Cornette had initially envisioned a territory reaching from Kentucky into as far as South Carolina and Georgia. Though they did eventually run events over that large of a region, including a few shows at the Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta, Georgia, the promotion's biggest towns included Knoxville, Tennessee, and Johnson City, Tennessee. SMW event tours also included high school gyms and fairs in cities throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.[2] [3] [4] [5]
In 1993, Smoky Mountain Wrestling signed deals with World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation to showcase their wrestlers on the larger companies' shows.[6] This led to The Rock 'n' Roll Express wrestling The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Stan Lane) at SuperBrawl III in February 1993.[7] The Heavenly Bodies (Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) then faced The Steiner Brothers for the WWF Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam 1993,[8] [9] and then defeating The Rock 'n' Roll Express at Survivor Series 1993 for the SMW Tag Team Championship.[10] [11]
The promotion featured a number of wrestlers who were regulars in the Southeastern wrestling scene including the Heavenly Bodies, Stan Lane and Tom Prichard and later, Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray.[12] The Heavenly Bodies, managed by Jim Cornette, were featured heavily throughout the years as they worked storyline feuds with The Rock 'n' Roll Express, The Fantastics and The Armstrong Family (especially Bob Armstrong).[12] Smoky Mountain Wrestling also featured a number of younger wrestlers who had not yet made their mark on a national stage, including Bob Holly,[13] New Jack, Al Snow,[14] Balls Mahoney, Chris Jericho,[15] Glenn Jacobs (then known as Unabomb, later better known under the ring name Kane),[16] Lance Storm,[15] Chris Candido,[17] Tammy Lynn Sytch,[17] Brian Girard James (B.G. James / Road Dogg) and D'Lo Brown, but ultimately, like most independents, was not financially successful. Cornette eventually signed a working agreement with the World Wrestling Federation to trade talent, manage and serve as an on-air talent for that company.
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.
Cornette, a traditionalist, catered to fans that Mick Foley described as "old-time fans...who still believed in good guys and bad guys, and to whom cheating was still reason to get upset." Bob Caudle, who was the play-by-play announcer on the TV program, would also proclaim at the beginning of each show that Smoky Mountain Wrestling was "professional wrestling the way it used to be, and the way you like it." This was in sharp contrast to ECW, in which edgy angles, "tweeners" and anti-heroes increasingly took precedence over clearcut heroes and villains. Smoky Mountain was, however, the birthplace of the controversial "Gangstas" gimmick, where black wrestlers New Jack and Mustafa would cut promos about activist Medgar Evers, while also using fried chicken and watermelon as props. The gimmick, among other things, led to the end of the friendship between Cornette and Mark Madden and their ongoing feud to this day, as Madden--who at the time was coming off the heels of getting Bill Watts fired from WCW after informing Hank Aaron of Watts' employment within the Turner Broadcasting System following publications of controversial comments made by Watts--had called the Gangstas gimmick racist.[18] [19] The promotion also caused controversy when they gave Chris Powers "The StormTrooper" gimmick, whose uniform, including mask were emblazoned with Swastikas, and upon entering the ring, would raise their arm to the crowd.
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. 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. The winner was Chris Candido, who defended his title mostly at SMW events.[4] [5] [20] In February 1995, however, Candido lost the belt to Ultimate Fighting Championship winner Dan Severn,[20] who as a freelancer decided to become a traveling World Champion, depriving SMW of a basis for World Heavyweight championship matches. 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.
Though the promotion was highly thought of, it struggled to get a profitable television deal, and operated throughout a wrestling recession that would not end until the second half of 1996. After years of operating in red ink, and the loss of financial backing from Rubin, Cornette shut the promotion down in December 1995 to work full-time with the WWF. 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.[21] Several SMW wrestlers would soon obtain work in the WWF, including Tracy Smothers, The Dirty White Boy, and Boo Bradley. WWE now owns the SMW video library.
Both Curtis Comes Home and the 2005 sequel show, held in memory of SMW head referee Mark Curtis are considered "unofficial" reunion shows.[22] [23]
See main article: List of former Smoky Mountain Wrestling personnel.
| Date | Event | Venue | Location | Main event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22 | Volunteer Slam | Civic Coliseum | Brian Lee vs. Paul Orndorff in a tournament final for the inaugural SMW Heavyweight Championship | |
| July 17 | Summer Blast | Brian Lee & Ron Garvin vs. Paul Orndorff & The Dirty White Boy | ||
| August 8 | Fire on the Mountain | The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) (c) vs. The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Jackie Fulton) in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match for the SMW Tag Team Championship | ||
| November 26 | Thanksgiving Thunder | Memorial Gym | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) (c) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) in a Falls Count Anywhere match for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| November 27 | National Guard Armory | The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) (c) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) in a Texas Deathmatch for the SMW Tag Team Championship | ||
| November 28 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) (c) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) in a street fight for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| November 29 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) (c) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) in a Steel Cage match for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| December 25 | Christmas Chaos | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) and Jim Cornette | ||
| December 26 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | ||
| December 27 | Raleigh County Armory | Beckley, West Virginia |
| Date | Event | Venue | Location | Main event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2 | Bluegrass Brawl | Bobby Eaton and The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) vs. Arn Anderson and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Dutch Mantel and The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden) | ||
| May 9 | Volunteer Slam II: Rage in a Cage | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Brian Lee, The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) and The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden) vs. Kevin Sullivan, The Tazmaniac, Killer Kyle and The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) in a Rage in a Cage match |
| May 15 | The Last Tango in Tennessee | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard) (c) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) in a Loser Leaves SMW match for the SMW Tag Team Championship |
| July 8 | Summer Blast | Memorial Gymnasium | The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) vs. Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) | |
| July 9 | Fleming-Neon High School | Fleming-Neon, Kentucky | ||
| July 10 | Raleigh County Armory | Beckley, West Virginia | ||
| July 15 | Evarts High School | Evarts, Kentucky | ||
| July 16 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | ||
| July 17 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | ||
| August 13 | Hot August Night in Mo-Town | East High School Gymnasium | Morristown, Tennessee | |
| August 14 | Fire on the Mountain | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Armstrong Family (Bob Armstrong, Scot Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Jim Cornette, The Bruise Brothers (Ron Bruise and Don Bruise) and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) in a Rage in a Cage match with The Big Boss Man as special guest referee |
| August 20 | K-Town Showdown | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong vs. Jim Cornette in a Lumberjacks with Tennis Rackets match with The Big Boss Man as special guest referee |
| October 1 | Big Apple Grapple | 13-man Battle Royal | ||
| October 7 | Parade of Champions | Memorial Gymnasium | Hazard, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) |
| October 8 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | ||
| October 9 | Knox County High School | Barbourville, Kentucky | ||
| October 10 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | ||
| November 25 | Thanksgiving Thunder | Memorial Gymnasium | Hazard, Kentucky | The Bruise Brothers (Ron Bruise and Don Bruise) vs. The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) in a street fight |
| November 26 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | ||
| November 27 | Knox Central High School Gymnasium | Barbourville, Kentucky | ||
| November 28 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | ||
| December 25 | Christmas Chaos | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Brian Lee (c) vs. Tracy Smothers vs. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship |
| December 26 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | ||
| December 27 | Knox Central High School Gymnasium | Barbourville, Kentucky |
| Date | Event | Venue | Location | Main event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 13 | Sunday Bloody Sunday | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Bruise Brothers (Don Bruise and Ron Bruise) vs. The Moondogs (Moondog Spot and Moondog Rex) in a Steel Cage match |
| March 10 | Golden Week | Cobb County Civic Center | Bob Armstrong vs. Jim Cornette in a Steel Cage match | |
| March 11 | Johnson Central High School | Paintsville, Kentucky | The Dirty White Boy and The Dirty White Girl vs. Brian Lee and Tammy Fytch | |
| March 12 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) (c) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) in a 60-minute iron man match for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| March 13 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | ||
| March 15 | Clinton County High School | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) (c) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship | ||
| March 17 | Nixon Center | Hyden, Kentucky | ||
| March 18 | Knox County High School | Barbourville, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) (c) vs. Tim Horner and Robert Gibson in a 60-minute iron man match for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| March 19 | Cawood High School Gymnasium | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) (c) vs. Tracy Smothers and Robert Gibson for the SMW Tag Team Championship | ||
| April 1 | Bluegrass Brawl II: The Famous Final Scene | Pikeville College Gymnasium | Pikeville, Kentucky | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) (c) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) in a Loser Leaves Town Steel Cage match for the SMW Tag Team Championship |
| May 20 | Volunteer Slam III | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Jake Roberts (c) vs. The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship |
| July 1 | Summer Blast | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Dirty White Boy vs. Bruiser Bedlam in a Steel Cage match |
| July 2 | Knox County High School | Barbourville, Kentucky | The Dirty White Boy vs. Jim Cornette in a Steel Cage match | |
| July 3 | Cobb County Civic Center | Marietta, Georgia | The Dirty White Boy vs. Bruiser Bedlam in a steel cage | |
| July 4 | Paintsville High School Gymnasium | Paintsville, Kentucky | Bambi and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Tammy Fytch, Chris Candido and Brian Lee | |
| July 7 | Cawood High School | Harlan, Kentucky | Tracy Smothers vs. Bruiser Bedlam in a street fight | |
| July 8 | Raleigh County Armory | Beckley, West Virginia | ||
| July 9 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Dirty White Boy vs. Chris Candido in a Steel Cage match for the SMW Heavyweight Championship | |
| August 5 | The Night of the Legends | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong, Tracy Smothers and Road Warrior Hawk vs. Bruiser Bedlam and The Funk Brothers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk) in a "Coward Waves the Flag" match |
| August 6 | Fire on the Mountain | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong, Tracy Smothers and Road Warrior Hawk vs. Bruiser Bedlam and The Funk Brothers (Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk) in a Texas Deathmatch |
| September 30 | Big Apple Grapple | Paintsville High School Gymnasium | Paintsville, Kentucky | The Dirty White Boy, Tracy Smothers and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Boo Bradley, Bruiser Bedlam and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) |
| November 17 | SMW/NWA Championship Wrestling America (NWA World Heavyweight Championship tournament) | Stanton Hall | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| November 18 | Pleasantville High School | Pleasantville, New Jersey | ||
| November 19 | National Guard Armory | Chris Candido vs. Tracy Smothers in a tournament final for the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Championship | ||
| November 24 | Thanksgiving Thunder | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) in a Ghetto Street Fight for the SMW Tag Team Championship |
| November 25 | Paintsville High School Gymnasium | Paintsville, Kentucky | ||
| November 26 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | ||
| November 27 | Cobb County Civic Center | Marietta, Georgia | ||
| December 25 | Christmas Chaos | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship |
| December 26 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) (c) vs. The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) for the SMW Tag Team Championship | |
| December 27 | Mulberry Street Recreation Center | Lenoir, North Carolina | ||
| December 29 | Peel's Palace | Battle Royal | ||
| December 30 | National Guard Armory | Bobby Blaze and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) |
| Date | Event | Venue | Location | Main event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 28 | Super Saturday Night Fever | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | 16-man K-Town Rumble match |
| February 25 | Brawl in the Hall | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) in a street fight |
| February 26 | Sunday Bloody Sunday II | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) with Bob Armstrong as special guest referee |
| March 18 | March Madness | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Dirty White Boy vs. Buddy Landel in a Steel Cage match |
| March 19 | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | ||
| April 7 | Bluegrass Brawl III | Pikeville College Gymnasium | Pikeville, Kentucky | Tracy Smothers and The Undertaker vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) in a Loser Salutes the Flag match |
| April 8 | Fright Night | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Bob Armstrong, Tracy Smothers and The Undertaker vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) in an "I quit" match |
| May 19 | Volunteer Slam IV | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Ricky Morton vs. Al Snow in a scaffold match |
| May 20 | Charlotte Memories | The Dynamic Duo (Al Snow and Unabomb) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) | ||
| July 15 | Summer Blast | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | The Dynamic Duo (Al Snow and Unabomb) vs. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) in a street fight |
| August 4 | Super Bowl of Wrestling | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Buddy Landel for the WWF Intercontinental Championship |
| August 12 | Fire on the Mountain: Night of the Dream Matches | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) (c) vs. The Thugs (The Dirty White Boy and Tracy Smothers) for the SMW Tag Team Championship |
| August 13 | Carolina Cup | The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Thugs (The Dirty White Boy and Tracy Smothers) in the Carolina Cup Tag Team Tournament Finals | ||
| October 20 | Halloween Scream | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Tommy Rich vs. Buddy Landel in a chain match |
| October 21 | East High School Gymnasium | Morristown, Tennessee | Tommy Rich vs. Buddy Landel in a Falls Count Anywhere match | |
| October 27 | Cookeville Community Center | Tommy Rich vs. Buddy Landel in a First Blood match | ||
| October 28 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | Tommy Rich vs. Buddy Landel in a barbed wire match | |
| November 23 | Thanksgiving Thunder | Civic Coliseum | Knoxville, Tennessee | Robert Gibson and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. The Thugs (The Dirty White Boy and Tracy Smothers) and a mystery partner |
| November 24 | Knox Central High School Gymnasium | Barbourville, Kentucky | Robert Gibson and The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. Ricky Morton and The Thugs (The Dirty White Boy and Tracy Smothers) | |
| November 25 | Freedom Hall Civic Center | Johnson City, Tennessee | ||
| November 26 | Cookeville Community Center | Cookeville, Tennessee | Jim Cornette vs. Mark Curtis |
Smoky Mountain Wrestling held a variety of professional wrestling tournaments between 1992 and 1995 that were competed for by wrestlers that were a part of their roster.
The SMW Tag Team Championship Tournament was a tournament to crown the first-ever SMW Tag Team Champions. It was held between March 12 and April 23, 1992; the finals of the tournament was originally scheduled for Volunteer Slam on May 22 in Knoxville, but the teams that made the finals, The Fantastics and The Heavenly Bodies, decided to have the tournament final on the April 23, 1992 TV taping, which aired on May 9.[24]
The King of Kentucky Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held in Hazard, Kentucky on June 24, 1993.[25]
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. 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.[26]
The Carolina Cup Tag Team Tournament was a one-night single elimination tournament held at the Grady Cole Center on August 13, 1995.[27]
| Championship | Last Recognized Champion | From | Until | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 1992 | December 30, 1995 | [28] [29] | |||
| December 12, 1992 | 1995 | [30] | |||
| The Heavenly Bodies | April 23, 1992 | November 26, 1995 | [31] | ||
| Bobby Blaze | September 13, 1993 | July 29, 1994 | [32] |