| Acronym | TCW |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000 |
| Style | Southern |
| Headquarters | Marietta, Georgia, United States |
| Founder | Dusty Rhodes |
| Owner | Dusty Rhodes (2000–2003) |
| Parent | TurnBuckle Entertainment, Inc. |
| Website | DustyRhodes.net(Archived) |
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling was aSoutheastern independentprofessional wrestling promotion based inMarietta, Georgia. It was founded by retired wrestler and formerNWA World Heavyweight ChampionDusty Rhodes[1][2] in 2000 and, during its three years in operation, held events throughout theSouthern United States inVirginia,Tennessee,Florida,Georgia andAlabama;[3] it was especially popular inAtlanta, Georgia andDothan, Alabama where the promotion regularly held events. TCW also cooperated with rival independent promotions by holding interpromotional shows withFlorida Championship Wrestling. The promotion, at its height, had a successful weekly television series in the Atlanta-Macon, Georgia area and had planned to air one livepay-per-view event before its closure in 2003.
TCW later became home to many high-profile wrestlers after the closure ofWorld Championship Wrestling and later Extreme Championship Wrestling in 2001. Among the former WCW roster includedSean Evans,Disco Inferno,David Flair,Lodi,[4]Daffney[5][6]Glacier,Ron Reis,[7][8][9]Sonny Siaki,[10]Scotty Riggs,[11]Larry Zbyszko,[12]Scott Hall,[13] andThe Public Enemy (Rocco Rock &Johnny Grunge), all of whom would win championship titles. Dusty's sonDustin Rhodes, who at the time was also wrestling forWorld Wrestling Entertainment asGoldust, also had a central role in the promotion and briefly held the TCW Heavyweight Championship in early 2002.[14][15][16][17][18]
From ECW,Yoshihiro Tajiri andSuper Crazy continued their long-running feud. The "heel stable"The Extreme Horsemen was formed by ex-ECW starsSteve Corino,Barry Windham[17][19][20] andC. W. Anderson.[21][22][23] Windham's brother,Kendall, also made occasional appearances for the promotion.[8]
Older stars such as father and sonBob andScott Armstrong,Manny Fernandez,Bobby Eaton,Ricky Morton, female wrestlersLeilani Kai,Malia Hosaka andKim Nielsen, and independent wrestlersJorge Estrada, Jason Sugarman andSteve Lawler were part of the roster as well.[24]Damian Steele, one-half of Ebony & Ivory withRay Gordy inDeep South Wrestling, got his start in Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling.[25]Erik Watts[17] andChad Fortune, who previously teamed together in theWorld Wrestling Federation asTekno Team 2000, also competed in the promotion.[26]
Dusty Rhodes began plans for organizing a new promotion based in the state of Georgia in 1999,[27] later establishing offices inEast Cobb County, Georgia.[4] It would be, said Rhodes, a southern promotion that was "old school but with modern ideas".[17] Early the next year, he started promoting local wrestling events in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee as part of "The American Dream Tour 2000".[28] The first official event held by TCW took place inAshburn, Georgia on July 6, 2000, and crowned its first heavyweight champion,Glacier, defeating Jorge Estrada in tournament final. Rhodes, who had previous experience as abooker andtelevision producer forJim Crockett Promotions[17] andWorld Championship Wrestling, was able to get a television show aired inAtlanta andMacon, Georgia and soon began negotiating with theSunshine Network hoping to build on the traditional wrestling fanbase in the Southern, Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic region.[12]
In early 2001, the closings ofWorld Championship Wrestling andExtreme Championship Wrestling resulted in the appearance of many of its former stars in TCW.Sean Evans, a trainer at theWCW Power Plant, joined the promotion early on and helped bring in several former WCW stars.[29][30] One of these was former manager/valetDaffney whose ex-husband,Rich Ward, was a friend of Evans.[5] She was one of four female wrestlers who competed for the promotion, the others beingKim Nielsen,Leilani Kai andMalia Hosaka.[6]
A house show inWinchester, Tennessee on February 17, later released on VHS, featured former ECW starsYoshihiro Tajiri andSuper Crazy, WCW veteransRon Reis,Glacier,Scott Anton and, in the main event, a tag team match between Dusty Rhodes andBarry Windham againstErik Watts andSteve Corino. Female wrestlersLeilani Kai andMalia Hosaka also participated in an exhibition match.[31] The next night inCarrollton, Georgia featured a Rookies Battle Royal, showcasing the younger up-and-coming wrestlers in the promotion, and Dusty Rhodes with a mystery partner in a tag team match against Erik Watts and Steve Lawler.[32] On March 3,Scott "The Clap" Anton and "The Extreme Dream" Erik Watts became the first TCW Tag Team Champions defeating Glacier and Jorge Estrada in Dothan, Alabama.
In April, Rhodes announced that the promotion would be airing its first PPV event that fall, originally onThanksgiving night inCharlotte, North Carolina,[17] and that TCW would also be airing on television. The series, Rhodes claimed, would feature regular TV appearances by some of the more recognizable wrestlers in professional wrestling, most notably, his sonDustin Rhodes.[33]Scott Hall also joined the promotion and made his official in-ring debut at a special house show in Dothan on May 12.[34]
On June 16 inCalhoun, Georgia,Larry Zbyszko made an appearance to take on Dusty Rhodes in the main event. Though starting off as a singles match, it was turned into a tag team match following outside interference byLuther Biggs and Bobby Hayes. The match was eventually won by Rhodes and Hayes.[35] The promotion also continued to hold regular monthly shows at the Houston County Farm Center inDothan, Alabama between July and December 2001.[36]
The next month, Rhodes teamed with his son Dustin, then making his TCW debut less than three days after his WCW contract expired, at a Dothan house show on August 4. Together they facedC. W. Anderson and the masked wrestler American Nightmare in the main event. Dustin Rhodes was highly supportive of TCW as he explained in an August 2001 interview with Greg Oliver,"TCW is the alternative to the World Wrestling Federation. To me in my mind, my opinion, and my dad's opinion, we are the World Wrestling Federation's competition. We are not an independent, we are a company. We want to be treated as one. So we're going to do everything we can to make it a respectable, family entertainment business."[37]
Having begun holding events in Florida that year, Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling began branching out to rival promotions. Among these wasNWA Florida, a promotion Rhodes' himself competed earlier in his career, and two of their stars, Jason Sugarman and Jorge Estrada, appeared at the August 21st NWA Florida show at theFort Homer W. Hesterly Armory inTampa, Florida. Their match was to fill in for Cyborg andHorace Hogan, both men having been injured. Steve Corino, thenNWA World Heavyweight Champion, defended the title in the main event againstBuck Quartermaine. NWA Florida stars Buck Quartermain andThe New Heavenly Bodies (Vito DeNucci and Chris Nelson) would appear at TCW house shows in late August.[38] A secondary title, the TCW Hardcore Championship, was established whenLodi defeated"Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez in Carrollton, Georgia on September 15.
The promotion held its first television taping,TCW Halloween Horror Slam I, which was later released on VHS. It featured the tag team ofBobby Eaton andRicky Morton, the two men having experienced a fierce rivalry during the 1980s as members ofThe Midnight Express andThe Rock 'n' Roll Express respectively, in the semi-main event against Erik Watts andChad Fortune. Watts and Fortune had previously teamed together in theWorld Wrestling Federation during the 1990s asTekno Team 2000. In the main event, Glacier defended the TCW Heavyweight Championship against Barry Windham.[39]
On December 28, 2001, TCW and NWA Florida held an interpromotional event at theVolusia County Fairgrounds inDeLand, Florida. In singles matches, Lex Lovett defeatedSteve Madison, Jorge Estrada defeated Luther Biggs and Buck Quartermaine defeated Spanky Malone. In a match lasting over 30 minutes, TCW's Glacier and Jason Sugarman won theNWA World Tag Team Championship from The New Heavenly Bodies.[40] In the semi-main event, TCW Heavyweight ChampionScotty Riggs kept his title via disqualification against Barry Windham. The sixth and final match was an "ECW vs. TCW" match in which Steve Corino andJack Victory took on father and son Dusty and Dustin Rhodes.[41]
On January 26, 2002, Dustin Rhodes defeated Scotty Riggs to win TCW Heavyweight Championship but surrendered the title the following day with the announcement that he would be returning to WWE as a full-time competitor. Dustin wrestled a few last matches before leaving TCW. The first, on February 2, was a 6-man tag team TLC match with his father Dusty andRon Studd against Scotty Riggs, Jason Sugarman and an impostor Goldust.[4] A second match took place days later in Carrollton and resulted in a victory over Steve Corino.[42][43] His third and last match was against Scotty Riggs who defeated him for the TCW Heavyweight Championship in Carrollton on March 1. With this victory, Riggs became a record 3-time heavyweight champion.[44][45]
In July 2003, Rhodes appeared alongside sports director Mike Raita on thePaul Finebaum Radio Network and discussed both his wrestling career and Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling.[46] However, partially due to declining business as well as increased competition from WWE,[4] Rhodes was forced to close the promotion shortly afterThe Dusty 35th Anniversary Tour that same year. The announcement followed after Rhodes signed a contract withTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling.
In December 2023, Nightmare Factory LLC, under the leadership of WWE starCody Rhodes, filed for the trademark of "Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling". This filing hints the revival of the original TCW brand, initially founded by Cody's father, Dusty Rhodes. The trademark application, covering various merchandise and entertainment services related to wrestling contests, is about preserving TCW legacy while adapting to the evolving landscape of entertainment.[47]
| Birth name: | Ring name(s): | Tenure: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Antol | Scotty Riggs | 2001–2002 | |
| Larry Brannon | Vivacious Vito | 2001 | |
| Luther Biggs | Disgraceland | 2001–2002 | |
| Bradley Cain | Lodi | 2001 | |
| Edward Chastain | Iceberg | 2002 | |
| Jonathan Clark | Chase Stevens | 2003 | |
| Steve Corino | Steve Corino | 2001–2002 | |
| James Cox | James Storm | 2003 | |
| Damien Dothard | Damien Dynamite | 2004 | |
| James Duggan Jr. | Jim Duggan | 2003 | |
| Sean Evans | Sean Evans | 2001–2002 | |
| Stephen Favata | Steve Madison | 2001 | |
| Emanuel Fernandez | Manny Fernandez | 2001 | |
| David Fliehr | David Flair | 2003 | |
| Chad Fortune | Chad Fortune | 2001 | |
| Glenn Gilberti | Disco Inferno | 2003 | |
| Terry Ray Gordy Jr. | Ray Gordy | 2003 | |
| Michael Gossett | Mike Graham | 2001 | |
| Steve Gower | Steve Lawler / Liberty McCall | 2001 | |
| Scott Hall | Scott Hall | 2001 | |
| Joseph Melton James | Bob Armstrong | 2001 | |
| Joseph Scott James | Scott Armstrong | 2001 | |
| Christopher Klucsaritis | Chris Kanyon | 2001 | |
| Raymond Lloyd | Glacier / Ray Lloyd | 2001–2003 | |
| Dustin Fordham | Dustin Fordham | 2001–2003 | |
| Jorge Moraza | Jorge Estrada | 2001–2003 | |
| Ronald Reis | Big Ron Studd | 2001–2002 | |
| Francisco Islas Rueda | Super Crazy | 2001 | |
| Dustin Runnels | Dustin Rhodes | 2001–2002 | |
| Virgil Runnels Jr. | Dusty Rhodes | 2001–2003 | |
| Jason Seguine | Buck Q | 2001 | |
| Sonny Siaki | Sonny Siaki | 2002–2003 | |
| Jason Sugarman | Jason Sugarman | 2001–2003 | |
| Yoshihiro Tajiri | Yoshihiro Tajiri | 2001 | |
| Christopher Tipton | Casanova Chris | 2001 | |
| Chris Vaughn | Chris Vaughn | 2003 | |
| Erik Watts | Erik Watts | 2001 | |
| Lawrence Whistler | Larry Zbyszko | 2001 2003 | |
| David Williams | David Young | 2003 | |
| Barry Windham | Barry Windham | 2001–2002 | |
| Kendall Windham | Kendall Windham | 2002 | |
| Chris Wright | C. W. Anderson | 2001 | |
| Jerome Young | New Jack | 2001–2003 | |
| Unknown | Bobby Hayes | 2001 2003 | |
| TJ Gray | Fake Goldust | 2001–2002 | |
| Unknown | Henry Hoss | 2002–2003 | |
| Unknown | Lee Thomas | 2003 | |
| Unknown | Palm Beach Boy Jon / Jon Holcombe | 2001–2002 | |
| Unknown | Palm Beach Boy Scott / Scott Ross | 2001–2002 | |
| Unknown | The Reverend | 2002–2003 | |
| Unknown | Scotty Beach | ||
| Unknown | Silky Boom Boom | 2002 | |
| Unknown | Simon Sermon | 2002 | |
| Unknown | Spanky Malone | 2001 | |
| Unknown | Terry Austin | 2002 | |
| Unknown | TJ Gray | 2002 |
| Birth name: | Ring name(s): | Tenure: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malia Hosaka | Malia Hosaka | 2001 | |
| Selina Majors | Bambi | 2002–2003 | |
| Kimberly Nielsen | Desire | 2001 2003 | |
| Patty Seymour | Leilani Kai | 2001 | |
| Shannon Spruill | Daffney | 2001–2002 |
TheTCW Heavyweight Championship was the primaryprofessional wrestling singles title of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. It was originally won byGlacier who defeatedJorge Estrada in tournament final held inAshburn, Georgia on July 6, 2000. It was defended primarily in the state ofGeorgia but throughout theSouthern United States, most often inDothan, Alabama, until the promotion's close in 2003.[48]
| Wrestlers: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier[49] | 1 | July 6, 2000 | Ashburn, Georgia | DefeatedJorge Estrada in tournament final to become the first champion.[48] |
| Barry Windham | 1 | October 28, 2000 | Warner Robins, Georgia | [48] |
| Scotty Anton | 1 | June 2, 2001 | Dothan, Alabama[50] | the match ended withDaffney counting the pinfall and Anton left with the title.[48] |
| Barry Windham[51] | 2 | June 7, 2001 | Milledgeville, Georgia | Title is returned to Windham due to the controversial finish.[48] |
| Scotty Anton | 2 | September 15, 2001 | Carrollton, Georgia | [48] |
| Dustin Rhodes | 1 | January 26, 2002 | Carrollton, Georgia | [48][52][53] |
| Scotty Anton | 3[54] | March 1, 2002 | Carrollton, Georgia | [48][55][56] |
| Title is vacated when Scotty Riggs forfeits the championship after suffering an elbow injury.[48][54] | ||||
| Glacier | 2 | September 14, 2002 | Carrollton, Georgia | Defeated Damien to win the vacant title.[48][57] |
TheTCW Hardcore Championship was the secondaryprofessional wrestling singles title of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. It was first won byLodi after defeating"Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez inCarrollton, Georgia on September 18, 2001. The Hardcore title, like theHeavyweight title, was mostly defended inGeorgia but also in other parts of theSouthern United States such asDothan, Alabama.[58]
| Wrestlers: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Sugarman | 1 | September 15, 2001 | Carrollton, Georgia | [58] | |
| Lodi | 1 | September 29, 2001 | Dothan, Alabama | DefeatedManny Fernandez to become the first recognized champion.[59] |
TheTCW Tag Team Championship was the primaryprofessional wrestlingtag team title of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. It was originally won byScott Anton &Erik Watts who defeatedGlacier &Jorge Estrada, coincidentally opponents for theTCW Heavyweight Championship, inDothan, Alabama on March 3, 2001. Unlike the singles titles, the tag team titles changed hands very often when the promotion toured outside the state ofGeorgia, as far away asAlabama andTennessee.[60]
| Wrestlers: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Anton &Erik Watts[61] | 1 | March 3, 2001 | Dothan, Alabama | Defeat Glacier & Jorge Estrada to become the first champions.[60] |
| Glacier &Jorge Estrada[62] | 1 | April 21, 2001 | Cleveland, Tennessee | [60] |
| The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock &Johnny Grunge)[63][64] | 1 | July 7, 2001 | Dothan, Alabama | Public Enemy also held theMECW Tag Team Championship at the time of the match.[60] |
| Title is vacated in August 2001 when The Public Enemy leave the promotion to return toMain Event Championship Wrestling.[60] | ||||
| Southside Trash (Randy Harris & David Parrish) | 1 | September 15, 2001 | Carrollton, Georgia | Defeated Jorge Estrada &Sonny Siaki to win the vacant titles.[60] |
| Glacier(2) &"Big" Ron Studd | 1 | March 1, 2002 | Carrollton, Georgia | [60][65] |
| Title is vacated in 2002. | ||||
| Jorge Estrada(2) & Sonny Siaki[10] | 1 | July 27, 2002 | Carrollton, Georgia | Defeated the Dobbins Brothers (Chad & Jason Dobbins) at the VFW Fairgrounds to win vacant title.[60] |
