| Jim Crockett Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Crockett,c. 1982 | |
| Birth name | James Allen Crockett Jr. |
| Born | (1944-08-10)August 10, 1944 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 2021(2021-03-03) (aged 76) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Kidney Failure |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Jim Crockett |
| Debut | 1973 |
| Retired | 1994 |
James Allen Crockett Jr. (August 10, 1944 – March 3, 2021) was an Americanprofessional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1989, he was part owner ofJim Crockett Promotions (JCP), a wrestling company affiliated with theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA). From 1976 to 1987, Crockett and his family also owned theCharlotte Orioles, aminor league baseball team based inCharlotte, North Carolina as well as owning theWinston-Salem Polar Twins in theSouthern Hockey League from 1974 to 1975.[1]
Born toJim Crockett Sr. and Elizabeth (Eversole) Crockett, Jim Jr. graduated fromMyers Park High School inCharlotte, North Carolina in 1960. He and his younger siblings (David, Jackie, and Frances) were largely uninvolved in professional wrestling until their father's death in 1973. The elder Crockett had been a promoter of wrestling and other forms of entertainment since 1931, with JCP joining the NWA in 1952.[2]
Although Jim Crockett Sr. had decided his son-in-law John Ringley would run JCP, Jim Jr. reluctantly took over ownership of the company after his father's death in 1973 and a dispute with Ringley.[3] Crockett brought in wrestlerGeorge Scott as head booker,[4] and he recruited wrestlers from across the country, from veterans such asWahoo McDaniel to younger wrestlers likeRic Flair.[5]
In 1980, Crockett was elected to his first term as NWA President, which ended in 1982. He had a working relationship withMaple Leaf Wrestling, based out ofToronto and owned byFrank Tunney, until Tunney's death in 1983. Tunney's nephewJack Tunney switched Maple Leaf Wrestling's working agreement toVince McMahon'sWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF).[6] Crockett then formed a short-lived relationship withVerne Gagne and hisAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA) to formPro Wrestling USA.
Crockett was elected to a second term as NWA President in 1985. He boughtVince McMahon's Saturday night TV time slot onSuperstation WTBS and his business began to flourish. The following year, he organized the first annualJim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup, in which wrestlers from eight NWA regional territories participated in a day-long tag team tournament at theLouisiana Superdome inNew Orleans.The Road Warriors defeatedRon Garvin &Magnum T. A. after 7½ hours to win the tournament. Although Crockett had organized the tournament as a tribute to his father, several rival promoters suspected he was using the event to further his own plans for expanding his promotion nationally.
Their suspicions increased as Crockett began holding wrestling events inMemphis andFlorida without contacting the local NWA promoters. He eventually purchased promotions based in Oklahoma and Kansas City in the Mid-South territory and began airing his own televised wrestling events, which were syndicated across the United States.[7]
Crockett was elected to a third term as NWA President in 1987. That same year he bought outChampionship Wrestling from Florida and theUniversal Wrestling Federation (UWF), thus acquiring such talent as wrestlerSting and commentatorJim Ross. Although initially planning to keep the UWF and NWA as separate promotions in order to promote an annual inter-promotional event similar to theSuper Bowl, Crockett instead moved the old UWF headquarters fromTulsa, Oklahoma toDallas, Texas.[8] and incorporated its stars into his own promotion.[9]
Crockett promoted his company, JCP, as the NWA, since he owned six NWA territories and was the NWA President, much to the confusion of fans.[10]
By November 1988, Crockett was near bankruptcy and, through promoterJim Barnett,[11] sold his company toTed Turner, who renamed itWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).[12] Crockett remained NWA President until 1991.[13]
In the early 1990s, Crockett attempted a return to wrestling, briefly serving a fourth term as NWA President. In 1994, Crockett launched theWorld Wrestling Network, an NWA-affiliated wrestling network. Crockett also brought the NWA back to theDallas Sportatorium.[14] Both projects were short-lived, and he left the sport for good in 1995.
After his retirement from professional wrestling promoting, Crockett worked as a Texas realtor and mortgage loan originator.[15][16]
On February 28, 2021, theWrestling Observer Newsletter'sDave Meltzer reported that Crockett was in grave condition.[17] Four days later,Robert Gibson reported that he died from complications of liver and kidney failure.[18] His brother David attributed his death toCOVID-19, which Crockett contracted two months earlier. He was 76.[19]
| Preceded by | President of theNational Wrestling Alliance 1980–1982 | Succeeded by Bob Geigel |
| Preceded by Bob Geigel | President of theNational Wrestling Alliance 1985–1986 | Succeeded by Bob Geigel |
| Preceded by Bob Geigel | President of theNational Wrestling Alliance 1987–1991 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of theNational Wrestling Alliance 1993–1995(with Howard Brody, Dennis Coralluzzo and Steve Rickard) | Succeeded by |
