| WCW Pro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling NWA Pro Wrestling WCW Pro Wrestling |
| Created by | Jim Crockett Promotions /World Championship Wrestling |
| Starring | SeeWorld Championship Wrestling alumni |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multicamera setup |
| Running time | 60 minutes per episode |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndicated (1985–1994) TBS (1994–1998) |
| Release | January 11, 1958 (1958-01-11) – September 27, 1998 (1998-09-27) |
| Related | |
| WCW Monday Nitro WCW Thunder WCW Saturday Night WCW WorldWide WCW Clash of the Champions | |
WCW Pro is an American televised wrestling show that was presented byWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW). Along withWCW WorldWide, it was part of theWCW Disney tapings. The rights toWCW Pro now belong toWWE and 161 episodes of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling are available for streaming onNBCUniversal'sPeacock in the United States and theWWE Network in international markets.[1]
WCW Pro started off asMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling,[2][3] one of two weeklysyndicated wrestling programs presented byJim Crockett Promotions (the other wasWorld Wide Wrestling, which in its final form was namedWCW WorldWide). It started airing in 1958.[4][5]
After the merger of JCP andGeorgia Championship Wrestling, in 1986 the show was renamedNWA Pro Wrestling. It was later renamedWCW Pro Wrestling in December 1990 afterTurner Broadcasting bought JCP in 1988.
In 1990, a hybrid edition ofWCW Pro Wrestling began airing overWPIX inNew York City andWGN-TV inChicago; these two shows featured the same matches as the national version, but with wraparound segments localized for the specific markets inserted.
Jim Ross andPaul E. Dangerously hosted WPIX'sWCW Pro New York. In late-September 1991, the New York version moved toWCBS-TV where the show aired in a late-night Saturday slot. However, after only a few weeks, the local version was dropped and WCBS-TV replaced it with the national version of the show. In April 1992,WCW Pro was replaced in New York altogether byWCW WorldWide (the show thatWCW Pro New York replaced two years earlier on WPIX), which stayed on WCBS-TV for the next five years.WPXN-TV later picked upWCW Pro for its lineup, airing the show from 1996 until its cancellation.
WCW Pro Chicago was hosted byTony Schiavone and veteran WGN sports broadcasterJack Brickhouse. This show was also simulcast on WGN'snational feed. Sometime in 1991, Brickhouse would leave commentary on the Chicago version to host his own segment on the program, "Brickhouse Bonus", andLarry Zbyszko took over Jack's old spot on commentary.WCW Pro Chicago would last until 1993.
In 1994 the show, now available on very few local stations, was added toTBS on Saturday mornings in place of WCW's ill-fatedWCW Power Hour on March 12, 1994. Some stations continued to air it in syndication, however. The show title also was shortened to simplyWCW Pro.
In November 1995, WCW started tapingWCW Pro at theDisney/MGM Studios (and later atUniversal Studios Florida). Starting August 25, 1996, the show moved from its establishedTBS timeslot of Saturday morning at 9:05 am EST to Sunday afternoons at 5:05 pm EST, where it remained until it was canceled by TBS and replaced byWCW Thunder in January 1998. Shortly afterwards the now syndication-onlyWCW Pro became a weekly highlights and recap show with one or two exclusive matches a week. Scott Hudson andLarry Zbyszko hosted the in-studio segments whileLee Marshall andMike Tenay called the matches. TBS would continue to airThunder andSaturday Night.
In late September 1998,WCW Pro was canceled.
WCW Pro had a few title changes.
