3/26 3/25 The Dirty White Boy for the SMW Heavyweight Championship, The Bruise Brothers (Don Bruise and Ron Bruise) vs. Its very obvious and straight-forward. He could talk like crazy. 6/24 And why did it close so quickly? They built a lot of heat. Matches from these shows were first shown in February 1992. CORNETTE: Brian Lee was playing the part of Brad Armstrong. But Cornette wanted to have a hand in everything. He was the best performer of the three of them, so I made him their posse member. 6/17 Bluegrass Brawl I 5/1 SMW event tours also included high school gyms and fairs in cities throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. DLO BROWN: [Cornette] was a good character and a good entertainer, but he also knew TV stations, syndication, how to book venues and how to promote. It presented a great product for a particular region in the world and gave a place for many to work and hone their craft when there was only a few big promotions to earn a living in. 4/9 11/13 Its hard to compete with Vince McMahon and the machine. 10/10 4/3 4/17 (c) refers to the champion (s) heading into the match. 3/19 Visit Heini-Klopfer Ski Jump Chairlift in Oberstdorf | Expedia 11/8 From what I understand, Jim paid really well. This was in sharp contrast to ECW, in which edgy angles, "tweeners" and anti-heroes increasingly took precedence over clearcut heroes and villains. Watch The Thrillseekers' amazing video package including riding bumper cars and at a petting zoo. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Sunny, New Jack, D-Lo Brown, Lance Storm, Chris Jericho, and more were able to first get noticed due to their time with Cornette. 5/7 2/19 6/6 The two companies were very diverse and gave a lot of opportunities to some people that have gone on to be cult heroes and legendary icons. Alongside his on-screen managerial duties, being the US spokesman for Yokozuna, Corny would start helping with the booking and he was able to help Vince McMahon usher in The Attitude Era before some other Vince came along to drive Cornette insane. It was Marilyn Manson before he got famous. 6/25 The first events and TV tapings were held in October and November 1991. 10/8 We were trying to be a little more serious than the colorful world of WWE. 2/26 SuperBowl of Wrestling 6/4 BOB ARMSTRONG: Cornette was a fan club president of mine when I was in Memphis. 1/22 Smoky Mountain Wrestling 1991-1995. 3/26 I had a police officer keep an eye on them while I took care of White Boy in the ring. 7/9 4/30 CORNETTE: We got Knoxville straight off the bat on the Fox station on Sunday mornings, and we also got WCYB, which was the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City. 8/27 5/29 LANCE STORM: It was clean-cut. 1/22 5/21 He had about 20 guys there sitting ringside. 8/7 The SMW Tag Team Championship Tournament was a tournament to crown the first-ever SMW Tag Team Champions. 5/8 5/22 Cornette formed the promotion in October 1991 upon leaving World Championship Wrestling, with Sandy Scott and backed financially by music producer Rick Rubin. 12/18 7/17 SMOTHERS: Sometimes the pressure would get to him and hed just snap. Thanksgiving Thunder - Day 4 2/4 Show me what you got. I guess he liked what he saw because I started working for the company two weeks later. Bob Armstrong, The Armstrong Brothers (Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong) and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. Jim Cornette, The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. 10/7 Era, SMW did exactly what it needed to do. 8/12 10/17 What Smoky Mountain was trying to do was to find that market. That became The Headbangers. CORNETTE: I met Rick Rubin through Cat Collins, a DJ friend of mine that had worked for Rubin at American Recordings. Christmas Chaos - Day 1 It was an invaluable experience. Thats Jim in a nutshell. It doesnt matter what kind of match I prefer, I have to deliver the kind of match that the people who bought the tickets want. Watch the infamous and controversial Prince Kharis in action. 9/23 Fright Night 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. 8/12 Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies. Thanksgiving Thunder - Day 2 7/9 The Last Tango In Tennessee BROWN: I was scared out of my wits of New Jack. 4/23 Smoky Mountain was a big tag team territory and Cornette asked if wed be willing to come in as a team. Overview; News and Rumors; History; Events; Event Statistics; Results; Titles; All-Time Roster; Matchguide; Win/Loss Records; Feuds; Promos; Tournaments; Rivalries; Ratings; Comments; Events. 5/14 7/1 People knew him, he could talk and knew how to work the style. 1/23 3/21 Brawl In The Hall He asked, What are you doing May 26? And he showed me a paper for a Klan rally. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson), Shawn Michaels vs. I didnt like the masks, but I liked their work. Jericho was working in Mexico and Japan at the time and he thought Smoky Mountain would get his foot in the door in the States. SMOTHERS: It was originally going to be Steve [Armstrong] and I together to work a program with The Heavenly Bodies, but Steve got a job with WWE. King Of The Mountain Tournament Contents 1 History and overview 1.1 Formation 1.2 Territorial reach 8/5 Sullivan got at him with this spike, and we had to censor it because it was so gross. 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. She was still in school, and stayed in school at UT while she was working for me. CORNETTE: In one of my late night phone calls with Rubin, he said, I think we ought to have a mummy. 5/8 What was I gonna do? 4/29 The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) for the SMW Tag Team Championship, Bobby Blaze and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) vs. D-Lo Brown and The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) for the SMW Tag Team Championship, The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) vs. Bluegrass Brawl III I looked at his arm and there was a dent where one bone was supposed to be and he could bend his forearm in the middle. He unmasked himself when I called him out for being ashamed of his father. After years of operating in red ink, Cornette shut the promotion down in December 1995 to work full-time with the WWF. His talent was great, but the fans didnt know exactly how to take him. Jim CornetteTim HornerStan LaneSandy Scott 4/1 113: Kane Bryson, Pisgah, Davey McCoy, Smoky Mountain. It was a really big deal and Jericho did more than he should have. I offered Chris and his girlfriend Tammy to come to Knoxville. The winner was Chris Candido, who defended his title mostly at SMW events. SMW Night Of Legends | Pro Wrestling | Fandom One of the Largest collections of Wrestling footage. The deer was strapped up and he was cutting it open at the gut. People were scared of them. It was the night Terry Funk did his first-ever top rope moonsault and I think he was 50 at the time. Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) Promotions Database - CAGEMATCH 9/30 They could get pretty rowdy. Thanksgiving Thunder. This page is not available in other languages. 6/13 STORM: I got married literally the day before I moved to Smoky Mountain and my wife ended up renting an apartment in the same apartment complex as Chris and Tammy. 5/4 May 1 - May 2. 9/16 5/28 CORNETTE: Until April 1995, we were doing fairly well. 5/1 285: Eli Frizzell, Pisgah. They think its broken, but hell be back.. Fire on the mountain: The oral history of Smoky Mountain Wrestling facebook twitter During the early 1990s, wrestling was in a state of transition. 12/3 He was green and learning, but when he switched to a villain, teamed with Chris Candido and was managed by Tammy, he did a lot better work. 138: Jacob Ed, West Henderson, William McCoy, Smoky Mountain. 4/16 The Heavenly Bodies (Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray) then faced The Steiner Brothers for the WWF Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam 1993, and then defeating The Rock 'n' Roll Express at Survivor Series 1993 for the SMW Tag Team Championship. 8/5 Christmas Chaos - Day 2 2/26 BROWN: We had what was called the Smoky Mountain Flophouse in Morristown, Tenn., close to Cornettes house. Rick Rubin on loving pro wrestling, learning from Ric Flair and how "Rowdy" Roddy Piper turned the Beastie Boys Bad. How to Explore Bavaria in One Week: 4 Complete Itineraries WWE now owns the SMW video library. 4/20 The basketball teams are voted on by league coaches. He wasnt able to sit and enjoy his wrestling company. The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) for the SMW Tag Team Championship, The Dynamic Duo (Al Snow and Unabomb) vs. October 1991 He always sat in the crowd. SMOTHERS: That was different. 3/21 Then we got The Steiners to come have rematches in Smoky Mountain. Thats when Smoky Mountain started to become less important. 2/18 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. Wrestling was not popular in America. 220: Reese Meadows, North Henderson. Thanks to SMW, an eclectic mix of superstars were able to get their start. The Rock n Roll Express and Tracy Smothers could give you an education you cant get in the ring. 4/18 Mustafa couldnt say sooey if the hogs had him, but looked like he could break you in half. 6/16 Kevin opened that guy to the bone. For everyone who has paid a lick of attention to Jim Cornette over the past decade or two then you already know how bombastic the guy is. 4/24 8/19 Both Curtis Comes Home and the 2005 sequel show, held in memory of SMW head referee Mark Curtis are both considered "unofficial" reunion shows. 11/19 4/15 After SMW folded, The Louisville Slugger, Jim Cornette went to work for WWE. Bluegrass Brawl II 9/12 I used to say on commentary, A lot of these people have never left this town. Bob Caudle would say, What do you mean? Id say, Because they dont have a Rand McNally road map to know how to get out of this place.. A lot of experience. Volunteer Slam III 9/4 4/8 And the kid Chris Jericho he was with wasnt too bad either. Watch Smoky Mountains biggest moments| Watch Smoky Mountains biggest stars in action, We needed buildings and production companies and TV stations so this eccentric music genius could somehow own a wrestling company in Tennessee.. 7/16 When we finally had a wrestling match together, it sold out Knoxville Civic Center. Former employees in SMW consisted of professional wrestlers, managers, play-by-play and color commentators, announcers, interviewers and referees . 2/18 6/18 Smokey Mountain was the exact opposite of that, so even at the time, as a teenager, it felt like watching wrestling that my parents might have liked. . 8/22 It wasnt big enough to take that next step. Now picture a company trying to keep him in their employ. Displaying items 1 to 100 of total 637 items that match the search parameters. Like many territories in a post Vince McMahon Jr. 10/14 MANTEL: Up there in eastern Kentucky and northern Virginia, youre back in the hills, buddy. 3/18 Cornette was able to broker deals with both WCW and WWE, bringing talent like the highly understood Heavenly Bodies to both promotions to get a big look. 3/27 10/28 Fire On The Mountain 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 1997. Reddit - Dive into anything Several SMW wrestlers would soon obtain work in the WWF, including Tracy Smothers, The Dirty White Boy, and Boo Bradley. He was so knowledgeable, dedicated and determined. 7/4 Bankrolled by an LA-based music genius who produced Eminems latest album, the fiery Louisville Slugger founded Smoky Mountain Wrestling as a throwback to what he believed to be the lost art of southern-style rasslin. CORNETTE: I couldnt believe the sight of it. This was in sharp contrast to ECW, in which edgy angles, "tweeners" and anti-heroes increasingly took precedence over clearcut heroes and villains. The winner was Chris Candido, who defended his title mostly at SMW events. ROAD DOGG: Terry Funk stacked about 40 chairs in the middle of the ring. 3/13 [8] This led to The Rock 'n' Roll Express wrestling The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Stan Lane) at SuperBrawl III in February 1993. 6/19 There, he functioned as both a singles competitor and a tag team specialist, capturing pretty much every title one could win in the company save for the Heavyweight Championship. 3/18 Hes a die-hard wrestling mark.