Tommy Rich's NWA World Championship Run

Tommy "Wildfire" Rich made history on April 27, 1981 when he upset NWA Worlds Champion "Handsome" Harley Race to capture the championship.   He only held the championship for 5 days defending the title 4 times, 3 successfully.

April 27, 1981 Augusta, Georgia 

Tommy "Wildfire" Rich defeated NWA Worlds Champion: Harley Race to win the title

April 28, 1981 Macon, Georgia

NWA Worlds Champion: Tommy "Wildfire" Rich defeated Harley Race

April 29, 1981 Columbus, Georgia

NWA Worlds Champion: Tommy "Wildfire" Rich defeated Harley Race

April 30, 1981 Rome, Georgia

NWA Worlds Champion: Tommy "Wildfire" Rich defeated Harley Race

May 1, 1981 Gainesville, Georgia

Harley Race defeated NWA Worlds Champion: Tommy "Wildfire" Rich to win the title

Tommy won the title on a Monday night and lost the title back to Harley on Friday night so he did not appear on television as the champion.  However on Saturday May 2, 1981 he was interviewed by Gordon Solie on the Saturday GCW show about winning, and losing the title with video clips of the win.  

He did cut a promo with Freddie Miller for Georgia Championship Wrestling during his title run. I'm not sure when it aired, you can find it on YouTube.

Harley Race, in an RF Video shoot interview stated the change happened to help Jim Barnett win a power struggle that was going on in the Georgia territory.

Why did Tommy win the championship, according to Jim Cornette he won the title for rewarding him for being the hottest territory babyface in the country at that time.  He generated high ratings on TBS television which allowed him to be booked out as a big draw in other territories.  Jim Barnett had so much power in the NWA he was able to sway the board for his one week title reign.

In an Interview with Hannibal, Tommy Rich stated it was Harley Race's idea to drop the title to Rich even leaving his $10,000 deposit on the title for the swap to happen.  In a You Shoot interview Rich stated that Jim Barnett had nothing to do with the change and that it was Harley Race's idea.

Rich winning the title was a major upset at the time when the title didn't change hands and when being the NWA Worlds Champion meant something.  It is an accolade that Rich has carried for his entire career.

Me with Tommy Rich, April 4, 2024 at the WrestleCon Supershow, at the ECW Arena

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my book the 2024 Limitless Wrestling Almanac, or any of my other books.

Until next time! 

Me With Wrestlers 2024 Edition

Here are the photos of me with wrestlers from 2024

February 4th Portland, Maine Mariners Hockey & EWA Wrestling, No wrestlers in this one I realize, but its the group of us that went to the game / matches.  Mikey & Jay, Me, Wesley, My Dad and Brother John.

February 24th with Gabby Forza at Limitless Wrestling, Yarmouth, Maine

April 3rd in Philadelphia at Sean Henderson Presents WrestleJawn with Bradford & Mikey 

April 3rd at Hunkamania Comedy Show with Ryan & Nic Nemeth, Philadelphia

April 4th Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, DEFY Wrestling with Gringo Loco

April 4th, 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, World of Stardom with Takuro Shibata

April 4th, 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, WrestleCon Supershow with Tommy "Wildfire" Rich

April 4th, 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, WrestleCon Supershow with George Napolitano

April 5th, Downtown Sheraton Hotel, Philadelphia, WrestleCon Convention with Izzy Moreno

April 5th, Downtown Sheraton Hotel, Philadelphia, WrestleCon Convention with Sabu & Bill Alphonso

April 5th, Downtown Sheraton Hotel, Philadelphia, WrestleCon Convention with The Grizzled Young Vets: James Drake and Zack Gibson

April 5th, Downtown Sheraton Hotel, Philadelphia, WrestleCon Convention with Sting

April 5th, Penn's Landing Philadelphia, after TJPW with Miyu Yamashita

April 5th, Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, Joey Janela's Spring Break 8 with Emil Jay

April 6th, Downtown Sheraton Hotel, Philadelphia, WrestleCon Convention with buddies Matt Dalakas & Mikey

April 6th Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, after GCW vs. TJPW with ROH Women's Television Champion: Billie Starkz

April 6th, 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, with Bradford and Mikey before the WrestleMania on closed circuit

April 13, Limitless Wrestling with Paul London, Yarmouth, Maine

July 20, Limitless Wrestling with Ashley Vox, Yarmouth, Maine

July 26, Waldo Theater, with Kathleen Edwards, Waldoboro, Maine

September 20th, Worcester, Mass at Big Time Wrestling with Jay & I with Sting

September 21st Limitless Wrestling with Maggie Lee, Yarmouth, Maine

September 28th Portland House of Music with Will Turner & Georgie Fuller from The Heavy Heavy, Maine

October 26th Limitless Wrestling Jet Wei & Kodai Nozaki Yarmouth, Maine

November 8th, Lowell Memorial Auditorium with IWGP World Champion: Zack Sabre Jr

November 8th, NJPW at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium with Walker Stewart

November 8th, NJPW at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium with Jay & Mikey

December 7th NSPW: North Shore Pro Wrestling with Trevor Lee, Quebec City, Quebec

December 7th NSPW: North Shore Pro Wrestling with Stu Grayson, Quebec City, Quebec

December 7th NSPW: North Shore Pro Wrestling with Loue O'Farrell, Quebec City, Quebec

December 14th, Limitless Wrestling with B3CCA Yarmouth, Maine 

December 14th, Limitless Wrestling with Calvin Tankman Yarmouth, Maine

December 17th, NXT at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium with The D’Angelo Family, North American Champion: Tony D'Angelo, Adrianna Rizzo, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, and Luca Crusafino

December 17th, NXT at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium with Ethan Page

More than wrestlers I realize, but it's my friends and a couple concerts we went to as well. In 2025 I'm going to make it a point to take more photos with Indie Wrestlers.  

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my book the 2024 Limitless Wrestling Almanac, or any of my other books.

Until next time!

Raw the Netflix Era thoughts

 I've been a fan of wrestling and the WWF / WWE my entire life.  I don't have a memory of the first time I watched wrestling, my Dad was a fan and so I have always watched.  My first live wrestling show was June 4, 1989 at the then Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.  In the main event "Macho Man" Randy Savage with Sensational Sherri defeated WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan by count-out.

Unlike many my of my friends growing up I never waivered in my fandom of Professional Wrestling.  I've always had collection of wrestling memorabilia, t-shirts, and once I got my license going to live shows, even traveling out of State to attend them.  I've been to the big 4 WWE PPV's, WCW shows, TNA, Ring of Honor, AEW, New Japan Pro Wrestling and numerous Indies.

From the 1980's to today I've watched all the wrestling on TV that I could find, traded tapes back in the day to get wrestling from Japan and Mexico, and at technology has progress streamed my wrestling.  Today we have the capability to watch more wrestling live from around the world than ever before.

Through all of this I have been a fan of the WWF/WWE, was a day 1 subscriber of the WWE Network and subscribe to Peacock now.  While WWE has not always been my favorite flavor of wrestling to watch, I still watched.  

However these last few years their weekly television show have become unwatchable to me.  Smackdown would have moments of greatness but Raw, each time I try I'm disappointed. Their format of their show has become to cater to the casual fan, I don't care about 20 minute promos, and long talking segments, I just want to watching wrestling matches.  The bell to bell in the ring action is what I care about.

I was hyped for the Netflix launch of Raw on January 6, 2025, advertised a WrestleMania caliber show, and for me it was not.  There were 4 matches on the show that ran just over 3 hours and total in ring time was 62 minutes and 28 seconds.  That leaves two hours of commercials, showing celebrities in the crowd and talking segments.  From the end of the women's title match it was 25 minutes before the Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso match started, and after 2 minutes they went to a commercial break. 

What's so frustrating and discouraging to me is the promotion I have loved my whole life I can't stomach watching any longer.  I have friends that LOVE the product and think every show is amazing, and I guess good for them, but I can't see how they like it so much.

I will continue to follow what is happening on Raw & Smackdown, watch clips and select matches that I'm interested, and I will watch the "Premium Live Events" because that is where the best matches usually take place even those tend to frustrate me with their long segments between matches.

I'm just not the WWE's primary demographic any longer.  Thankfully for me my choices for alternative wrestling is practically endless.  Not to mention, I can always go back and watch the extensive history of wrestling and classic matches I have access to.  

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my book the 2024 Limitless Wrestling Almanac, or any of my other books.

Until next time!