Music City Wrestling, formerly Ozark Mountain Wrestling and North American All-Star Wrestling, and also referred to as NWA Worldwide, was a professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Nashville, Tennesee. The promotion was also a territory for the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 to 2000.
History Ozark Mountain Wrestling (1994-1995) Prentice formed the promotion in late 1994 upon leaving the United States Wrestling Association, where he was then managing Spellbinder and The Eliminators. There was speculation he would run opposition to the USWA and started promoting events in neighboring Arkansas. The first Ozark Mountain Heavyweight Champion, Kit Carson, won the championship that fall. The Colorado Kid beat Carson for the title in Jonesboro, Arkansas on November 12, 1994. He and The Spiders (Spider #1 and Spider #2) were promoted as OMW's top stars during this early period. The first TV tapings were held in Jonesboro and aired on February 18, 1995, with subsequent shows airing on Saturday mornings. OMW scheduled 17 live events that month, the most of any promotion in the United States with the exception of the World Wrestling Federation.
Prentice was soon able to attract a number of wrestlers to his outlaw group including, most notably, Ricky Morton, Tracey Smothers and Buddy Landel. In April, Tommy Rich officially announced he was jumping from the USWA to OMW. Candi Devine became the Ozark Mountain Women's Champion that spring and The Moondogs (Moondog Spot and Moondog Rex) won the Ozark Mountain Tag Team Championship soon after.
On March 20, Cactus Jack defeated OMW North American Champion The Colorado Kid in Jonesboro to win the title. Cactus Jack and his then manager, Freddie Fargo, double-teamed The Colorado Kid prior to winning the title and seriously injured the young wrestler's chest after beating him with the OMW championship belt. The violent title match ended when fellow "fan favorite" Man Mountain Mike attempted to help the Colorado Kid, but Cactus Jack and Fargo slammed Mike into the Kid's leg, allowing Jack to score the pinfall victory. A rematch was quickly signed as a Steel Cage match to prevent Fargo from interfering. He remained champion for three weeks before dropping the belt back to The Colorado Kid the following month.
On April 24, Dick Murdoch made a special appearance teaming with Smothers, and representing the Southern United States, defeated The Spiders. Local wrestlers Rick Burton and Steve Stratton were under the masks as the original team, now known as The Headbangers, were recruited by Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Tommy Rich also left for SMW after defeating David Haskins in a Loser Leaves Town match in Jonesboro on June 19. Weeks later, the original Spiders made their last OMW appearance joining The Colorado Kid to defeat Giant Warrior, Bull Pain and Motley Cruz. The Wrestling Observer speculated low payouts were the reason for these departures as was OMW's inability to attract major stars.
Despite this, OMW's weekly tv show was expanded to one hour in the in Jonesboro and Little Rock areas. The show was also in negotiations with WATL out of Atlanta, Georgia to be part of a 5-hour pro wrestling block that would include Extreme Championship Wrestling, the North Georgia Wrestling Alliance, Smoky Mountain Wrestling and United States Wrestling Association. Prentice also announced plans for a major supercard celebrating OMW's first anniversary. Missy Hyatt was brought in to manage The Iron Sheik in the main event against The Colorado Kid. The show was originally scheduled for July 31 but it was postponed to August 5. Many of the wrestlers advertised failed to appear on the night of the show including the headline attraction The Iron Sheik. USWA regulars Rex King, Steve Doll, Pat Tanaka, Jerry Faith and Miss Texas were prevented from participating due to the ongoing OMW-USWA promotional war. The sole exception was Buddy Wayne, who was then driving USWA's ring truck. Prentice was forced to make last-minutes changes to the lineup as a result. Missy Hyatt instead managed several of the "heel" performers, Dutch Mantel and Rip Rogers were brought in, and The Colorado Kid defeated Bull Pain in a Steel Cage match. The event included special guest appearances from Superstars of Wrestling hosts Joe Pedecino and Boni Blackstone, as well as the original Treach Phillips. Phillips, then 65-years-old and in a wheelchair, made his last in-ring appearance at the show. OMW earned $6,500 in ticket sales from an attendance of 800.
That fall, Prentice was able to weather another setback when OMW Tag Team Champions, The Moondogs, left the promotion. He successfully negotiated the return of The Spiders, who agreed to spilt their time between OMW and SMW, and managed to lure away Bill Dundee among other USWA talent. A longtime booker for the Memphis territory, Dundee was quickly given control of the day-to-day operations. The close of Smoky Mountain Wrestling in November 1995 saw its former roster being enlisted in the war between OMW and the USWA. Extreme Championship Wrestling wrestler Chad Austin also joined the promotion.
OMW soon won control of Evansville, Indiana, a longtime USWA stronghold, holding its first show at the Evansville Arena on November 8, 1995, and its programming aired Friday nights on Channel 14.
North American All-Star Wrestling (1995-1996) In December 1995, Prentice decided to relocate Ozark Mountain from Arkansas to Indiana with the promotion being renamed North American All-Star Wrestling. The first shows under the NAASW banner were held West Memphis, Arkansas on November 28 and Evansville on November 29, 1995. Tommy Rich was brought back to the promotion while more USWA talent defected to Prentice: Steve Doll, Spellbinder, Tasha Simone and Pat Tanaka. Rich made his official return on December 13, 1995, teaming with Bill Dundee to defeat Rip Rogers and Bonecrusher Lewis via disqualification.
During the last week of 1995, Prentice enjoyed the best week in company's history. The promotion earned $10,952 with five live events held in four different states: two in Jonesboro and one each in Evansville, Madisonville, Kentucky, and Kennett, Missouri. Over the next few months, NAASW featured The Honky Tonk Man, Dutch Mantel, Tracy Smothers, Ricky Morton, Butch Reed and Sapphire. The war with the USWA continued with a preliminary wrestler, "Stin ky Hale", appearing at a December 28th NAASW show in Madisonville, which was alleged to be a reference to then USWA booker Randy Hales. However, Prentice and Hales came to an understanding soon afterwards. USWA wrestlers were allowed to compete in both promotions and they agreed to advertise each others live events in their respective tv shows. Bill Dundee made his USWA return giving a "worked shoot" on Memphis tv beginning a "NAASW vs. USWA" angle.
Music City Wrestling (1997-1999)
Territorial reach Prentice initially ran events in northeastern Arkansas, promoting weekly shows in Jonesboro, Blytheville, Wynne and Paragould, and regular shows at the ASU Armory. This was an area traditionally part of the Memphis wrestling territory and was then controlled by the United States Wrestling Association. This put Prentice in direct competition with USWA promoters Jerry Jarrett and Jerry "The King" Lawler as Prentice expanded his operations resulting in a three-year promotional war.
Starting in 1995, the promotion began airing a weekly television series. Within two years, "Music City Wrestling" was being broadcast on over 140 stations throughout the U.S. and was also available via internet television. At the time, it was one of the few independent promotions to have nationally syndicated programming.
With the USWA's close in November 1997, MCW moved into what was once part of the Nashville wrestling territory while Power Pro Wrestling took control of the Memphis end of the territory. It also revived the Saturday night shows held by the USWA at Nashville's Tennnessee State Fairgrounds Sports Arena.
At its height, Music City's core territory included northeastern Arkansas, southern Indiana and central Tennessee, and promoted as far as southern Illinois and southeast Missouri, and at least one show at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center in Dalton, Georgia.
Notable talent The promotion featured a number of wrestlers who were mainstays on the Southeastern independent circuit and as well as former stars from the United States Wrestling Association. These included The Colorado Kid, Chris Champion, Doug Gilbert, Flash Flanagan, Thrillbilly, Steven Dunn, Jesse James Armstrong, Reno Riggins, Billy Joe Travis, Frenchy Riviera, The Centerfolds (Kenny Arden & John Arden) and PG-13 (J. C. Ice and Wolfie D). The Colorado Kid, a one-time former USWA World Heavyweight Champion, was initially featured as the company's top star. PG-13, who held the USWA World Tag Team Championship multiples times, split up in MCW with Wolfie D forming the "MCW Blacksheep" with Flanagan.
Music City Wrestling also showcased younger wrestlers many of whom would later be picked up by national wrestling promotions, including Air Paris, Adam Pierce, Andy Anderson, Giant Warrior, Lita, Justin St. John, Nick Dinsmore Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, and the Bad Street Boys (Christian York and Joey Matthews).
MCW was one of two Tennessee area promotions, along with Memphis-based Power Pro Wrestling, actively scouted by the World Wrestling Federation for up and coming talent. The WWF also used both promotions as a training ground for its developmental wrestlers and allowed the WWF roster to perform on major shows. Among these included Brakkus, Mabel, Al Snow and Jerry "The King" Lawler. MCW wrestlers occasionally appeared on WWF television, typically in dark matches or cameo roles, when holding shows in the Nashville area.
Christine Jarrett and Sara Lee, both key figures in the old Memphis wrestling territory, were quickly hired by Prentice after they were fired by the USWA. Prentice credited Jarrett for being able to access to the Nashville Fairgrounds. They both held a number of roles both behind the scenes and Sara Lee, an ex-wrestler for NWA Mid-America, made her last in-ring appearance in a match against Burt Prentice.
Style and controversy
Well Dunn (Timothy Well and Steven Dunn) briefly reunited in MCW where Dunn turned on his longtime partner to form a new team with Reno Riggins. The Tennessee Volunteers went on to win the NWA North American Tag Team Championship several times in 1998 and 1998.
National Wrestling Alliance In 1997, Music City Wrestling joined the National Wrestling Alliance. MCW's co-promoter Bill Behrens was an outspoken advocate for the NWA building major stars with national recognition. As part of this effort, Behrens announced his plans to change MCW's weekly television show, which he claimed reached a potential audience of 40 million people via syndication, to an NWA-branded wrestling show.
A poll conducted by PWI in December 1997 showed 48% of wrestling fans believed Music City could replace the USWA as a strong regional promotion.
The next year, MCW-NWA tv tapings moved from the Nashville Fairgrounds to the EXPO Center in Smyrna, Tennessee. On April 13, 1998, Bert Prentice announced he had sold his 75% ownership of MCW to Bill Behrens and a group of investors. Prentice agreed to remain with the promotion for another few months as an advisor.
On June 6, 1998, Jackie Fargo, Ole Anderson, Harley Race, Corsica Joe, and Jerry Jarrett were honored at Music City show at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Fargo later served as the cornerman for The Colorado Kid in match against Wolfie D in the main event, and both wrestlers did the famous "Fargo Strut" after his victory.
By July 1998, the promotion was running 20 live events a month. In addition to the Nashville Fairgrounds, weekly shows were also held at the Music City Mix factory and the Lebanon National Guard Armory.