Forgotten Titles
Chapter Seven: Missouri Heavyweight State Title - The Muchnick Years
#PWHS #Article #ForgottenTitles #FT #NWA #SLWC #Muchnick #Missouri #StLouis
May 16, 1973 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A Decade Of Prestige
It's hard to say that any regional championship within the National Wrestling Alliance had as much prestige as this title. There's very few straps that could be argued as being on it's level. Something that made the title even more special in terms of the territory was that no other regional title was ever sanctioned by Sam Muchnick to be defended within the boundaries of the St. Louis Wrestling Club during Muchnick's time in charge.
So, Who Held It?
The Best Of The Best
After a rather haphazard and ill planned tournament conceived by booker at the time Pat O'Connor, the title ended up around the waist of Harley Race. A minor set back later in the form of a controversial finish to a contest, Johnny Valentine held the strap proudly and started the illustrious journey that would last until Muchnick's retirement.
There really is no controversy during Sam Muchnick's overseeing of the title as it passed from main eventer to fast rising star to main eventer for the better part of the next decade. Just in the first three years it saw Dory Jr. and Terry Funk, and Gene Kiniski hold the title as well as the two previously mentioned wrestlers. Only Johnny Valentine hadn't already held or would go on to hold the NWAlliance World Heavyweight Championship.
Bringing In The Young Blood
Terry Funk and Harley Race had already used the title to catapult themselves into the picture of the NWAlliance's main championship picture. It would be the following five years that really was used to boost star after star, after star. Future top guys such as Bob Backlund, Ken Patera and Ted DiBiase all first came to a real national eye while holding the championship. It provided an opening to the highest platform on which they could go up against established names like Jack Brisco and Dick The Bruiser.
Others like Dick Slater held the title, one of the finest wrestlers of that period. Many would say he should have been a World Heavyweight Champion, it's just that he didn't take the whole thing as serious as some would have liked him to. In my personal opinion when you look at the the Missouri State Heavyweight Championship it's the four year period from Bob Backlund's reign up until Ted DiBiase's second reign that it was at it's most prestigious and highly sought after by wrestlers all over American.
All Good Things Must Come To An End
It's not that the caliber of talent was dropping off by any means, however, Sam had been winding down his active career as a promoter and was having less and less control over the booking. With that many felt the way the title was utilized was not best for business. After DiBiase there would be three more reigns, the last of which started on the night that Sam Muchnick officially retired. During those three reigns in specific, Muchnick had allowed other people to oversee what was going on with the title. Where as before he had pretty much micromanaged it's programs.
Dick The Bruiser picked up the strap for one last hoorah on January 1, 1982 at Sam's retirement show. Going forward the St. Louis Wrestling Club would see Bob Giegel as the majority share holder and the title would see a familiar face, time and time again. The ten years we've just covered are considered by almost everybody as the real highlight of the championships history and possibly even the territory itself. I think it's also worth noting that only once was it vacated and changes always happened cleanly during these years.
It's hard to say that any regional championship within the National Wrestling Alliance had as much prestige as this title. There's very few straps that could be argued as being on it's level. Something that made the title even more special in terms of the territory was that no other regional title was ever sanctioned by Sam Muchnick to be defended within the boundaries of the St. Louis Wrestling Club during Muchnick's time in charge.
So, Who Held It?
The Best Of The Best
After a rather haphazard and ill planned tournament conceived by booker at the time Pat O'Connor, the title ended up around the waist of Harley Race. A minor set back later in the form of a controversial finish to a contest, Johnny Valentine held the strap proudly and started the illustrious journey that would last until Muchnick's retirement.
There really is no controversy during Sam Muchnick's overseeing of the title as it passed from main eventer to fast rising star to main eventer for the better part of the next decade. Just in the first three years it saw Dory Jr. and Terry Funk, and Gene Kiniski hold the title as well as the two previously mentioned wrestlers. Only Johnny Valentine hadn't already held or would go on to hold the NWAlliance World Heavyweight Championship.
Bringing In The Young Blood
Terry Funk and Harley Race had already used the title to catapult themselves into the picture of the NWAlliance's main championship picture. It would be the following five years that really was used to boost star after star, after star. Future top guys such as Bob Backlund, Ken Patera and Ted DiBiase all first came to a real national eye while holding the championship. It provided an opening to the highest platform on which they could go up against established names like Jack Brisco and Dick The Bruiser.
Others like Dick Slater held the title, one of the finest wrestlers of that period. Many would say he should have been a World Heavyweight Champion, it's just that he didn't take the whole thing as serious as some would have liked him to. In my personal opinion when you look at the the Missouri State Heavyweight Championship it's the four year period from Bob Backlund's reign up until Ted DiBiase's second reign that it was at it's most prestigious and highly sought after by wrestlers all over American.
All Good Things Must Come To An End
It's not that the caliber of talent was dropping off by any means, however, Sam had been winding down his active career as a promoter and was having less and less control over the booking. With that many felt the way the title was utilized was not best for business. After DiBiase there would be three more reigns, the last of which started on the night that Sam Muchnick officially retired. During those three reigns in specific, Muchnick had allowed other people to oversee what was going on with the title. Where as before he had pretty much micromanaged it's programs.
Dick The Bruiser picked up the strap for one last hoorah on January 1, 1982 at Sam's retirement show. Going forward the St. Louis Wrestling Club would see Bob Giegel as the majority share holder and the title would see a familiar face, time and time again. The ten years we've just covered are considered by almost everybody as the real highlight of the championships history and possibly even the territory itself. I think it's also worth noting that only once was it vacated and changes always happened cleanly during these years.
List Of Champions: The Muchnick Years
01 - Harley Race, September 16, 1972
// - Vacated, December 16, 1972
02 - Johnny Valentine, January 18, 1973
03 - Terry Funk, February 10, 1973
04 - Gene Kiniski, March 16, 1973
05 - Harley Race, October 13, 1973
06 - Dory Funk Jr., May 24, 1974
07 - Harley Race, February 21, 1975
08 - Bob Backlund, April 23, 1976
09 - Jack Brisco, November 26, 1976
10 - Dick Slater, August 12, 1977
11 - Ted DiBiase, February 11, 1978
12 - Dick Murdoch, February 25, 1978
13 - Dick The Bruiser, July 14, 1978
14 - Dick Murdoch, March 18, 1979
15 - Dick The Bruiser, May 18, 1979
16 - Dick Murdoch, July 13, 1979
17 - Kevin Von Erich, November 2, 1979
18 - Ken Patera, April 25, 1980
19 - Ted DiBiase, November 21, 1980
20 - Jack Brisco, October 2, 1981
21 - Ken Patera, October 23, 1981
22 - Dick The Bruiser, January 1, 1982
01 - Harley Race, September 16, 1972
// - Vacated, December 16, 1972
02 - Johnny Valentine, January 18, 1973
03 - Terry Funk, February 10, 1973
04 - Gene Kiniski, March 16, 1973
05 - Harley Race, October 13, 1973
06 - Dory Funk Jr., May 24, 1974
07 - Harley Race, February 21, 1975
08 - Bob Backlund, April 23, 1976
09 - Jack Brisco, November 26, 1976
10 - Dick Slater, August 12, 1977
11 - Ted DiBiase, February 11, 1978
12 - Dick Murdoch, February 25, 1978
13 - Dick The Bruiser, July 14, 1978
14 - Dick Murdoch, March 18, 1979
15 - Dick The Bruiser, May 18, 1979
16 - Dick Murdoch, July 13, 1979
17 - Kevin Von Erich, November 2, 1979
18 - Ken Patera, April 25, 1980
19 - Ted DiBiase, November 21, 1980
20 - Jack Brisco, October 2, 1981
21 - Ken Patera, October 23, 1981
22 - Dick The Bruiser, January 1, 1982
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Forgotten Titles: Chapter Seven.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: October 28, 2014.
Article: #73.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Forgotten Titles: Chapter Seven.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: October 28, 2014.
Article: #73.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
There were other versions of this title besides the one defended in the St. Louis Wrestling Club both before and after this version.
As with the majority of NWAlliance titles, this was a title that bore the brand, but was not officially sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance board. It was controlled and recognized only by the territory it was from.
As with the majority of NWAlliance titles, this was a title that bore the brand, but was not officially sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance board. It was controlled and recognized only by the territory it was from.
Forgotten Titles: Chapter Eight - Read Here.
Forgotten Titles: Chapter Six - Read Here.
Other articles by Jimmy can be Read Here.