The World Wrestling Network was a short-lived National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated professional wrestling promotion which was owned by promoter Jim Crockett, Jr., his last attempt to rebuild a national wrestling promotion after selling Jim Crockett Promotions to Ted Turner in 1988. As part of a no-compete clause agreement he signed with Turner, Crockett was unable to promote professional wrestling events for three years.
In 1993, he began contacting former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation veterans such as Road Warrior Hawk, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Paul Heyman. Heyman, who had recently left on bad terms with WCW, eventually became head booker for the promotion although he and Crockett would eventually part ways due to his commitments to then Eastern Championship Wrestling[1] and ECW's eventual breakaway from the National Wrestling Alliance.
Holding its first event in Killeen, Texas in August 1993, the show proved moderately successful with 2,156 in attendance. The following year, the promotion held its first televised event at the Manhattan Center in New York City on February 27, 1994 which featured Road Warrior Hawk and Jake Roberts as well as Public Enemy, Sabu, Terry Funk, Shane Douglas and Missy Hyatt in her first appearance since being fired by WCW.
Both Crockett and Heyman had hoped to provide a unique concept of producing televised matches in high definition television via internet broadcast, using much of ECW's television production and other resources to do so (this is one of the reasons that Eddie Gilbert resigned his position as head booker and left the promotion in September 1993), however, the event was the only HDTV-television taping broadcast and eventually Crockett closed the promotion by the end of the year. |
July 30, 1993 in Ft. Hood, TX Black Bart pinned Steve Dane (10:00). Mike Davis pinned Johnny Rotten. John Tatum pinned Bill Irwin. The Kimodo Dragons (Dean Malenko & Ted Petty) beat Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond (37:00) in three falls. Jake Roberts pinned Bob Orton, Jr. (34:00). Gary Young NC Mario Savoldi (Ted Petty). Road Warrior Hawk pinned The Convict (Kevin Wacholtz). Note: This was the first Crockett show since the sale of WCW to Turner. Technically the show was not promoted by Crockett since his non-compete term had not expired.
World Wrestling Network in New York This was a high-profile televised event, featuring a number of former NWA/WCW and WWF wrestlers as well as from Heyman's Eastern Championship Wrestling promotion, which took place at the Manhattan Center in New York City on February 28, 1994.
Jake "The Snake" Roberts defeated "Cowboy" Bob Orton Knight was disqualified when he refused to take off his jacket to wrestle Watson. The Convict defeated Mikey Watson by submission Scherer pinned Roberts after outside interference by Sherri Martel and Shane Douglas. Terry Funk and Sabu (with Paul E. Dangerously) fought to a double-disqualification |