National Wrestling Alliance Convention

Meeting Location:
Meeting Dates:

Officers:

NWA President: Sam Muchnick
1st Vice President: Ed Don George
2nd Vice President: Leroy McGuirk
Treasurer: Sam Avey
Secretary: Sam Muchnick

Membership Roster:

25 members were present at the convention (3 were absent)

A unanimous decision was reached by members to only recognize a single heavyweight
and junior heavyweight champion after February 1, 1952. That meant all local
titleholders had to be dealt with in some manner, and after that moment, all publicity by
members had to promote official NWA champions. If any booker couldn't comply with this
decision, it was recommended that they withdraw from the organization. "This would save
some embarrassment later," Muchnick noted in a bulletin to the membership.

The NWA membership also voted unanimously that the champion was to receive 15% of
net houses, after all taxes are removed for all of his appearances. From that mount, the
champion was to keep 10%, 2 1/2% was going to Ed "Strangler" Lewis and 2 1/2% was
going to "expenses and upkeep of the president's office." The champion was to receive a
statement from the promoter in each town he appeared, showing the gross house and
the various taxes deducted, according to Muchnick's NWA bulletin. All of these factors
were approved during the convention.

For the junior heavyweight champion, he was to receive 11 per cent of the gross house.
8 per cent was kept by the titleholder, 2 per cent went to Leroy McGuirk, the booker for
the champion, and one per cent went to the NWA President.

Another important agreement was made allowing state or sectional champions
recognized by members. A decision to name a regional champion did not need the
approval of the NWA, but Muchnick told members that "it would be best to inform the
Alliance of such plans whenever possible."

National Wrestling Alliance Committees for 1951-'52:

Heavyweight Championship Committee:

Tony Stecher (chairman)
Morris Sigel
Joe "Toots" Mondt
Johnny Doyle
Fred Kohler
Frank Tunney
Rudy Dusek (alternate)

Junior Heavyweight Championship Committee:

Sam Avey (chairman)
Roy Welch
Hugh Nichols
Dave Reynolds
Al Haft
Don Owen

Rules Committee:

Ed Don George (chairman)
Leonard Schwartz
Orville Brown
Max Clayton
Tex Hager
Paul Jones
Jim Crockett (alternate)

Grievance Committee:

Frank Tunney (chairman)
Joe Malcewicz
Pinkie George
Tony Stecher
Joe "Toots" Mondt
Al Karasick (alternate)

Membership Committee:

Johnny Doyle (chairman)
Harry Light
Larry Tillman
Cowboy Luttrall
Orville Brown
Paul Bowser
Mike London (alternate)

Ed "Strangler" Lewis Committee:

Morris Sigel (chairman)
Cowboy Luttrall
Joe Gunther
Paul Jones
Ed Don George
Sam Avey
Bill Lewis (alternate)

*It was decided that Leroy McGuirk would act as an advisor and counsellor for all NWA
committees when called upon.

Pinkie George sent a letter to Muchnick in November 1951, telling him that he wanted to
be removed from the NWA Board of Directors and from the Grievance Committee. Pinkie
also brought up the fact that Muchnick was now being paid to be the President of the
Alliance, while he didn't get a dime for the job. Muchnick responded on November 26,
1951, and addressed George's comments. There, he admitted: "You know Pinkie, I have
always given you credit for being the organizer of the Alliance." Muchnick stated that he
stuck with George when the latter was president, regardless if he agreed with Pinkie or
not. "I never let you down," he wrote.

Muchnick reminded Pinkie that Pinkie once said that the NWA President's job would one
day be a paying gig, and also stated that three times "I refused the job, even when I knew
there was money in it, yet they drafted me."

On March 24, 1952, Muchnick notified Pedro Martinez via letter that he had "been
elected to membership in the National Wrestling Alliance." Although all votes were not yet
in, the voting favored him 27 to 1. Muchnick was going to notify the membership in his
next bulletin of their newest affiliate in New York City. Martinez, incidentally, was
replacing Joe "Toots" Mondt, who sold the Manhattan Booking Agency to Martinez.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 17, 2010

National Wrestling Alliance Convention - 1951