Special National Wrestling Alliance Meeting
February 18-19, 1950
Kansas City, Missouri
Commonwealth Hotel

NWA Secretary-Treasurer Sam Muchnick announced an "important meeting" in a bulletin to
members on February 8, 1950.  He explained that the meeting would "be concerned mostly
with Midwestern matters, it is important that as many of you as can should be there."  Two
days later, Pinkie George sent out a missive to the membership, stating that the Kansas
City meeting was "really very important," and for "Haft, Stecher, Kohler, Siegel, Avey,
Muchnick-Thesz, Clayton, Christy, Light, it is a positive MUST." George stated that "we
intend to hash out all problems of the middle West."

At the meeting, Ed "Strangler" Lewis and his role in the National Wrestling Alliance was
discussed.  It was decided that Lewis shouldn't just appear in towns as a referee for
members, but could "just be in the big towns when the champion appears to help the
shows."  There was an expressed opinion that Lewis wasn't helping their territory at all when
he came in, while other members said that he was aiding their operations.  More was going
to have to be discussed at the annual convention later in the year.

The Dubuque situation was also resolved during this meeting, although it was said
previously that the matter was hashed out in late 1949 between George and Clayton.

By June 1950, it was reported that the decisions made in Kansas City were already being
violated.

Special National Wrestling Alliance Meeting
January 5-6, 1952

In a letter to Pinkie George dated December 11, 1951, Sam Muchnick explained that this
meeting "will mean whether the Alliance will remain as a big organization or whether it will
break up into camps.  I hope the latter doesn't happen as I know what wars cost -- very
costly.  But if everyone can't come to their senses and work in harmony and understanding,
then sides will have to be chosen."

Special National Wrestling Alliance Meeting
November 8-9, 1953
Chicago, Illinois
Morrison Hotel

In Attendance:  Tony Stecher, Sam Avey, Jim Crockett, Morris Sigel, Ed Don George, Pinkie
George, Max Clayton, "Toots" Mondt, Al Haft, Orville Brown, Leonard Schwartz, Fred Kohler,
Billy Wolfe, and Sam Muchnick.

A special meeting of NWA members was called to Chicago to discuss the matter of Verne
Gagne being billed as the United States Heavyweight Champion on the DuMont Network.

This meeting was originally scheduled for October 25-26, 1953, but changed to November
8-9.  The first portion of the meetings took place on November 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the
Morrison Hotel, and the second on November 9 at 11:00 a.m.

A special president's committee was made up of Sam Avey, Tony Stecher, Jim Crockett,
Morris Sigel.  Eddie Quinn was originally selected, but had to withdraw because of other
business.

Fred Kohler recommended that some members sitting in on the meetings be individuals in
territories that receive the DuMont Network wrestling show.  NWA President Sam Muchnick
agreed, and members of that special committee were Pinkie George, Max Clayton, Ed Don
George, and Frank Tunney.  However, Frank Tunney was sick, and unable to attend.  
"Toots" Mondt agreed to replace him.  Sigel was unanimously chosen as the chairman of
both committees.

Muchnick explained the entire controversy involving Kohler's billing of Verne Gagne as the
United Stated Heavyweight Champion and the problems it was causing the NWA and Lou
Thesz, the recognized world heavyweight champion.  There was confusion amongst many
fans of who really was the number one heavyweight, and some were even wondering when
Gagne toppled Thesz.  Muchnick didn't want this issue to break up the NWA, nor continue
to degrade the organization's integrity.  The heat building up between Thesz and Gagne
and Thesz and Kohler was also becoming problematic.  A peaceful resolution would bring
everyone back onto the same page, and end the verbal sparring going on in recent
correspondence and in the press.

After much debate, a compromise was reached that in the future, the DuMont Network and
Kohler would bill Gagne as the "United States Heavyweight Television or TV Champion." All
members were pleased with the decision.

On November 9, WGN-TV General Manager Frank Schreiber and Jack Brickhouse were
supposed to be in attendance - but neither had to show because the agreements settled
upon on November 8 made it unnecessary to meet the following day.

At the end of the meeting, Muchnick thanked the members "who spent their time and their
money to make trips to Chicago in the interest of professional wrestling, and in the interest
of our organization."















Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 9, 2010
National Wrestling Alliance Special Meetings