National Wrestling Alliance History
Wrestling promoters throughout history have found ways to collaborate with each other to make their individual businesses run more effectively. Trading talent was a major factor in these types of agreements, but a general lack of trust in their peers led most of these partnerships to disaster. The famed "Trust" (1933-1936) was probably the most succesful cartel, while the National Wrestling Association was fashioned by bureaucrats. By 1940, St. Louis promoter Tom Packs maneuvered his way to become the top "private" promoter in charge the latter organization, and controlled that strain of the World Heavyweight Title. His friendship with the Association's heirarchy and connections to the Missouri Athletic Commission were two important reasons why Packs rose to the rank of wrestling "czar."
 Packs's domination was not pleasing to a number of independent-minded promoters, and maybe not so surprsingly, two versions of the "National Wrestling Alliance" grew out of that fact. The first one arrived on the Central States scene in January 1941 when brothers Billy Sandow and Max Baumann launched their promotional entity from Wichita. The two products of Rochester had been involved in wrestling for decades, most notably with Sandow's management of Ed "Strangler" Lewis, and were well known critics of Packs. With a tough shooter in former Olympian Roy Dunn and affiliated promoters in Topeka, Great Bend, Salina, and parts of Oklahoma and Nebraska, the duo's "Alliance" had enough credibility to make decent money. Their efforts were successful on their independent stage, but failed to muster any national headlines - especially with major wrestlers avoiding their circuit.
By 1943, Sandow and Baumann had moved their championship to Ede Ebner, a Hungarian grappler using the guise "Ede Virag." Virag went to Iowa and Nebraska points during the summer and the simple words "National Wrestling Alliance" were impressed on both fans and promoters. One wise businessman was extraordinarily struck by that promotional name, Pinkie George of Des Moines. George, following service during the war, decided to utilize that phrase for his own promotion locally, and booked former National Wrestling Association champion Ray Steele as the "National Wrestling Alliance" champion for his clubs in Iowa. Virag went back to his stomping grounds in Kansas as the Alliance titleholder, while Steele dropped his championship to Midwest Wrestling Association champion Dave Levin, who, in turn, lost both titles to Lee Wykoff. Finally, on August 16, 1944, Orville Brown beat Wykoff in Kansas City to become duel champion - the MWA king in Kansas City and the NWA titleholder in Iowa.
The title situation, really, was secondary to the deals going on behind-the-scenes and the partnerships being solidified. Brown, who booked Kansas City for promoter George Simpson, became good friends with Pinkie George, and both men were on good terms with Minneapolis veteran Tony Stecher. Max Clayton of Omaha was the fourth wheel of their tight knit group, and between their four cities, talented moved back and forth regularly. Three of the four cities featured a local heavyweight champion, and only George used the name "National Wrestling Alliance." It wasn't until 1948 that the quartet united to use that standard phrase.
 To make it clear, George, Stecher, Brown and Clayton were wrestling "bookers," individuals who sent wrestlers to specific towns for appearances. For their services, they would receive a percentage of any shows they provided workers for. Bookers, not promoters, was what the expanded form of the National Wrestling Alliance consisted of. At the same time, bookers could, and usually did, act as promoters. For example, Stecher booked to cities throughout Minnesota and into parts of the Dakotas and Manitoba. He was also the promoter on record in Minneapolis. Brown booked to cities throughout Kansas and parts of Western Missouri. He did not hold a promoter's license, but worked closely with Kansas City promoter George Simpson. Joe "Toots" Mondt was another guy who rarely held a promoter's license. The National Wrestling Alliance was made up of interlocking booking offices.
A private organization being run with an imaginative list of rules was quite attractive to bookers across the nation and by the end of the 1940s, nearly every big-time wrestling businessman was affiliated with the group. That included Paul Bowser, Fred Kohler, and Johnny Doyle. Their annual conventions were full of crude discussion, angry disputes, and thorough planning on how they could further close off their cartel from outsiders. Talk of blackballing wrestlers who worked for non-members was repeatedly brought up and considerations were given to choke out any rival promoter running in the territory of an affiliate. Not only were these debates going on, but actions were being taken on a daily basis.
The St. Louis office received numerous applications by aspiring bookers and/or promoters looking for relief, and hoping to join the elite clique. More than 90% were denied as members had expanded to all points, claiming cities as their own, and refusing to give up their prized land.
The nefarious actions were stunning, but the wrestling business, in a whole, benefitted from the growth of the National Wrestling Alliance. Wrestling had been a disorganized sport for years and individual promoters seemed to relish in having local champions available on a week-by-week basis. The NWA targeted the different championship claims, hoping to narrow the field down to a singular titleholder. This movement gave the recognized champ respect and built a great deal of credibility. Fans responded.
It was the hard work of local bookers and promoters that helped reenergize the business during the early 1950s. While some cities like St. Louis and Los Angeles had successful runs during the 1940s, a majority of towns were faltering. Using television exposure to their advantage, NWA members saw a terrific upswing in attendance, only heightening their annual revenue and eventually drawing more attention from Government officials. With so much money floating around, there was enough to line certain pockets, but other officials were determined to make changes within wrestling.
Verne Gagne, Ray Gunkel, Don Beitleman, Mike DiBiase, and Dick Hutton were among the fine collegiate grapplers to go pro during the late 1940s and early 1950s, adding very credible athletes to a sport known for it's characters. NWA leaders advised their associates to utilize the talented crop of grapplers, pushing their amateur achievements, and enthusiasts were thrilled. Lou Thesz was still the industry's hardest working man and delivering in all territories, and members saw no reason to make a change at the heavyweight level.
The Department of Justice investigation was going to define the NWA's role in the business for years to come, if there was any organization left. It was all going to be left in the hands of a few Government attornies and ultimately a Federal Judge. Sam Muchnick and others worked their magic behind-the-scenes, and in 1956, a decision was rendered that was to silence their monopolistic activities. The NWA was not forced to disband.
There were other problems within the organization and some individuals previously affiliated with the group were finding a host of reasons to distance themselves from the NWA. A decline in popularity didn't help, neither did a bold decision in 1957 that backfired. Wrestler Sonny Myers exposed the Central States leg of the NWA monopoly and sued founder Pinkie George. They had many opportunities to mend their differences, but a lengthy legal battle was in the cards. Myers, a well traveled and accomplished journeyman, claimed he lost money while blacklisted and was prepared to tell all to a jury of his peers in Federal Court. The Alliance, also named in the suit as a defendant, sent reinforcements to Iowa to defend it's reputation, but the negative press could do nothing but hurt the business.
The downward spiral continued to sink the organization and Captiol Wrestling exposed weaknesses in the system with their lopsided booking of heavyweight champion "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. Aggravating an already tender situation, Capitol used Rogers extensively throughout their territory and the favoritism compelled many die hard members to act outside the By-Laws to get their local needs met. Lou Thesz received the nod in early 1963 and that decision, coupled with Muchnick returning to the helm, helped give the NWA a new momentum that was drawing bookers into the union rather than turning them away.
National Wrestling Alliance Past Presidents
National Wrestling Alliance Territories
National Wrestling Alliance Committees
National Wrestling Alliance Meeting Minutes
Department of Justice Investigation
Department of Justice Investigation Timeline
Department of Justice Principals
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