This entry looks at the people who sometimes dont realize the power they hold within the wrestling world: the fans. A recent example of the how the audience can influence the direction of a wrestling company would obviously be Daniel Bryans ascension to the main event of WrestleMania 30 and the WWE world championship. That was a case of a passionate fan base forcing the WWEs hand. But lets go back a little further, before Vince McMahon had really begun to kick his national expansion into high gear, when WWE wasnt the only game in town. It was 1984, and Vince was looking to gobble up all the national television timeslots available for wrestling and approached Ted Turner about purchasing the contract that would grant him the Saturday evening slot for Georgia Championship Wrestling. Billionaire Ted was having none of it and refused the offer, but caused an undeterred McMahon to seek out other options for acquiring the coveted spot on TBS. He offered to buy the promotion outright from owners Jack and Gerry Brisco and Jim Barnett, who took him up on it due to behind the scenes turmoil within the company, primarily caused by difficulties with booker Ole Anderson. WWE replaced the popular GCW and the ratings fell of a cliff. A swarm of fans began calling and writing the station, protesting the change in promotions as well as the loss of beloved announcer Gordon Solie, and the massive amount of dissatisfaction forced Turners hand and he made a switch. Ted brought in both Bill Watts Mid-South promotion as well as a new version of GCW ran by Ole, to counterprogram his own channels programming and both shows buried WWE in the ratings. Losing money and looking for an out, Vince sold his slot to Jim Crockett Promotions, which began airing their own wrestling during the all-important Saturday night spot. That show would go on to become one of the most important two hours of wrestling TV ever, and would eventually evolve into WCW.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
