WWE: US Championship – A Legacy of Greatness DVD Review: 14 Interesting Observations
6. WWE Try To Re-Write History... AGAIN!
According to this DVD, the final nail in the territorial system's coffin was Ted Turner's purchase of Jim Crockett Promotions - the lead promotion within the NWA - which he later rebranded as World Championship Wrestling.
WCW’s growth and withdrawal from the NWA was essentially the death blow to the territorial system.
Turner used his flagship station WTBS to give WCW a national audience which allowed his new promotion to outgrow the NWA and become the number two power in wrestling after WWE and their success at the early WrestleManias.
However, even though I'm far from a wrestling historian, I know fine well through hearing just about everybody who was around the business at the time say the same thing that Vince McMahon was the one who saw off the territories.
Vince was the one who plucked all the leading stars from the localised promotions, offering them the opportunity of international exposure and more money.
But no, JBL claims that is was Billionaire Ted who saw off the good ol' days... that's just wrong. Ask anybody.