When did you realize the USWA was in trouble?

[Kenneth Coker]

I realized the company was in deep trouble when James Beard showed up in front of the "tape library" showing pretaped matches from weeks before. I think that and the fact that the USWA cancelled a card that was supposed to be done up here in Martin, TN around that time was one of the signs that things were going downhill.

In their final year, they also did a card up in Dresden, TN in the old Junior High gym, and I'd say maybe 100-200 folks showed up. It looked like the crowd for an outlaw promotion rather than a real wrestling company..

I guess that could be attributed to the fact that the USWA wasn't viewed in Dresden due to the town being one of the few around here not on Charter Cable (then known as CableVision or something like that).

Either way, the crowd was way down from the year before when probably 500-600 packed the high school gymnasium in Dresden to see Jerry Lawler take on Brian Christopher.

Lawler was working heel at that time, and I believe if the USWA had put the strap on Brian with Lawler as the heel, they may have done better numbers in Memphis too.

I mean as Bret Hart said, the hero can only save the girl so many times from the railroad tracks before it gets boring, and I think Lawler reached that point.

[markdi]

Hey I was born in Martin and my dads side of the family still live in Dresden ;D

Mark

[Gwren]

USWA was in trouble when Larry Burton ( real name: Larry Bertman) showed up on the scene he tried to make way to many changes there at the end. Till this day Lawler, and Bertman, still remains as friends.

USWA was actually dead once they switched over from 10:30 a.m. to 12 midnight on Saturdays.

Just what everyone wanted to see on the last USWA show Glen Jacobs ( Doomsday a.k.a. Kane I want get into all his gimmicks lol) crashing through a wall after losing the USWA Heavyweight Title to Steven Dunn, where Jacobs masked also came off as well.

George
[e-mail]

[RJC725]

I realized it was in trouble when Gypsy Joe was being pushed. No offence to GJ, but anytime I ever saw Joe in person, he was jobbing out during the 80's, that for me was the uhoh moment for me.

[CWFAN]

When they stopped doing shows at the coliseum and when the WMC tapings ended.Of course the talent pool could've been better.

[PaulN]

When my dad came home and said,"This aint lookin good for the biz son,when they start booking dogfood matches and such,i think they done ran out of idea's."He ref'd for a while more and quit after an argument with "Management".

[briancraig]

I think when they moved out of the Mid-South Coliseum, I knew their days were numbered.

Where else did they hold cards? I know the flea market in Frayser and one of the buildings at the Fairgrounds. Didn't they even have a card in a ghetto gym once?

[llebsirhc]

I think when they resorted to having Michael St. John host the show, they were doomed. Man, he sucked big time. Just look how he is almost asleep in this picture...