NWA Mid-America was a professional wrestling promotion territory under the umbrella of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that promoted shows in Tennessee , Kentucky and Alabama from the 1940s until 1981. The company was founded in the 1940s by Nick Gulas and Roy Welch and was one of the first promotions to join the NWA after it was founded in 1948. From 1953 until late 1974, John Cazana promoted the Knoxville area and Joe Gunther promoted the Birmingham area from around 1940 until some point in the 1970s. In 1977, promoter Jerry Jarrett and wrestler Jerry Lawler broke away from NWA Mid-America, breaking the Memphis area off to start on the own under the name the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA). Mid-America stopped promoting in 1981 and the CWA took over most of their territory as well as some of the championships promoted by NWA Mid-America
22-801: In the 1940s, wrestler and promoter Roy Welch started promoting shows on a regular basis in and around Memphis, Tennessee and would later be joined by Nick Gulas who had been promoting shows in Florida between 1945 and 1947 before joining with Welch to create the Gulas Welch Enterprises Inc. company in the mid 1940s as they began promoting shows primarily in Memphis and Nashville with occasional shows in Chattanooga , Jackson , Louisville, Kentucky , Lexington, Kentucky , Bowling Green, Kentucky . They also worked with Joe Gunther,
44-498: A former wrestler), who had made a complaint against them with the United States Department of Justice for obstructing his attempts to promote professional wrestling in opposition to them. In the 1960s, Welch hired Jerry Jarrett as an office assistant; Jarrett eventually became the booker for the Memphis area of Welch's territory, taking over from Welch as his health declined. Welch retired from promoting in
66-497: A host of other teams were regulars. In the mid-1970s, the territory was split as Memphis promoter Jerry Jarrett broke away from the Mid-America territory due to disagreements over how Gulas was promoting his son George Gulas , pushing him as one of the top names in the promotion despite not being very talented in the ring. Many of the wrestlers in the promotion were upset at Nick Gulas for over-booking his son George Gulas in
88-435: A host of other teams were regulars. In the mid-1970s, the territory was split as Memphis promoter Jerry Jarrett broke away from the Mid-America territory due to disagreements over how Gulas was promoting his son George Gulas , pushing him as one of the top names in the promotion despite not being very talented in the ring. Many of the wrestlers in the promotion were upset at Nick Gulas for over-booking his son George Gulas in
110-724: A promoter working out of Birmingham, Alabama to expand their promotion into Alabama as well as occasional shows in Mississippi , Ohio , West Virginia , Missouri , Georgia and North Carolina . In 1949, The group joined the National Wrestling Alliance , a national sanctioning body that divided the US into territories. The promotion became known as the NWA Mid-America. In 1953, they added Knoxville, Tennessee to their territory as promoter John Cazana joined
132-562: The NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship . This also meant that a host of well known tag teams either worked in NWA Mid-America on a regular basis or passed through the territory at one point, teams such as The Von Brauners , The Interns, The Infernos, The Bounty Hunters, Tojo Yamamoto and Jerry Jarrett , The Heavenly Bodies (Don and Al Green), Bobby Hart and Lorenzo Parente , The Fabulous Kangaroos , Jerry Lawler and Jim White , The Fabulous Fargos, and
154-471: The NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship . This also meant that a host of well known tag teams either worked in NWA Mid-America on a regular basis or passed through the territory at one point, teams such as The Von Brauners , The Interns, The Infernos, The Bounty Hunters, Tojo Yamamoto and Jerry Jarrett , The Heavenly Bodies (Don and Al Green), Bobby Hart and Lorenzo Parente , The Fabulous Kangaroos , Jerry Lawler and Jim White , The Fabulous Fargos, and
176-442: The National Wrestling Alliance , a national sanctioning body that divided the US into territories. The promotion became known as the NWA Mid-America. In 1953, they added Knoxville, Tennessee to their territory as promoter John Cazana joined the group. The group recognized a number of NWA "World" Championships that were shared across the territories as well as promoting their own NWA branded championships that were mainly defended in
198-535: The 1930s, he was a prominent tag team wrestler alongside his brother Herb Welch. The Welch brothers were recognized as the inaugural NWA Mid-America AWA Southern Tag Team Champions in 1943. Welch won the title a second time with Eddie Gossett in 1950, then twice more with Herb Welch in 1952. In 1944, the Welch brothers were recognized as the NWA World Tag Team Champions . They vacated
220-640: The 1970s due to ill health. In 1977, shortly before Welch's death, NWA Mid-America was split in two after Jerry Jarrett broke away from Nick Gulas following a business dispute, with Welch siding with Jarrett. In addition to promoting, Welch owned a large dairy farm in Gibson County, Tennessee and a herd of Poland China pigs. Welch had multiple relatives who became professional wrestlers, including his brothers Herb, Jack, and Lester, his son Buddy, and his grandsons Jimmy Golden , Robert Fuller , and Ron Fuller . Welch died on September 27, 1977, at
242-469: The CWA took over most of their territory as well as some of the championships promoted by NWA Mid-America In the 1940s, wrestler and promoter Roy Welch started promoting shows on a regular basis in and around Memphis, Tennessee and would later be joined by Nick Gulas who had been promoting shows in Florida between 1945 and 1947 before joining with Welch to create the Gulas Welch Enterprises Inc. company in
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#1732782489941264-535: The CWA. These are the results of the last known NWA Mid-America show held on September 13, 1980. Roy Welch Roy Edward Welch (December 19, 1901 – September 27, 1977) was an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is best known as the promoter of the NWA Mid-America territory (also known simply as the Nashville office) alongside Nick Gulas . Welch began wrestling in 1930. During
286-466: The Mid-America territory. Over the years tag team wrestling became very popular in the Mid-America territory leading to seven different tag team championships being recognized at the same time in the 1970s by NWA Mid-America: NWA World Tag Team Championship , NWA United States Tag Team Championship , NWA Southern Tag Team Championship , NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship , NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship , NWA Kentucky Tag Team Championship and
308-551: The NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship. Welch retired from professional wrestling in 1961. Welch began promoting in the 1940s, establishing the Nashville office with Nick Gulas . Welch and Gulas' territory spanned Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In 1949, Welch and Gulas joined the National Wrestling Alliance . Their promotion was known as NWA Mid-America . In
330-591: The age of 75 in the Trenton Memorial Hospital in Trenton, Tennessee . NWA Mid-America NWA Mid-America was a professional wrestling promotion territory under the umbrella of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that promoted shows in Tennessee , Kentucky and Alabama from the 1940s until 1981. The company was founded in the 1940s by Nick Gulas and Roy Welch and was one of
352-669: The early-1950s, Welch acquired the Mobile - Pensacola ( Gulf Coast ) end of Leroy McGuirk 's Tri-State Wrestling promotion, turning it into its own promotion. Due to Welch's commitments in Nashville, his son Buddy Fuller (Edward Welch) was appointed booker for Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. Welch sold his interest in the promotion to Lee Fields in 1959–1960, who rebranded the promotion Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling . In 1960, Welch and Gulas were charged with conspiring to stop an investigation of their business practices, having allegedly made payments to Senator Estes Kefauver (himself
374-407: The extremely profitable Memphis half of the territory. At this point Roy Welch retired from promotion, leaving Nick Gulas as the man in charge of a dwindling territory. With Gulas' insistence on pushing his son and Jarrett's Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) becoming very popular led to a drop in ticket sales and by 1981, Gulas closed the promotion and sold the territory and its championships to
396-407: The extremely profitable Memphis half of the territory. At this point Roy Welch retired from promotion, leaving Nick Gulas as the man in charge of a dwindling territory. With Gulas' insistence on pushing his son and Jarrett's Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) becoming very popular led to a drop in ticket sales and by 1981, Gulas closed the promotion and sold the territory and its championships to
418-786: The first promotions to join the NWA after it was founded in 1948. From 1953 until late 1974, John Cazana promoted the Knoxville area and Joe Gunther promoted the Birmingham area from around 1940 until some point in the 1970s. In 1977, promoter Jerry Jarrett and wrestler Jerry Lawler broke away from NWA Mid-America, breaking the Memphis area off to start on the own under the name the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA). Mid-America stopped promoting in 1981 and
440-661: The group. The group recognized a number of NWA "World" Championships that were shared across the territories as well as promoting their own NWA branded championships that were mainly defended in the Mid-America territory. Over the years tag team wrestling became very popular in the Mid-America territory leading to seven different tag team championships being recognized at the same time in the 1970s by NWA Mid-America: NWA World Tag Team Championship , NWA United States Tag Team Championship , NWA Southern Tag Team Championship , NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship , NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship , NWA Kentucky Tag Team Championship and
462-468: The mid 1940s as they began promoting shows primarily in Memphis and Nashville with occasional shows in Chattanooga , Jackson , Louisville, Kentucky , Lexington, Kentucky , Bowling Green, Kentucky . They also worked with Joe Gunther, a promoter working out of Birmingham, Alabama to expand their promotion into Alabama as well as occasional shows in Mississippi , Ohio , West Virginia , Missouri , Georgia and North Carolina . In 1949, The group joined
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#1732782489941484-538: The titles in 1946 after Herb Welch was injured in a car accident . In 1949, the Welch brothers were recognised as the inaugural NWA Tennessee Tag Team Champions after defeating Art Nelson and Earl Knielson. In 1949, the Welch brothers won the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling NWA Southern Tag Team Championship , holding the title until 1951. In 1956, Roy Welch and Chris Tolos won
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