USA vs. NWA

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USA vs. NWA was a court case in Des Moines , Iowa, in 1956. After numerous complaints against the National Wrestling Alliance had been received by the FBI in early 1953 , a decision was made there against them.

Indictment

For example, the Los Angeles FBI turned the matter over to the California Attorney's Office, and it was brought before Assistant Attorney General Stanley Nelson Barnes . This commissioned Stanley Disney to proceed against the NWA and to begin with the local NWA representative Johnny Doyle . Doyle knew very well about the internal process of the NWA and on February 25th, in consultation with Disney, he revealed to the prosecutor some confidential facts about the respective practice of the individual promoters with regard to the recruitment of members and the associated NWA expansion. Doyle also admitted that in January 1954 he had personally received the order from the NWA leadership to eliminate Lutze and take over Southern California for the NWA. Doyle also mentioned intimidating Charles Moto, who ultimately refused to run for Frank Pasquale . Moto was threatened personally by Sam Muchnick , following an objection from NWA promoter Hugh Nicols , that Moto's performance in Southern California would result in his being blocked in all NWA regions .

First regulatory restrictions

On April 19, 1956, the US government declared that the National Wrestling Alliance would withdraw from all boxing organizations in the United States and that a central sports authority would now have oversight over them. The boxing organization International Boxing Club operated by the NWA was closed. That was a heavy blow to the NWA board. Most of the members represented in it, such as Tony Stecher or Sam Muchnick, operated boxing organizations that were more lucrative than the corresponding wrestling departments and those united in the IBC. As a result, the NWA was hit financially and many promoters began to rethink.

Sam Muchnick, for his part, let it be spread that the United States had "declared war" on the NWA and that the National Wrestling Alliance would act against it. The declared goal of the then NWA leadership was to take control of the US boxing system in addition to market leadership in wrestling. On July 10, 1956, NWA President Sam Muchnick and an attorney hired by the NWA went to Washington, DC and spoke to federal authorities. There they made various suggestions, which were not accepted by the authorities.

The process

On October 15, 1956, the trial "United States of America versus National Wrestling Alliance" took place in Des Moines, Iowa. Prosecutor was Attorney General William F. Riley . The NWA has now been charged with violating Sections I and II of the Shireman Act (“Suppression” and “Monopoly” in Sport). Riley provided the court with masses of FBI documents denouncing the NWA in California and Iowa by independent promoters . Numerous statements were also submitted by wrestlers accusing the NWA in writing of hindering them in their profession. For example, the wrestlers Jack O'Brien and Roy Graham , who were banned in Texas by NWA promoter Ed McLemore in 1953 with an entry in the regional blackbook .

End of process and consequences

It makes sense that William Riley confronted the NWA leadership with its own history. The NWA was founded in Iowa because the promoters of the National Wrestling Association had not agreed with the authoritarian and syndicate-like leadership style of the Tom Pack . And now the NWA is practicing exactly the same regarding its competition. Prosecutor Riley had just been able to get the jury on his side with this statement, as the NWA defense could not contradict this and the evidence was clear.

The National Wrestling Alliance lost the process and their boxing organizations either had to be closed or placed under state control authorities and thus separated or independent from the NWA. All NWA regulations were made binding for all wrestling promotions in 1956 and the NWA was thus deprived of the basis to hinder other promotions in its field. It was also noted that the local NWA representative should be informed if an independent promotion was organized; thus the territorial principle of the NWA was de facto preserved. However, she was now prohibited from banning or preventing events.

With this verdict, the National Wrestling Alliance was deprived of its monopoly position and from 1957, shortly after the verdict was pronounced, its star slowly began to decline.

literature

  • Tim Hornbaker: National Wrestling Alliance. The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling . ECW Press, Toronto 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-741-3 .