April 21, 2003 Observer Newsletter: Vince McMahon and the dismantling of territorial wrestling
From December 27, 1983, it was evident that pro wrestling was going to be changing greatly, and fast.
Hulk Hogan was the biggest star of the AWA, in the middle of a main event program with David Shults. Gene Okerlund was the company’s cult favorite TV announcer given the name “Mean Gene” by Jesse Ventura. Roddy Piper was the No. 2 singles babyface for Jim Crockett Promotions (behind traveling world champion Ric Flair). They were all in St. Louis, at the famed Chase Hotel, for a TV taping for KPLR-TV for “Wrestling at the Chase,” the longtime flagship show of the NWA. A few days earlier, nobody would have batted an eye about it. But it was not an NWA taping. The promoter of the event was Vince McMahon Jr., who had recently purchased the World Wrestling Federation from his father.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.