World Wrestling Network

 

WORLD WRESTLING NETWORK

Acronym: WWN

Founded: 1993
Closed: 1994

Founder(s): Jim Crockett, Jr.

Owner(s): Jim Crockett, Jr. (1993-1994) and Paul Heyman (1993-1994)

Style: American Wrestling

World Wrestling Network was a National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)-affiliated professional wrestling venture that was owned by Jim Crockett, Jr., and was his last attempt to rebuild a national wrestling organization after selling Jim Crockett Promotions to Ted Turner in 1988. As part of his non-compete clause in the agreement he signed with Ted Turner, Crockett was unable to promote professional wrestling events for 3 years.

In 1993, Crockett began contacted former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) veterans such as Road Warrior Hawk, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Paul Heyman. Heyman, who had recently left on bad terms with WCW, eventually became head booker for the promotion although he and Crockett would eventually part ways due to his commitments to then Eastern Championship Wrestling and ECW's eventual breakaway from the National Wrestling Alliance in 1994.

Holding it's first event in Killeen, Texas in August 1993, the show proved to be moderately successful with 2,156 fans in attendance. The following year, the promotion held it's first televised event at the Manhattan Center in New York City on February 28th, 1994, which featured Road Warrior Hawk and Jake Roberts, as well as Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock), Sabu, Terry Funk, Shane Douglas and Missy Hyatt in her first appearance since being fired from WCW. 

Both Crockett and Heyman had hoped tot provide a unique concept of producing televised matches in high-definition television via internet broadcast using much of ECW's television production and other resources to do so (this is one of the reasons that Eddie Gilbert resigned his position as booker and left the promotion in September 1993), however, the event was only HDTV-television taping broadcast and eventually Crockett closed the promotion by the end of the year. 

World Wrestling Network in New York:

On February 28th, 1994, the World Wrestling Network carried out a television taping at the Manhattan Center in New York City, New York. The event featured multiple World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation alumni, as well as members from Paul Heyman's Eastern Championship Wrestling promotion.

During the event, Shane Douglas (accompanied by Missy Hyatt and multiple cheerleaders) gave a promo in which he declared he would be the inaugural World Wrestling Network Heavyweight Champion.

The main event of the card was a singles match between Sabu and Terry Funk which ended in a double DQ. The bout saw multiple spectacles, including Funk throwing Sabu into a dumpster and pushing it around the Manhattan Center, Sabu dismantling a concession stand and then moonsaulting through the table, Funk breaking a glass bottle and the two men brawling into the audience. 

Results:

• Jake "The Snake" Roberts def. "Cowboy" Bob Orton 
• The Bruise Brothers (Don Bruise and Ron Bruise) def. Keith Scherer and The Kodiak Bear
• The Convict def. Jason Knight
• 911 def. Mikey Watson and Paul Lauria
• The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge) def. Badd Company (Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond)
• Tommy Dreamer def. Gino Caruso
• Terry Funk def. The Kodiak Bear
• JT Smith and Tommy Cairo def. The Captain and Mike B.
• Road Warrior Hawk def. Keith Scherer
• Mikey Watson def. Jason Knight
• The Convict def. Mikey Watson
• The Tazmaniac def. "Surfer" Ray Odyssey
• The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge) def. Mikey Watson and Paul Lauria
• "Cowboy" Bob Orton def. Tommy Dreamer
• Keith Scherer def. Jake "The Snake" Roberts
• Sabu vs. Terry Funk ended in a double DQ