Crockett Cup (1986)

The First Annual Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, also referred to as Crockett Cup (1986), was held on April 19, 1986. The tournament featured 24 tag teams. The concept of the Crockett Cup was a single elimination tag team tournament, with the storyline prize of $1,000,000.00 given to the winning team along with a large trophy.[2] The tournament was won by The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk), as they defeated Ron Garvin and Magnum TA in the finals to win the tournament.

Crockett Cup (1986)
Cover for the official VHS release.
Promotion	Jim Crockett Promotions
Date	April 19, 1986
City	New Orleans, Louisiana
Venue	Louisiana Superdome
Attendance	3,500 (afternoon)[1] 13,000 (evening)[1]
Event chronology
← Previous Starrcade Next → The Great American Bash
Crockett Cup chronology
← Previous First Next → 1987

Production

Background

In early 1986, the professional wrestling promotion Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) announced that they were hosting a 2-show, 24-team tag team tournament with teams from various National Wrestling Alliance territories.[1] The Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament (commonly known simply as the "Crockett Cup"), named in honor of JCP owner Jim Crockett Jr.'s father, "Big Jim" Crockett Sr. and The Crockett Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Crockett Sr. in 1933. The first Crockett Cup was held in New Orleans, Louisiana in collaboration with Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation who normally promoted shows in New Orleans. The 24 team event was split over two shows, held at the Superdome, split between one show in the afternoon and another in the evening.[2]

Each show featured one non-tournament match beyond the Crockett Cup tournament. The afternoon show drew 3,500 people, for a box office take of approximately $40,000, while the evening show sold 13,000 tickets for a total of $180,000.[1][2] The two shows were not shown as part of JCP's weekly television shows, nor broadcast on Closed-circuit television at the time. The events were recorded, since JCP would later release the 1986 Crockett Cup as a commercial VHS videotape, featuring all tournament matches edited down due to time constraints.[3]

Storylines

The 1986 Crockett Cup shows featured a total of 25 professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines. Wrestlers are portrayed as either heels (those that portray the "bad guys"), faces (the "good guy" characters) or tweeners (characters that is neither clearly a heel or a face) as they follow a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches as determined by the promotion.[4]

Event

Tournament participants

Team	From	Notes	Ref(s).
Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard)	JCP	First-round bye; Blanchard held the NWA National Heavyweight Championship, Anderson held the NWA World Television Championship.	[1][2][5][6]
Giant Baba and Tiger Mask	AJPW	First-round bye	[1][2]
The Barbarian and Baron von Raschke	JCP		[1][2]
The Batten Twins (Bart and Brad Batten)	CSW	The most recent Central States Tag Team Champions	[1][2][7]
Black Bart and Jimmy Garvin	JCP	Black Bart was the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion	[1][2][8]
Dino Bravo and Rick Martel	Lutte	First-round bye	[1][2]
Bill Dundee and Buddy Landel	CWA		[1][2]
The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn and Stan Lane)	CWF		[1][2]
The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers)	UWF	UWF Tag Team Champions	[1][2][9]
Manny Fernandez and Jimmy Valiant	JCP		[1][2]
Ronnie Garvin and Magnum T.A.	JCP	First-round bye; Magnum held the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship	[1][2][10]
Los Guerreros (Chavo and Hector Guerrero)	CWF		[1][2]
Sam Houston and Nelson Royal	UWF		[1][2]
The Italian Stallion and Koko Ware	UWF		[1][2]
Bobby Jaggers and Mike Miller	PNW		[1][2]
Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood	JCP		[1][2]
The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton)	JCP	First-round bye; NWA World Tag Team Champions	[1][2][11]
D.J. Peterson and Brett Wayne	UWF		[1][2]
The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk)	JCP	First-round bye	[1][2]
The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton)	JCP	First-round bye	[1][2]
The Russian Team (Ivan and Nikita Koloff)	JCP	First-round bye	[1][2]
Buzz Sawyer and Rick Steiner	UWF		[1][2]
The Sheepherders (Butch Miller and Luke Williams)	UWF		[1][2]
Terry Taylor and Steve Williams	UWF	Williams was originally scheduled to team up with Ted Dibiase but Dibiase was injured at the time of the tournament	[1][2]

Aftermath

On June 20, 2019 the tournament was added to the WWE Network as a Hidden Gem.[12]

Results

No.	Results	Stipulations	Times
1	Mark Youngblood and Wahoo McDaniel defeated Bobby Jaggers and Mike Miller	Crockett Cup first round tag team match	7:35
2	Nelson Royal and Sam Houston defeated The Batten Twins (Bart and Brad)	Crockett Cup first round tag team match	8:17
3	Jimmy Valiant and Manny Fernandez defeated Baron von Raschke and The Barbarian (with Paul Jones and Shaska Whatley)	Crockett Cup first round tag team match	N/A
4	Steve Williams and Terry Taylor defeated Bill Dundee and Buddy Landel	Crockett Cup first round tag team match	N/A
5	The Sheepherders (Butch and Luke) (with Jack Victory) defeated Chavo Guerrero and Hector Guerrero	Crockett Cup first round tag team match	N/A
6	The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) defeated The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn)	Crockett Cup first round tag team match	14:20
7	Buzz Sawyer and Rick Steiner defeated Koko Ware and The Italian Stallion	Crockett Cup first round tag team match	15:14
8	Black Bart and Jimmy Garvin (with Precious) defeated Brett Sawyer and David Peterson	Crockett Cup first round tag team match	6:10
9	The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey) (with Jim Cornette) defeated Nelson Royal & Sam Houston	Crockett Cup second round tag team match	1:48
10	Magnum TA and Ron Garvin defeated Buzz Sawyer and Rick Steiner	Crockett Cup second round tag team match	5:18
11	The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk) (with Paul Ellering) defeated Mark Youngblood and Wahoo McDaniel	Crockett Cup second round tag team match	4:20
12	The Russians (Ivan Koloff and Nikita Koloff) defeated Jimmy Valiant and Manny Fernandez	Crockett Cup second round tag team match	9:00
13	Steve Williams and Terry Taylor defeated Dino Bravo and Rick Martel by forfeit	Crockett Cup second round tag team match	N/A
14	The Sheepherders (Butch and Luke) (with Jack Victory) defeated The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) by disqualification	Crockett Cup second round tag team match	8:45
15	The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) defeated Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard (with JJ Dillon)	Crockett Cup second round tag team match	11:24
16	Giant Baba and Tiger Mask defeated Black Bart and Jimmy Garvin (with Precious)	Crockett Cup second round tag team match	7:52
17	The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk) (with Paul Ellering) defeated The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey) (with Jim Cornette) by disqualification	Crockett Cup quarterfinal tag team match	8:08
18	Steve Williams and Terry Taylor vs. The Russians (Ivan Koloff & Nikita Koloff) ended in a time limit draw	Crockett Cup quarterfinal tag team match	20:00
19	The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) vs. The Sheepherders (Butch and Luke) (with Jack Victory) ended in a double disqualification	Crockett Cup quarterfinal tag team match	14:26
20	Magnum TA and Ron Garvin defeated Giant Baba and Tiger Mask	Crockett Cup quarterfinal tag team match	9:52
21	Jim Duggan (c) defeated Dick Slater	Singles match for the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship	9:12
22	Ric Flair (c) defeated Dusty Rhodes (with Baby Doll) by disqualification	Singles match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship	20:15
23	The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk) (with Paul Ellering) defeated Magnum TA and Ron Garvin	Crockett Cup final tag team match	9:49
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

Tournament brackets

First round

Second round

Quarter Finals

Semi Finals

Final

1

Road Warriors

W

–

McDaniel/Youngblood

12:40

–

McDaniel/Youngblood

W

–

Jaggers/Miller

07:45

1

Road Warriors

W

3

Midnight Express

13:26

–

Houston/Royal

W

–

Batten Twins

08:17

–

Houston/Royal

1:48

3

Midnight Express

W

1

Road Warriors

W

–

BYE (double-DQ)

N/A

4

Anderson/Blanchard

14:36

–

Fantastics

W

–

Fabulous Ones

11:14

–

Fantastics

W

–

Fantastics

DDQ

9

Sheepherders

14:26

–

Guerreros

9:07

9

Sheepherders

W

9

Sheepherders

DQ

6

Rock 'n' Roll Express

10:38

1

Road Warriors

W

2

Garvin/Magnum

09:49

8

Russian Team

W

–

Fernandez/Valiant

9:00

–

Barbarian/Von Raschke

–

Fernandez/Valiant

W

8

Russian Team

Draw

10

Taylor/Williams

20:00

10

Taylor/Williams

W

Dundee/Landel

10

Taylor/Williams

W

5

Bravo/Martel

forfeit

–

BYE (draw)

N/A

2

Garvin/Magnum

W

2

Garvin/Magnum

W

–

Sawyer/Steiner

5:18

–

Stallion/Ware

15:14

–

Sawyer/Steiner

W

2

Garvin/Magnum

W

7

Baba/Tiger Mask

9:52

–

Peterson/Wayne

6:10

–

Bart/Garvin

W

–

Bart/Garvin

7:52

7

Baba/Tiger Mask

W

References

1. "1st Annual Crockett Cup". Wrestling Supercards & Tournaments. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
2. Cawthon, Graham (2013). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 3:Jim Crockett and the NWA World Title 1983-1989. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1494803476.
3. Dunn, J.D. (September 16, 2006). "Dark Pegasus video review: Crockett Cup '86". 411Mania. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
4. Grabianowski, Ed (2006-01-13). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
5. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) NWA National Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 21. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
6. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) NWA/WCW TV Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 19–20. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
7. Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2006). "(Kansas and Missouri) Central States [Geigel] Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
8. Bourne, Dick. "Mid-Atlantic Wrestling: The Definitive History of the Mid-Atlantic Championship". Mid-Atlantic Gateway. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
9. Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2006). "(Louisiana and Oklahoma) Louisiana/Oklahoma: UWF [Bill Watts] Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 234. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
10. Gary Will and Royal Duncan (2006). "(United States: 19th Century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IW, ECW, NWA) NWA/WCW US Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 18–19. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
11. "WCW World Tag Team Championship History". Wrestling Title Histories by Royal Duncan & Gary Will. Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
12. Coulson, Steve (2019-06-20). "WWE Network Adds Latest 'Holy Grail' Hidden Gems Addition with Four Hour Long Crockett Cup 1986". WWE Network News. Retrieved 2019-06-20.