UWA-Does anyone remember this group?

[garyfromnenwnan]

I think it was called The Universal Wrestling Alliance. It was an indie promotion in the late 70s here in Georgia. I remember that Big Red Reese, Mike Davis, Big O, Bobby Best, Steve Collings, El Mongol, Gerald Findley, The Black Cowboy, Frank Stanley were some of the guys that worked for the promtion. It wasn't around very long. It was before Lars Anderson started up his group. Does anyone remember this promotion or going to see any of their shows?

[frontrow]

Sounds like a few shows I saw on Atlanta ch. 36 around 79 or 80. I was aquainted with Mike Davis around that time, and I know he worked for a group that ran in some bar in Atl. before his GCW days. I want to say it was run by a guy named Vince Costelli or something like that. It didn't last long, and Mike didn't have anything good to say about the promoter.

On a side note: There was also a guy that worked for the same group named Ricky Craven. He was also sometimes a GCW tv jobber. Anyone remember him?

Hope that helped.

Frontrow

[Keith Steinborn]

Yes Ricky Craven was killed back in1987 or 88.Talk to Ben Masters he can give you more infro.

[frontrow]

Thanks Keith.

Sorry to hear about Ricky. I didn't know him well, and he seemed to have somewhat of a bad reputation, but I did hang out with him a few times, and he was very nice to me, a young mark who was thinking about getting into the business. If anyone has info on what happened to him it would be appreciated. Ben?

Frontrow

[dannygoddard]

This sounds like the group I refereed for. I can't remember what it was called for I was in it only a little while. I reffed matches mostly in LaGrange and Americus on Thursday and Tuesday nights. Some of those in the group were Bobby Best, Randy Alls, El Mongol, Levi Banks, the Cowboy, the Assassin, and a ladies' tag team, the Black Widows. I don't remember the names of some of the others. The Assassin was the promoter but I never saw him without his mask and didn't know who he was. His wife was one of the faces but I can't remember her name. The last card I refereed was in October 1975 in a LaGrange, GA ballpark. The main event was a Southern Heavyweight Championship match, Bobby Best (champion) vs. Randy Alls. The promoter made me give Randy a fast count without his knowing. I felt like I was deceiving a friend and never went back.

[chenault]

I'm sorry to hear about Ricky Craven.

I remember Ricky from his Georgia Championship Wrestling days.

Maybe Ben Masters will jump on this thread and provide us with some info on how Ricky was killed.

[bomberjacklord]

Ricky died from a blood clot while still in the hospital recovering from knee replacement surgery. We were very good friends for many years. Ricky left wrestling back in the early 90's and became a born-again christian. He was a great guy.

[chenault]

Jack, thank you for the info on Ricky Craven.

Jack, how old was Ricky when he died?

[frontrow]

There seems to be conflicting information about Ricky Craven and his untimely death posted here. Were there two people using this name or what? The guy I knew also wrestled as Tim Slater. He also was a heel in a promotion in Albertville Alabama in the early 80's run by a guy named Mickey (don't remember his last name) as Ricky Craven, and he used the same name as a GCW jobber on tv. He never really got very far in GA. but seemed to be a pretty big name in Ala. I was told he was wrestling as Jim Leon when he was killed in the 80's, but another post said he died in the 90's of a blood clot. Anyone know the real story? Maybe Ben Masters can clear this up? Just curious because I kinda knew the guy and liked him during the few times we hung out. I thought he had a ton of potential, but he was a hard partier when I knew him, and I think that held him back.

[chenault]

Ricky Craven and Jim Leon were two different wrestlers.

Jim Leon also wrestled under the name of Ricki Lawless.