Jim Crockett Promotions and the Family Feud

Brian Damage

‘Big’ Jim Crockett founded the company that provided a variety of entertainment to the Carolinas starting in 1931. Crockett was known as “Mr. Promoter” who brought such events as Broadway musicals, concerts, sporting events and yes…pro wrestling to various venues in both North and South Carolina. Big Jim promoted such musical acts like Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones and others. Eventually, he veered away from concerts when drugs became more and more prevalent. When questioned why by his son David…Big Jim stated that “Our name is more valuable than getting involved with drugs.” Big Jim found that professional wrestling was one of his biggest moneymakers and a lot more attention was paid to it. Crockett and his wife had four children (Three boys and one girl) who he infused into his Jim Crockett Promotions business. There was Jim Jr, David, Charles aka Jackie and a daughter named Frances.

Big Jim died at the age of 64 years old in 1973. Before his death, Big Jim gave all of his children an equal share of the family business. Someone had to run the day to day operations of JCP and look after their wrasslin’ company. According to brother David, Jim Jr was looked at being too quiet to be the focal point of JCP. Jim Cornette said, daughter Frances was the best choice to be head of JCP, as she had an excellent mind for business, but because she was a woman, was completely overlooked. David was more behind the scenes and Jackie was too laid back. Instead, the title of President went to Frances’ husband John Ringley.

Ringley was a salesman by trade and definitely helped grow Mid Atlantic Wrestling to great heights. The problem was, Ringley was caught having an affair on Frances and was ousted as the head of JCP. Jim Jr was next in line and took over the reigns. It was under Jim Jr’s leadership where JCP and Mid Atlantic Wrestling really flourished. Jim Jr brought in ‘The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes as both a star wrestler ad booker of the territory. Rhodes learned the art of booking from Eddie Graham down in the Florida territory. Dusty brought his creative and imaginative mind to to JCP and together created many great events and memories.

Dusty Rhodes for all his greatness as both a wrestler and booker, definitely was not without his faults. Many times, Dusty put himself over as a wrestler in spite of others. He also did not know his limitations for spending Crockett’s money. According to David Crockett, Jim Jr made the mistake of not hiring more experienced accountants and growing his front office once JCP began expanding nationally. The people they had working were simply overworked and overlooked many crucial details…like the company losing millions of dollars. David said he often argued with Jim Jr about the expenses and sometimes it got “settled” outside in the parking lot of the TV studio where they taped at. With spending at an all time high for JCP, the other siblings argued with Jim to reel in Dusty. When Jim bought a second private jet for himself and the main event wrestlers, that’s when the Crockett family began to split apart.

With money hemorrhaging from JCP, Jim Jr made the decision to see if anyone was willing to either invest or flat out purchase the company. Jim Jr held a card at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia and had several interested parties in attendance. The one person who wanted it the most was media mogul and wrestling fan Ted Turner. Jim Cornette said that Turner made Jim Jr an offer he couldn’t refuse. Crockett either sold JCP to him or he would remove the wrestling show from his cable network…WTBS. When David and his other siblings discovered that Jim Jr had put the business up for sale, they pleaded with him to pull out of the negotiations with Ted Turner. Unfortunately, Jim said that they were already too far along in the sale and he couldn’t back out. The Crockett children’s mother ultimately convinced the others that this was the right move to make.

In November of 1988, a majority interest of Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased by Turner for an estimated 9 million dollars. After the sale was completed and the Crocketts were push out of Turner’s company…Jim Cornette surmised that Jim Jr. moved out of the Carolinas and moved west to Dallas, Texas. The reasoning, Cornette concluded was that he was shunned by the other members of the family for selling off the business their father handed down to them. David stopped speaking with Jim for a long while. Other brother Jackie (Who was considered very laid back) said that everyone in the family had a share of the blame for the fall of Jim Crockett Promotions…Jim was just the fall guy. Jim Jr refused to do interviews or attend wrestling conventions, because he was ashamed of himself for the sale.

Years later, David would say that if he was in charge, he would have tried to do things a bit differently. Ultimately, all of the siblings eventually made up with one another. David said that life was too short not to speak to his older brother. David remembered when his father died and he regretted not telling him he loved him or spend more time with his Dad. Jim Jr passed away in 2021 and brother Jackie died in 2024. Thankfully, despite all the bitterness and bad blood that was between the siblings after the sale of Jim Crockett Promotions…they were able to kiss and make up before it was too late.