"Cowboy" Bill Watts & the Black Athlete

Over the years a lot has been written and said about the controversial Bill Watts.  Being a big fan of his promotion ever since I saw his great T.V. program on T.B.S. for a brief period of time in the mid 80's, I never agreed with most of the opinions about the wrestler/promoter.

But their is one question I still hear that I disagree with. WAS “COWBOY” BILL Watts a racist to the black athlete?  

There has never been a wrestling promoter, let alone a southern promoter, who ever did more for the African American wrestler than Bill Watts.  

In his excellent R.F. Video interview Watts said he first became intrigued by the concept of making a black superstar when he worked with "Thunderbolt" Patterson in Georgia.  This was the 70's and Watts was cutting his teeth booking the territory.  But it was an idea before its time, as Patterson was a man who had too many demons at the time to capitalize on his amazing charisma.  

A few years later, back in his home territory of Mid South, as part owner with Leroy McGuirk, Watts was able to further his vision with the former N.F.L. star Ernie Ladd.  But once again he wasn't able to maximize his concept fully as Ladd was in the latter years of his career with a set of knees that were breaking down.  But Watts did what no other promoter had ever done, he made Ernie Ladd his booker.  Ladd drove the story lines and angles during this time as well as being the matchmaker for the company, one of the most important positions in any promotion. 

Watts also went to the mayor of Jackson Mississippi in the 70's and told the politician he wanted to book the first ever black wrestler vs white wrestler, with the black being the babyface, or good guy.  He used Tom Jones for the match and it made history.

I met Tom Jones on the Indy scene in the late 90's.  We worked a show in Kansas and over B.B.Q. Jones told me how much he loved working for Watts.  He said Watts did business the way it should be.

Watts used Ray Candy more effectively than any other promoter.  The FIRST ever  New Orleans Superdome show was headlined by Ray Candy vs Ernie Ladd. Imagine the pressure and risk to run that building and who headlined it?  

Kamala has been quoted many times as crediting his paychecks from Watts for allowing him to purchase his home.  He earned far more in Mid South than his W.W.E. run.

Butch Reed made Mid South his home base for the majority of his career.  He was a top star who always was in the main events or semi main.

But of course Watts's greatest creation was The Junkyard Dog, Sylvester Ritter.  In Ritter, Watts had finally found the athlete who could fulfill his vision of a black superstar.  Ritter was a great athlete, a former college football player.  He was a son of the South from North Carolina and knew how to connect with the Mid South audience.  He had a bit of experience with lots of upside when he walked into the Mid South offices.  He was young with his best days ahead of him.

A great talker and loaded with charisma, Dog created the greatest boom period in Mid South history. I don't think there is any other promotion during this period of time, even the Northern promotions, that would have made their top star an African American for so long.

As W.C.W Executive Vice President, Watts made Ron Simmons his World Champion. The first black true World Heavyweight Champion.  It was a great angle and long overdue.  When asked in the R.F. Video shoot why he made Simmons the champ Watts simply said, "great athlete, great credentials.  And come on guys, look at the demographics. If you want to tell the world your business is a work...in what other sport do blacks not dominate?"

The angle was fantastic and showed the great T.V. Watts was still able to produce.  

   

As a white man born and raised in the segregated South you cannot expect political correctness from Watts.  And I don't think its fair to judge him by today's times but rather the times he lived in when he was a top influential promoter.  

And by that standard I don't see how anyone can think of another owner who ever did more for the black athlete than Bill Watts.

Latin Thunder