Portland

Pacfic Northwest Wrestling (1947-1992)

Don Owen built a reputation as one of the classiest pro-wrestling promoters around and while his territory was never the biggest or the best paying, it was the longest running in the pro-wrestling world (after Mexico's EMLL). He and his brother Elton learned the business under their father Herb. Don took over the promotion in 1942 and Elton became his right-hand man. Their territory was built up and when the NWA formed in 1947, Owen's Portland office became the affiliate in that region. When the television boom changed pro-wrestling, Owen quickly got himself on TV and the territory grew further. Things steadily grew and Portland hit its peak in the 1970s with an amazing cast of characters that remained loyal to Owen and many of whom became spot show promoters. Although the population base was spread out over the two states, PNW mainly stuck to the Pacfic seaboard in cities like Medford and Salem in Oregon and Tacoma in Washington. While Portland, Oregon was their base, but they also had Seattle, Washington as a sizable city that they ran regularly. In Washington, they would travel to Yakima in the center part, but other than spot shows, the main focus was along the coast. As the 1970s came to a close, the old guard was leaving, but a new crop was coming in that rejuvenated the market. Portland became known as a proving ground with a regular fan base that thoroughly knew the product. The style in the Pacific Northwest was special too. The emphasis was on being a good worker and a good talker and the better a wrestler was at both, the better they did in Portland. This bred some of the best talent of the 1980s. In the first half of the decade, Portland was riding high off the reputation it had built during the 1970s. However, the growth of cable and the national expansion of the WWF began to threaten the regional company. Elton retired in 1982 and Don's son Barry took over Elton's spot and they ran one of the greatest territorial shows ever in 1985 - the Owen Family 60th Anniversary show. Despite the success, no one could save the company from its inevitable downturn. The problems started with the formation of a single state commission that made running pro-wrestling shows increasingly difficult. Next, the exodus of talent began to deplete the once great roster. Although the WWF had advantages, Portland had a connection locally that could not be topped, unless someone like local hero Billy Jack [Haynes] ran in opposition. Although that was short-lived and Billy Jack even returned to PNW, he did damage the company's reputation. As the remaining NWA members scrambled to stay alive, Owen separated himself from their war with Vince McMahon's WWF. Portland's TV show was eventually cancelled though in 1991 and Don and Barry Owen see the writing on the wall. Rather than going broke trying to keep the company afloat, they stick around for a while, but eventually sell the company to Sandy Barr in 1992.