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Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. Due to the promotion’s main office and base of operations being in Kansas City, Missouri the territory was often referred to simply as “Kansas City”. The promotion existed from July 1948 until it closed in 1988. The territory was one of the original territories of the National Wrestling Alliance with two of the 6 “founding fathers” of the NWA (Paul "Pinkie" George and Orville Brown) promoting in it. In 2005 the “Central States Wrestling” name was revived by the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Midwest franchise. The new Central States Wrestling promotion is based in Lawrence, Kansas but except for the name has no other connection to the Heart of America Sports Attractions promotion.

History

Midwest Wrestling Association

Originally known as the Midwest Wrestling Association before the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance it controlled and booked shows territories in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa and was seen as a cornerstone of the NWA. The territory was promoted by Pinky George and the first ever NWA World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown from the creation of the NWA until 1958.

Heart of America Sports Attractions forms

In 1958, wrestler/promoter Bob Geigel took over and partnered up with Pat O'Connor and Harley Race to form "Heart of America Sports Attractions, Inc." The promotion continued to be a cornerstone of the NWA with Geigel sitting on the board of directors and even served as chairman of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1978 until 1987, the period that's considered the last "glory years" of the NWA. Central States Wrestling did not become a household name across the United States until 1973 where Harley Race brought attention to CSW (and it's "sister promotion" the St. Louis Wrestling Club) when he won the NWA World Heavyweight Title for the first time.

Under Jim Crockett Promotions

In 1986, Geigel sold the promotion to Jim Crockett Promotions owner Jim Crockett, Jr., who ran the territory from September 1986 until February 1987, where Bob Geigel bought the promotion back and co partnered with George Petraski.

World Wrestling Alliance

After stepping down as chairman of the NWA, Geigel withdrew his promotion from the NWA in late 1987 and formed a new sanctioning body known as the World Wrestling Alliance in an attempt to compete with the national expansion of Jim Crockett and Vince McMahon. The move did not pay off and Geigel closed the WWA in early 1989.

Tape library

The promotion's classic tape library is currently controlled by World Wrestling Entertainment obtained through their purchase of World Championship Wrestling, who owned the rights.

Central States headliners

Championships

References

External links

• Central States title histories at Wrestling-Titles.com