Don Owen (March 16 1912 –
August 1 2002) was an American
professional
wrestling promoter. For several decades,
he owned and operated the highly successful Pacific Northwest Wrestling
(PNW) under his parent company, Don Owen Sports,
which was based out of Portland, Oregon
.
Career
Born in
Eugene,
Oregon
to boxing/wrestling promoter
Herb Owen, Don and his brother Elton began working in the family
business in the mid 1920s, selling popcorn
and drinks to the audience. Early on, Don and Elton even
stepped into the ring on occasion to box or wrestle. In time, Don
moved more and more into the promoting side, eventually taking over
completely after his father died in 1951. His career as a promoter
spanned over 60 years throughout the heyday of
territorial
pro wrestling. Owen was a founding member of the
National Wrestling
Alliance.
Under management of Don Owen Sports,
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
became one of the leaders of the
National Wrestling Alliance, the
chief reason being Don Owen's reputation as the best payoff
promoter in the wrestling business. Owen was known for dealing
fairly with all his wrestlers, paying them exactly what he promised
and never trying to stiff them, a mentality not shared with the
vast majority of his fellow promoters. Because of this, every major
star in the 1960s and
'70s wished to wrestle
in the Northwest. Among those who wrestled and/or got their start
under Don Owen's management are
Stan
Stasiak,
Dizzy Hogan,
Curt Hennig,
Mad Dog
Vachon,
Nick Bockwinkel,
Jesse Ventura,
Roddy Piper,
Billy
Jack Haynes,
Omar Atlas,
Shag Thomas,
Dutch
Savage,
Lonnie "Moondog" Mayne,
Jimmy Snuka, and George Wagner (in the
years before he attained international fame as
Gorgeous George).
Portland Wrestling
In 1952,
Don Owen negotiated a deal with pioneering Portland TV station
KPTV
to become the very first wrestling show seen on TV
in the city. Portland
Wrestling (later known as
Big Time Wrestling)
continued as a weekly program until the show ended production in
December 1991, possibly setting a record as the longest lasting
wrestling show in the history of American television.
In 1968, Owen bought and renovated a
bowling alley which eventually became the
Portland Sports Arena and the new home of PNW.
The company held
strong throughout the 1970s despite competition from "outlaw
promotions," and in 1976, Dutch Savage bought into Don Owen Sports
and began promoting PNW cards in the state of Washington
.
By the 1980s, professional wrestling had seen a
revival on behalf of
Vince McMahon's
World Wrestling Federation
(WWF). However, McMahon had accomplished this by successfully
driving the old wrestling "territories" like PNW out of existence.
That same decade, the formation of
World Championship Wrestling
(WCW), WWF's future chief competitor, would also contribute to the
disintegration of territorial wrestling.
Finally, in July 1992, facing increasing health problems from age,
overwhelming competition from WWF and WCW, and unrelenting problems
from an overzealous Oregon State Athletic Commission, Don Owen was
forced to shut down PNW's operations. He sold the entire company,
minus the Sports Arena, to promoter
Sandy
Barr. The Portland Sports Arena was sold to a local church.
Owen then lived out a quiet retirement until his death in
2002.
Legacy
Don Owen is regarded as one of the most honest and beloved
wrestling promoters of the 20th century. His professionalism was
outstanding among territorial wrestling promoters and helped give
PNW an intimate, "
mom and pop"
quality. Owen remained one of the most recognizable figures of
Oregon years after his retirement and was fondly remembered by
wrestling stars he helped
push in their early careers.
One particular star,
Roddy Piper, even
returned to Oregon on February 18, 1995, presenting Owen with a
life time achievement plaque.
Personal life
Owen was married with two sons, Barry and Mark. Mark is married
with two children. Barry worked for his father's wrestling
promotion from a young age and took over uncle Elton's duties after
his retirement in 1982.
References
External links
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