Black Saturday 1984

Guide Note

Black Saturday refers to the day when Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Federation promotion took over the Saturday night TBS timeslots once occupied by rival company Georgia Championship Wrestling.

Fast Facts

1. Date: July 14, 1984
2. Received low ratings and complaints
3. McMahon sold the timeslot to promoter Jim Crockett Jr.

At its peak, Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) was very popular, but in the 1980s, company stockholders grew weary of part-owner Ole Anderson. As a result, they sold their stock (and TBS timeslot) to Vince McMahon.

The switch did not go over well with GCW fans. Where McMahon's WWF (now WWE) was known for its outlandish characters and theatrics, GCW's product was just straight wrestling. Fans reportedly called and wrote letters to TBS to complain.¹

After weeks of dismal ratings, Ted Turner (owner of TBS) pressured McMahon to sell the timeslot to promoter Jim Crockett Jr. This put a strain on McMahon's relationship with Turner, and is seen by some fans as the precursor to the "Monday Night Wars" between McMahon's WWE and Turner's WCW in the 1990s.¹