Professional wrestling debuted in Detroit in the 1920s when Nick Londos began promoting events in the Detroit Olympia. London was succeeded by Adam Weissmueller, then by Louis Markowitz. By the 1930s, multiple promoters were competing in the territory. In the aftermath of World War II, Weissmueller's former assistant Harry Light established the Harry Light Wrestling Office as a vehicle for promoting professional wrestling in Detroit and secured the rights to promote events at the Arena Gardens. In 1948, Light founded the National Wrestling Alliance along with Al Haft, Paul George, Orville Brown, Sam Muchnick, and Tony Stretcher. The six promoters agreed to divide the United States into regional territories within which they would not compete with one another and to recognise a single World Heavyweight Champion who would travel the country wrestling in each territory. By the 1950s, Light - along with his business partners Jack Britton and Bert Ruby - controlled professional wrestling in Detroit and Big Time Wrestling on WXYZ-TV Channel 7 was one of the most popular programs airing in Detroit. In 1959, Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle formed a holding company, the Barnett-Doyle Corporation, and began promoting in Detroit, buying-out Light. Barnett and Doyle were originally "outlaw" promoters but the territory later rejoined the National Wrestling Alliance. In 1964, professional wrestlerEd "The Sheik" Farhat and his father-in-law Francis Fleser acquired the promotion from Barnett and Doyle for $50,000, controlling it through "World Wide Sports". Farhat booked himself as the promotion's top wrestler, winning its top championship NWA United States Heavyweight Championship 12 times. By the 1960s, the promotion was airing two to three television programs per week and staging weekly house shows at the Cobo Arena. In the early-1970s, the promotion faced competition from Dick the Bruiser and Wilbur Snyder's newly-established All Star Championship Wrestling, which sourced its talent from the Indianapolis, Indiana-based World Wrestling Association. After several wrestlers defected to ASCW, Big Time Wrestling brought in talent from other NWA territories. However, ASCW ceased operations in 1974, and Dick the Bruiser joined Big Time Wrestling—even facing The Sheik in a series of brawls. During the 1970s, Big Time Wrestling helped popularize hardcore wrestling. The promotion's fortunes began to decline in the mid-1970s due to a combination of the 1973–75 recession, "no-shows" by its wrestlers, and the fanbase tiring of its predictable and formulaic booking. As house show audiences dwindled, events were re-located to ever-smaller venues (from the Cobo Arena to the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum, and then to the Lincoln Park Community Center outside of Detroit. The promotion went out of business in 1980. Big Time Wrestling was the subject of the 1985mockumentaryI Like to Hurt People. Professional wrestling in Detroit remained subdued until the World Wrestling Federation began promoting in the city as part of the 1980s professional wrestling boom.
