Jim Herd, the former World Championship Wrestling executive vice president who played a pivotal role in the promotion’s early corporate era, has died at the age of 87. Herd served as a top executive for Ted Turner following the acquisition of Jim Crockett Promotions in 1989, tasked with transforming WCW into a financially sustainable powerhouse. His tenure, which lasted until January 1992, defined a critical transition period for the company as it navigated the shift from independent ownership to major media conglomerate control.
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Herd’s legacy is inextricably linked to one of the most controversial decisions in wrestling history: the firing of Ric Flair in July 1991. When contract negotiations collapsed, Herd authorized the release of “The Nature Boy,” a move that sent shockwaves through the industry. This decision directly precipitated Flair’s high-profile defection to the World Wrestling Federation, culminating in the iconic and damaging image of Flair appearing on WWF television wearing the WCW/NWA Big Gold Belt, a moment that significantly eroded WCW’s credibility and star power.
While history is often written by the winners, Herd’s actions remain a case study in the high-stakes business of sports entertainment. His departure from the industry in 1992 marked the end of an era for WCW’s leadership structure, leaving behind a complex legacy that balanced corporate profitability against the volatile nature of wrestling talent. The passing of such a key figure serves as a reminder of the executive decisions that fundamentally altered the trajectory of the professional wrestling landscape in the early 1990s.
Source: Yahoo Sports
