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PWInsider.com is sad to pass on that former WCW Executive Vice President Jim Herd has passed away at 87 years old. Herd passed last month with the news of his passing first relayed by Conrad Thompson, who found and interviewed Herd in 2020.
Herd, previously an executive for Pizza Hut who also had experience working at station manager for KPLR-TV, which broadcast St. Louis' Wrestling At the Chase television series, was tapped by Ted Turner to lead WCW after Turner Broadcasting acquired Jim Crockett Promotions and rechristened it as WCW, although the National Wrestling Alliance name would continue to be used from 1988 through January 1992.
Herd, who has taken a ton of criticism over the years for WCW's performance in that era, presided over 1989, which was easily the best creative output the promotion had until the Eric Bischoff/Monday Nitro era in 1995-1996 but by 1990, attempts to mimic some of WWF's direction in an attempt to appeal to children and families didn't work and die-hard pro wrestling fans who grew up on the NWA folded their arms towards what could only be described as a dysfunctional product that never garnered consistent momentum. For every Terry Funk and Great Muta appearing or Sting becoming World Champion, there were silly ideas like The Ding Dongs, The Black Scorpion or the WCW Chamber of Horrors match.
At the helm, Herd was the lightning rod taking criticism from fans, including a front row fan, obviously tired of how the company going, holding up a sign opposite the hard camera that read WE HAVE HERD ENOUGH at the WCW Wrestlewar '90 PPV. JIm Cornette and Stan Lane, tired of the promotion under Herd, walked out, destroying the legendary run of The Midnight Express. Herd famously fired Ric Flair, who at the time was the reigning WCW World Champion, sending Flair (and the title belt) to the WWF as Flair technically had ownership of the physical belt since he had placed a deposit on the championship (as was the norm for NWA Champions), which was never returned. Herd also famously opted against bringing back Tully Blanchard when Blanchard failed a WWF drug test at the end of his run, a decision that pretty much ended Blanchard's career and prevented a reunion for the Original Four Horsemen in 1990.
Cornette's vitriol for Herd has lived on in pepetuity:
Still, Herd did attempt to be competitive with WWF. He, at different points, attempted to bring Bret Hart, Roddy Piper and Randy Savage to the company but was unable to get the deals done, in part because his boss at the time, Jack Petrick, didn't open up the Turner Broacasting purse strings. Later, when Eric Bischoff had greater access, the signing of Hulk Hogan, Savage and others allowed WCW to truly compete with WWF. Still, he brought WCW action figure and trading card deals as well as a sneaker sponsorship with Roos (complete with ring posts billed as the Roos post, a precusor to today's Slim Jim's tables in WWE), a beer sponsorship with Coors and even marketing partnerships that saw Robocop appear at WCW Capital Combat 1990 in Washington, DC, with the film character appearing to "rescue" Sting.
Herd resigned from WCW in 1992.
PWInsider.com sends our deepest condolences to Jim Herd's family and friends.
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