[2] 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.

[2] In 1948, Light founded the National Wrestling Alliance along with Al Haft, Paul "Pinkie" George, Orville Brown, Sam Muchnick, and Tony Stecher.

[5][6] In 1959, Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle (supported by backers such as Frank Tunney) formed a holding company, the Barnett-Doyle Corporation, and began promoting in Detroit, buying-out Light.

However, ASCW ceased operations in 1974, and Dick the Bruiser would later work for Big Time Wrestling—even facing The Sheik in a series of brawls.

[10] 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 formulatic booking.