Wahoo McDaniel Appears for Georgia Championship Wrestling (1977)

PART SIX

by Dick Bourne and Mark Eastridge
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

For the third straight Monday night show in a row at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, GA, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling regulars appeared on the card as part of a de facto Mid-Atlantic/Georgia talent exchange during the year 1977.

As we've discussed in 5 earlier installments in this series, full time wrestlers from both groups made appearances in each other's territories for one night special events. Augusta Georgia was "ground zero" for Georgia Championship Wrestling in this exchange.

On two different nights in the previous months, Georgia fan favorite Thunderbolt Patterson had travelled to the Mid-Atlantic area to team with Wahoo McDaniel. He most recently joined with the Chief on 4/30/77 in Hampton, VA to take the NWA world tag team championships from Ric Flair and Greg Valentine. (See Part 2 of the series for more on Thunderbolt's many appearance for Jim Crockett Promotions in the spring of 1977.)

The two failed to take the belts in Hampton, but formed a very impressive combination that the fans really got behind. On Monday 5/16 in Augusta, Wahoo returned the favor to T-bolt and came to Georgia as this popular combination received another chance at the world tag team titles.

A packed Bell Auditorium crowd saw Wahoo McDaniel come in for one night only to team with Thunderbolt to challenge the new world tag team champions Gene and Ole Anderson.

The Anderson Brothers had defeated Flair and Valentine for the titles a week and a day earlier, taking the titles on 5/8 in Charlotte, NC. (See Part 4 and Part 5 of this series for more on that historic night.) You will note that the article above from the Augusta newspaper mentions that the Andersons had regained the titles in Charlotte. What wasn't mentioned was that Wahoo McDaniel was the special referee in that match where the title changed hands. Even though Wahoo had found himself a strange ally to the Andersons in their battles with Flair in Valentine in the Mid-Atlantic area, he would set that aside to team with Thunderbolt to attempt to wrest the titles from the Minnesota Wrecking Crew.

Wahoo and T-bolt won the match by disqualification but, as we all know well, the titles can't change hands on DQ. The Anderson brothers retained the titles.

Much of the undercard on this show would be recently familiar to Mid-Atlantic fans, too.  Roberto Soto, Bill Howard, Abe Jacobs, Charlie Fulton, and Don Kernodle had all been Mid-Atlantic regulars over recent years.

Originally published October 19, 2015 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

 

Previous installments in the Mid-Atlantic/Georgia Talent Exchange Feature:

Part One: Paul Jones and the Hollywood Blondes in Augusta
Part Two: Thunderbolt Patterson tours the Mid-Atlantic area
Part Three: The Mid-Atlantic Challengers in Augusta 5/9
Part Four: Georgia Fans Find Out About World Tag Title Change - Before It Happens
Part Five: Paul Jones Surprises Charlotte During Mid-Atlantic/Georgia Talent Exchange

And one more thing - - - we've spotted another blooper! In that April 30 Hampton, VA card up top, it appears there might be an inter-gender match scheduled - - Johnny Eagle facing MRS. X!

And thanks to Charlie G. who points out Cowboy Frankie LAN and Steve KOVADS on the same clipping. Those might be considered more typos than bloopers, but I sure missed them first pass through.

See more Bloopers!

Crown Jewel Update

Our new book Crown Jewel will be out soon, and we hope you'll check it out. It will be available exclusively* on Amazon.com and via links in the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store.

The book tells the story of both the famous NWA title belt in use from 1959-1973 as well as the grand title history during that time. The six champions who wore the belt were Pat O'Connor, Buddy Rogers, Lou Thesz (during his final reign as NWA champion), Gene Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr., and Harley Race. You can throw Jack Brisco in there, too, if you count his one-week with that belt while the domed globe belt got new leather. 

But there is also the story of the near two-year period that the NWA was without a belt at all, following Lou Thesz's unhappy departure from the Alliance in 1957. His hand-picked successor Dick Hutton had no title belt at all for his entire reign.

The entire story, plus a treasure trove of documents, program covers, newspaper articles, and event posters. It's all there.

Crown Jewel will be on sale in early October. Follow us on twitter for notification of the on-sale date.

*If you can't or don't want to purchase on Amazon, you can contact us via the email address on the Contact Page of this website, and we'll get a book to you.

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: January 29, 1983

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling on
the WWE Network

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV Summaries & Reviews
by David Taub
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it appeared on the WWE Network. Results are included for the week (Monday-Sunday of the given week) as available. Please email with any corrections, typos, results, other details at 1davidtaub@gmail.com. Follow @TaubGVWire

For links to all available summaries as well as links to the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast, visit our TV Summary Index.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 01/29/83
(taped 01/26/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network Direct Link to this show Mid-Atlantic 01/29/83
WWE Network feed.   [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.]

[CLIP] Valiant vs. LeDuc
We open with a clip of Jimmy Valiant vs. Jos LeDuc from the Charlotte Coliseum. My notes show the last Charlotte Coliseum show with Valiant vs. Leduc was Sept. 1982, where LeDuc won the TV title. Anyway, LeDuc tries to use the brass knux. Valiant gets it away from him and uses it on LeDuc to pin him, although it didn’t look like referee Sonny Fargo fully counted to three. Don’t have an exact date on this one (or even if this was the Charlotte Coliseum).

[Break]

Match 1
Dizzy Hogan & Sweet Brown Sugar d. Ken Timbs & Ricky Harris
Caudle plugs the matches urging the hour, including Ric Flair. Stu Schwartz is the referee for the hour. Caudle repeats Valiant’s statement that there was no more House of Humperdink, and only One Man Gang remained. Dizzy pins Timbs following a powerslam.

[Break]

Match 2
Non-Title: Greg Valentine [U.S. Champion] d. Mike Davis
Dick Slater joins Caudle, and praises Valentine. Caudle reminds what a Dick Slater friendship means. Slater doesn’t take kind to the assertion. Valentine tosses Davis out of the ring, and Slater tossed him back in. Slater also gets offended when Caudle calls Valentine’s finisher a “bionic” elbow. After the pin, Slater mentions he will now handle the financial affairs of the One Man Gang.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Dizzy Hogan
This is in lieu of local promos. Humble promo by the future Brutus Beefcake. He looks forward to one day getting a shot at the world tag team title. Hogan talks about being in the gym every day. He even wants a shot at Ric Flair one day.

[Break]

-Body slam challenge
Dick Slater introduces the challenge with Caudle. No word on Sir Oliver Humperdink’s whereabouts. Vinnie Valentino is up first, and has no chance getting One Man Gang up. King Parsons is next. He and Valentino try a double slam. No chance. Jimmy Valiant comes out and grabs the $5,000 out of Slater’s hand. Slater goes nuts. Valiant celebrates with Dizzy Hogan and Sweet Brown Sugar. Slater and Gang beat up Valentino in the ring.

[Break]

[TAPE] Comments from Dusty Rhodes (Florida TV)
Rhodes sends in comments from Florida. Rhodes says he’s feuded with the Funk family before. He says he can take the $100,000 from Dory Funk, Jr.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Dory Funk, Jr.; Greg Valentine; Dick Slater & One Man Gang
Funk responds to Rhodes. He says he came to Mid-Atlantic, not Florida. He runs down Rhodes.
Valentine talks about a new wrestler coming in called The Champ. He takes credit for running out Bob Orton, Jr. and Wahoo McDaniel. Slater laments about getting robbed. OMG hollers in the background.

[Break]

Caudle talks about the Piper-Slater fight from last week. He says the NWA is considering fines. We go to a tape from what happened.
[TAPE] Piper/Slater brawl from last week. Caudle then plays video from the second pull-apart later in the show.

Match 3
Dick Slater d. Ben Benfield
All Slater. At one point, Slater tosses Benfield out. Valentine comes to ringside and tosses Benfield back in. Valentine joins Caudle on the mic, running down Piper. Slater uses a JYD-like headbutt. He then uses the Ali-shuffle and knocks Benfield out of the ring again. Valentine tosses him back in. Piledriver, but Slater gets up after a one count. Slater jumps on the back of Benfield’s neck. Side saulto suplex. Then a Boston Crab for the submission. Valentine says he knows why Benfield’s tights are yellow.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Sweet Brown Sugar & Dizzy Hogan
This is in lieu of local promos. Sugar likes teaming with Hogan.  Dizzy adds a comment or two.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Roddy Piper
Piper is sporting a bandaid on his forehead. He trashes Slater and Valentine. He doesn’t care if the NWA fines him. Another Piper rant.

[CLIP] of Ric Flair vs. Pat Rose from WCW
Caudle throws to taped footage of Ric Flair vs. Pat Rose from World Championship Wrestling. Flair wins with the Figure Four. Caudle then throws to the next tape.

[TAPE] Comments from Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle
Kernodle holds his tattered coat. He says Slaughter is missing his hat. Slaughter blames Youngblood & Steamboat. We then go to replay from the 12/04/82 episode, Slaughter & Kernodle vs. Ken Hall & Gary Black. 

[TAPE] Comments from Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Caudle throws to another tape. Steamboat says Johnny Weaver is helping them with the sleeper hold. Someone is helping them with the Cobra Clutch. Steamboat mocks Slaughter’s missing hat. He also says there is a conspiracy against Slaughter & Kernodle.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Sweet Brown Sugar & Jerry Brisco
Sugar says he has unfinished business with Dory Funk, Jr. He calls him Squiggy (a Lavern & Shirley reference). He runs down Dick Slater and One Man Gang. Brisco chimes in that the best talent in Mid-Atlantic. He calls Slater the “Tampa Tubby.” The Network Overdub drowns out the rest of the interview, as Valiant joins the party. He still has Slater’s money. Piper is out hugging and high-fiving Valiant. Jimmy then spreads the wealth, stuffing money in his friends’ pockets. This is going on a while. This overdub thing just isn’t working. Valiant and Piper party in the crowd. Brisco continues to rant, about Slater, I think. Everyone gets in the ring, and they invite the fans with them. It’s a party! Kind of wild, especially with the overdub continuing. Valiant drags in floor manager Laura Newman and hugs her. They are really killing time here. Valiant puts on Piper’s coat, and all finally leave.

“We end in chaos! So long for now”

************************************************** 

**************************************************

Results for the week, 1/24/83-1/30/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock

Mon., 1/24/83 Fayetteville, NC; Cumberland County Civic Center
Masa Fuchi beat Vinnie Valentino
King Parsons beat Ricky Harris
Johnny Weaver beat Paul Jones
Gene Anderson & Red Dog Lane beat Tommy Gilbert & Sweet Brown Sugar
Jack Brisco beat Dory Funk, Jr.
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle

Mon., 1/24/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Mike Davis beat Ken Timbs
Dizzy Hogan beat Porkchop Cash
Tiny Tom beat Little Tokyo
Mike Rotundo beat Pvt. Nelson(sub for Jos LeDuc)
Jimmy Valiant beat One Man Gang by DQ
Roddy Piper & Jack Brisco beat Greg Valentine & Dick Slater

Tue., 1/25/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
King Parsons beat Jim Dalton
Gene Anderson & Pvt. Nelson beat Mike Davis & Tommy Gilbert
Jack Brisco beat Red Dog Lane
Jimmy Valiant beat One Man Gang
Roddy Piper, Jerry Brisco & Johnny Weaver beat Greg Valentine, Dory Funk, Jr. & Dick Slater
[Note: this car is also listed as taking place 1/25/83 in Raleigh]

Wed., 1/26/83 Charlotte, NC; WCPQ-TV studio
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Dizzy Hogan & Sweet Brown Sugar beat Ricky Harris & Ken Timbs
Greg Valentine beat Mike Davis
Dick Slater beat Ben Benfield
World Wide Wrestling
Jerry Brisco beat Frank Monte
Dick Slater & Greg Valentine beat Mike Davis & King Parsons
Dory Funk, Jr. beat Vinnie Valentino
One Man Gang beat Ben Benfield
Dizzy Hogan, Sweet Brown Sugar & Jimmy Valiant beat Ricky Harris, Ken Timbs & Ben Alexander
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Frank Monte & Jim Dalton

Wed., 1/26/83 Sumter, SC; Exhibition Center
Tiny Tom beat Little Tokyo
Porkchop Cash beat Masa Fuchi
Tommy Gilbert beat Red Dog Lane
Mike Rotundo beat Paul Jones
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle

Thu., 1/27/83 Harrisonburg, VA; High School
Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine
Bob Orton, Jr. vs. Dick Slater
Johnny Weaver, Jerry Brisco & Abdullah The Butcher vs. Paul Jones, Jos LeDuc & Oliver Humperdink

Fri., 1/28/83 Charleston, SC; County Hall
Tiny Tom beat Little Tokyo
Ken Timbs beat King Parsons
Pvt. Nelson beat Mike Davis
Sweet Brown Sugar beat Red Dog Lane
One Man Gang beat Jimmy Valiant by DQ
Jack Brisco beat Dory Funk, Jr.
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle

Sat., 1/29/83 Asheville, NC; Civic Center
Don Kernodle & Sgt. Slaughter beat Gary Black & Ken Hall
Dick Slater beat Pat Rose
Greg Valentine beat Mike Davis
Dizzy Hogan & Sweet Brown Sugar beat Ricky Harris & Ken Timbs

Sun., 1/30/83 Charlotte, NC; Charlotte Coliseum
Mike Rotundo won an 18-man battle royal
Dick Slater beat Jerry Brisco by DQ
Jimmy Valiant beat One Man Gang
Roddy Piper & Dusty Rhodes beat Paul Jones & Red Dog Lane
Dory Funk, Jr. beat Jack Brisco to win NWA Mid Atlantic Title
Greg Valentine beat The Champ
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood double DQ Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle

Sun., 1/30/83 Savannah, GA; Civic Center
Abe Jacobs beat Bill White
Red Dog Lane beat Mike Davis
Porkchop Cash beat Ricky Harris by DQ
Abdullah The Butcher, Jack Brisco & Mike Rotundo beat Paul Jones, Red Dog Lane & Gene Anderson
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle

A Sister's Enlightenment (Orangeburg SC 1981)

PART TWO

PART THREE

Heaven Needed Six-Man Tag Champions

Crockett Cup '85 Continues - Round Two Rolls On

MIKE RICKARD'S FANTASY WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
ROUND TWO

Catching up? Here is the background info:
Tournament Announcement
Seedings and First Round Pairings

BRACKETS
Updated brackets going into tonight's matches.
[Links to previous matches at the bottom of this post.]

THIS WEEK'S MATCHES: #23 AND #24
(Second Round Matches #7 and #8):
- Rick Rude/Jesse Barr (w/ Pringle) vs. Kevin and Mike Von Erich
- Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura vs. the British Bulldogs

The 1985 Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament is underway. Wait, did you just say 1985? It’s time to take a look at one of wrestling’s biggest events from the mid-80s and see what it might have been like with a few historical alterations. What if Jim Crockett Promotions hosted its tag team tournament the Crockett Cup in 1985 and included teams from promotions outside the National Wrestling Alliance (“NWA”) including the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), All Japan Pro Wrestling, and more? In this case, you’d have 48 of the greatest tag teams in the world battling in a winner take all tournament for $1,000,000 and the prestigious Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Trophy. 

The first round saw 16 teams competing to advance to round two with eight teams making it in. Now, these eight teams will battle the 16 top-seeded tag teams that received a first-round bye. As we saw in round one, some wrestlers are willing to bend or break the rules in order to get closer to the $1,000,000 prize so expect the unexpected as round two begins.

Second Round Rules
Here are the rules for the round two of our tournament. A pool of referees from the NWA, AWA, and WWF have been appointed for the tournament and randomly selected for each match. The second-round matches have a forty-five-minute time limit and are sanctioned under NWA rules (throwing an opponent over the top rope is an automatic disqualification). The matches are one fall with a win obtained by a pinfall, submission, count-out, or disqualification. 

The second-round matches are being held over two nights. The first eight matches will take place took place at the Richmond Coliseum on Saturday April 13. Bob Caudle and David Crockett are calling the matches tonight. The remaining eight matches in round one take place at the Asheville Civic Center on Sunday April 14. Last time around, Jim Cornette’s Midnight Express (“Beautiful” Bobby Eaton and “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey) defeated Jimmy Hart’s Hart Foundation (Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) while “The High Flyers” triumphed over the PYT Express (Norvell Austin and Koko Ware). As round two continues, bear in mind that these titanic teams are battling for more than just bragging rights—they’re competing for the prestigious Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Trophy and a cool one million dollars.

The next two matches in round two feature Rick Rude and Jesse Barr battling Kevin and Mike Von Erich while Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura take on the British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid). 

Gordon Solie is backstage with Kevin and Mike Von Erich and Mike’s head has a huge bandage on it. Gordon asks Mike how he’s doing after the post-match attack on him by Tully Blanchard and Abdullah the Butcher during their first-round match. Mike says he had to get stitched up, but he’s ready for action. A few bumps on his head never stopped him before and it’s not going to stop him and Kev from their shot at a million dollars and the prestigious Crockett Cup trophy. Gordon says that’s the fighting spirit the Von Erichs are known for and he then asks Kevin about their opponents. Kevin says Rick Rude and Jesse Barr are two tough competitors, but they’re ready for the challenge. Rude and Barr may have got a first-round bye, but they’re going to have a short stay in this tournament. 

Rick Rude and Jesse Barr (with Percy Pringle III)
vs. Kevin and Mike Von Erich
Bob Caudle and David Crockett are joined by World Class Championship Wrestling Marc Lowrance. Bob and David welcome him to the broadcast booth and Bob notes Marc has called many matches involving the Von Erichs, including Kerry Von Erich’s historic win over “Nature Boy” Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Marc thanks Bob and David for inviting him to sit in on this match and he says the tournament has been exciting from the first match. David Crockett asks Marc what he knows about the extent of Mike Von Erich’s injuries and Marc explains Mike was cut open pretty bad by the Butcher and Blanchard, but he’s had a few days to heal and he hasn’t heard about any problems working the match. Even if he was hurt, he’d be here to support his brother. All-Japan Pro Wrestling referee Joe Higuchi (aka Kanji Higuchi) is officiating tonight’s match. Higuchi does the pre-match preliminaries and the match gets underway with Kevin Von Erich locking up with Rick Rude. Kevin goes for a collar-and-elbow tie-up, but Rude backs up, posing for the fans. Bob Caudle says that Rude is full of himself but this isn’t a bodybuilding contest. David remarks that maybe Rude can always find work if a wrestling promotion ever starts a bodybuilding federation, even though that’ll never happen. Rude turns his back to Kevin and poses for the fans as they boo him and gets a big surprise when Von Erich rolls him up for a surprise pin, 1-2…Rude manages to kick out. Kevin dropkicks the arrogant athlete then whips him into a neutral corner where Rude crashes hard. Von Erich climbs on the second rope and unloads with punches as the fans count to ten. Rude staggers out of the corner and Kevin follows up with an atomic drop. Sadly, social media is still decades away so there won’t be any gifs of this beautiful atomic drop as Rude walks awkwardly, selling the agony inflicted on him. 

Kevin tags in Mike who applies a side headlock on Rude, but Rude has the wherewithal to whip Mike into the ropes, escaping the hold only to get shoulder-blocked by Von Erich when he comes off the ropes. Mike lifts Rude up and slams him down to the mat. Marc Lowrance tells Bob and David that the Von Erichs know how to keep the heat on their opponents. Rude rolls over to his corner and tags in Jesse Barr. David Crockett says he’s surprised Mike didn’t try and prevent the tag. Marc says Mike likely wants to send a message that the Von Erichs are ready for anyone. David says you don’t underestimate Jesse Barr, something Barr demonstrated at Starrcade ’83 when he defeated Mike Graham. Bob goes to say something when Marc tells David, “Wasn’t that Starrcade ’84?” Collar-and-elbow tie-up as Jesse gets the initial advantage, applying a top wristlock. Bob reminds the fans that Jesse Barr is an accomplished amateur wrestler and knows how to bend the rules as needed. Mike looks to be powering his way out of the ring when Jesse grabs Mike’s hair, yanking him down to the mat and applying an arm bar. Kevin Von Erich and a number of fans yell at the referee that Barr had a handful of hair, but Higuchi didn’t see anything. Mike gets up and Jesse still has the arm bar on and pressures Mike into a neutral corner. Mr. Higuchi starts a five-count and tells Barr to break the hold which he does, but the future Jimmy Jack Fun then unloads with a series of forearm smashes to Mike. Jesse backs up then invites Mike to a test of strength, and the two men lock up. Jesse gets the advantage and Mike drops to his knees. Marc Lowrance says Mike may be more hurt than he let on. David Crockett says Abdullah the Butcher and Tully Blanchard did a number on Mike so it wouldn’t surprise him. Mike fights back and starts to get to his feet, but Barr steps on the bottom rope for added leverage, bringing Von Erich back down to his knees. Kevin Von Erich runs in and goes after Barr, but the referee orders him back to his corner. Percy Pringle III gets on the mat apron and tells Higuchi to make sure Kevin doesn’t try anything funny. Meanwhile, Rick Rude runs in and stomps Mike in the head. Rude and Barr whip Mike into the ropes and the two deliver a double clothesline. Rude slaps his own hand like he’s making the tag and drops a fist on Von Erich’s back as the referee turns around. The fans are booing the heels as Rude hits an over-the-knee backbreaker on Mike. Rude whips Mike into the heels corner and Barr restrains Mike’s arms while Rude gets on the second rope and unloads on Mike’s head with punches. Kevin comes in again, but doesn’t get far as Mr. Higuchi escorts him back to his corner. Meanwhile, Rude lifts up Mike and hits a piledriver, driving Mike’s head hard into the mat. Arrogant cover by Rude and it costs him as Mike kicks out at the last moment. Rude yells at Higuchi who holds up two fingers. The fans are cheering the Von Erichs on as Rude unloads with punches to Mike’s forehead. Rude rips off the bandage and it’s clear Von Erich is busted open again. Rude whips Von Erich into the ropes and hits a clothesline, but so does Mike and both men go down! Marc Lowrance says Rude is finding out there’s no quit in the Von Erichs. Both Mike and Rick are slow to get up, but Rude crawls over to his corner and tags in Barr. Mike is dragging himself to his corner when Barr grabs his leg, but Mike kicks him with the other leg, knocking Barr back. Mike somehow dives and makes the tag and Kevin runs in, unloading with punches on Barr. Kevin whips Barr into the ropes and hits a dropkick, knocking him down. Chop to Barr as Kevin follows up with a slam. Kevin bounces off the ropes and drops an elbow on Barr. Barr gets up only for Kevin to kick him in the gut, knocking him into the ropes, where Barr rebounds right into the Von Erich Claw! Marc Lowrance says there’s no escape from this one as Kevin locks in the hold. Rick Rude quickly runs in and knees Kevin in the back, breaking the hold. David Crockett tells Marc it looks like Barr just escaped. Mike staggers in and goes after Rude as the referee tries to get things under control. Percy Pringle III gets on the mat apron and he’s shouting something. Mr. Higuchi goes towards Pringle and as he does, Rude reaches into his tights. Marc says it looks like a pair of brass knuckles. Rude swings at Mike who ducks out of the way, spins Rude around and lands a big atomic drop. Rude’s unexpected chiropractic adjustment is followed by a dropkick by Mike that send Rude through the ropes. Mike goes out after Percy Pringle and slugs him, knocking him off the mat apron before returning to his corner. Back in the ring, Kevin whips Jesse into the ropes and dropkicks him again. Kevin climbs to the top rope and hits a beautiful flying bodypress as the referee dives down to make the count. Cover on Jesse for the 1-2-3.  

Winners: Mike and Kevin Von Erich. 

Bob Caudle says it’s an impressive performance by the Von Erich Brothers and they’re on their way to round three. 

Tony Schiavone is backstage with WWF announcer Gorilla Monsoon and the British Bulldogs. Schiavone welcomes the three representatives from the WWF and congratulates Davey Boy and Dynamite on their impressive first-round win. Gorilla says the Bulldogs are one of the greatest tag teams he’s seen and they have a continuity matched by only a handful of teams. Davey Boy and Dynamite thank Tony and Gorilla and say they have nothing but respect for their next opponents. They’ve been to Japan many times and they know that Fujinami and Kimura are two of the best. Tony asks Gorilla if he’s heard anything about the rumors that Fujinami and Kimura are suffering from the flu. Gorilla says he’s heard the rumors, but if they’re true, they’re not letting anyone know. Gorilla says teams are going to crawl to the ring on their hands and knees if they have to as long as the million bucks are on the line.


Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura
vs. the British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid)
WWF referee Dick Woehrle is officiating tonight’s match. Bob Caudle reminds the fans that each match’s referee has been selected randomly from a pool of referees from many of the promotions who have sent competitors. The two teams shake hands before the bout and the Dynamite Kid starts off against Kengo Kimura as the two begin with a collar and elbow tie-up. Kimura gets Dynamite up against the ropes and gives him a clean break. The two lock up again and this time Kimura applies a side headlock, but Dynamite slips out, whipping Kimura into the ropes. Kimura bounces off the ropes as Dynamite leapfrogs over him and catches the Japanese star off the ropes with a dropkick. Bob Caudle observes the crowd is behind the British Bulldogs. David Crockett adds that the fans are giving the Japanese team a polite reception, but the Bulldogs really impressed the fans with their round one performance against Genichiro Tenryu and Jumbo Tsuruta. Kengo gets up and the Dynamite Kid goes after him, only to catch an arm drag takedown that Kimura turns into an armbar. Kimura takes the Dynamite Kid over to Tatsumi Fujinami and makes the tag. Fujinami chops Dynamite in the chest then delivers a snapmare before applying a chinlock. Bob Caudle remarks that the Japanese star is putting the pressure on and using leverage to tire the dynamic star out, well-aware of Dynamite’s energy and speed. Dynamite moves around the ring, trying to wiggle his way out as Fujinami continues the hold, but Dynamite is able to get his leg on the rope, forcing a break. Fujinami releases Dynamite but quickly whips him into the ropes, hitting a dropkick. Tatsumi then slams Dynamite to the mat before whipping him into the ropes again, locking him in an Octopus Hold in the center of the ring. David Crockett says the Japanese team are showing why they received a first-round bye—they have an incredible combination of experience and technical skill. Bob says that’s exactly right and that the Bulldogs are going to have to dig deep if they want to win this one. Bob says it looks like Tatsumi is trying to position himself so he can choke Dynamite out. When Fujinami goes to do this, Dynamite begins to power out, and somehow manages to escape, hip tossing Fujinami to the mat. Dynamite falls on his back as Tatsumi goes for a rear chinlock but Dynamite spins out applying a Fireman’s Carry takedown. Dynamite hits a forearm smash on Fujinami’s head then slams him to the mat. David Crockett says he can’t believe Dynamite’s recuperative powers. How does he do it? Diving headbutt on Fujinami and Dynamite covers him for about a two count. Dynamite hip tosses Fujinami towards the Bulldogs’ corner and tags in Davey Boy Smith. Smith picks up Fujinami for a scoop slam and drives him down hard onto the mat. Smith lifts Fujinami again and delivers a vertical suplex, holding him up in the air for about 10 seconds. David Crockett says “Shades of Ric Flair, what a great-looking suplex!” Cover on Fujinami, but the Japanese superstar kicks out at two. Side suplex by Davey Boy as he tags in Dynamite. Davey Boy lifts Dynamite up and presses him down onto Fujinami. Cover by Dynamite as Davey Boy runs over to intercept Kimura. 1-2- Fujinami has his foot on the bottom rope but referee Dick Woehrle didn’t see it and he makes the three-count.  Fujinami argues with the referee but Woehrle shrugs his shoulders. 

Winners: The British Bulldogs

David Crockett says the Bulldogs caught quite the break in this match and Bob adds that the referee’s decision is final. 

Join us next time as round two of the tournament continues with Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen taking on Steve “Dr. Death” Williams and Ted Dibiase as well as The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk) battling Jerry “The King” Lawler and “Superstar” Bill Dundee. Things are headed to the Asheville Civic Center, but you can be certain the action won’t slow down as the quest for tag team immortality and some serious cash continues!

********************************************************

PREVIOUS POSTS IN THIS FANTASY SERIES
Tournament Announcement
Seedings and First Round Pairings Announced  

SECOND ROUND
Second Round: Matches 1 & 2 (Tournament 17 & 18)
     Mulligan/McDaniel vs. The Russians
    Rock & Roll Express vs. Maharishi/Nagasaki
Second Round: Matches 3 & 4 (Tournament 19 & 20)
    Brown/Jannetty vs. Inoki & Sakaguchi
    Ole & Arn Anderson vs. Windham/Rotunda)
Second Round: Matches 5 & 6 (Tournament 21 & 22)
    Midnight Express vs. Hart Foundation
    PYT Express vs. High Flyers
Second Round: Matches 7 & 8 (Tournament 23 & 24) 
    Rude/Barr (with Percy Pringle III) vs. Kevin and Mike Von Erich
    Fujinami/Kimura vs. British Bulldogs

FIRST ROUND
First Round: Matches 1 & 2
    Hennig/Blackwell vs. Mulligan/McDaniel
    Tyler/Whatley vs. Maharishi/Nagasaki
First Round: Matches 3 & 4
    Windham/Rotunda vs. Bockwinkel/Saito
    Rougeaus vs. Inoki/Sakaguchi
First Round: Matches 5 &6
    Barbarian/Graham vs. Hart Foundation (Hart/Neidhart)
    High Flyers (Brunzell/Gagne) vs. Savage/Poffo
First Round: Matches 7 & 8:
    The Von Erich vs. Blanchard/Abdullah the Butcher
    Tenryu/Tsuruta vs. The British Bulldogs
First Round: Matches 9 & 10:
    Graham/Blair vs. DiBiase/Williams
    Valiant/McGraw vs. Lawler/Dundee
First Round: Matches 11 & 12:
    Piper/Orton vs. Patterson/Fernandez
    Rock & Roll RPMs vs. Youngblood Brothers
First Round: Matches 13 and 14:
    Dynamic Duo (Gino & Chris) vs. American Starship
    Sawyer Bros. vs. Steamboat/Snuka
First Round: Matches 15 and 16
    Batten Twins vs. Fabulous Ones
    Weaver/Houston vs. Sheepherders

The Tony Schiavone Bobblehead

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Tony & Bug take their place in the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Museum, safely ensconced
between the United States Championship belt and Blackjack Mulligan's famous cowboy hat.

Back in August of 2017, the Gwinnett Braves baseball team honored Tony Schiavone and his dog Bug with their very own bobblehead doll, given away to the first 2,500 fans that attended the Gwinnett Braves baseball game at Coolray Field on August 26. It was part of a "National Dog Day" at the park where fans could bring their pets to the game as well.

Schiavone was at that time the play-by-play radio voice of the Gwinnett Braves, the triple-A club of the Atlanta Braves, and a bit of a celebrity in the Atlanta area not only because of his association with G-Braves baseball, but also for his long history as the voice of World Championship Wrestling on WTBS and TNT in the 1980s and 1990s.

Tony was also a producer for the University of Georgia Bulldogs radio network at that time, and a barista at Starbucks! He currently is the star of one of the most popular pro-wrestling podcasts in the country (along with co-host Conrad Thompson) and, along with Jim Ross, is currently part of the top broadcast team for AEW Wrestling each Wednesday on the TNT Network. A true renaissance man if there ever was one!

Like us, Tony was a big fan of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling growing up and so we've given his baseball bobblehead its special spot in the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Museum, even though he's not wearing that sweet navy blazer with the "JCP Sports" emblem on it.

A Tony Schiavone bobblehead. Who would have thunk it?

Coolest. Bobblehead. Ever.

Edited and expanded from an original post on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway in September of 2017.

Image from Jared Wallis/YouTube https://youtu.be/LZZILH-fZOI

Check out Tony's huge interview about his days as a fan of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling.

Mooneyham Reviews upcoming "Crown Jewel"

Read Mike Mooneyham's review of our upcoming book on the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 1959-1973. 

Dick Bourne’s new wrestling book is a ‘Crown Jewel’
by Mike Mooneyham
Charleston Post & Courier

Crown Jewel will be released in early October. 

Stay tuned!

"This volume, like Bourne’s previous editions, is a must for longtime NWA fans and those who appreciate the history of the business."
 - Mike Mooneyham, Charleston Post & Courier

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: January 22, 1983

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
on the WWE Network

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV Summaries & Reviews
by David Taub
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it appeared on the WWE Network. Results are included for the week (Monday-Sunday of the given week) as available. Please email with any corrections, typos, results, other details at 1davidtaub@gmail.com. Follow @TaubGVWire

For links to all available summaries as well as links to the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast, visit our TV Summary Index.


Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 01/22/83
(taped 01/19/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network Direct Link to this show Mid-Atlantic 01/22/83
WWE Network feed.   [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.]

Match 1
Sweet Brown Sugar & Mike Davis d. Ken Timbs & Masa Fuchi
Match is joined in progress. Tommy Young is the referee for the hour. Sugar pins Fuchi following a flying body press.

Bob Caudle introduces the what’s coming on the show. We have a “slam dunk” contest in the hour. Next, is Dick Slater.

Match 2
Dick Slater d. Vinnie Valentino
Caudle says we have four tag team matches coming up. And the slam “dunk” contest. Jimmy Valiant will attempt to slam One Man Gang. So will Dizzy Hogan. Slater wins with the Boston Crab.

[Break]

Match 3
Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood d. Jim Dalton & Frank Monte
Steamboat pins Dalton after Youngblood slingshotted him in following a blind tag. Not the smoothest finisher, but nifty nonetheless.

[Break]

-Bodyslam challenge
Bob Caudle is on the ring apron talking to Sir Oliver Humperdink. Anyone, man, woman child, alien, who can slam One Man Gang wins $5,000.
Dizzy Hogan is up first. He gets him off his feet, but that’s it. Jimmy Valiant comes in. No music this time. Valiant gets him 1/3 of the way up. Valiant wants his music. Ah! The Network overdub plays, so no ore commentary. Valiant gets OMG up, but Humperdink pushes on Gang’s back falling on Valiant. OMG follows with a big splash. Valiant is convulsing, as Dizzy Hogan checks on him.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Mike Rotundo
This is in lieu of local promos. Rotundo wants Ric Flair. “That may shock a lot of people.” Caudle tells Rotundo he his worthy, because he never quit against Leroy Brown.

[Break]

Match 4
NWA TV championship: Mike Rotundo [ch.] d. Bill White
Caudle thinks Valiant would have slammed Gang, if not for Humperdink. Roddy Piper joins in on commentary. Says he won’t be on the ring. Asked why, he never gives a clear reason. He just doesn’t feel like it. Caudle brings up the incident a few weeks ago when Flair and Valentine roughed him up. Piper downplays that as well. Rotundo wins with an airplane spin.

-Taped comments from Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle
This is in lieu of local promos. Slaughter wants Steamboat & Youngblood. They’re willing to do it on TV even. There is a new word: Pain. And they spell it S-L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R and K-E-R-N-O-D-L-E.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Dory Funk, Jr., Greg Valentine
Caudle wants to know why Funk is here, when he has a ranch in Texas. Funk wants Flair. And, Flair is on the East Coast, so he will be too. He says Brisco has been his archrival. He wants the Mid-Atlantic championship. He says he doesn’t care if Greg Valentine is his sometimes partner. He wants the U.S. title too. Funk is wearing a holiday sweater and horrible combover for the record.
Valentine, in a sportscoat and fancy shirt, talks about the Mid-Atlantic talent. At the end, he insults Piper.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Roddy Piper
Piper apologizes for missing recent matches. He was in another country where they don’t take as good of their fighters as other states. Dick Slater butts in. Slater says Piper ahs no guts. Pipe rslugs Slater, who no sells. Slater slugs Piper who no sells. Another round each. No selling. Slater jumps in the ring. Piper takes off his shirt and follows. And, the brawl is on. Referee Tommy Young tries to break it up. The wrestlers in the ring just stand there. Young asks for help and finally, the other wrestlers try to break them up.
Piper is carried away from the ring. Slater rejoins Caudle and calls Piper a dog. David Crockett makes a cameo in the background.

The match awaiting in the ring was Johnny Weaver & Tommy Gilbert vs. Jim Nelson & Red Dog Lane.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Dick Slater
Slater is still upset. They are going to get nasty. He’s tired of Piper. But, he’s a man of his word. Piper comes back out, and the brawl renews. Another pull-apart brawl. This episode has a real Memphis eel to it.

[Break]

Match 5
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco d. Ben Alexander & Ricky Harris
I guess the prior tag match was cancelled. Caudle recaps the Slater-Piper brawl. Jerry forces Harris to submit to the Figure Four.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Rick Steamboat, Jay Youngblood, Jerry Brisco
Steamboat says Jerry and Johnny Weaver has helped them. Piper comes out. He rants and raves about Slater. When Slater doesn’t come out, Piper leaves. Youngblood feels Slater has bitten off more than he can chew. Steamboat says someone is training them how to put the Cobra Clutch on, but he won’t reveal who. Brisco likes Steamboat & Youngblood’s chances. He also has a warning for Slater. Steamboat says there is a lot of red tape in their contracts with Slaughter & Kernodle. Mind games, they say.

“So long for now!”

 ******************************************

Results for the week, 1/17/83-1/23/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 1/17/83 Iva, NC
Ricky Steamboat beat Greg Valentine
Jerry Brisco beat Sgt. Slaughter by DQ
Johnny Weaver & Tommy Gilbert beat Red Dog Lane & Gene Anderson
King Parsons beat Bill White
Ricky Harris beat Frank Monte

Mon., 1/17/83 Lumberton, NC; Recreation Center
Jack Brisco vs. Dory Funk, Jr.
Jimmy Valiant & Paul Jones vs. Sweet Brown Sugar & One Man Gang
Jerry Brisco vs. Pvt. Nelson
Plus other matches

Tue., 1/18/83 Columbia, SC;Township Auditorium
Vinnie Valentino beat Frank Monte
Bill White beat Mike Davis
Sweet Brown Sugar beat Paul Jones
Jimmy Valiant beat One Man Gang
Dick Slater beat Bob Orton, Jr.
Jack Brisco beat Dory Funk, Jr.
Tiny Tom beat Little Tokyo
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle by DQ

Wed., 1/19/83 Charlotte, NC; WPCQ-TV studio
World Wide Wrestling:
Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle beat King Parsons & Mark Fleming
Jerry Brisco beat Red Dog Lane
Dory Funk, Jr. beat Dizzy Hogan
One Man Gang beat Vinnie Valentino
Jack Brisco beat Ken Timbs
Greg Valentine & Dick Slater beat Mike Davis & Tommy Gilbert

Thu., 1/20/83 Norfolk, VA; Norfolk Scope
Tiny Tom beat Little Tokyo
Tommy Gilbert beat Red Dog Lane
Jack Brisco beat Paul Jones
Dick Slater beat Jerry Brisco
Johnny Weaver, Jimmy Valiant & Sweet Brown Sugar beat Greg Valentine, Dory Funk, Jr. & Oliver Humperdink
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle

Fri., 1/21/83 Richmond, VA; Richmond Coliseum
King Parsons & Porkchop Cash beat Masa Fuchi & Ken Timbs
Mike Rotundo beat Dizzy Hogan
Tiny Tom beat Little Tokyo
Roddy Piper no contest with Dick Slater
Jimmy Valiant beat Oliver Humperdink by countout
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle

Fri., 1/21/83 Charleston, SC; County Hall
Mike David & Vinnie Valentino beat Jim Dalton & Bill White
Tommy Gilbert beat Ricky Harris
Gene Anderson & Red Dog Lane beat Johnny Weaver & Mike Davis
Paul Jones beat Tommy Gilbert
Dory Funk, Jr. beat Sweet Brown Sugar

Sat., 1/22/82 Roanoke, VA; Roanoke Civic Center
Tiny Tom vs. Little Tokyo
$100,000 challenge match: Dory Funk, Jr. vs. Abdullah the Butcher
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle vs. Jay Youngblood & Rick Steamboat
U.S. Heavyweight title: Greg Valentine vs. Roddy Piper

Sun., 1/23/83 Greensboro, NC; Greensboro Coliseum
One Man Gang beat Jimmy Valiant
Tiny Tom beat Little Tokyo
Jack Brisco, Sweet Sugar Brown & Mike Rotundo beat Dory Funk, Jr., Paul Jones & Red Dog Lane
Roddy Piper & Jerry Brisco beat Greg Valentine & Dick Slater
Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle beat Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood

Sun., 1/23/83 Toronto, Ontario; Maple Leaf Gardens (Maple Leaf Wrestling)
Billy Red Lyons beat Jerry Bryant(13:52)
Johnny Weaver beat Tim Gerrard(10:21)
The Destroyer & Bobby Bass beat Rudy & Terry Kay(22:46)
Leo Burke draw Tony Parisi(20:00)
Big John Studd beat Tony Garea(15:02)
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Kernodle by DQ
Jimmy Snuka beat Ray Stevens(8:56)