Jim Crockett Scholarship Fund (1973)

by Dick Bourne

Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Ticket stub from Thanksgiving Night in Greensboro 1973

The Territory's Biggest Night

When Jim Crockett passed away in 1973, the family decided to establish a scholarship in his name. According to a report in the Greensboro News & Record, the traditional Thanksgiving night event in the Greensboro Coliseum was the first in a series of scholarship events to be held in the coming weeks to honor the legacy and memory of James Allen Crockett, Sr. Proceeds from the event would go to that fund.

The Thanksgiving event in Greensboro, which was always a big affair and one of the biggest shows of the year in the entire territory, was particularly loaded that evening. The NWA world champion Jack Brisco was booked to defend the ten pounds of gold against former champion Dory Funk, Jr. in what was another in a series of classic battles between the two wrestlers who defined pro-wrestling in the 1970s. Jack had defeated Harley Race in July of that same year for the title, and the angle now was that Brisco had never defeated his arch-rival Funk, Jr. in a title match.  This was a huge deal at the time and billed as a special event selected for Greensboro. To add even more star power to that main event, former legendary champion Lou Thesz was brought in to act as special referee for the title contest.

A number of other big names were brought in from outside the area for the show, which wasn't that unusual for big shows in Greensboro. Terry Funk was in to challenge Eastern heavyweight champion Jerry Brisco in a battle of the younger brothers who were in the main event that night. Indeed, Thanksgiving night in Greensboro was a Funk vs. Brisco showcase.

Also in were the father and son combination of Eddie and Mike Graham. Eddie and Mike were top stars for Championship Wrestling from Florida, and Eddie was also the promoter of that territory. They squared off against one of the Mid-Atlantic territory's top legendary heel tag teams Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson. What a classic brawl that must have been.

Another top star in for the big card that didn't wrestle regularly in the territory was Cowboy Bill Watts. A regular in Georgia and Florida, Watts had made several special appearances in Greensboro that year, but was not a regular member of the Crockett roster.

The newspaper clippings are shown above and transcripts of the articles follow.

Studio Wrestling Updates

Mid-Atlantic TV Show Wins Awards (1976)
Jim Crockett's television crew takes home the lion share of the 1976 NWA awards.

Bill Connell with Steamboat and Youngblood (1981)
Bill Connell appears with Johnny Weaver and Jay Youngblood at an annual Christmas Parade.

Television Wrestling History: WRAL-5 Raleigh NC

Sound Bytes: Ring Introduction by Carl Murnick

The Wonderful Voice of Joe Murnick
Our favorite TV ring announcer makes one of his classic intros of Blackjack Mulligan and Big Bill Dromo at WRAL in Raleigh.



Plus these updates from earlier in the week:

Theme Music: Raleigh Intro to Mid-Atlantic Wrestling (1973)
A custom into for the Raleigh version of "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" featuring an introduction for host Elliot Murnick

Ed Capral in Atlanta (1972)
Prior to his stint for Jim Crockett as host of "Wide World Wrestling," Ed Capral was the longtime voice of wrestling wrestling in Georgia.

The Local Promos on Briarbend Drive featuring Tony Schiavone

Man Behind the Mike: Scott Clark from Wrestling Revue 1970

George Scott & Andre the Giant at WRAL in 1976

The Jerry Lawler Post Card from 1985


***********
The Studio Wrestling Scrapbook is part of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Tough Kid

Edited From the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives / Cokes & Popcorn

Roddy Piper once described what old-timers did to protect the business back in the day. In his day, they sometimes would go to extremes to make sure fans completely bought into an angle. it was all about "protecting the business."

Roddy is discussing the famous 1982 angle where he and Ric Flair engaged in an amateur wrestling contest. After Piper embarrassed Flair by pinning him both amateur and professional style, Flair and Greg Valentine attacked him and ground his face into the cement floor of the WPCQ TV studios in Charlotte.

In 2011, Piper discussed what we didn't see during the commercial break to make sure fans bought into the angle:

Roddy Piper discusses Gene Anderson
Rock 100.5 Atlanta's Rock Station 


Piper mentions he was taken to the back after the angle during the commercial break, and Gene Anderson rubbed sandpaper on his face to create the abrasion you see in the photo below and to help sell the angle to fans. Anderson looked at him and said, "Tough kid." Piper said it was one of the greatest compliments he had ever received.

Roddy Piper 1982

This photo above (taken by magazine photographer Eddie Cheslock in Richmond, VA) was shot in 1982 following the angle between Ric Flair and Roddy Piper which led to the sandpaper treatment he describes receiving in the video from Gene Anderson.

Ricky Steamboat 1978

The 1982 Flair/Piper angle was basically a repeat of an angle four years earlier between Flair and Ricky Steamboat in 1978 (except the 1978 angle didn't involve an amateur wrestling contest.)

On a recent appearance on Ric Flair's podcast (WOOOOO! Nation), Steamboat recounted how Gene Anderson had done the same thing to him to help get the angle over.

- Dick Bourne

From the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives
Cokes & Popcorn

Want more watered-down Cokes and stale popcorn like we used to get at the wrestling shows? Visit the Cokes & Popcorn page on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives. 
These are little stories of respect I want to hang onto.
FB Video

Main Event Memories: The Anderson Family (1976)

by Dick Bourne
From the "Main Event Memory" Series

Tonight's "Main Event Memory" on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway is from the early fall of 1976 and reflects back on a trio of individuals running roughshod through the Mid-Atlantic area that entire year - The Anderson Brothers and their young cousin Ric Flair.

The Anderson family prepared to battle Wahoo McDaniel, Dino Bravo, and Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones. The big six-man battle was the main event on a card at the Scope Coliseum in Norfolk, VA, and would be fought under "Lights Out" rules: the match was not sanctioned by the Mational Wrestling Alliance -- Anything goes!

One side of this main event was carrying all the championship gold. "The Minnesota Wrecking Crew" Gene and Ole Anderson were the reigning NWA world tag team champions. The Nature Boy" Ric Flair was in the middle of his year long feud with Chief Wahoo McDaniel over the Mid-Atlantic heavyweight championship. He had regained the title from Wahoo after hitting him in the head with the broken table-leg in the infamous match in Charlotte that resulted in Wahoo going to the hospital legit and getting 53 stitches over his eye. The Andersons and Flair had issues with Wahoo, Rufus, and Bravo individually and were hoping to settle all of the issues in this one night where there were no rules. Lights out!

As Ole says, how can these three hope to compete with the "Anderson family" under those circumstances?

Listen as Les Thatcher interviews the Andersons and Ric Flair about their big upcoming bout on September 9, 1976!

Classic Newspaper Ad from Florida

A great looking ad from "Championship Wrestling from Florida" featuring NWA Champion Jack Brisco and "the ten pounds of gold."

What a loaded 10-match card! Not only was Jack defending the title against Terry Funk, but two former world champs were also meeting in the semi-final as Terry's brother Dory Funk, Jr. met Harley Race. Plus Eddie Graham, Jim ("J.J.") Dillon, Johnny Weaver, and others.

The card was held at the beautiful Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. For my money on of the most beautiful arenas in the most perfect setting of any venue in Florida.

We love the old newspaper ads and this one features all the components of a perfect promo ad: a cool looking marquee header, the old traditional NWA logo, old-school wrestler-artwork, great photo of the champ and his belt, all in a well designed package. Belltime 8:30!!


This ad was first featured on our sister-website, The Domed Globe. 

Charlie Harville: Remembering His Remarkable Journey

by Wayne Brower
Exclusive to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway
from the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives

In the spring of 1954 Jim Crockett spoke before an audience in the City of Lexington, North Carolina to publicize the debut of professional wrestling at the local YMCA gymnasium. He announced an agreement that he had entered with the organization whereby a portion of the proceeds would go towards funding the newly constructed arena. Crockett also told the assembled group about his plans for weekly shows if the initial matches drew adequate crowds.

Marketing the wrestling matches would be through advertisements in local newspapers, along with display cards in store fronts and on utility poles at strategic intersections. Since locally affiliated wrestling was not televised in the immediate area, Crockett described the need for a strong connection with the population in the Piedmont section of the state. He then advised the attendees about his new association with a prominent sports authority who would play a significant role in providing a major event atmosphere, while drawing sports fans not previously interested in wrestling. That prominent authority was Charlie Harville.

Charles Edward Harville was born December 15, 1918 in High Point, North Carolina. From an early age he had a tremendous interest in playing various sports that progressed into his college years. Not being as successful as he had envisioned in football, Charlie turned to baseball but failed to make the High Point College team. Showing his lifelong ability to overcome setbacks through trust in his own self-reliance, he would later tell a newspaper reporter that being cut during the baseball tryouts made him strive to succeed in his second ambition – being a sports broadcaster.

So while still in college, Charlie went to his hometown WMFR radio and boldly offered his services as a substitute play-by-play announcer for the Thomasville Tommies baseball games. The station manager was impressed by the articulate young man and decided to give him an opportunity in an on-the-job audition on April 28, 1938. The next day he was hired as their full time play-by-play announcer for baseball and football games.

World War II interrupted his career, but after an honorable tour of duty in the Army Air Corps, Charlie reemerged in radio working at stations in Martinsville, Virginia, Goldsboro, North Carolina and then LaSalle, Illinois. During his time at WLPO in LaSalle he created the unique closing phrase that would always end his future sportscasts: “That’s the best in sports today.”

In 1949 WFMY Radio in Greensboro provided an opportunity for him to return to his home area. The station had made the effort to broadcast the new medium of television and obtained the license to do so later that year. Charlie was selected as host of what is believed to be the first live local sports show broadcast in North Carolina. Almost fifty years later he would tell a staff writer for the Greensboro News & Record “It was a gamble on the part of the station. I practiced by pretending I was looking at a camera during my radio broadcasts. I had no doubt I’d succeed at it, but I didn’t know if it would go over with the public. I was surprised at the speed and breadth of its acceptance. By 1953 WFMY’s venture into TV was so successful that it closed the radio station.”

However, radio continued to be a significant part of Charlie’s career. Through the late 1940s and into the 1950s, he was a part of the Tobacco State Network that broadcast big four Atlantic Coast Conference basketball. For the next three decades he was the play-by-play announcer for numerous universities’ football and baseball programs, including East Carolina, Appalachian State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Florida State.

* * * * * * * * * *

On Saturday night, May 1, 1954 Charlie Harville walked toward the ring, through the then record setting attendance of 4,300, for the first professional wrestling matches ever held at the Lexington YMCA. Neither he nor those in the arena knew that they were a part of events that would significantly impact him and wrestling in the region for the next thirty years.

Studio Wrestling Updates

Theme Music: Raleigh Intro to Mid-Atlantic Wrestling (1973)
A custom into for the Raleigh version of "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" featuring an introduction for host Elliot Murnick

Ed Capral in Atlanta (1972)
Prior to his stint for Jim Crockett as host of "Wide World Wrestling," Ed Capral was the longtime voice of wrestling wrestling in Georgia.



Plus these updates from earlier in the week:

The Local Promos on Briarbend Drive featuring Tony Schiavone

Man Behind the Mike: Scott Clark from Wrestling Revue 1970

George Scott & Andre the Giant at WRAL in 1976

The Jerry Lawler Post Card from 1985


***********
The Studio Wrestling Scrapbook is part of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Dusty Rhodes Photo Memories

A great collage of Dusty Rhodes images that Mike Cline (of Mid-Atlantic Grapplin' Greats) put together for us for the Mid-Atlantic Gateway's career results page for big Dust.

So many great memories of Stardust, the plumber's son, the outlaw from Austin Texas, the American Dream.

Part of our ongoing tribute to the memory of the "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.

James J. Dillon & The Limousine

Honoring photographer and friend Robert Riddick, Jr.

One of Rob Riddick's favorite photographs that he shot was of James J. Dillon outside of his hotel in Baltimore the weekend of the second Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament. It was April of 1987, and J.J. was waiting for Ric Flair and the rest of the Four Horsemen to join him as they prepared to depart in their limousine.  Rob was shooting for George Napolitano and his series of pro-wrestling news stand magazines at this time.

Rob once told me the context of the photo, but I don't recall when during the weekend this was or where he said the Horsemen were headed. He told me he had taken this photo for himself. 

Twenty six years later, in the summer of 2013, my friend Conrad Thompson was looking for a unique photo he could have enlarged and signed by J.J. at a private gathering in Huntsville, AL. I suggested Rob's limousine photo and Conrad thought it was perfect. He had the photo of J.J. and the limousine blown up into a nice 16 x 20" foam-board poster. Since Rob allowed us to use his photograph, I asked J.J. to sign one for him, too, and explained to him that it was Rob who had taken the photo all those years ago and that it was one of his favorites.

J.J. took great care in signing the print to Rob. The inscription read:

"To Robert: 

Thanks for the great photo. 

J.J. Dillon

The Leader of the Four Horsemen forever!"

I was so excited to be able to get this for Rob.  J.J. was one of his favorite wrestlers and managers. The photo of J.J. and the limousine had been used on the cover of one of J.J.'s recent shoot-interview DVDs, which Rob was very proud of all these years later. I called him and told him I had it for him and that I would mail it to him, but needed to get the right packaging for it because it was on foam-board and could not be rolled up. He told me not to worry with it, as we were planning on trying to see each other soon, and I could give it to him then. I sent him a photo via e-mail of the signed print so he could see what J.J. had written. But even with that, I had every good intention to go ahead and mail it to him.

I believe it was Thomas Edison who once said something like "Good intentions, with poor execution, often lead to poor results.” Rob passed away a short time later, before our planned get-together. I had not yet mailed the signed photograph to him. I still feel bad about that to this day.

As mentioned earlier, I am featuring some of photographer Rob Riddick's personal favorite pictures to honor his memory as part of an ongoing series here on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

- Dick Bourne

"MatLands" - New Book by Jim Brunzell

While most of the wrestling world might remember him as either one half of the AWA world tag team champions with Greg Gagne or one half of the WWF tag team "The Killer Bees" with B. Brian Blair, we at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway prefer to tout "Jumpin'" Jim Brunzell as the former Mid-Atlantic heavyweight champion from his time working our territory in 1979 and 1980.

Brunzell has a new book out titled "MatLands: True Stories from the Wrestling Road." It is independently published and available now at Blurb.com. A 15-page preview of the book is available there as well. (The preview doesn't get you far enough to see any of the wrestling material, but looking at the table of contents, "MatLands" is all about the wrestling.)

From the publisher:

Hall of Fame member, Jumpin' Jim Brunzell chronicles his journey through the uncertain and sometimes dangerous road of professional wrestling. Some forty plus true stories that give a snapshot into the zany life that Jim and his "Blood Brothers" lived everyday in the very real world of "MatLands."

Brunzell had a nice run in the Mid-Atlantic territory, which included big feuds with Ken Patera, Ray Stevens, and the Iron Shiek. Jim held the Mid-Atlantic heavyweight championship twice, winning it the first time from Ken Patera in Richmond, VA. on 9/14/79.

He lost the title to "The Crippler" Ray Stevens in Greensboro on 11/22/79 but regained it from him on Christmas day in Charlotte.

Brunzell lost the title a final time to the Iron Sheik on 5/11/80 in Charlotte.

Brunzell worked with a great crew during his time in the Carolinas and Virginia including Ric Flair, Blackjack Mulligan, Jimmy Snuka, and many others. He was also fortunate enough to be in the territory when the legendary "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers made a brief return to the ring and one of the stories in his book is about the legendary world champion of both the WWWF and the NWA.

There is a chapter titled "Ed Wahoo McDaniel" which alone is enough to get a thumbs up from us.

And lastly there is a chapter titled "The Magic Rat Drove His Sleek Machine" which has us wanting to spend time with barefoot girls sitting on the hood of a Dodge, drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain. But that's just us.

"MatLands" is available through Blurb.com.

Meanwhile, on the Gateway, we knew Jim Brunzell was talented, we just didn't know how talented.

Remembering Dusty Rhodes

My First Impression Was the Most Lasting
by David Chappell

Like most Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling fans, I felt tremendous sadness when I learned that the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes passed away recently. While I never considered Dusty a true “Mid-Atlantic” guy, he nevertheless cast a large shadow over the latter years of Jim Crockett Promotions and the professional wrestling world in general.

Everybody that ever saw Dusty over the course of his career likely has a lasting memory of him…one match, card or interview that really stands out. I’m no different, though mine might be a bit obscure to some. It occurred on September 4, 1976, which was Dusty’s first appearance in my wrestling hometown of Richmond, Virginia.

Two weeks before that big event, it was clear that something unusual was up. TV promo announcer Les Thatcher told the Richmond viewing audience to be sure to tune in next week “for a special announcement of interest to all Richmond area wrestling fans.” During the Mid-Atlantic years, I never remembered a “tease” like that during a Richmond promo for our upcoming Friday night matches. Sure enough, when the next week rolled around, Les Thatcher announced that the American Dream Dusty Rhodes would be challenging “Nature Boy” Ric Flair for Flair’s Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship on a special Saturday night card at the Richmond Coliseum!

Studio Wrestling Update

Recent Updates to the Studio Wrestling website:

The Local Promos on Briarbend Drive featuring Tony Schiavone

Man Behind the Mike: Scott Clark from Wrestling Revue 1970

George Scott & Andre the Giant at WRAL in 1976

The Jerry Lawler Post Card from 1985



The Studio Wrestling Scrapbook is part of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Andre the Giant

It was always an exciting time when the "Eighth Wonder of the World" Andre the Giant came into your territory two or three times a year. Andre was a special attraction that toured the world of pro-wrestling much like the touring world champions of that era did.

The image in this ad was similar to an image used on a big stand-up poster of Andre that was always featured on television during the local promo segments when he was coming to our town.

This newspaper ad, from Knoxville, TN, in September of 1974, touts Andre in a handicap match with the top heel brother combination in Tennessee wrestling history - Ron and Don Wright.

Chilhowie Park was the traditional home to some of Knoxville's greatest pro-wrestling cards. This one was so big, they only needed to advertise one match. The main event in Knoxville that night was the only match that mattered!

Claw vs. Claw in 1978

Our friend Carroll Hall has tons of old clippings on his All-Star Championship Wrestling site. These span many decades, from the 1930s  to present time.

It's a great blog with tons of interesting things to check out.

The clippings at right are from 1978 and include the ad for a show in Dobson, NC featuring a claw vs. claw confrontation between Blackjack Mulligan and Baron Von Raschke. The accompanying photo from the day after the show says it all!

Be sure to check out All-Star Championship Wrestling!

A Visit with Ole Anderson

From the Desk of Dr. Andy McDaniel

In the wake of recent wrestling deaths I wanted to share something special. I have proudly been a professional wrestling fan for over 40 years. My love for what Ric Flair always called the “greatest sport in the world” started in 1974. The number of matches I have attended, honestly I have lost count. The memories are so plentiful that when reading articles on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway or ones by Mike Mooneyham I can almost always find a connection somewhere that I was either there or vividly remember the event or the feud.

Needless to say wrestling has been a major part of my life for most of my life. I was blessed to even give it a try for a season of my youth and certainly found it to be so much harder than it looked on television. I learned to respect not just the performance, but indeed I learned to respect the performers. These men and women were real life superheroes. They were not like the movies where they could not be seen beyond the silver screen, you could see them nearly every night in an arena somewhere across the Mid-Atlantic territory. For me it was Charleston County Hall located in Historic Charleston, SC. I was hooked at the first show and for so many years it was what I looked forward to the most on Friday nights. So what is my point? Why would I want to share this little story with anyone?

All wrestling fans who enjoy history know that over the years we have lost many of the greats. Johnny Valentine, Tim Woods, Wahoo McDaniel, George “Two-Ton” Harris, Swede Hanson, Rip Hawk and the list is honestly too long to write. I was so blessed to have each one of those men at the reunion I promoted in 1998 except Wahoo, but he would later make an appearance for me at one of my house shows. To say it was a fans dream event would honestly be an understatement. I cannot speak for one other person beyond myself, but I had the time of my life.

Terry Funk on Ric Flair Podcast

Ric Flair gets together with the hardcore legend, WWE Hall of Famer, and former NWA world champion Terry Funk on the latest edition of WOOOO! Nation, which dropped today.

From the website:
EP 08:

Ric welcomes his friend and HOF'er Terry Funk!
Be a fly on the wall as old friends and two of the best to ever lace up the boots talk about the old times, the hard times of their contemporaries, remembering Dusty and having a few laughs along the way. This is one you don't want to miss! Instant Classic!

Join Ric with Conrad Thompson as they welcome Terry Funk to WOOOOO! Nation. Check it out via iTunes or directly download from the WOOOOO! Nation page at the Play.it website.

Flair vs. Landel: Sold Out in Raleigh

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Ric Flair vs. Buddy Landel - July 31, 1985 Dorton Arena, Raleigh NC

During the summer months of 1985, Jim Crockett and booker Dusty Rhodes gave the Ric Flair vs. Buddy Landel feud a little test run to see if they had anything with the two of them. Landel, relatively new to the territory, was getting a great heel reaction everywhere and the "Nature Boy" vs. "Nature Boy" battle was bound to be big box office at some point.

However, Flair was in the middle of a big national run against Magnum T.A. off of WTBS, and back home in the Mid-Atlantic area he was the monster babyface against the Russian monster Nikita Koloff coming off the huge Great American Bash match at Charlotte's Memorial Stadium. Later that fall, Flair would be embroiled in a feud with Dusty Rhodes leading up to Starrcade 85, the same supershow where Landel would win the National heavyweight championship from Terry Taylor. So booker Dusty Rhodes wasn't ready to pull the trigger yet on the full blown Flair/Landel feud. He would save that for early 1986.

"Landel, managed by J.J. Dillon, was set for a major push in Jim Crockett Promotions, including a potential NWA title run or at least a major feud with Ric Flair," wrote Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer website. "The two had set a record in Raleigh, NC, in a tryout match."

Buddy Landel holds up the NWA title belt
after an earlier title match in Greensboro

The Raleigh match Meltzer was referring to took place July 31, 1985 at the Dorton Arena on the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. It had been set up by an earlier match between the two in Greensboro, NC on July 13 where Landel actually pinned Flair and was handed the NWA world title belt before the decision was overturned. Video of that match and angle was shown on Mid-Atlantic television and the local promos between Landel and Flair leading up to the rematch in Raleigh were white hot.

The result was a turn-away sellout of the Dorton Arena that stunned the Crockett front office. If you look closely in the photo up top, you'll notice fans jammed into every entrance way from the concourse into the arena and every seat taken in the building.  It was truly "standing room only."

James J. Dillon told the Gateway during a conversation in the summer of 2013 that he and Landel were in a car traveling to the building and were stuck in traffic the last couple of miles. "I wondered if maybe the State Fair was in town that week," remembered Dillon, "but then it just dawned on us; they're trying to get to wrestling."

Buddy Landel 1962-2015

Dusty put that plan in his back pocket and let it simmer for six months. The longterm plan was for Flair and Landel to have their series after the first of the year. The urban legend, as Meltzer alluded to above, has always been that Landel was going to get a brief run with the NWA title in early 1986. One can only imagine how the NWA/Crockett landscape might have changed if  that had taken place.

But we never had a chance to find out. Landel had his demons and missed a key television taping that was to set the angle with Flair. He was fired and Flair was programmed with Ron Garvin instead for the short term.

But there was always magic in the air when Flair and Landel got close to each other, and sparks flew when they had their handful of matches the summer of 1985. They just never had a chance to catch fire. And we'll always be left to wonder "what if."

In 2005, I had a short series of interactions with Landel. A mutual friend had introduced us and Landel had inquired about some video he thought I might have. He was looking for the aforementioned clip that aired on Mid-Atlantic television of the match where he had pinned Flair and was briefly handed the NWA belt. I had that original show on VHS and dubbed it to DVD for him, along with some other clips from that year-long run with Jim Crockett Promotions. For the next several years, every time our paths crossed, he would thank me for the DVD. Buddy was a nice guy. I think he enjoyed being able to show his family a glimpse of what might have been had it not been for those personal demons. Perhaps he was trying to pass on some hard lessons learned.

- Dick Bourne

Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Buddy Landel passed away on Monday, June 22, 2015. He was 53 years old.

Rest in Peace.

See also: "The Lightening and the Thunder of the Nature Boys" by Bruce Mitchell

Smooth Operator

Rest in Peace. June 22, 2015

Buddy Landel Passes Away

"Nature Boy" Buddy Landel in 1985
(Eddie Cheslock Photo)

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Buddy Landel passed away today.

Their report is here: Wrestling Observer

Our condolences to the family and friends of Buddy Landel, who was just 53 years old.


Update:
Greg Oliver at SLAM! Wrestling has an excellent obit on his website.

Buddy Landel Dead at Age 53

My Secret Charlotte

by Kyra Quinn

from the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives

I live in Charlotte now. I just moved here after having spent most of my life in Pennsylvania. During repeated visits over recent years I slowly fell in love with Charlotte's tree-lined streets, distinctive neighborhoods and New South charm. But what drew me here initially and continues to captivate me is wrestling - the gritty, compelling wrestling of Jim Crockett Promotions from the mid-1980s.

I discovered Crockett wrestling one Saturday morning in Pittsburgh in the summer of 1985 when I was 8 years old. Immediately I became hooked, captivated by what I now understand to have been the perfect mix of athleticism, drama, and charismatic personalities working together to near perfection. The result was wrestling so gripping and so real that people truly believed. I certainly did. I believed in the hatred between Tully Blanchard and Magnum T.A. I believed that the Four Horsemen were trying to permanently maim Dusty Rhodes. And I believed without question that Ric Flair was the best wrestler alive in what he always referred to as the "greatest sport in the world".

I quickly became an avid fan and was even able to see wrestling in person when the NWA came to the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. But they didn't come to Pittsburgh very often, and it didn't take me long to realize that the wrestling I loved was centered in the faraway and, to my young mind, exotic states of the Carolinas and Virginia. As a 4th grader in 1985 my knowledge of United States geography was undoubtedly broader than that of my classmates because each week I watched as Tony Schiavone promoted upcoming shows in places like Greensboro, Raleigh, Richmond, Norfolk and, of course, Charlotte. The names of these cities - and their venues - took on an almost mythical status for me. But Charlotte - home of Charlotte Coliseum, Memorial Stadium, Jim Crockett Promotions and the "Nature Boy" himself - was clearly the center of it all.

Sister-Website Updates

Here are links to a few items recently posted to some of our affiliated websites:

The Jerry Lawler Postcard
http://studiowrestling.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-jerry-lawler-show-postcard.html

Les Thatcher Schools Us on WRAL Local Promo Tapings
http://studiowrestling.blogspot.com/2015/06/les-thatcher-wral-promo-tapings.html

A Classic Newspaper Ad from Florida (1975)
Brisco, Funks, Race, Grahams, Backlund, others.
http://tenpoundsofgold.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-classic-newspaper-ad-from-florida-1975.html

Coming up later today on the Gateway:
A look back at one of our most popular articles: "My Secret Charlotte".

Crockett & Watts at the Crockett Cup

Honoring photographer & friend Robert Riddick, Jr.

Rob Riddick once told me that one of his favorite trips was to New Orleans in April of 1986 for the inaugural Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament. George Napolitano, through the assistance of Tony Schiavone in the Crockett office, made it possible for him to get credentials.

Ironically, it would be an event where he wasn't allowed to shoot many of the matches, since they limited the number of photographers that could shoot ringside, and those would be the guys like Napolitano, Bill Apter, and the photographers from Japan. But what made the trip so memorable for him was that he was able to get this shot.

Rob told me he was walking through one of the long hallways in the Super Dome before the evening session and noticed Jim Crockett and Bill Watts having a conversation in front of a set where they had the Crockett Cup trophy on display in front of a huge board with the tournament brackets. He worked up the nerve to interrupt them and ask them could he get a picture, sensing the brief opportunity to get them together in such a setting. Watts told him, "I don't have my jacket with me." Rob assured him that wasn't a problem in the slightest.

Without being asked, the two reached up and each held the trophy for the photograph which Rob told me was one of his all-time favorites given these two giants in wrestling together for that rather historic show.

As mentioned earlier, we are featuring some of Rob Riddick's favorite photographs to honor his memory as part of an ongoing series here on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Mid-Atlantic Magazine Covers in 1975

In 1975, Jim Crockett Promotions began publishing a program in the form of a magazine that could be sold at the arenas where the local matches were held. The in-house publication was designed, edited, and written by Les Thatcher, who by that time was a major support player in the Crockett front office.

These four issues made up Volume 1 and were all published in 1975. Volume 2 began in 1976.

Robert Riddick

Back around 2009, I was blessed to make the acquaintance of a wonderful fellow named Rob Riddick. Our mutual friend George Pantas introduced us, and from the moment Rob and I began talking on the phone regularly, we became good friends. He once told me he was convinced we were "brothers from different mothers."

Robert Riddick, Jr.

Rob was a great guy who shared his laughter and good cheer with me over the relatively few years I knew him through our many hour-long telephone conversations, many of them while he was sitting high atop his crane at the Naval Submarine Base in St. Mary's, GA. We shared the same love of music, TV and movies, NFL football, food, but most of all of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling. We had the same childhood heroes - Blackjack Mulligan, Dick Murdoch, Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones, Wahoo McDaniel, and the Anderson Brothers.

He was able to start taking photographs at the matches in Norfolk and Hampton when he was a teenager, and through good fortune and a little help from some friends, was able to begin taking photographs for the wrestling magazines, particularly for George Napolitano.

Rob shot Crockett cards professionally from around 1984 through 1990. He mostly shot in Norfolk and Greensboro, but also at some big shows outside his geographic area, for example the Great American Bash at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, as well as the Crockett Cups in New Orleans and Baltimore. His photographs graced many of the pages and even a few of the covers of the Napolitano magazines.

Dusty Rhodes with Paul Ellering and the Road Warriors

Rob credited Napolitano and Tony Schiavone for helping him out and opening doors for him. Particularly Schiavone, who set him up nicely at the Greensboro shows and got him access.

Sadly, Rob Riddick passed away in December of 2013. He was 48 years old. He was way too young to leave us, and he and I had way too much wrestling left to talk about. I think about him often and miss him very much.

During my few brief years knowing Rob, he was kind enough to send me some of his photographs to post on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. Many of those are on Rob's pages at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives. But some have never been posted or seen, and I plan to begin posting a select number of those here for all of us to enjoy. In all cases, these will be pictures that Rob told me were some of his personal favorites. I post these to honor his memory. Look for them to begin soon.

When Rob died, a friend of his posted online that the world was a lot less funny place that day. I found that to be so true. Rob made me laugh every time I spoke with him, and that's one of the greatest gifts anyone can give. Thanks for that, Rob. Rest in peace, big man.

- Dick Bourne

Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Flair & Anderson vs. Rhodes & Garvin (1986)

This is the match "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was talking about on his podcast this week when thinking of his favorite Dusty Rhodes moments. The spot he raved on about is at the 3:11 mark in this video, where Dusty gets so excited he gives Babydoll a kiss...and then kisses Ron Garvin!

Check out the Steve Austin Show on PodcastOne.com. 

Better Days

What a wonderful photograph of Wahoo McDaniel, Andre the Giant, and Dusty Rhodes from the 1970s. I have no idea the origin of this photo. It looks like something that was probably published in one of the Japanese magazines, as the U.S. magazines would have never published such a cool photograph. (Anyone with info on the origin/location/photographer of this photo, we'd love to know it.)

I just love it, all three looking happy and healthy during a great time in their lives and their careers.

Blackjack Mulligan Update

Lots of rumors swirling around the health of Blackjack Mulligan. I spoke with him this afternoon. He's ailing for sure, but many of the reports of the heart issues are greatly exaggerated. The decision was made not to operate to alleviate problems related to blood clots in his brain due to the associated risks. He's back home and resting and seemed in good spirits over-all.

We somehow got to talking about Nelson Royal's ranch and all the various photo-shoots and film-shoots they did there in the 1970s when he was working for Jim Crockett Promotions. He was happy to hear that Nelson's western store in Mooresville was still there, and I told him that not only was it still there, but they have added on to it in the last year and their business seems to be thriving. That seemed to make him happy, and nostalgic for the old Mid-Atlantic days. He loved Nelson.

Keep Blackjack in your prayers.  -DB

David Crockett on Ric Flair's Podcast

Longtime fans of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions and the NWA will want to make sure and tune in to Ric Flair's podcast "WOOOOO! Nation" which dropped today. His guest is good friend David Crockett, member of one of the most important families in wrestling history. From the website:

Episode 7: Ric Remembers his mentor and friend, Dusty Rhodes and talks to David Crockett.
Ric shares a personal moment with his thoughts and memories of The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes. Ric then catches up with David Crockett, a man he spent many years with in the business. David was on the plane with Ric in 1975 that crashed and was a part of the Crockett family, one of the strongest in the wrestling business for a long time.

Join Ric with Conrad Thompson as they welcome David Crockett to WOOOOO! Nation. Check it out via iTunes or directly download from the WOOOOO! Nation page at the Play.it website.

Never Let 'em See You Sell, Kid.

One of the greatest wrestling t-shirt designs ever conceived of first made its way on the scene at an Atlanta fan convention in 2009. It photographically depicts the various emotions of the one and only Ole Anderson. Except that each photo shown above each listed emotion is the exact same photo. Joy, sorrow, excitement…same photo of Ole. It is brilliant. It is wonderful. And it captures Ole Anderson perfectly.

Scott Teal of 1wrestlinglegends.com and crowbarpress.com designed the shirt. Scott co-authored Ole Anderson's auto-biography.

Brad Anderson recently saw a photo of the shirt on Facebook and loved it. Brad is the son of Ole's long time Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team partner Gene Anderson.

"That's so great," Brad related. "Ole not selling anything!"

Brad was reminded of something his father taught him, both as it related to wrestling, and everything else in life: "Never let 'em see you sell, kid."

Gene obviously taught Ole that same lesson well.

The t-shirt is available at Scott Teal's Crowbar Press website at http://www.crowbarpress.com/t-shirts.htm.

- Dick Bourne

From the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives 

Want more watered-down Cokes and stale popcorn like we used to get at the wrestling shows? Visit the Cokes & Popcorn page on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives.

Do It With Flair

In 1985, Jim Crockett Promotions released their first line of commercial merchandise that was based on their wrestlers. They previously had released some event-related t-shirts, but none directly related to their superstars. These were sold at the events as well as through mail order.

Ric Flair's first shirt was a classic. The phrase "I do It With Flair" was boldly emblazoned in sparkling gold on the front of a royal blue shirt. This particular shirt was only available for a short period of time in late 1985 and early 1986.

Now 30 years later, Ric's daughter Ashley, working under the name Charlotte in the WWE, has a very cool shirt that is a variation on that same theme.

Charlotte's shirt has a two-sided message. On the front it says "If you're gonna do it..." and then the back says "Do it with Flair."

We love it!

WWE/NXT Superstar Charlotte Flair

You can grab one of Charlotte's shirts at WWEShop.com.

Looking Back at the WRAL Studio

Wahoo McDaniel executes a perfect back suplex at WRAL.

One of our favorite memories here at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway is "studio wrestling", and in particular, the Jim Crockett TV shows taped at WRAL TV studios in Raleigh, NC. You have to be of a certain age to remember how special that environment was and how it came across on the TV screen. Wrestling was taped there from 1959-1981. The WPCQ Charlotte studio that came later (1981-1983) was cramped and hot and the quality of the audio and video wasn't up tot the standards of WRAL. WRAL was just about as perfect as you could get for studio wrestling back in the days when most of the territory wrestlings shows were shot out of studios or small buildings.

Over the years, we've been fortunate enough to hear from folks behind the scenes like Tom Gallagher and Rick Armstrong who actually worked some of those TV tapings from a production standpoint. They shared some wonderful insights into how those Wednesday night's came together. Others that attended tapings at WRAL have provide their memories.

Of course, we've also been blessed to have Bob Caudle, Les Thatcher, and Rich Landrum contribute to this website and offer their perspective as three of the major voices on those programs over the years.

The following is a list of some of the articles on the Gateway Archives website written about those magic days at WRAL.

Wednesdays in the Video Tape Room at WRAL by Tom Gallagher
Wednesdays Behind the Camera at WRAL by Rick Armstrong
One Night at the WRAL Wrestling Tapings by Bruce Mitchell
The WRAL Local Promos A Conversation with Les Thatcher

Bob Caudle and Rich Landrum also discuss the studio in their Gateway interviews:
Bob Caudle: The Gateway Interview
Rich Landrum: The Gateway Interview

There is an entire section on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives that covers all the different studios where Crockett wrestling took place over the years, with a big focus on WRAL: WRAL Studios, Raleigh NC

And taking it one step further, we have an entire blog-site devoted to memories and memorabilia around the wrestling studios and the broadcast talent that worked them. It's called the Studio Wrestling Scrapbook and is a part of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. Check it out!

I Still Owe Harley Race a Beer

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

There has always been an ongoing debate over how many times Harley Race officially held the NWA world heavyweight title: seven or eight. Regardless of which number you decide in the end is correct, one can’t argue how impressive either of those numbers are, especially when considering the era in which he held those titles. Unlike today, where the “world title” changes hands seemingly every other Monday night, when Race captured his first title a champion might hold the title for years at a time. Granted, by the late 70s and early 80s, there were several cup-of-coffee title interruptions which inflated the total. That was a harbinger of days to come, I suppose.

I had always been on the side of seven times; that was the traditional way history was written and how things played out to fans at the time. Everybody agrees on the first seven reigns, the seventh of which in 1983 broke Lou Thesz’s record to that point. The modern-day  debate centers around the title change that would be counted number eight: a short three day title switch that took place in 1984 between Race and Ric Flair on the other side of the world, a switch none of us as fans knew about at the time and a switch the wrestling press (except in Japan), by and large, did not report.

However, after reflecting back on a chance encounter I had with Mr. Race many years ago, I began to rethink my position on this debate. It also made me aware of a debt still owed him, a small debt that goes back almost 20 years.