Sunday, July 12, 2015

Jesus, Elvis, and All-Star Wrestling


One Amazing Week at the Charlotte Coliseum (1972)
by Dick Bourne, Mid-Atlantic Gateway
from the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives (originally published July 2010)

The evolution of sports venues is often a sad state of affairs in many U.S. cities. Mid-size cities in particular struggle to maintain financially viable arenas and stadiums, with sports franchises often holding up fans, voters, and city governments for better facilities, usually at the tax-payer’s expense.

Such has certainly been the case in Charlotte, North Carolina. But while most venues are torn down when they become obsolete, the old Charlotte Coliseum has somehow survived while its immediate successor has already been destroyed now years ago.

The original Charlotte Coliseum, now the Bojangles Coliseum

It has seen several name changes, becoming Independence Arena in 1988 (named for its location on Independence Boulevard) after a larger coliseum was built to accommodate an NBA basketball franchise. It later became Cricket Arena and now Bojangles Coliseum through different naming rights agreements.


Back in the day, the Charlotte Coliseum was the center of sports and entertainment activity in the city, hosting all variety of sporting events, concerts, and assorted other gatherings. It was also one of the main venues for regular pro wrestling events for Jim Crockett Promotions.

My friend Kyra Quinn was visiting Charlotte and attending the NWA Legends Fanfest in the summer of 2009, and while there spent a day or so visiting some of the other local attractions, including the Billy Graham Library. No, wrestling fans, not that Billy Graham – but the Reverend Billy Graham, perhaps the most famous Christian evangelist in the world.

In the lobby of the Library was a photograph that caught Kyra’s eye – the famed Charlotte Coliseum, back in its heyday, its marquee showcasing events taking place over the upcoming week. The photo, in the context of the Graham library, features the dates of one of Graham’s large multi-day evangelical crusades in 1972. But what caught Kyra’s eye further was what else was on that marquee – Elvis Presley, hockey, and wrestling - all in one week! Could it get any better than that?



What a wild and busy 10 days in April 1972 it must have been for the staff and management of the building, hosting events that would draw such huge crowds, if not sellout crowds, each night. A closer look at each event illustrates just how important a center of activity the Coliseum was for the surrounding community. These events weren't just average stops on a tour. They had a special significance of their own, making for an amazing week in Charlotte.

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

The Billy Graham Crusade: Wednesday April 5 – Sunday April 9, 1972

Billy Graham is thought to have preached to more people than anyone else in the world. The 5-day crusade in Charlotte would not only sell out the Coliseum (including thousands watching on closed circuit in the adjacent Ovens Auditorium), but was taped for broadcast and shown via syndication at various times over the following weeks in TV markets across the United States and around the world. The fifth night of this 1972 crusade, even though listed on the Coliseum’s marquee, actually took place at nearby Memorial Stadium.

Charlotte was Graham’s hometown. Born on a small dairy farm in 1918, he held his first crusade at a church in Charlotte in 1947 and had major crusades there in 1958 and this one in 1972. After this April 72 crusade, Graham would not hold another in the Queen City until September of 1996, drawing capacity crowds four straight nights at the brand new Carolina Panther’s NFL football stadium.

Charlotte Coliseum staff and crew barely had time to catch their breath after four nights of capacity crowds for Billy Graham in their building; Jim Crockett’s pro-wrestling event would take center stage two nights later.

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

Pro-Wrestling (Jim Crockett Promotions): Monday April 10, 1972

In 1972, Jim Crockett Sr. was running weekly events every Monday night at the Charlotte Park Center consisting of 4 to 5 matches. But about every other month or so, he held a larger event at the larger Charlotte Coliseum, often when the NWA world champion came to town.

Such was the case on April 10, 1972 when NWA champion Dory Funk, Jr. returned to the Queen City to face top contender Johnny Weaver in the culmination of a series of five major matches in Charlotte over a 14-month period of time between the two. The feud had angles and diversions that spilled over into the Florida and Amarillo territories as well. (That whole 14 month run was chronicled in Mike Cline’s 2008 article on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.)

Weaver began this particular chase for the NWA title in February of 1971 going to a one hour time limit draw with the champ at the Park Center. They went to a second time limit draw five months later in the rematch, this time in front of a capacity crowd at the Coliseum on Independence Day weekend. Dory’s father, who carefully controlled the bookings of his son, refused to allow Weaver any other title matches, but the NWA ordered a third match between the two in September. In advance of that match, Funk Sr. put a bounty on Weaver’s head, hoping someone might injure him before the September match with Funk Jr. Weaver made it through the bounty matches, but may have suffered the brutal consequences of those matches as Funk beat him cleanly two out of three falls in their third match. Weaver would not give up, though and relentlessly pursued Funk. On Valentine’s Day night in 1972, Funk agreed to meet Weaver in a Texas death match and if Weaver won that, he would earn another title shot. Weaver defeated the champ in the Funk family’s own specialty match, earning another shot at the NWA belt. That final title match between the two for the time being took place on the April 10 show, and is the event featured on the marquee in this photograph. Funk defeated Weaver in the first and third falls, ending this classic series of matches that Weaver himself called the most important series of matches of his career.


NWA Champion Dory Funk Jr. hands the world championship belt to referee Ron West before a title defense against Johnny Weaver, 
April 10, 1972 at the Charlotte Coliseum.

On that same card, Jack Brisco regained the Eastern States heavyweight title (which would later become the Mid-Atlantic title) defeating Rip Hawk in a rematch from the previous super show at the Coliseum two months earlier.

Charlotte Coliseum staff still didn’t have a chance for a break. The Charlotte Checkers returned to the dome the next night.

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


Charlotte Checkers Hockey: Tuesday April 11 and Friday April 14, 1972

The Charlotte professional ice hockey franchise was the Charlotte Checkers, a member of the Southern Division of the 12-team Eastern Hockey League (EHL).

The Charlotte Checkers were on a roll in April of 1972, tearing through the EHL play-offs after having won their 4th consecutive regular season championship. They defeated the Suncoast Suns (St. Petersburg) and Greensboro Generals in the quarter and semi final rounds to win the Southern Division and then swept the Syracuse Blazers of the Northern Division to win their second straight Walker Cup and EHL Playoff Championship. The Checker's Gaye Cooley won the Davis Trophy as the EHL's leading goaltender.

The Checkers were only the sixth team in EHL history to win back-to-back championships in a league that went back to the 1940s. The team drew huge crowds at the Charlotte Coliseum during the early 1970s.

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

Elvis Presley in Concert: Thursday April 13, 1972

Nestled in between the EHL play-off games on the 11th and the 14th was a concert by “the King”, Elvis Presley, on the 13th.

Following a two month stand at the Las Vegas Hilton in January and February of 1972, and a March recording session that yielded the no. 1 smash hit “Burning Love”, Elvis hit the road in April of 1972 for a 15-city tour that included the April 13 show in Charlotte. Many of those shows were filmed by MGM. The footage was used in the Golden-Globe winning documentary feature “Elvis On Tour”, which wound up being the final film in his prolific movie career which began in 1956.

Elvis was hurting emotionally during this time following his estrangement from wife Priscilla Presley four months earlier. The two would legally separate a few months later.

The show in Charlotte was a great success, as was the entire string of shows shot for the movie.


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

What a 10 day run for the Coliseum, captured forever in a small black and white photograph hanging in the lobby of a library in Charlotte. Billy Graham brought together a community in revival in 1972. Jack Brisco regained his Eastern title belt while Elvis Presley sported a nice belt of his own, adorning his famous white fireworks jumpsuit. They came no tougher than NWA world champ Dory Funk or Checker’s goaltender Gaye Cooley.

The pulpit, ice rink, concert stage, and squared circle all featured names not soon forgotten in one amazing week at the Charlotte Coliseum. It didn’t get any more main event than that.



- Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway, July 2010

2017 Edit - The Bojangles Coliseum is alive and well in 2017! Since this article was written and originally published in 2010, some amazing things have been happening at the old Charlotte Coliseum/Independence Arena. It's the new home of the Charlotte Checkers hockey team and soon home to the new AAL arena football team the Carolina Energy. Now, if only Jim Crockett Promotions cold resurrect and bring Mid-Atlantic Wrestling back to the building! Some significant capital investments and renovations have made the Bojangles Coliseum a special place again. Support events at this historic venue.


Credits and Resources

Photographs and graphics:

  • Photograph of the picture displayed in the Billy Graham Library taken by Kyra Quinn on her visit there August 2009.
  • Billy Graham photo from Wikipedia, listed as public domain from US News & World Report magazine.
  • Wrestling clipping from Charlotte 4/10/72 courtesy the collection of Mark Eastridge.
  • Charlotte Checkers logo from The Internet Hockey Database (HockeyDB.com.)
  • Elvis Presley photo in concert in Charlotte Coliseum 4/13/72 from ElvisConcerts.com.
  • Photo of Dory Funk vs. Johnny Weaver in the Charlotte Coliseum 4/10/72 taken by Gene Gordon © Scooter Lesley / Ditchcat Photography. Used with permission.


Research:

  • Billy Graham Center Archives: Charlotte Evangelistic Campaigns Research Project, http://www.wheaton.edu/
  • Billy's Team: Keeping Graham by Jim Schlosser, Greensboro News & Record September 28, 1996
  • Graham: Society Needs Its Heroes, Associated Press, Sumpter Daily Item April 6, 1972, Sumter, SC (Thanks to Carroll Hall)
  • Graham Opens Crusade, Associated Press, Spartanburg Herald Journal April 5, 1972, Spartanburg SC (Thanks to Carroll Hall)
  • Elvis Presley Biography website. www.elvispresleymusic.com.au Specifically: Elvis Aaron Presley 1970-1972: The Way It Is
  • ElvisConcerts.com www.elvisconcerts.com, Tours 1972
  • Eastern Hockey League Standings 1971-1972, Sun Coast Suns http://www.suncoastsuns.com
  • The Internet Hockey Database www.hockeydb.com , Charlotte Checkers (EHL)
  • Hockey in Charlotte by Jim Mancuso and Pat Kelly, Arcadia Publishing © 2006 ISBN-13: 978-0738542300
  • The Johnny Weaver Interview (Chappell & Bourne), Mid-Atlantic Gateway, Nov. 2007
  • Johnny Weaver's Title Chase by Mike Cline, Mid-Atlantic Gateway, March 2008


Special thanks to Kyra Quinn and Guy Depasquale. 
Article originally published on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway July 7, 2010.
Updated and edited with new information on the state of the Coliseum 7/12/15.
Featured again on 2/25/18 following Billy Graham's death.
Copyright © 2010, 2015, 2018 Mid-Atlantic Gateway

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