by Dick Bourne and David ChappellMid-Atlantic Gateway
We finish our countdown of the 5 teams that competed in the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling area that never held the Mid-Atlantic tag team championships - - but should have. For our explanation of the process and our thinking behind this countdown, visit the original page here.
We've selected five teams that we felt fit that mold and should have been recognized or rewarded by the booker or the promotion with the Mid-Atlantic tag team championships, but for whatever reason were never given that shot.
We have spotlighted those five teams over the past few weeks, counting down to the number one team we thought should have been given that championship - - but wasn't.
The countdown so far:
5. Randy and Lanny Poffo
It's time to look at our pick for #1!
NUMBER ONE:
Mike "The Judge" DuBois & Sgt. Jacques Goulet (1976)
DC: This team featured two talented stars, with "The Judge" being known to Mid-Atlantic fans from previous successful stints in the area. DuBois and Goulet shined for much of 1976, battling babyface teams like Johnny Weaver and Ronnie Garvin and Tiger Conway and Ronnie Garvin with an exciting roughhouse style.
I have always felt the promotion erred in not putting the belts on DuBois and Goulet in this tournament. Tim Woods would leave the area in early 1977 and Dino Bravo began concentrating on singles matches, so winning the Mid-Atlantic Tag belts did nothing to enhance them. If Dubois and Goulet would have won the Tournament, they would have kept the "undercard" tag team scene vibrant as the Anderson's and Ric Flair and Greg Valentine were beginning their epic feud over the World Tag Team Titles.
DB: More than any of the other teams that were overlooked for championship gold in the Mid-Atlantic tag team division, this team by far was the best in my book. They had great chemistry and were a tough, physical team. And they were straight out of the French Foreign Legion!
The Judge had been around for some time in the Mid-Atlantic area, most memorably as the tag team partner of Freddie Sweetan in 1973. The Sarge was a relative newcomer to the area, but would be around for several years, most notably forming a regular tag team with Gene Anderson (a team featured as one of our honorable mentions.) But these two together were tremendous.
They came close to gold once, going to the finals of the fall 1976 tournament for the vacant Mid-Atlantic tag team championships only to lose in the finals of the tournament to former NWA world tag champs Dino Bravo and "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods. This made no sense to me at the time. The tournament was on TV and it seemed like the better course would have been to have the heels go over and then fans would pay to see Woods and Bravo chase the titles. Plus it would have obviously elevated Goulet and Dubois in the process.
But maybe the best thing to me about this team was hearing ring announcer Joe Murnick introduce them with that wonderful North Carolina drawl. From Mid-Atlantic Wrestling in December 1976:
Joe Murnick Ring Introduction of DuBois and Goulet
You just can't beat a classic Joe Murnick ring introduction!
And so there you have it; our choices for the 5 tag teams that never held the Mid-Atlantic tag team championships - - but should have!
Here is one final review of our top 5. If you missed any of these features, click the links and explore the history. Great memories!
1. Mike "The Judge" DuBois & Sgt. Jacques Goulet
Take a look at our honorable mentions.
Look for more Countdown features to come here on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.
Republished on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway May 7, 2020.
Republished on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway May 7, 2020.