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| Bob Caudle 1960s Staff Photo (CBC History site.) |
Happy to also point out that most of the historical information on their site related to Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, and many of the wrestling related graphics used on their site, were found when they visited the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.
WRAL/CBC History: Wrestling
One of the most popular and long-lasting programs in WRAL-TV history was Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. The matches were recorded every Wednesday night in WRAL’s Studio A and were televised on Channel 5 on Saturdays. WRAL-TV was the main studio home for the wrestling productions that were syndicated throughout the region by Jim Crockett Promotions...
[READ MORE]
This page contains links to info on Bob Caudle, Joe Murnick, Nick Pond, Ray Reeve, Paul Jones, nelson Royal, and others involved in the production of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling at WRAL.
Note: This page contains links to all of the wrestling related material on the history website. There are other links with various mentions on the CBC archive site, which seems to be different, and they are linked below.
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Earl Ashe Interview
WRAL's legendary director Earl Ashe talks about wrestling at WRAL in the early days. The wrestling discussion begins at 9:08 in the video.
Smoke in the Engineering/ Former Ladies’ Room!
...Once a week during the ‘60s and ‘70s, Studio A was converted into a wrestling arena with bleachers filled to the brim with screaming fans. Wrestlers, with names like “Wahoo McDaniel” and “Andre the Giant,” would fling their bodies against the rope and sling-shot into their opponent. Imagine what the bathrooms might look like if a wrestling match and opera performance were scheduled at the same time... [READ MORE]
Wrestlers and Opera Singers
...The bathroom/changing room was also used by professional wrestlers, and this led to some “interesting” interactions at times! Yes, grown men wrestled each other on a rope-ringed stage in Studio A. Once a week during the ‘60s and ‘70s, Studio A was converted into a wrestling arena with bleachers filled to the brim with screaming fans. Wrestlers, with names like “Wahoo McDaniel” and “Andre the Giant,” would fling their bodies against the rope and sling-shot into their opponent...
[READ MORE]
1967 Summer of Love and a Time Capsule
... Here is an advertisement that appeared in TV GUIDE magazine in 1967. Perhaps the alleged film contains a greeting from Bob Caudle and Joel Lawhon and the news staff. Perhaps there are tickets to one of the wrestling shows held at WRAL. (They thought the show would never go off the air!)... [READ MORE]
“Wrassling” and Heavyweight Boxing Champ Joe Louis
...During the 1960’s, the highest rated locally-produced show in the Raleigh/Durham television market was WRAL’s Championship Wrestling. The program was produced weekly in studio A and aired each Saturday afternoon at five o’clock. The show was produced by promoter Joe Murnick and directed by Earl Ashe...[READ MORE]
The State Fair and WRAL Through the Years
... “Cap’n 5 Space Harbor” and “Bozo the Clown” were telecasted daily from the fairgrounds. An estimated 5,000 people watched “Professional Wrestling” in-person while it was being videotaped to air later during its regular time period... [READ MORE]
CBC Trivia Quiz
1. Why are these people lined up outside of WRAL-TV in December, 1966?
[READ MORE]
WRAL-TV Turns 50
...“I can remember going to the Video Tape Room to see the 2-Inch Video Tape Machines. They were huge!” he said. “One tape machine was the size of 2 refrigerators.” He and his father also came to see “Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling” which was taped in Studio A at the time...
[READ MORE]
https://history.capitolbroadcasting.com/programs/sports-shows/wrestling/
