Friday, February 25, 2022

Poster: Andre the Giant in big Six Man Tag in Salem VA


by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor
 

This poster takes us back to the Commonwealth of Virginia and promotes a card held on Saturday, November 29th, 1975 at the Salem Civic Center (referred to as the Salem Coliseum here). 

It boasts an attractive horizontal layout with all black print over a two tone orange and bright yellow background. 

Whenever Andre the Giant was scheduled to appear on a card that usually meant a packed arena. I'm confident that was the case in Salem this particular night with a main event six man tag featuring Andre, Tim Woods, and Rufus R. Jones versus the Anderson Brothers, Gene and Ole, and newcomer to the area Steve Strong. 

Other exciting matches included Swede Hanson versus Angelo Mosca (misspelled Moska here), strongman Ken Patera versus Jerry Blackwell, and Mike "The Judge" DuBois and partner Bill White took the challenge of Johnny Weaver and rookie Tony Atlas. Tony Rocca wrestled Don Serrano in the opening bout. 

NO. 28 IN A SERIES

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Mid-Atlantic Gateway Notes
by Dick Bourne

Andre the Giant was in for the big Thanksgiving week for Jim Crockett Promotions, including this six-man tag in Salem VA as seen in the poster above. Here is how Andre's big week shaped up in the Mid-Atlantic area:

  • Monday 11/24/75 - Greenville SC - Andre & Tiger Conway, Jr. vs. Gene and Ole Anderson for the NWA World Tag Team championships.
  • Tuesday 11/25/75 - Columbia SC - Andre & Rufus R. Jones vs. Gene and Ole Anderson for the NWA World Tag Team championships
  • Wednesday 11/26/75 - Raleigh NC - TV Tapings at WRAL-5 Studio
  • Thursday 11/27/75 (Thanksgiving) - Norfolk VA - Andre, Rufus R. Jones and Ken Patera vs. Steve Strong and the Anderson Brothers, plus Andre vs. Superstar Billy Graham in an arm wrestling contest.
  • Friday 11/28/75 - Richmond, VA - Andre & Paul Jones vs. Blackjack Mulligan and Steve Strong
  • Saturday 11/29/75 - Salem VA - Andre, Rufus R. Jones, and Tim Woods vs. Gene and Ole Anderson and Steve Strong (poster seen above)
  • Sunday 11/30/75 - Asheville NC - Andre, Tim Woods, and Paul Jones vs. Gene and Ole Anderson and Blackjack Mulligan
  • Monday 12/1/75 - Charlotte NC - Andre & Ken Patera vs. Blackjack Mulligan & Steve Strong