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EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE HISTORY UPDATED1/4/06
Missouri Mauler (Larry Hamilton) 10/13/70 - Announced on TV (Aired 10/17/70) that Mauler won title from Pat O'Conner Mauler's first match back for Crockett in 1970 was on 10/12/70 in Charlotte NC. At WGHP TV studios on the following day 10/13/70, Mauler makes the announcement that he defeated O'Conner for the Eastern title. The earliest reference to an Eastern title match we've found is in Lexington NC on 10/17/70 vs. Al Torres. This title change is generally accepted to be a fictional change for the purposes of creating the title.
Danny Miller 7/15/71 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Missouri Mauler (2) 9/20/71 Charlotte Park Center, Charlotte, NC NEWSPAPER ARTICLE, AD, AND RESULT
Jack Brisco 11/30/71 WGHP TV Studio, High Point, NC (TV Air Date: 12/4/71)
MISSOURI MAULER SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED TITLE ON MONDAY 11/29 IN GREENVILLE SC. WGHP TAPED TV ON TUESDAYS, AND WHILE NO RECORD EXISTS OF MATCHES ON THAT TAPING ON 11/30, NEITHER LARRY HAMILTON (MAULER) NOR JACK BRISCO WERE ON HOUSE SHOWS TUES 11/30 HELD IN RALEIGH OR COLUMBIA. CARROLL HALL (WHO ASSISTS US WITH TITLE HISTORIES) SAW THE SWITCH ON WGHP TV AND KNOWS IT WAS AROUND THE THANKSGIVING WEEKEND. IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE TUESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING (11/23) BECAUSE MAULER IS STILL CHAMP ON 11/29, PLUS BOTH MAULER AND BRISCO WERE IN COLUMBIA THAT NIGHT. IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN TWO WEEKS LATER ON TUES. 12/7 BECAUSE MAULER WAS IN COLUMBIA THAT NIGHT. THIS ONLY LEAVES TUESDAY 11/30 AT WGHP IN HIGH POINT AS THE POSSIBLE DATE OF THE SWITCH, AND THAT DATE IS NOW CONSIDERED CONFIRMED BASED ON THE INFORMATION ABOVE
Rip Hawk (1) 2/14/72 Charlotte Park Center, Charlotte NC BASED ON INFORMATION FOUND IN THE NEWSPAPER AD FOR THIS SHOW, RIP HAWK APPARENTLY WON A TOURNAMENT TO EARN THE TITLE SHOT FROM EASTERN CHAMPION JACK BRISCO. HE TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY, WINNING THE TITLE THIS NIGHT IN CHARLOTTE. NEWSPAPER AD, PREVIEW, AND RESULTS
Jack Brisco (2) 4/10/72 Charlotte Park Center, Charlotte NC NEWSPAPER AD, PREVIEW, AND RESULTS
Rip Hawk (2) Sometime between 4/25 and 5/25/72, Site Unknown This may be a "phantom" switch. No record yet of any match between these two during those dates.
Jerry Brisco 6/13/72 Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
Rip Hawk (3) 8/28/72 Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, SC
Jerry Brisco (2) 9/4/72 Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, SC
Rip Hawk (4) 12/28/72 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Jerry Brisco (3) 3/3/73 Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
Ole Anderson 5/23/73 WRAL TV Studio, Raleigh NC Wrestling Revue magazine has an interview with new Eastern Champion Ole Anderson. The interview states that he won the title at WRAL TV. On Thursday 5/17, Brisco defended the title successfully against Terry Funk. On Friday 5/25/73, new Champion Ole Anderson defended title against challenger Jerry Brisco in Richmond VA. TV was taped at WRAL on Wednesdays, so that confirms (as close as possible) the 5/23/73 date.
Jerry Brisco (4) 7/3/73 Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC On 7/3/73, Jerry wrestles Ole Anderson for the title in Columbia. Ole is billed as the champion and Jerry as the former champion. There were no results in the newspaper. However, further research shows no references to the Eastern title from 7/3 until 7/14. On the 14th, Jerry defended the Eastern title against Ole in Roanoke VA. Unless we uncover evidence to the contrary, this confirms Columbia 7/3 as the site and date for the change. NEWSPAPER AD plus REFERENCE CLIPPING
Title Retired Becomes Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship 9/6/73, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC Jerry Brisco is final Eastern Heavyweight Champion New Mid-Atlantic Championship Belt is presented to Jerry Brisco See also: Origin of the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship
Eastern Heavyweight Champion Photo Album
The only two men to have held both the Eastern and Mid-Atlantic Titles. Copyright © Mid-Atlantic Gateway |
