| WINNER---DINO
BRAVO
The young man from Naples, Italy won this balloting in a
landslide vote. Bravo came on the Mid-Atlantic scene in
April of 1976, and within two weeks he was a World Champion,
teaming with "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods to become
the NWA World Tag Team Champions. Dino also teamed with
Woods later in the year to hold the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team
Championship.
Bravo also wrestled his share of singles matches in 1976,
and accounted for himself well in those bouts. Bravo had a
tremendous physique and a fast style in the ring that made
any match he wrestled in something to behold.
Through the last three quarters of 1976, Dino Bravo was
often a Champion and always a main eventer in the wrestling
wars in the Mid-Atlantic area. He was certainly a breath of
fresh air for Jim Crockett Promotions, and the overwhelming
choice of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway as Rookie (Newcomer) of
the Year in 1976!
RUNNER’S-UP (TIE)---Greg Valentine, Masked Superstar,
Randy Poffo, Ric Flair, Steve Keirn, Ken Patera.
Amazingly, these six ended up in a tie for second place!
Undoubtedly, Greg Valentine and the Masked Superstar
would have garnered more support had they been in the
Mid-Atlantic area for a longer time in 1976. These two hit
the area at about the same time (late September 1976) and
certainly established themselves as major forces before the
year was out. However, they could not outdistance Dino Bravo
who was winning matches from April until the end of the
year.
Randy Poffo (Randy Savage to be) was an interesting
choice. Randy and his brother Lanny joined father Angelo in
the area in the spring of 1976. Randy improved considerably
throughout the year, and he and "Leaping" Lanny
became a solid mid-card combination by year’s end.
The remaining votes for Ric Flair, Steve Keirn and Ken
Patera were cast toward a "Rookie" award rather
than a "Newcomer" award as these three had all
previously been in the area in 1975. Next year we will spell
out this category better and more succinctly, defining it
simply as the "Newcomer of the Year."
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
None. |
