Thatcher
Links:
Les Thatcher Official Website:
LesThatcher.com
Elite
Pro Wrestling Training
Les Thatcher, Harley Race, and Rick
Steamboat
Wrestling Weekly Radio
Join Les and his
co-host Doc Young every Sunday evening for the Wrestling
Weekly radio show, along with special guests.
Les has a monthly column on
PWInsider.
Audio
Studio (MP3)
Les
Thatcher runs down the entire February 21, 1976 card at the Richmond Coliseum
Les
Thatcher
(circa
1975)
"Burning Issues" by Mike Cline
The Fascinating Tale of How J. C. Dykes
and the Infernos Burned Les Thatcher
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
Part 3 |
Part 4
Mid-Atlantic Grapplin' Greats
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CONVERSATIONS
WITH LES THATCHER |
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LES
THATCHER PHOTO ALBUM
CONVERSATIONS
WITH LES THATCHER
George
Scott Gets the Book
Les
explains how Scott's approach changed the Mid-Atlantic area
forever.
WRAL
TV Promos
Learn
what went into taping those classic promos in the WRAL TV studios in Raleigh,
NC
Wrestling
Ric Flair
Ric
Flair's First Match in the Mid-Atlantic area was against Les
Thatcher
Spartanburg
& Columbia, SC
Remembering
those great, loud crowds in those classic old buildings.
Les
Thatcher Interview
on
Solie's Vintage
Wrestling
interview
conducted by Jeremy Hartley
In
1974, Les was given an award by the the Wrestling Fans International
Association (WFIA). On the back of this photo, Gene Gordon (who
took the photo described below) wrote:
"Les
had just received a trophy when photo was taken, as being voted
one of the outstanding wrestlers of 1974 by members of the
Wrestling Fans International Association Convention held at
Atlanta, GA this past June. Thatcher was also the Master of
Ceremonies during the Awards Banquet Dinner at the White House
Motor Inn where the convention took place."
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If you grew up as I did watching Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling in the mid-70s, you knew very well the
distinctive voices of two special people: Bob Caudle and Les
Thatcher.
There were other important voices (David Crockett,
Ed Capral, TV ring announcer Joe Murnick, to name a few), but
Caudle and Thatcher anchored down the show.
It was Caudle, of course, who hosted Mid-Atlantic Wrestling
for two decades and
was such a comfortable presence in
our living rooms each week, but
it was Les Thatcher who got down to the important business of
telling us who was going to appear in our local arena or high
school gym each week. Thatcher was the consummate pro, and like
Caudle, related well to almost anyone watching his promos, taking
the subject at hand quite seriously, never talking down to his
audience.
The thing I liked about Thatcher was he never took you
for granted. He always gave you a specific reason to want to be at
the arena that Friday night. He also was respectful of the
wrestlers, and unlike far to many announcers today, never tried to
be the show himself. He just made the thing work.
Not only a special voice, Les was also a wrestler for nearly 18
years, including former Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion with Danny
Miller. A journalist, TV and radio producer, and promoter,
Thatcher is still a force in Wrestling today, operating Elite Pro
Wrestling Training with Harley Race and Tom Pritchard,
conducting wrestling training seminars all over the country.
-Dick Bourne
1999
Updated 2005
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