Mid-Atlantic Gateway
From the "Main Event Memories" Series
Tonight's "Main Event Memory" on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway is from the early fall of 1976 and reflects back on a trio of individuals running roughshod through the Mid-Atlantic area that entire year - The Anderson Brothers and their young cousin Ric Flair.The Anderson family prepared to battle Wahoo McDaniel, Dino Bravo, and Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones. The big six-man battle was the main event on a card at the Scope Coliseum in Norfolk, VA, and would be fought under "Lights Out" rules: the match was not sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance -- anything goes!
One side of this main event was carrying all the championship gold:
- "The Minnesota Wrecking Crew" Gene and Ole Anderson were the reigning NWA World Tag Team champions.
- The Nature Boy" Ric Flair was in the middle of his year long feud with Chief Wahoo McDaniel over the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship. He had regained the title from Wahoo after hitting him in the head with the broken table-leg in the infamous match in Charlotte that resulted in Wahoo going to the hospital legit and getting 53 stitches over his eye.
The Andersons and Flair had issues with Wahoo, Rufus, and Bravo individually and were hoping to settle all of the issues in this one night where there were no rules. Lights out!
As Ole says, how can these three hope to compete with the "Anderson family" under those circumstances?
Listen as Les Thatcher interviews the Andersons and Ric Flair about their big upcoming bout on September 9, 1976!
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Originally published June 28, 2015.
