NWA Title Art: New Globe, Refurbished Plates (Part 4)

David Williams's spot-on artistic depiction of the new globe on Version 3 of the belt in 1977.CLICK HERE for a larger detailed image in a new browser window.

PART 4 
by Dick Bourne, Mid-Atlantic Gateway
Art by David Williams

We pick up where we left off in Pt. 3:

By the time Harley Race defeated Terry Funk for the NWA World Championship on February 6, 1977 in Toronto, the belt had been completely refurbished. The base of the center plate appeared to be the same, but several key features had been replaced. All of the plates had been repainted. The plates, however, were mounted on the same black leather strap that had replaced the red velvet strap in 1974.

This refurbished belt would be the third version of four of the domed-globe belt.

Version 3 of the Domed-Globe belt, featuring a new globe design, alternate color lettering for the flags, and more.

 In video of Race putting the belt on after the victory, the belt looked magnificent, almost brand new. The only sign of wear was on the back of the leather strap. As Race holds the belt over his head moments after the victory, you can see the creme colored backing loose and coming apart. It isn't clear why they wouldn't have gone ahead and had new leather cut of these newly painted and refurbished plates, but that was yet to come.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE in new window.

There were several noticeable changes this time around.  The color of lettering over the flags on the side plates as well as over the U.S. flag on the main plate was now black on a white background. It was the opposite on the first two versions of the belt. The globe was also new, with a slightly different map outline. The most noticeable difference though was the large red "NWA" letters were now curved on the globe rather than straight across. (See David Williams's incredible detail of the globe in a large image that will open in a new window.)

The flag side plates were also arranged in a different order, making it the third different configuration of the flags for the third belt. This time they were (L-R) Mexico, Canada, Australia, Japan.

The final significant change was the installation of black onyx panels to either side of the globe. These areas had previously been painted black, but the paint continued to flake off the gold plate. The black onyx was somewhat reflective when new, and you can see it sparkle as Race straps it on in Toronto.

The following chart illustrates the progression of the belt through three of the four versions, from red-velvet to new globe. 

The book "Ten Pounds of Gold" that I authored with Dave Millican lays out in great detail all four versions of the NWA "domed-globe" belt. (There is a detailed flow chart summarizing those versions in pp. 70-71 of the book.)

Next in Part Five, we will take a look at David Williams' incredibly detailed rendering of the 4th and final version of the belt on it's new leather strap.

Mid-Atlantic TV: January 16, 1982

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling
on the WWE Network

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV Summaries and Reviews
by David Taub
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it appeared on the WWE Network. Results are included for the week (Monday-Sunday of the given week) as available. Please email with any corrections, typos, results, other details at 1davidtaub@gmail.com. 

For links to all available summaries, visit our TV Summary Index.


Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 1/16/82
(taped 1/13/82 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network feed.  [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.]

Bob Caudle & David Crockett open the show, continue to talk about the write-in contest of who made the most impact in 1981. Apparently, the address to write in to has been scrubbed by the Network. Roddy Piper, with his RP grin, joins the announcers. He’s not going to step in the ring. He has a show that goes nationwide (referring to his Georgia Championship Wrestling gig). Crockett asks Piper about who Ole should pick as a partner. Piper knows, but he won’t reveal.
Caudle introduces the next match via blue screen.

[Break]

Match 1
Terry Taylor d. Ben Alexander
Stu Schwartz is the referee for the hour. Roddy Piper sticks around in place of Crockett. The show improves tremendously. No offense to Mr. Crockett, but he was the worst TV announcer of all time. I guess I did mean some offense. The funny thing about Piper as a heel commentator is that he called the action straight away for the most part. He always put himself over in an arrogant manner, but so entertaining. Crockett is back (darn). He informs us that Slaughter is going nuts over Sandy Scott’s injunction on his $1,000 from the Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. situation. Slaughter won’t get his money back until he gives Mulligan, Jr. another shot. Piper throws in a line about Taylor’s body: “If body’s meant something, Arnold Schwarzenegger would be the toughest man in the world!” Taylor wins with the abdominal stretch/pin combination.

—Int. w/Caudle: Terry Taylor

Taylor is blowed up, by his own description. Taylor can’t get a word out, so Caudle mercifully ends the interview.

[Break]

Match 2
Austin Idol d. Mike Davis
Idol is back on TV for the first time in a while. Davis gets some offense in, but Idol wins with the Las Vegas Leglock. Idol facials make it look like he is selling the finisher, not dishing it out.
-local promos

No local promos on this Network episode, but this is where my notes say they would go.

[Break]

—Int. w/Caudle: Blackjack Mulligan & Blackjack Mulligan, Jr.
The elder Mulligan talks about his kin, and how he raised his son. He can fight his own battles. He’ll be the greatest. Junior jumps in, and asked Dad to let him handle his own business. “I don’t need you, Senior. I need you, but not every time.” He talks about the Cobra Clutch challenge. He broke out of the hold, and it doesn’t matter that the TV went off the air. Senior says he will help his son, only if asked. I would say this is the seeds for a great heel turn, but it never happened. We go to a taped arena match next.

Match 3
Blackjack Mulligan Sr. & Blackjack Mulligan Jr. d. Jim Nelson & Rick Harris
This is from the Nov. 3, 1981 Charlotte Park Center taping. Dave Hebner is the referee. Not sure who the announcer is. Maybe Rich Landrum? Mulligan pins Harris while applying the claw. Not even Nelson could break it up.
Junior has some final comments, saying he will still team with Senior.

[Break]

—Int. w/Caudle: Ole Anderson & Gene Anderson; Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Jim Nelson
Ole says he needs more time to find a partner. Slaughter makes fun of the Mulligans. He will give Junior a thousand dollars’ worth of pain. Nelson stands in the background holding the U.S. title belt.
Blue screen intro for the next match.

[Break]

Match 4
Jake Roberts d. Bill White
For the record, Jake has always been called Jake the Snake during this Mid-Atlantic run. Piper is still on the mic. He calls Roberts the Abe Lincoln of wrestling because of his body type. Roberts wins with the knee lift. It looks like Austin Idol wanders out at the end of the match, but nothing came of it.
My original notes say the local promos would go here. None on the Network edition.

[Break]

Match 5
U.S. Heavyweight champion Sgt. Slaughter [ch.] (w/Pvt. Nelson) d. Buddy Landell in a non-title match.
 Caudle reminds us of the ongoing write in contest for who contributed the most in 1981. Piper says himself. Ah, we finally have an address to 421 Briarbend in Charlotte. Landell is able to fight out of the Cobra Clutch once. Sarge gets the win with a small package. Interesting finish. Slaughter applies the Cobra Clutch post-match. BTW, Sarge is often called Sgt. Bob Slaughter. Mulligan, Jr. jumps in the ring. Slaughter bails and Nelson gets the brunt.

Cue closing credits.

Results for the week after the jump...

Almanac Update: August 1980 (Part Four)

David Chappell's
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling History  
ALMANAC DIRECTORY

CLICK FOR THE ALMANAC INDEX

AUGUST 1980 - PART 4
FOURTH WEEK IN AUGUST

Interestingly, the first card of action during the final week of August of 1980 involving Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling occurred in Canada! The main event bout of that card in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens on August 24th was also the only action that week involving the white-hot feud between NWA World's Tag Team Champions Jimmy Snuka and Ray Stevens and former champs Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood. This brutal battle took place within the unforgiving confines of a steel cage, with the champions prevailing in 22:23 with Snuka capturing the pinfall on the Indian sensation, Jay Youngblood.

The NWA World's Heavyweight Champion Harley Race made a rare pass through the Mid-Atlantic area during the first part of the week, and was very fortunate to leave the territory with his title belt still in tow. In Greenville, South Carolina on the 25th, Race won a lengthy championship encounter with Ric Flair via count-out when the "Nature Boy" was  barely unable to beat the 10 count to get back into the ring. Flair suffered a similar disappointment the following night in the Raleigh Civic Center, when he and Race wrestled to a classic 60 minute draw, again allowing Harley to retain his title.

Race put up his World belt one final time during the week, this time at the Richmond Coliseum on August 29th. In a titanic struggle that at times seemed to showcase more brawling than wrestling, Harley and Ricky were both counted out on the floor as they were in a toe-to-toe slugfest. Race had to have been overjoyed to have his belt with him when he soon thereafter boarded an airplane at Richmond International Airport, with a ticket to leave the Mid-Atlantic area.

The last week of August seemed to signal a shift in the four-way program between Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan against Greg Valentine and "Bad Boy" Bobby Duncum. The four had a hard-fought bout in Richmond on the 29th, with the good guys prevailing, but most of the week saw two singles conflicts splintering out of the tag team program.

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine

The end of the month saw Valentine battling Flair over the United States Heavyweight Title in the Charlotte Coliseum on the 30th in an exciting double count-out outcome, and then the "Hammer" turned around the next day and performed an exhausting title defending double-shot. In Asheville, North Carolina in the afternoon Valentine handled the challenge of Paul Jones, and then turned around that evening at the Greensboro Coliseum and defeated Ric Flair in a bloodbath witnessed by 6,853 howling fans.

Blackjack Mulligan and Bobby Duncum had a bloodbath of their own in Greensboro, with the unmitigated mayhem ending in a double count-out decision with the match being hopelessly out of control from the beginning. This feud became very personal between these two coming out of an incident that occurred on the week's television taping of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling on August 27th, that aired in most TV markets on Saturday, August 30th. The week's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV show also showcased two real "head-scratching" incidents involving the NWA Television Champion, the Masked Superstar.

The week's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV show really had surprises from beginning to end. In the opener, the Masked Superstar wrestled Wayne Rogers, and definitely injured Rogers with a vicious clothesline. It was clear Rogers was hurt, and rather than following up with his equally vicious finishing hold the cobra, the Superstar backed off and allowed referee Sonny Fargo to check on the well-being of Rogers.

It was later determined that Rogers had suffered torn ligaments in his neck, and color commentator David Crockett made it a point to comment to the fans that the Superstar stopped when it appeared Rogers was injured, a move according to Crockett that impressed him and that "surprised everyone." It would not be the last surprising move from the masked man during this noteworthy TV show.

The first interview segment of the show was likewise noteworthy. Blackjack Mulligan, Ric Flair and Paul Jones appeared together at the same time on the same set for the same interview segment, after being adversaries at various times over many years in the Mid-Atlantic area! Flair referred to Blackjack as his "closest friend" and advised Bobby Duncum that he would be well served by taking off to avoid a confrontation with Mully. Blackjack responded that Duncum was like a "bad case of flu you can't get rid of" but that he was determined to outlast the "Bad Boy." For his part, the "new" Paul Jones told the fans he had "a lot of forgiving to do" and that he had "a lot to make up to the people," a task that he estimated would take at least six months to accomplish.

The August 27th TV show also delivered with a rare champion versus champion match on television. United States Champion Greg Valentine battled Matt Borne, who was one-half of the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions. In a surprisingly physical encounter, Greg was disqualified when he was hammering away at Borne in the corner and would not break at the count of five, necessitating the DQ by referee Sonny Fargo.

But the week's TV show saved its best for last. The Masked Superstar appeared for the last interview segment and after some back and forth banter with announcer Bob Caudle, an animated Greg Valentine appeared on the set and yelled, "Let me talk; you got the U.S. champ here!" Standing alone that interruption wouldn't have meant much, but over the previous several week on the sister World Wide Wrestling television program, the Superstar had barely been able to get a word in edgewise as his "bad guy" colleagues were rudely hogging the interview segments. It thus appeared to be yet another dismissive slight of the masked man.

When Bobby Duncum joined Greg on the set, the big Texan went right away to disparaging Blackjack Mulligan's girlfriend, Sara Jo Puckett. Duncum told the fans that Sara Jo ran away with a guy named "Slim," and that Blackjack "couldn't even hold a 290 pound fat broad!" That slander was more than Mulligan could stand, and Blackjack raced onto the interview set to confront Duncum.

Mulligan and Duncum then participated in a major brawl in the studio, with Blackjack sustaining a significant cut and was bleeding profusely. But most significantly, when Valentine attempted to join Duncum in the fracas and double-team Mulligan, Greg was held back by none other than the Masked Superstar! The Superstar shockingly said while holding back Greg, "He doesn't have to be out here. Let them two fight it out!" A thoroughly perplexed Valentine looking squarely at Superstar then uttered, "I don't know what's happened to this individual."

The show went off the air as Mulligan and Duncum continued to battle, with the Superstar continuing to hold back Valentine from entering the fray. Both of those visuals would define much of what the Mid-Atlantic fans would be witnessing as the month of September began, along with the autumn winds of change.

NWA Title Art: Black Leather and Dented Globe (Part 3)

PART 3
by Dick Bourne, Mid-Atlantic Gateway
Art by David Williams

Last time in PART 2, we looked at the red velvet domed-globe belt as beautifully and accurately recreated by digital artist David Williams. That version of the belt (Version 1) was in use from July 1973 through sometime in early 1975. More info here.

In 1975, while Jack Brisco was still champion, the NWA did away with the red velvet-wrapped lather strap and had the plates installed on a new black leather strap (Version 2), which gave the belt a more traditional look. The shape of the strap closely followed the shape of the main plate on the belt. The side plates with the flags were arranged differently. A different nameplate showed up on the belt as well, this time with the champion's last name in all caps - - "BRISCO." (Version 2-A)

When Terry Funk defeated Jack Brisco for the NWA World Heavyweight title on December of 1975, the "BRISCO" name plate was removed of course (Version 2-B), but no replacement nameplate for Terry Funk ever appeared on the plate. In fact, no champion following Brisco ever had their name on a nameplate on the belt. The reasons for that remain lost to time.


The rough and tumble Terry Funk treated the belt in a rough and tumble way throughout his 14-month reign, and during that time the round globe on the center of the main plate was badly dented (Version 2-C), and paint began to come off the black panels on either side of the globe (Version 2-D). By the end of Funk's reign, most of the black paint on those side panels was gone. (Late edit: Mark James reminded me that the original dents in the globe actually took place when Brisco had the belt. He's right, as you can you see them in interview footage of Funk after his Miami Beach victory over Brisco, something I had noted before on the Domed Globe website, but failed to correlate here. Regardless, that globe was obviously hollow and relatively fragile.)

Each of the four versions of the belt had their own unique characteristics while also sharing some characteristics to other versions. I'll detail them for the belts covered in the each specific installment of this series.

 Characteristics that made Version 1 of the belt unique:

• Original strap encased in red velvet.
• "Jack Brisco" Nameplate
• Flag configuration on side plates: Japan, Australia, Mexico,  Canada 

Characteristics common to Version 1 and Version 2 of the belt:

• NWA letters on the globe straight across (curved on versions 3 and 4)
• Names of countries in white lettering on black background.
• Black paint on side panels to either side of the globe. (Black onyx used for ver. 3 and 4.)

Characteristics that made Version 2 of the belt unique:

• "BRISCO" name plate until Jack Brisco lost the title to Terry Funk 
• Flag configuration on side plates: Mexico, Australia, Canada, Japan

Characteristics common to Version 2 and Version 3 of the belt:

• Black leather strap cut close to the shape of the center plate. 
• Cream color backing

The book "Ten Pounds of Gold" that I authored with Dave Millican lays out in great detail all four versions of the NWA "domed-globe" belt. (There is a detailed flow chart summarizing those versions in pp. 70-71 of the book.)

In February of 1977, Harley Race defeated Terry Funk to win the NWA title. Just prior to that, the belt received somewhat of an overhaul. We'll take a look at David William's recreations of that version of the belt (Version 3) in PART FOUR next time.

Mid-Atlantic TV: January 9, 1982

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling
on the WWE Network

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV Summaries & Reviews
by David Taub
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it appeared on the WWE Network. Results are included for the week (Monday-Sunday of the given week) as available. Please email with any corrections, typos, results, other details at 1davidtaub@gmail.com. 

For links to all available summaries, visit our TV Summary Index.


Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 1/09/82
(taped 1/06/82 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network feed.  [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.]


Bob Caudle & David Crockett open the show, immediately joined by NWA representative Sandy Scott. Scott talks about the great new talent in the area, including former Rookie of the Year Terry Taylor.

Taylor joins Caudle and gives a brief “gee whiz great to be here” interview.

Sgt. Slaughter joins the desk, and says he wants the $1,000 he put up for the Cobra Clutch challenge back. The challenge is over. Scott informs him he can’t return his money because Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. and his attorneys filed an injunction. Scott dismisses Sarge, threatening to relieve him of his U.S. championship if he doesn’t. Scott also touches on the Andersons’ World tag team championship being in jeopardy as well.

Caudle introduces the next match via magic bluescreen.

[Break]

Match 1
Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. & Jake Roberts d. Doug Vines & Mike Miller.
Dave Hebner is the referee for the hour. Mulligan is in red tights this week. Slaughter and Scott stay at the announcer’s desk and bicker more about the future of Slaughter’s money. The best part is Crockett does not appear to be on the microphone. Mulligan wins with the bulldog on Vines, as Roberts cuts Miller with the knee lift.

[Break]

Match 2
Billy Robinson (w/Lord Alfred Hayes) d. Keith Larson
Lord Alfred Hayes is Robinson’s new manager. This week, Robinson is called the British Heavyweight champion. Hayes joins the announce desk and corrects the announcers, he’s both the British European and British Commonwealth champ. Snooty heel Lord Hayes is fun. Technically, Hayes was a heel announcer in the WWF. He believes Billy Robinson is World champion material. Robinson destroys Larson, and finishes him with the inside back breaker.

—Int. w/David Crockett: Buddy Landel & Tony Anthony
This may the generic interview in place of the spot where local promos go in. A straight-laced interview with the underneath team. Landel says he’s trained with Jake Roberts. Both go over their strategy in their match later on vs. Ole & Ivan. Landel is wearing a Van Halen tour t-shirt.

[Break]

Match 3
Jimmy Valiant d. Jeff Sword
No music or overdub, just a straight jump cut into the start of Valiant’s match. Ivan Koloff comes to the desk, and mumbles something about the TV belt. Valiant won the title on Jan. 2 from Ivan, but they haven’t acknowledged it. Valiant is wearing a purple outfit with “Purple Haze” on it. Sword has a Star of David on his tights. He was managed at the time by Izzy Slapowtiz in the Knoxville-based promotion. Valiant wins with the jumping elbow. Jump cut out instead of playing any music.

[Break]

—Int. w/Caudle: Ray Stevens; Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. & Jake Roberts
Babyface assembly line interviews. Ray Stevens still challenges the Andersons to take back the World tag team belt. He said he surrendered the belt to Sandy Scott, as long as he promises to force the Andersons to defend the title. Mulligan & Roberts step in. Mulligan wants another Cobra Clutch challenge. Roberts says ’82 is theirs.
Magic blue screen intro for the next match.

[Break]

Match 4:
Terry Taylor d. Bill White
Caudle introduces Taylor as the ’81 Rookie of the Year. Wasn’t it 1980 last week? Roddy Piper joins Caudle. Maybe Crockett is on a smoking break. Hope he stays there. Piper says he won’t wrestle on TV anymore, but he’ll share his knowledge on the mic (Yeah!). Piper praises Taylor in his heelish way. Taylor wins with a an abdominal stretch into a pinning combination. Another week, another finisher for Taylor.

—Int. w/Caudle: Pretty Boy Fergie & Ox Baker
Fergie says he’s not hiding behind Ox Baker. Fergie has a t-shirt that says “Pretty-Boy The Champ” and Baker has a pictogram t-shirt of a fist over a heart. The Mid-Atlantic tag team champs are wearing their belts. Baker complains that someone in the locker room is using the Pretty Boy’s comb. Baker likes to hurt people.

[Break]

Match 5
Ole Anderson & Ivan Koloff (w/Gene Anderson) d. Buddy Landel & Tony Anthony
Piper sticks around on commentary. He compares the Slaugher-Mulligan Jr. Cobra Clutch challenge to time running out on a football game. Sandy Scott comes out and says Stevens returned the title belt on a condition that the Andersons defend the title. Scott says the Andersons (or Anderson) has 30 days. Gene Anderson comes out in Ole & Ivan’s corner.

—Int. w/Caudle: Big John Studd; Sgt. Slaughter; Ole Anderson & Gene Anderson
Heel train interview time. Studd calls out the elder Blackjack Mulligan. Slaughter talks about the future Cobra Clutch challenges against Mulligan Jr. The Anderson Brothers are out, both holding their World tag title belt. Ole said Stevens gave up the belt because he was scared of him. Ole says he will pick another partner, as Gene is now an advisor.

“So long for now!”

House show results for the week after the jump  -->

The Entire Story (Even the Broken Legs)

Almanac Update: August 1980 (Part Three)

David Chappell's
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling History  
ALMANAC DIRECTORY

CLICK FOR THE ALMANAC INDEX

AUGUST 1980 - PART 3
THIRD WEEK IN AUGUST 1980
PART ONE  | PART TWO

Week number three in the month of August 1980 kicked off with a super spectacular Greensboro Coliseum card that featured two bouts highlighting the top two feuds currently ongoing in the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling area. A crowd of 6,231in Greensboro witnessed Jimmy Snuka and Ray Stevens successfully defend their NWA World Tag Team Titles against the top challengers, Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood in a hard fought battle. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair also continued his onslaught against former partner Greg Valentine and despite Ric's spirited win over Valentine in Greensboro, the "Hammer" remained the United States Heavyweight Championship.

During the remainder of the week, the Stevens/Snuka tag team championship duo took the measure of Steamboat and Youngblood first-off in Harrisonburg, Virginia on August 21st. That was followed up with a 500 mile trip to the other end of the territory, to the venerable County Hall in Charleston, South Carolina, where the champs prevailed again the next night. The champs were riding high, also continuing to feed off of a World Wide Wrestling TV interview the week before where they extolled their virtues to the point that the NWA Television Champion the Masked Superstar, also expecting interview time, couldn't even get a word in edgewise about himself, as the champs with their manager Gene Anderson yapped excessively.

The battles between Ric Flair and Greg Valentine also continued unabated during the course of the week. The "Nature Boy" prevailed at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium on August 18th, and on August 21st at the Norfolk Scope Coliseum, along with a disqualification victory in Culpeper, Virginia on August 22nd. Despite that string of losses, Greg managed to maintain a tenuous hold on the U.S. Heavyweight Championship belt.

The four-way battles that were getting cranked up earlier during the month of August between Greg Valentine and "Bad Boy" Bobby Duncum against Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan and were almost immediately derailed by Duncum's leg injury, started back up during the week at the Charlotte Coliseum on August 23rd with Ric and Blackjack prevailing. Earlier in the week on August 17th in Roanoke, the Masked Superstar subbed for Duncum as he and Valentine dropped a slugfest to Flair and Mulligan. Likewise because of Duncum nursing his injury, the originally advertised tag team bout in Norfolk on the 21st between Duncum and Valentine against Flair and Sweet Ebony Diamond was reconfigured as a Flair/Valentine singles encounter.

Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Hossein the Arab, the Iron Sheik, defended his title against Sweet Ebony Diamond twice during the week, slipping by the masked man on August 18th in Fayetteville, North Carolina and at the Charlotte Coliseum on August 23rd with heavy doses of chicanery. "Number One" Paul Jones was also tantalizingly close to upending the Sheik for the Mid-Atlantic Championship in Norfolk on the 21st, but the Sheik once again got himself purposely disqualified allowing him to walk out with the belt intact.

The Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television show for this week was taped on August 20th, and featured two newcomers, former Canadian football star George Wells and a young Samoan grappler, Tony Tossi. While Wells was victorious in his match, Tossi fell in a rugged outing against the Iron Sheik. Also seeing action on the August 20th Mid-Atlantic TV program was the tag team of Paul Jones and Sweet Ebony Diamond, the dynamic duo of Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan and the United States Champion Greg Valentine.

In an interview segment during the August 20th Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV show, the soft-spoken newcomer George Wells told announcer Bob Caudle, "I've been working long and hard for this moment, and I've finally made it and I'm gonna try to hang around here as long as I can." Wells, as great an athlete as he clearly was, had an uphill climb to make the main event ranks on the very talented roster of Jim Crockett Promotions.

Also on the week's television front, in response to Bad Boy Bobby Duncum earlier telling the television audience that he had been injured and that he wasn't going to wrestle fellow Texan Blackjack Mulligan until he was 100%, Blackjack referenced Duncum while telling Caudle, "I hope the flu is over, I hope your bad cold is over and you're ready to get in the ring...I hope you're 100%! Because Duncum is smart enough to know that he's got to be 100% to get in the ring with me or Flair. Now Bobby D., this is gonna happen...we banged heads in high school, we banged heads in college and pro football all the way up the line. And now people are gonna get to see it brother, with no pads on Bobby Duncum, just me and you!

Ric Flair also chimed in from the interview area exclaiming, "Bob Caudle, we don't take nothing laying down! We want Valentine, we want Duncum, George Wells wants 'em all. And before it's all over, we're gonna throw a party that they're never gonna forget and Mulligan, myself, Wells, Jones, Youngblood, Steamboat...everybody's invited! And brother, some dudes we know are gonna start payin' their dues! Woooo!" The Nature Boy had certainly put an exclamation point on Week 3 as only he could!

We finish out the month of August 1980 in PART FOUR!

Blooper! Fat Boy Duncan!

 
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

We love the newspaper bloopers, but when David Chappell came across this one and sent it to me, I laughed out loud.

These are the results that appeared in the Tuesday morning Greenville, SC, newspaper following the weekly Monday night event at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium on 8/11/80.

The scheduled co-main event was to be Blackjack Mulligan vs. "Bad Boy" Bobby Duncum, but it appears that FAT BOY DUNCAN took his place!!

In other notes:

Not mentioned in this clip is that Greg Valentine was defending the U.S. title that night in his match against Sweet Ebony Diamond (Rocky Johnson.)

Interesting to see future Japanese superstar Tenyru on the under card, forming an interesting team with Brute Bernard and the underrated Gene Lewis. Their opponents featured one of my favorite tag teams of all time, Matt Borne and Buzz Sawyer (Mid-Atlantic Tag Team champions at that time), with their partner the legendary veteran Johnny Weaver. I'm betting that was an entertaining six-man tag match before the intermission.

The opener that night, not listed in these results, was Don Kernodle vs. Tony Russo.

For more Bloopers, see the entire list here. More to come!

First Round Continues: Windham vs. Jones

Mike Rickard is writing a multi-part feature fantasy booking a big tournament that will declare the winner to be "The Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time." The feature will be a weekly post to the Canadian Bulldog's World website.

The tournament will go on all summer and will feature the 21 U.S. champions from the Crockett era competing in single elimination bracketing.

See the introduction for more information on participants and tournament set up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The first round of the tournament is underway with another most interesting first round match-up:


PAUL JONES VS. BARRY WINDHAM
This one is bound to stir up some controversy!

Many younger fans might see this one as a one-sided affair, those only familiar with Jones from his work in the 1980s as a manager and then familiar with Windham for his relatively short but exciting run as U.S. champion when a member of the Four Horsemen in 1988.

However, those younger fans should remember that in his early-to-mid 1970s prime, Paul Jones was one of the top ranked wrestlers in the world, holding marquee victories over Jack Brisco, Terry Funk, Blackjack Mulligan, Ric Flair and many others.

But Horsemen fans in particular will remember that Horsemen may have never been so dominant as they were when Windham was in the group and held  the U.S. title.


So it's an interesting and test early on in the second match of the first round of Mike's tournament and no matter which way he sees it going, the result is bound to be controversial.  Go to the match-up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

PREVIOUSLY:

Introducing the Mike Rickard Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament 
by Mike Rickard, Canadian Bulldog's World

FIRST ROUND
Harley Race vs. Tully Blanchard


Mike Rickard is the author of "Wrestling's Greatest Moments", as well as the autobiographical "Laughing All the Way to the Bank (Robbery): How An Attorney Survived Prison" and the new novel "Flunky: Pawns and  Kings." His website is located at MichaelRickard.com.

Mike recently wrote a nice review of our book on the history of the United States Championship. We appreciate that very much and are happy that the book was perhaps a part of inspiring this tournament.

Read Mike's review here.

You can order the full color book on Amazon.com here.

 

Mid-Atlantic TV: January 2, 1982

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling
on the WWE Network

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV Summaries & Reviews
by David Taub
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it appeared on the WWE Network. Results are included for the week (Monday-Sunday of the given week) as available. Please email with any corrections, typos, results, other details at 1davidtaub@gmail.com. 

For links to all available summaries and links to these TV shows on the WWE Network, visit our TV Summary Index.


Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 1/02/82
(taped 12/30/81 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network feed. 

It’s a new year as we switch to 1982. Before the review, here are the current champs:

• NWA World Heavyweight: Ric Flair
• United States Heavyweight: Sgt. Slaughter
• Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight: Roddy Piper
• NWA TV: Ivan Koloff
• World tag team: Ole Anderson & Gene Anderson
• Mid-Atlantic tag team: Ox Baker & Pretty Boy Fergie

And, a quick summary of top babyfaces and heels:

Babyfaces:
Ricky Steamboat
Black Jack Mulligan
Black Jack Mulligan, Jr.
Jimmy Valiant
Ray Stevens
Jake Roberts
Jay Youngblood
Paul Jones

Heels:
Sgt. Slaughter
Roddy Piper
Big John Studd
Ole Anderson
Ivan Koloff
Ninja
Austin Idol

On to the show.

Bob Caudle & David Crockett preview the hour and ask fans to consider which wrestler made the most impact in 1981. I sense a write-in contest is coming.

Match 1
Jake Roberts & Jay Youngblood d. Mike Miller & Chris Markoff. 
Stu Schwartz is the referee for the hour.
Markoff must have defected. He is spelling his name “Chris” instead of “Kris” and dropped the water polo cap. More talk of the most impactful wrestler of 1981, good or bad. Caudle predicts a big 1982 for Ray Stevens. Back to the match. The heels have a good run. But, it’s Jake Roberts pinning Miller after the knee lift.

[Break]

— Int. w/Bob Caudle: Roddy Piper
The next match can’t begin, because Roddy Piper has something to say. Mainly, he’s made the most impact in 1981. He also complains Flair hasn’t given him a title shot.

Match 2
NWA TV title: Ivan Koloff [ch.] d. Ron Sexton
Clarification on the TV title rule (maybe). The TV title is on the line for the first 15 minutes of the match. But these TV matches are 10 minutes in time limit only. Sandy Scott joins the announcer’s desk. He says Slaughter and Ole think they’ve been #1 for 1981. It’s all Koloff. He finishes Sexton off with the driving knee to the back of the head for the pin.

—local promos w/Big Bill Ward
First appearance on the Network for Big Bill Ward. He’s talking about a 3/16/82 card at the George Whythe  HS Gym in Whytheville, VA. Also, 3/09/82 at Christiansburg HS Gym in Christiansburg, VA. And “tomorrow” at the Roanoke Civic Center. “Tonight” at the Brushfork Armory in Bluefield, WV. It’s Koloff vs. Valiant for the TV title; and Super D vs. Jay Youngblood, mask vs. Youngblood leaves town.
Les Thatcher now holds a mic for Super D. This is NOT Scott Irwin. He literally has a bus ticket for Youngblood. I’m guessing taped from the Knoxville studio.
Ward is back with Lord Al Hayes. Decent heel interview for his lumberjack match vs. Johnny Waver. Ivan Koloff is next, talking about his match vs. Valiant. Koloff holds the TV title belt.

A check of future results says the Bluefield card took place March 6. So, this must be the tape from the Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill, WV market, which aired nine weeks after the original airdate. Bicycling tapes at its best. The results also say that Super D is Don Kernodle.

[Break]

Match 3
Ray Stevens d. Tony Russo
Stevens still has one of the World tag team championship belts. Stevens wins with the piledriver

[Break]

—Int. w/Caudle: Jake Roberts, Black Jack Mulligan, Jr. and Ray Stevens
Babyface interview time. Roberts enjoyed his Christmas break. Went back to the family farm. Said a hog on the farm reminded him of Ole Anderson. Roberts has his stoic interview style down, just not as creepy in later years. Black Jack Mulligan, Jr. joins in, saying he is chasing Slaughter. No word on the result of that cliffhanger from last week, whether Junior survived the Cobra Clutch challenge. Stevens holds the World tag title belt. Says Ole is tough, but he will put an end to it.

Caudle introduces the next match via bluescreen.

[Break]

Match 4
Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. d. Bill White
Details. Not Ole Anderson’s strong suit as booker. The spelling is back to one word: Blackjack for this week. Slaughter comes out and joins Caudle & Crockett. They finally bring up the Cobra Clutch challenge from last week. Slaughter says he won. The announcers disagree.

—local promos w/Big Bill Ward
Ward runs down the upcoming cards in Whytheville, Christianburg, Roanoke and Bluefield. Johnny Weaver talks about his lumberjack match vs. Lord Al Hayes. Jay Youngblood talks about his mask vs. leaving town against Super D. Youngblood even says he’ll cut his hair if he loses.

[Break]

Match 5
Sgt. Slaughter & Pvt. Nelson d. Mike Davis & Terry Taylor
Davis & Taylor work on their foes’ arms. Caudle & Crockett calls it good strategy to counter the Cobra Clutch. But, despite the best effort, Davis succumbs to Slaughter’s Cobra Clutch.

—Int. w/Caudle: Ivan Koloff, Ole & Gene Anderson
Ivan talks about Koloff supremacy. Says he will keep his TV championship. The Anderson brothers are in. Gene talks about Ninja. He complains about Stevens. Ole trash talks Ray Stevens. Ole says Sandy Scott can stop him here, but he can’t stop him in the ring.

“So long for now!”

 Match results


Results for the week, 12/28/81-1/03/82 after the jump...

NWA Title Art: The Red Velvet (Part 2)

The Red Velvet Belt, seen here with the "Jack Brisco" nameplate. (Version 1-B)
Graphic art created by David Williams © 2019

PART 2 

by Dick Bourne, Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Art by David Williams 

The very first version of the the "domed-globe" NWA World title belt was a leather strap encased in bright red velvet fabric. It was first introduced on July 20, 1973 in Houston, TX, when the previous belt was retired and this new belt was presented to then-reigning champion Harley Race. 

When first presented, it did not have a nameplate. (I've always thought it was a crime to have not had a nameplate for Harley Race, especially if they were going to have a nameplate for Brisco.) Jack Brisco defeated Race that night, and soon after a simple "trophy shop" nameplate was affixed with the name "Jack Brisco" in upper and lower case letters. 

The two images in the Progression chart above show the two slightly different configurations of the red velvet belt, with and without the Jack Brisco nameplate. (Version 1)

NWA World Champion Jack Brisco

The shape of the strap may look odd compared to the traditional cut of a wrestling belt's leather strap. But graphic artist David Williams was careful to reproduce the red-velvet strap as accurately as possible using several photos that showed the belt's clasping buckle and belt holes. 

While beautiful in its own unique way, the red velvet didn't last long because the moisture created by perspiration and the belt often traveling in a bag with damp ring-wear caused the fabric to quickly deteriorate. When the belt was originally presented, it was housed in its own Halliburton-style suitcase. But that created just one more thing to haul around and it is thought that Brisco started traveling with the belt, at least to and from the hotel, in the bag with the rest of his gear. The red velvet fabric would apparently easily stain other fabrics, and there are stories of Brisco in the ring with lightly stained pink socks under within his wrestling boots.

According to Jerry Brisco, Jack hated the red belt, likely because of issues like those described above. Sometime in 1974, the belt's red velvet fabric and the strap it covered were discarded and a new, black leather strap was cut for the beautiful gold plates (as seen in PART ONE.)

The book "Ten Pounds of Gold" that I authored with Dave Millican lays out in great detail all four versions of the NWA "domed-globe" belt. (There is a chart summarizing those versions in pp. 70-71 of the book.)

Each of the four versions had their own unique characteristics while also sharing some characteristics to other versions. I'll detail them for the belts covered in the each specific installment of this series.

Characteristics that made Version 1 of the belt unique:

• Original strap encased in red velvet.
• "Jack Brisco" Nameplate

Characteristics common to Version 1 and Version 2 of the belt:

• NWA letters on the globe straight across (curved on versions 3 and 4)
• Names of countries in white lettering on black background. 
• Black paint on side panels to either side of the globe. (Black onyx used for ver. 3 and 4.)

In PART THREE of NWA Title Art, we'll take a look at David Williams's detailed renditions of what the belt went through in the second version. The 1974-1976 period included dents in the globe and paint coming off the black side panels as Jack Brisco, Shohei "Giant" Baba, and Terry Funk defended it around the world.

PART ONE : Introduction & History of the Project
PART TWO: The Red Velvet
PART THREE: Black Leather and Dented Globe
PART FOUR: New Globe, Refurbished Plates
PART FIVE: The Final Version of a Classic

Best Of: With Ric Flair, It's "All in the Family"

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

It's probably fair to say that in the storybook world of pro-wrestling, especially back in the territory days, worked family connections were just as common as bonafide family relationships.

For all the Funks, Briscos, and Von Erichs there were just as many Valiants, Fargos, and Andersons.

Ric Flair and Rip Hawk
Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions
(Photo by Bill Janosik)

Sometimes wrestling would even take an actual truthful family relationship (like father and son Johnny and Greg Valentine) and create a worked relationship (Johnny and Greg Valentine as brothers in the mid-1970s.)

But then there is the case of the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Flair would for a short time be a member of two different wrestling families soon after arriving to Jim Crockett Promotions.

Ric Flair arrived in Charlotte in May of 1974, debuting for Jim Crockett Promotions against Abe Jacobs at the Charlotte Coliseum on Monday night, May 13.

Within two weeks, booker George Scott was toying around with different ways to align Flair to begin his slow push. There were two family relationships that sprung up almost at the same time.

Ric was first said to be the nephew of Rip Hawk, the "blond bomber" who had a notorious reputation in the area going back more than a decade. George Scott teamed Hawk and Flair up early, only a few weeks after Flair arrived, and the two would soon win the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team championship from Paul Jones and Bob Bruggers on the Fourth of July in Greensboro. Flair's star was quickly on the rise.

But during that same time, the story was also floated on TV and in newspaper promos that Flair was a cousin of Gene and Ole Anderson, playing off the fact they were all three from Minnesota.

A newspaper article written in advance of a 5/24/74 show in Burlington, NC, listed the matches for the upcoming card, and included this:

"Singles action has Ric Flair, a relative of the Anderson Brothers, facing Billy Ashe."

Three days later on 5/27 in Greenville, SC -- exactly two weeks after his debut - - Flair and Rip Hawk teamed for the first time, getting an upset win of sorts over area veterans Nelson Royal and Danny Miller. Flair's push was on.  Less than seven weeks later, they won the Mid-Atlantic tag team titles.

We've joked over the years that if Flair was Rip Hawk's nephew and he was also Gene and Ole Anderson's cousin, then that must have meant that Rip Hawk and the Anderson Brothers were somehow related.

Try to figure out that family tree!

Wait ... we did.

Extensive genealogical and ancestral research has unearthed the following information:

1. There was a family of Andersons that immigrated to Minnesota from Sweden in the late 1800s. The patriarch was Noah Anderson. He and his wife Elsa had four children, two boys and two girls.
2. Their first son, Nils Anderson, married and had four sons of his own: Gene, Lars, Nils Jr., and the youngest Ole. All became pro wrestlers.
3. Their first daughter, Alma Anderson, married a Minnesota physician named Morgan Flair. They had a son named Richard "Ric" Flair who also became a pro-wrestler. (This makes Ric a first cousin to the four Anderson brothers by blood.)
4. The second daughter, Catherine Anderson, married a pro wrestler named Harvey "Rip" Hawk. (This makes Rip an uncle by marriage to Ric Flair and, as an aside, an uncle by marriage to the four Anderson brothers, too. Apparently Rip never wanted to publicly acknowledge them.)
5. Unrelated to this article, but to finish out the family tree, Noah and Alma's second son, Liam Anderson, had a son named Arn, which makes Arn blood cousin to the four Anderson brothers and Ric Flair, and as it works out, also a nephew by marriage to Rip Hawk. Liam and his wife Lesa Anderson moved to Georgia when Arn was just a baby, which might explain Arn's south-Georgia accent (as well his penchant for uttering classic southern phrases like "If I tell you a grasshopper can pull a freight train, hook him up!")

This research illustrates the uncle-nephew relationship between Rip Hawk and Ric Flair and the cousin relationship with the Anderson brothers. Ahhh, the many wonders of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling lore.

Mythical Anderson Family Tree (Click to see larger image.)

Confused? Don't worry. As Ole Anderson would say, this is all horsesh*t. And it may go quite the way of making the argument that I had way too much free time on my hands when writing this.

Originally published May 23, 2018 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. 

Updated with Family Tree diagram in 2019

Rickard's Fantasy Tournament: Race vs. Blanchard

Mike Rickard is writing a multi-part feature fantasy booking a big tournament that will declare the winner to be "The Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time." The feature will be a weekly post to the Canadian Bulldog's World website.

The tournament will go on all summer and will feature the 21 U.S. champions from the Crockett era competing in single elimination bracketing.

See the introduction for more information on participants and tournament set up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The first round of the tournament is underway with an incredible match-up to kick things off.


HARLEY RACE VS. TULLY BLANCHARD

What a first round pairing! And I'm torn between these two, because Harley Race is in my top 5 for all-time greatest NWA World champions but Tully Blanchard would probably crack my all-time top five as a U.S. heavyweight champion. In my mind, as an all around performer, Blanchard is one of the most underrated of all time. His intensity and believability during the mid-80s heyday of Crockett wrestling couldn't be matched.

But Harley Race is Harley Race.

So it's an interesting and test early on in the first match of the first round of Mike's tournament and no matter which way he sees it going, the result is bound to be controversial. Go to the match-up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

PREVIOUSLY:

Introducing the Mike Rickard Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament 
by Mike Rickard, Canadian Bulldog's World

Mike Rickard is the author of "Wrestling's Greatest Moments", as well as the autobiographical "Laughing All the Way to the Bank (Robbery): How An Attorney Survived Prison" and the new novel "Flunky: Pawns and  Kings." His website is located at MichaelRickard.com.

Mike recently wrote a nice review of our book on the history of the United States Championship. We appreciate that very much and are happy that the book was perhaps a part of inspiring this tournament.

Read Mike's review here.

You can order the full color book on Amazon.com here.

 

Wresrtle Art: The NWA World Title Recreated (Part 1)

The "Brisco Belt", the second version of the NWA World Title
"domed globe"  belt used in 1974-1976.
Graphic art created by David Williams © 2019

By Dick Bourne, Mid-Atlantic Gateway
Art by David Williams

Back in late February, a computer artist named David Williams contacted me wanting to source some photos for a graphic art project he was envisioning. "I’ve been obsessed for several years with the thought of accurately rendering the classic NWA belt," he wrote me. "The problem is I want to make it as perfect to original as possible, or not bother."

Given my love and appreciation for that old belt, this certainly seemed like a worthwhile endeavor and I wanted to enthusiastically support the project. The only thing David needed was some close-up hi-res photos of the belt, which I was happy to send him. Some of these photos I had taken myself, including the cover photo for the book "Ten Pounds of Gold" which showed close detail of the main plate, and others that showed the leather strap and details of the side plates.

With the help of some measurements Dave Millican made when he and I photographed the belt for the book back in 2008, Williams was able interpolate specific measurements for every element of the belt, all in perfect scale, in all of the title's iterations.

David Williams is a wrestling fan like the rest of us, growing up watching "Championship Wrestling from Florida," counting Jack Brisco and Buddy Colt among his favorites. Today he is a professional computer artist and career art director, as well as designer and publisher of the Ferrari Club of America’s Prancing Horse magazine. And let me tell you, this cat has mad skills.

Version 2A, end to end, every meticulous detail.
(David Williams)

After reviewing all the photos I sent him, he decided to attempt not only the original version, but a recreation of all four versions of the "domed globe" belt that were worn and defended by the great NWA champions of 1973-1986. The two images you see on this page are of the second version of the belt. It is always identifiable by several unique characteristics, primarily the white lettering on black background above the flags, the tight leather cut, and "NWA" letters that go straight across the globe (as opposed to the curved letters on later versions.)  You will also notice the "BRISCO" nameplate, which was on this version of the belt.

We collaborated on what should be included with regard to some of the details and in the end, David wound up with 10 different amazing images showing the progression of the belt from when it debuted in Houston, Texas on July 20, 1973 until it was retired in February of 1986. Each version features some change in the physical characteristics of the plates or the leather, even including the dents in the globes and the busted lacing around the edges of the leather strap.

In the coming weeks, I will present each of these 10 images, taking the opportunity to use David's amazing work to illustrate the evolution of the belt over the years, paired with information taken directly from the "Ten Pounds of Gold" book. You will see for yourself in some enlarged images the incredible detail of every single aspect of the belts, right down to the exact number of "beads" around the edge of the belt, the specific maps on the different globes, the lacing on the leather straps, the wrestlers on the plate, the fonts on the nameplates, and every other detail you can imagine. Just amazing work.

Coming up next in Part Two: Versions 1A and 1B of David Williams's amazing sequence of images, the belt as it first looked when it was presented to Harley Race before his match with Jack Brisco in Houston in July of 1973, the beautiful gold plates on the bright red velvet-wrapped leather strap.

***

PART ONE : Introduction & History of the Project
PART TWO: The Red Velvet
PART THREE: Black Leather and Dented Globe
PART FOUR: New Globe, Refurbished Plates
PART FIVE: The Final Version of a Classic

Also check out our new book on the history of the Mid-Atlantic Championship.

Blooper! A "Worked" Tag Team Title Match

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

We love the newspaper bloopers, but this might be better classified as a major breach of kayfabe! It's from Greenville, SC, in October of 1975.

We're pretty sure this was supposed to say WORLD Tag Team Title Match. (The "K" and the "L" are actually next to each other on the keyboard, which likely explains the error somewhere in the process.)

We're also pretty sure the boys in the back got a big laugh out of this if they saw the ad in the local paper.

Worked Tag Team Title Match!

* * * * * * * * * *

Tiger Conway, Jr and Steve Keirn were the hot babyface tag team at the time, even earning a non-title win over the Andersons on television.

Interesting 2nd main event with a young Bob Backlund making a rare appearance in the area. He was in for a few dates over the previous weekend as well.

Also interesting to note that the ad announces "New Time" for the show - - but doesn't actually list the time! By checking other ads before and after this show it looks like the bell-time for Greenville events changed from 8:15 PM to 8:00 PM.

For more Bloopers,  check out the list here. More to come!