"Mr. Wrestling" Tim Wood's ring jacket is displayed with a replica of the United States Heavyweight Championship belt he held in 1978, defeating Blackjack Mulligan and later losing to Ric Flair.
Woods is one of the most remembered stars of Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-to-late 1970s, and certainly its most technically accomplished. Real name George Burrell Woodin, he was a two time Big Ten Heavyweight Champion at Michigan State University (1958-1959) and twice finished second in the NCAA tournament those same years.
He became a star in professional wrestling in the 1960s in Georgia, was a big name in Florida and Texas, and later became a top main eventer in the Mid-Atlantic territory in the 1970s holding both the NWA World Tag Team and Mid-Atlantic Tag Team championships (with partner Dino Bravo) in 1976 and the United States Heavyweight Championship in 1978.
He wrestled both with and without the mask here. His top feuds in the Mid-Atlantic area were with such stars as Johnny Valentine, Blackjack Mulligan, Gene and Ole Anderson, Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson (with partner Sam Steamboat), Baron Von Raschke, Jimmy Snuka, and Snuka's manager in 1979 "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers.
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| The iconic white mask of Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods is alongside his ring jacket and a replica of the United States Championship belt he wore in Jim Crockett Promotions in 1978. |
The ring jacket and mask are from the collection of Brack Beasley. The belt is from the collection of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.
Interesting reading on Wood's amateur career in this article:
Hodge vs. Woodin: Pinning Down Rivalry That Never Was
https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/18382
