Crockett Cup '85 Finale: Briscos vs. Rock & Roll Express (Final Falls)

THE FINALS
by Mike Rickard
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor 

UPDATED BRACKETS

THIS WEEK'S MATCH:
Rock-n-Roll Express
vs. Jack & Jerry Brisco (Oklahoma Cowboys)
SECOND & THIRD FALLS

Tournament Final - 2 of 3 Falls
(Tournament Match #47 - Second and Third Falls)

The 1985 Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament is underway. Wait, did you just say 1985? It’s time to take a look at one of wrestling’s biggest events from the mid-80s and see what it might have been like with a few historical alterations. What if Jim Crockett Promotions hosted its tag team tournament the Crockett Cup in 1985 and included teams from promotions outside the National Wrestling Alliance (“NWA”) including the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), All Japan Pro Wrestling, and more? In this case, you’d have 48 of the greatest tag teams in the world battling in a winner take all tournament for $1,000,000 and the prestigious Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Trophy. 

The first round saw 32 teams competing to advance to round two with 16 teams making it in. Round two followed as these 16 teams battled the 16 top-seeded tag teams that received a first-round bye. Round three continued with the remaining 16 teams slugging it out with eight making their way to round four. Round four saw things heat up further as eight teams battled to determine “The Final Four.” Now, two teams remain as only one team will walk away with $1,000,000 and the prestigious Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Trophy awaits. 

Sixth Round Rules: Here are the rules for the round six of our tournament. While a pool of referees from the NWA, AWA, and WWF were appointed for the tournament’s first five rounds, things are going to be different this time around due to the wild finish to round five’s second match between the Fabulous Freebirds (Michael “P.S.” Hayes and Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy) and the Oklahoma Cowboys. There, Road Warrior Hawk and “Precious” Paul Ellering attempted to attack the Cowboys, with Hawk unmasking Roy as Jerry Brisco.

The final match is taking place at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday April 28. The Briscos won the first fall in the finals under suspicious circumstances and now, they’re one fall away from winning it all. In case you missed the special rules for the finals, this match is two-out-of-three falls with no time limit. The only way to win a fall is by pinfall or submission. Andre the Giant serves as special ringside enforcer but he has no authority to officiate in the match or tell the referee if he sees any chicanery.

FIRST FALL (Catch up if you missed it!)

SECOND FALL
Ricky Morton starts things out for the second fall as Robert Gibson is still smarting from getting crotched on the top rope. Jack Brisco starts off and is smiling, rubbing his hands. He invites Ricky for a test of strength and Ricky moves in, only to kick Brisco in the gut. Ricky unloads with lefts and rights, David Crockett says Ricky looking to pay Brisco back for what happened to Robert Gibson in the first fall—and who can blame him? Bob Caudle points out Ricky Morton better not let his quest for revenge cloud his judgment or he could end up losing the match and the tournament due to a rash mistake. 

Harley Race warns Morton about the punches as Morton shifts gears on rams Jack Brisco’s head into the turnbuckle. Robert Gibson is slowly getting to his feet in the babyface corner. Jerry Brisco tries to enter the ring but Harley Race warns him off. Bob Caudle says this is a no disqualification match but it’s not a Texas Tornado Match and Race seems intent on maintaining the rules of a tag team match. David Crockett scoffs and says he doesn’t know what to think after the first fall. Bob Caudle asks David how he’d like to referee a high-stakes match. David days that will never happen as he likes calling the matches, not officiating them. Flying head-scissors by Morton sends Brisco down and Jack gets knocked down again after Morton dropkicks him. Cover on Brisco for a two count. Jack rakes the eyes, following up with a forearm then a big right hand. Jack whips Morton into the Briscos’ corner but Ricky slugs Jerry, knocking him back. Jack charges in but Ricky leap frogs over him and Jack crashes into the corner. Monkey flip by Ricky followed by an elbow drop to Jack’s left leg. Ricky drops another elbow on Jack’s leg then goes for the figure four leglock! Jerry runs in and breaks it up with a stomp to Ricky’s head. 

Robert Gibson is back in the game and runs in dropkicking Jerry Brisco. Robert takes Jerry and whips him head first into the cage. Ricky Morton goes to reapply the figure four leglock but Jack Brisco rolls him up for a small package. However, Harley Race is ordering Jerry and Robert back to their respective corners. Jerry Brisco is busted open! Jack Brisco gets up and starts yelling at Harley Race. Ricky Morton takes advantage of the distraction and whips Jack into the Rock-and-Roll Express’ corner. Robert has a boot reserved for Brisco’s head as Morton introduces Jack’s head to the flat of Gibson’s boot. Tag to Robert as they whip Jack into the ropes and catch him with a double elbow smash. Cover on Jack but he kicks out at two. Robert slams Jack to the mat. Jack throws a punch but Robert blocks it and fires off a punch of his own, knocking Jack down. Robert takes Jack and whips him into the cage. David Crockett says if the Briscos thought they were in for an easy win, they’re wrong. Ricky and Robert are taking it to them! Jack is bleeding now as Gibson whips Brisco into the R&R’s corner. Tag to Ricky who slugs Jack while Robert restrains him. Snapmare as Ricky slows things down for a moment before whipping Jack into the ropes again. High cross body-block by Morton by Jack somehow dives out of the way. Brisco grabs Morton’s hair and rams his head into the Brisco’s top turnbuckle. 

Jerry and Jack deliver a double suplex to Ricky. Jack tag Jerry and the Briscos whip Ricky into the ropes. Double back-body drop by the Briscos. Jerry covers Ricky but Morton kicks out at two. Jerry yells at referee Harley Race about the speed of the count but Race dismisses his complaint. Jerry gets into Race’s face as David Crockett says it looks like Harley is ready for an altercation. Morton rolls up Jerry while he’s arguing with the referee but Brisco kicks out. Brisco drops a knee on Morton’s head and tags his brother in. Jack kneelifts Morton then picks him up, whipping him into the corner. Series of forearm shots to Morton. Morton is dazed as Jack continues with the forearm shots. David Crockett says the Briscos are probably counting their million-dollar prize by now. Jack whips Ricky into the ropes near the Rock-and-Roll Express’ corner and Gibson capitalizes. Blind tag by Gibson as Jack hits another forearm on Ricky. The Briscos haven’t seen the tag but Harley Race has. Jerry comes in and picks Ricky up for some sort of double-team maneuver. However, Robert dropkicks Jack in the back, sending him into Jerry. Ricky drops down to the mat as Gibson hits a victory roll on Jack, holding him down for the 1-2-3 as Ricky keeps Jerry from making the save. 

Fall Two Winners: The Rock and Roll Express (45 minutes and 23 seconds)

THIRD FALL
Jerry Brisco kicks Ricky in the head. The Briscos run after Gibson and throw him head first into the steel cage. Ricky runs at them and gets the same treatment as Race orders one of the Briscos back to their corner. Jack is slow to move so Race shoves him down to the mat. Jack gets into his corner; Jerry picks up Ricky and slams him down to the mat. Brisco twists Gibson’s right leg then drops an elbow onto it. Another elbow drop to the leg as Brisco follows up by placing Gibson’s right leg on the bottom rope. Gerry drops a knee but Gibson somehow gets out of the way! Robert Gibson rolls out of the way as Jerry Brisco drops an elbow this time. David Crockett wonders if Jerry is starting to panic. Bob says Jerry is a seasoned veteran but Brisco might end up choking on that million-dollar prize. David says that sounds familiar but he can’t place it. Gibson surprises Brisco with a single leg takedown, even as Gibson is favoring his right leg. The ring has been cut off now as Gibson hip tosses Jerry into the Rock-and-Roll’s corner. Tag to Ricky who drops an elbow onto Jerry’s right leg. Jerry catches Ricky with a thumb to the eye when he goes for the figure four leglock. Jerry rams Ricky’s head into the turnbuckle in a neutral corner then follows up with a kneelift right to the face. Morton goes down as Brisco covers him for a two-and-a-half count. Morton is bleeding even more now as Brisco picks him up for a suplex but Morton flips over him, rolling him up for a two-count. Brisco kicks Morton but Morton catches his foot and spins him around for an atomic drop. The fans are on their feet as Ricky kicks Brisco in the hamstring, knocking him down.

Nearly an hour has elapsed in the match and all four men look like they’ve been through a meat grinder. Ricky locks in the figure four leglock on Jerry Brisco as the crowd cheers. David Crockett says the roof is almost shaking.  Jack staggers over to break things up, but Robert Gibson is already in the ring and he beats Brisco to the punch. Brisco rakes the eyes and whips Gibson into the ropes. Both men collide, hitting each other’s heads as they fall to the mat. Bob Caudle says they look like they might be out cold. Harley Race ignores them and focuses on Ricky and Jerry. Morton is bleeding heavily as Brisco fights to flip him over. However, he can’t so far. Morton continues the hold but he seems to be fading himself. David Crockett says Ricky has lost so much blood that it’s a miracle he’s still conscious. Morton falls on his back as Race counts to two, but Morton gets his shoulders up in the nick of time. Jerry is writhing in pain now as Robert and Jack are out cold. Jerry watches as Ricky’s shoulders slump to the mat and Race counts 1… Jerry gives up! 

Fall Three Winners: The Rock and Roll Express (One hour and two minutes).

1985 Crockett Cup Winners: The Rock and Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
The Rock-n-Roll Express celebrate their huge win. Harley Race raises their hands in victory as Andre the Giant comes into the ring. The cage is packed as babyface after babyface enter the ring. There’s Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka, the British Bulldogs, Jimmy Valiant and Bugsy McGraw, the Texas Outlaws, and many more. The babyface wrestlers lift Morton and Gibson on their shoulders. Andre the Giant has a bottle of champagne and pours it over the Rock-n-Roll Express. 

Bob Caudle says what a long road it’s been to the finals. It’s been a magnificent experience calling this tournament alongside you David. David thanks Bob and says "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic competition…This was the 1985 Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament.”

Bob Caudle tells David that sounds vaguely familiar. “Don’t stop me Bob, I’m on a roll!” David says as he tells Bob he’s written something else that sums up those who came up short. 

“Without training, they lacked knowledge.
Without knowledge, they lacked confidence.
Without confidence, they lacked victory.”

Bob Caudle tells David he’s heard it all now as not only has David appropriated the introduction to ABC’s Wide World of Sports but he’s pilfered a quote from Julius Caesar. David says it’s time to head to the ring. 

The babyfaces step aside as Mama Crockett and NWA President Jim Crockett Jr. enter the cage with the Crockett Cup trophy and an over-sized check for one million dollars (just don’t pull an Austin Idol with it). The Rock-and-Roll Express hold the trophy up high as the fans cheer them on for their hard-fought win.

Meanwhile, the Brisco Brothers have staggered out of the ring, catching a number of dirty looks from the wrestlers in the ring. Jack is groggy and Jerry is limping as they look around panic-stricken. David Crockett says Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen are making their way to the ring. Bob Caudle adds they’re not the only ones. Road Warrior Hawk and “Precious” Paul Ellering are on their way to the ring too. The Briscos panic and look around. Jack and Jerry run to the back as a cameraman follows them. A teenage fan runs up to the Briscos and tells them their cab is waiting.

The Briscos run for their lives and jump into a cab as their pursuers watch the cab driving off. Jack looks at Jerry and says “That was too close for comfort. Get us out of here cabbie.” The doors lock and Jack and Jerry look through the plastic protective barrier as Ole Anderson turns around and says “First, me and some friends want to talk with you about that Georgia Championship Wrestling stock.” 

* * * * *

Special Thanks to Dick Bourne for letting me post the tournament at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. It’s been a tremendous privilege and an honor to be able to write for a wrestling site that helps preserve the memories of a promotion I still consider the greatest wrestling promotion from the 70s and 80s and arguably, of all time. 

I’d also like to acknowledge Todd Stutts who figured out the Oklahoma Cowboys identities in March 2021! Nice detective work Todd! 

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

PREVIOUS POSTS
IN THE CROCKETT CUP '85 FANTASY SERIES

SIXTH ROUND MATCH (TOURNAMENT FINAL)
[ Brackets ]

Sixth Round Match (Tournament Match #47)
     Rock-n-Roll Express vs. Oklahoma Cowboys (Briscos)
     First Fall  |  Second and Third Falls

FIFTH ROUND MATCHES (SEMI-FINALS)

Fifth Round: Match 1 (Tournament Match #45)
     Rock-n-Roll Express vs. Midnight Express
Fifth Round: Match 2 (Tournament Match #46)
     The Fabulous Freebirds vs. The Oklahoma Cowboys

FOURTH ROUND MATCHES (QUARTER FINALS)
[ Preview ]

Fourth Round: Match 1 (Tournament Match #41)
     The Rock & Roll Express vs. Ole and Arn Anderson
Fourth Round: Match 2 (Tournament Match #42)
     Midnight Express vs. British Bulldogs
Fourth Round: Match 3 (Tournament Match #43)
    Brody/Hansen vs. The Oklahoma Cowboys
Fourth Round: Match 4 (Tournament Match #44)
    Rhodes & Murdoch vs. The Fabulous Freebirds

THIRD ROUND MATCHES
[ Scouting Report ] [ Brackets ]

Third Round: Match 1 (Tournament Match #33)
     The Rock & Roll Express vs. The Russians
Third Round: Match 2 (Tournament Match #34)
     Ole & Arn Anderson vs. Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi
Third Round: Match 3 (Tournament Match #35)
     Midnight Express vs. High Flyers
Third Round: Match 4 (Tournament Match #36)
     Kevin and Mike Von Erich vs. The British Bulldogs
Third Round: Match 5 (Tournament Match #37)
     Road Warriors vs. Brody and Hansen
Third Round: Match 6 (Tournament Match #38)
     Funk Brothers vs. Oklahoma Cowboys
Third Round: match #7 (Tournament Match #39)
    Texas Outlaws vs. Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff
Third Round: match #8 (Tournament Match #40)
    Fantastics vs. Freebirds

SECOND ROUND MATCHES
Second Round: Matches 1 & 2 (Tournament 17 & 18)
     Mulligan/McDaniel vs. The Russians
    Rock & Roll Express vs. Maharishi/Nagasaki
Second Round: Matches 3 & 4 (Tournament 19 & 20)
    Brown/Jannetty vs. Inoki & Sakaguchi
    Ole & Arn Anderson vs. Windham/Rotunda)
Second Round: Matches 5 & 6 (Tournament 21 & 22)
    Midnight Express vs. Hart Foundation
    PYT Express vs. High Flyers
Second Round: Matches 7 & 8 (Tournament 23 & 24) 
    Rude/Barr (with Percy Pringle III) vs. Kevin and Mike Von Erich
    Fujinami/Kimura vs. British Bulldogs
Second Round: Matches 9 & 10 (Tournament 25 & 26)
    Brody/Hansen vs. Williams/DiBiase
    Road Warriros vs. Lawler/Dundee
Second Round: Matches 11 & 12 (Tournament 27 & 28)
    Piper & Orton vs. The Oklahoma Cowboys
    The Funk Brothers vs. The Younglood Brothers
Second Round: Matches 13 & 14 (Tournament 29 & 30)
    Rhodes/Murdoch vs. Adams/Hernandez
    Sheik/Volkoff vs. Steamboat/Snuka
Second Round: Matches 15 & 16 (Tournament 31 & 32)
    Fantastics vs. Fabulous Ones
    Sheepherders vs. Freebirds

FIRST ROUND MATCHES
First Round: Matches 1 & 2
    Hennig/Blackwell vs. Mulligan/McDaniel
    Tyler/Whatley vs. Maharishi/Nagasaki
First Round: Matches 3 & 4
    Windham/Rotunda vs. Bockwinkel/Saito
    Rougeaus vs. Inoki/Sakaguchi
First Round: Matches 5 &6
    Barbarian/Graham vs. Hart Foundation (Hart/Neidhart)
    High Flyers (Brunzell/Gagne) vs. Savage/Poffo
First Round: Matches 7 & 8:
    The Von Erich vs. Blanchard/Abdullah the Butcher
    Tenryu/Tsuruta vs. The British Bulldogs
First Round: Matches 9 & 10:
    Graham/Blair vs. DiBiase/Williams
    Valiant/McGraw vs. Lawler/Dundee
First Round: Matches 11 & 12:
    Piper/Orton vs. Patterson/Fernandez
    Rock & Roll RPMs vs. Youngblood Brothers
First Round: Matches 13 and 14:
    Dynamic Duo (Gino & Chris) vs. American Starship
    Sawyer Bros. vs. Steamboat/Snuka
First Round: Matches 15 and 16
    Batten Twins vs. Fabulous Ones
    Weaver/Houston vs. Sheepherders

Original Tournament Announcement (May 2020)
Seedings and First Round Pairings Announced

Poster: Fabulous Freebirds Part of a Strange Show in Winston-Salem

by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This poster takes us back to 1981 and promotes a card at the Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum on Friday night July 17th. It's billed as a triple main event and the top of the bill features a very rare early appearance in Jim Crockett Promotions by the Fabulous Freebirds challenging the Gene and Ole Anderson.

In the semi it was the Big Cat Ernie Ladd vs. Bad Leroy Brown and the first main event pitted Austin Idol against Paul Jones. 

The poster itself has an attractive horizontal layout with black print over a light green background and the date and top two main events really stand out in high impact red. The familiar "Wrestling" splash is in the top left corner along with four images of the Andersons, Brown, Idol, and Jones. 

From top to bottom this particular card had a great mix of familiar and not so familiar faces to Mid Atlantic fans.

Gateway Notes: What a rare and unusual main event for the Mid-Atlantic area! The whole show is like something out of the twilight zone. Ole Anderson was booking both the Mid-Atlantic and Georgia territories at this time, and lots of Georgia regulars were getting sporadic bookings in the Mid-Atlantic area (and vice-versa.) But this main event sort of came out of the blue. Especially considering that Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy had split up as a team in the spring of 1981, and Gordy was teaming with Jimmy Snuka that summer, and in fact they were the Georgia Tag Team champions at the time of of this match with the Andersons, based on records of the title that I could find. Perhaps the Freebirds here were Hayes and Buddy Roberts, except Roberts had left Georgia by this time, meaning he wouldn't have been being booked by Anderson. So who knows? (Do you? Email us if you have further info on this card.)

This is an odd show for other reasons, too. The poster advertises the card for Winston-Salem's Coliseum, but the newspaper ad promotes it as an outdoor show at Ernie Shore Field, the local baseball venue. Since posters usually were printed weeks in advance, we're guessing the show got moved outdoors for one reason or another.

The newspaper ad for this card indicated that while the Anderson brothers were indeed the NWA World Tag Team champs, this was a non-title affair. Also, the Iron Sheik replaced Austin Idol on this show and that change was reflected in the newspaper ad as well.      -D. Bourne

NO. 15 IN A SERIES

Broadcaster Wes Durham calls back to Bob Caudle and the Mid-Atlantic TV Title on ACC Football Broadcast

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Wes Durham

One of our responsibilities here at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway is to do our part in keeping the memories of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling alive for current and future generations of wrestling fans. Occasionally we come across someone who pitches in on that effort as almost an afterthought, calling back to a golden era all but forgotten in the mix of modern world "sports entertainment." But every effort to do so, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, helps preserve the past.

Such was the case on a recent ACC Network telecast of a college football game between the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the Hurricanes of the University of Miami when play-by-play broadcaster Wes Durham invoked the memory of the Mid-Atlantic Television title and the name of the legendary play-by-play voice of wrestling in the Carolinas and Virginia for decades, Mr. Bob Caudle.

It happened following UNC junior defensive back Cam'Ron Kelly's interception of a pass by Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke with less than a minute to go in the first half. Kelly was celebrating with the UNC "turnover belt," awarded immediately after a interception or fumble recovery by the Tar Heels:

"The belt has been awarded to Cam’Ron Kelly. That looks like the old Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV title belt that Bob Caudle used to hand out."  - Wes Durham

Durham's comment was inspired by the turnover belt, but the tip of the hat to Caudle was a wonderful added surprise, and surely outs Durham as a fan of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling from the 70s and 80s. (Actually, he already did that to himself here. No worries, Wes, you're amongst friends here. Much respect.)

Cam'Ron Kelly (9) with the UNC Turnover Belt
October 16, 2021 vs. Miami

Wes Durham is the son of legendary Tar Heel broadcaster Woody Durham, the longtime radio voice of North Carolina football and basketball. Wes works for ESPN and is co-host of Packer and Durham on Sirius XM's ACC radio channel, which is co-hosted by Mark Packer, the son of another ACC broadcast legend Billy Packer.

Wes's Mid-Atlantic Wrestling reference joins a similar reference by another well known football play-by-play man, former UNC broadcaster and current voice of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, Mick Mixon. Mixon once likened an on-field brawl between O'Dell Beckham and Josh Norman to an in ring battle on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. (Hear that great radio call here.)

As you surely know if you've spent any time on our website over the past twenty-plus years, Bob Caudle is one of our heroes, and someone we've been proud to call our friend since the good fortune of getting to know him and his lovely wife Jackie back in 2004. It was our great honor for Bob to induct us into the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Hall of Heroes at that annual banquet in Charlotte in 2016. A photo of him often adorns the top of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Special thanks to our friend Brack Beasley who tipped us off to Wes Durham's reference to Bob Caudle and Mid-Atlantic Wrestling.

A special shout out to the ACC Network's @WesDurham who name-checked the great Bob Caudle and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling during the UNC-Miami football game yesterday afternoon. @ACCNetwork #KeepTheMemoriesAlive #MidAtlanticWrestling #TurnoverBelt pic.twitter.com/DY1wzbDKEp

— Mid-Atlantic Gateway (@magateway) October 17, 2021

 

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: November 5, 1983

The WWE Network is no longer available
in the United States.

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

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it once appeared on the WWE Network (now on Peacock). 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. Follow @TaubGVWire

For links to all available summaries as well as links to the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast, visit our TV Summary Index.

Please note: The WWE Network ceased operation in the United States on April 4, 2021 and programming transitioned to NBC's Peacock streaming service. The Mid-Atlantic shows returned in July of 2021. Links are provided where available.


Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 11/05/83
Taped 10/26/83 in Winston Salem, NC - Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum
Review is from WWE Network/NBC Peacock feed.

We have new opening animation! 

Match 1
Non-Title: Greg Valentine [United States champion] d. Gary Royal
Caudle hypes Starrcade, and the two announced matches: Race vs. Flair and Valentine vs. Piper. A one sided match. Valentine pins Royal after a back suplex. Tommy Young is the referee for the hour.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: The Brisco Brothers
The Briscos have regained the World tag team championship. Not mentioned, but it was 10/21/83 in Richmond. Caudle says they are lucky to have them. Jerry is smug as usual. We go to a clip, I believe 10/23/83 in Charlotte.

[CLIP] Charlotte NC
Steamboat rolls up Jack Brisco for the pin. Angelo Mosca makes the count, and apparently Steamboat & Youngblood have regained the title. Caudle explains Mosca wasn’t the legal referee, so the pin didn’t count.

Jerry says that shows the prejudice against them. No more title matches for Steamboat & Youngblood. They won’t let what the NWA is forcing on Race and Valentine on them. They should call it Stockade ’83. Instead of Greensboro, they will defend the title in Kansas City against Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell.
Jim Crockett Jr. comes out, and hands a telegram to Caudle. It is from Bob Geigel. He has sold the contract to book The Briscos on Nov. 24. And Crockett books them against Steamboat & Youngblood. Jack talks, and says Crockett went too far. Someone is going to get hurt.

[Break]

Match #2
Dick Slater & Bob Orton Jr. d. Scott McGhee & Steve Muslin
Caudle really pours on the hype for Starrcade, the greatest extravaganza of all time. Lots of suplexes Orton & Slater. Orton holds Muslin on his shoulder. Slater comes off the top rope with a sledge and Muslin goes flying. Slater makes the easy pin. 

[Break] 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Paul Jones and The Assassins
Jones is in his tuxedo, and the Assassins are both wearing suits and masks. Jones says Rufus R. Jones doesn’t have the hardest headbutt, Assassin 1 does. 

[CLIP] Charlotte NC
We go to a clip of Rufus vs. Assassin 1 in a headbutt contest 10/23/83 in Charlotte. Neither man is going down, although the ropes save Assassin 1. With the referee distracted, Jones puts an object in Assassin 1’s mask. One headbutt later, Rufus goes down and Assassin 1 is declared the winner.

[VTR] Comments from Dusty Rhodes
Dusty is in front of the blue NWA set. He cuts a promo for Starrcade. It’s the event not of the year or decade, but of the Starrcade! Dusty will be there watching in his private box. He still has one dream left.

Match 3
Great Kabuki [NWA TV champion] (w/Gary Hart) d. John Bonello
No indication if this is a TV title match or not. Kabuki wins with a chop from the second rope.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Roddy Piper; Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Piper, with a dark plaid sports coat, talks about his match versus Valentine. He’s said his family has had to go through a lot. It’s a matter of pride. Steamboat and Youngblood, also dressed up, look forward to their Starrcade match versus the Briscos.

[Break] 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Angelo Mosca
Mosca talks about the pride he has in his son, Angelo. 

[VTR] Championship Wrestling from Florida
We go to a clip from Florida. Mosca wins an amateur challenged from The Pro, a masked man managed by James J. Dillon. Dillon is upset, and The Pro lives up to a prematch stipulation and reveals himself to be Les Thornton. Now, a second clip sees Sullivan & Lewin attacking Barry Windham. Young Angelo takes the Golden Spike that was meant for older Angelo.

[Break] 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Ric Flair
Flair offers a few words about his Starrcade match against Race. He stays around for commentary on the next match.

Match 4
Charlie Brown & Rufus R. Jones & Dory Funk Jr.
defeat Tom Lentz & Kelly Kiniski & Bill Howard
Flair is rather subdued, alternating between paying attention to the match and his battle against Race. Rufus hits the Freight Train shoulder tackle, followed by Funk forcing Lentz to submit to the spinning toe hold. 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Greg Valentine; Mark Lewin & Kevin Sullivan and Gary Hart
Valentine is still irate. He’s a man, not an animal. That U.S. title belt is looking worn though. (Side note: lots of mistakes from the director on this show. The credits say it is Jeff Allen. Toby Jenkins normally directs the show.) Hart says he had nothing to do with young Mosca getting attacked. Sullivan interrupts. He talks trash about both Moscas. Both men continue to look at the wrong camera, and the director doesn’t fix it. Hart goes onto a rant, and Mosca comes out and takes out all three of them. Instead of sticking with the brawl, we go to a still shot of Charlie Brown to close the show. 

“So long for now!”

* * * * * * * *

Results for the week, 10/31/83-11/06/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 10/31/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Dory Funk, Jr. Rufus R. Jones & Bugsy McGraw beat The Assassins & Paul Jones
Great Kabuki beat Mark Youngblood
John Bonello beat Gary Royal
Brickhouse Brown beat Magic Dragon
Terry Gibbs beat Bill Howard

Tue., 11/01/83 Raleigh, NC; Dorton Arena
Ric Flair & Wahoo McDaniel beat Dick Slater & Bob Orton, Jr. by countout
Mark Lewin & Greg Valentine beat Roddy Piper & Mark Youngblood
Dory Funk, Jr. beat Scott McGhee
Johnny Weaver beat Gary Royal
John Bonello beat Tom Lentz

Wed., 11/02/83 Greenwood, SC; Civic Center (TV)
MACW:
Charlie Brown & Wahoo McDaniel beat Tom Lentz & Kelly Kiniski
Kevin Sullivan & Mark Lewin beat Scott McGee & Terry Gibbs
Greg Valentine beat John Bonello
The Assassins double DQ Charlie Brown & Wahoo McDaniel  
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Ben Alexander & Jerry Grey
WWW:
Dick Slater & Bob Orton, Jr. beat Terry Gibbs & Brett Hart
Angelo Mosca beat Bill Howard
Kevin Sullivan & Mark Lewin beat Scott McGee & Rick McCord
Great Kabuki beat John Bonello
Mark Youngblood beat Gary Royal

Thu., 11/03/83 Norfolk, VA; Scope Coliseum
Ric Flair, Roddy Piper & Wahoo McDaniel beat Greg Valentine, Dick Slater & Bob Orton, Jr. in a steel cage match
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco beat Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Angelo Mosca beat Gene Anderson
Mark Lewin beat Rufus R. Jones
Kevin Sullivan beat Vinnie Valentino
Scott McGhee beat Magic Dragon

Fri., 11/4/83 Charleston, SC; County Hall
Wahoo McDaniel beat Dick Slater in taped fist match
Roddy Piper & Angelo Mosca beat Greg Valentine & Dory Funk, Jr.
Johnny Weaver beat The Ninja
John Bonello beat Tom Lentz
Terry Gibbs beat Keith Larson

Fri., 11/4/83 Spotsylvania, VA; Sportsylvania High School
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco
Kevin Sullivan beat Scott McGhee
Mark Lewin beat Vinnie Valentino
Rufus R. Jones beat Gene Anderson
Magic Dragon beat Mark Fleming
Sun., 11/06/83 Rock Hill, SC; Winthrop Coliseum (TV)

Ric Flair beat Bob Orton, Jr. in a lumberjack match
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco beat Roddy Piper & Wahoo McDaniel
The Assassins & Paul Jones beat Charlie Brown, Dory Funk, Jr. & Bugsy McGraw
John Bonello & Steve Muslin beat Dick Slater & Bob Orton, Jr. by DQ
Wahoo McDaniel beat Gary Royal
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco beat Brett Hart & Rick McCord
The Cobra beat Magic Dragon
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Gary Royal & Bill Howard
Great Kabuki beat Steve Muslin
Dick Slater & Bob Orton, Jr. beat Vinnie Valentino & Gene Ligon

Sun., 11/06/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
Keith Larson beat Jerry Grey
Terry Gibbs beat Kelly Kiniski
Angelo Mosca beat The Ninja
Mark Lewin & Kevin Sullivan beat Bugsy McGraw & Mark Youngblood
Roddy Piper & Wahoo McDaniel beat Greg Valentine & Dick Slater
Ric Flair beat Bob Orton, Jr. by DQ

Penny Banner Returns to Charleston's County Hall

by Andy McDaniel

Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor 

 

What an honor it was to have one of the all-time greats from ladies wrestling with us during our special weekend. Penny Banner brought class and a remarkable history to our show. Everyone enjoyed having her with us. It was a true joy getting to spend a little time with this legendary lady.

Previous Videos:
Johnny Valentine
Ole Anderson
Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson
Abe Jacobs
Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods

 * * * * *

Video produced by Andy McDaniel. Check out Andy's book Reunion at County Hall: The Night the Wrestling Legends Returned to Charleston. Available on Amazon.com.

Learn About the Rich History of the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship

 

Book's Page at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store  |  Buy Now on Amazon.com

Hailing From the Great State of Texas!

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway 

Part 1

Growing up in East Tennessee, I didn't know a whole lot about the geography of the state of Texas as a youngster. I knew it was big, but that's about it. But when I started regularly watching Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling on a regular basis in the early 1970s, that all changed for me.

I had an Atlas that my parents had given me and I loved looking up far away places and day-dreaming about what it would be like to go there. It seemed to me that more wrestlers came from the state of Texas than from any other state in the union. And from some very cool sounding places.

My first memory of being interested in learning about Texas was in 1976 during the year-long war between Paul Jones and Blackjack Mulligan over the United States Heavyweight Championship. Paul was from Port Arthur and Blackjack famously hailed from Eagle Pass, Texas. Both of these places sounded very exciting to me. Part of it was the way they were announced by WRAL TV ring announcer (and promoter) extraordinaire Joe Murnick:

These were the first Texas towns I heard about on wrestling that I remember looking up in my Atlas. I learned that Port Arthur was a relatively small town on the Gulf of Mexico, just east of Houston.

I looked up Eagle Pass, too, and saw that it was a small Mexican-border town about two and a half hours west of San Antonio on the Rio Grande river. But this confused me a bit, because Eagle Pass was nowhere near all the colorful places Blackjack talked about in his local promos. Blackjack always mentioned west Texas towns like Odessa, Abilene, Sweetwater, Midland, or Duvall County in the tales he would weave into the local promos for upcoming Mid-Atlantic area events. But that string of west Texas towns was along the I-20 corridor well over 300 miles north of Eagle Pass. This wasn't adding up.

I asked Blackjack about this once, asking how he came to be billed from Eagle Pass. He confessed that it just had an outlaw sound to it that he liked. And some of Mama Mulligan's kinfolk were from there, too, he said with a smile. Blackjack was always working.

So here is a short list of wrestlers that I watched in the 1970s and 1980s that hailed from the great state of Texas. It isn't a complete list by any means, just the ones I think of the most. I remember looking up all these hometowns in my trusty Atlas during those years. All of them seemed like magical places to me.

Blackjack Mulligan - Eagle Pass
Blackjack loved telling tall tales about the characters he encountered in Texas, many of them archived in our section of this website called Blackjack's Bar-b-que. Of all the wrestlers who hailed from Texas, none of them was more Texan in my eyes than the great Blackjack Mulligan. He set an early  record for the most U.S. title reigns, and was both a hated heel and beloved babyface during his seven years headlining our territory.

Paul Jones - Port Arthur 
Port Arthur always had this very cool, classy sound to it to me as a kid. And Paul Jones was that kind of babyface in his peak years for Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1970s. The quintessential good-guy fighting the uphill battle against the dangerous Texas villain Blackjack Mulligan. Their rivalry in the area is still remembered to this day. Paul held just about every title you could hold in our area, and was a main eventer here for over a decade.

Dick Murdoch - Waxahachie
When Dick Murdoch came for a multi-month stay in our area in 1978, he was billed from Waxahachie, Texas. It took me a while to learn how to spell it to be able to look it up on my Atlas! Waxahachie is just south of Dallas. Murdoch was later billed from Canyon, Texas, which is just south of Amarillo in the west Texas panhandle, and a much more appropriate place to be from given his ties to other west Texas wrestlers like Blackjack Mulligan, Dusty Rhodes, and the Funk brothers. But how cool is the name of a town like Waxahachie? Unforgettable.

Dusty Rhodes - Austin
I knew of Austin of course, being the state capitol of Texas. But it didn't have that same exotic feel to it that some of these lesser known Texas towns I was learning about. But for years I knew that Dusty was the "son of a plumber" from Austin, Texas. Rhodes made regular appearances in our area in the 1970s as a special attraction, similar to Andre the Giant. He was a semi-regular on the big cards held in Crockett's main town of Greensboro. In 1984, he came in full time as booker and led the company to heights it hadn't seen since the George Scott Mulligan/Flair/Steamboat era of the 1970s.

Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk - Amarillo
Amarillo was always a fascinating place to me as a kid because it was where the famous Funk family originated from, and the Funks were wrestling royalty that you read about in all the wrestling magazines. They were the only two brothers to have ever held the NWA World Heavyweight championship and both had many title defense in our area. Real men came from places like Amarillo, Texas. I knew this for a fact.  Late addition: David Chappell reminds me that Dory Funk also worked under a mask as the Texas Outlaw and held the Mid-Atlantic title managed by Paul Jones.

Tiger Conway, Jr. - Houston
Conway was a breakout star here in 1975, teaming with rookie Steve Keirn to upset the world tag team champions, the Anderson Brothers, in a non-title match on television. He and his father had success in Houston, and were billed from that city while wrestling here.

Nelson Royal - Amarillo
Nelson's heyday was before my time as a fan, but he was always around, especially in the 1980s where he made a brief return as the mentor and tag partner of fellow Texan Sam Houston. I loved that Royal always looked like the quintessential Texas cowboy. He was actually originally from Kentucky and lived most of his life in North Carolina and was actually once billed as being from London, England! Our friend Carroll Hall seems to remember that when Nelson turned babyface in the mid-1960s and began teaming with Tex McKenzie, he was billed from Amarillo. Who can ever forget those cool vignettes beginning in December of 1985 when Nelson would invite us for a cup of coffee around the campfire to smarten us up on the Bunkhouse Stampede? During the 1980s he was billed from Mooresville, NC (his legit home), although he was seemingly always considered a Texan.

Wahoo McDaniel* - Midland
Wahoo is listed here with an asterisk because in our area he was primarily billed as being from Oklahoma, where he had great success playing college football at the University of Oklahoma. But occasionally he was billed as being from Midland, Texas, where he actually did grow up and graduated from high school. His father worked the oil fields there. Wahoo's little league coach in Midland was future U.S. president George H.W. Bush, part of another famous Texas family. Wahoo was occasionally billed from Houston, too. I'm guessing it was because his biggest early career success in pro-wrestling was working that city for promoter Paul Boesch. I remember how surprised I was learning later that Wahoo and Johnny Valentine had battled for years in Texas long before both were brought to the Mid-Atlantic area by booker George Scott. I just assumed as a kid that their first battles were in our area. Boy was I wrong about that.

Stan Hansen - Borger
My exposure to Stan "The Lariat" Hansen in the 1970s was from watching "Georgia Championship Wrestling" when Superstation WTCG-17 (which later became WTBS) first appeared on our local cable system in 1976 or 1977.  Gordon Solie always called him "the bad man from Borger, Texas." Borger is about 30 miles northeast of Amarillo in the Texas panhandle. Hansen only wrestled in the Mid-Atlantic area occasionally, most notably in a late-70s tag team tournament with partner Blackjack Mulligan, and as a NWA world tag team champion with partner Ole Anderson in 1982.

Bobby Duncum - Austin
Duncum had a big battle with Blackjack Mulligan in the early 1980s which always seem centered around their real and/or fabled history with each other in Texas. Whether it was in Texas bullrope matches or Texas death matches, they shed some blood in our rings, and it always seemed to be a fight over the love of some former Texas sweetheart like Sarah Joe Puckett. Or at least that's how I remember it. Mulligan and Duncum's promos were filled with west Texas references, and I always wondered if it was was part of the lore or was part of a shoot!

Jake Roberts
Jake "The Snake" Roberts came here in 1981, when he was a tall, lean and lanky Texas cowboy through and through, and had a great look in that regard. This was before he carried around a snake or had created the DDT or was possessed by the devil and all the rest.  I always liked the Texas cowboy version of Jake Roberts the best. He was later billed from Stone Mountain, Georgia, but in our area in the early 1980s he was billed from Texas, although I can't recall them ever saying where in Texas. (If you remember, let us know!)

Outlaw Ron Bass - Pampa 
I confess I never looked up Pampa on my Atlas, and never knew where it was until I saw it included on an exit sign driving on I-40 from Amarillo to Oklahoma City in 2011. Pampa is a tiny little town between the two. Booker Ole Anderson brought "Outlaw" Ron Bass in to our area in 1981 to fill the Texan role left vacant by the departure of Blackjack Mulligan, but because the two had such a similar persona, the fans never rallied around Bass here the way they always had ol' Mully. 

The Von Erich Brothers* - Denton
No wrestlers were more associated with the state of Texas in the 1980s than the Von Erich brothers. David and Kevin only wrestled once in the Mid-Atlantic area, in a tournament here, and so they have an asterisk beside their name, too. But they have to be on my list. Their syndicated TV show aired in many markets in our area, and even if you didn't see them on TV here, you were well aware of them through their endless coverage in the wrestling magazines. David Von Erich's nickname was "the Yellow Rose of Texas" which became younger brother Kerry Von Erich's symbol, too, after David's untimely passing. It was part of a memorable tribute to David when Kerry defeated Ric Flair for the NWA World Championship. The Von Erich exploits in the ring were primarily carried out in Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas, but the town always associated with them is Denton, some 20 miles north of the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Tully Blanchard - San Antonio
Tully was always billed from San Antonio, and his father Joe Blanchard promoted wrestling there in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Joe Blanchard actually had some of the Crockett champions down to his territory to defend their titles occasionally (which we cover in part two of this series.) Tully first made a name in the Mid-Atlantic area in the late 1970s on the mid-card, but returned in 1984 and headlined here until leaving in 1988 for the WWF.  He also brought another notable Texan into the area in the mid-80s, Nickla "Baby Doll" Roberts, to accompany him as his "perfect 10."

Sam Houston - Houston
In the tradition of the "tall drink of water" cowboys like Jake Roberts a few years before him, Sam Houston personified the Texas cowboy image for Jim Crockett Promotions during the Dusty-era of JCP. (Dusty had assumed more of a "David Allen Coe truck-drivin' hat" persona in the mid-1980s.) I always thought Dusty had really big plans for Sam, but they never panned out for various reasons. Houston teamed with veteran Nelson Royal during those years, too, and that gave him even more Texas street cred.

Late Addition!
Black Bart - Pecos
"Dadgum!" I can't believe I left out Black Bart! Brian Rogers reminded me, and dadgum it, how can I not include a guy who yells "TEXAS!!" as he leaps from the second turnbuckle with a big legdrop! Bart was billed from Pecos, Texas, which is further west on out that I-20 corridor past Odessa. The former Ricky Harris in the Mid-Atlantic area in the early 1980s, Black Bart was one half of the Mid-Atlantic tag team champions with the aforementioned Ron Bass managed by James J. Dillon. He was National Champion as well. But my lasting memory of Bart was that Stan Hansen-esque primal yell of 'Texas!!" as he lept from the turnbuckle with that big leg drop. Sorry I forgot you to begin with, Bart!


Those are the wrestlers that I think of when I think of Texas wrestlers working for Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. I fully realize my list isn't complete. David Chappell, who has an incredible memory for details for things like this, sent me his list of wrestlers in our area who were billed as coming from Texas during his years watching JCP wrestling. He also admits he's probably left someone out, so if you can recall any others, please let us know.

CHAP'S LIST

Scott Casey, Sonny King, Paul Jones, Tiger Conway, Jr., Wahoo, Blackjack, Brian Adias, Baby Doll, Tully Blanchard, Bobby Duncum, Dory Funk, Jr., Terry Funk, Chavo Guerrero, Jr., Stan Hansen, Sam Houston, Killer Karl Kox, Dick Murdoch, Barry Orton, Dusty Rhodes, Jake Roberts, Richard Blood, Barry Windham, Mark Youngblood, Skandor Akbar, Bruiser Brody, Skip Young, Gary Young, Len Denton.

In 2011, I took a long road trip through the Southwestern and Midwestern United States. I met a good friend in Dallas and we went to the State Fair and rode the Texas Star. Afterwards I headed west through the oil and cotton country of west Texas, driving through towns like Abilene, Sweetwater, Midland and Odessa. Then I headed north into the panhandle through Lubbuck, Canyon, and Amarillo. This was Funk country, Rhodes and Murdoch country, Mulligan country. Throughout that beautiful drive, I heard the echos of bodyslams in the ring and the voices of Bob Caudle, Gordon Solie, and Joe Murnick naming those towns whenever they spoke of these great Texas legends. I treasure the memories of that adventure west.

In PART TWO of this "Texas Connections" feature, we'll take a look at some of the many times Jim Crockett's area championships were defended for other promoters in some of the Texas territories of the NWA including the NWA World Tag team titles, the U.S. title, and the NWA TV title.

Originally published October 31, 2017 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Final Match in Crockett Cup '85! Briscos vs. Rock-n-Roll Express

THE FINALS
by Mike Rickard
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor 

UPDATED BRACKETS

THIS WEEK'S MATCH:
Rock-n-Roll Express vs. Jack & Jerry Brisco (Oklahoma Cowboys)
Tournament Final - 2 of 3 Falls
(Tournament Match #47 - First Fall)

The 1985 Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament is underway. Wait, did you just say 1985? It’s time to take a look at one of wrestling’s biggest events from the mid-80s and see what it might have been like with a few historical alterations. What if Jim Crockett Promotions hosted its tag team tournament the Crockett Cup in 1985 and included teams from promotions outside the National Wrestling Alliance (“NWA”) including the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), All Japan Pro Wrestling, and more? In this case, you’d have 48 of the greatest tag teams in the world battling in a winner take all tournament for $1,000,000 and the prestigious Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Trophy. 

The first round saw 32 teams competing to advance to round two with 16 teams making it in. Round two followed as these 16 teams battled the 16 top-seeded tag teams that received a first-round bye. Round three continued with the remaining 16 teams slugging it out with eight making their way to round four. Round four saw things heat up further as eight teams battled to determine “The Final Four.” Now, two teams remain as only one team will walk away with $1,000,000 and the prestigious Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Trophy awaits. 

Sixth Round Rules: Special Stipulations Announced
Here are the rules for the round six of our tournament. While a pool of referees from the NWA, AWA, and WWF were appointed for the tournament’s first five rounds, things are going to be different this time around due to the wild finish to round five’s second match between the Fabulous Freebirds (Michael “P.S.” Hayes and Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy) and the Oklahoma Cowboys. There, Road Warrior Hawk and “Precious” Paul Ellering attempted to attack the Cowboys, with Hawk unmasking Roy as Jerry Brisco.  There’s a lot of confusion going on but announcers Bob Caudle and David Crockett will hopefully have some answers. 

The final match is taking place at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday April 28. Let’s join Bob Caudle and David Crockett at ringside. The fans are cheering as the main event is about to take place. Bob Caudle says it’s the moment weeks in the making and that the fans will finally see who the best tag team in the world is. David Crockett says the tournament isn’t without controversy, but NWA President Jim Crockett wants to make sure things end conclusively and without outside interference. Bob adds he understands Jim Crockett Jr. has made special arrangements and asks David to explain them. David says that the match is going to be held in a steel cage with a special referee and a ringside enforcer. In addition, the match is two-out-of-three falls with no time limit. The only way to win a fall is by pinfall or submission. Andre the Giant serves as special ringside enforcer but he has no authority to officiate in the match or tell the referee if he sees any chicanery. 

Pre-Match Interviews
Bob Caudle tells David Crockett that Johnny Weaver met with the Brisco Brothers earlier at an undisclosed location. David Crockett adds Jack and Jerry have lots to worry about as Stan Hansen is gunning for them as are “Precious” Paul Ellering and Road Warrior Hawk. Jack and Jerry smirk as “The Buzzsaw” interviews them. Johnny asks the Briscos if they have anything to say for themselves. Jerry laughs and says, “We have a lot to say, but it boils down to this—we fooled everyone. We fooled you, we fooled the fans, and we fooled all the wrestlers who stepped into the ring with us.” Jack Brisco adds “Who said you can’t fool all of the people all the time?” Jack laughs and tells Johnny “They say we’re wild and we’re mean and we’re creating a scene. We’ve gone crazy. Let me tell you something Johnny Weaver, the Briscos are one step away from the million dollars and the Crockett Cup and there’s no way two long-haired punks like the Rock-n-Roll Express are going to beat them.” Jerry adds that he and his brother were world champions when Morton and Gibson were stealing hubcaps. Jack finishes by saying “We’ve been wrestling Oklahoma tornadoes for years and the Express won’t know what hit them.” 

Tony Schiavone is backstage with Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson of the Rock-n-Roll Express. Tony asks how it feels to be one step away from tag team immortality? Ricky tells Tony the fans know the Rock-n-Roll Express don’t make promises they can’t keep. It’s been a difficult battle as they’ve faced three of the toughest teams in professional wrestling today. They know the biggest obstacle is ahead with those two snakes the Brisco Brothers, but with the fans still standing behind them, they know they can win. Robert says the fans in the Mid-Atlantic region have welcomed them like they’re their own and they won’t let them down tonight. Ricky adds that after he and Robert have won the tournament, they’re going to show the fans how they rock and roll all night and party every day. Rock-n-roll will never die!

The Rock-n-Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
vs. The Brisco Brothers (Jack and Jerry Brisco)
The ring announcer tells the fans that a guest referee has been appointed—eight-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race. Serving as the special enforcer outside the cage—“The Eighth Wonder of the World” Andre the Giant. David Crockett says the tournament has seen some wild moments but if those two men can’t maintain order, who can? Bob Caudle notes it’s apparent that NWA President Jim Crockett Jr. wants this tournament to end with no interference and with a conclusive winner. The announcer introduces the first team, Jack and Jerry Brisco. The Brisco Brothers jog out to the ring and they’re all smiles. The fans boo the Briscos. Next are the Rock-n-Roll Express who come out to Kiss’ “Rock-n-Roll All Night.” The crowd is near-deafening. 

Jack starts the match against Ricky Morton. The two lock up with a collar-and-elbow tie-up but Brisco quickly applies a Fireman’s Carry. Waist-lock attempt by Jack, but Ricky counters with a go-behind and slams Brisco down to the mat. Ricky goes after Jack, but the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion catches him with an arm drag. A second arm drag sends Morton down as Brisco quickly follows up with a bodyslam. Jack laughs and motions for Morton to lock up again. David Crockett says he doesn’t know if it’s a good idea for Ricky Morton to try and match wrestling holds with someone the calibre of Jack Brisco. The two go to lock up again but Ricky catches Jack in a side headlock. Brisco tries to run the ropes, but Morton puts the breaks on. Snapmare as Morton takes Jack down to the mat and reapplies the side headlock. Brisco is complaining that Morton grabbed the hair. Referee Harley Race does a quick check but doesn’t do anything. Bob Caudle says Ricky Morton is showing he has some mat wrestling skills of his own. 

The two tumblers lock up again as Ricky arm drags Jack. Jack gets up and Ricky goes for an arm bar but Brisco slugs him with a forearm. Elbow to the head as Jack whips Ricky into the Briscos’ corner. Tag to Jerry. The Briscos deliver a double hip toss to Ricky. Jerry whips him into the heel corner and tags Jack in. The Briscos both whip Morton into the corner then deliver a double body slam. Side suplex by Jack as he covers Morton for a two-count. Snapmare by Jack as he applies a front facelock, taking Ricky down to the mat. Ricky scrambles to escape as Jack applies the pressure. Ricky gets to his feet but Brisco grabs the hair, pulling him down. Harley Race sees it and warns Brisco he’ll disqualify him if he sees it again. Bob Caudle says there are no disqualifications in this match so Harley is either confused or trying to bluff the Briscos. David Crockett says Harley Race has bent or broken a few rules in his day which means he’s more apt to spot infractions. Brisco rakes Morton’s eyes then whips him into the heel corner yet again. Tag to Jerry who delivers a kneelift to Morton. Jerry applies an abdominal stretch in the center of the ring. Morton is in trouble. Bob Caudle notes that the Briscos have been working Ricky over for some time and the longer he stays in that hold, the more likely it is he could get hurt. David says that with this being a two-out-of-three falls match, the last thing the Rock-and-Roll Express want is to go into the second fall with one or both of them injured.  

Ricky is struggling to escape but Jerry has the hold locked in tight. Things are looking bad for Morton but the fans begin rallying, clapping their hands as they chant “rock and roll, rock and roll!” In an incredible display of willpower and balance, Ricky hip-tosses his way free, sending Jerry to the mat. Ricky tumbles and rolls to his corner ring as Jack Brisco runs in to intercept him. Hot tag to Robert who dropkicks Jack, knocking him down. Jerry gets up and eats a dropkick as well as Ricky staggers in his corner. 

Jack and Jerry go after Robert but he grabs their heads and delivers a double noggin-knocker. Ricky comes in as Robert takes Jack and Ricky takes Jerry. The Rock-n-Roll Express whip the Briscos into each other, knocking them down as Harley Race starts a five count. Ricky gets back to his corner as Jack staggers back to his. Bodyslam by Robert followed by a flying head scissors. Robert whips Jerry into the ropes and goes for a dropkick, but Jerry holds onto the ropes, with Gibson landing on his head. Jerry hits Robert with a big left then whips him towards Jack, who has a boot outstretched. Tag to Jack as the Brisco lift Robert up for a double suplex, driving him down hard into the mat. Near-fall but Gibson is still in it. Jack stomps Gibson in the back then rolls him over, dropping an elbow on his knee. Tag to Jerry as Jack holds Gibson’s leg. Jerry dives off the second rope with an elbow to Gibson’s knee before Morton can get in. Morton starts slugging away on Jack and Jerry as Harley Race makes him get back to his corner. David Crockett says Harley Race is an eight-time world heavyweight champion but as a referee, he stinks. Bob Caudle tells David that maybe someday he’ll get a chance to step into the ring as a referee. Meanwhile, the Briscos whips Gibson head-first into the cage as he falls to the mat. Jerry drops another elbow on Gibson’s leg then applies the Indian Deathlock. However, Ricky comes in and stomps Jerry in the head. Ricky picks Jerry up and whips him into the ropes, dropkicking him down to the mat. Harley Race forces Ricky back to his corner and as he does, Jack lifts Robert up for an atomic drop and crotches him on the top rope. Jerry gets Race’s attention as Jack covers Gibson for a three-count while Gibson wonders if he’ll be singing soprano for the rest of his life. David Crockett is flabbergasted at the injustice that just took place. The Briscos have stolen the first fall and now they’re one win away from the million-dollar prize and prestigious Crockett Cup trophy. 

Fall One Winners: The Brisco Brothers (25 minutes and 3 seconds)

David Crockett is right. With one fall under their belt, the Briscos are in the catbird seat as we head to the second fall. Be sure to come back for the remaining installment in the 1985 Crockett Cup tournament!

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

PREVIOUS POSTS
IN THE CROCKETT CUP '85 FANTASY SERIES

SIXTH ROUND MATCH (TOURNAMENT FINAL)
[ Brackets ]

Sixth Round Match (Tournament Match #47)
     Rock-n-Roll Express vs. Oklahoma Cowboys (Briscos)
     First Fall   |   Second and Third Fall 

FIFTH ROUND MATCHES (SEMI-FINALS)

Fifth Round: Match 1 (Tournament Match #45)
     Rock-n-Roll Express vs. Midnight Express
Fifth Round: Match 2 (Tournament Match #46)
     The Fabulous Freebirds vs. The Oklahoma Cowboys

FOURTH ROUND MATCHES (QUARTER FINALS)
[ Preview ]

Fourth Round: Match 1 (Tournament Match #41)
     The Rock & Roll Express vs. Ole and Arn Anderson
Fourth Round: Match 2 (Tournament Match #42)
     Midnight Express vs. British Bulldogs
Fourth Round: Match 3 (Tournament Match #43)
    Brody/Hansen vs. The Oklahoma Cowboys
Fourth Round: Match 4 (Tournament Match #44)
    Rhodes & Murdoch vs. The Fabulous Freebirds

THIRD ROUND MATCHES
[ Scouting Report ] [ Brackets ]

Third Round: Match 1 (Tournament Match #33)
     The Rock & Roll Express vs. The Russians
Third Round: Match 2 (Tournament Match #34)
     Ole & Arn Anderson vs. Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi
Third Round: Match 3 (Tournament Match #35)
     Midnight Express vs. High Flyers
Third Round: Match 4 (Tournament Match #36)
     Kevin and Mike Von Erich vs. The British Bulldogs
Third Round: Match 5 (Tournament Match #37)
     Road Warriors vs. Brody and Hansen
Third Round: Match 6 (Tournament Match #38)
     Funk Brothers vs. Oklahoma Cowboys
Third Round: match #7 (Tournament Match #39)
    Texas Outlaws vs. Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff
Third Round: match #8 (Tournament Match #40)
    Fantastics vs. Freebirds

SECOND ROUND MATCHES
Second Round: Matches 1 & 2 (Tournament 17 & 18)
     Mulligan/McDaniel vs. The Russians
    Rock & Roll Express vs. Maharishi/Nagasaki
Second Round: Matches 3 & 4 (Tournament 19 & 20)
    Brown/Jannetty vs. Inoki & Sakaguchi
    Ole & Arn Anderson vs. Windham/Rotunda)
Second Round: Matches 5 & 6 (Tournament 21 & 22)
    Midnight Express vs. Hart Foundation
    PYT Express vs. High Flyers
Second Round: Matches 7 & 8 (Tournament 23 & 24) 
    Rude/Barr (with Percy Pringle III) vs. Kevin and Mike Von Erich
    Fujinami/Kimura vs. British Bulldogs
Second Round: Matches 9 & 10 (Tournament 25 & 26)
    Brody/Hansen vs. Williams/DiBiase
    Road Warriros vs. Lawler/Dundee
Second Round: Matches 11 & 12 (Tournament 27 & 28)
    Piper & Orton vs. The Oklahoma Cowboys
    The Funk Brothers vs. The Younglood Brothers
Second Round: Matches 13 & 14 (Tournament 29 & 30)
    Rhodes/Murdoch vs. Adams/Hernandez
    Sheik/Volkoff vs. Steamboat/Snuka
Second Round: Matches 15 & 16 (Tournament 31 & 32)
    Fantastics vs. Fabulous Ones
    Sheepherders vs. Freebirds

FIRST ROUND MATCHES
First Round: Matches 1 & 2
    Hennig/Blackwell vs. Mulligan/McDaniel
    Tyler/Whatley vs. Maharishi/Nagasaki
First Round: Matches 3 & 4
    Windham/Rotunda vs. Bockwinkel/Saito
    Rougeaus vs. Inoki/Sakaguchi
First Round: Matches 5 &6
    Barbarian/Graham vs. Hart Foundation (Hart/Neidhart)
    High Flyers (Brunzell/Gagne) vs. Savage/Poffo
First Round: Matches 7 & 8:
    The Von Erich vs. Blanchard/Abdullah the Butcher
    Tenryu/Tsuruta vs. The British Bulldogs
First Round: Matches 9 & 10:
    Graham/Blair vs. DiBiase/Williams
    Valiant/McGraw vs. Lawler/Dundee
First Round: Matches 11 & 12:
    Piper/Orton vs. Patterson/Fernandez
    Rock & Roll RPMs vs. Youngblood Brothers
First Round: Matches 13 and 14:
    Dynamic Duo (Gino & Chris) vs. American Starship
    Sawyer Bros. vs. Steamboat/Snuka
First Round: Matches 15 and 16
    Batten Twins vs. Fabulous Ones
    Weaver/Houston vs. Sheepherders

Original Tournament Announcement (May 2020)
Seedings and First Round Pairings Announced

Big Gold - The Book

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Ricky Steamboat Returns to Norfolk (2015)

Ricky Steamboat made a return to Norfolk, VA recently in an appearance for Big Time Wrestling at the Norfolk Scope.

Prior to the event Eric Stace and Eddie Cheslock met Ricky in front of the famous Scope Coliseum, site of so many great Mid-Atlantic Wrestling events over the years, including yearly cards on Thanksgiving night in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s. They took some photographs of the former NWA world champion with a replica of the belt he wore in 1989.

Thanks to those guys for allowing us to post this great photograph here on the Gateway. Thanks also to promoter Tony Hunter who helped make all that possible.

Ricky Steamboat with the book
"United States Championship"

George Pantas interviewed Ricky Steamboat for the Norfolk Navy Flagship in advance of his appearance in Norfolk. You can find links to that interview (which contains lots of Mid-Atlantic discussion) here.

Also, our buddy George South had a chance to spend some time with Ricky before the Norfolk event and show him our new book on the United States Championship. He posted some comments about that on his website. George reports that Ricky loved the book and asked for a copy, which you just better believe is on the way soon. (You kidding me?)

George wrote:

We spent 30 minutes talking about the U.S. belt! He remembered that "heavyweight" was misspelled on the belt and loved seeing all those photos of it again. He marked out a little remembering working with Buddy Rogers in one of the U.S. tournaments. And got mad that Slaughter put new leather on the black belt! haha

Steamboat held the U.S. championship on several occasions in the 1970s and 1980s, trading the title with the likes of Ric Flair, Blackjack Mulligan, Wahoo McDaniel, and Dick Slater.

For more information on the book about Jim Crockett's United States Championship and the five belts that represented it, click here.

Originally published  in November 2015 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Super Bowl Winning Quarterback Brad Johnson and Ten Pounds of Gold

Super Bowl XXXVII winning quarterback
Brad Johnson

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

What a great photograph of former NFL (and Super Bowl winning) quarterback Brad Johnson with his copy of our book Ten Pounds of Gold. 

Turns out Brad is a big fan of (and was a friend of) former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jack Brisco, the legendary collegiate and pro wrestling champion in the 1970s who is spotlighted in the book.  The two became friends while both lived in Tampa. Jack had retired from wrestling and was running the famed Brisco Brothers Body Shop with brother Jerry. Brad had just won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.   

Mutual friend Bill Murdock, who wrote Brisco's biography, sent me this photo from Brad. 

Bill actually introduced Brad and Jack to each other in 2003 in Tampa at a dinner Bill organized at Flemming's Steakhouse. It was an appropriate spot to have dinner: the restaurant just happened to be a in close proximity to both the Brisco Brothers Body Shop as well as Raymond James Stadium, the NFL home of the Tampa Bay Bucs. 

Brad and Bill both grew up in the Asheville, NC area and had been friends for some time. When Bill was in Florida working on Brisco's book with Jack, they decided to all get together. Bill related that as much as Brad had wanted to meet childhood hero Brisco, Jack was equally excited to meet Brad. The Brisco brothers had owned Bucs season tickets since 1976, when the team was first established in the NFL. There was obviously great excitement that summer of 2003 over the Bucs win of the Super Bowl just a few months earlier.

Brad is a 17-year veteran of the National Football League and was the winning quarterback for Coach Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Bucs in Superbowl XXXVII in January of 2003. In that game, Brad threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns in the 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

Not only did he quarterback for the Bucs, he also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, and the Dallas Cowboys. His NFL career stretched from 1992 through 2008. In fact, I saw him play in person when he was quarterback for Washington, along with my buddy David Chappell and his cousin Jamie, on a road trip to see the Redskins play the Carolina Panthers at Fed-Ex Field on a very warm day in September of 2000. (Redskins won 20-17. The Gateway was barely a month old at the time!)

Brad played his college ball for Coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State University back in the days when FSU was a perennial top-5 independent powerhouse before joining the ACC. During Brad's four years there (1988-1991), Florida State was a combined 42-7, and had bowl victories all four years including the Cotton, Fiesta, and Sugar Bowls. He was the back-up for Casey Weldon in those years, but it is a testament to the level and depth of quarterback play at FSU during that time that the back-up quarterback goes on to have a 17-year career in the NFL, including a Super Bowl win. 

It's actually a really great story. 

My thanks to Bill Murdock, and especially to Brad Johnson for a photograph I will treasure always.  

* * * *

Utterly Amazing!
You can follow "Big Bad" Brad Johnson on Twitter at @Brad_Johnson_14, where you will find some of the most amazing trick basketball and football shots you have ever seen. The guy is a magician. Check out the compilation in this recent Twitter post:

 

Tuesday Trick Shot “Compilation” @espn @overtime @barstoolsports @Gatorade #bradjohnson #challenge #tryit pic.twitter.com/AVMQWkWCsT

— Brad Johnson “BigBadBrad14” (@Brad_Johnson_14) September 7, 2021

Check out Ten Pounds of Gold in the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store. Written with "Ace of Belts" Dave Millican, it is a close look at the fabled championship belt that represented the NWA World Championship from 1973-1986, worn by champions like Jack Brisco, Harley Race, and Ric Flair. 

TenPoundsOfGold.com