Ric Flair was the original Big Boss Man

Original Title: Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's own Big Boss Man
by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

When word came out recently about the Big Boss Man, the infamous prison guard from Cobb County, Georgia being selected for inclusion in the WWE Hall of Fame, it got me to thinking about another Big Boss Man in professional wrestling. While Ray Traylor’s Big Boss Man character was the most famous under that moniker, it’s probably been forgotten or is a well kept secret, that Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling had a “Big Boss Man” of their own in the late summer of 1974. And the man using that name to describe himself was none other than a young Ric Flair!
Yes, before he was the “Nature Boy,” Ric Flair was the self-proclaimed “Big Boss Man!” Flair only referred to himself as the Big Boss Man for around a month or so, but Ric was at his obnoxious best while he was doing it. Flair wasn’t posing as a renegade prison guard; it was just Ric being loud-mouthed Ric!

In the summer of 1974 Ric Flair teamed up with the legendary Carolina’s veteran Rip “The Profile” Hawk, and they soon became the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions. On the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television program that was taped on August 14, 1974, Flair and Hawk were interviewed by announcer Bob Caudle. The rambunctious Flair told Caudle, “Let me tell you something daddy…I’ve got a new name for myself! Everywhere I go the people are shouting, WOOOOO, there goes the Big Boss Man!! You know why? Because every BOY like Conway and like King, they gotta have a boss! And when they see me they say, ‘WOOOOO, what’s happening Big Boss Man,’ that’s what they say to me! When they get in the ring with me they say, ‘WOOOO, what’s happening Big Boss Man?’ They say, ‘Please Big Boss Man don’t hurt me; please don’t hit me too hard.’ Ain’t that right, Mr. Hawk?” Naturally, Rip agreed!

Of course, back in 1974 professional wrestling and society in general was much different than it is today. The “Conway” and “King” Ric referred to were two beloved African American wrestlers, Tiger Conway, Jr. and Sonny King. Both Conway and King had arrived in the Mid-Atlantic territory in the early summer of 1974. Conway came in as an athletic high flying newcomer, while King came in to challenge the “bad guys” that injured his brother, Bearcat Wright. Both of these great black stars, particularly Conway, were pitted frequently against Flair, who at the time was also a relative newcomer to Jim Crockett Promotions.

The racially tinged “Big Boss Man” comments in 1974 certainly did not then, and do not now, reflect the feelings of the man Ric Flair. However, the professional wrestling character Ric Flair at that time was able to generate lots of “heat” with black and white fans alike, by going down what would be called today a politically incorrect road. Racial stereotypes were utilized, insinuated and implied regularly in professional wrestling in 1974, and Ric Flair playing the role as the “Big Boss Man” had its existence within the culture of that day in time. No matter what we may think of the propriety of Ric Flair anointing himself as the Big Boss Man, one thing is for sure, it gave the Mid-Atlantic fans in 1974 yet another reason to hate this young “bad guy” star on the rise!

The shelf life of Ric Flair, the Big Boss Man, as mentioned above was actually quite short. Within a month or so, Ric gradually stopped referring to himself by that name in the fall of 1974. Interestingly, Flair didn’t “boss” around Tiger Conway, Jr. or Sonny King much in the ring! Conway’s first run in the territory lasted until February of 1975, and Tiger fought Ric on pretty much even terms. Ditto for the in-ring results between Flair and King, with Sonny leaving the area in July of 1975.

Ric Flair as the Big Boss Man is certainly well housed in the moth balls of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling history. I’m glad the contemporary Big Boss Man, Ray Traylor, was brought back to the forefront recently. It jogged my memory to go back in time and reflect on Mid-Atlantic Wrestling’s Big Boss Man, and a vastly different era in professional wrestling.

Previously published in March 2016 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

LINK VERIFIED

A Look Back at Big Swede Hanson's Defining Moment

Swede Hanson

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

My earliest professional wrestling memories came about from watching All-Star Wrestling, the precursor to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, on television in the late 1960s. Two of the most noteworthy stars of that time were Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson, the dastardly duo that ran roughshod in Jim Crockett Promotions through the 60’s into the early 1970’s. These two villains were almost inseparable, with Rip being sly and sneaky with the gift of gab, while Swede was the silent partner, and a big brutish enforcer.

By late 1973, the winds of change were blowing in the Carolinas territory which was by then called Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Rip Hawk exited the area for about a three month period in December of 1973. While the “Ripper” was gone, Swede had his contract purchased by none other than the notorious Super Destroyer! The Super D. “managed” and had Swede in tow as his enforcer, and big Swede’s first major target was Johnny Weaver, as Hanson interfered in a huge match between Weaver and the Destroyer on December 28, 1973 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. Swede saved the Destroyer from losing his mask in that bout, with his antics giving Weaver an unsatisfying disqualification victory.

In January of 1974, Swede Hanson and the Super Destroyer formed an imposing tag team combination, dispatching such high-end “good guy” tag teams as Johnny Weaver and Art Nelson, and Nelson Royal and Sandy Scott during that month. In early February, Swede took to wearing a hood as “Mr. X” when teaming with the Destroyer. This chicanery came to an end after a couple of tag team bouts, when Mr. X was unceremoniously unmasked by Danny Miller and Johnny Weaver as being big Swede Hanson under the hood.

The unholy alliance between Swede Hanson and the Super Destroyer began showing cracks almost as quickly as it began. For the many years that Swede teamed up with Rip Hawk, the Ripper did not always treat Hanson with a boatload of respect. But Swede was the “good soldier,” never really challenging Rip even when Hawk was condescending to him. However, when the Super Destroyer started talking down to Swede and chastising him for supposed inadequacies in the ring, the big 300 pounder from Newark, New Jersey didn’t care for that treatment in the least. The slights mounted, and an inner rage started to build in the big Swede. A defining moment in the career of Swede Hanson was about to happen!

On February 13, 1974 at the television tapings for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Swede Hanson reached his breaking point. During a televised bout the Destroyer not only berated the big Swede verbally, but had the audacity to SLAP him in front of the TV studio audience and all the thousands of fans watching at home! Swede Hanson finally had enough! After being content to stay in the background and take the snide insults for many years, Swede decided to control his own destiny. His defining moment in Jim Crockett Promotions had arrived!

Announcer Elliot Murnick said, “I’m up at the ring now and Swede Hanson is pacing around here.” Hanson interrupted, “Let me tell you something Murnick. You don’t pull something like that with me. I’m not a whipping dog for these people! If this guy thinks I’m a whipping dog for him he’s out of his mind! I don’t know what’s the matter with this character. He’s not gonna get away with it with me. I’ve had enough of this stuff. For years, I’ve had enough of garbage like him!”

1974 Concludes With a Bang!

By David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway 

One of the most memorable televised matches ever on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV wasn’t actually a scheduled match at all. And occurring in the middle of 1974, it in many ways was “Exhibit A” in the evolving change of Jim Crockett Promotions from a tag team based territory to an area focused on a hard-hitting singles style.

Indian star Wahoo McDaniel was on his way to the Carolina’s in early July of 1974 when he came by the High Point, North Carolina TV studios to help announcer Charlie Harville with color commentary. Johnny “The Champ” Valentine was in the squared circle and was none too happy to see Wahoo in the territory, goaded McDaniel into the ring, and the two proceeded to have an impromptu slugfest that was talked about for years hence! In fact, a clip on the Wahoo-Valentine brawl was shown due to popular demand on a Jim Crockett Promotions highlight year-in-review show way off in 1980!

And on the subject of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling year-in-review shows, the December of 1974 version featured the Wahoo-Valentine in-ring brawl in one of its segments. Wahoo and the Super Destroyer were both in the studio when the tape of the High Point fracas was shown to the viewers.

Announcer Sam Menacker began, “This is really a highlight, boy-o-boy, Wahoo McDaniel and Johnny Valentine! What a feud these two men have. Look at these punches and chops! It’s just a testimony of the condition of both of you.”

Wahoo commented, “I want the Destroyer to be sure and take a good close look at this, because this could happen to him at any time too.” Menacker noted, “The Destroyer is sitting here watching intently, very intently.” The Super Destroyer chimed in, “Well Mr. Wahoo, it just goes to show one thing, that you pick, like you pick your opponents. You picked that tape to make yourself look good. They should show a few of the tapes where I beat you decisively in the center of the ring, with a one, two, three count that really counts.”

Watching the wild action Menacker exclaimed, “Wahoo, boy I’m telling you, I can’t remember ever seeing anything like this, all these chops! You didn’t beat him, I mean he gets up. He’s tough, but you’re still withstanding his punches too.” McDaniel agreed, “That’s right, it’s just a tough battle. In a short period of time like this, it’s hard to tell who the best man is. As you can see he’s holding his own and I’m holding my own.”

Menacker continued excitedly, “You dropped him there! The fans are cheering you on!” Wahoo then added some important context, “Sam, I want to bring up one thing. This was one of the first weeks I was here. Valentine wanted to test me early. He got a good showing early that I wasn’t gonna back down from him. I want the Destroyer to answer this, because he waited an extra week to see what I could do. They wanted to feel me out ahead of time. He’s felt me out since; he knows how I am. Now Valentine knows that you’re not gonna run over me.”

Sam, still awe-stuck at the ferocity of the spontaneous brawl stated to Wahoo, “Here [Valentine’s] wasting time, you dropped him there. He’s purposely wasting time here, he’s regaining his bearings a bit in doing this. He’s trying to get his second wind. Again, look at these punches fly! Another chop! And that stops him; that backs him up.”

The Super Destroyer then interjected, “It just goes to show the great condition of the Super Destroyer and as you can see on your screen, Johnny Valentine.” McDaniel disgustedly retorted, “Yeah, he looks in real good shape there. I tell you, I’m tired of sitting out here. I don’t want to sit at the table with this man.” Wahoo then stormed off from the announcer’s table leaving Menacker and the Super D. behind as the segment wrapped up.

Sam concluded, “I certainly don’t blame Wahoo for leaving. Say fans, in this match you’ve seen a lot of punching and a lot of toughness on the part of both these wrestlers. Oh, look at that chop by Wahoo McDaniel! Another chop to the back of the head! That shakes up Valentine as the Destroyer watches intently, and we now must go to a commercial break.”

Mid-Atlantic Arm Wrestling: The Most Obscure Championship (Part 4)

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Catch up on PART 1   PART 2    PART 3

PART FOUR:
The Aftermath

Despite the tremendous buildup for this event, to the point of the President of Jim Crockett Promotions being its TV announcer, the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Arm-Wrestling Championship vanished from the scene as quickly as it arrived. To my best recollection, this championship was never defended. In fact, I don’t believe that it was ever even mentioned again after the Avenger hoisted the trophy signifying his championship victory.

The two finalists in the championship match, the Avenger and the Super Destroyer, were in the early stages of an extremely rare program of masked man versus masked man that would go on for a number of additional months. It seems odd that this battle for a championship would not have factored in and played some kind of role in what would become a red-hot feud between the masked men. But, alas, it never did.

There would be several times later in the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling years where arm-wrestling would work its way into feuds and angles. A couple that come immediately to mind were the Mighty Igor versus Blackjack Mulligan in 1977 and Tony Atlas versus Ken Patera in 1978. If there was ever a time that the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Arm-Wrestling Championship would have become relevant again, these two programs should have brought it out of the mothballs. But again, it didn’t happen.

To me, the saga of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Arm-Wrestling Championship will always leave me wondering why this championship was created with such fanfare on television, but was never followed up on despite the fact that the Avenger and the Super Destroyer, the two finalists, were in the midst of a heated program that was about to get a lot more heated. None of that is clear to me looking back. The only thing that is clear to me, is that the “one and done” Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Arm-Wrestling Championship had to the most obscure championship in the promotion’s history!

Avenger vs. Super Destroyer: Mid-Atlantic's Most Obscure Championship (Part 3)

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Catch Up on PART 1 and PART 2 

PART THREE:
THE AVENGER VS. THE SUPER DESTROYER

It would be a battle of the masked men as the Super Destroyer and the Avenger battled for the Mid-Atlantic Television Arm-Wrestling Championship as the President of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett, Jr., announced to the fans “This is for the Championship.”

In this championship encounter, the glove of the Super Destroyer would not be an issue as the Avenger forcefully announced, “Leave the glove on!”

Crockett exclaimed twice in the early seconds of the match, “The Avenger has the advantage,” as the Super D’s arm was being pushed downward to the delight of the WRAL studio audience who were screaming their approval. The Destroyer made a brief comeback, only to have the Avenger again gain the upper hand. Crockett noted, [the Destroyer’s] arm is about halfway down…[the Avenger]became within a few inches of being the winner!”

The contest then leveled out a bit as Crockett noted, “It’s all even now…straight up.” The Super Destroyer then claimed the edge, but almost immediate Mr. Crockett said, “It’s straight up now; no one has the advantage.”

Then came a back and forth flurry of action that would soon produce our winner. Jim Crockett commented, “The Avenger now has the advantage; has his arm halfway down. But wait, the Destroyer is coming back…the Destroyer has a slight advantage. And now the Destroyer has his arm halfway down!”

The tide would now turn once again, but for the last time. As the crowd in the studio audience roared, Mr. Crockett exclaimed, “The Avenger now has a slight advantage…now [the Destroyer’s] arm is about halfway down! THE AVENGER HAS WON!!”

Announcer Bob Caudle then reclaimed the mic saying, “There [is the Avenger] being given the trophy by referee Sonny Fargo!” Color commentator Big Bill Ward added, “Listen to that crowd Bob, they are tickled to death! The Wrestling Arm-Wrestling Champ—The Avenger!” Caudle confirmed, “He defeated the Super Destroyer!”

The Destroyer was beaten, but not unbowed. The next match on the studio card was Wahoo McDaniel versus the Super D’s new associate, Brute Bernard. After Wahoo got the Brute in the abdominal stretch hold, the Super Destroyer jumped into the fray causing the Brute to lose via disqualification. Wahoo then proceeded to clean house, dispatching the Destroyer back to the dressing room ending his forgettable evening!

CONTINUED IN PART 4!

The Most Obscure Championship (Part Two)

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's Most Obscure Championship
Catch up on Part One

PART TWO

THE SUPER DESTROYER
(Don Jardine)

Paul Jones versus the Super Destroyer would have been a Main Event wrestling match in any Jim Crockett Promotions venue, much less on television, but their meeting in the semifinal of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Arm-Wrestling Championship was a truly unique spectacle.

Announcers Bob Caudle and Big Bill Ward had earlier in the show signaled their belief that Jones was the favorite in their eyes to emerge as the Champion. However, Paul himself cast some doubt on that prediction just before the match saying that his shoulder was definitely ailing him, so on balance this encounter with the Super D. rated as a toss-up before the two adversaries hooked up.

Of concern to Paul Jones’ fans was Paul’s demeanor as he approached the Destroyer yelling to the masked man, “Take you glove off!!” The Super Destroyer laughed off Jones’ demand, seemingly getting inside Paul’s head. The Destroyer’s glove had become a concern for his opponents, as it was the hand that the masked man used to apply his deadly claw hold. The Super D.’s grip was so tight, almost like a suction cup, that many speculated that his glove must have played a role in him having such a vice-like grip.

When Jones and the Destroyer finally locked up, Jim Crockett, Jr. exclaimed, “The match has begun!” Crockett quickly told the viewing audience that the Super Destroyer had the early advantage. Crockett then reported, “Paul Jones’ shoulder is giving way slightly!” Then after just a few more seconds Crockett concluded, “The Destroyer has the advantage…the Super Destroyer is the winner!”

Thus, the favorite to win the Championship had been eliminated in about 30 seconds as Jones’ injured shoulder was clearly more of a hinderance to him than anyone thought heading into the semifinal bout.

Crockett then announced, “The Destroyer will now meet the Avenger.” An exuberant Ivan Koloff had reentered the ring to congratulate the Destroyer, prompting Mr. Crockett to admonish Sonny Fargo yet again, “Get Mr. Koloff out of the ring!” As before, Ivan reluctantly exited the squared circle.

Mr. Crockett then reiterated, “The winner of this match will be the Mid-Atlantic Television Arm-Wrestling Champion! The Super Destroyer will meet the Avenger!”

Continued in Part 3!

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's Most Obscure Championship (1974)

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

PART ONE

Fans in most Jim Crockett Promotions television markets that tuned into the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling show that aired on December 7, 1974 were treated to a most improbable milestone. The most obscure championship in the history of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling was about to be decided right before their eyes!

Announcers Bob Caudle and Big Bill Ward could hardly contain their excitement about the upcoming championship event, as they hardly paid any attention at all to the ongoing bout between Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Johnny Valentine and Klondike Bill. Ward exuded, “We will have a Champion crowned on this program,” to which Caudle replied, “I’m really interested in this arm-wrestling!” Then the predictions began as Ward queried Caudle, ‘Who’s it gonna be, what’s your guess? I’m saying Paul Jones!’ Caudle concurred with that prediction, replying, ‘I’m going to have to go along with that.’ Ward responded, ‘He’s about the best I’ve seen yet!’

To add to the importance of this new championship, none other than the President of Jim Crockett Promotions, Mr. Jim Crockett, Jr., came out to the ring to set the stage for this TV event. Crockett began, “This is the Finals of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Arm-Wrestling Championship. There are three Finalists—Paul Jones, the Avenger and the Super Destroyer.”

While looking directly at Ivan Koloff and Wahoo McDaniel who were standing menacingly in the ring, Crockett sternly announced, “There will be NO seconds in the ring during the Finals.” Mr. Crockett then turned and faced referee Sony Fargo and firmly stated, “Referee, please ask Mr. Koloff and Mr. McDaniel to leave the ring. There will be NO seconds.”

Referee Fargo relayed Mr. Crockett’s message, but neither the “Russian Bear” nor the “Indian Chief” seemed very receptive. At that time, Koloff and Jones were locked in a struggle over the Mid-Atlantic Television Title, while Wahoo was friends with both Paul and the Avenger, and the Chief had absolutely no love for the Super Destroyer. Koloff, on the other hand, was great friends with the masked Super D.

Jim Crockett then explained the championship format to the fans in attendance at the WRAL TV studio and to the many thousands upon thousands watching at home. “By draw, Paul Jones will meet the Super Destroyer first,” Crockett announced. Immediately, Jones interrupted saying, “Let me tell you something—my shoulder is killing me but I know one thing, this is the Finals tonight. And if I don’t arm wrestle tonight I’ll never get another chance! So, I don’t know how strong [the Super Destroyer] is, but we’ll find out in a few minutes.”

A clearly agitated Jim Crockett, Jr. then tersely told Koloff and McDaniel to leave the ring again, and then said to the pacing masked Avenger, “Mr. Avenger, will you just please wait and you will take on the winner.”

Referee Sonny Fargo, sensing Mr. Crockett’s frustration that none of the wrestlers had exited the ring, told everybody except Jones and the Super Destroyer, “I hate to ask you all to leave, but I have to or you’re gonna forfeit the match. I hate to do it.”

Wahoo was incensed and shouted back at Fargo, “Where’d you get all that authority?!?” Sonny then turned towards Jim Crockett, and Mr. Crockett retorted, “Koloff and McDaniel, out of the ring! You cannot be in the ring.”

When the boss spoke, everybody listened and finally left the ring except the combatants Paul Jones and the Super Destroyer, along with referee Fargo. Jones and the Super Destroyer approached the arm-wrestling table and the noise from the studio audience built up to a deafening crescendo. Paul seemed particularly annoyed as he approached the Super Destroyer who appeared to be smiling through his mask…

Continued in Part 2!

Poster: Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson Battle Each Other in Norfolk

by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This poster promotes a card held at the Norfolk Arena in Norfolk, VA on Thursday, November 7th, 1974.

The main event, promising to be a violent affair, was a Fence Match between former allies Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson with a special stipulation making the pile driver legal. At the time, the pile driver was an illegal maneuver in the National Wrestling Alliance.

The semi main event featured promising newcomers Tiger Conway Jr. and Chuck O'Connor (who later would become Big John Studd). 

While this poster gives few details on the other bouts on this card, we know from the newspaper ad for this show that Klondike Bill teamed with Tio Tio vs. Two Ton Harris and Frank Morrell, Danny Miller took on rookie Ric Flair, and Billy Ash met Ken Dillinger in the opener. 

The poster is the smaller variety measuring only 14 by 22 inches and has a vertical layout with all black print over the two tone pink and yellow background. I would assume this card took place at the old arena built during World War II as opposed to the larger Scope Exhibition Hall which opened in 1971 but I could be mistaken. Nevertheless, Crockett held cards at the Scope starting in 1972 and for many years forward.

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

Mid-Atlantic Gateway Notes
by Dick Bourne

• Promotional posters from Richmond, Hampton, and Norfolk are hard to come across. Nice to see this one from Brack's amazing collection, especially from the less familiar venue of the Norfolk Arena.
• For fans from that era, seeing long-time tag team partners Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson fighting each other had to be surreal. Swede had turned "good guy" following a split between himself and then-partner the Super Destroyer (aka The Spoiler, Don Jardine) in February of 1974. When Rip Hawk returned to the Mid-Atlantic area in the spring of 1974 from his NWA suspension for using the piledriver (actually had been away working in Florida), he would occasionally cross paths with Swede in tag matches, but the singles feud between the two former partners broke wide open in August and continued throughout the fall of 1974.
• Rookie Ric Flair defeated veteran and longtime area star Danny Miller on this card, an indication that Flair's star was continuing to rise as a singles competitor within Crockett Promotions. Flair and Rip Hawk were the reigning Mid-Atlantic Tag Team champions at the time of this card in Norfolk.
  

 NO. 26 IN A SERIES

Poster: Early Wahoo/Flair Face-Off in 1974 Tag Team Action

by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

Let's go back to the Twin City of Winston-Salem, NC with this poster promoting a card held on Friday October 18th, 1974. It was one of the earlier matches with Ric Flair and Wahoo McDaniel as opponents, albeit in tag team action. 

 

The Nature Boy's partner in the main event was the Super Destroyer (Don Jardine) and the Big Chief would team with Sonny King. 

The semi-main event was a big six man tag affair featuring Rip Hawk, Art Nelson, and Chuck O'Connor (future Big John Studd) against Paul Jones, Swede Hanson, and Johnny Weaver while preliminaries consisted of three singles match-ups that included Abe Jacobs, Cowboy Parker, and Bob Bruggers. Bruggers was a former teammate of Wahoo on the NFL expansion Miami Dolphins of the late 1960s. 

The poster has an attractive horizontal design with black print on a pink background and the date, the four main eventers, and the "Wrestling" splash really stands out in high impact red. It's neat to see how Southern Poster laid out the tag teams side by side instead of over and under with a vertical "Versus" in between. The six great images of the Mid Atlantic stars of the day help complete this classic.

NO. 19 IN A SERIES

Johnny Valentine's Softer Side

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

In early December of 1974, Johnny “The Champ” Valentine was a dominating force in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Known as the “Hammer,” Valentine was the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion and was running roughshod over foe after foe. But in an edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television show that was taped right before the wrestlers took off a little bit of time before the Christmas holidays, we learned some surprising things about the Hammer.

On this TV show, Valentine faced off against Belton, South Carolina’s favorite son, Tommy Seigler in a non-title bout. Johnny’s 2,000 silver dollars were not at stake in this match. This contest was the final bout on the show, and as such the length of the match was set for television time remaining. Seigler, a solid mid-card performer would be expected to give Valentine a good tussle, but in this match he held Valentine to a TV time limit draw. This surprising result may finally have exposed a small chink in Valentine’s armor.

But the biggest surprise to come out of this TV bout for me was a bit of information that was produced from color commentator “Big” Bill Ward. To put this bit of surprising news in perspective, one only had to think back to when Valentine was wrestling “Mr. Wrestling” Tim Woods on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television two months earlier, his deliberately breaking Woods’ leg, and smiling as Woods screamed in agony from the broken bone.

Ward told the Mid-Atlantic faithful, “A lot of times the fans write in, and we like to honor their requests. Someone wanted to know the hobbies of Johnny Valentine…well, you’d be surprised. A rugged guy in the ring like Johnny Valentine, can you imagine what his hobbies would be? Painting and gardening! Now, that’s amazing isn’t it?”

A shocked announcer Bob Caudle paused and then replied, “It really is…you wouldn’t think it was his nature.” Ward responded, “Well, the delicate touch he has in that ring could be applied to gardening and to painting. But it amazes me that a man that can be as rugged in that ring can have hobbies like that!”

Witnessing Johnny Valentine brutalize Mid-Atlantic opponents with his sledgehammer right hand in nearly every bout he participated in for Jim Crockett Promotions, I’m not quite sure when and where Bill Ward saw the ‘delicate touch’ of Johnny Valentine that he mentioned. But I certainly agree with “Big Bill” that I was amazed to hear that Johnny’s hobbies were painting and gardening.

I’ll never forget when TV announcer Les Thatcher followed up with the same line of thought with Valentine on Les’ Mid-Atlantic Wrestling TV show later in 1975, and even got Johnny, the Hammer, to talk about his garden. I about fell out of my chair when Valentine told Les that it was a source of great pride for him that the vegetables he grew in his garden were bigger and healthier than those of his neighbors. It’s just hard to imagine the brutal Johnny Valentine comparing and contrasting his tomatoes to those of his next door neighbors.

Oh well, I guess even a Hammer can have a softer side!

 

 

Originally posted in December 2016 

Les Thatcher: Auto Racing and Pro Wrestlers

Wrestler's Eye View: Auto Racing Wrestlers
by Les Thatcher

originally published in Wrestling News Magazine, Summer 1974

 

I had a great Sunday afternoon, just a couple of weeks back. I went out to Charlotte Motor Speedway to watch the International Hot Rod Association Southern Nationals. The sun was hot, I got the smell of burning rubber and nitro fuel in my nostrils, my mouth was dry, my hands itched to grab a steering wheel, and I loved it!

These are the feelings of an ex-race driver. There are several in the ranks of professional wrestling. Along with myself, the ones I know of are Johnny Walker, Johnny Weaver, Tim Woods and Mike Graham. The only one who is active now is Mike. I ran into him last winter in Atlanta and at that time, he was in the process of putting together a Corvette to run in Class C modified production at the drags.

Once you have felt the power of a race car under you, then you're addicted. You'll find any one of this bunch, on any given Sunday, wide-eyed at some track around the country, wishing it were they, not someone else, driving those cars on the track.

Johnny Weaver drove stock cars on the roundy-round tracks of the Midwest before turning to pro wrestling as a way of life. That's been over 14 years ago, but don't think for a minute he has let it slip his mind. Johnny makes four or five of the NASCAR big races every summer around the Southeast, watches the rest on television, and never misses an article in the newspaper about racing. When we both sit down in some dressing room, within five minutes the talk turns to racing.

 
 

Tim Woods hasn't handled a race car in about five years, but he had one of the fastest 442 Oldsmobiles, running the eighth mile drags in the Carolinas, and was very close to the national record in his class. A funny sideline to Tim's racing career was when he was beaten by a girl running a Chevy digger in his class in Shuffletown, North Carolina. It was a long time before the other wrestlers would let him live that one down. The story still comes up once in a while.

Johnny Walker drove stock cars for some years and was a top handler in his field. In 1969, they were holding wrestling matches at the speedway in Bowling Green, KY. John's ability was questioned by another wrestler who thought that he could outdrive him. Well, they were loaned two stock cars by local drivers and went at it for ten laps. After about three laps, Walker was so far ahead that he backed off to give the other wrestler a chance. Then finally before the finish, he lapped the surprised challenger. John hadn't lost his touch.

The first time I met Mike Graham, he was sixteen and, along with a buddy, had built a '55 Chevy to drag race. He has gone through a few cars since then and each one has excelled in its class throughout the Sunshine State of Florida. Graham's current "Vette" should be on the track by now, and I'm sure it will do well, also. 

 

I started my drag racing at age fifteen, and during my racing days handled Fords, Chevys, Pontiacs and Plymouths. I was lucky enough to win a N.H.R.A. division title and to race several times at the National Hot Rod Association Nationals in Indianapolis. Like it's been for me in wrestling, it's been the same for me in racing. I just couldn't win that big one. I think I speak for all of the above when I say that racing was a great time in our lives and we are all still drivers at heart.

From the Summer 1974 issue of the Wrestling News magazine. We found these clippings posted on the Kayfabe Memories wrestling message board, posted by "Mr. Ambivalent" in the Southeastern Wrestling forum. Thanks to Peggy Lathan for transcription services.

Originally published September 9, 2008 on the Johnny Weaver Blog by the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

The Anderson Family Tree: How Ric Flair and Rip Hawk were all Part of Wrestling's Greatest Family

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.

THE ANDERSON FAMILY TREE
(aka, 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

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 when Greg first arrived in the Mid-Atlantic.)

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

RIP HAWK'S NEPHEW
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.


COUSIN TO THE ANDERSON BROTHERS
But during this same time, the story was also floated on TV and in newspaper event ads 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 little new factoid:

"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. Maybe Flair wasn't a member of two different wrestling families - - maybe both were all one big happy family.

Now, go ahead and try to figure out that family tree. I dare you.


THE ANDERSON FAMILY TREE (WE PROMISE)
Extensive research (really) has unearthed the following genealogical information. This is our story and we are stickin' to it:

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 Alma 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 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 moved to Georgia when Arn was just a baby, which would 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!")
   
   

Mythical Anderson Family Tree (Click image to enlarge.)

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 too much free time on my hands when writing this.

This article was originally published May of 2018 on the mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Johnny Weaver: Not Going Gently Into the Good Night

by David Chappell

Mid-Atlantic Gateway

 

PART ONE

When I think of the late great Johnny Weaver, the term that has always comes to my mind for him is “Mr. Mid-Atlantic Wrestling.” But that nickname would probably be more accurate if it was amended to “Mr. Jim Crockett Promotions.” As from the early 1960s through the early 1970s there was not a more decorated wrestler in the Carolinas and Virginia than Johnny Weaver. Be it as a singles or tag team grappler, Johnny undoubtedly ruled the roost in the territory for that decade.

But at the same time that All-Star Wrestling was rebranded as Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in 1973, Johnny’s aging star slowly began to lose a bit of its luster. By the middle of 1974 Weaver was no longer a main event attraction, and he departed the area in November of 1974 where he would wrestle primarily in Florida and Canada. It was strange indeed to watch Mid-Atlantic Championship at that time with no Johnny Weaver in sight.

Johnny would make his return to the Carolinas in September of 1975, just a few days before the infamous Wilmington, North Carolina plane crash. I remember at the time wondering what the promotion’s plans would be for the great veteran who had done so much for the territory, but seemed to be phased out before his departure late in 1974. Would he be re-slotted as a main event star, or would be become an enhancement talent as many of his cohorts of the 1960s had become by the mid-1970s. The answer to that question, and the focus of this piece, is that Johnny would occupy a unique position somewhere in-between those two poles.

As I began to think more about Johnny in the decade between the mid-70s to the mid-80s, it dawned on me that a mid-card Johnny Weaver still always had one main event program or angle during each of those years. Weaver would clearly not go gently into that good night! When Johnny became a dear friend of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway during the final few years of his life, I wanted to kiddingly ask him if he had a “one angle per year” clause written into his contract during that time frame, but regrettably I never got the chance to pop the question before he passed away. 

When Johnny reentered the Crockett territory in the fall of 1975, he was working in mid-card matches, but even then it was clear the promotion did not view him as simply a mid-card worker. Weaver would help with television color commentary at times when David Crockett was recovering from his injuries in the Wilmington plane crash, and Johnny even won a first round match in the historic U.S. Title Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina in November. Several weeks later on Mid-Atlantic TV, Johnny was part of a confrontation involving his partner Rufus R. Jones against newcomers Angelo Mosca and Steve Strong who were all main event stars, leading to a tag team match between the two teams on TV the following week.

While the dust-up with Mosca and Strong was not followed up on as a program involving Johnny, the framework had been laid positioning Johnny in a unique position in the territory straddling the line between mid-card and something more. As the calendar flipped to 1976, Johnny would settle into this role that would carry on for the next decade.

COMING UP NEXT:
Johnny Weaver is injured by new arrival Greg Valentine in November of 1976!

Classic Jack Brisco vs. Dory Funk, Jr. from Japan (with Sam Muchnick)

A classic 2-of-3 falls contest in Japan in January of 1974 between reigning NWA World Champion Jack Brisco and former champion Dory Funk, Jr. from Japan. The video includes great pre-match footage of NWA President Sam Muchnick with Jack's brand new NWA World Championship belt, the original "ten pounds of gold" on the red velvet strap. 

 

 

This post was originally published on the Domed Globe blog on April 7, 2021

 

The Original Crockett Cup (1974)

The 1986-1988
Crockett Cup Trophy

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

One of the more famous and still talked-about wrestling events ever is the Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament that took place for Jim Crockett Promotions from 1986-1988. The image of the large cup presented to the annual tournament winners is iconic, and still resonates with fans to this day. The modern-day National Wrestling Alliance even resurrected the tournament in 2019, and although the follow up event in 2020 was sidelined by the covid pandemic, they hopefully will continue that renewed tradition. 

What is less known is that the 1986 Crockett Cup wasn't actually the first trophy to carry that name. Hockey fans in particular will be interested to learn that in 1974 the Southern Hockey League (SHL) named their new championship trophy after the late Jim Crockett, Sr. It would be called the James Crockett Cup. Crockett was a big supporter of hockey in Charlotte, and the league generally. He had passed away one year earlier. The league would at various times have teams in many of the traditional Mid-Atlantic Wrestling cities, including Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Richmond, Roanoke, Hampton, and Norfolk. 

The Roanoke Rebels were the first
team to win the James Crockett Cup

The 1973-1974 season championship came down to the Charlotte Checkers and the Roanoke Rebels. Charlotte and Roanoke were linchpin cities for pro wrestling in the region, promoted by the Crockett family, and in the case of Roanoke, local promoter Pete Apostolou as well. Apostolou also had ties to hockey in Roanoke.

The first winners of the James Crockett Cup, for the 1973-1974 season, were the fighting Rebels from Roanoke. The Checkers from Charlotte won the next two seasons.

Ironically, much like the Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup in wrestling, the hockey championship trophy was only presented for three years, from 1974-1976. The SHL folded in the middle of the 1976-1977 season.  Jim Crockett Promotions was sold to Ted Turner in 1988, ending the three-year run of the Crockett Cup in wrestling. 

I've not come across a photo of the actual Crockett Cup trophy for the SHL, but we're always keeping an eye out. A nice little bit of Crockett family history.

Thanks to Mark Eastridge for his assistance with this article.

Best of the Gateway: Andre the Giant's First Night in Charlotte (1974)

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Awhile back I posted a series on Andre the Giant's first tour of the Mid-Atlantic area in June of 1974. The story was inspired by a submission to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway by Les Thatcher of some photographs that he took and a wonderful story he had written then when he was tasked to take Andre on several promotional stops around the territory.

The can check that series out here:

Part 1: The Tour (includes a photo with Joe, Elliot, and Carl Murnick.)
Part 2: Les Thatcher's Opus: Les Thatcher's "lost story" about taking Andre on tour (including photos with Charlie Harville, Nick Pond, and Joe Murnick.)
Part 3: Context (Including additional photos with Scott Casey and Bill Ward, plus other Mid-Atlantic history that week.)

As I mentioned in the series, I was amazed out how much memorabilia seemed to exist from that one week in 1974. And now I've come across a bit more.

Scooter Lesley, who owns the vast photo archives of the late Gene Gordon, recently sent me a photo Gordon took of Andre in the locker room at the old Charlotte Coliseum (aka, Independence Arena, now Bojangles Coliseum.) I immediately thought of Les Thatcher's story and his photographs.

Nelson Royal, Swede Hanson, and Andre the Giant in Charlotte, June 10, 1974

The photograph, seen here, is of Nelson Royal and Swede Hansen looking up in awe at Andre. Although clearly staged, Nelson and Swede were no doubt legitimately in awe of the "Eight Wonder of the World" as they spent the week with him on his first tour of the area.

I knew the photo had to be from that week in June 1974, just based on some quick tell-tale signs. Nelson Royal still being in the area at the same time Swede Hansen was a babyface pegged it to those months in 1974, and this was likely Andre's only tour through that time. I knew that Nelson had teamed with Andre on Andre's first card in Charlotte. I looked up the newspaper clipping of that 6/10/74 Charlotte Coliseum show in Mark Eastridge's vast clipping archives, and confirmed that Swede Hanson was indeed on that same show, too.

That night in Charlotte, where Andre teamed with Royal to defeat Mr. Ota and Mr. Hiashi, was part of an 11-day tour that stretched from 6/3 to 6/13/74.

• Mon 6/3 - Greenwood SC - Andre beat Pedro Godoy and Mike Paidousis
• Tue 6/4 - Raleigh NC - Andre defeated Mike Paidousis and Bill White
• Wed 6/5 - Anderson SC -Andre & Sandy Scott def. Mr. Ota/Mr. Hiashi
• Thu 6/6 - Greensboro NC - Andre participated in a Battle Royal
• Fri 6/7 - Richmond VA - Andre participated in a Battle Royal
• Sat 6/8 - Roanoke VA - Andre def. Chuck O'Connor and Mike Paidousis
• Sun 6/9 - Rocky Mount NC - Andre def. O'Connor/"Two Ton" Harris
• Mon 6/10 - Charlotte NC - Andre & Nelson Royal def. Mr. Ota/Mr. Hiashi
• Tue 6/11 - Columbia SC - defeated Mike Paidousis and Bill White
• Wed 6/12 - Raleigh NC - Studio TV Appearance
• Thu 6/13 - Norfolk VA - Andre participated in a Battle Royal

Andre was also one of the "lumberjacks" in the main event that night, a Lumberjack Match between the Super Destroyer (Don Jardine) and Swede Hanson. That match ended in a "no decision" when at one point all of the lumberjacks found themselves in the ring in swinging away at each other until Andre cleared the ring of everybody!   

No doubt Andre made a big impression on wrestling fans as well as his peers that first week in the area. Gene Gordon's photograph, added to Les Thatcher's photos and "lost story" documented earlier, are a lasting record of that memorable period of time.

Originally published September 22, 2019 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

The "Terrible Andersons" Revisited

From the "Vintage TV & Wrestling Nostalgia" Blog

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Carroll Hall posted these newspaper ads from 1974 on his "Vintage TV & Wrestling Nostalgia" blog several months back, but we somehow missed them at the time.

Graphics for the second weekly taping of
"Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling"
hosted by Les Thatcher

I love the reference in the second ad to "the terrible Andersons." Right around this time, the Andersons were feuding primarily with Sandy Scott who was taking various different partners to challenge the Minnesota Wrecking Crew including Bearcat Wright, Bob Bruggers, Danny Miller, Jerry Brisco, and occasionally his brother George Scott (who was booking the territory at the time and not wrestling full-time.)

I love seeing these ads. Growing up, WLOS-13 out of Asheville, NC, was one of the two stations I was able to watch Mid-Atlantic Wrestling on. I grew up in east Tennessee but was fortunate that our cable company carried this station back before cable ops were prohibited from carrying out-of-market stations.


MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING ON WLOS 
During the time period reflected in these ads, WLOS carried a second, separate version of the "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" show hosted by Les Thatcher. Just like the primary show hosted by Bob Caudle, it was taped at the studios of WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC.

Les Thatcher and Bob Caudle
Hosts for the two separate hours of "Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling" in 1974

The Thatcher show had huge ratings in the Asheville market, sometimes garnering a 60-share in the Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville TV market. This meant that 60% of the televisions that were on during that hour in that market were tuned to "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling." These were huge numbers for any program at any time in any era.

In October of 1975, that second hour of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling was replaced by a new program called "Wide World Wrestling" that was hosted by longtime Atlanta announcer Ed Capral. This gave that second JCP show a distinct name and identity.

Thatcher also hosted the localized promotional spots that were inserted into the programs in each market that promoted the arena house shows.
 

 Originally published August 17, 2017 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

There are two more of these WLOS-13 ads on the page on Carroll's blog. Visit this link for the others:
http://vintagetvwrestlingnostalgia.blogspot.com/2017/03/wlos-13-ashevillenc-in-1974.html

For more on these shows and where they were taped, check out our Studio Wrestling feature on WRAL-5 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

The Champ and The Chief Wrap Up 1974 (Best of the Gateway)

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Johnny “The Champ” Valentine and “The Chief” Wahoo McDaniel had many memorable battles inside the ring while in Jim Crockett Promotions, but one of their most memorable exchanges for me didn’t involve fisticuffs, but was of the verbal variety. The two squared off during the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling 1974 year-end highlights show hosted by Sam Menacker, and the verbal sparks would fly!

With Wahoo and Valentine together in the empty TV studio in December of 1974, Menacker showed a clip of Valentine brutalizing the preliminary wrestler Tapu on TV several months earlier with Wahoo coming in the ring to aid the fallen Samoan grappler. The Chief caught the Champ with a suplex and left Valentine in an exceedingly rare posture…on his back, looking up at the television studio lights.

Wahoo couldn’t help but gloat a bit at the clip saying, “There’s your champion right there. Now that’s a championship position for Johnny Valentine…prone lookin’ at the lights. Now, does that look like a champion?” When Johnny didn’t immediately respond, the Chief continued to push the point. Wahoo asked, “What do you have to say about that Valentine, you see it? You’re not on the winning end now, what’s the matter…you lost for words?” Menacker joined in, “Yeah, you’re out cold there Valentine!”

A visibly upset Valentine fired back exclaiming, “You had no reason to come in that ring, you had no right in that ring and you attacked me from behind!” Wahoo countered, “I only came in the ring to save the boy and you hit me, and I just retaliated.” The Champ followed, “Well, it will be a different story when you’re face to face with me.”

Menaker, now trying to keep order noted, “Look, I’m not taking sides. Listen, the fact remains John, you saw what happened there. He came in there to try and help.” Johnny would have none of it saying, “Well, it wasn’t his concern. I wasn’t expecting anything and he was able to accomplish something that he wouldn’t have accomplished if I had been watching him, which I wasn’t. I wasn’t expecting to be suplexed by the man with my own suplex.”

The Chief dismissively answered, “You know, they should start calling Johnny Valentine ‘Alibi Jones.’ That’s when you can’t get it done. And all the time when he’s on the top he has wonderful things to say about himself, but when you’re laying down lookin’ up Valentine, it’s hard for you to find anything nice to say about yourself.” Johnny retorted, “Anyone can be hurt and upset when they’re not expecting something. I wasn’t expecting the suplex I will admit, and that suplex hurt because it was my favorite hold so it’s bound to hurt me too.” Wahoo countered, “That’s right, you should know that somebody else is gonna use it and if it does that much for you and somebody else should know the same hold and you should be able to guard against it.”

Wahoo McDaniel and Johnny Valentine had a feud for the ages.

The Champ was getting increasingly exasperated and fired back, “You can make sure that I’ll have guards up whenever I get in the ring with you; you’ll never suplex me again, that’s for sure!” McDaniel shot back, “I’ll tell you one thing, I know about three or four different type suplexes…little different from yours. But they’re all the same…you land right on your head!” A seething Valentine replied, “You just have no idea how deep I run; how deep my bag of tricks are! You don’t know how many tricks I have at the bottom of that bag; I’ll dig way to the bottom and I’ll have tricks you’ve never heard of!”

“I know you, and I’ve probably wrestled you more than anybody. You’ve beaten me and I’ve beaten you; you’ve hurt me and I’ve hurt you,” Wahoo commented. Valentine replied, “Yeah, but I’ve got stronger for it and you’re weaker…look at you! You look terrible!” Wahoo beginning to lose his composure shouted, “I’m in the greatest shape of my career!”

Trying to end the segment without the two grapplers coming to blows, Menacker implored the two legends, “Just try to relax a little bit gentlemen…we are showing some highlights of 1974 and I realize there’s a lot of animosity.” Johnny then gleefully poked at the Indian, “I want you to see some of the scars on his head…I put ‘em there!” Wahoo pounced on that and responded in kind, “Well, ask him about the broken fingers he got and look at them scars he got there…he wouldn’t win any beauty contests in Atlantic City either, I can tell you that!” Valentine edged closer to Wahoo smirking, “Well, you got some more comin’!” The Chief then pressed his nose to Valentine’s snarling, “I can hardly wait!”

As Menacker bid the fans goodbye and the segment went to commercial, I couldn’t help but wonder if the verbal sparring between the Champ and the Chief would lead to immediate blows during the break, or rather if they would save the physicality for inside the squared circle in the New Year of 1975. For two all-time greats that weren’t necessarily blessed with the gift of gab, this entertaining verbal exchange put a nice bow on the year of 1974. And you just knew that each would follow up these heated words with scorching action against the other in 1975!
 

Originally published June 21, 2017 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Johnny Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel Close Out 1974

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Johnny “The Champ” Valentine and “The Chief” Wahoo McDaniel had many memorable battles inside the ring while in Jim Crockett Promotions, but one of their most memorable exchanges for me didn’t involve fisticuffs, but was of the verbal variety. The two squared off during the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling 1974 year-end highlights show hosted by Sam Menacker, and the verbal sparks would fly!

With Wahoo and Valentine together in the empty TV studio in December of 1974, Menacker showed a clip of Valentine brutalizing the preliminary wrestler Tapu on TV several months earlier with Wahoo coming in the ring to aid the fallen Samoan grappler. The Chief caught the Champ with a suplex and left Valentine in an exceedingly rare posture…on his back, looking up at the television studio lights.

Wahoo couldn’t help but gloat a bit at the clip saying, “There’s your champion right there. Now that’s a championship position for Johnny Valentine…prone lookin’ at the lights. Now, does that look like a champion?” When Johnny didn’t immediately respond, the Chief continued to push the point. Wahoo asked, “What do you have to say about that Valentine, you see it? You’re not on the winning end now, what’s the matter…you lost for words?” Menacker joined in, “Yeah, you’re out cold there Valentine!”

A visibly upset Valentine fired back exclaiming, “You had no reason to come in that ring, you had no right in that ring and you attacked me from behind!” Wahoo countered, “I only came in the ring to save the boy and you hit me, and I just retaliated.” The Champ followed, “Well, it will be a different story when you’re face to face with me.”

Menaker, now trying to keep order noted, “Look, I’m not taking sides. Listen, the fact remains John, you saw what happened there. He came in there to try and help.” Johnny would have none of it saying, “Well, it wasn’t his concern. I wasn’t expecting anything and he was able to accomplish something that he wouldn’t have accomplished if I had been watching him, which I wasn’t. I wasn’t expecting to be suplexed by the man with my own suplex.”

The Chief dismissively answered, “You know, they should start calling Johnny Valentine ‘Alibi Jones.’ That’s when you can’t get it done. And all the time when he’s on the top he has wonderful things to say about himself, but when you’re laying down lookin’ up Valentine, it’s hard for you to find anything nice to say about yourself.” Johnny retorted, “Anyone can be hurt and upset when they’re not expecting something. I wasn’t expecting the suplex I will admit, and that suplex hurt because it was my favorite hold so it’s bound to hurt me too.” Wahoo countered, “That’s right, you should know that somebody else is gonna use it and if it does that much for you and somebody else should know the same hold and you should be able to guard against it.”

Wahoo McDaniel and Johnny Valentine had a feud for the ages.

The Champ was getting increasingly exasperated and fired back, “You can make sure that I’ll have guards up whenever I get in the ring with you; you’ll never suplex me again, that’s for sure!” McDaniel shot back, “I’ll tell you one thing, I know about three or four different type suplexes…little different from yours. But they’re all the same…you land right on your head!” A seething Valentine replied, “You just have no idea how deep I run; how deep my bag of tricks are! You don’t know how many tricks I have at the bottom of that bag; I’ll dig way to the bottom and I’ll have tricks you’ve never heard of!”

“I know you, and I’ve probably wrestled you more than anybody. You’ve beaten me and I’ve beaten you; you’ve hurt me and I’ve hurt you,” Wahoo commented. Valentine replied, “Yeah, but I’ve got stronger for it and you’re weaker…look at you! You look terrible!” Wahoo beginning to lose his composure shouted, “I’m in the greatest shape of my career!”

Trying to end the segment without the two grapplers coming to blows, Menacker implored the two legends, “Just try to relax a little bit gentlemen…we are showing some highlights of 1974 and I realize there’s a lot of animosity.” Johnny then gleefully poked at the Indian, “I want you to see some of the scars on his head…I put ‘em there!” Wahoo pounced on that and responded in kind, “Well, ask him about the broken fingers he got and look at them scars he got there…he wouldn’t win any beauty contests in Atlantic City either, I can tell you that!” Valentine edged closer to Wahoo smirking, “Well, you got some more comin’!” The Chief then pressed his nose to Valentine’s snarling, “I can hardly wait!”

As Menacker bid the fans goodbye and the segment went to commercial, I couldn’t help but wonder if the verbal sparring between the Champ and the Chief would lead to immediate blows during the break, or rather if they would save the physicality for inside the squared circle in the New Year of 1975. For two all-time greats that weren’t necessarily blessed with the gift of gab, this entertaining verbal exchange put a nice bow on the year of 1974. And you just knew that each would follow up these heated words with scorching action against the other in 1975!

 Originally posted on June 21, 2017 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Andre the Giant vs. The Wright Brothers

SOUTHEASTERN WRESTLING DETOUR

It was always an exciting time when the "Eighth Wonder of the World" Andre the Giant came into your territory two or three times a year. Andre was a special attraction that toured the world of pro-wrestling much like the touring world champions of that era did.

The image in this ad was similar to an image used on a big stand-up poster of Andre that was always featured on television during the local promo segments when he was coming to our town.

This newspaper ad, from Knoxville, TN, in September of 1974, touts Andre in a handicap match with the top heel brother combination in Tennessee wrestling history - Ron and Don Wright.

Chilhowie Park was the traditional weekly home to some of Knoxville's greatest pro-wrestling cards. This one was so big, they only needed to advertise one match. The main event in Knoxville that night was the only match that mattered!

This was right around the time Ron Fuller bought the Knoxville territory. You will notice that the TV is still listed as "Wide World of Wrestling" which was the name of the small studio show taped at WTVK channel 26. It wouldn't be long before promoter Ron Fuller would move to the powerful WBIR channel 10 (CBS affiliate) and rename the show Southeastern Championship Wrestling.

Edited from a post originally published June 24, 2015 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.