Debbie Ringley at the Crockett Foundation Talks About the 2019 Crockett Cup

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Late edit: The NWA has announced that the Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) will be competing (!) in the 2019 Crockett Cup.  Also, they plan to announce the seeding for the tournament this Tuesday 4/9.) 

Later this month the National Wrestling Alliance will present the 2019 NWA Crockett Cup, bringing back the tournament that was originally presented by Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-to-late 1980s. (Event is Saturday 4/27: More information.)

The tournament was originally named the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup in honor of the longtime promoter of pro-wrestling and other entertainment events in the Carolinas and Virginias going all the way back to 1935.

The tournament was discontinued after the Crockett family sold their business to media mogul Ted Turner in November of 1988. In 2017, The Crockett Foundation in Charlotte revived the idea of a tournament in the family name promoting the Crockett Foundation Cup in conjunction with Classic Pro Wrestling, an independent promotion in eastern Virginia. That tradition continued with Charlotte area PWX Wrestling at BB&T Ballpark in 2018.

Now the Crockett Cup returns as part of the modern day NWA, working with Ring of Honor Wrestling as well as the Crockett Foundation to present the tournament on a national stage once again.

 Event Tickets  |  VIP Experience Tickets  |  Dinner with Aldis/Scurll/Mack Tickets

I recently conducted a makeshift "email interview" with Debbie Ringley about how the tournament came together. Debbie is the granddaughter of Jim Crockett, Sr. (daughter of Frances Crockett and John Ringley) and president of the Crockett Foundation in Charlotte, a charitable organization helping veterans and service animals.


Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Your family has been out of the wrestling business now for over 30 years, as hard as that is to believe. You now have this opportunity to continue the Crockett tradition in pro wrestling with the renewal of the Crockett Cup. It’s very exciting for fans, especially those of us that go back in time a bit. How did all of this come together with the NWA and Ring of Honor Wrestling?

Debbie Ringley: David Lagana with the NWA came to the Crockett Cup that was held by PWX Wrestling at BB&T Ballpark last summer. He brought [NWA World Champion] Nick Aldis with him as part of the main event that night. The conversation pretty much started through follow up emails and conversations following that meeting.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Were you aware that the National Wrestling Alliance was in the middle of a renaissance? Or did this hit you out of nowhere?

Debbie Ringley: I did not know that it even still existed. I have found out that if wasn’t exactly being taken care of in the way it should have been, but I believe the new owner has the respect for the organization that it deserves.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: The annual tournament that your family put on from 1986-1988 honored your grandfather, Jim Crockett, Sr.  Will the new tournament honor his legacy as well? Or will it be more to honor the family business broadly and their legacy in wrestling, and specifically in Charlotte?

Debbie Ringley: From what I understand, it will be a more broad look at my family’s legacy.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: I see that they have announced that several stars from JCP in the 1980s will be making appearances at the Crockett Cup: Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock & Roll Express), Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, as well as Jim Cornette and all three members of the Midnight Express: Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane. Many of these same wrestling legends are also “tag team partners” with the Crockett Foundation. What other presence will the Crockett Foundation have at the event itself?

Debbie Ringley: We will be there with all of our swag and of course the books you were so kind to help us put together.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Will this show benefit the charitable work of Crockett Foundation in any way?

Debbie Ringley: Yes. The NWA has said they will be making a donation to the Crockett Foundation that night. I have heard through the grapevine that Billy Corgan (the new owner) is a big fan of veterans organizations.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Will any other members of the Crockett family (your mom or your uncles) be involved in any way?

Debbie Ringley: I hope so but nothing has been confirmed as of this date.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: What have been some recent activities and events connected with the Crockett Foundation and what do you have upcoming in 2019?

Debbie Ringley: In July we will have our annual Crockett Foundation Night at BB&T Ballpark. We will also be attending TMPT Con 3 in Richmond, VA on May 18, 2019. There are about 3 other things that will be announced in the coming months.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway:  Thanks Debbie! David and I look forward to seeing you there that night. It's very exciting to see the Crockett Cup return, especially to the Charlotte area.

Debbie Ringley: Thank you, Dick. See you there!

* * * * *
The 2019 Crockett Cup presented by the NWA, ROH, and the Crockett Foundation, will take place Saturday night, April 27, at Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC, just northeast of Charlotte. Tickets are on sale now. There will also be several other special events surrounding the tournament including a fanfest Saturday afternoon where you take pictures and get autographs of the NWA wrestling legends in attendance that day including Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock & Roll Express), Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, as well as Jim Cornette and all three members of the Midnight Express: Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane!

Nick Aldis will defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship that night (as is tradition with the Crockett Cup tournaments of the 1980s). There is a special dinner to be held the night before (Friday April 26) with Aldis as well his opponent Marty Scurll, and NWA National Heavyweight Champion Willie Mack.

For links to Twitter and Facebook information about the Friday dinner, Saturday afternoon fanfest, and Crockett Cup event Saturday night, visit our Crockett Cup update page on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway or the specific links below.

Follow the NWA (@nwa), the NWA World Champion Nick Aldis (@RealNickAldsis), and Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) on Twitter.


Support the Crockett Foundation by visiting their online store, filled with lots of wrestling goodies. For more information on the Crockett Foundation, visit https://crockettfoundation.com 

Midnight Express, Rock & Roll Express, Magnum T.A., and Nikita Koloff to Appear at the Crockett Cup 2019

BREAKING | Legends of the @NWA & Jim Crockett Promotions are coming to #CrockettCup

The Midnight Express (Lane, Condrey & Eaton)@TheJimCornette@therealmagnumta@RealRickyMorton@TheRobertGibson@NikitaKoloff1

Tickets on Sale tomorrow via @RingOfHonorhttps://t.co/F9d6QpGPbS pic.twitter.com/wVmkKF4Psf

— NWA (@nwa) February 5, 2019

Jim Crockett, Jr. and Bill Watts at the Crockett Cup (1986)

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

My friend Rob Riddick once told me that one of his favorite trips was to New Orleans in April of 1986 for the inaugural Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament. George Napolitano, through the assistance of Tony Schiavone in the Crockett office, made it possible for him to get credentials.

Ironically, it would be an event where he wasn't allowed to shoot many of the matches, since they limited the number of photographers that could shoot ringside, and those would be the guys like Napolitano, Bill Apter, and the photographers from Japan. But what made the trip so memorable for him was that he was able to get this shot.

Rob told me he was walking through one of the long hallways in the Super Dome before the evening session and noticed Jim Crockett and Bill Watts having a conversation in front of a set where they had the Crockett Cup trophy on display in front of a huge board with the tournament brackets. He worked up the nerve to interrupt them and asked them could he get a picture, sensing the rare opportunity to get them together in such a setting. Watts told him, "I don't have my jacket with me." Rob assured him that wasn't a problem in the slightest.

Without being asked, the two reached up and each held the trophy for the photograph which Rob told me was one of his all-time favorites given these two giants in wrestling together for that rather historic show.


THE CROCKETT CUP RETURNS
This April the National Wrestling Alliance, in conjunction with the Crockett Foundation and Ring of Honor Wrestling, will bring back the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. The original event, promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s, only lasted three years, from 1986-1988. The company was sold to Ted Turner late in 1988.

When Jim Crockett, Jr. announced that the NWA had selected New Orleans to host the inaugural tournament in 1986, he told fans that it was his dream to host the tournament in the home city of Crockett Promotions, Charlotte, NC. Mr. Crockett never got to fulfill that dream, but the modern day NWA is about to come close for him.

The 2019 tournament will be held in Concord, NC, just outside Charlotte, at Cabarrus Arena. The venue has been host to several ROH events over the last few years. We'll be following news of the Crockett Cup closely and look forward to seeing that event return to the landscape of pro-wrestling.

Follow the NWA on Twitter at @NWA.

Own Your Own Piece of a Crockett Ring Canvas

Ever wanted to own a special piece of Jim Crockett Promotions history? You can now order a piece of an actual Jim Crockett Promotions ring canvass used in the 1980s.

From the Crockett Foundation Website:

Own a real piece of wrestling history. The Crockett Foundation has a limited number of 2″ x 2″ pieces of a wrestling mat used by Jim Crockett Promotions. The pieces come on a card certifying their authenticity signed by Jim Crockett Sr.’s granddaughter and the president of the Crockett Foundation. Who knows which legend’s blood might be on your piece of history.

For more information, or to order your piece of JCP wrestling history, visit the online store of the Crockett Foundation website.

A portion of the proceeds from each sale at the Crockett Foundation store support the charitable work of the Crockett Foundation.

Sunday Get-Togethers with Paul Jones, Ole Anderson, and J.J. Dillon

This past Sunday, September 3, the Gateway family had two different get-togethers that made for nice gatherings with Mid-Atlantic Wrestling legends on Labor Day Weekend.

First, Peggy Lathan and Paul Jones's son, Paul Jr., organized a reunion with Paul and Ole Anderson, as well as Ole's son, Bryant. They all got together at a restaurant in Commerce, GA. on Sunday morning.

A little later that same day, Dick Bourne got together for an early afternoon lunch in Charlotte organized by Debbie Ringley that included Debbie's boyfriend Scott and the leader of the Four Horsemen James J. Dillon! J.J. was in town for the big "Crockett Foundation Night" at the Charlotte Knights baseball game at BB&T Ballpark. Debbie is the grand-daughter of Jim Crockett, Sr. and president of the Crockett Foundation.  

Ole Anderson (seated) and Paul Jones (far right) enjoyed visiting again. Ole's son Bryant (far left)
and Paul's son, Paul Jr. (center) joined them for this special get-together.

J.J. Dillon, Dick Bourne, Scott Whiting, and Debbie Ringley enjoy lunch in Charlotte
prior to "Crockett Foundation Night"at BB&T Ballpark.

Peggy and Paul Jr. put the lunch together with Ole Anderson & Paul Jones in Commerce, GA

Ole Anderson and Paul Jones with Paul Jr.
Is Ole actually smiling?

Peggy had the difficult task of trying to keep Paul Jones quiet!

* * * * * * *

JJ Dillon will be appearing for Vanguard Championship Wrestling this Saturday 9/9. For details and links to further info, check out the James J. Dillon Appearance Schedule Page on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Crockett Foundation Night in Charlotte!

Crockett Foundation

Tonight, Sunday, September 3, it's Crockett Night at the ol' ballgame.

Make your plans to head out to BB&T Ballpark tonight, home of the Charlotte Knights baseball team, for a great evening of baseball and to visit with some of the great legends of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions.

Featured will be James J. Dillon (leader of the Four Horsemen!), Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock & Roll Express), Magnum T.A., Baby Doll, legendary NWA referee Tommy Young, and Jackie Crockett.


It's the 2017 Crockett Foundation Night at the ballpark, part of the final weekend of the regular season for the triple-A Charlotte Knights.The event is organized by the Crockett Foundation, the charitable organization run now by Jim Crockett, Sr.'s granddaughter Debbie Ringley.

Join us at the beautiful BB&T Ballpark tonight in Charlotte!

DATE: Sunday evening, September 3, 2017
WHERE: BB&T Park, 324 South Mint Street Charlotte, NC (Parking & Directions)
TIME: Gates open 6:00 PM, First Pitch 7:05 PM (Wrestlers available before game)
SPECIAL EVENTS: Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends + Fireworks!

BaseballParks.com    

Crockett Foundation Night is this Sunday Night at BB&T Park in Charlotte

Crockett Foundation

This Sunday, September 3, it's Crockett Night at the ol' ballgame.

Over this Labor Day weekend, make your plans to head out to BB&T Ballpark, home of the Charlotte Knights baseball team, for a great evening of baseball and to visit with some of the great legends of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions.

Featured will be James J. Dillon (leader of the Four Horsemen!), Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock & Roll Express), Magnum T.A., Baby Doll, legendary NWA referee Tommy Young, and Jackie Crockett.

Talking @CrockettFound Night on @WilsonsWorld on @WCCBCharlotte with Tommy Young. Tune in! pic.twitter.com/rxxqdPfztG

— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) August 30, 2017

It's the 2017 Crockett Foundation Night at the ballpark, part of the final weekend of the regular season for the triple-A Charlotte Knights.The event is organized by the Crockett Foundation, the charitable organization run now by Jim Crockett, Sr.'s granddaughter Debbie Ringley.

Join us at the beautiful BB&T Ballpark this Sunday in Charlotte!

DATE: Sunday evening, September 3, 2017
WHERE: BB&T Park, 324 South Mint Street Charlotte, NC (Parking & Directions)
TIME: Gates open 6:00 PM, First Pitch 7:05 PM (Wrestlers available before game)
SPECIAL EVENTS: Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends + Fireworks!

BaseballParks.com    

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

INTERVIEW WITH DEBBIE RINGLEY
Reprinted from an earlier post. 

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Debbie about what's planned for Crockett Night this year.
  
Dick Bourne: How did "Crockett Night” at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte come about?

Debbie Ringley: It came about as a way to celebrate the 85th anniversary of Jim Crockett Promotions, both baseball and wrestling, last year. I had to come up with a way to put what Granddaddy created and the things that came after his death. Hosting wrestlers at a baseball game seemed to be the perfect way of bringing the two together. Last year’s event went so well that the Knights asked us back and we are going to make it a staple of both the Foundations and Knights events schedule each year.

Bourne: So the purpose for the event is to help raise awareness for the Foundation?

Ringley: It is to raise awareness. The wrestlers will not charge for their picture or autograph but they will be asking fans to throw some money in a jug towards a donation.

Bourne: You guys have some very cool wrestling-related merchandise that you sell on the Crockett Foundation website. Will some of that be available for fans to purchase at this event?

Ringley: We will have shirts, including our new "TBS 6:05" shirt, for sale and we will also have both of our wrestling books.

Bourne: I've seen the new "TBS 6:05" shirt - - very cool, it immediately conjures up memories of so many Saturday evenings where I wouldn't miss "World Championship Wrestling" out of Atlanta with David Crockett and Tony Schiavone.

Crockett Foundation / Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Ringley: The back of the shirt is awesome, too, with our Crockett Foundation logo and signatures of many of the wrestling personalities that are "tag team partners" of the Crockett Foundation.

Ringley: Jackie will be there to autograph his ["When Wrestling Was Wrestling"] and our second book contains stories about three of the wrestlers that will be there that night so it would be a great opportunity for a fan to get the books autographed by the subjects in the books. Both the books and the shirts will be on sale for $15.00

Bourne: Nice to have Jackie Crockett there to sign his book of photographs. He took some really amazing photos in the late 1970s and early 1980s. That is a wonderful collection.

Ringley: Both the books and the shirts will be on sale for $15.00

Bourne: What wrestling celebrities will be there?

Ringley: Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson of the Rock n Roll Express, Magnum T.A., J.J. Dillon, Baby Doll, Tommy Young, and Jackie Crockett.

Bourne: Wow, that's a great line-up and a small "who's who" of some of the big names of Jim Crockett Promotions in the hot period of the mid 1980s.

Ringley: It is, and since there was no [Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends] Fanfest this year, it may be the only gathering of this type in the Charlotte area this year. I don’t know of any opportunity like this around.

Bourne: I always enjoy seeing these guys get recognized and for fans to be able to show their appreciation for all they gave to the wrestling business. Will there be a special introduction of your special wrestling guests that evening at the game?

Ringley: All of the attendees will be introduced on the field prior to the game and just like last year Baby Doll will arrive on her Harley. I will be throwing out the first pitch but don’t expect much from that!

Bourne: Excellent! No pressure there, right?

Ringley: No, not at all!

Bourne: How will fans be able to interact with your special guests that night?

Ringley: They will be signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. All they will ask is a donation of some kind. Or a swag purchase from our merchandise table will get them pictures and autographs.

Bourne: Will Frances be there? Your mom [Frances Crockett] is such an important part of both the family history and baseball history in Charlotte.

Ringley: Yes, she should be. I think one of my sisters is bringing her. I have my hands full with all the others!

Bourne: I'll bet! Debbie, thanks for filling us in on Crockett Foundation Night 2017. I know both wrestling fans and baseball fans will have a blast.

Ringley: Thanks! Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

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

DATE: Sunday evening, September 3, 2017
WHERE: BB&T Ballpark, 324 South Mint Street Charlotte, NC (Parking & Directions)
TIME: Gates open at 6:00 PM, First Pitch at 7:05 PM


If you are in the Charlotte area over Labor Day weekend, come out and support the Crockett Foundation and Charlotte Knights baseball. Buy some peanuts and some Cracker Jack and spend some time with the great legends of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling.

Crockett Night at Charlotte's BB&T Ballpark Sunday 9/3

BaseballParks.com    

On Sunday, September 3, it's Crockett Night at the ol' ballgame.

This coming Labor Day weekend, make your plans to head out to BB&T Ballpark, home of the Charlotte Knights baseball team, for a great evening of baseball and to visit with some of the great legends of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions.

It's the 2017 Crockett Foundation Night at the ballpark, part of the final weekend of the regular season for the triple-A Charlotte Knights.The event is organized by the Crockett Foundation, the charitable organization run now by Jim Crockett, Sr.'s granddaughter Debbie Ringley.

Crockett Foundation

DATE: Sunday evening, September 3, 2017
WHERE: BB&T Park, 324 South Mint Street Charlotte, NC (Parking & Directions)
TIME: Gates open at 6:00 PM, First Pitch at 7:05 PM (Wrestlers available before the game)
SPECIAL EVENTS: NWA Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends plus Fireworks after the game!

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

INTERVIEW WITH DEBBIE RINGLEY

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Debbie about what's planned for Crockett Night this year.
  
Dick Bourne: How did "Crockett Night” at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte come about?

Debbie Ringley: It came about as a way to celebrate the 85th anniversary of Jim Crockett Promotions, both baseball and wrestling, last year. I had to come up with a way to put what Granddaddy created and the things that came after his death. Hosting wrestlers at a baseball game seemed to be the perfect way of bringing the two together. Last year’s event went so well that the Knights asked us back and we are going to make it a staple of both the Foundations and Knights events schedule each year.

Bourne: So the purpose for the event is to help raise awareness for the Foundation?

Ringley: It is to raise awareness. The wrestlers will not charge for their picture or autograph but they will be asking fans to throw some money in a jug towards a donation.

Bourne: You guys have some very cool wrestling-related merchandise that you sell on the Crockett Foundation website. Will some of that be available for fans to purchase at this event?

Ringley: We will have shirts, including our new "TBS 6:05" shirt, for sale and we will also have both of our wrestling books.

Bourne: I've seen the new "TBS 6:05" shirt - - very cool, it immediately conjures up memories of so many Saturday evenings where I wouldn't miss "World Championship Wrestling" out of Atlanta with David Crockett and Tony Schiavone.

Crockett Foundation / Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Ringley: The back of the shirt is awesome, too, with our Crockett Foundation logo and signatures of many of the wrestling personalities that are "tag team partners" of the Crockett Foundation.

Ringley: Jackie will be there to autograph his ["When Wrestling Was Wrestling"] and our second book contains stories about three of the wrestlers that will be there that night so it would be a great opportunity for a fan to get the books autographed by the subjects in the books. Both the books and the shirts will be on sale for $15.00

Bourne: Nice to have Jackie Crockett there to sign his book of photographs. He took some really amazing photos in the late 1970s and early 1980s. That is a wonderful collection.

Ringley: Both the books and the shirts will be on sale for $15.00

Bourne: What wrestling celebrities will be there?

Ringley: Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson of the Rock n Roll Express, Magnum T.A., J.J. Dillon, Baby Doll, Tommy Young, and Jackie Crockett.

Bourne: Wow, that's a great line-up and a small "who's who" of some of the big names of Jim Crockett Promotions in the hot period of the mid 1980s.

Ringley: It is, and since there was no [Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends] Fanfest this year, it may be the only gathering of this type in the Charlotte area this year. I don’t know of any opportunity like this around.

Bourne: I always enjoy seeing these guys get recognized and for fans to be able to show their appreciation for all they gave to the wrestling business. Will there be a special introduction of your special wrestling guests that evening at the game?

Ringley: All of the attendees will be introduced on the field prior to the game and just like last year Baby Doll will arrive on her Harley. I will be throwing out the first pitch but don’t expect much from that!

Bourne: Excellent! No pressure there, right?

Ringley: No, not at all!

Bourne: How will fans be able to interact with your special guests that night?

Ringley: They will be signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. All they will ask is a donation of some kind. Or a swag purchase from our merchandise table will get them pictures and autographs.

Bourne: Will Frances be there? Your mom [Frances Crockett] is such an important part of both the family history and baseball history in Charlotte.

Ringley: Yes, she should be. I think one of my sisters is bringing her. I have my hands full with all the others!

Bourne: I'll bet! Debbie, thanks for filling us in on Crockett Foundation Night 2017. I know both wrestling fans and baseball fans will have a blast.

Ringley: Thanks! Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

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

DATE: Sunday evening, September 3, 2017
WHERE: BB&T Ballpark, 324 South Mint Street Charlotte, NC (Parking & Directions)
TIME: Gates open at 6:00 PM, First Pitch at 7:05 PM


If you are in the Charlotte area over Labor Day weekend, come out and support the Crockett Foundation and Charlotte Knights baseball. Buy some peanuts and some Cracker Jack and spend some time with the great legends of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling.

Crockett Foundation Cup Tag Tournament This Weekend

It's just days away.

The inaugural Crockett Foundation Cup Tag Team Tournament will be taking place this Saturday, July 15, at the New Kent High School in New Kent, Virginia. The event is being presented by Classic Pro Wrestling with the sanction of the Crockett Foundation.

Wrestling legends making appearances include WWE Hall fo Famers the Rock and Roll Express, former NWA World champion Ronnie Garvin, Jimmy "The Boogie Man" Valiant, the "Powers of Pain" Warlord and Barbarian, the "New Fantastics" with Bobby Fulton, noted ring announcer Garry Michael Cappetta, and legendary referees Tommy Young and Dave and Earl, the Hebner brothers.

In addition, the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling will be presenting a Q&A Meet and Greet with former NWA World Champion "Hands of Stone" Ronnie Garvin. That event will take place earlier in the afternoon. For complete details, visit https://www.facebook.com/Tmptofwrestling/.

Don't miss all the excitement of Classic Pro Wrestling and the Crockett Foundation Cup this Saturday night!

(For directions, including an interactive map, see this post.)

Crockett Foundation Cup Tag Team Tournament is One Week Away

The inaugural Crockett Foundation Cup Tag Team Tournament is just a little more than one week away. It takes place next Saturday, 7/15, at New Kent High School in New Kent, Virginia. The tournament, which features WWE Hall of Famers and NWA Mid-Atlantic Wrestling legends Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (The Rock and Roll Express) is being presented by Classic Pro Wrestling.

Wrestling legends making appearances alongside Morton and Gibson at the Crockett Foundation Cup include former NWA World champion Ronnie Garvin, Jimmy "The Boogie Man" Valiant, the "Powers of Pain" Warlord and Barbarian, the "New Fantastics" with Bobby Fulton, noted ring announcer Garry Michael Cappetta, and legendary referees Tommy Young and Dave and Earl, the Hebner brothers.

The tournament will feature several legendary performers as well as the outstanding up and coming talent in the area. 

For more information on the tournament, visit facebook.com/classicprowrestlin/. (Map and address of the venue below.)

As part of that big day,  the mighty Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling is presenting a special Q&A Meet and Greet with former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ron Garvin. Ron will be taking pictures and signing autographs with fans that afternoon in advance of the tournament. For more information on the Ron Garvin Q&A Meet and Greet, visit facebook.com/tmptofwrestling.

The event is being presented in conjunction with the Crockett Foundation of Charlotte, NC. The charitable organization benefiting veterans and veterans organizations is headed up by Debbie Ringley, granddaughter of  Jim Crockett, Sr., the longtime promoter of professional wrestling and other events in the Virginias and the Carolinas for over five decades. Debbie will be in attendance on July 15 at the Crockett Foundation Cup and will have Crockett t-shirts, ballcaps, books ("When Wrestling Was Wrestling" and Old School Rules"), and other items, all of which raise money for the foundation.(For more information on the Crockett Foundation, visit crockettfoundation.com.)

New Kent High School is located at 7365 Egypt Road, New Kent, Virginia, 23124. Throw that address into your GPS or Google Maps and get on the road to New Kent next Saturday for the Crockett Foundation Cup!

First Annual Crockett Foundation Cup Tag Team Tournament Coming in July

Classic Pro Wrestling and the Crockett Foundation are teaming up to present the first annual Crockett Foundation Cup Tag Team Tournament in July.

The one-night tournament will take place on July 15 at the New Kent High School in New Kent, VA, and will feature some of the legendary tag teams from the days of Jim Crockett Promotions as well as some of the young talent of today.

Wrestling legends schedule to appear on the show (including a few who will be involved in the tournament) include Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson of the Rock & Roll Express, former NWA World champion Ronnie Garvin, Jimmy "The Boogie Man" Valiant, the "Powers of Pain" Warlord and Barbarian, the "New Fantastics" with Bobby Fulton, noted ring announcer Garry Michael Cappetta, and legendary referees Tommy Young, and Dave and Earl, the Hebner brothers.

Like the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament in the 1980s, the Crockett Foundation Cup will honor the late Jim Crockett, Sr., the long time promoter of pro-wrestling in the Carolinas and Virginia going back to 1937. Crockett, Sr. passed away in April of 1973, and his four children took over the company at that point, led by Jim Crockett, Jr. and David Crockett. Both Jackie Crockett and Frances Crockett were also involved with the company, and Frances headed up the family's baseball business as well.

The tournament is being presented with the endorsement of the Crockett Foundation in Charlotte, the charitable organization headed up by Crockett's granddaughter Debbie Ringley. Debbie is the daughter of Frances Crockett Ringley.

The big show will include a meet and greet session with all the stars, scheduled to start at 6:00 PM, followed by the tag team tournament with a bell-time scheduled for 7:00 PM.


RON GARVIN Q&A MEET AND GREET

Also that afternoon, the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast will present a Q&A Meet and Greet with former NWA World Heavyweight champion Ron Garvin from 4:30-5:30 PM, which will conclude before the Crockett Foundation Cup meet and greet at 6 PM. A separate ticket is required for this exclusive Q&A Meet and Greet event.


For more info, including advance ticket information, visit the following sites:

Crockett Foundation Cup: https://www.facebook.com/classicprowrestlin/
Two Man Power trip Ron Garvin Q&A:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2001111200117649/

For more information on the Crockett Foundation visit crockettfoundation.com.

An Amazon #1 Best-Seller in Wrestling!

Crockett Foundation Night at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte

Jim Crockett, Jr., along with Frances, David, and Jackie were all recognized at the 2016 event!

A look back at the first Crockett Foundation Night in 2016 at the Charlotte Knights BB&T Ballpark in downtown Charlotte. 

The 2017 Crockett Foundation Night will be on Sunday, September 3 and will feature WWE Hall of Famers and Mid-Atlantic Legends Hall of Heroes members Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock and Roll Express), James J. Dillon and others.

The video above feature Tony Schiavone's introduction of the Crockett Family (Frances, Jim Jr., David, and Jackie) at the Ballpark, plus clips of the Rock & Roll Express, Baby Doll, Tommy Young and others.

More info to come on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway and be sure to check out the Crockett Foundation Website at www.CrockettFoundation.com.

Crockett Foundation Releases Second Pro Wrestling Book

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

The Crockett Foundation has released its second pro wrestling book in their online store.

"Old School Rules Vol. 1" features photographs taken by veteran wrestling photographer Eddie Cheslock, supplemented by articles taken from Mid-Atlantic Wrestling magazine published by Jim Crockett Promotions from back in the day, as well as contributions from Mike Mooneyham, Bill Apter, and David Chappell.

Volume 1 of "Old School Rules" focuses on four of the biggest "babyface"stars of Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s: Ricky Steamboat, Ricky Morton, Robert Gibson, and Magnum T.A.

Eddie Cheslock provided photos from his archives of these great stars that also include cameo appearances by Terry Taylor, Don Kernodle, Manny Fernandez, Jimmy Valiant, and many others.

Cheslock photographed wrestling in the 1980s in the Richmond area. His photographs were featured in "The Wrestler", "Inside Wrestling", and "Pro Wrestling Illustrated."

The book also includes contributions from New York Times best selling author Mike Mooneyham, as well as from David Chappell of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. David's Gateway interview with Magnum T.A. from 2016 has been edited and republished in the new Crockett Foundation book.

Mooneyham's contributions include previously published works that appeared in his award winning column in the Charleston Post & Courier newspaper.

The book is on sale now exclusively from the Crockett Foundation. A portion from the sale of every book goes to support the charitable work of the Crockett Foundation. Learn more on their website at CrockettFoundation.com.

From Baseball to Wrestling: Frances Crockett Talks About Tony Schiavone's Journey within Jim Crockett Promotions

Frances Crockett and Tony Schiavone reflect on Tony's transition from calling AA baseball on the radio to the national face and voice of pro-wrestling for the company. 

 
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

We recently concluded our 7-part interview feature "Sundays with Schiavone" where Tony shared some of his favorite memories as a fan of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in the 1970s before he got into the wrestling business in 1983.

Tony Schiavone
(@tonyschiavone24)

In part two of that interview, Tony talked about how he first came to work with Frances Crockett and the Crockett family on the baseball side of the business. He was working as the radio broadcaster for the (then) Class A Greensboro Hornets in 1981, where he had won South Atlantic League Broadcaster of the Year. He got a tip about the Class AA opening in Charlotte.

"I found out from a friend of mine named Bob Jamieson, who was the play-by-play guy of the Double A Nashville team…I found out that the Charlotte job was opening up, so I went down and interviewed for it," Tony told David Chappell in the Gateway interview.

I recently had the chance to ask Frances Crockett about her memories of hiring Tony all these many years ago. Frances was the General Manager of the Charlotte O's team and was a trailblazer of sorts, awarded The Sporting News Class AA Baseball Executive of the Year in 1980. She was the first woman to achieve such recognition. She had a proven track record of making good business decisions for her team. And she was getting ready to make another one. 

"Tony’s personality is and was the type of on air personality I was looking for," Frances told me. "I asked him to come down and see me at my ballpark, if I remember correctly."

The O's radio job seemed like the perfect fit for both Tony and Frances. "Not only was he a sports fan and baseball fan, he was a wrestling fan. I knew he was the perfect fit."

"I interviewed with Frances Crockett," Tony told us, "and she hired me that day."

Frances Crockett
General Manager of the Charlotte O's
1976-1986

Frances told me it was important to create an atmosphere for the fans of the minor league baseball team where the fans felt a part of their community at the Park. "Our players were young, 18 and 19 years old," she said. "Since Tony would be on the road with them, our radio announcer had to be a people person." Tony was the right fit to relate not only to the young players but to younger fans.

Much as Tony would later wear lots of different hats when working for the wrestling side of the family business, Frances loaded Tony up with lots of responsibilities besides calling the games for radio.

"Yes, he had to sell the commercials and help coordinate appearances," Frances said. He also occasionally worked on the grounds crew with the legendary wrestler, now Crockett Park grounds crew chief, Klondike Bill.

Calling baseball on the radio was a dream come true for Tony, and had been since he graduated from James Madison University a few years earlier. But his first love was wrestling.

"My baseball career, in my mind, was off and running," he told David Chappell in our interview. "I was two years out of college, my first year was in Single A and now I moved up to Double A. And as I got the job I would continue to talk to Frances about letting me do wrestling."

But nothing developed from that his first year. "I remember one time going to a TV taping [at WPCQ-36 studios in Charlotte]", he said, "and I remember talking to David [Crockett], and he was very nice to me. I told him what I’d like to do. He said he appreciated that, but there wasn’t anything available."

But Tony continued to make himself seen and he got lucky one night at a house show at the old Charlotte Coliseum. He was there to watch the matches when he realized something different was going on.

"I remember the matches were getting ready to start and nothing was happening," he said. "David [Crockett] came out and was looking up in the stands, and I knew instantly he was looking for me. And I went down and he said, ‘C.J. Underwood, is not here. Can you do the ring announcing for us?’ So I did the ring announcing that night in the Charlotte Coliseum."

Once that door had opened, Tony was ready to jump through it. He got the call to come assist legendary WBTV personality "Big" Bill Ward with the local promotional segments for the wrestling TV shows, a job he would later take over entirely. And the requests for Tony's services continued.

"Frances Crockett brought me into her office and she said, ‘Well, I knew this would happen. Now they want you to come and do some more interviews.’ She said, ‘You’re going to be pulled between me and them.’ Them being her brothers."

Tony's first big TV assignment for Mid-Atlantic Wrestling (other than the localized interviews) was to interview Ric Flair at his home as part of the build-up to Starrcade '83. "This was the announcement," Tony said, "his reaction to being part of the “Flare for the Gold,” having the World Title match with Harley Race."

It was a huge assignment with the top wrestler in the business.

He continued doing baseball on into the following season. "He was with baseball until wrestling took him full time,'" Frances told me.

That full time opportunity came when they needed a new full time co-host for the World Wide Wrestling TV program. "It needed to be a fresh face with personality but would not overshadow the wrestlers.  I thought Tony was perfect and pitched him to my brother Jimmy."

And the rest is history. Tony co-hosted "World Wide Wrestling" with David Crockett for most of 1984 and then was selected to take on host duties for "World Championship Wrestling" in April of 1985 when Jim Crockett Promotions took over that program from the WWF on Superstation WTBS. 

Tony is currently the radio voice of the Gwinnett Braves, the AAA franchise for the Atlanta Braves. Some thirty years after his move full-time to the wrestling side of the family business, Tony and Frances still enjoy seeing each other on occasion, most recently at a special night recognizing the history of the Crockett family and Charlotte baseball at BB&T Ballpark in September of 2016.

Jim Crockett, Jr., Frances Crockett, Tony Schiavone,
and Jackie Crockett at BB&T Park

"Tony working for the Braves has allowed me to see him occasionally," Frances told me. "At the Crockett night I had insisted the [Charlotte] Knights be playing the Braves because he was and is part of the Crockett family history of wrestling and baseball." All of that came together and Tony had an opportunity to reconnect with not only Frances, but all the Crocketts, including Jim Sr., David, and Jackie.

Tony's career in wrestling continued to grow after the Crockett family sold the wrestling business to Ted Turner in 1988. He became the voice of WCW during the infamous "Monday Night Wars" era, and called many of the company's most historic moments and matches on WCW Monday Nitro and on their many pay-per-view events.

One can only imagine how all of that would have looked and sounded different had Tony Schiavone not made his way to the queen city of Charlotte calling baseball games on the radio. It was a special journey that all of us as fans were fortunate enough to share with him.

* * * * *

The Charlotte Knights have announced their 2nd Annual Crockett Foundation Night at BB&T Ballpark in downtown Charlotte on Sunday, September 3rd. Making a special appearance will be WWE Hall of Famers and Mid-Atlantic Wrestling legends Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson of the Rock & Roll Express. Members of the Crockett family are also expected to be in attendance. For more information visit the Charlotte Knights and Crockett Foundation websites.

* * * * *

 Don't miss Tony's podcast every Monday with co-host Conrad Thompson. It's "What Happened When" (WHW Monday) and it drops every Monday on the MLW Radio Network and everywhere you get your podcasts.

ON TWITTER:
Follow Tony Schiavone at @tonyschiavone24
Follow Conrad Thompson at @heyheyitsconrad
Follow the MLW Radio Network at @MWL
Follow Tony's podcast at @WHWMonday

Jaws 2: The Mystery of Charlotte's Land-Shark

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

JAWS
Photograph by Jackie Crockett
© Crockett Foundation.
Used with permission.

Back in January, we posted on the Gateway about an unusual wrestler in the Mid-Atlantic area in 1977 by the name of JAWS. He was for a very short period of time under the managerial direction of one "Professor" Boris Malenko, who, as head of 'The Family', managed the Masked Superstar and the "Korean Assassin" Kim Duk.

In the spring of 1977 Malenko's "family" was in the middle of a big feud with the Mighty Igor, and Malenko brought in a paid assassin in an attempt to eliminate Igor from the wrestling scene. He was a masked wrestler named Jaws.

You can read all about the Jaws in our original post. There are rare photographs of him in the Crockett Foundation's book "When Wrestling Was Wrestling."  Recently, we even thought we had figured out who he was under that mask.

But that mystery remains. 

A fellow on Facebook by the name of Barry Hatchet posted a photo of Jaws wrestling in Japan on our Facebook page and informed us it was the legendary Danny Miller under the hood. A quick text to Danny's daughter Corinna from mutual friend Peggy Lathan confirmed it was indeed Corinna's father in the photo from Japan.

Danny Miller as Jaws in Japan
(Photo courtesy of Corinna Miller)

"Yes," she replied to Peggy in a text message, "it was Dad. He was Jaws."

So we momentarily thought we had solved the mystery of who was under the mask in the photo taken by Jackie Crockett in Charlotte in 1977 (seen above.)

But Corinna poured cold water on us when she also told Peggy that the man in the photo from Charlotte wearing the Jaws mask was not her father. She and her mother Karin said the Charlotte Jaws had a different physique than Danny. "He always had his gear with him, though" she told Peggy, "and might have loaned that to someone else."

She forwarded on another photograph of her father (seen at right), a shot that she found in his personal scrapbook wearing the Jaws gear while in Japan.

Despite the fact that the identity of Jaws in the Charlotte photo remained a mystery, this was some exciting news for us. We never knew that Danny Miller wrestled in Japan as a land-shark!

Danny Miller

The legendary Danny Miller wrestled here in the 1960s and 1970s and was one of our childhood favorites. He held championships here, including the Eastern Heavyweight Championship that was the forerunner to the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title. He was a frequent tag partner of Les Thatcher and Jerry Brisco, and later worked for Jim Crockett Promotions as one if its locla promoters on the ground in Greenville, SC.


Thanks to Barry for the tip and Corinna for the information regarding her Dad and his secret alter-ego in Japan. We will, however, continue to seek out the identity of the man who wrestled under that hood in Charlotte - - one of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's most obscure and long forgotten characters - - JAWS!

JAWS: Prof. Boris Malenko's Forgotten Assassin

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

If you've hung around the Mid-Atlantic Gateway for very long, you know we like to seek out the obscure. Hard to argue that we haven't succeeded in that quest with this.

First, it was David Chappell's look back at Enforcer Luciano. Now we take a look at Boris Malenko's henchman JAWS.

JAWS
Photograph by Jackie Crockett
© Crockett Foundation. Used with permission.

In 1977, the Mighty Igor was embroiled in a bitter war with the camp of Professor Boris Malenko -- which included The Masked Superstar and the "Korean Assassin" Kim Duk. Malenko liked to call his group "the Malenko Family." Despite the Professor's best efforts, he had continually failed to eliminate the Polish strongman from the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling scene. Igor remained a perpetual thorn in Malenko's side.

During a brief few weeks in the spring of 1977 when the Masked Superstar was on a tour of Japan, Malenko brought in a third member to his family, a masked wrestler named JAWS. With this new masked assassin, he hoped to finally rid the territory of the Mighty Igor.

Now I can't seem to remember important things about work from last week, yet I typically can remember the smallest little details about Mid-Atlantic Wrestling from 40 years ago. However, even I had completely forgotten about Jaws until I was sorting through the photographs Jackie Crockett had taken back in the late 1970s and early 1980s that I was helping prepare for the Crockett Foundation's book "When Wrestling Was Wrestling."

There among the photos of legends like Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair, and the Brisco Brothers were two photographs of a masked wrestler I didn't recognize at first. But something about the mask looked familiar - - my goodness, it was the open mouth of a shark - - these were photographs from 1977 of the long forgotten henchman in the family of Professor Malenko. This was JAWS!

We have never known there to be any pictures of Jaws before, none in the Crockett publications of that era, and none in the news stand magazines. These photographs were a rare find, indeed.

There is no mistaking the mask, though; the open jaws of a shark surrounding the front face of the mask, with a small emblem of a shark on the side.

It's unknown who thought up the idea of Jaws as a wrestler, but it wasn't unusual for pro-wrestling to play off something very hot in popular culture. In 1975, Steven Spielberg directed his first massive theatrical hit, the Academy award winning film "Jaws", an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Peter Benchley. "Jaws" was a massively popular movie, setting all-time box office records that stood until toppled by "Star Wars" a few years later. "Jaws" was so popular in the summer of 1975, it was re-released again in the summer of 1976 to huge business. It is widely considered one of the greatest movies of all time.

Even further, playing of the popularity of the film, a character was created for the 1977 James Bond motion picture "The Spy Who Loved Me", a steel-toothed villain called Jaws, played by actor Richard Kiel.

So why not in wrestling? And Jaws was born.

I asked David Chappell if he also remembered Jaws, and he quickly confirmed that not only did he remember him, but he had a brief bit of an audio recording where Boris Malenko was talking about him on TV.

So from Chap's archival audio recording straight from the TV broadcast, here is Prof. Boris Malenko extolling the virtues of Jaws to Bob Caudle and David Crockett on "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" taped 4/20/77:

Prof. Malenko: "I have imported this fellow Jaws here, and he's going to take care of Igor for once and for all! He's gonna get rid of him, I don't want any more menacing of the Malenko Family."

David Crockett: He's not doing a very good job of it right now, he's laying on his back!"

Jaws wasn't around long, apparently for only a matter of weeks, and he did not headline against Igor as best we can tell from exploring newspaper ads from that time. He did wrestle on TV (as heard here) and wrestled mid-card on a few house shows and in tag matches against Igor that spring of 1977.

So how's that for the rare and the obscure? Only on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. We celebrate this kind of stuff.

And if you're interested in more rare photographs from that era, this photo of the wrestler Jaws is but just a small example of the amazing collection of rare pictures to be found in "When Wrestling Was Wrestling", a collection of photographs taken by Jackie Crockett of the famous Crockett wrestling family. Proceeds from the sale of the book support the charitable work of the Crockett Foundation. The book can be purchased on their website (click here for their online store) or in person at selected fan conventions.