Poster: Flair & Mulligan vs. Piper & Valentine

by Jody Shifflett
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This poster was from Valentine’s Day 1981 and took place at the farthest northern point that Mid-Atlantic wrestling covered at the time which was Culpeper, Virginia. 

What a main event  for the small venue which featured four of the greatest wrestlers of all time and I can only imagine what the atmosphere was like inside the Culpeper Junior High School gym as these four Titans went to war in the ring. 

Pretty good under card led up to the main event and I would imagine that was a good match between Ole Anderson and Dewey Roberson because these were both respectively tough men, which most of the Mid-Atlantic stars were anyway. 

Features great sunrise colors and the classic 8:15 start time!

NO. 6 IN THE SHIFFLETT POSTER SERIES

Remembering Ken Steel: Sandy Scott and Bob Caudle Reunite at NICW Event in 2007

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Back in 2007, Jim Nelson (aka Boris Zhukov) introduced me to a nice fellow named Kenny Pack, who ran a small independent promotion in Floyd, VA called NICW (National Independent Championship Wrestling). Kenny wrestled as "The Machine" Ken Steel, both for his own group and for Mike Weddle's indy out of Rocky Mount, VA.

I received the sad news last week that Kenny Pack had passed away. He was only 53 years old.

Kenny Pack
aka, "The Machine" Ken Steel

Back in the mid-2000s, Kenny took an old vacant retail store in Floyd and created a wrestling venue that was designed to look just like the old TV studios where wrestling once took place back in the 1970s. Complete with the big blue studio curtains, and hanging flags from various countries, walking into the NICW Arena was like taking a step back in time.

Jim had called me and told me about Ken's group and how badly Ken wanted to have Bob Caudle come and make an appearance there. They knew I kept in touch with Bob and his wife Jackie, and asked could I make the contact for them. I was happy to do so and Bob and Jackie made the trip up to Floyd from Raleigh, NC for the Saturday night NICW show. 

Bob was impressed with the studio-like setting and even did a little commentary for the video production of the event. He said it really had been a nice surprise.

But the biggest surprise for Bob was yet to come. He wasn't the only Mid-Atlantic Wrestling royalty in attendance that night. Sandy Scott was also in the house, unbeknownst to Bob and Jackie. Sandy, who lived in Roanoke VA, made the trip down to Floyd with Mike Weddle (local wrestling legend Eclipso.) He wanted to surprise Bob. The two had not seen each other since their days when both worked for Jim Cornette in Smokey Mountain Wrestling some 15 years earlier. And of course, they had a long history working together for Jim Crockett Promotions going all the way back to the 1960s.

Sandy Scott and Bob Caudle greet each other in 2007
in Floyd VA for Kenny Pack's NICW

When Sandy came out to see Bob before the doors had opened for the show, Bob's eyes lit up and a huge smile came across his face. The two hugged like long lost brothers, and spent a good half-hour reminiscing and catching up on each other's lives before it was time for the wrestling show to start. 

Bob and Jackie had a ball that night, not only enjoying the reunion with Sandy, but Bob got a chance to catch up with Jim Nelson (that's Pvt. Jim Nelson to Mid-Atlantic fans from the early 80s), and Jackie Caudle got a huge kick out of the antics of manager Douglas J. Wentworth, III, and the two became friends afterwards. To this day Jackie will still ask me about "Wentworth." Ken made all of that possible that night.

Seeing Bob and Sandy together again was very special and I've always appreciated Ken inviting me up to his show and treating me with such hospitality, allowing me to see the special reunion between Bob and Sandy up close.    

The online obituary for Ken read, in part:

We all know he never met a stranger. He was the life of the party; always cutting up with his quick wit filling every room with laughter. We will all hold a special place in our hearts for him.

Ken was indeed a nice fellow and will be missed by his family, friends, and the southwest Virginia wrestling community. 

I called Bob to let him know of Ken's passing. He remembered that night fondly and said he would always be grateful to Ken for the chance to reunite with Sandy Scott that night in Floyd.

Rest in Peace, Ken Steel.

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling legends Sandy Scott and Bob Caudle
Floyd VA, May 19, 2007

The Assassination of Pvt. Jim Nelson

The Brisco Brothers Send a Message to Steamboat and Youngblood
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

"Jack and Jerry, you told me it was an accident." 
- Pvt. Jim Nelson

One of my favorite angles from Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s took place on the May 21, 1983  episode of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling where Pvt. Jim Nelson confronted the Briscos over their dastardly turn on Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood. Nelson's stand against the Briscos, their subsequent destruction of the young Marine Private, and the mayhem that followed is to this day one of my favorite moments to watch over and over again, even 38 years later. Happily, that show and this angle are included on the WWE Network.

First, a little background:

In the spring of 1983, Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood were ready for new challengers to their NWA World Tag Team Championships, having just dispatched their arch enemies Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle in a blood feud that had boiled over since it began back in the fall of 1982. Sarge was headed to the WWF, and Kernodle would eventually regroup and align himself with Ivan Koloff to win the World Tag Team titles once again in 1984.

During Ricky and Jay's run up to winning the titles, they had some behind-the-scenes help in tormenting Slaughter and Kernodle in the form of Pvt. Jim Nelson, a member of Sarge's "platoon" and former tag partner of Pvt. Don Kernodle, who were once Mid-Atlantic Tag Team champions. Nelson had been somewhat discarded by Slaughter as the Sarge and Kernodle had moved on to win the NWA World Tag Team titles and left him behind. Nelson became somewhat of a "double agent," the secret ally of Steamboat and Youngblood, and was involved in several mysterious pranks that tormented and distracted Slaughter and Kernodle. Only recently had Pvt. Nelson revealed himself to be the co-conspirator of Steamboat and Youngblood, and this had made him a fan-favorite.

BRISCOS CLASH WITH STEAMBOAT AND YOUNGBLOOD
New challengers emerged for Ricky and Jay in the form of unlikely foes - their close friends Jack and Jerry Brisco. The Briscos had been making "quiet noise" about their desire to go after the tag titles for several months, acknowledging that they both had held many singles and tag championships over their storied careers, but had never held the world tag team titles. It was the one title they wanted the most. 

In a series of what were thought to be friendly (although quite competitive) contests between the two friendly teams, Jack Brisco had injured Ricky Steamboat's knee on two occasions, each time falling on Steamboat's leg and knee as Ricky was trapped in Jerry's figure-four leglock. The first appeared to be an accident, but the second clearly wasn't. 

As the video-tape of the controversial second injury to Steamboat was shown again on TV, Steamboat's new friend Jim Nelson came out to confront the Briscos over what they had done. 

PVT. NELSON CONFRONTS THE BRISCOS
Nelson felt betrayed as well, indicating that Jack and Jerry earlier had both promised him that the first injury was an accident. Angry, Nelson called Brisco a coward and challenged him to get in the ring with him. Brisco obliged and the two battled for a few moments until Jack got the upperhand with the figure-four and then it was Jerry this time who came off the top turnbuckle and landed on Nelson, badly injriing his knee. The injury (all storyline, of course) was so severe that Pvt. Jim nelson was put out of wrestling permanently. It would be the last time he would be seen in a wrestling ring.

In actuality it was Nelson's farewell to the Mid-Atlantic area only, as he was leaving to go work in the Mid-South area for promoter Bill Watts under a new persona, the mad Russian Boris Zhukov, a persona he would maintain for the rest of his career, culminating years later as the tag team partner of Nicolia Volkoff in the WWF.

The Brisco's elimination of Pvt. Nelson was masterfully executed, and served to fully cement them as "bad guys" to the fans, some of whom were still unsure what was happening with them. Their assassination of Nelson in the WPCQ TV studio that early Wednesday in May made it clear to everyone they were now dirty heels.

THIRTY EIGHT YEARS LATER, NELSON REMEMBERS
During a recent conversation catching up with our friend Jim Nelson, I told him I was writing a little article about the memorable angle, and asked him who came to him with the idea and how it was presented. Nelson was working a notice around the circuit before he would leave for Mid-South, and was no longer working TV. Knowing Jim would no longer be around anyway, the Briscos, Steamboat and Youngblood cooked up the angle to put Nelson out for good, and help drive home to the fans that the Briscos were now bad guys.

"Jack and Jerry worked it all out with me," Jim told me. "Gene Anderson and Johnny Weaver [who produced the TV shows] pushed and encouraged me to be direct and aggressive with Jack to get across I was mad and upset with what happened. I remember vividly Jack told me to come at him hard. 'Your upset and ticked off, so show it.'" 

Nelson did go at him hard, shoving Brisco so suddenly it almost knocked him off his feet. 

What really made the angle work though, in my opinion, was when Nelson said to them, "Jack and Jerry, you told me it was a accident." He came across so sincerely at that moment, with such sad disappointment in his voice.  It got over that not only had the Brisocs betrayed Steamboat and Youngblood, but they had betrayed him, too. Beautifully done.

Jim told me he thought he had given them what they were looking for. "It's my favorite all time angle I was ever involved in."

That's a pretty big statement. Jim Nelson as Boris Zhukov worked many angles in Southeastern Wrestling, the AWA, and the WWF, including headlining with Sgt. Slaughter over the AWA Americas title and teaming with Nikolai Volkoff as part of the famous tag team the Bolsheviks at a Wrestlemania. It indicates how much it meant to him personally to do an angle with the Brisco brothers, for whom he had such immense respect, and especially to have had this opportunity so early in his career.   

FLOWN IN JUST FOR THE ANGLE
Interestingly, the angle almost never happened. Nelson was days away from leaving for the Mid-South territory, packing up his belongings at his home in Roanoke, VA. The whole thing came as quite a surprise to him when he got the phone call to come back to Charlotte for one last shot.

"Jim Crockett flew me into Charlotte from Roanoke. I did the angle, and then flew directly home from Charlotte after the taping. Mike Rotunda took me to the airport. The show was still going on and being taped. I headed out to Louisiana a few days later, before it even aired." 

Nelson never saw it until many years later.  

"I enjoyed it immensely," Jim told me. "All the years I grew up watching Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as a kid, and then to get in the business, looking forward to a moment like that, the opportunity to work with guys like that. It was key for me that day. I wanted to make it real. You do something like that, you give it your best, your all."

 

THE TRANSCRIPT
If you have the WWE Network, you can go the 5/21/83 episode in the Territories section and watch this angle in it's entity in wonderful quality. It takes place at 18:48 into the WWE version of the show. It's also probably available somewhere on YouTube in less than wonderful quality. Either way, it's worth the trouble to see it. 

If you can't see it on video, we've included the transcript below, which starts just after Bob Caudle and the Briscos finish reviewing video tape of the controversial match with Steamboat and Youngblood.

BOB CAUDLE: All right fans, and there it was, and Jack, Jerry, that's the controversial part of the match. 

JACK BRISCO: You can see right there when Rick Steamboat deliberately tried to hurt me, threw me out here on the cement floor, intentionally trying to injure me. I looked up there in the ring and there's Youngblood and Steamboat both on my brother, so I go in there and save my brother. 

CAUDLE: Alright, and Jerry what are your comments about that? 

JERRY BRISCO: Well that's exactly right, I looked up and I saw Jay Youngblood trying to give me another shot right in the throat, and I guarantee you, if it hadn't been for my brother, I might not be able to stand out here and talk to you today.

(Jim Nelson approaches the Briscos...)

BOB CAUDLE: And Jim Nelson right here...

JIM NELSON: I can't believe you two guys. You were great friends with Steamboat and Youngblood, you wanted a chance at the belts. You said you'd wrestle them for them. I thought the first time it was a mistake. Jack and Jerry, you told me it was an accident. And after that right there - - (points at Jack Brisco) - - You tried to hurt him, you tried to put [Steamboat] out of wrestling, those belts mean more to you than anything, just like Slaughter and Kernodle. You stoop that low, a former world's champion - - You're a coward, Jack Brisco!

JACK BRISCO: I'm a coward?? (flares up, pushes Nelson)

JIM NELSON: Yeah, you're a coward! Why don't you get in the ring with me right now!!

JACK BRISCO: You don't call me no coward!! 

JIM NELSON: (shoves Brisco hard) Get in the ring with me right now! (jumps into ring)

BRISCO: I'll get in the ring with you right now....(Angrily removes jacket and shirt) 

The crowd pops!

BOB CAUDLE: All right, Jim Nelson calling Jack Brisco a coward, says get in the ring, and Jack's taken off his coat...

Jack angrily takes off his shirt and prepares to enter the ring, as the crowd cheers

JERRY BRISCO: Nelson has turned into nothing but a stooge for Youngblood and Steamboat! He's completely loosing his mind, he's the one that caused an awful lot of trouble (for Slaughter and Kernodle)

Jack Brisco charges into the ring.

CAUDLE: Jack's got his street clothes on! His (cowboy) boots and his jeans...

Referee Ron West seems to indicate he'll allow a match. Brisco quickly gains the upper hand with punches that back Nelson into the corner. Brisco snap-mares him out of the corner...

CAUDLE: And here goes Jack with a knee drop right down across Jim Nelson! With a boot to the forehead now, a couple of kicks to Nelson...

Nelson gets to his feet, blocks Brisco's punch, and throws two haymaker tomahawk-type punches that have Brisco reeling. Nelson whips Brisco int the ropes and catches him with a big boot coming back off the ropes sending Brisco prone to the canvas. Nelson mounts Jack and begins to pound away with a series of right hand punches to Brisco's head. The crowd is loving it. Jerry Brisco, meanwhile, has climbed to the ring apron. Nelson picks up Jack and delivers a big body slam, bounces off the ropes and goes to deliver his own knee-drop...

CAUDLE: These two have really went at each other, Jim Nelson calling Jack Brisco a coward - - and Jack rolls right out from under that knee! 

Nelson crashes to the mat on his knee, and cries out in pain...

CAUDLE: And it looks like now he is going to the figure-four!! 

As Jack applies his patented figure-four leg-lock to a helpless Nelson, Jerry Brisco climbs to the top turnbuckle...

CAUDLE: And now here's Jerry Brisco on that top rope!...

Jerry Brisco dives from the top turnbuckle...

CAUDLE: ...right down across Jim Nelson's leg and knee! As Jack had him in the figure four - -

 Jim Nelson screams in agony on the mat, holding his injured knee.

CAUDLE: And now there is Jerry Brisco taking his coat off. The Brisco brothers simply going wild. Jim Nelson, who really baited Jack into a match - - and Jack is going to put the figure-four on him again!! Again he's going to put it on that leg, and he continues to apply the pressure...

Jerry taunts Nelson as Jack clamps down tighter on the figure four. Within moments, Johnny Weaver, Mike Rotundo, Rufus Jones, and Jimmy Valiant all hit the ring to save Nelson. The Briscos retreat to the set with Bob Caudle.

JERRY BRISCO: (back at the desk with Caudle) He comes out here and preaches to us, Nelson comes out here and preaches - - you know, that's the thing about it, all they can do is complain, come out preaching, trying to convert us. The only way, Bob, to win those world tag team championships is to prove we are the number one contenders.

JACK BRISCO: Jim Nelson's finished! I felt the knee go!

Johnny Weaver approaches the Briscos

JOHNNY WEAVER: I thought this was all an accident, I can't believe you guys would stoop this low..

JACK BRISCO: Another preacher, huh? Get back in that ring and check on your stooge!

WEAVER: You're darn right I'll get back in there and check on him, he's my partner!

JACK BRISCO: I felt that knee go, Bob, I had that figure-four on him, and Jerry came across there, I felt the knee go. Believe me, Jim Nelson's finished. You'll never see him wrestle around here again.

Jimmy Valiant now leaves the ring and approaches the Briscos

JIMMY VALIANT: (Pleading) C'mon baby, c'mon brother! Why?

Jack sucker-punches Valiant in the gut, and the Briscos both pick Valiant up...

BOB CAUDLE: And Jack Brisco now hits Valiant and they both pick him up and slam him to the floor! The Briscos slamming Valiant to the concrete floor, grab their jacks and out they go!

The Briscos leave the studio, with Valiant hurt on the floor and Jim Nelson still in agony in the ring.

* * * * * * * * *

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: April 9, 1983

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling on
the WWE Network

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

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

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

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 04/09/83
(taped 04/06/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network Direct Link to this show Mid-Atlantic 04/09/83
WWE Network feed.   [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.] 

Match 1
Jack Brisco & Mike Rotundo d. Jake Roberts & Dory Funk, Jr. (w/Paul Jones)
We start with action in the ring. Paul Jones joins Bob Caudle at the announcer’s desk. Tommy Young is the referee for the hour. Jake is wearing white karate-type pants. Competitive match. We take a break in the middle of the match, highly unusual.

[Break]

We're back, Jack is on the outside, and trips up Dory. As Funk turns around, Rotundo rolls him up for the pin. After the match, Funk tosses Rotundo out, and Roberts DDTs Brisco.

[Break]

-Int. w/David Crockett: Dick Slater & Greg Valentine
Dick Slater is holding the TV championship. 

[FILM] Crockett throws it to Slater vs. Piper tape from a “recent” match. It’s 4/03/83 from Greensboro. Crockett and Slater narrate. Piper and Slater are slugging it out. Piper is thrown outside, but Valentine, at ringside, tosses Piper back in. The brawl continues. Valentine has the house mic and is yelling something. Piper punts Slater’s head. More brawling. Valentine gets on the apron. Piper goes to nail him. With the referee distracted, Slater pulled something out of his tights, nailed Piper with a punch, and made the pin.

Valentine says he and Slater will coach each other. Slater insults Piper. Crockett tells the duo that both men have to give Piper another title shot. Valentine objects, but says when that happens, he and Slater have each other’s back.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle
This is in lieu of local interviews. Kernodle says they want to go Florida and face all those underdog teams.  Slaughter namedrops the Midnight Rider. Slaughter talks about an upcoming cage match vs. Steamboat & Youngblood in Savannah, GA. Caudle makes a face when Slaughter makes fun of Georgia’s basketball team. He busts on other basketball teams before ending the interview.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle
Caudle notes Slaughter has his hat back. Slaughter says he beat Jim Nelson in a match with the hat on the line. Slaughter blames Nelson for causing them to lose the tag championship. Slaughter trash talks Nelson and other babyfaces.

Match 2
Mike Davis & Jim Nelson d. Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle by DQ
The theme is Slaughter & Kernodle looking for revenge on Nelson. He is holding his own. Davis gets knocked off the apron at one point, and Nelson has to go at it on his own. The double-teaming becomes too much. Slaughter has the Cobra Clutch with Kernodle grabbing Nelson’s feet. The referee calls for the bell. Steamboat & Youngblood and Rotundo make the save.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart and Kabuki
Gary Hart says he will find a tag partner for Kabuki to challenge for the World tag team championship. He name drops Flair and Andre. Kabuki’s partner will be the Magic Dragon.

Match 3
Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) d. Keith Larson
Gary Hart sits in on commentary. He talks about why the armpit claw is effective, because you can develop the chest and arms, but not the armpit. Larson charges Kabuki in the corner, but Kabuki counters with the thrust kick for the pin.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart and Kabuki
Post-match interview has Hart talk about the Asian quest for the World tag team championship. He says Kabuki will accept a challenge from any man, accept one (unnamed, but implied to be Jimmy Valiant).

[Break]

Match 4
Non-Title: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood [World Tag ch.] d. Masa Fuchi & Ken Timbs
Youngblood pins Timbs after being slingshotted in by Steamboat.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
A winded Steamboat talks about Slaughter & Kernodle’s efforts for a rematch. He said the match in Greensboro caused a lot of anxiety and tension. An equally winded Youngblood gets some comments in. They talk about upcoming challenges, including the Brisco Brothers.

“So long for now!”

 * * * * * * * * * *

Results for the week, 4/04/83-4/10/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 4/04/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Mike Davis beat Masa Fuchi
Great Kabuki beat Jim Nelson
Jake Roberts beat Johnny Weaver
Jack Brisco beat Larry Lane
Andre the Giant & Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw d. Greg Valentine & One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink

Tue., 4/05/83 Raleigh, NC; Civic Center
Jake Roberts d. Mike Davis
Pvt. Nelson & Wayne Jones d. Bill White & Ken Timbs
Great Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) d. Sweet Brown Sugar
Dick Slater d. Roddy Piper by DQ
Andre the Giant & Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw d. Greg Valentine & One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink 

Wed., 4/06/83 Charlotte, NC; WPCQ-TV studio (TV)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:
Jack Brisco & Mike Rotundo d. Jake Roberts & Dory Funk, Jr. (w/Paul Jones)
Mike Davis & Jim Nelson d. Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle by DQ
Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) d. Keith Larson
Non-World tag team championship: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood d. Masa Fuchi & Ken Timbs
World Wide Wrestling:
Jack Brisco beat Ken Timbs
Jim Nelson & Mike Rotundo beat Sgt Slaughter & Don Kernodle by DQ
Jake Roberts beat Vinnie Valentino
Great Kabuki beat Mike Davis & Abe Jacobs
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Masa Fuchi & Ben Alexander

Thu., 4/07/83 Norfolk, VA
Vinnie Valentino beat Mark Fleming
Ken Timbs beat Wayne Jones
Greg Valentine beat Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Andre The Giant, Bugsy McGraw & Jimmy Valiant beat Dick Slater, One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink 

Thu., 4/07/83 Sumter, SC
Jack & Jerry Brisco vs. Dory Funk, Jr. & Paul Jones
Johnny Weaver vs. Great Kabuki
Sweet Brown Sugar vs. Jake Roberts
Jos LeDuc vs. Ricky Harris
Mike Rotundo vs. Paul Ellering 

Fri., 4/08/83 Charlotte, NC; Charlotte Coliseum
Mike Rotundo beat Masa Fuchi
Larry Lane beat Sweet Sugar Brown
Jos LeDuc beat Gene Anderson
Jack & Jerry Brisco beat Jake Roberts & Great Kabuki
Greg Valentine draw Roddy Piper
Andre the Giant, Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw beat Dick Slater, One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood in a steel cage match

Sat. 4/09/83 Conway, SC
Gene Anderson d. Wayne Jones
Jos LeDuc d. Bill White
Sweet Brown Sugar -draw- Red Dog Lane
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco d. Rick Harris & Masa Fuchi
Roddy Piper d. Dick Slater
Andre the Giant won a 12-man battle royal 

Sun., 4/10/83 Asheville, NC
Larry Lane beat Bill White
Jerry Brisco beat Ricky Harris
Great Kabuki beat Mike Rotundo
Jake Roberts beat Jack Brisco
Jos LeDuc beat Dick Slater
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle

Sun., 4/10/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat by DQ
Jos Leduc beat Dick Slater
Kabuki beat Mike Rotundo
Jack Brisco beat Jake Roberts
Jerry Brisco beat Ricky Harris
Larry Lane beat Bill White

Sun., 4/10/83 Toronto, ON; Maple Leaf Gardens
Nick DeCarlo & Bob Marcus beat Kurt Von Hess & Bobby Bass
Jim Nelson draw Sweet Sugar Brown
Johnny Weaver beat Leo Burke to win North American Title
Jimmy Valiant & Tony Parisi beat One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink
Andre the Giant beat The Destroyer & the Executioner in a handicap match
Jimmy Snuka beat Ray Stevens by countout in a Texas death match
NWA World Champion Ric Flair beat Roddy Piper by DQ

Sun., 4/10/83 Fayetteville, NC
Mike Davis beat Masa Fuchi
Vinnie Valentino beat Gene Anderson
Bugsy McGraw beat Ken Timbs
Jimmy Valiant beat Oliver Humperdink
Roddy Piper beat Dick Slater
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
NWA World Champion Ric Flair beat Greg Valentine

Unusual Tag Team: Ole Anderson and Pvt. Jim Nelson

Photo by Steve Davies

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

In the late summer of 1981, Gene Anderson was legitimately injured in the ring and was out of action for a prolonged period of time. He and Ole Anderson were the NWA World Tag Team Champions at the time.

Ole Anderson began taking substitute partners during the fall including Mr. Fuji, Buzz Sawyer, Stan Hansen, and on one occasion, Pvt. Jim Nelson, who was apparently on loan from Sgt. Slaughter.

On Friday, November 13, 1981, Ole took the young Marine recruit under his wing to take on the challenge of Jake "The Snake" Roberts and "Number One" Paul Jones.

In the rare photograph above taken in the Richmond Coliseum, Ole pushes an anxious Nelson back to the corner just before the opening bell, as if to say "Hold on there, kid. I got this."

Not long after, Ole took Ray Stevens as a partner and tried to sacrifice him to keep the titles in an angle that called back to the famous "supreme sacrifice" with Gene Anderson in 1975. Stevens, though, would have none of it, and the incident turned him babyface heading into 1982.

When the NWA finally stripped the Andersons of the titles in January 1982, Ole took Stan Hansen as his permanent partner and the team went on to win the tag titles in a multi-city tournament that lasted for months. (Read all about that tournament in our 12-part series.)

Pvt. Jim Nelson

Pvt. Jim Nelson is under orders to hold and protect Sgt. Slaughter's United States Championship belt.

Many fans may know him better as Boris Zhukov, who challenged Sgt. Slaughter in the AWA for his Americas title, or teamed with Nikolai Volkoff at WrestleMania III in the WWF.

But to us he will always be Sgt. Slaughter's young recruit Pvt. Nelson.

Nelson was one half of the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team champions with Pvt. Don Kernodle. He was also later a behind-the-scenes spy for Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood in their quest to regain the NWA World Tag Team titles from Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle, which they finally did at the famous cage match in Greensboro in March of 1983.

Don't drop that belt, maggot! Now drop and give me 20!

The Marines Take Fayetteville

The 1982 NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament
PART SIX
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

If you missed earlier posts in this series, check them out in the links below, especially the INTRODUCTION, which puts the whole tournament in a perspective that serves as a launching point for the following discussions. 

PART ONE: Introduction
PART TWO: Greensboro
PART THREE:  Charlotte
PART FOUR: Richmond
PART FIVE: Atlanta

FAYETTEVILLE, NC
Date: March 1, 1982
Venue: Cumberland County Memorial Arena 

Bob Caudle interviews Pvt. Kernodle and Pvt. Nelson, Sgt. Slaughter's young Marine recruits.

On the 3/6/82 episode of "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" during a match between Pvt. Nelson and Pvt. Kernodle vs. Ron Ritchie and Tony Anthony, host Bob Caudle informed viewers that Nelson and Kernodle had won the recent tournament in Fayetteville, NC. Caudle's co-host for that week, Roddy Piper, sung the praises of the young Marine recruits:

Roddy Piper: "Look at these young gentlemen here. Right there in Fayetteville, look at 'em! There are your champions. Aren't they good!?"

Bob Caudle: "I tell you, that may have surprised a lot of people, but not us. Because having been taught and having been trained by Sgt. Slaughter - - Roddy Piper, you've been saying all along, watch out for these guys."

Sadly, little is known about the tournament in Fayetteville, other it was won by the Marine Privates. We know four of the other teams that participated from the newspaper ad that appeared in the local paper for the show, but no results have been published anywhere to our knowledge.

The four teams billed in the newspaper ad as being in the Fayetteville tournament were:

• Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen
• Jack and Jerry Brisco
• Porkchop Cash and Jay Youngblood (reigning Mid-Atlantic Tag Team champions)
• Pvt. Nelson and Pvt. Kernodle

Remaining teams were likely comprised of mostly undercard wrestlers. That same night there was a big card in Greenville, SC and that card featured many of the wrestlers that had been in previous tournaments such as Sgt. Slaughter, Roddy Piper, Bob Armstrong, Ray Stevens, Kelly Kiniski, plus Ricky Steamboat, Carl Fergi, and many others.

In preparation for this article, I spoke with Jim Nelson (aka Boris Zhukov) and asked him what he remembered about that night in Fayetteville. Sadly, like a lot of wrestlers, he doesn't remember much. He was wrestling seven days a week then, and this was 36 years ago after all, so that's to be expected. (Exactly what happened on 3/1/82 on your job 36 years ago? See how it works?) He did seem to think they beat Youngblood and Cash in the finals, and that makes sense given the two teams would feud over the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles in the next month.  He also specifically remembers he and Don wrestling the Briscos along this same time, and while he wasn't sure if it was in that tournament, it is reasonable to think it likely would have been since the two teams would not have normally met otherwise being on different positions on the cards. If this is the case, they likely defeated the Briscos in the semi-finals in Fayetteville. 

If you have any information about that tournament, specifically results and bracketing, please CONTACT US so we can include it here.

On that 3/6/82 TV show, Piper went on to call Nelson and Kernodle the "Fayetteville Connection," and then updated the viewing audience on all the tournament winners so far. Oddly enough, Piper did not mention Richmond, VA in his update, and it may have been that since Sgt. Slaughter and Pvt. Nelson had won Richmond, they didn't want to confuse fans with talking about having Nelson the winner of two different tournaments with two different partners.  Nelson and Kernodle were going to be pushed as a top team for the next few months, and would go on to win the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team championships in May.


Tournament Notes and Trivia:

• Pvt. Jim Nelson is the only man in the entire run of tournaments to win more than one tournament with two different partners. (Richmond with Sgt. Slaughter, Fayetteville with Don Kernodle.)
• Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen continued their streak as being the only team to compete in all of the city tournaments, five total so far. 
• Fayetteville is home to the U.S. Army's Fort Bragg, the largest U.S. military installation in the world. It would be fun to know if Pvt. Kernodle and Pvt. Nelson were treated warmly by the military friendly crowd, or if the Army crowd cheered anyone and everyone against the young Marines. Regardless, it's no coincidence that behind the scenes, booker Ole Anderson picked Fayetteville for its military connection to have Nelson and Kernodle get their big win.
• Nelson and Kernodle accomplished this big win on their own. Their mentor Sgt. Slaughter was in Greenville, SC, on this night defending the United States Heavyweight championship against Ricky Steamboat.  
• The Fayetteville tournament ended a string of three city tournaments in four days across three different states (Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina.) 

Coming Up in PART SEVEN:
On to the Sunshine State! The tournament heads for Florida in what wound up being the final legitimate tournament in the series, although there would be at least two fictional tournaments that would come into play later. St. Petersburg would host the "Bayfront Spectacular" that would include their tournament which was an odd one: it featured only five teams competing, but had one of the most colorful line-ups including a team from the first family of Texas wrestling, the Von Erichs! Stay tuned for more on this interesting 1982 tournament for the NWA World Tag Team Championships.

Slaughter and Nelson Shock the World and Win Richmond

The 1982 NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament
PART FOUR - Richmond VA (Revised and Corrected)
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

SPECIAL AUDIO PROMOS INCLUDED BELOW! LOOK FOR "AUDIO CLIP" LINKS.

If you missed earlier posts in this series, check them out in the links below, especially the INTRODUCTION, which puts the whole tournament in a perspective that serves as a launching point for the following discussions.

PART ONE: Introduction Overview and Background on the Tournament
PART TWO: Greensboro Anderson and Hansen Win the First Night
PART THREE: Charlotte The Briscos Win Big on Valentine's Night


RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
Date: February 26, 1982
Venue: Richmond Coliseum

Having concluded the first two city tournaments in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina, the tournament moved to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the fabled Richmond Coliseum in the capitol city of Richmond, Virginia.

The Richmond leg of the tournament featured three returning teams and promised four new teams, although one didn't appear.

Returning teams that were also entered in Greensboro or Charlotte:

• Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen
• Jack and Jerry Brisco
• Sgt. Slaughter and Pvt. Jim Nelson

New teams entered in Richmond:

• Ray Stevens and Leroy Brown*
• Kelly Kiniski and Ron Ritchie
• John Studd and Austin Idol
• Tommy Rich and Bob Armstrong**
  

*In TV promos, Leroy Brown was announced as Ray Steven's partner while the newspaper ad (at right) named Mike George. It was Brown that made it that night to team with Stevens.
** Neither Armstrong nor Rich appeared.


ADVERTISED TEAMS FEATURING OUTSIDE TALENT

• Jack and Jerry Brisco  - While Jack Brisco was now a full-time wrestler in the Mid-Atlantic area, he and brother Jerry Brisco had come in for the original two tournaments in Greensboro and Charlotte from Championship Wrestling from Florida. Jack wound up staying in the territory full time. Jerry would eventually join him as a full-time tag team partner in December of 1982. 
• Tommy Rich and Bob Armstrong - One of the more exciting prospects of the Richmond tournament was the promise of Georgia Championship Wrestling stars Bob Armstrong and Tommy Rich, but the top babyface stars of the Peach State did not appear as advertised. Armstrong and Rich were two of the top stars for the Atlanta office. As mentioned in earlier posts, Ole Anderson was booking both territories at that time, and both Armstrong and Rich had made appearances for Jim Crockett Promotions around this time. Rich had appeared on the previous tournament show in Charlotte where he challenged NWA World champion Ric Flair in the singles main event. Armstrong had appeared on a number of Mid-Atlantic shows recently against Roddy Piper as part of their big feud in Georgia. Needless to say, Richmond fans, many of whom were very familiar with the two from the weekly show on Superstation WTBS, were highly disappointed that neither appeared.
  
• Ray Stevens and Mike George - In the lead-up to the Richmond tournament on television, Ray Stevens explained that his regular partner Pat Patterson had been injured in a previous tournament by Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen. [AUDIO CLIP]  Ray Stevens picked a new partner for Richmond. The newspaper advertising promoted Mike George as his replacement partner for Patterson. Mike George was a veteran of the Central States (Kansas City) ring wars where he had been a multi-time Central States Heavyweight champion. In the localized promos for Richmond, Leroy Brown was interviewed as Steven's partner, and indeed it was Brown who teamed with Stevens. Brown was working both Mid-Atlantic and Georgia territories during this time, including challenging Ric Flair for the NWA World Championship in Atlanta's Omni in May.
• Stan Hansen and Ole Anderson. As mentioned in previous posts, Anderson and Hansen were largely considered a team from Georgia Championship Wrestling, as Stan was a regular there, but was making limited appearances in the Mid-Atlantic area, mostly related to the tournament. (See earlier posts for further details.) [AUDIO CLIP]
• Austin Idol teamed with Big John Studd as his new partner in the tournaments after Idol and Ivan Koloff failed to advance in the previous tournaments in Greensboro and Charlotte. They could be considered a Georgia/Knoxville hybrid team. While Studd was making appearances semi-regularly in the Mid-Atlantic area, he was the top heel in the Knoxville territory at the time, feuding with both Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Mulligan, Jr.  Austin Idol had also been working both Mid-Atlantic and Georgia territories in 1981 and early 1982.
  

THE MID-ATLANTIC TEAMS

Sgt. Slaughter and his recruit Pvt. Jim Nelson

• Sgt. Slaughter (reigning United States Champion) took his young protege Pvt. Jim Nelson as his partner in Charlotte, but the two came up short there. They would stun the wrestling world with a victory here in Richmond. Nelson had only recently come under the tutelage of Sgt. Slaughter.  [AUDIO CLIP]
• Kelly Kiniski (son of former NWA World champion Gene Kiniski) teamed with Ron Ritchie, the "young lions" entry in the tournament.  

With this Richmond tournament, Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen became the only team to appear in all three tournaments so far (Greensboro, Charlotte, and Richmond.) They received a bye in the Richmond tournament, as did the Briscos. It isn't clear who Armstrong and Rich would have faced had they appeared as advertised. (No insinuation made here that they irresponsibly no-showed. Booker Ole Anderson probably pulled them to appear on a Friday night house show in Georgia.)

The Richmond tournament only featured six teams.

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS & RESULTS

The tournament came down to the Brisco Brothers and the team of Sgt. Slaughter and his young recruit Pvt. Jim Nelson in the championship round. In a big upset, the Marines got past the Briscos to take the honors in Richmond.  

The Briscos defeated Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen in the semi-finals to advance to the tournament championship. It was their second win over Anderson and Hansen in these tournaments having defeated them in the finals of the Charlotte tournament on 2/14. Both teams received byes in Richmond.

Slaughter and Nelson advanced to the championship round by defeating Kiniski and Ritchie in the first round, Stevens and Brown in the second round, and then defeated the Briscos for the Richmond tournament championship. They were the only team to work three matches in the tournament.

Slaughter actually worked four times this night, also facing Blackjack Mulligan Jr. (Barry Windham) in Sarge's "$1000 Cobra Challenge." Sarge is reported to have gotten disqualified when Muligan Jr. was about to escape the hold.

RICHMOND WINNERS:
Sgt. Slaughter and Pvt. Jim Nelson

 

OTHER MAIN EVENTS


MID-ATLANTIC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
LUMBERJACK MATCH:
RODDY PIPER vs. RICKY STEAMBOAT
Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat were involved in a big feud over the Mid-Atlantic title and this match was toward the end of their run together. In this match, the ring would be surrounded by wrestlers in what was known then as a "lumberjack match." It was designed to keep wrestlers from running. If a wrestler left the ring, the lumberjacks would toss him back in again. In previous encounters, Piper had left the ring and been counted out in order to save his title. Piper won by pinfall.

SPECIAL ATTRACTION - $1,000 COBRA CHALLENGE
SGT. SLAUGHTER vs. BLACKJACK MULLIGAN JR.
Sgt. Slaughter should get a special iron man award for working this match in addition to the three tournament matches that night. Not only did he and Pvt. Nelson wrestle three times in the tournament, Slaughter met Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. in a special 5-minute challenge match to see if Junior could break Sarge's cobra hold and win $1,000. The angle that set this up went all the way back to December of 1981, when an episode of "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" went off the air with credits rolling as Mulligan Jr. was caught in the hold but about to escape it. (In promos leading up to the tournament [AUDIO CLIP], Slaughter told Pvt. Nelson he would defeat Mulligan Jr. in the Cobra Challenge for the $1,000 and would reimburse Nelson for his $1,000 entry fee. Mighty nice of the Sarge!)

JERRY BRISCO DEFEATED PVT. JIM NELSON
IN A SPECIAL SINGLES MATCH

AUDIO CLIPS EMBEDDED IN THE ARTICLE ABOVE

RICHMOND PROMOS: ANDERSON & HANSEN, SLAUGHTER & NELSON

RAY STEVENS EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENED TO PAT PATTERSON

Coming up in PART FIVE:

On to the Omni! The first tournament taking place outside of the Mid-Atlantic territory would be two nights later in Atlanta, GA for Georgia Championship Wrestling. This one rivaled Greensboro for the most diverse line-up of teams, including a top team in from All Japan Pro Wrestling. In fact, some of the Atlanta tournament was televised in Japan (and we'll have video of one of those matches in the Atlanta post.) Some big singles matches on the card as well, a show that was loaded with international stars. Stay tuned for our next post about the very interesting 1982 NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament. (And as Freddy Miller would say, "Be there!")

Special thanks as always to Mark Eastridge for the newspaper clippings. Eddie Maccon, in attendance that night in Richmond, provided some of the bracketing information. The vintage audio recordings are from the collection of David Chappell.

Please note: This page was updated 3/23/2022 with new information and corrections related to the bracketing and tournament participation, particularly in relation to Bob Armstrong and Tommy Rich not being in Richmond. Thanks to Kyle Rosser and Mark James for additional information and resources.