From all of us, to all of you....

The original Masked Superstar (Bill Eadie) is seen here at WRAL Studios, in Raleigh, NC, right around Christmastime in the late 2000s.

WRAL was the TV home of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from 1959-1981. The studio wrestling shows were taped there.

Photograph by Eric Stace.

Take a look back at Mid-Atlantic Christmas Night wrestling cards in the 1970s

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For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2: 11-14 KJV)

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Poster: Superstar/Mulligan battle Jones/Igor in Pilot Mountain (1977)

By Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

The spot shows in Jim Crockett Promotions offered some of the more intriguing match-ups that one may not see at a big Coliseum event. An example is this poster that promotes a card held at the East Surry High School gym in Pilot Mountain, NC on December 3rd, 1977. 

The main event was a tag team match pitting The Masked Superstar and Blackjack Mulligan against Paul Jones and The Mighty Igor. No doubt, it must have been quite an exciting bout for the fans in Pilot Mountain this Saturday night. 

Following three preliminary matches, the semi had fan-favorite Dino Bravo taking the challenge of The Missouri Mauler.

With a vertical layout, the poster has all black print over a striking tricolor background and images of Superstar, Jones, and Igor.

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Mid-Atlantic Gateway Notes:
Like Brack, we loved the spot-show main events that would often combine two singles feuds into a grudge tag team match. In this case, Paul Jones was battling the Superstar in a white hot feud (you may remember the famous haircut?) and Blackjack Mulligan and the Superstar both had issues with the Mighty Igor. Plus Blackjack had a long running feud with Jones that went back to late 1975 over the U.S. Heavyweight title. Good stuff in Pilot Mountain, NC, just down the road apiece from my hometown of Mount Airy (aka, Mayberry.) - D. Bourne

NO. 45 IN THE BEASLEY POSTER SERIES

Poster: Flair and Valentine Battle the Andersons in Greensboro

by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This poster promotes another fantastic night of professional wrestling at the historic Greensboro Coliseum on Sunday, October 30th, 1977 with a loaded card top to bottom. 

 
The main event was a "Hair vs. Belts" match as Ric Flair and Greg Valentine put up their long blond manes against Gene and Ole Anderson's NWA World Tag Team belts. Fortunately for Flair and Valentine they left Greensboro with both the belts and their hair to begin their second and last reign as world tag champs. They would hold onto the belts until being stripped by Jim Crockett Jr. and the NWA in April of 1978. 

In the semi, Paul Jones was seeking revenge against the Masked Superstar  who had knocked him silly and cut his hair only three weeks earlier in Greensboro. On this night Jones would leave the ring victorious via disqualification. 

To the fans' delight, the popular duo of Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods and Ricky Steamboat topped Blackjack Mulligan and Baron Von Raschke in the upper mid card tag match, while three more exciting matches got the crowd warmed up. 

Six great wrestler images on the sides, the familiar "Wrestling" splash in the upper left corner, and black and red print over a two tone yellow and pink background make for a very eye- catching poster. I seem to recall Flair putting his hair on the line in several important matches throughout his career and I can assume it's safe to say he never lost one, at least not in that era.

NO 42 IN THE BEASLEY POSTER SERIES

Poster: Flair & Superstar battle Bobo and Igor in in Winston-Salem

by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

Promoting a card held at the Winston-Salem, NC Memorial Coliseum on Saturday June 25th, 1977, this poster features two very interesting tag team matchups.

In the main event, fan favorites Bobo Brazil and the Mighty Igor faced off with Ric Flair and the Masked Superstar while in the semi, Johnny Weaver and Ricky Steamboat took on Kim Duk and Great Malenko. With familiar names on the undercard such as Danny Miller, Big Bill Dromo, Two Ton Harris, and Klondike Bill, it made for quite an exciting night of Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling.

The poster has a horizontal layout with both black and high impact red print over a light pink background and five nice wrestler images.

No. 40 in the Beasley Poster Collection Series

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Mid-Atlantic Gateway Note
Interesting to see Malenko on this poster billed as 'Great Melanko.' He was known that way in most southern territories during this era, but in our territory, he was almost always known as Professor Boris Malenko.

Poster: Mulligan and Rhodes Headline Roanoke

by Jody Shifflett
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This event took place back in February of 1977 at the Roanoke Civic Center and featured a very stacked card!

The main event and featured a great battle between two tough Texans, Blackjack Mulligan and Dusty Rhodes. The second main event was a battle between Wahoo McDaniel and The Masked Superstar. But I can’t help but believe it should have been Ric Flair vs Wahoo, but Flair was out with gallbladder surgery at this time. 

Another match featured fan favorite Mighty Igor against Kim Duc. 

The lineup was great this night and also a young Randy Savage was on the card. I would loved to have been there! Great coloring on t he poster, with a 7:30 start time.

Remembering Hot Times at County Hall in Charleston

by Andy McDaniel
Special to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Charleston County Hall was famously known for being a hot place. Literally, the building held heat like nowhere else. Wahoo McDaniel once told Mike Mooneyham that even the walls at County Hall could sweat. Regardless of the heat or the raindrops from the leaky ceiling, County Hall was just a fun place to be at on Friday nights.

From time to time, I recall a fun night at County Hall and love to share those memories. I am very grateful for the Gateway and the wonderful job they do for keeping Mid-Atlantic wrestling alive. It is a true joy to have the chance to contribute a story now and then.

Blackjack Mulligan was something else. He is one of those wrestling characters that will forever be remembered. He was a larger than life figure and literally, a giant of a man. Many of his feuds will live on forever in the hearts of Mid-Atlantic fans. I loved his time with Paul Jones, Tim Woods, and of course, the great memories of his matches with and against Ric Flair. However, there was another feud that I truly enjoyed, the one with the Masked Superstar.

Several matches between these two had taken place all over the Mid-Atlantic region. There were even a few at County Hall. As with most feuds, we saw specialty matches, matches with stipulations and on occasion another couple of guys would be tossed in and a tag-team match would take place. Such was the case on this particular Friday night in Charleston.

The main event was Blackjack Mulligan and a screwball member of his family, Cousin Luke, versus their opponents the Masked Superstar and his partner for the night, Enforcer Luciano. I had seen Luciano eating light bulbs and breaking concrete blocks with his fists on TV, but now I was going to see him in person. This was such a magical time in wrestling. The fans were invested and whether it was cheering or booing, the sincerity of each side was awesome.

It was another hot, Friday night at County Hall. The action had been fierce, but now it was time for the main event. Everyone was on their feet as Blackjack and Luke came to the ring. The Superstar and Luciano were waiting for them as they stepped through the ropes. After the ring announcer made the introductions, action started, and it was a brawl. Fists were flying, boots were coming off and being used as weapons; pretty much the only thing technical or actual wrestling wise that might have been seen would have been provided by the Superstar.

It was exactly what Blackjack had promised the previous Saturday during the local promos; it was a fight. The match/brawl went on for a bit, but then the action seemed to settle down. Much to the dismay of most of the crowd, Blackjack found himself being subdued by the Superstar. The cobra clutch had brought down the big man in the center of the ring. Every time it seemed like Blackjack might break free or make the tag to Luke, Luciano would do something to steal the crowd's joy. The referee was really hearing it from the crowd. He seemed to never be able to catch the dastardly deeds being done in his ring and the fans were letting him know their feelings. Referees always seemed good at missing so many important moments. Tommy Young, Stu Schwartz, Sonny Fargo, they are such great parts of the history of Mid-Atlantic wrestling. They were so important to the matches, I always enjoyed their work.

This back and forth match went on for quite a while, the crowd was surely on an emotional roller coaster. I can remember it just like it was last night. The Superstar and his partner had exhausted the crowd. The wooden floor of County Hall bellowed out as the fans began to stomp. The railings of the balcony rang as palms began to pound against them, all in disapproval of the things being done to our heroes.

In what appeared to be an act of betrayal, right at the moment it seemed that Blackjack might break free, Cousin Luke jumped off the corner of the ring and headed toward the dressing room.

You could feel the air almost leave the room, as the crowd gasped, and shock filled the arena. The smoke that hovered just below the ceiling began to swirl at a near tornado type speed. Yes, people smoked inside back then, It was kind of part of the charm of County Hall - - smoke, popcorn, beer, etc. Those were special times indeed.

The disbelief at what was taking place before our very eyes was at an unreal level. How could this be? How could Luke turn on his own cousin? Was he really a traitor? Almost immediately, the boos started and the closer he got to the back, the louder things seemed to get.

As is most often in pro wrestling, things were not as they would seem and almost as quickly as Luke entered the dressing room, he would come back out. But he was not alone. To every one’s delight, he would bring an additional partner back the ring, but this was a partner that did not walk with him. Instead it was in his hand. It was about 4-feet long and firm in nature. Yes, good ol' Cousin Luke quickly had the fans back in his corner as he and his new partner, a 2 x 4, entered the ring to assist in what seemed to be a very unfair fight. As he evened the odds and dispatched Superstar and Luciano; Blackjack was on the road to recovery and rejoined the chaos as it unfolded. Unfortunately, the referee did not approve of all the mayhem and called for the bell and the ring announcer would soon let the rowdy crowd know that all had been disqualified.

It was one of those times that, while the victory was not found in a simple 1-2-3, the fans still went home happy because they saw justice had come to town and the bad guys were sent running.

Friday nights at County Hall: what wonderful memories. For a young kid who went to his first matches in that building starting in 1974, every time was always special. This year, 2018, will be exactly 20 years since the last matches were held in the hallowed Hall. I had the honor and absolute privilege of not only promoting that show, but was also in the main event that night. It will be a memory that I will cherish forever. To have watched all my heroes - - Wahoo, Ric, Rufus, Blackjack, Jimmy Valiant, Paul Jones - - to have seen them do battle in this special old building and to personally be able to go back there all those years later and be the one to close out wrestling forever in County Hall, is something I hold near to my heart.

This night with Blackjack, Superstar, and the rest of the crew was another hot night of pro wrestling at County Hall. It was a simple time of story-telling. It was a time when the crowd’s emotions were directed like a Maestro conducts an orchestra, by the guys in the ring. It was a time that was simply magical. I miss those days, but the memories sure are wonderful.

This story contains corrections from a previous version of the story.

Originally published January 28, 2018

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Order your copy of "Reunion at County Hall" on Amazon.com
Black & White Version   |   Color Version

Read the review by Mike Mooneyham of the Charleston Post & Courier

Wrestling Book Takes a Look at County Hall 

Poster: Masked Superstar and Paul Jones Headline Winston-Salem in 1978

by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This poster takes us back to the Twin City of Winston-Salem, NC and promotes a card held on Thursday, February 23rd, 1978 at the old Memorial Coliseum.

The red hot feud between Paul Jones and The Masked Superstar had carried over from 1977 into the new year and in the night's main event they would attempt to settle things in a cage match.

The semi of this double main event was a match-up of two former US champs, Ric Flair and Bobo Brazil, while the mid card featured tag team action with the masked duo of Mr. X 1 and Mr. X 2 versus Roberto Soto and Richard Blood (the future Tito Santana). The undercard participants included Mr. Sato, the Russian Stomper, Tony Rousso, Charlie Fulton, Jim Garvin, and Joe Furr.

Other than the main event names and date in high impact red, the horizontal poster has black print over a pink background and the familiar "Wrestling" splash in the upper left corner. It's topped off with great images down both sides of Jones, Superstar, Brazil, Flair, Soto, and Blood.

NO. 32 IN THE BEASLEY POSTER SERIES

Four Mid-Atlantic Area Champions Appear on Georgia Championship Wrestling (1981)

Georgia Championship Wrestling - November 14, 1981

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway  

Back in the territory days, Saturday was the primary (and often the only) day for wrestling in every territory in the United States.

YouTube user "KrisZ891979" uploaded some great Georgia wrestling from 1980 and 1981awhile back, including some complete shows from the fall of 1981 like this pristine video of the entire November 14, 1981 program that aired at 6:05 on WTBS.

Reigning Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Roddy Piper had joined Gordon Solie as co-host of the program two weeks earlier, and the two became quite a broadcast combination over the next year. Piper was the perfect cocky-heel counter to Solie's dry, straight-forward approach and the two meshed really well in an unconventional way, especially for those times.

PART NINE

Ole Anderson was booking both the Mid-Atlantic and Georgia territories at the time, and one result was a sharing of talent between the two groups. In particular on this program:

• Mid-Atlantic Champion Roddy Piper, who is never acknowledged as such by Solie or Piper, but is acknowledged by Ivan Koloff as Mid-Atlantic champ in an interview on the program
• NWA TV champion Ivan Koloff, carrying his championship belt and announcing his intention in defending the title in Georgia. (The title was a Crockett title)
• Mid-Atlantic Tag Team champions Chris Markoff and Nikolia Volkoff (managed by Lord Alfred Hayes) are seen on the program in a tape from the Knoxville "NWA Championship Wrestling" program hosted by Les Thatcher. The team would be wrestling in the annual Thanksgiving tag team tournament at the Omni in Atlanta a few weeks later. The Knoxville office was closely affiliated with Jim Crockett Promotions at the time and used a number of pieces of talent from the Charlotte office. 
• Ray Stevens, currently a top heel for the Crocketts and an occasional tag team partner of Ole Anderson's
• and of course Ole Anderson himself, who along with his brother Gene, were the reigning NWA World Tag Team champions, primarily a Crockett area title.

That made for a total four Crockett Promotions champions appearing in one way or another on this Georgia program. Throw in Mid-Atlantic star Ric Flair, who had just recently won the NWA World Championship from Dusty Rhodes, and it's fair to say their was more than a small Mid-Atlantic influence on the Georgia promotion at the time. Flair is not on this program, but had been on almost every Georgia show since winning the title, and would be on the week following this one as well.

This Georgia show is loaded with a lot of great talent that were hallmarks of the Georgia Championship Wrestling promotion at the time including Tommy "Wildfire" Rich, Mr. Wrestling II, the Masked Superstar, Bob and Brad Armstrong, Austin Idol, Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, Mike Jackson, and others.

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling was and always will be my first love, but Georgia Wrestling during this time was on fire, and was a fun part of every Saturday as well.

Edited from a post originally published October 2016 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Masked Superstar at WRAL: Christmas Greetings!

 

 

The original Masked Superstar (Bill Eadie) is seen here at WRAL Studios, in Raleigh, NC, right around Christmastime in the late 2000s.

WRAL was the TV home of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from 1959-1981. The studio wrestling shows were taped there.

This photo was taken by Eric Stace and is one of our favorite Christmas season images, a nostalgic look back at a great territory and one of its greatest wrestlers. 

David Chappell and I wish all of you Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, Peace on Earth, and a very Merry Christmas. Hope to see you in 2018!  -Dick Bourne

Take a look back at Mid-Atlantic Christmas Night wrestling cards in the 1970s

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Poster: Flair and Sweet Ebony Diamond challenge Valentine and Superstar at Ernie Shore Field

 

by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

Ernie Shore Field in Winston-Salem, NC opened in 1956 and was home to the Winston-Salem minor league baseball team. On occasion this baseball stadium would host concerts as well as professional wrestling, both Mid Atlantic and IWA.

This poster takes us back to the summer of 1980 and promotes a card held on July 25th with the main event being a tag team matchup pitting the Masked Superstar and Greg Valentine against Ric Flair and Sweet Ebony Diamond.

Rocky Johnson entered the Mid Atlantic territory under a mask as Sweet Ebony Diamond and was a superb performer, but probably best known today as father of "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson. 

Dewey Robertson was also on this card, having lost the Canadian Heavyweight Championship to the Iron Sheik a couple of months earlier. Sheik was on a roll, having also won the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship from Jim Brunzell two weeks before this card at Ernie Shore.

I'm confident it was an exciting Friday night under the stadium lights for wrestling fans with an undercard also featuring Mid-Atlantic greats Johnny Weaver and Don Kernodle. 

The poster design itself really draws your attention with black print on a bright yellow background and the date and main event in bold high impact red. It would definitely be hard to miss sitting in the front window of a local business as you're passing by.

NO. 5 IN A SERIES

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Gateway Notes:

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling was also being held that Friday night in Charleston SC and Lynchburg, VA. Charleston was headlined by Blackjack Mulligan vs. Enforcer Luciano in a Texas Street Fight. Lynchburg's main event saw Jim Brunzell trying to reclaim his Mid-Atlantic title from the Iron Sheik.

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling comes to Augusta GA to Challenge for Georgia Titles (1977)

PART THREE IN A SERIES

by Dick Bourne & Mark Eastridge
Mid-Atlantic Gateway
Edited from our 2015 Series on the Mid-Atlantic/Georgia Talent Sharing Arrangements

When we think of springtime in Augusta, we typically think of the PGA Masters Championship taking place annually at Augusta National Golf Club.

But in 1977, Augusta was ground zero for a series of unofficial talent exchanges between Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling that was a showcase for a master class of talent at that time. 

Augusta GA was located right at the Georgia/South Carolina border and in the television mix of both promotions. The May 2nd, 1977 card at the legendary Bell Auditorium had an unusual line-up where all of the challengers for the Georgia titles were current regulars from the Mid-Atlantic territory.


Paul Jones (c) vs. The Masked Superstar for the Georgia Heavyweight Championship
Paul Jones was the reigning Georgia Heavyweight champion. He had been a regular in the Mid-Atlantic territory for many years, but was campaigning in the state of Georgia for the spring and summer of 1977. His challenger for the Georgia championship was the Masked Superstar (Bill Eadie), who was currently one of the top heels in the Mid-Atlantic territory and in the middle of a red-hot feud with the Mighty Igor there. This Augusta match-up foreshadowed their heated and violent feud in the Mid-Atlantic territory that would blossom in the fall of 1977, even resulting in the Superstar cutting Paul Jones hair. The Masked Superstar would later become a regular in the Georgia territory in the early 1980s. But for this one night, he unsuccessfully challenged Jones for the Georgia title, losing on disqualification for outside interference by Boris Malenko. Malenko was the Superstar's manager in the Mid-Atlantic territory, but was also a challenger for a title on this special card.

Thunderbolt Patterson (c) vs. Boris Malenko for the Georgia TV Title
The second main event that night was "Professor" Boris Malenko challenging Thunderbolt Patterson for the Georgia TV championship. Malenko was a veteran of all the southern NWA territories and was a recognized name in Georgia. Thunderbolt had already been a big part of this talent-sharing period with the Mid-Atlantic territory, and had just days earlier been in Hampton, VA teaming with Wahoo McDaniel to challenge Ric Flair and Greg Valentine for the NWA world tag team championships in a Mid-Atlantic main event. The Wahoo/Thunderbolt pairing was a rare and special combination to challenge Flair and Valentine.

The Anderson Brothers (c) vs. Johnny Weaver and Tiger Conway, Jr. for the Georgia Tag Team Titles
The third main event that night featured the reigning Georgia Tag Team champions Gene and Ole Anderson being challenged for those belts by the Mid-Atlantic duo of Johnny Weaver and Tiger Conway, Jr. The Anderson Brothers were Georgia regulars during this time, but were still making regular Mid-Atlantic appearances in their old home territory trying to regain the NWA World Tag Team championship from Ric Flair and Greg Valentine. The Andersons brought the world tag team titles to Georgia in the fall of 1976 and planned to keep them there until Flair and Valentine had snatched them away right after Christmas of 1976.  In the meantime, the Andersons won the Georgia tag titles and were taking on all challengers, including the unusual Mid-Atlantic challenge of Weaver and Conway this night in Augusta.


A "MID-ATLANTIC FEEL" TO THE CARD
Fans in Augusta had to be thrilled to see some of the top Mid-Atlantic stars making their town and challenging for the top titles in the Georgia territory. Not many towns in either territory got a mixed-roster line-up like this.

The Mid-Atlantic challengers appeared to be in for one-shot deals as the Masked Superstar, Boris Malenko (managing Superstar at that time), and Tiger Conway were back in the Mid-Atlantic territory the next night in Raleigh NC, and Johnny Weaver was in Columbia, SC the next night as well.

This Georgia card had a great Mid-Atlantic feel to it with all of the Mid-Atlantic challengers and former Mid-Atlantic regulars in the main events. But the undercard had a Mid-Atlantic feel to it as well with the opening two matches featuring all guys who had been regulars in the Mid-Atlantic territory in 1975-1976:

(1) Randy Savage (who had teamed under his real name Randy Poffo with his brother Randy Poffo in 1975)
(2) Roberto Soto (also teaming earlier in the Carolinas and Virginia with his brother Manuel Soto and battling the Anderson brothers)
(3) Charlie Fulton and Don Kernodle (who had been opening card talent for Jim Crockett Promotions for several years.)

The following week, however, the crossover of Mid-Atlantic/Georgia talent would present one of the most amazing breaks from kayfabe during an era where those breaks were very rare. Tune in for May 9 in Augusta, GA when we visit the Mid-Atlantic/Georgia talent exchange!

 

Originally posted September 28, 2015 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

 

The article above was from our 2015 series spotlighting the talent exchange between Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1977.

In PART ONE, we looked at the Valentine's night show in Augusta. PART TWO featured a look at one of Georgia's top babyface Thunderbolt Patterson making special appearances in the Mid-Atlantic area challenging for the U.S. title and the world tag team titles. See links below for a guide to all the posts in this series.

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Summary of articles in the Mid-Atlantic/Georgia series.
View all current articles in this series on one page.

An Introduction Fit for a 'Superstar' (Part Two)

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Catch up on Part One.

PART TWO
Fans of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television program were introduced to the “Superstar” for the first time at the beginning of the show that was taped on September 29, 1976. Later in the broadcast, the Superstar and his cane-carrying manager Boris Malenko were unexpectedly confronted in a way that drew the ire of the masked newcomer.

Prof. Boris Malenko
with the Masked Superstar

Starting the interview that ran during the middle of the show, host Bob Caudle began, “Here is Boris Malenko with his new star, Superstar, and Malenko things must really be changing for you as you look quite a bit different from last time we saw you.” Malenko replied, “You have to spend money to make money, and talking about spending money, it cost me a fortune but it’s worth it. Every single penny that I’ve spent is worth it because what’s cheap at the beginning is costly in the end run…I’ve found that out all too often in the past.”

After his clear dig at the team of the Mongols who he had previously managed, Boris continued, “Now let me just say this, and I want you people to pay close attention. I’ve looked to the four corners of the earth for such a person as my Superstar. Where did I find him? Right here in the United States as I said before. Never has a man with such credentials come forth to you people in the Mid-Atlantic area. Can you imagine, can you imagine a former gold medal winner of the Olympics? A man that holds a ‘docrtine’ degree in two situations…psychology and also neurology? Now, what else can you ask for? This in itself, this is the ingredients itself…wrestling is a mind situation also. When it comes to mind and equipment that he has…”

Interrupting Malenko’s rant at this juncture was none other than the president of Jim Crockett Promotions, Jim Crockett, Jr. Crockett explained, “I hate to interrupt, but I just talked to Eddie Graham, President of the National Wrestling Alliance. Mr. Malenko, you’ve been here for several months, you’ve wrestled…as far as we know you have no physical ailment at all, and Eddie Graham has ruled that you will not be allowed to carry a cane in a TV studio or an arena where there’s a wrestling match being held. Thank you very much.”

A wide-eyed Caudle could only then say amazingly, “Oh my!”

A clearly riled up Superstar immediately addressed the exiting Jim Crockett, “Excuse me Mr. Crockett. You have the audacity, the unmitigated gall, to approach my associate here Boris Malenko. Now, these are some of the incidents that Mr. Malenko has warned me of before I came into this particular area. Time and time again, he said he’s been insulted, embarrassed in front of the public. I’m here for one purpose and one purpose only and that’s to reestablish the credentials of Mr. Boris Malenko…and, I’m going to do that.”

Caudle followed up to Malenko, “I tell you, he has some great credentials to live up to after what you’ve said about him and he’s gonna have some really tough competition I’m sure he must know that.”

Malenko concluded, “When Superstar talks it puts a chill up and down your spine because what he says is the truth, it’s spoken from his heart. What he says he means, because I know I have an understanding with him that’s beyond anything else and he’ll not only show it, but he’ll prove it!”

Having the President of Jim Crockett Promotions making an exceedingly rare on-air appearance reinforced that this masked newcomer was indeed a high-end talent that was coming into the territory right at the top of the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling hierarchy. Add that to all the platitudes that Boris Malenko heaped on his new charge, and this was undoubtedly an introduction that was fit for a Superstar!

 

An Introduction Fit for a "Superstar"

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Fans of Jim Crockett Promotions that turned their television sets on to view the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television program that was taped on September 29, 1976 knew from the opening moments of the show that they were going to witness a very special episode. 

Prof. Boris Malenko
with the Masked Superstar

At the outset of the show, venerable announcer Bob Caudle talked with Chief Wahoo McDaniel who had just dispatched Bolo Mongol in a Hair versus Hair, Loser Leaves Town match days earlier in the Greensboro Coliseum. Wahoo and Caudle, with color commentator David Crockett at their side, commented on a film clip where Wahoo defeated Bolo Mongol, and with the help of Dusty Rhodes shaved off the top knot of the Mongol’s hair. Wahoo gave the viewers a tease as to what was to come by referencing Mongol’s manager “Professor” Boris Malenko and saying, “Well you know, Malenko is out searching and I’ve heard he’s got somebody bigger and better than the Mongol, but that remains to be seen, let him bring him on…we’ll take him!”

After a short break Caudle told the fans, “All right, in the center of the ring David [Crockett] there stands Boris Malenko, evidently the Superstar is his new man that we’ve heard so much about. He wants to say a few words.”  Crockett added, “He won’t wrestle until he’s given permission to talk.” Malenko blurted out, “Just one moment, referee!” Referee Tommy Young yelled back, “Let’s go!!” 

Undeterred, Malenko continued, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to make an announcement. I’ve been harassed, humiliated, almost driven out of the ends of my wits here, by such persons as Wahoo McDaniel, Paul Jones and others I know you know that don’t need mentioning. But because I’ve been put in such an embarrassing position and also the people that I’ve managed such as Bolo and Geto Mongol have left me, I have by some stroke of good fortune, some luck, have come up with a person that I would look from the four corners of the earth to meet up with, but where did I meet him right here in the United States of America.”

With the masked newcomer fidgeting next to him, the “Professor” carried on without taking a breath, “A learned individual, an ex, a former gold medal winner of the Olympics, a learned individual, holding a ‘doctrine’ degree of neurology, holding a ‘doctrine’ degree of psychology, the greatest athlete that has ever been seen here in the Mid-Atlantic area or any other area in the world today, I give you my new champion, the greatest wrestler today that will ever be seen and the greatest wrestler that is ever going to enter this ring or any other ring, my champion…SUPERSTAR!!”

Stepping to the front of the interview set, the hooded newcomer finally spoke in measured tones, “Thank you very much Mr. Malenko. Referee, will you tell these idiots, these ‘mediocracy’ people, I am here for one reason. My friend Mr. Malenko has asked me to come here and settle some personal issues…I’m going to begin this evening. And I want everybody here to realize that they are now at once and for all going to appreciate…stardom.”

A wide-eyed Caudle concluded the segment, “All right fans and David, there you have the story from Boris Malenko and his new wrestler, or protégé, or whatever it might be, he calls him Superstar and he says he’s just fantastic!”

Later in the same show, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling President Jim Crockett, Jr. confronts the Superstar and Professor Boris Malenko…to be continued in Part 2!

Masked Superstar: The First Twist of the Turn

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway 

August of 1980 would see a gradual change developing in one of the Mid-Atlantic area’s most feared “bad guys,” the Masked Superstar. From the Superstar’s first stint in Jim Crockett Promotions that began in September of 1976 through about six months of his second stint in the territory that began in the winter months of 1980, there was no hint that the masked marvel would be gravitating towards becoming a “fan favorite.” 

The Mid-Atlantic wrestling television tapings that took place at the WRAL TV studios in Raleigh, North Carolina on August 13, 1980 would in hindsight, provide the first clues that the Superstar would be turning into a “good guy.” The first TV show taped that evening, the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television program, didn’t seem to offer much out of the ordinary. On that show, Superstar teamed with fellow rulebreakers Greg Valentine and the Iron Sheik for an easy win. But it would be the second show taped later that night, World Wide Wrestling, that would provide the first twist in the turn to come.

The Superstar had a match earlier in the World Wide Wrestling show against young Brett Wayne, and came out in the show’s final segment for an interview with announcer Rich Landrum. Joining the masked man on the set were the NWA World Tag Team Champions Ray Stevens and Jimmy Snuka, along with their manager Gene Anderson. From the get-go, something seemed amiss during this interview segment.

Anderson immediately took control of the interview, extolling the virtues of his team, then claiming, “The Superfly and the Crippler, the greatest and the best World’s Champions that have ever held the belts!” At that time, Landrum turned toward the Superstar, but Stevens immediately cut in and asked Landum why his announcing partner, Johnny Weaver, wasn’t asking him questions. Stevens bellowed, “You know, I’d like to ask you a question. How come you come out here and interview us? Why doesn’t Johnny Weaver come out here and interview us sometime? I’d like to slap him right across the mouth! What’s the matter with him, doesn’t he have any guts?”

Rich responded, “I don’t think that plays a part in it in an interview…you want to come out and tell us how great you are.” Stevens then proceeded to tell the viewing audience that he and Snuka along with manager Gene Anderson were an unbeatable combination. Landrum answered, “It’s difficult to compete with a three-man team like that.” 

At that juncture Landrum attempted to bring the Superstar into the interview saying, “Superstar…” But Gene Anderson cut in immediately saying, “Hold it, hold it…” before Superstar could even get in a word. Anderson continued, “Jimmy, show ‘em that body! Flex that body, show ‘em that belt!” Gene continued extolling the virtues of Snuka’s physique and Stevens’ knowledge and experience, which Ray readily agreed with. 

Stevens then asked, “What do you think Superstar?” The masked man only got out, “I was just going to say…” before Stevens interrupted him and explained, “Well, I’ll tell you what, they [Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood] don’t have a chance! There’s nobody that can compare to us, the athlete that Jimmy Snuka is, the wrestling that I know, and like I said with our main man [Gene Anderson] behind us right here, nobody’s gonna come close to beatin’ us.” 

A clearly frustrated Landrum then stated, “You know ya’ll are fine champions [but] I’d like to talk to the TV champion the Superstar about…” Surprisingly Landrum was then cut off by Snuka, who rarely spoke but on this occasion blurted out, “We wanna talk about these belts!” Anderson immediately picked up where Jimmy had left off reeling off the names of the area’s good guys and shouted, “You don’t have a chance, you get that through your head, you don’t have a chance and if any of you people want to sign a contract with the World’s champions, you just put your names on the dotted line and I’ll sign ‘em and I’ll have ‘em in the ring.”

Landrum again engaged the Superstar saying, “Superstar, you…” before Stevens butted in and bellowed, “If they wanna pay the price to try and win this [belt], they have to pay dearly with PAIN, and I mean a lotta pain because my partner and I enjoy hurting people and that’s exactly what we do.” Ray continued on about that subject and when he finished, Rich took a final stab at bringing the Superstar into the segment saying, “Super, I’d like to hear from you.” The Masked man replied, “It’s about time, I’d like to…”

At that instant there was a commotion on the set with the floor manager coming over to Landrum, whispered something in his ear which Landrum followed up on by explaining, “I’m sorry, they took all the time. Well fans, as always, too short on time [so] that’s it for this week, look forward to seeing you next week right here on World Wide Wrestling.”

Over the next couple of weeks, several more circumstances continued to push the Superstar towards a “good guy” turn, including showing compassion for Brett Wayne during another television match with him after a clothesline maneuver clearly hurt the youngster, and holding back Greg Valentine to keep the sides even when Blackjack Mulligan and Valentine’s friend Bobby Duncum had a dust-up on TV.

Superstar’s good guy turn was completed at the beginning of September 1980 when Anderson came out to the TV interview area and again interrupted the Superstar’s interview, leading to Anderson hitting the Superstar with his cane and soon thereafter the Superstar turning the tables and breaking the cane on Anderson and throwing Stevens through the air onto Snuka. In his interview after that incident, Superstar pointed to the interview interruption on August 13th as a big component of his turn to the good side.

The Masked Superstar had a solid run as a good guy, winning the NWA World Tag Team Titles with Paul Jones on Thanksgiving night of 1980 and then again in early 1981 before leaving the Mid-Atlantic area for good in the late spring of 1981. And looking back on it, the good guy persona of the Masked Superstar was born because of the disrespect shown to him during an otherwise normal interview segment at the end of the August 13th World Wide Wrestling taping…the first twist of the turn.

Hot Times at County Hall in Charleston

by Andy McDaniel
Special to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

 
Originally published January 28, 2018

Charleston County Hall was famously known for being a hot place. Literally, the building held heat like nowhere else. Wahoo McDaniel once told Mike Mooneyham that even the walls at County Hall could sweat. Regardless of the heat or the raindrops from the leaky ceiling, County Hall was just a fun place to be at on Friday nights.

From time to time, I recall a fun night at County Hall and love to share those memories. I am very grateful for the Gateway and the wonderful job they do for keeping Mid-Atlantic wrestling alive. It is a true joy to have the chance to contribute a story now and then.

Blackjack Mulligan was something else. He is one of those wrestling characters that will forever be remembered. He was a larger than life figure and literally, a giant of a man. Many of his feuds will live on forever in the hearts of Mid-Atlantic fans. I loved his time with Paul Jones, Tim Woods, and of course, the great memories of his matches with and against Ric Flair. However, there was another feud that I truly enjoyed, the one with the Masked Superstar.

Several matches between these two had taken place all over the Mid-Atlantic region. There were even a few at County Hall. As with most feuds, we saw specialty matches, matches with stipulations and on occasion another couple of guys would be tossed in and a tag-team match would take place. Such was the case on this particular Friday night in Charleston.

The main event was Blackjack Mulligan and a screwball member of his family, Cousin Luke, versus their opponents the Masked Superstar and his partner for the night, Enforcer Luciano. I had seen Luciano eating light bulbs and breaking concrete blocks with his fists on TV, but now I was going to see him in person. This was such a magical time in wrestling. The fans were invested and whether it was cheering or booing, the sincerity of each side was awesome.

It was another hot, Friday night at County Hall. The action had been fierce, but now it was time for the main event. Everyone was on their feet as Blackjack and Luke came to the ring. The Superstar and Luciano were waiting for them as they stepped through the ropes. After the ring announcer made the introductions, action started, and it was a brawl. Fists were flying, boots were coming off and being used as weapons; pretty much the only thing technical or actual wrestling wise that might have been seen would have been provided by the Superstar.

It was exactly what Blackjack had promised the previous Saturday during the local promos; it was a fight. The match/brawl went on for a bit, but then the action seemed to settle down. Much to the dismay of most of the crowd, Blackjack found himself being subdued by the Superstar. The cobra clutch had brought down the big man in the center of the ring. Every time it seemed like Blackjack might break free or make the tag to Luke, Luciano would do something to steal the crowd's joy. The referee was really hearing it from the crowd. He seemed to never be able to catch the dastardly deeds being done in his ring and the fans were letting him know their feelings. Referees always seemed good at missing so many important moments. Tommy Young, Stu Schwartz, Sonny Fargo, they are such great parts of the history of Mid-Atlantic wrestling. They were so important to the matches, I always enjoyed their work.

This back and forth match went on for quite a while, the crowd was surely on an emotional roller coaster. I can remember it just like it was last night. The Superstar and his partner had exhausted the crowd. The wooden floor of County Hall bellowed out as the fans began to stomp. The railings of the balcony rang as palms began to pound against them, all in disapproval of the things being done to our heroes.

In what appeared to be an act of betrayal, right at the moment it seemed that Blackjack might break free, Cousin Luke jumped off the corner of the ring and headed toward the dressing room.

You could feel the air almost leave the room, as the crowd gasped, and shock filled the arena. The smoke that hovered just below the ceiling began to swirl at a near tornado type speed. Yes, people smoked inside back then, It was kind of part of the charm of County Hall - - smoke, popcorn, beer, etc. Those were special times indeed.

The disbelief at what was taking place before our very eyes was at an unreal level. How could this be? How could Luke turn on his own cousin? Was he really a traitor? Almost immediately, the boos started and the closer he got to the back, the louder things seemed to get.

As is most often in pro wrestling, things were not as they would seem and almost as quickly as Luke entered the dressing room, he would come back out. But he was not alone. To every one’s delight, he would bring an additional partner back the ring, but this was a partner that did not walk with him. Instead it was in his hand. It was about 4-feet long and firm in nature. Yes, good ol' Cousin Luke quickly had the fans back in his corner as he and his new partner, a 2 x 4, entered the ring to assist in what seemed to be a very unfair fight. As he evened the odds and dispatched Superstar and Luciano; Blackjack was on the road to recovery and rejoined the chaos as it unfolded. Unfortunately, the referee did not approve of all the mayhem and called for the bell and the ring announcer would soon let the rowdy crowd know that all had been disqualified.

It was one of those times that, while the victory was not found in a simple 1-2-3, the fans still went home happy because they saw justice had come to town and the bad guys were sent running.

Friday nights at County Hall: what wonderful memories. For a young kid who went to his first matches in that building starting in 1974, every time was always special. This year, 2018, will be exactly 20 years since the last matches were held in the hallowed Hall. I had the honor and absolute privilege of not only promoting that show, but was also in the main event that night. It will be a memory that I will cherish forever. To have watched all my heroes - - Wahoo, Ric, Rufus, Blackjack, Jimmy Valiant, Paul Jones - - to have seen them do battle in this special old building and to personally be able to go back there all those years later and be the one to close out wrestling forever in County Hall, is something I hold near to my heart.

This night with Blackjack, Superstar, and the rest of the crew was another hot night of pro wrestling at County Hall. It was a simple time of story-telling. It was a time when the crowd’s emotions were directed like a Maestro conducts an orchestra, by the guys in the ring. It was a time that was simply magical. I miss those days, but the memories sure are wonderful.

This story contains corrections from a previous version of the story.

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

Order your copy of "Reunion at County Hall" on Amazon.com
Black & White Version   |   Color Version

Read the review by Mike Mooneyham of the Charleston Post & Courier

Wrestling Book Takes a Look at County Hall 

Professor Boris Malenko Returns to the Mid-Atlantic Area

School's Back in Session in 1975

by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

For fans of Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid 1960s, the “Great Malenko” was a menacing grappler who tore through the territory from September of 1965 through January of 1967. While having his share of singles successes, Malenko was particularly lethal with his equally nefarious partners Bob Orton, Sr. and Larry Hamilton, the Missouri Mauler. While holding one-half of the Southern Tag Team Titles, Malenko engaged in vicious battles with the likes of fan favorites George and Sandy Scott and George Becker and Johnny Weaver. Malenko was so despised that he was even stabbed by an irate fan at the Fairgrounds in Richmond, Virginia after a tag team match where he teamed with Orton, suffering a severe wound to his abdomen requiring in excess of 30 stitches to close.

Bob Caudle with The Great Malenko and the Missouri Mauler (circa 1967)

After the passage of nearly eight and a half years, Malenko would return to Jim Crockett Promotions in the late spring of 1975. By that time, both Malenko and the territory had undergone a name change. Malenko was called “Professor” rather than “Great,” and the territory was now called Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. At the television taping on June 4, 1975, announcer Bob Caudle told the fans who had just viewed and booed the returning Malenko in the ring, “Our guest with us here at ringside is Professor Boris Malenko, and Professor Malenko has a middle name, but I can’t pronounce it!”

Malenko responded, “For your information Mr. TV announcer, the middle name is Maximilianovich…Boris Maximilianovich Malenko. I can’t tell you people how good it did me to come into this television studio today and listen to that warm reception when I climbed into the ring. It was beautiful; it was heart warming! You know something? Take a whiff; take a good smell…I smell excitement in the air!”

The Professor continued, “You know why this professorship has been bestowed upon me in six different countries? Because I truly am a professor! I come from the college of hard knocks, black and blue is our color; our school yell is ‘ouch.’ I am 230 pounds of mind and muscular coordination that is unbeatable; the greatest piece of wrestling machinery that has ever been composed; a human destruction machine that can destroy and will destroy all of its opposition.”

Malenko concluded, “I’ve proved myself time and time again, even here once long time ago. And I’ll continue to do it once again. I will get into your hearts, and you’ll welcome me! Because you need somebody you can look up to, and I will be that person.”

Caudle commented, “All right fans, Professor Boris Malenko, and I’m sure we’re going to be hearing a lot more and seeing a lot more of Professor Boris Malenko in the very near future.” Caudle was right, and immediately the Professor was dominating fan favorite wrestlers with his highly effective “Russian sickle” finishing hold. Boris teamed back up with his old comrade the Missouri Mauler, and the two were a formidable upper mid card tag team for the remainder of 1975.

In 1976, Malenko segued to a managerial role, though he would continue to don the tights occasionally. The Professor initially managed the Mongols, Bolo and Geeto, but was probably best remembered for managing the hated Masked Superstar from the fall of 1976 through the early months of 1978. And probably the most infamous incident of Malenko’s managerial run was when his victory cigar was stuck in the eye of the popular Mighty Igor, damaging the eye of the Polish powerhouse. And who could forget Wahoo McDaniel stomping on Malenko’s false teeth in separate incidents in 1975 and 1976, with Boris threatening lawsuits against Wahoo on both occasions.

Yes, just as school was letting out for kids in the Mid-Atlantic area in June of 1975, a very different type of Professor was starting school back up in the wrestling world of Jim Crockett Promotions. And conducting himself much like he did as the “Great” Malenko during his first run in the area nearly a decade earlier, Boris Malenko’s actions as a “Professor” would frequently land him in the principal’s office in his school of hard knocks.

Originally published January 23, 2017 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Masked Superstar Sends a Message from the Land of the Rising Sun

A CHILLING MESSAGE FROM JAPAN  
by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway 


The early spring of 1978 was one of the most volatile and exciting times in the history of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Major titles were changing at breakneck speed, big names were entering and exiting the area at a rapid pace and mega stars Blackjack Mulligan and Ken Patera would shockingly change their wrestling personas at this juncture.

Prof. Boris Malenko
and the Masked Superstar

The first sign that big changes were on the territory’s horizon occurred on the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television show that was taped on March 22, 1978. In a short video insert that followed a local in your area promo, the Masked Superstar and his manager Boris Malenko appeared before a backdrop that featured a number of international flags. Malenko, who had been recently suspended by Jim Crockett Promotions, was strangely silent while the Superstar was clearly agitated as he began speaking.

“Boris and I are over here in Japan,” the Superstar started. “A lot of people said 'where’d the Superstar go, where’s he gone? Has he run away from the United States?' Well, the purpose of this video tape…this is a message to you people particularly in the Mid-Atlantic area. I’m talking about Wahoo McDaniel, Paul Jones, the Mighty Igor and a host of the others. I haven’t run away. I’ve come to Japan because there’s a World tour here, and they recognize my ability, they recognize my wrestling prowess. Now, I don’t have to prove anything to you and I don’t have to prove anything to anyone in the United States,” the masked man emphasized.

Superstar continued, “The reason I came to Japan and entered this World tournament is that I have to prove to myself that I’m the best wrestler around. You know, they have individuals here from Russia, China, Japan, Africa, England, Canada…all across the World and I’m representing the United States and I’ve got the $5,000.00 stipulation up and I’ve got the mask at stake. And when I return to the United States and when I return to the Mid-Atlantic area I’m going to bring back the World tournament championship, be assured of that.”

Then a subject was broached that had everybody in the Mid-Atlantic area talking. “You know, I had to travel 12,000 miles with Boris Malenko to find out that one of my close friends, one of the individuals that I confided in periodically and that I talked to, one of my close friends, is responsible for your suspension Boris,” the Superstar boldly announced.  “I’m not going to mention any names because I don’t want the people to get too excited but I want to promise you one thing friend, ex-friend of mine. When I get back to the Mid-Atlantic area you’re gonna pay for the suspension. I’ve had a long, long time to think about you. You know, they say that a fool is gonna be betrayed by his friends and that’s what you did. But when I get back to the Mid-Atlantic area, I’m gonna pay you back friend, so you think about the Superstar because I’ll be back,” Superstar pronounced to a shocked fan base.

This short segment would be the last time the Mid-Atlantic faithful would ever see Boris Malenko on a Jim Crockett Promotions TV show. And as things evolved over the next few weeks, it became clear that Blackjack Mulligan was the friend that Superstar believed had betrayed him. Mulligan and Superstar would then engage in an epic six month program against each other over a $10,000.00 bounty put on Mulligan’s head by former friend Ric Flair that would eventually cost Superstar his prized mask.

When I think back on all the monumental changes that occurred in the Mid-Atlantic area during the spring of 1978 from the Hat and Robe angle to Ric Flair and Greg Valentine being stripped of their NWA World Tag Team Titles to Wahoo McDaniel leaving and Tony Atlas and Dick Murdock arriving and so much more, to me, all these profound changes were foreshadowed and began in earnest with a chilling message from Japan.

 Originally published in July of 2017 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

Action Figures Friday: Blackjack Mulligan vs. Masked Superstar

Another great presentation from our friends Reggie and Scottie at Wrestler Weekly (@wrestlerweekly) spotlighting the brutal feud between Blackjack Mulligan and the Masked Superstar.

Their battles went back to 1978 when Superstar was trying to collect the bounty on Mullgian's head, placed there by Ric Flair.

Now two years later, their feud begins again, with Mulligan hoping to take the TV title from Superstar, but Superstar has an ace up his sleeve - - Superstar #2.

Blooper from Toronto!

 

Thanks to Andrew Calvert at MapleLeafWrestling.com for sending us this ad from November 1980 featuring an interesting nickname for Jimmy Snuka! 

"When you first started posting the bloopers I went through the Toronto ads thinking there must be a ton of them," Andrew wrote me. "It was the only one I could find!"

What a great card at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. A significant amount of talent booked on Toronto cards during this era (1978-1983) came from the Charlotte booking office of the NWA, Jim Crockett Promotions. 

All the Crockett championships were defended there during this time, along with the Canadian title. And both the NWA and WWF world titles were defended there, too. It was a unique city and special place for wrestling in those days.

For more Boopers, visit here.

Action Figures Friday: Paul Jones and the Masked Superstar

@wrestlerweekly

Another great presentation of classic custom action figures from Reggie Richardson featuring the unlikely team of Paul Jones and the Masked Superstar.

The two men had been mortal enemies going back to their feud in 1977, but in 1980 they teamed up and took the NWA World Tag Team titles from Ray Stevens and Jimmy Snuka on Thanksgiving night in Greensboro.

Those little custom belts make these things work, too. Paul is wearing the NWA World Tag Team title belt, while Superstar is wearing the NWA TV title belt with his tag belt over his shoulder.

The backdrop is a classic issue of Mid-Atlantic Magazine that included two fold out posters, one of Paul and one of the Superstar. Great issue. Great set up!

The photograph was featured on Scottie (Reggie's brother) Richardson's Wrestler Weekly twitter feed. (Check out @wrestlerweekly)