End of the Road for the Mid-Atlantic Championship

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

"We will let the fans know what the disposition of this title will be very soon."   - Jim Crockett, Jr., 12/27/86 

Those words still echo with me all these years later. I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what would become of my beloved Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship.

The sequence of images above from "World Championship Wrestling" on 12/27/86 show Ronnie Garvin handing over the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship belt to Jim Crockett, Jr. in the studios of WTBS in Atlanta.

Garvin forfeited the title after he and Barry Windham had won the United States Tag Team championships. He is wearing the US Tag Team title belt. Jim Crockett told Ronnie he couldn't hold both titles, and he had to decide which one to forfeit.

"Well you know, it's a big disappointment to me ... it's a lot of work behind this belt and it represents the Mid-Atlantic area. And I don't mean no disrespect for it, because parting with this means a whole lot to me. But I don't want to disappoint my partner Barry Windham"   - Ronnie Garvin, 12/27/86

While Jim Crockett told Tony Schiavone that he would announce later what would be done with the title (we assumed a tournament), the belt and the championship were never seen or mentioned again.

Click to enlarge.

It was a sad day for long time fans of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling who had witnessed such great wrestlers hold that title including Danny Miller, Ole Anderson, Jerry Brisco, Johnny Valentine, Wahoo McDaniel, Ric Flair, Paul Jones, Jack Brisco, Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine, Ricky Steamboat, Ray Stevens, and so many others. 

Earlier that same year, the name of the flagship syndicated program for Jim Crockett Promotions was changed from "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" to "NWA Pro Wrestling." With that name change and the disappearance of the championship, the great era known as "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" had quietly come to an end.

For more on the origin and history of the Mid-Atlantic championship, check out our book "Mid-Atlantic Championship," a detailed title history with over 50 photographs of the champions and the belts, as well as dozens of newspaper clippings.And the story of each and every title change, over 60 of them in a period of 13 years.

This story was originally published May 12, 2018 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

A Sad Day for the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

"We will let the fans know what the disposition of this title will be very soon."   - Jim Crockett, Jr., 12/27/86 

Those words still echo with me all these years later. I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what would become of my beloved Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship.

The sequence of images above from "World Championship Wrestling" on 12/27/86 show Ronnie Garvin handing over the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship belt to Jim Crockett, Jr. in the studios of WTBS in Atlanta.

Garvin forfeited the title after he and Barry Windham had won the United States Tag Team championships. He is wearing the US Tag Team title belt. Jim Crockett told Ronnie he couldn't hold both titles, and he had to decide which one to forfeit.

"Well you know, it's a big disappointment to me ... it's a lot of work behind this belt and it represents the Mid-Atlantic area. And I don't mean no disrespect for it, because parting with this means a whole lot to me. But I don't want to disappoint my partner Barry Windham"   - Ronnie Garvin, 12/27/86

While Jim Crockett told Tony Schiavone that he would announce later what would be done with the title (we assumed a tournament), the belt and the championship were never seen or mentioned again.

It was a sad day for long time fans of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling who had witnessed such great wrestlers hold that title including Danny Miller, Ole Anderson, Jerry Brisco, Johnny Valentine, Wahoo McDaniel, Ric Flair, Paul Jones, Jack Brisco, Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine, Ricky Steamboat, Ray Stevens, and so many others. 

Earlier that same year, the name of the flagship syndicated program for Jim Crockett Promotions was changed from "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" to "NWA Pro Wrestling." With that name change and the disappearance of the championship, the great era known as "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" had quietly come to an end.

For more on the origin and history of the Mid-Atlantic championship, visit this page:

The Origin and Evolution of the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship
http://www.midatlanticgateway.com/p/origins-of-mid-atlantic-title.html

Republished January 10, 2020 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.

First Annual Crockett Foundation Cup Tag Team Tournament Coming in July

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

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

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

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

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

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


RON GARVIN Q&A MEET AND GREET

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


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

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

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

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Ronnie Garvin: Airplanes and Rear View Mirrors

by Peggy Lathan
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

As most everyone knows, Ronnie Garvin is a pilot and he used to fly to the matches. I would pick him and whomever was flying with him up at the airport and drive them to the arena,  One day, who should get out of the plane but Tony Atlas and Tiger Conway, Jr.

Tiger Conway had some BIG HAIR
in the 1970s

Everyone climbed into my car. Ronnie rode up from with me. Tony and Tiger were in the back seat and both of them had these HUGE afros back then, and they completely blocked the view out of back window.  All I could see was big hair!  I had to tell them many times to "part their hair" so I could see what was behind me! At least one of you lean to the left and one of you lean to the right!

* * * * *

Here's another funny Ole story straight from Ronnie.  Ronnie would try to get Ole to fly with him, and Ole never would. I don't remember why - if he was scared of flying or if he was scared of Ronnie!

In any event, Ronnie finally talked Ole into flying with him. Ronnie's plane had something like a glove box and it had broken so Ronnie had taken it out of the dash to fix it. So there was a gaping hole in the dash.  He knew Ole was nervous, so he decided to play a rib on him.  He put the broken box back in the dash and during pre-flight, he was telling Ole about the plane. He pointed to the box and told Ole that that was the most important part of the plane that kept it airborne and to be careful and not to bump it or anything.

When Ronnie took off, gravity took over and that loose box fell out right in Ole's lap.  Ronnie played up the rib, saying we're going to crash, and Ole was just having a fit. Ronnie started laughing and told Ole not to worry that everything was okay.  I'm betting Ole found another way back home that night rather than fly back with Ronnie!

Believe me, if Ronnie flew like he drove, I would NEVER have gotten in an airplane with him either.