Mike Rickard Reviews our 1975 Yearbook

"Wrestling's Greatest Moments" author Mike Rickard II has written a great review of our 1975 Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Yearbook which appears on the Canadian Bulldog's World website.

We appreciate the kind words and are always happy when folks enjoy the trip back in time with us.

An excerpt:

Ever wonder what it was like growing up as a fan of wrestling during the territory days? Thanks to Dick Bourne and David Chappell’s Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 1975 Yearbook, readers can experience the thrills and action that took place in Jim Crockett Promotions’ legendary Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling territory. This oversized book is bursting with photos, newspaper articles, and reproductions of house show program books, giving fans the chance to step back into 1975.

The wrestling experience was so different for a fan in 1975. Cable television was in its infancy and the Internet was still two decades away from becoming more than a curiosity.....

Read the entire review here:
Reviews: Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 1975 Yearbook

You can purchase the 1975 Yearbook in our bookstore here.

* * * * * * * * * *
Mike Rickard is the author of "Wrestling's Greatest Moments", as well as the autobiographical "Laughing All the Way to the Bank (Robbery): How An Attorney Survived Prison" and the new novel "Flunky: Pawns and  Kings." His website is located at MichaelRickard.com.

Ric Flair Show Flashback: Ric and Conrad talk about Wahoo McDaniel

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

I've been doing research for an upcoming book on the history of the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship and came across an edited audio clip we presented earlier from the old Ric Flair Show podcast produced and hosted by Conrad Thompson for the MLW Radio Network. The topic for "This Week in History" on that episodes was the night Ric beat Wahoo McDaniel for the Mid-Atlantic title for the first time in September of 1975.

Ric and Conrad talk about the match with Wahoo, the plane crash that almost ended Ric's career just two weeks later, and some other stories about great Wahoo and what he meant to Ric personally and to his career.

The vintage audio clip during the segment is from "Wide World Wrestling"  in 1975 hosted by Ed Capral, who reviews film of the Hampton match with Ric alongside for commentary. The clip is part of a huge library of vintage audio from David Chappell.

So enjoy this classic audio trip back in time, not only to the glory days of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in the mid-1970s, but also to 2016 during the great run of The Ric Flair Show.

For the opportunity to see Ric Flair and other great Mid-Atlantic Wrestling legends like Ricky Steamboat, Greg Valentine, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, Tully Blanchard, James J. Dillon, Magnum T.A., Terry Funk, and Tony Schiavone (plus tons of other wrestling legends from yesterday and today) head to Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas May 23-26 for STARRCAST II, perhaps the greatest wrestling fan convention ever put together! Visit the Starrcast II website for more information.

No doubt 1975 was the breakout year for Ric Flair who would go on to become one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the sport, and certainly its greatest champion.

Relive all the events of the landmark year of 1975 in the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 1975 Yearbook.

The book includes reproductions of all four issues of "Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine" that was sold as the arena program that year.

Plus a huge collection of newspaper clippings, posters, and complete results for the entire year. Plus our signature "Almanac" material featuring a complete roster of wrestlers for the year, and summaries of all major feuds and matches for the year.

Black Friday Week Sale in the Bookstore

Mid-Atlantic Gateway bookstore: bookstore.midatlanticgateway.com

Four Horsemen on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1545468540

Big Gold on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1499265565

1976 Yearbook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1725818892

New Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 1976 Yearbook is Now Available

 

The Mid-Atlantic Gateway is happy to announce the second volume in their Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Yearbook series is now available for purchase on Amazon.com.

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 1976 Yearbook

The large 8x10" 240 page collection of memorabilia and historical information includes newspaper clippings from cities across the territory throughout the year, event posters, talent rosters, match results, vintage photographs, and much more.

The book also includes reprints of four (4) issues of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine, the program sold in the arenas, copies of which are highly sought after by collectors today.

Plus, there is a 40-page section of comprehensive results and match listings for wrestling events across the territory during the year, compiled by Mark James at MemphisWrestlingHistory.com. (Mark features two huge collection of JCP wrestling results from the 1970s and 1980s on his website.)

Both the 1975 and 1976 Yearbooks are available on Amazon.com. You can find links to all of our books and more information in the Gateway Book Store.

The product page for the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Yearbooks can be found here.

Main Event Memories: The Origins of Wahoo vs. Flair (1975)

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Bill Janosik Photo

Things were so simple back in the day. You didn’t have to set anyone on fire to start a feud with them. It could be something as simple as coming to the aid of a friend.

I’ve been listening to old audio tapes of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling from 1975, and I think I’ve found the very beginning of the feud between Wahoo McDaniel and Ric Flair.

On the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling show taped July 23, 1975, Ric Flair, the Mid-Atlantic TV champ, is wrestling Bob Bruggers. Les Thatcher is doing commentary and is giving Bruggers athletic background, talking about how he played football at the University of Minnesota and played NFL football for the Miami Dolphins. He roomed with Wahoo McDaniel while in Miami.

Flair and Bruggers have a pretty even and competitive match, but at the end Flair gains the upper hand, wins the match, and then relentlessly goes after Bruggers after the match, screaming for someone to bring him some competition. Wahoo McDaniel, currently the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight champ having defeated Johnny Valentine less than a month earlier, hits the ring for the save.

Wahoo gets the microphone and tells Flair “That’s a good friend of mine laying there. You say you want some competition, well you’ve got some competition right here, right now!” and they launch into a wild brawl, with Flair finally bailing out after a series of Wahoo’s chops.