Monday, June 07, 2021
Saturday, June 05, 2021
Crockett Cup '85: The Quarter Finals Begin!
by Mike Rickard
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor
UPDATED BRACKETS
THIS WEEK'S MATCH
Quarter Final Round Match #1
(Tournament Match #41)
THE ROCK AND ROLL EXPRESS vs
OLE AND ARN ANDERSON
The 1985 Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament is underway. Wait, did you just say 1985? It’s time to take a look at one of wrestling’s biggest events from the mid-80s and see what it might have been like with a few historical alterations. What if Jim Crockett Promotions hosted its tag team tournament the Crockett Cup in 1985 and included teams from promotions outside the National Wrestling Alliance (“NWA”) including the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), All Japan Pro Wrestling, and more? In this case, you’d have 48 of the greatest tag teams in the world battling in a winner take all tournament for $1,000,000 and the prestigious Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Trophy.
The first round saw 32 teams competing to advance to round two with 16 teams making it in. Round two followed as these 16 teams battled the 16 top-seeded tag teams that received a first-round bye. Round three continued with the remaining 16 teams slugging it out with eight making their way to round four. As round four begins, let’s take a look at what to expect with “The Elite Eight.”
Fourth Round Rules:
Here are the rules for the round four of our tournament. A pool of referees from the NWA, AWA, and WWF have been appointed for the tournament and randomly selected for each match. The fourth-round matches have a sixty-minute time limit and are sanctioned under NWA rules (throwing an opponent over the top rope is an automatic disqualification). The matches are one fall with a win obtained by a pinfall, submission, count-out, or disqualification.
The fourth-round matches are being held at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The four matches will take place on Friday April 26. Your commentators for the matches are Bob Caudle and David Crockett, but as always, you never know when a special guest will show up.
Pre-Match Interviews
Tony Schiavone is backstage with Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson of the Rock-n-Roll Express. Robert Gibson says it’s great to be here in front of all the beautiful fans in the Superdome. He knows there are fans from around the world who have traveled to be here and he thanks them for all their support. Ricky howls as he says “You got that right! We’ve done a lot of things in our life Tony Schiavone and the things that we like, we’ve done it twice, baby. So far we’ve won two matches and we’re ready to win again with the help of the fans. The Andersons are tough, but they don’t have the fans. Rock-n-roll is here to stay, baby. It’s always gonna be here and it’s always gonna be in your dreams! So when you wake up tomorrow and realize it’s over, Arn and Ole, you’ll know why rock and roll will never die!”
Johnny Weaver is backstage with the Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Arn and Ole Anderson). Johnny welcomes the fans to round four and introduces the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Ole Anderson grabs the microphone from “The Dean of Professional Wrestling” telling him when you hear the name Anderson, you recognize greatness. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew has been breaking bones and winning championships for two decades and now, they’re just three matches away from continuing the tradition by securing the Crockett Cup trophy and one million dollars. Arn Anderson tells Johnny that the Rock-n-Roll Express have to be the luckiest team in the tournament. Tonight, their luck ends as they get a hard, cold introduction to reality—the reality that the Minnesota Wrecking Crew are the toughest team in the world and the baddest team in the world. The girls might scream and howl for you now, but they won’t by the time tonight’s match is over. If Morton and Gibson are lucky, a broken nose will be the least of their worries.
The Rock-n-Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
vs. the Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole and Arn Anderson)
Ole and Arn Anderson walk out to the ring to heavy boos. Music plays as the fans erupt into cheers. “That’s the Rock-n-Roll Express’ entrance theme ‘Rock and Roll All Night’ by Queen” David Crockett tells Bob Caudle as Bob gently points out it’s actually ELO’s “Rock and Roll is King.” David moves right on and says the fans love this team. Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton slap the fans’ hands, high-five others, and dish out a few hugs as they slowly make their way to the ring. Arn and Ole are all business and give the team the hairy eyeball as they wait for them to enter the ring.
Tommy Young is your referee for this match-up. Young performs the usual cursory pre-match inspection on both teams then calls for the match to begin as Robert Gibson starts off against Ole Anderson. Both competitors circle around the ring stepping close but taking their time until they finally lock up in a collar-and-elbow tie-up. Ole grabs Gibson in a headlock, but Gibson begins to escape with top wrist lock only for Anderson to grab his hair and pull him down to the mat, managing to do so without Young seeing the underhanded move. David Crockett says Ole is already breaking the rules and Bob Caudle adds it’s to be expected anytime you step into the ring with the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. “The Rock” continues to apply pressure with the headlock, but Gibson gets to his feet and whips Ole into the ropes. Anderson goes for a shoulderblock, but Gibson rolls out of the way, bounces off the opposite ropes and dropkicks a surprised Anderson. Arm drag by Gibson as Ole charges him and “The Rock” goes into the babyfaces’ corner as Gibson applies an arm bar, tagging in Morton. Ricky comes off the second rope with an elbow to Ole’s arm. Ricky follows up with a leg drop on Ole’s arm. David Crockett points out the Rock-and-Roll Express are taking a page out of the Andersons’ playbook and targeting a particular body part, in this case Ole’s right arm.
Five minutes in as Ricky applies a wristlock then turns it into an armbar, keeping the pressure on Ole’s arm. Tag to Robert who jumps off the second rope with a forearm smash to Ole’s exposed arm. Ole swings wildly but Gibson avoids the punch, instead putting more pressure on the arm and taking Anderson down to the mat. However, Ole finds a way to reach the ropes, forcing a break. Gibson goes to apply the armbar again, but Anderson catches him in the face with a heel hand (no pun intended). Another heel strike to the face stuns Gibson as Young admonishes Anderson, but Ole reminds the referee he’s using an open-hand strike. However, Ole apparently wants to keep his heel union card in good standing so he rubs Gibson’s face along the top rope as Young warns Anderson. David Crockett notes “The Rock” doesn’t have to employ tactics like that, but he seems to thrive on them.
Gibson is wandering around the ring clutching his face so Ole decides to guide him, whipping him into the heel corner. Ole strikes up a quick conversation with Tommy Young, distracting the referee while Arn uses the top rope to clothesline Gibson’s neck. Gibson goes down as Ole comes in and tags in the newest member of the legendary Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Both Andersons take a few shots on Gibson, double-teaming him before stopping at the referee’s four-count. Robert fires off a weak punch, but Arn shrugs it off, bodyslamming Gibson down to the mat. Arn applies an armbar to Gibson’s right arm, cranking away on the arm as Gibson struggles to escape. Arn releases the arm bar then stomps on the right arm. Gibson fires off a right hand then grabs his fist. Arn rakes the eyes then bodyslams Gibson, putting his right arm behind his back. Bob Caudle reminds David “We’ve seen this time and time again with the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. They’ll pick a limb and dismantle it throughout the match.” David Crockett adds that this can lead to a dangerous situation because even if the Rock-n-Roll Express win the match, they could enter the next round with an injury.” Arn drags Gibson to he heel corner and slams his head into the turnbuckle. Ole grabs Gibson’s right arm and slams it into the top of the ring post. Gibson grabs his arm as he falls to the mat. Tag to Ole who stomps on Gibson’s right arm. Gibson uses the ropes to get to his feet and as he does, Anderson delivers a brutal knee lift, knocking Gibson back down. Ten minutes in as Ricky Morton is rallying the fans who begin chanting “Let’s go Robert, let’s go!” Bob Caudle says that this young team has become an instant favorite with the fans. David says the last time he saw the fans warm up to a team like this was when Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood competed. Ole covers Robert, but Gibson kicks out at two. Ole picks up Gibson and whips him into the ropes. However, Gibson comes off with a high-cross bodyblock. Cover on Ole, but Anderson easily kicks out at two. Anderson is fuming and drops an elbow on Gibson, but nobody’s home. Gibson drops an elbow and catches Ole in the chest. The two wrestlers get to their feet as Ole punches Robert, but Robert counters by kicking Ole in the hamstring. Robert kicks Ole in the hamstring again and “The Rock” goes down. Gibson drops an elbow to the same leg then whips Ole into the Rock-n-Roll’s corner. The fans cheer as Robert tags in Ricky and the fans begin chanting “Rock and Roll! Rock and Roll!” Robert holds Ole’s leg and Morton hops over the top rope, dropping a knee onto it. Morton applies a figure-four leglock and he has the hold locked in fairly close to the center of the ring. Arn comes in as David Crockett points out that he doesn’t seem confident Ole can hold out. However, Robert Gibson in and clobbers Arn with a big right hand as he locks “Double A” in a figure-four leglock. The ring announcer notes fifteen minutes have elapsed. Ole is in trouble and can’t seem to reach the ropes, but Tommy Young focuses on Gibson and Arn, who are not the legal men. Young untangles Gibson’s legs, freeing Arn and ordering both men back to their corners. Gibson begins arguing with Young and as he does, Arn drops an elbow on Ricky Morton. Arn throws Morton out of the ring as Ole gets up and shakes off the effects of the figure four. Ole rolls out of the ring gingerly and bodyslams Morton on the floor.
Tommy Young turns around as Ole slides into the ring and tags in Arn. Morton slowly gets up to his feet and staggers over to the mat apron. Arn walks over and stomps Ricky in the head, with Tommy Young ordering him back to his corner. Ole goes towards Morton as he’s now on the mat apron but Young orders him back so Morton can get back in the ring. Arn sees his opportunity and knees Morton in the gut, knocking him off the mat apron. Robert Gibson has had enough and he enters the ring, with Ole pointing to him as Tommy Young’s attention is diverted again from the Andersons. David Crockett says you need two referees whenever the Andersons wrestle. Arn hits the floor and helps Ricky up, ramming his head into the steel post. Morton goes down hard as Arn races back to the heel team’s corner.
Tommy Young turns around finally as the fans are screaming and shouting at the tragedy playing out before their eyes. The referee begins a ten count on Morton, who appears busted open. He’s moving slowly and as the referee reaches the 7, 8, Ole rolls outside and breaks the count, throwing Morton into the ring. David Crockett wonders if Ricky Morton could have answered the ten-count. Bob Caudle suggests the Andersons may want to punish the Rock-and-Roll Express and send a message to the rest of the teams in the tournament. The ring announcer notes twenty minutes have elapsed, with forty minutes remaining. Ole picks up Morton and whips him towards Arn, who has a knee extended. Morton’s head bounces off the knee as he falls to the mat. Arn drops a knee across Morton’s head then drapes him up against the ropes, slugging away. Tag to Ole who whips Morton into the ropes and elbows him in the chest. Cover on Morton but Ricky kicks out at two. Ole slugs Morton in the face before picking him up and hitting a snapmare that sends him into the heel corner. Ole stomps Morton in the head as he tags in Arn. Arn slugs Ricky in the corner as Young starts a five-count. Ole grabs Morton’s left arm and bounces it off the top rope. Arn then applies an armbar on the same arm, driving his opponent down to the mat. Anderson releases the hold then stomps on the same arm before bodyslamming him with Morton’s left arm bearing all the weight of the slam. Twenty-five minutes have elapsed with thirty-five minutes remaining. Arn then whips Morton into the ropes but Morton counters a back body drop with a Sunset Flip. Anderson kicks out at two. Morton fires off a punch to Arn’s breadbasket as both men get up. Arn is on his feet first and slugs at Ricky, but Morton blocks the punch and fires off one of his own, knocking Arn back. Ricky goes for the tag, but Ole jumps in, tripping him up. Robert Gibson runs in and starts punching away at Ole while Arn gets peppered with rights from Ricky. However, Tommy Young orders Robert back to his corner as David Crockett protests. Ricky gets to his feet and begins to stagger towards the babyface corner only for Ole to knee him in the back, sending him through the ropes. Arn catches his breath while Ole returns to the heel corner, minding his own business as far as Tommy Young is concerned.
Arn rolls out of the ring and grabs Morton, ramming his head into the mat apron. Morton’s face is a crimson mask as Anderson rams Morton again before throwing him into the ring. “Double A” covers Ricky but Robert runs in and pulls Anderson off, with Bob Caudle saying he doesn’t know if Morton had enough energy left to kick out. David notes it’s a good thing that the rules for tag team wrestling have changed from the days when teams only had one save. Arn gets up and whips Morton into the neutral corner, charging in. However, Ricky finds a way to lift his feet and Arn staggers backwards. Ricky is slow to move though and Anderson isn’t much better. Robert is ready to make the hot tag but Bob Caudle wonders if he can make it. David Crockett cheers for Ricky to make the tag. Arn swings at Ricky, but Morton blocks the punch. Morton slugs Arn again and again. Ole Anderson runs in, but Tommy Young goes to stop him. Ricky dives towards Robert and finally makes the tag, collapsing in the babyface corner. Robert comes in, a house afire as he slugs Arn Anderson. Robert rams Arn’s head into a turnbuckle as Tommy Young comes over and orders Gibson back to the babyface corner as he didn’t make the tag. Bob Caudle tells David the referee’s back was turned so he didn’t see the tag. The fans are booing as Arn goes to bodyslam Ricky, but Ricky counters with a small package. 1, 2… Arn kicks out. Arn gets up and whips Ricky into the ropes, going for a clothesline, but Ricky summons up one last burst of strength and dives between Anderson’s legs, racing into the babyface corner. Hot tag to Ricky and this time Young recognizes the tag. Gibson punches Arn, knocking him against the ropes as Ole runs in, only to catch a right hand from Gibson. Robert takes both Andersons and delivers a double nogging knocker, as both men fall to the ground. Fist-drop on Arn and as Ole gets up, Gibson surprises him with a dropkick, knocking him down. Arn hits Gibson in the back with a double axe-handle then goes to suplex him, but Gibson blocks the move by locking his leg around Anderson’s leg, then reverses it with his own suplex. Front facelock on a stunned Arn as Gibson makes the tag. Bob Caudle says he’s not sure if Arn saw the tag. Arn punches Gibson as Ricky climbs to the top rope, with Arn’s back turned to Morton. Robert ducks a punch from Arn and dives out of the way as Ricky hits a missile dropkick on Arn. Tommy Rich goes to make the count as Ricky covers Arn. Ole runs in by Robert is ready and dropkicks him back into the heel corner. 1,2,3! David Crockett jumps up and down as he shouts, “The Rock and Roll Express have done it!”
Winners: The Rock-n-Roll Express.
Tommy Young raises Morton and Gibson’s hands in victory as Ole goes to find a chair. The Rock-n-Roll Express roll out of the ring and celebrate with the fans as Ole smashes the chair on the mat apron.
Join us next time as Jim Cornette’s Midnight Express (“Beautiful” Bobby Eaton and “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey) take on the British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid)! Which team will advance to round five in the quest for tag team glory and some serious cash?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
PREVIOUS POSTS IN THE CROCKETT CUP '85 FANTASY SERIES
Original Tournament Announcement (May 2020)
Seedings and First Round Pairings Announced
FOURTH ROUND MATCHES (QUARTER FINALS)
[ Preview ] [ Brackets ]
Fourth Round: Match 1 (Tournament Match #41)
The Rock & Roll Express vs. Ole and Arn Anderson
THIRD ROUND MATCHES
[ Scouting Report ] [ Brackets ]
Third Round: Match 1 (Tournament Match #33)
The Rock & Roll Express vs. The Russians
Third Round: Match 2 (Tournament Match #34)
Ole & Arn Anderson vs. Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi
Third Round: Match 3 (Tournament Match #35)
Midnight Express vs. High Flyers
Third Round: Match 4 (Tournament Match #36)
Kevin and Mike Von Erich vs. The British Bulldogs
Third Round: Match 5 (Tournament Match #37)
Road Warriors vs. Brody and Hansen
Third Round: Match 6 (Tournament Match #38)
Funk Brothers vs. Oklahoma Cowboys
Third Round: match #7 (Tournament Match #39)
Texas Outlaws vs. Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff
Third Round: match #8 (Tournament Match #40)
Fantastics vs. Freebirds
SECOND ROUND MATCHES
Second Round: Matches 1 & 2 (Tournament 17 & 18)
Mulligan/McDaniel vs. The Russians
Rock & Roll Express vs. Maharishi/Nagasaki
Second Round: Matches 3 & 4 (Tournament 19 & 20)
Brown/Jannetty vs. Inoki & Sakaguchi
Ole & Arn Anderson vs. Windham/Rotunda)
Second Round: Matches 5 & 6 (Tournament 21 & 22)
Midnight Express vs. Hart Foundation
PYT Express vs. High Flyers
Second Round: Matches 7 & 8 (Tournament 23 & 24)
Rude/Barr (with Percy Pringle III) vs. Kevin and Mike Von Erich
Fujinami/Kimura vs. British Bulldogs
Second Round: Matches 9 & 10 (Tournament 25 & 26)
Brody/Hansen vs. Williams/DiBiase
Road Warriros vs. Lawler/Dundee
Second Round: Matches 11 & 12 (Tournament 27 & 28)
Piper & Orton vs. The Oklahoma Cowboys
The Funk Brothers vs. The Younglood Brothers
Second Round: Matches 13 & 14 (Tournament 29 & 30)
Rhodes/Murdoch vs. Adams/Hernandez
Sheik/Volkoff vs. Steamboat/Snuka
Second Round: Matches 15 & 16 (Tournament 31 & 32)
Fantastics vs. Fabulous Ones
Sheepherders vs. Freebirds
FIRST ROUND MATCHES
First Round: Matches 1 & 2
Hennig/Blackwell vs. Mulligan/McDaniel
Tyler/Whatley vs. Maharishi/Nagasaki
First Round: Matches 3 & 4
Windham/Rotunda vs. Bockwinkel/Saito
Rougeaus vs. Inoki/Sakaguchi
First Round: Matches 5 &6
Barbarian/Graham vs. Hart Foundation (Hart/Neidhart)
High Flyers (Brunzell/Gagne) vs. Savage/Poffo
First Round: Matches 7 & 8:
The Von Erich vs. Blanchard/Abdullah the Butcher
Tenryu/Tsuruta vs. The British Bulldogs
First Round: Matches 9 & 10:
Graham/Blair vs. DiBiase/Williams
Valiant/McGraw vs. Lawler/Dundee
First Round: Matches 11 & 12:
Piper/Orton vs. Patterson/Fernandez
Rock & Roll RPMs vs. Youngblood Brothers
First Round: Matches 13 and 14:
Dynamic Duo (Gino & Chris) vs. American Starship
Sawyer Bros. vs. Steamboat/Snuka
First Round: Matches 15 and 16
Batten Twins vs. Fabulous Ones
Weaver/Houston vs. Sheepherders
Thursday, June 03, 2021
Johnny Weaver's Big Angle of 1976: Greg Valentine
JOHNNY WEAVER 1975-1984
NOT GOING GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT
by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway
1976 - GREG VALENTINE
(Part Two in a Series)
Previously: Part One - Series Introduction
While Johnny’s “Angle of the Year” in 1976 did not occur until the autumn, Weaver overall had a significant bicentennial year in his first full year back wrestling in the Mid-Atlantic area.
Early in 1976 there was a tournament held on television to crown a new Mid-Atlantic TV Champion. While Angelo Mosca would ultimately win the tournament, Johnny advanced all the way to the semifinals in the tournament, where he would battle Mosca tooth-and-nail. Significantly, Weaver was the only grappler to fall to Angelo without being defeated by a pin or submission, losing to “Big Nasty” via a count out outside of the ring.
During August of 1976, Johnny got the first shot at a future Mid-Atlantic megastar in Greg Valentine who would enter the territory in earnest about six weeks later, and would be the subject of Weaver’s 1976 angle. Johnny even got a shot at Blackjack Mulligan’s United States Heavyweight Title at the end of August. Mulligan joked that he would “hang ‘ol Johnny Weaver from the rafters at that Richmond Arena and laugh” prior to the match. It was no laughing matter to Johnny, and he put up tremendous fights, but came up short and fell to Mulligan as well as Valentine in these main event matchups.
The mid-card roster that Johnny was a major part of in 1976 was the strongest in the grand history of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. On the “good guy” side with Weaver were such greats as Tiger Conway, Ronnie Garvin, “Cowboy” Frankie Lane, Johnny Eagle, Swede Hanson, Larry Zbyszko, Tony Atlas, Red Bastien and the team of Roberto and Manuel “El Rayo” Soto. The mid-card “bad guy” roster featured talent such as Jerry Blackwell, Doug Gilbert, Boris Malenko, Doug Gilbert, Steve Strong, Hans Schroder, Brute Bernard and the fabulous tandems of the Mongols, Mike “The Judge” Dubois and Sergeant Jacques Goulet, and Randy and Lanny Poffo!
But as would be the case each year from the mid-70s through the mid-80s, Johnny Weaver would break out of his mid-card slot and participate in a main event angle. In 1976, Johnny’s protagonist would be the newcomer Greg “The Bionic Elbow” Valentine.
Only a couple of weeks after Greg Valentine entered the Mid-Atlantic area as a regular in late September of 1976, the “Bionic Elbow” was matched against Weaver in a TV bout on the Wide World Wrestling television program taped on October 6, 1976. Fans that did not have access to the Wide World Wrestling show in their area may have been perplexed about the nearly month long absence of Weaver after that bout. The Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television show that was taped on November 3, 1976 would explain in great detail the reason for Johnny’s absence since the first week in October.
That November 3rd Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV show opened with announcers Bob Caudle and David Crockett presiding, along with Chief Wahoo McDaniel who was returning from any injury inflicted by Ric Flair in a match in Greensboro on October 16, 1976 where Flair captured the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title from Wahoo. McDaniel was brought onto the interview set in large part to talk over a film clip of Greg Valentine injuring his friend Johnny Weaver about a month earlier on Wide World Wrestling.
Bob Caudle began, “A lot of the fans have been asking about another wrestler that’s been out injured for about a month now, and that’s Johnny Weaver.” David Crockett elaborated, “That’s right, Johnny Weaver was wrestling Greg Valentine, Wahoo, and Greg Valentine put him out of action for over a month now. And we’d like to see a tape of that and show the fans exactly what happened, and we’d like to thank Wide World Wrestling for this tape.”
Caudle continued as the film began, “Right here, that was Johnny Weaver and he was flat on his back right on the apron of the ring there Wahoo.” McDaniel noted, “Right there, he’s outside the ring, and I do believe right here Valentine suplexed him from outside over into the ring, as you see right there he dropped right onto his head. It’s a very painful hold, I know where he learned it, he learned the hold from [Johnny Valentine] who was very good at it.” Crockett added, “But [Greg] Valentine is his own man, he’s the Hammer, he’s the number one.”
Weaver was clearly stunned from the suplex from Valentine that brought him from outside the ropes into the ring. But Greg was far from finished. Caudle observed, “He’s getting ready for this elbow right now!” Wahoo then lamented, “When you’re laying there and you’re half stunned and half out and they lay one of those 250 pounds of weight coming across your throat, it’s got to hurt and it’s got to put you out and that’s what happened. Weaver got hurt and he’s been out a month already, and we don’t know when he’s gonna be back.”
An angry Crockett snapped, “There’s no sense in that, Valentine has already beaten Weaver, he has him out cold; he could pin him. So why does he do this?” Wahoo replied, “Well, being around Flair, Mulligan and Mosca and those guys, they’re all the same, they want to hurt their opponents and cripple them. They don’t care and believe me, that’s what he’s doing here. He’s got a point to prove, he’s gonna try to be rotten, worse than them, and he’s doing a pretty good job of it. He knows he’s got the man helpless, and he’s gonna do all he can.”
At this juncture, Valentine dropped repeated elbows on a prone Weaver, scaling the ropes higher and higher each time to add to their devastation. Crockett exclaimed, “Valentine just keeps on, keeps on!” An incredulous Caudle followed, “He’s going back up on the ropes now, and now he’s getting even higher. He’s determined to put Weaver out.” An exasperated McDaniel concluded, “There’s no sense in this, and Johnny Weaver is a good friend of mine and Johnny Weaver’s not wrestling now.” Crockett added, “And as you can see, Weaver is still out there cold.” Caudle wrapped up the segment noting, “That was vicious, and as you say it was uncalled for, but I’m just glad that Johnny Weaver is improving and we hope to see him back very soon.”
Johnny Weaver would in fact not return to action in the Mid-Atlantic area until the latter part of February, 1977. By that time, Greg Valentine was riding high, being one half of the NWA World Tag Team champions and having captured the Mid-Atlantic TV Title belt twice while Weaver was out. But Johnny was undeterred by Greg’s winning ways, and was out for revenge when he returned and Greg Valentine was his sole target, leading to Weaver battling Valentine in a heated main event program in March and April of 1977!
Johnny Weaver promises Greg Valentine there will be no letting up when they’re in the ropes next time, and Greg will have the match and battle of his life yet to come…
To be continued in Part 3!
Tuesday, June 01, 2021
Poster: Battle of the Bullies in Durham NC
by Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor
This poster takes us back to Thursday, March 19th, 1970 and promotes a card from the Civic Center in Durham, NC. It features two great tag team match-ups: Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson vs. Brute Bernard and Skull Murphy, plus George and Sandy Scott vs. Ronny and Terry Garvin.
Throughout most of the 1960s, Jim Crockett Promotions had no shortage of great heel tag teams that included Hawk and Hanson, Bernard and Murphy, the Infernos, the Bolos, the Anderson Brothers, Aldo Bogni and Bronco Lubich, the Hines Brothers among others. On many occasions this led to the heel teams being pitted against one another in a "Battle of the Bullies" so fans could enjoy the bad guys beating on each other instead of the babyfaces for a change.
Unfortunately Skull Murphy died only four days later on March 23 in Charlotte, NC where he was scheduled to wrestle that night with Brute vs. Mr. Wrestling and the Kentuckian.
The poster itself has a two tone orange and yellow background with all black print and great images of three of the four main event teams. It's also neat to see where you could buy tickets at Eckerd's Drug Store, Main Street.
NO. 6 IN A SERIES
Sunday, May 30, 2021
The Gateway Interview: Don Kernodle (2009)
Back in July of 2009, we had the chance to interview Don Kernodle while getting together with him and his brother Wally (aka Rocky Kernodle) with mutual friends Peggy Lathan, Wendi Weaver, and others. It was on the eve of that year's Johnny Weaver Cup tournament for CWF Mid-Atlantic based out of Burlington, NC, where Don would be honored on that night.
David Chappell led the discussion with Don as we both had a blast covering all sorts of topics in an epic 8-part interview that first appeared on the old (rather archaic) Mid-Atlantic Gateway website, and is still archived at that old web address.
You can click the graphic above to go to PART ONE or navigate to the other installments using the list below. It's one of the best interviews we did in those early years of this website, and that was largely due to Don himself, who gave fascinating insights into how he broke into the business and many other topics.
THE GATEWAY INTERVIEW: DON KERNODLE (JULY 2009)
PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR
PART FIVE | PART SIX | PART SEVEN | PART EIGHT
We were very sad to learn the news of Don's passing. He was a warm, fun loving guy we enjoyed getting to know over the past 12 years or so, and always looked forward to seeing him and Wally, whether for fried chicken and BBQ at Smithfield's in Mebane or crossing paths with them at the Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest events. He always greeted you with that familiar "Hey, ol' buddy!"
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| Don Kernodle was honored at the 2009 Johnny Weaver Cup tournament for CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling in Burlington, NC. |
Don't miss Peggy Lathan's farewell to Don posted earlier on our site:
A Friend Says Goodbye to Don Kernodle
And Mike Mooneyham's most recent column for the Charleston Post & Courier remembering Don is excellent.
And look for a special episode of Mike Sempervive's Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast on the life and times of Don Kernodle with a detailed examination of one of the territory's biggest events ever, "The Final Conflict." Coming soon to midatlanticpod.com.
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Friday, May 28, 2021
Please Note: Wahoo McDaniel did not kill Ric Flair!
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway
Wrestling was different back in the day. Many fans believed. And that led to some wild rumors circulating through the territory.
Such was the case in early 1977 with a particularly nasty rumor following what must have been such a brutal match between Ric Flair and Wahoo McDaniel that it left fans thinking Wahoo had actually killed Flair! Pete Apostolou, Jim Crockett's promoter on the ground in Roanoke and Lynchburg and other towns in southwest Virginia, had to call in to the local Lynchburg newspaper and ask them to publish a short missive letting fans know that Ric Flair actually wasn't dead.
Despite dispelling the rumor that Flair had died after the match with Wahoo, Aposolou - ever the promoter - still let fans believe Wahoo had put Flair in the hospital. Something about that I really love in a twisted way.
The real story: Flair actually missed a little over a month of action due to abdominal surgery, reported as an emergency appendectomy or gallbladder surgery, depending on the source. Flair's first missed card was on 1/28/77 in Spartanburg, SC where he and tag team partner Greg Valentine were to defend their NWA tag team titles. During the month of February, Valentine teamed with various "mystery partners" filling in for Flair.
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| Photograph by Bill Janosik |
Flair was a part of a heavily hyped singles cage-match main event in Greensboro on 2/6/77 against "cousin" Ole Anderson, growing out of their feud over the NWA tag team titles. Jim Crockett brought in Superstar Billy Graham from the WWWF as his replacement for that one night, and was able to promote him in time for the big Greensboro Coliseum card. Graham was a nice fill-in as he had become a big deal nationally in the wrestling magazines and was only a couple of months away from winning the WWWF Heavyweight Championship from Bruno Sammartino.
Flair returned to action on 3/05/77 for promoter Apostolou in Roanoke VA, teaming with Valentine to defend the tag titles against the Jones boys - - No. 1 Paul Jones and the "Freight Train", Rufus R. Jones.
The little note in the Lynchburg paper, though, shows how real wrestling was to some fans back in those days. It's also a testament to the brutality that Wahoo McDaniel and Ric Flair showed in their matches that had fans feeling that way. Wrestling was better then.
Thanks to Mark Eastridge for the great clipping.
Thursday, May 27, 2021
The Anderson Family Tree: How Ric Flair and Rip Hawk were all Part of Wrestling's Greatest Family
We've joked over the years that if Flair was Rip Hawk's nephew and he was also Gene and Ole Anderson's cousin, then that must have meant that Rip Hawk and the Anderson Brothers were somehow related.
THE ANDERSON FAMILY TREE
(aka, All in the Family)
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway
It's probably fair to say that in the storybook world of pro-wrestling, especially back in the territory days, worked family connections were just as common as bonafide family relationships.
For all the Funks, Briscos, and Von Erichs there were just as many Valiants, Fargos, and Andersons.
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| Ric Flair and Rip Hawk Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions |
Sometimes wrestling would even take an actual truthful family relationship (like father and son Johnny and Greg Valentine) and create a worked relationship (Johnny and Greg Valentine as brothers in the mid-1970s when Greg first arrived in the Mid-Atlantic.)
But then there is the special case of the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Flair would, for a very short time, be a member of two different wrestling families soon after arriving to Jim Crockett Promotions.
RIP HAWK'S NEPHEW
Flair arrived in Charlotte in May of 1974, debuting for Jim Crockett Promotions against Abe Jacobs at the Charlotte Coliseum on Monday night, May 13.
Within two weeks, booker George Scott was toying around with different ways to align Flair to begin his slow push. There were two family relationships that sprung up almost at the same time.
Ric was first said to be the nephew of Rip Hawk, the "blond bomber" who had a notorious reputation in the area going back more than a decade. George Scott teamed Hawk and Flair up early, only a few weeks after Flair arrived, and the two would soon win the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team championship from Paul Jones and Bob Bruggers on the Fourth of July in Greensboro. Flair's star was quickly on the rise.
COUSIN TO THE ANDERSON BROTHERS
But during this same time, the story was also floated on TV and in newspaper event ads that Flair was a cousin of Gene and Ole Anderson, playing off the fact they were all three from Minnesota.
A newspaper article written in advance of a 5/24/74 show in Burlington, NC, listed the matches for the upcoming card, and included this little new factoid:
"Singles action has Ric Flair, a relative of the Anderson Brothers, facing Billy Ashe."
Three days later on 5/27 in Greenville, SC -- exactly two weeks after his debut - - Flair and Rip Hawk teamed for the first time, getting an upset win of sorts over area veterans Nelson Royal and Danny Miller. Flair's push was on. Less than seven weeks later, they won the Mid-Atlantic tag team titles.
We've joked over the years that if Flair was Rip Hawk's nephew and he was also Gene and Ole Anderson's cousin, then that must have meant that Rip Hawk and the Anderson Brothers were somehow related. Maybe Flair wasn't a member of two different wrestling families - - maybe both were all one big happy family.
Now, go ahead and try to figure out that family tree. I dare you.
THE ANDERSON FAMILY TREE (WE PROMISE)
Extensive research (really) has unearthed the following genealogical information. This is our story and we are stickin' to it:
- There was a family of Andersons that immigrated to Minnesota from Sweden in the late 1800s. The patriarch was Noah Anderson. He and his wife Alma had four children, two boys and two girls.
- Their first son, Nils Anderson, married and had four sons of his own: Gene, Lars, Nils Jr., and Ole. All became pro wrestlers.
- Their first daughter, Alma Anderson, married a Minnesota physician named Morgan Flair. They had a son named Richard "Ric" Flair who also became a pro-wrestler. (This makes Ric a first cousin to the four Anderson brothers by blood.)
- The second daughter, Catherine Anderson, married a pro wrestler named Harvey "Rip" Hawk. (This makes Rip an uncle by marriage to Ric Flair and, as an aside, an uncle by marriage to the four Anderson brothers, too. Apparently Rip never wanted to publicly acknowledge them.)
- Unrelated to this article, but to finish out the family tree, Noah and Alma's second son, Liam Anderson, had a son named Arn, which makes Arn blood cousin to the four Anderson brothers and Ric Flair, and as it works out, also a nephew by marriage to Rip Hawk. Liam and his wife Lesa moved to Georgia when Arn was just a baby, which would explain Arn's south-Georgia accent (as well his penchant for uttering classic southern phrases like "If I tell you a grasshopper can pull a freight train, hook him up!")
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| Mythical Anderson Family Tree (Click image to enlarge.) |
Confused? Don't worry. As Ole Anderson would say, this is all horsesh*t. And it may go quite the way of making the argument that I had too much free time on my hands when writing this.
This article was originally published May of 2018 on the mid-Atlantic Gateway.
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Mid-Atlantic TV Report: August 13, 1983
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| The WWE Network is no longer available in the United States. |
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV Summaries & Reviews
by David Taub
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor
This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it
once 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.
Please note: The WWE Network ceased operation in the United States on April 4, 2021. Their press release stated that their entire archive of material (which would include the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling shows) would be transitioned to NBC's Peacock streaming service by the end of the summer 2021. We'll update as we know more.
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 08/13/83
Taped 07/31/83 in Savannah GA - Savannah Civic Center
Review is from the now defunct WWE Network (U.S.) feed.
Match 1
Jimmy Valiant d. Bill Howard
Tommy Young is the referee for the hour. Valiant dances and shakes hands on the way to the ring. He has his “Kiss My” tights on. An easy Valiant win with the elbow drop.
[VTR] Harley Race (Kansas City Studio)
Comments from Harley Race
We go to taped comments from Harley Race. Not taped in the Mid-Atlantic set. Race namedrops heels like Big John Studd, Brisco, Paul Jones, Gary Hart and more. Race is disappointed no one has collected on his $25,000 bounty on Flair.
[Break]
-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Ric Flair
Flair responds to Race’s comments and the bounty. Flair says Race fears him. Slater tried, and left a mark on his forehead. Funk, Roberts, the Briscos have also tried. Flair doesn’t mind paying the price. You will find out what Ric Flair is made of.
[CLIP] Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 7/30/83 - Briscos injure Jay Youngblood.
Briscos vs. Steamboat & Youngblood.
-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Ric Flair (Continued)
Back to Flair. Youngblood is sitting home with four broken ribs. Flair warns the Briscos. Back to Race and the bounty hunters. “You Jack & Gerlad Brisco will be - WOOO! - on the losing end.”
[Break]
Match 2
Jake Roberts (w/Paul Jones) d. Tracy Stoher
Roberts is mat wrestling more than normal. One-sided match with Roberts winning with the DDT. Still no name for the hold, which Caudle calls a “bulldog.”
Match 3
Dick Slater d. Keith Larson
We head right back to the ring. No Paul Jones with Slater. Slater could have finished Larson off at any time, and finally does with the Samoan drop using the ropes for some extra leverage.
-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Paul Jones
This is in lieu of local interviews. Jones, in a beige tuxedo, is still complaining about Rufus R. Jones ruining his Dream Contest. He says his men would love to go after the bounty.
[Break]
Match 4
Mike Rotundo & Rufus R. Jones d. Golden Boy Grey & Bob Brown
This Bob Brown is the man who I believe became Lt. James Earl Wright of the State Patrol of WCW fame. In the background, you can hear a ring announcer talk, but can’t make out what he was saying. Maybe some headlights were left on in the parking lot. Brown takes the pin after a Rufus headbutt.
[Break]
Match 5
The Assassin d. Mike Davis
This Assassin is the future Hercules. I guess the prior interview of Hamilton Assassin saying they would go by Sir and Mr. didn’t take. No Hamilton Assassin here this week. Caudle references a Jimmy Valiant interview where he says he got rid of Humperdink & One Man Gang. That apparently got cut. The match initially took place 7/22/83 in Richmond, but also went around the horn. Davis gets in his offensive flurry before Assassin takes control. A minute later, Assassin wins with a power slam.
[Break]
-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart
Caudle mentions Valiant getting rid of managers, and Gary Hart may be next. Hart is holding the NWA TV title belt. Hart says Humperdink and Gang are one thing, but he is another. It’s not his business what happened to Humperdink, or what could happen to Paul Jones. He’s concerned about himself. Hart calls Valiant a blue-eyed Albino boy. He taunts Valiant to go after him and Kabuki.
[Break]
Match 6
Non-Title: Great Kabuki [TV Champion) (w/Gary Hart) d. Joel Deaton
Now you see it, now you don’t. No TV title belt in the ring. Deaton has moments of offense, but Kabuki comes off the top and applies the head claw. He takes Deaton down for the pin.
-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Dick Slater; Paul Jones, Jake Roberts & Dory Funk Jr.
Slater says he kicked Flair’s face in once, and he will do it again. Jones talks about Rufus R. Jones cheating, so he won’t get the $100,000. He says his boys will happily go after the bounty.
“So long for now!”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Results for the week, 8/08/83-8/14/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)
Mon., 8/08/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Cy Jernigan d. Bill Howard
Gene Anderson d. Vinnie Valentino
Steve Musulin d. Joel Deaton
Jake Roberts d. Bob Orton Jr.
Greg Valentine d. Roddy Piper
Ric Flair & Ricky Steamboat d. Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco by DQ
Mon., 8/08/83 Myrtle Beach, SC
Rick McCord d. Tom Lentz
Keith Larson d. Golden Boy Grey
Dick Salter d. Mike Davis
Rufus R. Jones d. Dory Funk Jr.
Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw d. Great Kabuki & Gary Hart
Tue., 8/09/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
Mark Fleming d. Ben Alexander
Gene Anderson & Sgt. Jacques Goulet d. Rick McCord & Keith Larson
Assassin 2 d. Steve Musulin
Rufus R. Jones d. Dory Funk Jr.
Roddy Piper d. Greg Valentine by DQ
Tue., 8/09/83 Raleigh, NC
Ric Flair & Ricky Steamboat beat Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco by DQ
Bob Orton, Jr. beat Jake Roberts
Dick Slater beat Mike Rotundo
Bret Hart beat Joel Deaton
Bill Howard beat Cy Jernigan
Vinnie Valentino beat Jerry Grey
Thu., 8/11/83 Fredericksburg, VA; Stafford High School
Mike Davis beat Golden Boy Grey
The Assassin beat Mike Davis
Jacques Goulet beat Mark Fleming
Bugsy McGraw beat One Man Gang
Ric Flair & Ricky Steamboat beat Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco
Fri., 8/12/83 Charleston, SC; County Hall
Gene Anderson beat Brett Hart
Keith Larson beat Rick McCord (sub for Rick McCord & Keith Larson vs. Bill Howard & Tom Lentz)
Princess Victoria beat Peggy Lee
Bob Orton, Jr. beat Jake Roberts
Non-United States championship: Roddy Piper beat Greg Valentine
Fri., 8/12/83 Hampton, VA; Hampton Coliseum (8:15p)
Cy Jerigan d. Brett Hart
Sgt. Jacques Goulet d. Mark Flaming
Mike Rotundo d. Assassin 1
Rufus R. Jones d. Dory Funk Jr.
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco d. Wahoo McDaniel & Ricky Steamboat
Ric Flair beat Dick Slater by CO
Sat., 8/13/83 Roanoke, VA; Roanoke Civic Center (8:15p)
Mike Davis d. Kelly Kiniski
Sgt. Jacques Goulet d. Mark Fleming
The Assassins d. Johnny Weaver & Mike Routndo
Non-United States Heavyweight championship: Roddy Piper d. Greg Valentine [ch.]
World tag team championship: Ric Flair & Rick Steamboat d. Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco [ch.] by DQ
Sun., 8/14/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
The Assassins d. Jimmy Valiant & Rufus R. Jones
Jake Roberts d. Bob Orton Jr.
Ric Flair d. Dick Slater
Wahoo McDaniel & Rick Steamboat d. Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco by DQ
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