Mid-Atlantic TV Report: December 17, 1983

 

 

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, now part the NBC Peacock streaming service in the United States as of April 2021. Results are included for the week (Monday-Sunday of the given week) as available. Please email with any corrections, typos, results, other details at 1davidtaub@gmail.com. Follow @TaubGVWire

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

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 12/17/83
Taped 12/07/83 in Spartanburg, SC at Memorial Auditorium
Review is from WWE Network/NBC Peacock feed. 

Match 1
Rufus R. Jones & Mark Youngblood d. Golden Boy Grey & Bill Howard
Tommy Young is the referee for the hour. Youngblood pins Grey after a double-sledge from the top rope. Quick match. For the last few weeks, the replay isn’t showing the finish of the match.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Paul Jones & The Assassins
Paul Jones says The Assassins are the uncrowned World tag team champions, and thanks the fans for agreeing. Jones is in the Christmas spirit and will try again to give away the poster of himself. He acknowledges the disaster from his last contest six months ago. This time, Jones will hand pick the contestants.

[Break]

Match 2
Don Kernodle (w/Gary Hart) d. Pete Martin
Don Kernodle is back (not acknowledged, but he was in the WWF for the last few months). Caudle says Mark Lewin & Kevin Sullivan are gone, destroyed by Angelo Mosca. Caudle mentions Kernodle being a former tag champion with Sgt. Slaughter. Kernodle wins with the flying clothesline off the turnbuckles. After the match, Hart passes Kernodle an object. Hart distracts the referee, and Kernodle clotheslines Martin, who sells his throat. Sandy Scott and others help put Martin on the stretcher. Perhaps a cameo by Klondike Bill. 

[Break]

Match 3
Tommy Rich d. Magic Dragon
This was taped a few weeks ago (11/21/83 in Greenville). I believe this same match also aired on the same weekend of World Wide Wrestling. Caudle serves as the narrator. Sonny Fargo is the referee. Rich wins with the Thesz Press. No replay.

[VIDEO] Jimmy Valiant Music Video
Caudle throws it to a music video of Jimmy Valiant. He’s playing with people at the park, even drinking motor oil! At least the interspersed action is from Mid-Atlantic (and not Memphis). Valiant is also wearing the crown and waving an American flag while at the park. 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Jimmy Valiant; Angelo Mosca
Valiant is in the Christmas spirit. He brings out a container of “Reindeer milk.” Most of the promo is drowned out by the Network edit. He says something about Paul Jones and The Assassins. Caudle gets a kiss to close it out. The back of his shirt says “Cold Stoned” something.
Angelo talks about taking out Sullivan & Lewin. Did they get fired or something? Angelo’s son will be here soon. But the Golden Spike is still here with Gary Hart. Ivan Koloff is coming back. Angelo has words for him. Looks like Angelo dyed his hair, no gray.

[Break] 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Greg Valentine
Valentine doesn’t want to talk about Piper’s challenge or anyone else. He is still the United States Heavyweight champion. That’s all he cares about. 

Match 4
Ivan Koloff (w/Gary Hart) d. Brett Hart
Koloff has the chain, banging it on the mat. Caudle calls Koloff the Russian Chain champion. He wonders how he would fair in that dog collar match? More hype for the Road Warriors coming. All Ivan. Instead of the usual knee to the back of the head out of the corner, it seemed Hart couldn’t get in the right spot. He just took a bump face first instead of waiting for Ivan. Ivan hit the knee to the back anyway, but didn’t look so good. Easy pin.

[Break] 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood; Roddy Piper
Ricky says he wants to end the year as champs for the fans. Jay says The Briscos are in secret training in Florida. They appreciate the fan support.
Piper says the reason he’s bundled is up, because his body is horrible compared to Steamboat. Piper says he’s lost a whole lot to Valentine, but he’s come back big time. 

[Break]

Match 5
The Road Warriors: Hawk & Animal (w/Paul Ellering)
d. Keith Larson & Gene Ligon
As soon as the bell rang, the Road Warriors attacked their opponents. A guest appearance, which was not unusual. Road Warriors also made a guest appearance in 1983 on the Mid-South show. Caudle is amazed about their look. They were billed earlier in the show as National tag team champs, but that wasn’t true, as they lost the belts earlier in the week this was taped. One power move after another by The Road Warriors. Animal pins Ligon after a rough looking clothesline. Caudle mentions Dusty Rhodes is coming in too.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart, Ivan Koloff and Don Kernodle
Hart brushes off Lewin & Sullivan being run off by Mosca. He’s still there. Now, Mosca should be worried about Ivan and Kernodle. Hart warns Angelo Mosca about his son’s safety. Ivan wants to change over the dollar to the ruble. He and Kernodle make threats toward Mosca.

And, oddly the show cuts off. It is only 32 minutes long. Usually, they run 47 minutes. Apparently, we miss out on a Steamboat & Youngblood match.

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Results for the week, 12/12/83-12/18/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 12/12/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium (TV)
Greg Valentine beat Roddy Piper
The Assassins & Paul Jones beat Jimmy Valiant, Rufus R. Jones & Keith Larson
Ricky Steamboat & Angelo Mosca beat Don Kernodle & Gary Hart
Plus other matches

Tue., 12/13/83 Raleigh, NC; Dorton Arena
Brickhouse Brown beat John Bonello
Mark Fleming beat Bill Howard
Vinnie Valentino beat Kelly Kiniski
The Assassins beat Jimmy Valiant & Mark Youngblood
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Greg Valentine & Bob Orton, Jr.

Tue., 12/13/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
Rick McCord beat Tony Russo
Brett Hart beat Jerry Grey
Terry Gibbs beat Keith Larson
Angelo Mosca & Rufus R. Jones beat Don Kernodle & Gary Hart
Roddy Piper beat Dick Slater by DQWed.,

12/14/83 Shelby, NC; Recreation Center(TV)
The Assassins vs. Jimmy Valiant & Rufus R. Jones
Dick Slater beat Greg Valentine to win NWA United States Title
Mark Youngblood & Rufus R. Jones beat Bill Howard & Tony Russo
Don Kernodle beat Rick McCord
The Assassins beat Keith Larson & John Bonello
Dick Slater beat Mark Fleming
Tommy Rich beat Jerry Grey
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Hans Schroeder & Gary Royal
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Bill Howard & Kelly Kiniski
Don Kernodle beat Mark Fleming
Bob Orton, Jr. beat Vinnie Valentino
Angelo Mosca beat Ben Alexander
Rufus R. Jones & Mark Youngblood beat Terry Gibbs & Gary Royal

Note: Jim Crockett Promotions took its usual Christmas break after this card, resuming Dec. 25 in Greenville and Charlotte.

The Origins of Wahoo McDaniel vs. Ric Flair (1975)

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway 

“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!”
- Wahoo McDaniel

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 classic feud between Wahoo McDaniel and Ric Flair.

On the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling show taped July 23, 1975, Ric Flair, the Mid-Atlantic TV champ at that time, 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.

Here is about 2:30 of that vintage audio. The sound quality is a little muffled, but you can make most of the key points mentioned above. Your host is Les Thatcher, with color commentary by NWA Rookie of the Year Steve Keirn. The audio picks up with about a minute left in the match.

The feud between Wahoo and Flair lasted for over 11 years, and included battles over the Mid-Atlantic, United States, and NWA World Heavyweight titles. But it all started over Wahoo coming to the aid of a friend, his old NFL roommate. That was enough is get things started. It made sense to everyone watching. We all bought into it because we all would have done the same in that position.

Flair beats Wahoo
for the Mid-Atlantic Title

Flair would soon lose the TV title to Paul Jones and mount a challenge for Wahoo’s Mid-Atlantic title. The two would battle over the next couple of months until Flair finally beat Wahoo for the title on September 20, 1975 in Hampton, VA in a title-vs.-hair match; if Flair lost, he would have to shave his head.

A few weeks later in early October, the private airplane Flair was on with Bob Bruggers, Johnny Valentine, Tim Woods, and David Crockett crashed near Wilmington NC. Despite suffering a broken back in the crash, Flair was back in action by late January 1976 and defending the Mid-Atlantic title against the former champion Wahoo McDaniel.

The two would trade the title several times over the entire year of 1976, with Wahoo eventually getting the title back for good in December 1976. Flair and new partner Greg Valentine began a family battle with Flair’s cousins the Anderson Brothers for the World Tag titles. Wahoo moved on to a feud with Greg Valentine in 1977 that eventually cost Wahoo a broken leg. But the paths of Wahoo McDaniel and Ric Flair would cross again and again over the coming years.

Thanks to David Chappell's vintage audio, you've just listened to those paths crossing to begin their feud on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV taped in Raleigh, NC, July 23, 1975.

Read about all of these great events and much more in the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 1975 Yearbook, on sale now.


(The story above is edited and expanded from an original story published on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway titled "A Simpler Time" in July of 2006.)

Originally published July 2015 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Respect: David Crockett Makes Appearance at the NWA Crockett Cup

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

This past weekend (March 19-20), the National Wrestling Alliance presented the 2022 Crockett Cup tournament on pay-per-view. It was the modern-day NWA's second revival of the tournament that bears the name of the legendary family that promoted professional wrestling for over 50 years in the Carolinas, Virginia, and eventually nationwide. 

In 1986, Jim Crockett Promotions presented the first in an annual series of tag team tournaments named to honor the patriarch of the family, a man who first began promoting professional wrestling in 1933, James Allen Crockett. The first Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament was held at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA.  Subsequent tournaments were held in Baltimore MD, and Greenville SC/Greensboro, NC. Jim Sr.'s widow Elizabeth presented the Crockett Cup trophy to the winners of all three of those events.

Sadly, the tournament series ended after only three years. The Crockett family business was sold to Ted Turner in late 1988, and Turner's new WCW promotion chose not to continue the tournament.  

Move ahead 31 years later. The modern-day NWA led by owner and promoter William Corgan, as part of a series of efforts to rekindle the tradition of the NWA, decided to bring the tournament back. In 2019, the organization held the event re-branded simply as "The Crockett Cup" in Charlotte, NC, the longtime home of Jim Crockett Promotions. Two of Jim Crockett Sr.'s children, Frances Crockett and Jackie Crockett were at that event that year to present the trophy to the winning team. 

The Covid-19 pandemic derailed plans for both the 2020 and 2021 events. In that interim, Frances, David, and Jackie lost their oldest brother Jim Crockett, Jr. in early 2021. 

But throughout, Corgan was determined to bring the Crockett Cup back again. The 2022 event was held in Nashville, TN, and was a big two-night affair that culminated on Sunday 3/20 with the finals of the tournament as well as an NWA World Heavyweight title defense.

There were lots of things that William Corgan did to make the event memorable, but there was one special thing he arranged that helped make special magic and that was the appearance and involvement of perhaps the most well known of all the Crockett family, David Crockett. David not only presented the trophy, he lent his unique brand of commentary to several of the tournament matches.

David Crockett, seated between NWA broadcaster Joe Galli and former NWA World
Champion Tim Storm, calls action during the NWA Crockett Cup.

David's appearance for the NWA comes on the heels of his multiple winter appearances for AEW Wrestling on their nationally televised programs. (Read more about that here.)

As older fans will remember, not only was David Crockett instrumental behind the scenes in the family  business, he was a commentator on their televised wrestling shows for over 14 years. He first teamed up with the legendary Bob Caudle in 1974 to host Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in the cozy confines of WRAL-TV studios in Raleigh, NC. He later hosted World Wide Wrestling in the arenas in the 1980s with a variety of co-hosts including Johnny Weaver and Tony Schiavone. But he is probably most remembered as the co-host of the nationally televised World Championship Wrestling program that aired each Saturday at 6:05 PM on the Superstation WTBS in the mid-to-late 1980s. 

David's enthusiasm during that time leapt off the screen, representing the fan's point of view in many of the matches and angles that aired each week. His excitement was infectious. He has pointed out many times in recent years that the excitement that came through on his commentary was born out of the fact that despite being part of management in a thriving family business, he was first and foremost a fan himself. It showed each week, and David's unique brand of commentary is still fondly remembered to this day.

David told me he came away from Nashville very impressed with the NWA production team, which reminded him a bit of JCP's mobile production team in the 1980s - - small but efficient, and professional. And he also was impressed with the level of talent in the ring through the two day event.

But most of all he seemed genuinely touched by his personal interactions that weekend, and the respect shown him by not only Corgan's management team, but also the broadcast team, production crew, and the locker room.  

"I could not believe how wonderful everyone was," he wrote me. "It was a humbling experience. The whole time I was thinking, I wish Dad, Mom, and Jimmy could have seen the respect everyone gave them."

It is wonderful to see David having such fun being involved in wrestling again. The best part, though, is witnessing the modern-day NWA carry forward the legacy and tradition of the original Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup. Having David Crockett there and part of the event brought major credibility to the NWA's efforts in that regard.   

Photographs provided by George Pantas.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
MORE PHOTOS

Joe Galli, David Crockett, and Tim Storm (all lower left) call the action at the 2022 NWA Crockett Cup in Nashville. The Crockett Cup trophy can be seen in the background, far right.

Director Billy Trask and David Crockett in the NWA production truck.

2022 Crockett Cup Champions Jay and Mark Briscoe with David Crockett
The Briscoe Brothers are soon to be inducted in to the Ring of Honor Hall of Fame.

David Crockett (L) with the beautiful Crockett Cup Trophy
With David is a friend of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway George Pantas, a wrestling documentarian and also Commissioner of Virginia Championship Wrestling in Norfolk, VA.

For results of the entire Crockett Cup show, visit here.
To order the PPV replay visit Fite TV

Remembering Dusty Rhodes

My First Impression Was the Most Lasting
by David Chappell
Mid-Atlantic Gateway
Originally published June 2015

Like most Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling fans, I felt tremendous sadness when I learned that the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes passed away. While I never considered Dusty a true “Mid-Atlantic” guy, he nevertheless cast a large shadow over the latter years of Jim Crockett Promotions and the professional wrestling world in general.

Everybody that ever saw Dusty over the course of his career likely has a lasting memory of him…one match, card or interview that really stands out. I’m no different, though mine might be a bit obscure to some. It occurred on September 4, 1976, which was Dusty’s first appearance in my wrestling hometown of Richmond, Virginia.

Two weeks before that big event, it was clear that something unusual was up. TV promo announcer Les Thatcher told the Richmond viewing audience to be sure to tune in next week “for a special announcement of interest to all Richmond area wrestling fans.” During the Mid-Atlantic years, I never remembered a “tease” like that during a Richmond promo for our upcoming Friday night matches. Sure enough, when the next week rolled around, Les Thatcher announced that the American Dream Dusty Rhodes would be challenging “Nature Boy” Ric Flair for Flair’s Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship on a special Saturday night card at the Richmond Coliseum!

The promos leading up to the match were exceptional. Ric said “the confrontation between the two biggest egos in wrestling” had to eventually come about, and that he was sorry that he had “to ruin the grand occasion when the Dream was finally coming to Richmond.” But Ric hastened to add that he would in fact ruin Dusty’s first Richmond appearance, noting that “if there was anybody that could do it, anybody that is that much higher than the Dream, it’s the Nature Boy.”

Rhodes sent in a promo from Florida for the Richmond match, and it may have been the best promo I ever heard Dusty cut...and that covers a lot of territory. Dusty, saying he was “the greatest sports attraction in the world” and “287 pounds of sweet soul,” told the Richmond audience that he was coming to the Mid-Atlantic area, and was looking to capture all the territory’s Titles, in route to the World’s Heavyweight Championship. The “Dream” referred to his Richmond opponent, Ric Flair, as “talkin’ trash, and spendin’ cash.” Dusty told Flair and the fans in Richmond in no uncertain terms that “it’s all about the Mid-Atlantic Title around my waist! I’m gonna bring all the power, pandemonium and excitement and lay it right in your lap….Jack!"

A massive Coliseum crowd welcomed Dusty to Richmond, and those fans appeared to have propelled the American Dream to the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. Rhodes exuded the charisma he was famous for, and also showed off amazing athleticism for a man his size. In a chaotic ending where Flair’s major Mid-Atlantic protagonist Wahoo McDaniel interjected himself in the action, Dusty pinned Flair and carried the Mid-Atlantic Title belt with him back to the dressing room! A Title change…or so the Richmond fans thought.

On the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television show that aired the following Saturday, Richmond fans were looking forward to Dusty Rhodes being introduced as the new Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion in the opening segment. But in the show opening there wasn’t a word about the Title change…and Dusty Rhodes wasn’t even mentioned. Then the bombshell was dropped.

In an interview just for the Richmond fans, Les Thatcher introduced Ric Flair as “a man who is surrounded with a lot of controversy.” Ric went on to address the match he had with Dusty in Richmond, saying that the Mid-Atlantic belt would be a part of his body until he decided to put it down and walk away from it. While talking about the match, Flair angrily said, “McDaniel had to interfere. My foot was on the rope…Wahoo didn’t beat me, Dusty didn’t beat me, the people didn’t beat me. As much as it hurt them inside, the NWA had to give me back this ten pounds of silver, brother.”

So, Dusty didn’t win the Mid-Atlantic belt after all. A “Dusty finish” before that term became part of the wrestling lexicon. To make matters worse, Rhodes didn’t become a Mid-Atlantic regular like his promo intimated he would. In fact, I don’t remember the American Dream wrestling again in Richmond until 1981 when he was the NWA World Champion, then Dusty wrestled several isolated bouts in Richmond in 1982 and finally in the middle of 1984 he did in fact come into Jim Crockett Promotions as a regular.

Watching Dusty over the years, I always come back to his first Richmond appearance way back on September 4, 1976. In many ways, I see his career encapsulated in that initial Richmond appearance and its aftermath. Tremendous promos, charisma off the charts, solid work in the ring on the plus side, but “Dusty finishes” and Dusty overshadowing everybody and everything not Dusty on the not so positive side.

Regardless of how you view the career of the American Dream in its totality, I doubt if any wrestling fan would argue against the statement that Dusty Rhodes was one of the biggest stars in the history of professional wrestling. And I’m very glad the “Dream” made that first Richmond appearance in early September of 1976. It always gave me a point of reference as I followed his career in later years, and Dusty stayed true to that form for the most part over the years. Truly, my first impression of Dusty Rhodes turned out to be my most lasting and enduring one.

Newspaper Clippings from the Mark Eastridge Collection

 

Originally published in June 2015 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Gene Anderson gets One Last Shot at the NWA World Champioinship

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway 

The great Gene Anderson, original founding member of the famous Anderson family in wrestling, was never known for his singles competition. He was primarily known for being part of a famous tag team known as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew with two different worked-brothers: Lars Anderson in the 1960s and Ole Anderson in the late 1960s through the early 1980s.

Photo courtesy of WrestlerWeekly.com
@wrestlerweekly on Twitter

Gene was the silent killer of the team, letting his braggadocious, loudmouth, younger brothers do all the talking. Les Thatcher once noted while calling an Anderson Brothers match on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in 1975:

"As Teddy Roosevelt said, 'Talk softly and carry a big stick.' You'll hear very little out of Gene Anderson," Thatcher quipped. Gene Anderson carried a very big stick in the Minnesota Wrecking Crew.

The Andersons were no strangers to tag team championships. They held multiple regional and world championships over several decades. But it was somewhat of a rare occurrence when Gene Anderson received a shot at the NWA World heavyweight singles title.

He received a few in the early 1970s against champion Dory Funk, Jr., in towns like Norfolk, Richmond, and Raleigh for promoter Joe Murnick, who more than others apparently saw value in putting Gene in the ring on top with Funk.

But after those shots in 1970 and 1971, Gene Anderson's days as a contender for the World heavyweight singles title ended. To my knowledge, he never got a shot at Harley Race, Jack Brisco, or Terry Funk throughout the remainder of the 1970s. (Please correct me if I am wrong about that.)

And then suddenly, almost exactly 10 years after his last NWA title shot on July 7, 1971, Gene gets one last shot at the title again, this time against new champion (and long time rival in the tag team wars) Dusty Rhodes on July 11, 1981 in Spartanburg, SC.

Admittedly, on the surface the booking of this match doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Throughout his career, Gene was predominantly a tag team wrestler and never was in the mix for singles titles. Ole as an opponent made more sense, and indeed Ole was getting several shots at Rhodes during this time. Ole had the long running singles feud with Dusty, particularly in the Georgia Championship Wrestling area. He could also deliver a better promo to promote the match.

Gene Anderson, Bob Caudle, and Ole Anderson

This Spartanburg card was a matinee show at 3:00 PM. Ole is not listed on it, so it's likely he was booked on another spot show town on a matinee card. I've not been able to find a record of any such show at this point. Both Ole and Gene reunited later that same evening in Charlotte for a defense of their NWA World tag team championship against Ricky Steamboat and Bad Bad Leroy Brown. Rhodes and the NWA title weren't on that Charlotte show, so it's safe to assume Rhodes defended the title in some other Crockett town that Saturday night,  but I've not come across any record of a title defense for Rhodes that night.

The Spartanburg newspaper reported the following day that Rhodes had defeated Anderson in the main event. In other action on that 7/11 Spartanburg card, Bad Bad Leroy Brown defeated the Iron Sheik. No other results were listed.

This would be Gene's last shot at the NWA championship. He never got another shot after that, at least none that we have ever come across. (As always, we welcome additional information.) He and Ole were also in their final run as NWA World tag team champions. I kind of like knowing this one last, odd singles title shot was against Dusty Rhodes, who had a long and storied rivalry and feud with the Andersons.

If you've hung around the Mid-Atlantic Gateway for very long, you know we are big fans of the Anderson Brothers. This is a nice little rare piece of Anderson lore to hang on to.


* * * * * *
Thanks as always to Mark Eastridge for the newspaper clippings. Thanks to Scottie Richardson at WrestlerWeekly.com for the poster image. Thanks also to Brack Beasley.

Originally published on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway in July of 2017, and republished in 2018 and 2020 as part of our Classic Poster Series. 

David Crockett, Billy Corgan Talk 2022 NWA Crockett Cup

DON'T MISS THE NWA CROCKETT CUP THIS WEEKEND - HUGE TWO NIGHT EVENT!
THIS WEEKEND SATURDAY 3/19 AND SUNDAY 3/20
NASHVILLE FAIRGROUNDS, NASHVILLE, TN

Tickets: https://www.simpletix.com/e/nwa-crockett-cup-tickets-99885
Fite TV PPV Info: https://www.fite.tv/join/nwa-powerrr/

Click on Image for a larger view of the article.

Click on Image for a larger view of the article.

Poster: Huge Triple Main Event in Greensboro (1977)

HARLEY RACE vs. WAHOO MCDANIEL
RIC FLAIR vs. RICKY STEAMBOAT
BLACKJACK MULLIGAN vs. DUSTY RHODES & GEORGE SCOTT

By Brack Beasley
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

I chose to highlight this particular poster primarily due to the number of Mid Atlantic Wrestling legends it features. By my count, no less than 14. It promotes a card held on Sunday night, August 14th, 1977 at the famed Greensboro Coliseum headlined by an NWA World Heavyweight title match with Harley Race defending against Wahoo McDaniel. 

In one of the most revered rivalries in the history of professional wrestling, Ric Flair defended his United States title against TV champ Ricky Steamboat while Blackjack Mulligan took the challenge of a handicap match against the team of Dusty Rhodes and George Scott.

Fans didn't have to wait until the main events for great action as the undercard consisted of stars such as Paul Jones, Mr. Wrestling, the Masked Superstar, Kim Duk, Johnny Weaver, Danny Miller, Abe Jacobs, and a young Tully Blanchard. 

Other than the main event names in high impact red (and in a smaller font than normally seen due to space constraints), the poster has black print over a bright pink background and images of Race, Flair, Dusty, Wahoo, Steamboat, and Duk on the sides. 

Signatures by Ricky Steamboat and the Superstar add a nice touch to this representation of a great era in Jim Crockett Promotions, and professional wrestling as a whole. 

NO. 30 IN A SERIES

* * * * * * * * * * *

MID-ATLANTIC GATEWAY NOTES
by Dick Bourne

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's hottest feud of the decade, Flair vs. Steamboat, and one of Harley Race's toughest contenders in our territory and others includiong Florida, Georgia, and Houston, Whaoo McDaniel, topped this amazing card in Greensboro.

But the match that fans might have anticipated the most due its unusual nature and the story leading up to it, was the handicap match between Blackjack Mulligan and George Scott, with Scott's partner that night Dusty Rhodes. Mulligan had roughed up Scott a bit on a TV interview, and although retired from the ring at this point (and the booker of the territory behind the scenes), Scott wanted in the ring one more time with Mullgian. Mulligan was so sure he could whip the retired Scott under any circumstances, allowed Scott to pick a partner and he would face them in a handicap situation. 

This set up a series of matches around the territory where Scott picked various opponents around the horn including Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods, and even his own brother, the semi-retired Sandy Scott. The latter reformed the famous 60s tag team of the "Flying Scotts."

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.

Now That's a Dropkick! Hawk vs. Lex Luger

 

This is another in a series of great images by our friend, the late photographer Robert Riddick, Jr. 

Road Warrior Hawk connects with a wicked flying dropkick on the "Total Package" Lex Luger, circa 1987-1988. Guessing Lex felt that one. 

Great memories!

Click here for more classic Robert Riddick images on the mid-Atlantic Gateway.

David Crockett to Appear at Crockett Cup 2022

The National Wrestling Alliance announced today (3/9/22) that David Crockett, member of the legendary Crockett family that promoted wrestling and other entertainment events for decades, will be appearing for both nights of the 2022 Crockett Cup Tournament held this year in Nashville, TN.

His appearance for the NWA follows several appearances he made this winter for AEW Wrestling when the company toured some of the key cities in the old Mid-Atlantic territory, including Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh.

Obviously, the Crockett family participation lends great credibility to the NWA's efforts to revive the Crockett Cup, one of the most remembered and celebrated events in the final years of Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s. The tournament is named for the patriarch of the Crockett family, Jim Crockett, Sr., who first promoted wrestling in the early 1930s. He was a pillar of the Charlotte community and a longtime stalwart member of the National Wrestling Alliance from the 1950s until his death in 1973.

The modern-day NWA revived the Crockett Cup tournament in 2019 in Charlotte, where David's sister Frances and younger brother Jackie both appeared to present the trophy during that evening. The 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. 

The tournament returns for 2022 on March 19 and 20 at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. The NWA World Heavyweight Championship and other NWA titles will also be on the line during the event.  

For ongoing up-to-date details on the event, follow the NWA on Twitter (@NWA)  or on Facebook. For tickets visit https://www.simpletix.com/e/nwa-crockett-cup-tickets-99885.