Wednesday, June 6, 2018

YOUNG LIONS

Watching the MID-ATLANTIC / WIDE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TV shows each week, viewers became accustomed to hearing specific 'catch-phrases' on a regular basis...
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There was BOB CAUDLE's curtain line..."So long for now."
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There was JOHNNY WEAVER's singing..."Turn Out the Lights."
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And there was DAVID CROCKETT's weekly reference to the "Young Lions" of professional wrestling.
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This was a reference to a number of young wrestlers who primarily jobbed for the main eventers for TV matches, or in plain terms, lost week after week. But that was their purpose.
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Most of these youngsters, however, worked very well and gave good matches, even though viewers generally knew they wouldn't win.
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Some of these guys went on to become big stars in the business, either for JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, or other wrestling organizations.
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Today, these men absorb the spotlight...


ED WISKOSKI
(born 1945)
Became a big star as Colonel DeBeers in the AWA

JAY YOUNGBLOOD
(STEVEN ROMERO 1955-1985)
Teamed with RICKY STEAMBOAT to become one of JCP's all-time popular tag teams.

TERRY SAWYER
(Norfolk, Va. native - was a Virginia high school State Wrestling Champion)

DEWEY ROBERTSON
(BYRON JAMES JOHN ROBERTSON 1939-2007)
Very successful as THE MISSING LINK in MID-SOUTH WRESTLING and WORLD CLASS WRESTLING.
MID-ATLANTIC TAG TEAM CHAMPION twice, once with JOHNNY WEAVER and once with GEORGE WELLS.

DOUG SOMERS
(first wrestled in 1971)
Always a great worker, either in JCP or later as a top AWA star.

BILL HOWARD
(I know little about his career away from JCP, but always enjoyed his work in the MID-ATLANTIC territory.)