FLYING SCOTTS MEET THE BOLOS

                                                                      March 4, 1963  

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

62 Years Ago

Pro wrestling's most dreaded tag team, THE GREAT BOLO and BOLO, return to action after a week's absence, headlining tonight's PARK CENTER mat card when they face Canada's popular duo of GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT.

Just about everybody in the bone-cracking business has a feud of long standing with the two masked wrestlers, and the "FLYING SCOTTS" are no exception. These four have met before with nothing really being settled. Both teams intend to make a statement tonight in the best two-of-three falls battle.

There's more tag team action in the semi-final tonight, and this one brings in the rugged twosome of FRANK VALOIS and CRUSHER ANGELO, and they will have a potentially tough evening as they will face THE KENTUCKIANS, TINY ANDERSON and BIG BOY BROWN. This one is also for two-out-of-three falls.

In singles matches, Yugoslavian BRONCHO LUBICH, who will be accompanied to the ring by his manager, HOMER O'DELL, squares off against DALE LEWIS, a newcomer from Oklahoma.

Tonight's opener features JERRY BALLARD and PAUL HARRISON, a pair of Negro grapplers, against one another.

Bell time is 8:15.

RONNIE AND TERRY GARVIN

 

WEAVER CHASES MAULER FOR TITLE

                                                                     June 11, 1966

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

The SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP will be at stake in tonight's LEXINGTON YMCA feature attraction.

THE MISSOURI MAULER, holder of the coveted belt designating the championship, will defend his honor against the popular JOHNNY WEAVER, probably the most popular wrestler in the Carolinas, who has held this title himself.

The two-out-of-three falls encounter matches two long-time adversaries within a one-hour time limit.

A tag team battle is also set, and a battle it should be when GEORGE BECKER (WEAVER's regular tag partner) joins his old buddy ABE JACOBS to meet the brutal German brother combination of KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM in a two-of-three falls contest.

"Johnny's title match gives ABE and me a chance to team back up like we used to. ABE and I are going to take care of the Germans, then watch JOHNNY become the new SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION," BECKER has stated.

In the prelim matches, which kick off the 8:15 p.m. card, the tough veteran EL GAUCHO meets North Carolina's own LUTHER LINDSAY, and KEN HOLLIS dukes it out with RUDY KAYE.

DUSTY RHODES AND DICK MURDOCH

 

AROUND THE TERRITORY

 

PHIL (BUCK) ROBLEY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1969

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT won from THE INFERNOS with J.C. DYKES via DQ.

BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY topped ABE JACOBS and LES WOLFE.

JOHNNY WEAVER whipped MATTI SUZUKI.

BOBBY RED CLOUD topped PHIL ROBLEY.

LES THATCHER

GREENVILLE, S.C. - 1968

LARS, GENE and OLE ANDERSON toppled ARGENTINA ZUMA, LES THATCHER and PAUL DEMARCO in six man action.

JESSE JAMES topped PEPPY GOMEZ.

PANCHO VALDEZ pinned JACK RICO.

BOB RAMSTEAD wrestled JOHNNY HEIDEMAN to a draw.

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER

CHARLESTON, S.C. - 1965

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER won over BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY.

THE KENTUCKIANS bested THE ALASKAN and THE BEAST.

GEORGE 'CATALINA' DRAKE topped EDUARDO CASTILLO.

PEE WEE LOPEZ pinned JIM DANDY.

EL LOBO

GREENVILLE, S.C. - 1969

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER defeated LARS and GENE ANDERSON.

BOB GRIFFIN and LES WOLFE lost to BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY.

OLE ANDERSON whipped BOBBY RED CLOUD.

JOHNNY HEIDEMAN topped EL LOBO.

COWBOY BOB ELLIS

 

A CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT FOR SURE

                                                                    August 28, 1965

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

HAYSTACKS CALHOUN

BRONCHO LUBICH, HOMER O'DELL, ALDO BOGNI

ABE JACOBS

RON REED

BOB ORTON

MIKE GALLAGHER

GORY GUERRERO

OMAR ATLAS

'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS

Something unusual is on tap for wrestling fans tonight at the LEXINGTON YMCA as two heavyweight championships are up for grabs when action gets underway at 8:15.

The current SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH, will defend their title against the popular contenders in that of big HAYSTACKS CALHOUN and speedy ABE JACOBS.

HAYSTACKS is the biggest man in the wrestling business, and JACOBS is a top competitor who should mesh well with CALHOUN.

BOGNI and LUBICH will have their devious manager, HOMER O'DELL, in their corner.

SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 'BIG O' BOB ORTON will put his title up against top contender RON REED (he later wrestled as BUDDY COLT). REED is certainly capable of taking the belt away from the current champ.

Both title bouts are scheduled for two-out-of-three falls with one hour time limits.

Prelim action will find GORY GUERRERO squaring off against tough MIKE GALLAGHER.

The opening match pits good-looking fan favorite OMAR ATLAS facing the rugged 'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS.

HARLEY RACE

 

HEAT UNDER THE HOOD

 

THE INFERNOS with Manager J.C. DYKES

JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, throughout the 1960s, was known in the professional wrestling world as the top territory for tag team wrestling. Probably more than ninety percent of the time, a JCP card was topped off with a tag match.

The list of main event teams who worked the MID-ATLANTIC area is a 'Who's Who' of the greatest combos ever in the business.

Other than THE BOLOS, the best masked team to ever hit the Carolinas and Virginia was a couple of guys who went by the ring name of THE INFERNOS. Along side them was a red-headed manager J.C. (Jimmy) DYKES.

There were, through the years, several incarnations of the INFERNO team (and countless impersonators), but the original two 'blue tigers' (as Dykes often called them) were FRANKIE CAIN and ROCKY SMITH. Neither men were big in stature by wrestling standards, but could they ever work!

In interviews, DYKES claimed the duo was European and spoke little English. He was the only person who could really communicate with them well, and did much of it by the use of blowing a whistle during their matches to give them strategic commands.

The wrestling fans, to create problems for the evil trio, soon began bringing their own whistles to the matches. The areas would become deafening with several hundred whistles being blown at the same time. A great way for the fans to be involved in the match.

DYKES also carried a metal canteen to the ring, giving his men a needed refreshment between falls of their matches. Naturally, the metal canteen often found its mark on the noggins of many a 'babyface' opponent.

And it was not beneath the dignity of J.C. to throw an occasional fireball at their adversaries. I recall George Becker and Les Thatcher at the receiving end on two different occasions.

But the 'gimmick' of THE INFERNOS that got the most heat (and this team's heat was as hot as the sun) was the loaded boot.

THE INFERNOS and DYKES drew big money in every territory they appeared, be it the Carolinas and Virginia, Florida, Texas, etc. They headlined countless wrestling cards facing each area's top teams (including other 'heel' teams).

J.C. DYKES died in 1993. ROCKY SMITH has also passed away. FRANKIE CAIN was the first to leave the team when he became pro wrestling's THE GREAT MEPHISTO. Cain was replaced by Rocky's brother CURTIS, who has passed as well.

SAILOR ART THOMAS