A PROFILE OF "THE PROFILE"

 Throughout the long history of JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, few attained the status and recognition of RIP 'The Profile' HAWK.

A long-time 'heel', RIP often made the claim in interviews that the fans, in reality, loved him and supported him. Naturally, this brought out more heat from the fans who denied this was the case. Wrestling fans did love one thing about RIP. They loved to see him get beat in his matches. Many a fan usually left the arenas disappointed in that regard. RIP usually had the final word.

Even when 'babyfaces' like JOHNNY WEAVER or JERRY BRISCO won a side bet with RIP, they ended up getting dropped on their heads when they bent over to pick up their winnings.

"Oh boy...it's payday!"

In the early 1960s, RIP squared off against another JCP icon, JOHNNY VALENTINE.

A bit of bubbly before a match...

Earning his name as HAWK rips the hair of LOUIE TILLET.

Nearing the end of his tenure with JCP, RIP poses wearing the MID-ATLANTIC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP belt (which he shared with his 'nephew', an up-and-coming youngster named FLAIR).

Many of us had the opportunity and privilege of meeting and getting to know RIP from his appearances at the NWA FANFESTs. The respect he has among his peers became evident listening to many of the other FANFEST wrestlers from a by-gone era.

Perhaps WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION HARLEY RACE said it best at the 2007 FANFEST..."Pound for pound, RIP HAWK was easily one of the roughest and most knowledgeable men who ever worked in the business."

As it turns out, those interviews RIP used to give were right after all---I did love RIP HAWK...and I still do.

THE ASSASSINS AND DUSTY RHODES

 

COWBOYS AND BOMBERS

                                                                          May 21, 1966

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

60 Years Ago

Wrestling fans will get a chance to witness a rematch between the teams of TEX McKENZIE / NELSON ROYAL and RIP HAWK / SWEDE HANSON at the LEXINGTON YMCA tonight.

Demands for the return came after the popular Texans lost a disputed match to the BLONDE BOMBERS last Saturday night. It has been contended that HAWK used the ropes in an illegal manner to produce the decisive fall when ROYAL was in position to win it all for his team.

The two-out-of-three falls tag match highlights the card which also contains the following other matches:

Newcomer PAUL DEMARCO meets veteran tough guy IKE EAKINS in the semifinal.

KARL GOTCH takes on CORSICA JEAN, while two other newcomers, RAY GARDINI and KEN HOLLIS, clash in the 8:15 opening match of the evening.

JIM CROCKETT, JR.

 

GREAT WHILE IT LASTED

   All good things must come to an end, and JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS was one of those things, but wasn't it great when we could get in our cars and journey to nearby towns and experience the wrestling matches in person...

GREG VALENTINE and RIC FLAIR

SILENTO RODRIGUEZ and RANDY CURTIS

DARLING DAGMAR and THE KENTUCKIAN TINY ANDERSON

TONI ROSE

JIMMY SNUKA and RICKY STEAMBOAT

FRANK MORRELL and BILLY HINES

(At one time, HINES was one of THE MASKED RED DEMONS.)

JOHNNY VALENTINE

 

PLAYBOY GARY HART GETS HIS

                             You could push a mild-mannered guy like JERRY BRISCO only so                                                       far. 'Playboy' GARY HART crossed the line and paid the price!

"Chain matches disgust me," claimed JERRY. "If a wrestler can't win a match on his ability alone---then he should get out of the business."

Then why did BRISCO end up in a 1973 CHARLOTTE COLISEUM ring battling 'Playboy' GARY HART in a CHAIN MATCH?

The whole bloody mess stemmed from a title match the night OLE ANDERSON hoped to grab JERRY's EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

At a point in the match, it seemed that OLE was really on the short end of a wrestling match, and that didn't happen often. ANDERSON was the victim of a series of dropkicks, spinning toe holds and the abdominal stretch. The end appeared to be near.

Enter GARY HART. Angry that he hadn't been given a title match as he had demanded, HART jumped into the ring to OLE's defense---with a chain.

The heavy metal object left its marks on BRISCO. The referee disqualified ANDERSON due to HART's outside interference. JERRY remained EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

Immediately, HART challenged BRISCO to a match...a CHAIN MATCH. The 'Playboy' and the man he managed, RIP HAWK, told everyone that JERRY wouldn't accept the challenge...because he was yellow.

But they were wrong.

The match was signed for The Big Dome in CHARLOTTE.

It was a night GARY HART would regret. Although he had a few shining moments during the match, the night belonged to JERRY BRISCO. HART was soon a bloody mess, so bad that RIP HAWK grabbed his manager and dragged his limp body to the dressing room and on to the hospital.

Talk about a plan that backfired.

The referee secures each end of the chain to the combatants' wrists.

HART gets the advantage by choking BRISCO with the heavy chain.

The 'Playboy' inflicts more damage to JERRY.

The tide of battle changed, as RIP HAWK helps his manager from the ring.

The EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION is victorious.

BOBO BRAZIL

 

LET'S TAKE TIME FOR THESE COMMERCIAL MESSAGES

                 ABOUT THE MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING EVENTS COMING UP IN YOUR AREA...

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

(Typo on card: 'Rick' Hunter was actually 'Rock Hunter'.)

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

(What a booking for DORY FUNK JR.---wrestling 'Bulldog' LEE HENNING in a prelim.)



RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
(from the MID-ATLANTIC GATEWAY)



RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

BARON VON RASCHKE