THE MICHIGAN WRECKING CREW

                                                                      July 31, 1965

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS

JOHN and CHRIS TOLOS

RON REED

DALE LEWIS

THE VIKING

ABE JACOBS

LUTHER LINDSAY

Brothers JOHN and CHRIS TOLOS, known as 'THE MICHIGAN WRECKING CREW', will face tough competition in a LEXINGTON YMCA pro wrestling feature tonight.

This time out, the TOLOS brothers, victorious last Saturday over GEORGE 'CATALINA' DRAKE and RON REED, will be pitted against the stellar and spectacular duo of New Zealand's ABE JACOBS and former AAU and Olympic mat star DALE LEWIS. The two teams will go at it in a two-out-of-three falls encounter.

RON REED * will return tonight and will face THE VIKING, a rugged competitor, in the evening's semi-final. It's the best-of-three falls as well.

LUTHER LINDSAY, a local Negro star, and very popular with the fans, meets the Frenchman FELIX LAMBAN in one preliminary.

In the opening contest, young ROY DURAN will attempt to halt big bully GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS, who has been on quite a tear of late.

Action gets underway at 8:15 tonight.

* RON REED would later wrestle using the name BUDDY COLT.

THE ASSASSINS with MGR. PAUL JONES

 

DOUBLE MAIN EVENTS IN LEXINGTON

                                                               November 4, 1967

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Top quality matches should pull in another large crowd for tonight's professional wrestling card at the LEXINGTON YMCA.

The current SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER, will clash with the rugged duo PAMPERO FIRPO and THE MISSOURI MAULER in a best-of-three falls explosion, set for a one-hour time limit.

Neither the team title nor WEAVER's recently-acquired SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (which he took from the MAULER) is at stake, but exciting action is expected, and a FIRPO / MAULER win would guarantee them a championship match in the near future. Neither team has any positive feelings for one another, so anything could happen.

Another top tag battle with spectator appeal matches the prize Indian combo of BOBBY RED CLOUD and CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE against super bullies BRONCHO LUBICH and ALDO BOGNI. The Indians are on a current win streak in Lexington, one their opponents would like to stop dead in its tracks. This is two-of-three falls with a forty-five minute time limit.

Two singles matches are also set for tonight.

George 'TWO TON' HARRIS hopes to splash young, good-looking ALEX MEDINA and JERRY LONDON challenges the crafty veteran 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING in the 8:15 p.m. opener.

J.C. DYKES and THE INFERNOS

 

GEORGE BECKER versus JIM CROCKETT

 Popular GEORGE BECKER left CROCKETT PROMOTIONS in 1971, but as it turned out, he did not leave the wrestling business.

"For many years, GEORGE BECKER has been one of professional wrestling's biggest stars. This fact is attested to by thousands of the sport's fans who have sent in votes for BECKER since his retirement a few months ago requesting GEORGE be inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

BECKER, though retired from the mat, has not quit the wrestling business. He has become a promoter. He and MIKE GALLAGHER, another retired grappler, recently began their own wrestling company through an association with the SHAKEY'S PIZZA chain. Their small independent shows started up a few weeks ago (in and around Charlotte, North Carolina), and whether the two will be successful or not, is not yet known."

from an article by GENE GORDON in the July, 1972 issue of WRESTLING REVUE



Even though the promotion did not last very long, I thought you might enjoy these rare glimpses of the BECKER / GALLAGHER promotion and some of the wrestlers on their roster.

Referee BUDDY WAYNE, wrestlers BILLY BLUE CLOUD and CHARLIE COOK.
COOK was a former Pittsburgh Steeler who previously had a successful run in Florida, often teaming with Jack and Jerry Brisco.

Action featuring BILLY BLUE CLOUD and THE BLACK MEDIC.

OX THE RIPPER choking CHARLIE COOK.
This match occurred in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.

THE VALENTINE BROTHERS

JERRY and JIMMY

MIKE GALLAGHER during his in-ring career.

MIKE and brother DOC formed a potent heel team in JCP during the late 1950s and early 1960s and often feuded with BECKER at the time.

Throughout his wrestling career, GEORGE appreciated his fans and was always accessible to them.

BECKER / GALLAGHER PROMOTIONS six man team of DIZZY McSHANE, ROCK RIDDLE and THE CONVICT.

DALE STARR works on the leg of DIZZY McSHANE in a match held in Gastonia, North Carolina.

McSHANE, RIDDLE and THE CONVICT do battle with DALE STARR and the VALENTINE BROTHERS, JIMMY and JERRY.

Going up against JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS in their hometown of Charlotte was a mountain too high to climb.

DANNY MILLER

 

WINNERS AND NON-WINNERS

 

TINKER TODD

CHARLESTON, S.C. - 1969

GENE and OLE ANDERSON topped MR. WRESTLING and ABE JACOBS.

JIMMY HINES whipped TINKER TODD.

BOB RAMSTEAD and JESSE JAMES wrestled EL GAUCHO and PEDRO GODOY to a draw.

BILLY HINES defeated BILLY SPEARS.

ARGENTINA APOLLO


RICHMOND, VA. - 1971

ARGENTINA APOLLO and LES THATCHER topped GENE ANDERSON and ART NELSON.

KOA TIKI and LUTHER LINDSAY defeated JIM GRABMIRE and JOHNNY HEIDEMAN.

NICK RUSSO won over JOE FURR.

BRUTE BERNARD stopped JIM DILLON.


GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT


CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1966

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT beat KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM.

PENNY BANNER defeated LINDA CARROLL.

DON CHUY bested TONY NERO.

RUDY KAY downed JACK DANIELS (cheers!).

ABE JACOBS topped CORSICA JEAN.


THE KENTUCKIANS
TINY ANDERSON and BIG BOY BROWN


LYNCHBURG, VA. - 1967

THE KENTUCKIANS bested P.Y. CHUNG and HARU SASAKI.

JESSE JAMES and LES THATCHER wrestled to a no contest with JAN MADRID and GENE DUNDEE.

CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE defeated BULL RAMOS.

NELSON ROYAL toppled ANGELO MARTINELLI.


BRUTE BERNARD


RICHMOND, VA. - 1971

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER defeated GENE ANDERSON and ART NELSON.

BRUTE BERNARD and THE MISSOURI MAULER topped KOA TIKI and LUTHER LINDSAY

BARBARA NICHOLS won from TAMMY JONES.

JESSE JAMES beat ANGELO MARTINELLI.

JACK BRISCO

 

ANYONE FOR CARDS?

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. - 1966

GEORGE BECKER, JOHNNY WEAVER & LOU THESZ beat ALDO BOGNI, BRONCHO LUBICH & HOMER O'DELL in six man action.

THE MASKED RED DEMONS topped LUTHER LINDSAY & GEORGE "CATALINA" DRAKE.

PAUL DEMARCO toppled Big IKE EAKINS.

JESSE JAMES wrestled ABE JACOBS to a draw.

KLONDIKE BILL  pinned BOB MORGAN.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - 1966

GEORGE BECKER, JOHNNY WEAVER & TEX McKENZIE defeated HOMER O'DELL, ALDO BOGNI & BRONCHO LUBICH.

RIP HAWK & SWEDE HANSON won over BILLY TWO RIVERS & ABE JACOBS.

NELSON ROYAL pinned GORY GUERRERO.

KURT VON STROHEIM toppled KARL GOTCH.

HENRY VON STROHEIM defeated STEVE BOLUS.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - 1966

ALDO BOGNI & BRONCHO LUBICH with MGR. HOMER O'DELL beat TEX McKENZIE & NELSON ROYAL to retain the SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP.

GEORGE BECKER & JOHNNY WEAVER defeated BRUTE BERNARD & SKULL MURPHY via Disqualification.

RUDY KAY topped Big IKE EAKINS.

HENRY VON STROHEIM bested KARL GOTCH.

KURT VON STROHEIM over ROGER KIRBY.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - 1967

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT & TEX McKENZIE topple ALDO BOGNI, BRONCHO LUBICH & HOMER O'DELL in six man action.

GEORGE BECKER & JOHNNY WEAVER bested KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM.

THE MISSOURI MAULER beat Big IKE EAKINS in a battle of the bullies match.

PEGGY ALLEN & TAMMY JONES defeated MARJORIE RAMSEY & JESSICA ROGERS.

NELSON ROYAL pinned THE GREAT MALENKO.

LUTHER LINDSAY over PEDRO GODOY.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - 1967

RIP HAWK & SWEDE HANSON vs. THE INFERNOS with MGR. J.C. DYKES ended in a double disqualification.

GEORGE BECKER & JOHNNY WEAVER over P.Y. CHUNG & HARU SASAKI.

ALDO BOGNI & BRONCHO LUBICH with MGR. HOMER O'DELL bested LUTHER LINDSAY & THE AMAZING ZUMA.

NELSON ROYAL pinned BULL RAMOS.

GREG PETERSON topped JERRY LONDON.

LES THATCHER defeated PEDRO GODOY.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - 1967

JOHNNY WEAVER beat NWA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION GENE KINISKI in a non-title match.

RIP HAWK & SWEDE HANSON & THE MISSOURI MAULER beat GEORGE BECKER & GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT

NELSON ROYAL & PAUL JONES topped LARS and GENE ANDERSON via disqualification.

HIRO MATSUDA pinned LES THATCHER.

RUDY KAY stump pulled PANCHO VALDEZ.

JESSE JAMES toppled THE MATADOR.

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1972

THUNDERBOLT PATTERSON & JERRY BRISCO topped RIP HAWK & SWEDE HANSON with MGR. "PLAYBOY" GARY HART via disqualification.

THE ROYAL KANGAROOS destroyed ABE JACOBS & RANDY CURTIS.

SANDY SCOTT stretched GEORGE "TWO TON" HARRIS.

RONNIE GARVIN pinned BILLY HINES.

JIM CROCKETT JR.