Mike Cline's MID-ATLANTIC GRAPPLIN' GREATS
A fond look back at the great days of JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS professional wrestling.
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
INTO THE WAYBACK MACHINE
It would take a visit from baby boomers' Saturday morning cartoon buddies Sherman and Peabody and their Wayback Machine to witness the JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS wrestling card that occurred sixty-three years ago, but I'd give almost anything if I could.
January 26, 1963
LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
THE KENTUCKIANSTINY ANDERSON and BIG BOY BROWN
The two winning teams on last week's wrestling card at the LEXINGTON YMCA will be back tonight to meet top competition in an action-packed program that kicks off at 8:15 p.m.
In one of two main events, the rugged team of THE SICILIANS, LOU ALBANO and
TONY ALTOMARE, victors last Saturday, face stellar competition in the very-popular duo of GEORGE BECKER and Mohawk warrior BILLY TWO RIVERS.
Crafty Oriental judo wizards, P.Y CHUNG and YASHINO SATO *, also winners last week, will be in the unenviable position of meeting one of the largest tag teams in the wrestling business when they clash with THE KENTUCKIANS, BIG BOY BROWN and TINY ANDERSON. These two fellows top the scales at a combined 700-plus pounds and dwarf the Orientals in height.
Both tag team main events are scheduled for the best two-out-of-three falls.
A singles match featuring a local hero will open the card when Asheboro's own LARRY HULIN meets the wily veteran TINKER TODD.
* YASHINO SATO later wrestled in the MID-ATLANTIC territory as THE GREAT KABUKI.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Monday, May 11, 2026
A STEAMBOAT BATTLE
March 8, 1969
LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
57 Years Ago

Last week's wrestling card was called off due to heavy snowfall, but action returns tonight to the LEXINGTON YMCA with a star-studded card, beginning at 8:15.
SAM STEAMBOAT, the Hawaiian sensation, will be joined by his regular partner, the masked MR. WRESTLING, to meet the villainous duo of ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH, in the evening's two-out-of-three fall main event. And where BOGNI and LUBICH go, so does their manager HOMER O'DELL.
THE MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW, GENE and OLE ANDERSON, slated to meet STEAMBOAT and MR. WRESTLING last Saturday, will battle the hero unit of New Zealander ABE JACOBS and gridironer LES WOLFE in the night's semi-final tag battle, also for the best-of-three falls.
Singles matches will pit young DAVE COX against tough TONY NERO, and BILLY SPEARS faces veteran "BULLDOG" LEE HENNING in the opener.
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Saturday, May 9, 2026
DEAL THOSE CARDS
THE YEAR WAS 1969
...it was a very good year...
GENE KINISKI beat SAM STEAMBOAT to remain World Heavyweight Champion
GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT topped GENE and OLE ANDERSON
THE MISSOURI MAULER & HIRO MATSUDA with MGR. HOMER O'DELL defeated ABE JACOBS & LES WOLFF
TONI ROSE bested BARBARA OWEN
MR. WRESTLING defeated "BULLDOG" LEE HENNING
EL LOBO over JESSE JAMES
THE MISSOURI MAULER beat JOHNNY WEAVER to become Southern Heavyweight Champion
SIX MAN MATCH between GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT and GEORGE BECKER versus RIP HAWK, SWEDE HANSON and ROCK HUNTER ended in a Double DQ
SAM STEAMBOAT and HIRO MATSUDA wrestled to a draw
MR. WRESTLING over EL GAUCHO
KOA TIKI beat JIMMY HINES
BILLY HINES topped GREG PETERSON
GEORGE BECKER, JOHNNY WEAVER and SAILOR ART THOMAS over HOMER O'DELL, THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA
SANDY and GEORGE SCOTT versus THE INFERNOS with MGR. J.C. DYKES ended in a Double DQ
MR. WRESTLING and GENE ANDERSON wrestled to a draw
OLE ANDERSON topped GREG PETERSON
SAM STEAMBOAT over RONNIE GARVIN
GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT beat THE INFERNOS with MGR. J.C. DYKES
SAILOR ART THOMAS & ABE JACOBS won over ALDO BOGNI & BRONCHO LUBUCH with MGR. GEORGE "TWO TON" HARRIS via DQ
NELSON ROYAL topped EL GAUCHO
PAUL JONES bested BOB GRIFFIN
LES WOLFF defeated PANCHO VALDEZ
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.DORY FUNK JR. retained the World's Heavyweight Championship by defeating RIP HAWK
BRUTE BERNARD & SKULL MURPHY beat SANDY and GEORGE SCOTT
NELSON ROYAL & PAUL JONES topped THE INFERNOS with MGR. J.C. DYKES via DQ
BOBO JOHNSON & COWBOY LANG over MIGHTY ATOM & LITTLE CRUSHER
SWEDE HANSON & ABE JACOBS wrestled to a draw
GREENSBORO, N.C.GEORGE BECKER & JOHNNY WEAVER toppled BRUTE BERNARD & SKULL MURPHY
SAILOR ART THOMAS & MR. WRESTLING over OLE and GENE ANDERSON via DQ
PAUL JONES & NELSON ROYAL beat PEDRO GODOY & PHIL ROBLEY
TONI ROSE bested DONNA CHRISTIAN
MATTI SUZUKI won over PANCHO VALDEZ
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.GEORGE BECKER, JOHNNY WEAVER and MR. WRESTLING topped J.C. DYKES and THE INFERNOS
SAILOR ART THOMAS & LUTHER LINDSAY over "BULLDOG" LEE HENNING & PHIL ROBLEY
LORD LITTLEBROOK beat MIGHTY ATOM
TONI ROSE pinned BETTY BOUCHER
NELSON ROYAL defeated JOHNNY HEIDEMAN
BOBBY RED CLOUD bested TINKER TODD
Friday, May 8, 2026
Thursday, May 7, 2026
MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING BATTLES
LES THATCHER applies a headlock on RIP HAWK. That's referee ANGELO MARTINELLI, with THATCHER's partner JOHNNY RINGO in the background.
Referee TOMMY YOUNG looks as PAUL JONES applies a hammerlock on RIC FLAIR at CHARLOTTE's PARK CENTER.
A rare sight---referee SAM 'LUCKY' ROBERTS raises the hands of EL GAUCHO and TINKER TODD in victory.Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
THEY WORKED HARD FOR THEIR MONEY
Working for JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS meant lots of hours on the road, going from city to city, almost EVERY day.
And once they arrived at their destinations, they worked hard to give us, the wrestling fans, our entertainment dollar's worth.
They seldom failed...
RUFUS R. JONES feels the impact of a HARLEY RACE pile driver.
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