Mike Cline's MID-ATLANTIC GRAPPLIN' GREATS
A fond look back at the great days of JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS professional wrestling.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Monday, May 12, 2025
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.
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Saturday, May 10, 2025
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.

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.

COOK was a former Pittsburgh Steeler who previously had a successful run in Florida, often teaming with Jack and Jerry Brisco.
JERRY and JIMMY
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.
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.




Going up against JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS in their hometown of Charlotte was a mountain too high to climb.
Friday, May 9, 2025
Thursday, May 8, 2025
WINNERS AND NON-WINNERS
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.
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
ANYONE FOR CARDS?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Monday, May 5, 2025
Sunday, May 4, 2025
GERMAN TEAM DEMANDS REMATCH
December 10, 1966
LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Two tag teams plus a battle between two pretty girl grapplers give interest to tonight's LEXINGTON YMCA mat card, kicking off at 8:15.
The popular duo of KLONDIKE BILL and ABE JACOBS are rematched tonight against KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM. The German brothers made demands for this return match after a disputed loss to BILL and ABE here last Saturday.
PAUL DEMARCO and LUTHER LINDSEY, hero winners last week, return to face top competition in the likes of RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON, wrestling's "BLONDE BOMBERS."
Both tag team battles are set for the best two-out-of-three falls.
PENNY BANNER, the most popular girl wrestler around these parts, faces stiff competition when she faces TAMMY JONES, a not-so-nice lady, in a special one fall event.
TINKER TODD clashes with EL GAUCHO in the opening bout of the night. Don't look for many rules to be followed in this one.
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