from Scott Teal

 

I MISS MY CROCKETT WRESTLING

                                                     I know that nothing can last forever.

While we have certain things, we tend to take them for granted. These things can range from cars, houses, school to family members, friends, etc.

After they are gone, we must rely on our memories, talking with others, and in some cases, recorded images of the things we hold close to our hearts.

Throughout the years, I have taken a good bit of criticism from some folks for being a fan of professional wrestling.

"Why do you like that stuff?"

I have been asked that question more than once.

My blow-off answer is usually something like, "I guess the same reason you love NASCAR or the NFL or college basketball. Most of us all have the same emotions. We choose to direct them at different things."

And since I was eight years old, wrestling has been a part of my life, and I have never regretted it.

I do regret what has happened to the wrestling business over the last forty+ years, that the business today is, for the most part, controlled by one or two individuals. That the workers of today don't have the established territories of years ago to improve their talents (yes, there are indie promotions out there, but it isn't the same as going from JIM CROCKETT to EDDIE GRAHAM to DORY FUNK SR.)

And for everyone who is affected negatively by the business as it exists today, I am saddened.

But, nothing can last forever.

Below are photos of some of the folks who were fortunate enough to work in the 'heyday' of the business.

LES THATCHER battles BULL RAMOS at CHARLOTTE'S PARK CENTER.

This match was in 1968. (The referee is ANGELO MARTINELLI.)

ABE JACOBS has the upper hand on THE GREAT BOLO.

(At least, for the time being.)

TEX McKENZIE battles GENE KINISKI for the NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

(I witnessed one such encounter of these two at the original CHARLOTTE COLISEUM. KINISKI took two falls of three to remain champ.)

PENNY BANNER and THE FABULOUS MOOLAH battle it out.

(In my opinion, the top two women wrestlers of their era.)

'Young Lion' PAUL DEMARCO slams BRONCHO LUBICH

(Referee SAM 'Lucky' ROBERTS observes.)

NELSON ROYAL gets tangled up in his work, with RIP HAWK's help, at CHARLOTTE's PARK CENTER.

TONI ROSE is whipped into the corner by JUDY GRABLE.

Man, I wish I had a time machine.

THE ROAD WARRIORS

 

SALUTING CROCKETT STARS

 One would have to go back sixty-five or more years to remember all of these superstars who     appeared in JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS...Reluctantly, I admit I am one who qualifies...

RAMON and ENRIQUE TORRES

TONY GAREA

JOHNNY VALENTINE

SKULL MURPHY

THUNDERBOLT PATTERSON

TEX McKENZIE

BLACK BART

 

TWO LOAVES OF BREAD - FOUR HEELS

                                                                 December 9, 1968

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Promoter JIM CROCKETT has announced the complete wrestling card set for tonight at PARK CENTER starting at 8:15.

The headliner finds two of the nation's toughest tag teams opposing one another. GENE and OLE ANDERSON, known as the "MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW", will go hammer and tong with the brutal combination of THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA. As usual, HOMER O'DELL will second the MAULER and his Japanese partner. It's set for two-out-of-three falls.

Since the ANDERSON and O'DELL teams have both been steady winners at tag team efforts, the outcome will be interesting for the fans. It will also provide a key to future main event shots for the winning combination.

Towering ART THOMAS, the wrestling sailor from Arkansas, and THE AMAZING ZUMA will test the talents of the brother duo TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN. This one is also for the best-of-three falls.

JESSE JAMES grapples with LEON BAXTER in one of the prelims.

The opener offers SILENTO RODRIGUEZ, the Mexican swifty, against EL GAUCHO in a "south of the border" contest.

RODDY PIPER

 

DID YOU SEE?

 

CHARLESTON, W.V. - 1969

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER topped THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA

HAYSTACK MULDOON beat NIKITA MULKOVICH

SAILOR ART THOMAS and THE AMAZING ZUMA bested EL GAUCHO and PEDRO GODOY

BOB RAMSTEAD lost to 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1971

THE INFERNOS with J.C. DYKES whipped RONNIE and TERRY GARVIN

JACK BRISCO and SANDY SCOTT topped NIKITA MULKOVICH and JOHNNY HEIDEMAN

ROCK HUNTER bested ALEX MEDINA

JERRY BRISCO beat JOE SOTO

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1969

HAYSTACK CALHOUN, SAM STEAMBOAT and THE AMAZING ZUMA beat BRONCHO LUBICH, ALDO BOGNI and GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS in six man action.

GREG PETERSON beat LEON BAXTER

LES WOLFF topped EL GAUCHO

SILENTO RODRIGUEZ bested BILLY SPEARS

NORFOLK, VA. - 1968

LARS and GENE ANDERSON won over GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER via disqualification

TONI ROSE defeated DONNA CHRISTENELLO

PAMPERO FIRPO and THE MISSOURI MAULER stopped RUDY KAYE and LES THATCHER

BOB NANDOR topped GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS

THE AMAZING ZUMA over JERRY LONDON

LEXINGTON, N.C. - 1967

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT topped HARU SASAKI and P.Y. CHUNG

LARS and GENE ANDERSON beat CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE and JERRY LONDON

PEDRO GODOY over SONNY FARGO

ROGER KIRBY and THE MUMMY wrestled to a draw.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - 1969

GENE and OLE ANDERSON defeated GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER

PENNY BANNER beat BELLE STARR

THE MASKED RED DEMONS lost to SAM STEAMBOAT and BOBBY NICHOLS via DQ

BOB RAMSTEAD wrestled 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING to a draw

IVAN KOLOFF

 

A HOT JANUARY NIGHT

                                                                  January 11, 1969

Lexington, North Carolina

MR. WRESTLING and SAM STEAMBOAT

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON

TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN

JESSE JAMES

Professional wrestling's 'Blonde Bombers' --- RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON --- will take on the hero unit of Hawaiian star SAM STEAMBOAT and the masked man MR. WRESTLING in tonight's main event at the Lexington YMCA.

The Canadian brother duo of TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN will meet fan favorites BOB RAMSTEAD and JESSE JAMES in the semi-final tag team match.

Both tag contests will be decided under a best two-of-three falls stipulation.

Preliminary singles bouts will find rugged ROCK HUNTER meeting young BILLY SPEARS and TINKER TODD facing another masked man in the guise of EL LOBO.

The action gets underway at 8:15 p.m.