Mike Cline's MID-ATLANTIC GRAPPLIN' GREATS
A fond look back at the great days of JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS professional wrestling.
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.
Monday, May 4, 2026
Sunday, May 3, 2026
TEXANS HAVE HANDS FULL
LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
60 Years Ago
A new year of professional wrestling will be ushered in tonight at the LEXINGTON YMCA after a three week holiday break.
Towering TEX McKENZIE and his popular partner NELSON ROYAL, two Texas cowboys, will battle the rugged duo of THE GREAT MALENKO and "BIG O" BOB ORTON in the top of the card.
Another tag team contest will send prize Mohawk Indians, BILLY TWO RIVERS and SUNI WAR CLOUD, against the strutting GEORGE "TWO TON" HARRIS and rugged IKE EAKINS.
Both tag battles will be fought under the best two-out-of-three falls stipulations.
A single match will kick off the evening when young OMAR ATLAS faces JOHN GUDISKI.
Action kicks off at 8:15.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)






















