THOSE BLAZIN' INFERNOS

 

THE INFERNOS and J.C. DYKES ready to work...

(Under the hoods are ROCKY SMITH and his brother CURTIS. ROCKY was an original INFERNO. CURTIS replaced original INFERNO FRANKIE CAIN.)

DENNIS HALL in command of his INFERNO encounter...for the time being. That's referee Sam 'Lucky' Roberts in the background.

Popular NELSON ROYAL attempts to remove the INFERNO's mask...

J.C. shouts instructions to his men, who seem to be in a bad situation.

One of the 'managerial' skills of J.C. DYKES.

ROCKY SMITH, J.C. DYKES, FRANKIE CAIN

NELSON ROYAL in a pinch.

DON CURTIS about to catch fire.

Right in the kisser.

J.C. DYKES, FRANKIE CAIN, LES THATCHER

Looks like a rough day at the office.

Incredible GENE GORDON photo of J.C. DYKES, GEORGE HARBEN and THE INFERNOS at Charlotte's Park Center.

(from the CARROLL HALL collection)

THE SUPER DESTROYER (DON JARDINE)

 

ROCKIN' RALEIGH

                  The capital city of North Carolina was a regular site for JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS.

Tarheels (and a lot of Virginia folks) made the almost weekly trek to DORTON ARENA to see great wrestling.

THE MISSOURI MAULER

(LARRY HAMILTON)

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1968

THE MISSOURI MAULER and PAMPERO FIRPO lost to GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER.

HAYSTACK CALHOUN and THE AMAZING ZUMA beat RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON via DQ.

NELSON ROYAL pinned BULL RAMOS.

CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE bested GENE DUNDEE.

LOU THESZ

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1965

LOU THESZ retained the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP defeating GEORGE SCOTT.

ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH with HOMER O'DELL toppled NICK KOZAK and 'IRISH' MIKE CLANCY.

SIR NELSON ROYAL and THE VIKING bested DALE LEWIS and PEPPY GOMEZ.

JOHNNY WEAVER topped THE MATADOR.

PRINCESS LITTLE CLOUD pinned JUDY GRABLE.

SWEDE HANSON and RIP HAWK

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1965

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON trounced PEPPY GOMEZ and RUDY KAY.

NICK KOZAK and 'IRISH' MIKE CLANCY toppled SIR NELSON ROYAL and THE VIKING.

CHIEF BIG HEART and LORENZO PARENTE defeated JOHNNY KACE and PRINCE OMAR.

MIKE VALENTINO pinned JACK VANSKY.

JOHNNY WEAVER

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1965

LOU THESZ retained the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP over JOHNNY WEAVER.

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT and ABE JACOBS took a disputed decision over BRONCHO LUBICH, ALDO BOGNI and HOMER O'DELL in six man action.

RAY VILLMER wrestled THE ALASKAN to a draw.

THE BEAST whipped THE VIKING.

PENNY BANNER pinned JUDY GRABLE.

EDWARDO CASTILLO topped THE MATADOR.

GEORGE BECKER versus THE MASKED RED DEMONS

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1967

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT and GEORGE BECKER won over THE MASKED RED DEMONS and GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS in a six man battle.

FRENCHIE LAMONTE lost to LORD LITTLEBROOK.

THE MUMMY pinned DON KENT.

LES THATCHER AND DANNY MILLER

 

TWO BOLOS TWICE AS DEADLY

                                                                 November 17, 1962

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

It looks as if things just got worse for professional wrestling's good guys.

THE GREAT BOLO, the masked menace of the sport, has taken a partner, simply known as BOLO. It is reported that BOLO is equally as rugged and tough as the team captain THE GREAT BOLO. Tonight, LEXINGTON fans will get the opportunity to judge for themselves as wrestling returns to the YMCA starting at 8:15 p.m.

THE GREAT BOLO, many believe, has been the toughest rule-breaking grappler in this area for the last four years, and with the addition of a look-alike partner, who is also masked, tag team wrestling should really heat up.

The hooded duo makes its LEXINGTON debut tonight against the combo of SWEDE HANSON and RAY VILLMER, a prize team working together for the first time. The match is set for the best-of-three falls within a one hour time limit.

The card also features an all-star roster that returns the Hawaiian sensation, JOHNNY 'RUBBERMAN' WALKER*, and Canada's JERRY TURRENNE, who made his debut here last week.

WALKER will face RAY DURAN, and TURRENCE battles PEDRO ZAPATA.

In other singles action, DON WHITTLER will meet EDDIE AUGER.


* JOHNNY 'RUBBERMAN' WALKER, of course, later donned the MR. WRESTLING 2 hood.

JOHNNY WEAVER battles THE MASKED RED DEMONS

 

ROGERS VERSUS VALENTINE - NEWCOMER JOHNNY WEAVER

                                                                   February 12, 1962

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Two championships will be at stake tonight at the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM when one of the most ambitious wrestling programs ever staged here gets underway at 8:15.

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION "Nature Boy" BUDDY ROGERS puts his coveted crown in the spotlight in a defense against the extremely rugged challenger JOHNNY VALENTINE.

The controversy between these two giants of the ring goes back a long while. VALENTINE is responsible for breaking the arm of ROGERS in a match last year, and the champ has not forgotten...nor forgiven.

UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION PAT O'CONNOR faces skilled SWEET DADDY SIKI, and his title is on the open market as well.

"It would be most ironic," grinned SIKI, "if I should emerge the winner." SIKI, who hails from Jamaica, claims he is in his best physical condition ever. The ebony panther claims to be unbeaten in the South.

Both title defenses will have stipulations of two-out-of-three falls with one hour time limits.

For variety, there is a ladies match sending FRAN GRAVETTE against the Mexican "boom boom" girl, RITA CORTEZ.

Tag team action will find the villainous brother duo of AL and DON GREENE against fan favorites BILL DROMO and HENRY PHILLIPS for the best-of-three-falls.

The immensely popular CHIEF BIG HEART will have his hands full with the rugged SWEDE HANSON.

Two men new to Charlotte, EDDIE AUGER and JOHNNY WEAVER, will face off.

Bombastic HANS SCHMIDT, a regular storm trooper in ring tactics, will oppose the incredible BILLY "Tarzan" DARNELL.

LENNY MONTANA and MARQUIS DEPARE slam in another action tiff.

Tickets are on sale at the NATIONAL HAT SHOP in downtown Charlotte and the Charlotte Coliseum box office.

Get there early for an autograph session with your favorite wrestling stars.

JOHNNY VALENTINE

 

BECKER GETS O'DELL

                                                                   October 24, 1964

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Hero GEORGE BECKER and the arrogant HOMER O'DELL will face off in a wrestling special at the LEXINGTON YMCA tonight, and BECKER is so anxious for the match that he has agreed to beat O'DELL two falls within twenty minutes or he'll work for free.

The match is one of several on another all-star agenda, which also includes a two-out-of-three falls tag team battle between the polished duo of NICK KOZAK and 'IRISH' MIKE CLANCY taking on the 'BLONDE BOMBERS' of the sport, RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON.

Another best-of-three falls tag contest features O'DELL's team of ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH facing the popular twosome of JESSE JAMES and DOUG GILBERT.

The 8:15 opening match will feature colored girls BETTY ANN SPENCER meeting SWEET GEORGIA BROWN in a special encounter.

HOMER O'DELL

GEORGE BECKER

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON

NICK KOZAK

ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH

'IRISH' MIKE CLANCY

RICK RUDE AND MANNY FERNANDEZ