NIKITA KOLOFF

 

THE 1966 STATESVILLE, NC SUMMER OF WRESTLING

                                                                  September 2, 1966

STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Time for one more outdoor wrestling card before Jack Frost starts to appear.

The third and final JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS wrestling show of the summer, again sponsored by the COMMUNITY BASEBALL CLUB, came to town Labor Day weekend.

And what a treat for the locals...a true legend in all sports...LOU THESZ, multiple-time WORLD'S HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

On this night, THESZ, then fifty years of age, showed those of us in attendance, that he could still go at full throttle.

And he and partner ABE "Kiwi Roll" JACOBS would have their hands full, as their opponents this night were two devious ruffians in THE MISSOURI MAULER and THE GREAT MALENKO, one of the top heel teams at the time.

Not surprisingly, the two combos split the first and second falls. Jacobs took the loss for his team--no way Thesz is going to lose a fall clean. At the climax of the third fall, just as Thesz took the "hot tag" and was cleaning up the ring with the "M & M" boys, Malenko pulled the referee in front of him, and Thesz drop kicked the referee, causing an immediate disqualification.

MAULER and MALENKO made a fast exit through their dugout to their dressing room, and I assume, spun out of the Statesville Senior High School parking lot heading back for Charlotte on that pre-Interstate 77 highway night.

Earlier in the evening, KLONDIKE BILL, getting a major push by JCP, took the toll of GEORGE "TWO TON" HARRIS in what was billed as a BATTLE OF THE MAT GIANTS by big-splashing "Bunk" before "Bunk" could big splash him. Oh well, "do unto others..."

Veteran IKE EAKINS crushed KEN HOLLIS and a young BOBBY SHANE (just getting started in the wrestling business) pinned a much-larger "BIG BOY" BLONDELL.

Another great crowd...another great night...another great summer of wrestling in my home town.

SKULL MURPHY and BRUTE BERNARD

 

SOMETIMES YA WIN...SOMETIMES YA DON'T

                              Results from JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS shows of the past...

THE GARVINS

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1968

JOHNNY WEAVER and HIRO MATSUDA wrestled to a draw

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT defeated THE INFERNOS with J.C. DYKES

TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN topped BOB NANDOR and JESSE JAMES

ALEX MEDINA lost to 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING

GENE KINISKI

ROANOKE, VA. - 1969

GENE KINISKI defended the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP successfully beating PAUL JONES

NELSON ROYAL, GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT topped THE INFERNOS and J.C. DYKES in six man action

THE MATADOR whipped JACK RICE

JIM GRABMIRE and JESSE JAMES wrestled to a draw

MR. WRESTLING and SAM STEAMBOAT

-
CHARLESTON, W.V. - 1969

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON versus SAM STEAMBOAT and MR. WRESTLING ended in a double DQ

EL GAUCHO and LEON BAXTER topped BOB RAMSTEAD and JESSE JAMES

TINKER TODD lost to ROCK HUNTER

BOBBY KAY beat TONY NERO

EL GAUCHO

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1969

SAILOR ART THOMAS, GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER won over HIRO MATSUDA, THE MISSOURI MAULER and HOMER O'DELL in six man action

GENE and OLE ANDERSON bested ABE JACOBS and LES WOLFF

JESSE JAMES got by 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING

BOB RAMSTEAD lost to EL GAUCHO

LORD LITTLEBROOK topped LITTLE BRUISER

THE AMAZING ZUMA beat LEON BAXTER

LES WOLFF

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1969

THE MISSOURI MAULER, HIRO MATSUDA and HOMER O'DELL won over SAILOR ART THOMAS, NELSON ROYAL and PAUL JONES

LES WOLFF wrestled SWEDE HANSON to a draw

BILLY HINES topped BILLY SPEARS

JIMMY HINES bested JESSE JAMES

PAUL JONES and NELSON ROYAL

RALEIGH, N.C. - 1970

NELSON ROYAL and PAUL JONES wrestled THE INFERNOS with J.C. DYKES to a draw

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON topped ABE JACOBS and LES WOLFF

PANCHO VALDEZ lost to LUTHER LINDSAY

PEDRO VALDEZ beat PEPE GOMEZ

DICK MURDOCH versus HARLEY RACE

 

A CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT FOR SURE

                                                                   August 28, 1965

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

HAYSTACKS CALHOUN

BRONCHO LUBICH, HOMER O'DELL, ALDO BOGNI

ABE JACOBS

RON REED

BOB ORTON

MIKE GALLAGHER

GORY GUERRERO

OMAR ATLAS

'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS

Something unusual is on tap for wrestling fans tonight at the LEXINGTON YMCA as two heavyweight championships are up for grabs when action gets underway at 8:15.

The current SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH, will defend their title against the popular contenders in that of big HAYSTACKS CALHOUN and speedy ABE JACOBS.

HAYSTACKS is the biggest man in the wrestling business, and JACOBS is a top competitor who should mesh well with CALHOUN.

BOGNI and LUBICH will have their devious manager, HOMER O'DELL, in their corner.

SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 'BIG O' BOB ORTON will put his title up against top contender RON REED (he later wrestled as BUDDY COLT). REED is certainly capable of taking the belt away from the current champ.

Both title bouts are scheduled for two-out-of-three falls with one hour time limits.

Prelim action will find GORY GUERRERO squaring off against tough MIKE GALLAGHER.

The opening match pits good-looking fan favorite OMAR ATLAS facing the rugged 'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS.

THE ASSASSIN (JODY HAMILTON)

 

HEELS, HEELS AND MORE HEALS

                                                                     March 29, 1969

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

57 Years Ago

Anything is likely to happen tonight...

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON, "The Blonde Bombers" of the pro wrestling world, tear loose against an equally rough duo of THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA in tonight's LEXINGTON YMCA wrestling feature, kicking off at 8:15.

"Colonel" HOMER O'DELL, the diabolical manager of MATSUDA and the MAULER, will be accompanying his men and could get mixed up in the BATTLE OF THE BULLIES main event, scheduled for the best two-out-of-three falls.

"Let O'DELL stick his nose in the ring while I'm wrestling," said HAWK. "I've got a piledriver waiting with his name on it!" HAWK's partner HANSON had no comment.

Popular GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT will be back tonight, fresh off a victory here last week. "Bulldog" LEE HENNING and "Big" JIM GRABMIRE are the foes facing "The Flying Scotts" tonight. Two falls will decide the winning team.

Single matches send young BOBBY PAUL against the rugged ROCK HUNTER, and RANDY CURTIS will test tough EL GAUCHO in the opening match.

J.C. DYKES and THE INFERNOS (AI rendition)

 

DEBUTS OF KLONDIKE BILL, ANDERSON BROTHERS

                                                                       JULY 9, 1966

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

60 Years Ago

Fan favorite JOHNNY WEAVER gets another crack at the SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP when he meets title holder THE MISSOURI MAULER in tonight's LEXINGTON YMCA pro wrestling two-out-of-three falls main event.

It will be a rematch of a thriller here several weeks ago in which the MAULER was able to hang on to his title only by a thread.

WEAVER employed his famous "sleeper hold" for what would have been the deciding fall, but he was outside the ropes, and the brutal (and fortunate) champ was allowed to retain his belt when the referee was forced to disqualify WEAVER.

JOHNNY has promised a different outcome tonight.

In the evening's tag team battle, the popular duo of ABE JACOBS and RUDY KAYE will meet LARS and GENE ANDERSON, a rugged twosome from Minnesota, who are making their Lexington debut.

This match is also for two-of-three falls.

Another big man of wrestling, Kodiak, Alaska's KLONDIKE BILL, also makes his first appearance here when he faces the tough veteran EL GAUCHO in one of two supporting bouts.

The 8:15 opener will send two bullies, IKE EAKINS and TONY NERO, against one another.