FROM GRIDIRON TO GRAPPLING

CROCKETT WRESTLING fans of the late 1960s will remember LES WOLFF.

Often teamed with veteran New Zealander ABE JACOBS, Les worked single and tag team matches at mostly the mid-card level, occasionally some small town main events.

LES worked very well, and the fans really took to him. Ticket buyers always got their money's worth with WOLFF on the show.

Here's LES and a young fan.

TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

The Stars Came Out Every Night in the MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING territory...

DICK STEINBORN executes one of his legendary drop kicks.

LUTHER LINDSAY has PAMPERO FIRPO on the ropes.

HIRO MATSUDA strikes a nerve of BOBBY NICHOLS.

THE GREAT BOLO scores another victory.

ABE JACOBS submits to ALDO BOGNI's 'corkscrew' finisher.

Strongman KEN PATERA has the upper hand on his opponent.

A BATTLE FOR THE AGES

One of the prestigious titles in JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS was the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

One of the biggest feuds over the Eastern title was between RIP 'The Profile' HAWK and JERRY BRISCO. On February 14, 1972, RIP defeated JERRY's older brother Jack Brisco, in Charlotte, N.C. to become Eastern Champion. RIP and Jack traded the belt back and forth before JERRY entered the title picture.

Champion RIP HAWK

Challenger JERRY BRISCO

June 13, 1972 was the date on which JERRY BRISCO became the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION for the first time. The match took place in Columbia, S.C. HAWK would win it back in Greenville, S.C. some two months later. This title reign for RIP would be a short one as the very next week, again in Greenville, JERRY would capture the championship again.

HAWK finished the year of 1972 on an upswing, beating BRISCO in Greensboro, N.C., on December 28th. The final title switch between the two occurred in early March, 1973 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

It should be noted that RIP HAWK is on record as saying BRISCO never won the title 'fair and square." RIP claims that JERRY would purposely get disqualified to keep from losing the belt. Even the two participant's partners offered opinions. Jack Brisco said "I've wrestled Hawk. He's cagey. He'll do anything to win a match. Jerry had better watch himself." And on the flip side, Rip's partner Swede Hanson had this to add,"Rip is an honorable man. Every fan of wrestling knows that. That's why the fans love Rip Hawk. He never breaks the rules."

HAWK would never get the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP back from BRISCO after the Winston-Salem match in March.

In September, 1973, the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP was retired and became the MID-ATLANTIC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

Research for the EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP by Dick Bourne for the MID-ATLANTIC GATEWAY.


RIP unloads on JERRY...

BRISCO gives 'THE PROFILE' a backdrop.

JERRY almost cries 'uncle' with this hammerlock.

Do I see RIP pulling JERRY's trunks?

And Swede said that Rip never broke the rules!

BECKER'S BACK IN LEXINGTON

May 6, 1961

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

P.Y. CHUNG *

GEORGE BECKER

BOB NANDOR

FRAN GRAVETTE

TERRY GARVIN

RITA CORTEZ

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Fan favorite GEORGE BECKER will face the crafty Oriental bully, P.Y. CHUNG, in a special challenge match that headlines tonight's wrestling card at the LEXINGTON YMCA.

BECKER asked for the match himself after he and SANDY SCOTT defeated CHUNG and partner MIKE PAIDOUSIS in tag action last Saturday night.

Following last week's match, CHUNG rammed BECKER into the ring post, splitting his head open. GEORGE declared revenge and asked the promoter for a one-on-one contest with CHUNG.

The match has been signed and will be fought under two-out-of-three falls and one hour time limit stipulations.

A girls tag team match supports the main event with the diabolical duo of SLAVE GIRL MOOLAH and the lovely-but-deadly RITA CORTEZ meeting popular FRAN GRAVETTE and the amazing JUDY GRABLE.

Bullies KEN COOPER and JACK BENARD meet in one preliminary, and European champion BOB NANDOR squares off against tough TERRY GARVIN in the 8:15 opener.

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* P.Y. CHUNG wrestled in other territories as Tojo Yamamoto.