It's Time to Play FAMILY FEUD

Every family has its problems, some large and some small. One wrestling 'family' had a problem of ten on the Richter Scale.

GENE and OLE ANDERSON, 'affectionately' known as THE MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW, had been a major player in JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS tag team wars for nearly a decade and were, in 1977, current holders of the NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP.

As it was, GENE and OLE's 'cousin', RIC FLAIR was teaming with the rugged GREG VALENTINE, and I suppose it had to happen, that the RIC / GREG duo felt they were due a title match with the champs.

Cocky...yes, smug...yes, arrogant...yes again.

Worthy...you bet!

So, 'cousin' FLAIR was willing to set aside his 'family' ties and do battle for the belts.

A series of matches took place all over the MID-ATLANTIC territory, and when the dust and the blood had settled, GENE ANDERSON was in the hospital, OLE ANDERSON was without a partner, JCP fans had witnessed some of the most physical and brutal matches of their lives and RIC FLAIR and GREG VALENTINE were NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS.

I suppose this says it all.

The new NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS.

FLAIR pounds on 'cousin' OLE.

'Here's your early Christmas present, cousin.'

Even Steve Harvey couldn't settle this family feud.

Question: If RIC FLAIR was GENE and OLE ANDERSON's 'cousin', and FLAIR was RIP HAWK's 'nephew', what relation would HAWK be to the ANDERSONs?

The HEAVYWEIGHTS! The LADIES! The MIDGETS!

JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS gave us the BEST!

LITTLE BEAVER press slams SKY LOW LOW.

'The Big O' BOB ORTON dishes out a piledriver to a helpless opponent.

(Orton was the first wrestler I saw who used that dreaded maneuver.)

Referee ANGELO MARTINELLI watches OLE ANDERSON lay into TERRY KAY.

Top women stars PENNY BANNER and THE FABULOUS MOOLAH in action.

THE KENTUCKIANS BIG BOY BROWN and TINY ANDERSON loosen up before a big match.

One of THE INFERNOS has a long night in the ring.

MID-ATLANTIC RING ACTION

As the years rolled by, the faces changed, but JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS always gave its MID-ATLANTIC fans great mat stars and great matches...

Do you remember these...

HIRO MATSUDA and THE MISSOURI MAULER double team THE AMAZING ZUMA.

MR. WRESTLING (TIM WOODS) dares 'Cowboy' RON BASS to get back into the ring.

In fact, he triple-dog dares him...

Referee TOMMY YOUNG looks on as GREG VALENTINE applies a chin lock to JOHNNY WEAVER.

'Big' IKE EAKINS is about to slam his face into GEORGE BECKER's fist.

PANCHO VALDEZ has a blonde LES THATCHER in a bad way.

TWO TRUE LEGENDS COME TO CHARLOTTE

May 9, 1960

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

ARGENTINA ROCCA

(Antonino Biasetton)

GORGEOUS GEORGE

(George Raymond Wagner)

Trademark ROCCA dropkick.

GEORGE prepares to do battle...

HAYSTACK CALHOUN

Two of the best-known professional wrestling stars in the world, ARGENTINA ROCCA and GORGEOUS GEORGE, will tear into each other in the feature match of tonight's PARK CENTER mat card.

ROCCA has never tasted defeat in the Queen City, while the GORGEOUS one has lost but one match here - a disputed decision to THE GREAT BOLO.

The card's semifinal also is slated for action. It features MIKE PAIDOUSIS battling HAYSTACK CALHOUN, wrestling's largest participant.

Both events are scheduled for two-of-three falls under one hour time limits.

PAT O'BRIEN will skirmish with RAY ANDREWS in the main prelim, while BOB BOYER tackles HARRY LEWIS in the opening match.

Action is underway at 8:15.

BOLO BASTIEN BATTLE

August 26, 1958

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

RED BASTIEN

THE GREAT BOLO

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A 'fight to the finish' will highlight tonight's wrestling card at Charlotte's PARK CENTER.

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The NO TIME LIMIT two-out-of-three falls match will give popular RED BASTIEN another shot against THE GREAT BOLO, and if BASTIEN can take two falls from the masked hoodlum, off will come BOLO's prized mask.

Last week, the two battled to a one-hour draw without a single fall recorded by either participant.

"There must be a winner this time," says promoter JIM CROCKETT. "I don't care if they wrestle two hours. Someone is going to win."

GEORGE BECKER

CYCLONE ANAYA

FRITZ VON ERICH

WALDO VON ERICH

ERNIE DUSEK

-

MIKE PAIDOUSIS

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The semi-final best-of-three falls scrap is a tag team scuffle that pairs GEORGE BECKER with CYCLONE ANAYA to do battle with the rugged German brothers FRITZ and WALDO VON ERICH.

The Germans were disqualified last week in a match with BILLY TWO RIVERS and his partner, but showed that they are one of the toughest duos in the wrestling business today.

Two single bouts make up the undercard.

One match has ERNIE DUSEK taking on NICK ROBERTS, while MIKE PAIDOUSIS faces TINKER TODD in the 8:15 opening match.

ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN

As 'ROWDY' RODDY PIPER use to say, "Just when you figure out the answers, they change the questions."

Even the self-proclaimed 'fan experts' were often fooled when it came to predicting what was going to happen at a JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS' MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING show...

But it was always fun trying to second-guess them.

THE GREAT BOLO is the recipient of a STEVE BOLUS knee-lift.

HARLEY RACE and RIC FLAIR battle for the NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

LUTHER LINDSAY goes to work on a bloodied KURT VON STEIGER.

DUSTY RHODES and DICK MURDOCK stomp that proverbial 'mud hole' on an opponent.

In a 'BATTLE OF THE BULLIES' showdown, SWEDE HANSON lays a punch in on HENRY VON STROHEIM as RIP HAWK looks on.

TERRY FUNK

(Insert your own caption.)

GREAT WRESTLERS / GREAT MATCHES

RIC FLAIR chokes opponent WAHOO McDANIEL in an INDIAN STRAP match.

BLACKJACK MULLIGAN pounds on nemesis PAUL JONES.

GREG VALENTINE attacks a helpless opponent.

RODDY PIPER headlocks SGT. SLAUGHTER.

MR. WRESTLING (TIM WOODS) demonstrates his scientific skill.

THE SUPER DESTROYER (DON JARDINE) begs for mercy.

OLE ANDERSON saves brother GENE from a MR. WRESTLING pinfall.

MOTHER NATURE WINS IN TWO STRAIGHT FALLS

January 16, 1965

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

53 Years Ago

ABE JACOBS and DOUG GILBERT will pair up as a new wrestling team tonight at the LEXINGTON YMCA when they meet the rugged duo of RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON, known in wrestling circles as the "BLONDE BOMBERS."

JACOBS, the New Zealand flash, is returning here after a long absence, and his dynamic style should fit well with the spectacular moves of young GILBERT. HAWK and HANSON, very rough operators, are a veteran combination, so the best-of-three fall contest should prove interesting.

Another two-out-of-three fall contest is scheduled as THE FLYING SCOTTS, GEORGE and SANDY, face a new brute force combo in THE ALASKAN and THE BEAST.

PEPPER GOMEZ and MIKE VALENTINE will square off in the evening's opening match at 8:15.

* MIKE VALENTINE later wrestled as BARON MIKEL SCICLUNA.

This card, as it turned out, never took place on the scheduled night, being cancelled due to a heavy snow.