WEAVER battles FUNK for the GOLD

                From February 1, 1971 thru April 10, 1972, one of the all-time greatest booking programs in JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS history unfolded.

JCP's top wrestler at the time JOHNNY WEAVER sought to capture the NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP, held by Texan DORY FUNK JR.

The fourteen month series of matches occurred almost exclusively in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Texas and Florida an integral part of the program.

Enjoy the following rare photos from this incredible series of matches...

Clipping from THE MID-ATLANTIC GATEWAY

Challenger JOHNNY WEAVER

NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
DORY FUNK JR.

A perfectly executed suplex by FUNK.

The Champ had the momentum at this point.

The participants face off.

The referee is Walter Buckner.

A WEAVER arm bar has the Champ in pain.

The Challenger tosses the Champ.

Champion FUNK returns the favor.

JOHNNY in control once again.

 

 

 

 

 

 THE INFERNOS

(ROCKY SMITH, FRANKIE CAIN)

J.C. DYKES

 

THE MASKED AND UNMASKED INFERNOS

 If anyone ever 'pinned me down' (pardon the pun) and made me 'cry uncle' as to who was my all-time favorite pro wrestling 'heel' team, I could have the hold released immediately by saying...

THE INFERNOS

with Mgr. J.C. DYKES

The original men behind the blue hoods were Frankie Cain and Roland 'Rocky' Smith. After a few years, Frankie left the team to become known as The Great Mephisto.

Filling the vacancy was Rocky's brother Curtis Smith.

Later, others would wear the masks before the official Infernos were done, and to this day, there are knock-off Infernos.

But none come close to the greatness as J.C. DYKES and his blue tigers, THE INFERNOS.

The original pairing of THE INFERNOS
Rocky Smith and Frankie Cain (standing)
J.C. Dykes (seated)

Then came THE INFERNOS trio of
Rocky Smith, J.C. Dykes, Curtis Smith

Here is a great photo of THE INFERNOS unmasked and away from the wrestling ring.
Rocky Smith, J.C. Dykes, Curtis Smith

The photo, I believe, is from the collection of David Smith, Rocky's son. I borrowed it from THE MASKED INFERNOS Facebook page. Since some of my web page photos are on THE MASKED INFERNOS Facebook page, I hope they won't mind I took this photo from their's.

 

 

 

 NELSON ROYAL, LES THATCHER,

SANDY SCOTT

 JOHNNY WEAVER vs TWO TON HARRIS

1987 - BACK TO THE BASH

 

JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, into its sixth decade of operation, would soon be no more.

The sale of the company to TURNER ENTERTAINMENT was on the horizon.

In one of its final big programs, THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH was a month-long event, starting July 1 in Lakeland, Florida and ending July 31 at the Orange Bowl in Miami. But in-between these two Sunshine State shows, The BASH journeyed as far west as Los Angeles and San Francisco, and north as Landover, Maryland. Cross-country shows were held in Chicago, Atlanta, Richmond, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, Baltimore, Charlotte, Greensboro, Norfolk, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia and Cleveland, among others.

ROAD WARRIOR HAWK and 'Total Package' LEX LUGER lock up.

THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS ('Sweet' STAN LANE and 'Beautiful' BOBBY EATON) double-team FREEBIRD MICHAEL HAYES.

TULLY BLANCHARD shows the toll on his body after battling DUSTY RHODES.

MIKE ROTUNDO catches one from former WORLD CHAMP DORY FUNK, JR.

A REMATCH IN LEXINGTON

                                                                     March 19, 1966

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

56 years ago

TEX McKENZIE

'BIG' IKE EAKINS

'ROWDY RED ROBERTS'

STEVE BOLUS

ABE JACOBS

BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY

Texas wrestling buddies TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL have happily agreed to give the skin-headed duo of BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY a rematch at the LEXINGTON YMCA tonight.

BERNARD and MURPHY have been howling 'robbery' because of the recent meeting of the two teams a few weeks ago here at the YMCA. These two are demanding satisfaction, so the return best-out-of-three falls rematch will feature tonight's all-star card.

'BIG' IKE EAKINS will face popular New Zealander ABE JACOBS in the evening's semi-final contest.

Girl wrestlers, both making their LEXINGTON debuts, will square off with JESSICA ROGERS meeting PRINCESS CHI CHI.

Good-looking STEVE BOLUS will combat 'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS in the 8:15 opening encounter.

 

 

THE INFERNOS

with Mgr. J.C. DYKES

 

NELSON ROYAL

 

Ricky Ferrara is at Nelson's mercy as Royal works on his opponent's arm.

A familiar sight in Virginia and the Carolinas...Nelson has his hand raised.

Cowboy Nelson Royal looks over his Mooresville, N.C. ranch.

Fellow wrestlers Tiger Conway Jr. and Ed Wiskowski (later Colonel DeBeers) enjoy one of the many charity rodeo events Nelson sponsored at his ranch.


He lived on a twenty acre tract of land in Mooresville, North Carolina and was one of the town's most outstanding citizens at the time.

He devoted countless hours of his life helping those less fortunate. He organized numerous benefit rodeo shows at his arena for many charitable organizations as well as putting together softball games and the like for community purposes.

Besides being a good citizen and a friend to many, the man in question was by profession a heavyweight wrestler named NELSON ROYAL.

Nelson began his in-ring career around 1961 and came to JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS a few years later. 'Nellie' actually wrestled as a heel upon his arrival (using the name SIR NELSON ROYAL) and often teamed with THE VIKING.

He soon 'switched' to babyface and his incredible JCP career took off. The front office teamed Nelson with the tall, lanky TEX McKENZIE, and they quickly became one of the territory's top 'good guy' teams, alongside BECKER & WEAVER and the FLYING SCOTTS.

After several years, TEX left the area, and ROYAL was then paired with JCP newcomer PAUL JONES. Nelson and Paul were as popular as Nelson and Tex, and the 'Royal Run' continued.

Later, Nelson teamed with greats such as Sandy Scott, Les Thatcher and The Amazing Zuma and worked as a single.

Royal 'feuded' with all of the 'heel' teams that made their way through JCP for nearly twenty years and was always a favorite of the fans, in and out of the ring.

 

 

 

 WEAVER BATTLES FUNK FOR WORLD TITLE

BELTS ON THE LINE

                                                                         July 16, 1963

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

REGGIE PARKS

JOHNNY WEAVER

BRONCHO LUBICH, HOMER O'DELL, ALDO BOGNI

---

Wrestling fans who like tag team action will get a double dose in an all-star card at the LEXINGTON YMCA tonight.

The SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS RAY ANDREWS and ERIC POMEROY will defend their honor and titles against the rugged team of ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH, who will be directed by their cunning and strutting manager, HOMER O'DELL.

Popular stars JOHNNY WEAVER and REGGIE PARKS return after an absence joining forces to face the duo of big and round guys GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS and GEORGE 'CRYBABY' CANNON in another top event.

Both main events are set for the best two-out-of-three falls.

Two more big men, PAT O'HARA and FRANK VALOIS, will square off in the 8:15 opener.