MORE WITH JCP's "ROYAL COUPLE"

       JOHNNY WEAVER and PENNY BANNER were the KING and QUEEN of JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS                                                           as far as the wrestling public was concerned.

Enjoy these photos of them out of the wrestling ring...

Having fun for the camera...

Daughter WENDI letting Mommy in on a secret...

Fun on the links...

("Just pretend you see HOMER O'DELL's face on the ball.")

A little fun at the dinner table...

(I see a pet dish in the photo. WENDI, was it a dog or cat?)

I love this picture of PENNY and WENDI.

PENNY poses...

JOHNNY always took the time to spend with his fans.

PENNY was an avid horsewoman, whose love of the sport was passed down to daughter WENDI.

 

CROCKETT'S ROYAL COUPLE

 

Had JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS held an AMERICAN IDOL-type contest voted on by the fans to determine the company's top male and female personality, I (and, I'm sure most other MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING fans) would have cast my ballot for PENNY BANNER and JOHNNY WEAVER.

And, what many fans at the time did not know, PENNY and JOHNNY were in everyday life, married to one another.

I can't remember exactly when this fact came to light for me, but I was aware of it at a point when each of PENNY and JOHNNY's careers were still active.

I have seen photos in which PENNY and JOHNNY worked together in mixed tag matches, although I can't recall any personal memories of such in JCP, not to say it didn't happen.

PENNY and JOHNNY consented to do a layout for WRESTLING REVUE's August 1963 issue, which is the source for the following photos.

Daughter WENDI supervises the chess game.

A night on the town.

(WENDI still has JOHNNY's fedora.)

Making one of JOHNNY's ring jackets.

Suppertime.

(I like JOHNNY's WARD CLEAVER-type dinner attire.)

A little TV watching after dinner on a rare night off from wrestling.

 

 

THE SUPER SIXTIES IN JCP

          More than half a century has passed since the end of the 1960s, but not the memories...

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER

---

LEXINGTON, N.C. - 1966

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER won over RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON.

TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL toppled KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM.

IKE EAKINS beat ROGER KIRBY.

STEVE BOLUS polished off JACK DANIELS.

GORY GUERRERO bested 'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS.

THE MUMMY

---

NORFOLK, VA. - 1968

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON defeated GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT.

THE MUMMY and 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING lost to TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL.

LUTHER LINDSAY topped STEVE STANLEE.

ROCK HUNTER bested THE MATADOR.

BRONCHO LUBICH, HOMER O'DELL and ALDO BOGNI

---

GREENSBORO, N.C. - 1967

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON lost to BRONCHO LUBICH and ALDO BOGNI with HOMER O'DELL.

TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL edged BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY.

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER whipped LARS and GENE ANDERSON.

RUDY KAY topped EL GAUCHO.

'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS was pinned by LUTHER LINDSAY.

TEX McKENZIE

---

CHARLESTON, S.C. - 1967

TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL turned back BRONCHO LUBICH and ALDO BOGNI with HOMER O'DELL.

PEGGY ALLEN topped MARGIE RAMSEY.

IKE EAKINS defeated TINKER TODD.

JACK 'THE NECK' VANSKY was pinned by JOHNNY HEIDEMAN.

KLONDIKE BILL

---

ROANOKE, VA. - 1967

THE AMAZING ZUMA and GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT defeated BRONCHO LUBICH, ALDO BOGNI and HOMER O'DELL in six man action.

PEDRO GODOY wrestled TONY ROMANO to a draw.

KLONDIKE BILL bested FRANK MARCONI.

JOHNNY HEIDEMAN topped IAN MacBIRD.

 

 

WEAVER and KOZAK

                                                                    January 9, 1965

Lexington, North Carolina

Two extremely popular mat stars, NICK KOZAK and JOHNNY WEAVER, join forces tonight for action when they face wrestling's 'Blonde Bombers' RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON in the main event match at the LEXINGTON YMCA.

Another tag team match is scheduled, sending fan favorite RUDY KAYE and his partner ANGELO MARTINELLI against the rough and tough duo of MIKE GALLAGHER and 'Bulldog' LEE HENNING.

Both tag contests are set for the best two-out-of-three falls.

Two other bouts are slated...

PEPI GOMEZ takes on GEORGE 'Two Ton' HARRIS.

PAT O'BRIEN meets DOUG GILBERT.

Action gets underway at 8:15.

NICK KOZAK

JOHNNY WEAVER

THE BLONDE BOMBERS

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON

RUDY KAYE

GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS

MAY 1965

 

STATESVILLE, NC WRESTLING

 

ACTION AROUND THE TERRITORY

 

CHARLESTON, W.V. - 1969

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER topped THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA

HAYSTACK MULDOON beat NIKITA MULKOVICH

SAILOR ART THOMAS and THE AMAZING ZUMA bested EL GAUCHO and PEDRO GODOY

BOB RAMSTEAD lost to 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1971

THE INFERNOS with J.C. DYKES whipped RONNIE and TERRY GARVIN

JACK BRISCO and SANDY SCOTT topped NIKITA MULKOVICH and JOHNNY HEIDEMAN

ROCK HUNTER bested ALEX MEDINA

JERRY BRISCO beat JOE SOTO

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1969

HAYSTACK CALHOUN, SAM STEAMBOAT and THE AMAZING ZUMA beat BRONCHO LUBICH, ALDO BOGNI and GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS in six man action.

GREG PETERSON beat LEON BAXTER

LES WOLFF topped EL GAUCHO

SILENTO RODRIGUEZ bested BILLY SPEARS

NORFOLK, VA. - 1968

LARS and GENE ANDERSON won over GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER on a disqualification

TONI ROSE defeated DONNA CHRISTENELLO

PAMPERO FIRPO and THE MISSOURI MAULER stopped RUDY KAYE and LES THATCHER

BOB NANDOR topped GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS

THE AMAZING ZUMA over JERRY LONDON

LEXINGTON, N.C. - 1967

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT topped HARU SASAKI and P.Y. CHUNG

LARS and GENE ANDERSON beat CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE and JERRY LONDON

PEDRO GODOY over SONNY FARGO

ROGER KIRBY and THE MUMMY wrestled to a draw.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - 1969

GENE and OLE ANDERSON defeated GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER

PENNY BANNER beat BELLE STARR

THE MASKED RED DEMONS lost to SAM STEAMBOAT and BOBBY NICHOLS via DQ

BOB RAMSTEAD wrestled 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING to a draw

MORE STATESVILLE, NC WRESTLING

 

MAULER CLAIMS WEAVER A CHICKEN THIEF

                                                                        July 16, 1966

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

THE MISSOURI MAULER

THE GREAT MALENKO

ABE JACOBS

LUTHER LINDSAY

PENNY BANNER

GEORGE 'CATALINA' DRAKE
---
Popular JOHNNY WEAVER, at least 'temporary' SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, will take New Zealander ABE JACOBS as a partner tonight and will face THE MISSOURI MAULER and THE GREAT MALENKO in a two-out-of-three falls tag team main event at the LEXINGTON YMCA.

Last Saturday night in the ring, WEAVER had one fall in a championship bout against the title-holding MAULER when all types of excitement broke out. Referee Walter Buckner was injured and could not continue officiating. WEAVER, trying to aid the fallen ref, was attacked by the MAULER, and JACOBS came in to lend a hand. The MAULER took the low road and ran, with WEAVER grabbing the championship belt, saying he plans to keep it until the NWA officials make a ruling. Tonight's grudge match grows out of the turmoil.

"He never beat me for the belt, but he stole it anyway," claims the MAULER. "He's just as low down as the chicken thieves we've got back home in St. Jo. As far as I'm concerned, WEAVER is nothing but a chicken thief, and he's gonna pay."

Another tag match is scheduled with two falls necessary to determine a winner. Popular power hitters GEORGE 'CATALINA' DRAKE and Negro star LUTHER LINDSAY will meet CORSICA JEAN and Lexington newcomer 'BRUISER' BOB MORGAN.

MISS PENNY BANNER and MISS DIXIE JORDAN face off in a special ladies match, and IKE EAKINS battles KEN HOLLIS in the opening match, which gets underway at 8:15.

STATESVILLE, NC WRESTLING