WILD SIX MAN ACTION

                                                                  JANUARY 31, 1966

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

57 Years Ago

A brief Christmas hiatus from wrestling ends tonight when four matches, including a SIX MAN TAG TEAM contest, helps ring in 1967 at the LEXINGTON YMCA.

Popular KLONDIKE BILL and young BOBBY SHANE will be joined by big and rough IKE EAKINS for six man action against rugged opponents ALDO BOGNI, BRONCHO LUBICH and "COLONEL" HOMER O'DELL, who will be making an infrequent appearance as a wrestler. These two threesomes will battle it out for the best two falls out of three, with a one hour time limit.

Three singles contests compliment the big main event.

JESSE JAMES battles tough PEDRO ZAPATA.

Rough operator BIG BOY BLONDELL clashes with fellow meany PEDRO GODOY.

TINKER TODD and EL GAUCHO kick things off at 8:15.

 

AROUND THE CROCKETT TERRITORY

             Traveling the MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING territory from Norfolk to Columbia...

JOHN and CHRIS TOLOS

COLUMBIA, S.C. - 1966

JOHN and CHRIS TOLOS topped GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT.

ANGELO MARTINELLI beat RAY DURAN.

'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS lost to GORY GUERRERO.

EL GAUCHO

LEXINGTON, N.C. - 1967

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER won over KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM.

THE MISSOURI MAULER defeated TEX McKENZIE.

NELSON ROYAL pinned EL GAUCHO.

PAUL DEMARCO lost to BULL RAMOS.

P.Y. CHUNG

LEXINGTON, N.C. - 1968

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON beat TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL.

TINY MILLS and STEVE STANLEE won from RICK HUNTER and JERRY LONDON.

P.Y. CHUNG pinned BOB NANDOR.

LUTHER LINDSAY topple JIM GRABMIRE.

ABE JACOBS

CHARLESTON, S.C. - 1966

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT bested THE GREAT MALENKO and 'BIG' BOB ORTON.

ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH with HOMER O'DELL wrestled BILLY TWO RIVERS and SUNI WAR CLOUD to a draw.

STEVE BOLUS whipped IKE EAKINS.

CORSICA JEAN won over KEN YATES.

ABE JACOBS topped TONY NERO.

SWEDE HANSON and RIP HAWK

NORFOLK, VA. - 1966

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

KARL GOTCH and ALEX MEDINA topped HANS SCHMIDT and IKE EAKINS.

GORY GUERRERO wrestled ROGER KIRBY to a draw.

LUTHER LINDSAY downed JACK DANIELS. 

 

LIKES & DISLIKES BY J.C. DYKES

 

A bloodied WEAVER after being kicked with the loaded boot of THE INFERNO.

Happy 'Birthday Suit' to you, J.C. DYKES

WEAVER takes a tumble to the floor.

A battered INFERNO receives medical care.

---

During the JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS terror tenure of J.C DYKES and THE INFERNOS, the weekly wrestling souvenir program at JCP arenas often contained articles written by the red-headed manager in which he expressed his personal opinions of the competition as it pertained to his blue-masked duo.

Without any doubt, the two wrestlers he despised the most were GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER, then the top 'babyface' team in MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING.

THE INFERNOS battled BECKER and WEAVER all over the JCP territory in one of the 'hottest' feuds in 1960's pro wrestling history.

One evening, after a jam-packed house at Charlotte's PARK CENTER, Gene Gordon was able to corner DYKES and ask him a few questions.

J.C. had been shooting off his mouth about what his boys would do to that 'old bum' and his 'half-witted partner'. The match that night was thrown out by the referee for uncontrollable wildness. 'We beat them to a pulp tonight, and only the prejudiced referee saved their skins. They're as yellow as can be and will probably never sign to wrestle us again."

'BECKER is a low life, he eats berries and bugs,' shouted DYKES. 'As far as Weaver, he's on the silly side."

GEORGE and JOHNNY, however, rushed to the promoter, demanding their schedules be changed so that they could get THE INFERNOS back in the ring right away. 'That mouth without a brain and those two cowards who are afraid to let the public see their ugly faces, are in for a real surprise,' countered BECKER.

The following Monday night, the rematch took place, again at PARK CENTER. And again, the house was packed to see THE INFERNOS and DYKES 'get theirs'.

WEAVER recorded the first fall, putting one of the masked men in slumber land from his trademark 'sleeper' hold. DYKES yelled and screamed to the official that JOHNNY had choked his man unto he passed out. The referee was not impressed by J.C.'s protest.

The second fall started with a very groggy INFERNO trying to stay on his feet, still reeling from the 'sleeper'. But then DYKES distracted the referee while the other INFERNO kicked WEAVER square in the head with the 'loaded boot' for the pin.

Fans rushed handkerchiefs and tissue to BECKER to help stop the bleeding of his partner. One fan offered his shirt.

The match was even.

The bell rang for the deciding fall. WEAVER barely answered the bell, his face a Gordon Solie 'crimson mask'. But he managed to continue, finally making a tag to BECKER, who came in like a madman. He floored both INFERNOS, knocking one out to the floor. GEORGE followed his rival outside the ring, ran the 'loaded boot' masked man into the ring post. Soon, this INFERNO was as bloody as WEAVER.

JOHNNY had cornered the other INFERNO and had the blue mask about half off when DYKES jumped into the fray. Approaching WEAVER (from behind, of course) with his metal canteen, his path was cut off by BECKER who battered DYKES until he could barely stand.

BECKER and WEAVER weren't able to remove a mask that night, but maybe they did one better. They removed J.C.'s clothes almost down to his 'birthday suit'. At this point, he blew his whistle, and a half-nude manager and his masked men (one a bloody pulp) set sail for the dressing room, forfeiting the match on a count out.

On a tirade in the dressing room, while his bloodied INFERNO received medical attention, DYKES began his ranting again, 'We will get BECKER and WEAVER if it takes a lifetime. That bug-eating BECKER and mule ears WEAVER have disgraced, humiliated and shamed my INFERNOS and me. Can you image two grownup men like these two dolts tearing my clothes off out there in front of thousands of people? If they want to act like children, they should both be placed in reform school with the other dirty-minded brats! When we first came to JCP, BECKER took off and went into hiding in the mountains somewhere until WEAVER sent out a posse to bring him back. WEAVER told BECKER a lie when he came back. He said that one of my INFERNOS burned his face with a fireball or something ridiculous like that. That is not what made the scar on old mule ear's face. Sailor Art Thomas dropped WEAVER on his head carrying him out of the ring after we beat the two of them one night. They're both no-good liars, and we'll send them into retirement before we leave the Carolinas. That's a promise.'

Although the two teams battled many more times, that promise went unfulfilled.

 

A CROCKETT CHRISTMAS CARD

                                                                   December 25, 1969

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

54 Years Ago

Promoter JIM CROCKETT has slated another CHRISTMAS DAY spectacular for the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM, starting at 8:15 p.m.

It is a charity card with a FENCE MATCH set as the headliner.

This type of match takes place inside a seven-foot high steel barrier, which eliminates any escape routes by the combatants.

The two teams confined will be fan favorites GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER and the angry twosome of SKULL MURPHY and BRUTE BERNARD.

In their last meeting, MURPHY enlisted the aid of a steel chair, smashing WEAVER's head into a bloody mess, then bolting to the dressing room. The fence will prevent MURPHY (or anyone else) from doing it this time.

This main event is set for two-out-of-three falls, within a one-hour time limit.

"Two other tag team matches are booked on tonight's card," said CROCKETT.

ABE JACOBS and LES WOLFE will face KURT VON STROHEIM and ART NELSON in one of them.

In the other, SAILOR ART THOMAS and LUTHER LINDSAY will collide with GENE and OLE ANDERSON, the MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW.

"It's a wrestling card with something for everybody," said CROCKETT, pointing to the Christmas spirit of the event. "We'll also have midgets and girls as well."

RIP HAWK vs GENE ANDERSON

 

 

CHARLOTTE CHRISTMAS WRESTLING - 1968

                                                                  December 25, 1968

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

A total of eighteen professional wrestlers will participate in a charity program at the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM tonight, presented by JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS.

A FENCE MATCH is the top attraction this Christmas. SAILOR ART THOMAS, GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER face THE MISSOURI MAULER, HIRO MATSUDA and HOMER O'DELL in this specialty. A seven-foot chain link steel fence is to be rigged around the squared circle. Contestants will do-or-die to the finish in this match, as neither team will be able to escape before the match is over.

The MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW, GENE and OLE ANDERSON, will tangle with JIMMY and BILLY HINES in the semi-final best-of-three falls match. Fans may recall that the HINES brothers wrestled a few years back as THE MASKED RED DEMONS.

There will be a special ladies wrestling contest.

Midgets are also on this holiday variety card. LORD LITTLEBROOK will defend his mighty honor against THE MIGHTY ATOM.

"BULLDOG" LEE HENNING will be out to take down NELSON ROYAL in a one-fall contest.

The opener sends TINKER TODD against PAUL JONES.

Tickets are available at the NATIONAL HAT SHOP and the COLISEUM box office. Doors open at 7:00 and the matches begin at 8:15.

I beat him to a bloody pulp.

 

DOUBLE MAIN EVENTS

                                                                       May 24, 1969

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

54 Years Ago

Power-packed action is offered wrestling fans in an all-star card at the LEXINGTON YMCA tonight, kicking off at 8:15.

The first of two big tag team matches will send the "BLONDE BOMBERS" RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON against the popular Texas twosome of NELSON ROYAL and PAUL JONES. The Texans are fast and high-flying, the "BOMBERS" mean and rugged, so the clash of styles could make for just a plain old battle.

Co-featuring the agenda will be a tag battle between the popular duo of Hawaiian SAM STEAMBOAT and partner MR. WRESTLING when they face the highly dangerous combo of THE INFERNOS. Interesting that STEAMBOAT is the only participant who doesn't hide his true identity behind a mask. Both teams have been on a winning streak lately, so something's gotta give in this one. Add in THE INFERNOS' crafty manager, J.C. DYKES, and anything might happen.

Both tag matches will go the best-of-three falls.

Rough PANCHO VALDEZ meets young RANDY CURTIS and fan favorite GREG PETERSON will contest BOBBY PAUL in the evening's first match.

GEORGE "TWO TON" HARRIS and

the MASKED RED DEMONS

 

HAYSTACKS AND LUMBERJACKS

                                                                      April 19, 1965

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

58 Years Ago

HAYSTACK CALHOUN, the mountain that walks like a man, returns to Charlotte tonight, and GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER couldn't be happier.

CALHOUN, BECKER and WEAVER will team up in a SIX MAN TAG TEAM LUMBERJACK MATCH at the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM to attempt to, once and for all, put an end to the terrifying threesome of BRONCHO LUBICH, ALDO BOGNI and their manager HOMER O'DELL.

Ten wrestlers have been assigned to station themselves around the ring while the main event action is going on. Should any member of either team try to leave the ring area or be thrown from it, the ten lumberjacks have orders to pitch the combatants back into the melee. It isn't likely any member of the CALHOUN / BECKER / WEAVER trio will do any running. In fact, these three want to stay in the ring with the villainous trio as much as possible. They seldom get the opportunity to get their hands on the slippery O'DELL, who is usually causing trouble in tuxedo attire (and cane) outside the ring.

In tonight's best-of-three falls contest, O'DELL will be a participant in wrestling attire. There's a 60-minute time limit for the match, with a NO DISQUALIFICATION stipulation in effect.

Another tag team match on the card will send two of the baldest and meanest men in the wrestling business, BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY, against the rugged team of THE ALASKAN and THE BEAST in a two-out-of-three falls "Battle of the Bullies" clash.

One could toss a coin to determine which of these two rule-breaking teams is the more vicious. Many fans are hoping the two duos will destroy each other, so the wrestling business won't have to deal with either of them any longer.

A fantastic JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS supporting card will underline this giant professional wrestling spectacular, which gets underway at 8:15 p.m.

Tickets can be obtained at the COLISEUM box office or the NATIONAL HAT SHOP in downtown Charlotte.

 

INDIANS AND INFERNOS

                                                                   November 11, 1967

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

THE INFERNOS

with Manager J. C. DYKES

CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE

BOBBY RED CLOUD

"Failure to continue" will determine the winner when top professional tag teams are matched for the fifth time in recent weeks in tonight's main event mat feature at the LEXINGTON YMCA.

It will be a TEXAS DEATH MATCH tonight when the popular Indian combo of CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE and BOBBY RED CLOUD clash with the dreaded masked duo of THE INFERNOS. In this match, falls will not count. There is NO DISQUALIFICATION and NO TIME LIMIT. The match will proceed until one of the teams is incapable of participating. This is pro wrestling's version of a "fight to the finish".

THE INFERNOS will have their red-headed manager, J. C. DYKES, in their corner. He will, no doubt, have with him his metal canteen and loud whistle. The canteen, DYKES claims, is for "refreshment" purposes for his masked men, but fans have seen J. C. use it as a weapon in the past. The whistle is to give instructions to THE INFERNOS during their match. But lately, fans have been bringing their own whistles to the matches, causing confusion between the managers and his wrestlers.

TEX McKENZIE

NELSON ROYAL

P. Y. CHUNG

HARU SASAKI

The co-feature on tonight's card is for two-out-of-three falls and will send the torrid Texan team of fan favorites TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL against the sly and crafty Oriental combo of P. Y. CHUNG and HARU SASAKI. A definite clash of cultures is present here.

BOB NANDOR

Popular RUDY KAYE meets TINY MILLS, and spectacular BOB NANDOR takes on newcomer STEVE STANLEY in the evening's single matches.

MILLS, much larger than his nickname implies, returns after a long absence.

The first bell is at 8:15.

GEORGE SCOTT and WAHOO McDANIEL participate in a Civitan golf tournament in

Salisbury, N.C.

 

NOT REALLY BROTHERS versus NOT REALLY BROTHERS

                                                                    January 25, 1969

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

54 Years Ago

A rematch between the wrestling teams of GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT and THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA headlines tonight's wrestling at the LEXINGTON YMCA.

The popular FLYING SCOTTS lost to the villainous MAULER and MATSUDA last week when they were disqualified. This week it's NO DQ, so anything goes.

HOMER O'DELL will also be on hand managing his bullies. Last week, O'DELL was ordered away from the ring area by the referee before the match began. He plans to be around more tonight.

A super BATTLE OF THE BULLY BROTHERS is also set when two rule-breaking sibbling teams collide. It will be TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN meeting GENE and OLE ANDERSON.

Both tag team matches will be fought under the best two-out-of-three falls rules.

Popular STEVE BOLUS returns after a long absence to face tough TONY NERO.

The card opens at 8:15 with newcomer BOBBY PAUL squaring off against the rough veteran "BULLDOG" LEE HENNING.

 

JARDINE INVADES JCP AS SUPER DESTROYER

 

One of the epic battles between the masked villain and Swede Hanson

Swede not faring too well at this point.

Super D clamps 'the claw' on Swede's noggin'.

Sonny King feels the wrath of the Super Destroyer

The year was 1973. JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS brought back one of their most popular wrestlers, GEORGE SCOTT, not as a ring competitor, but rather as head booker. One of Scott's priorities was to shift emphasis from tag team competition to singles matches.

To accomplish this, Scott brought in a couple of top heels he felt could achieve the transition. One was Johnny Valentine. The other, a rugged, vicious man in a mask, known in many territories as THE SPOILER.

However, in MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING rings, he would be known as THE SUPER DESTROYER.

Regardless of his in-ring monocle, the man who wore the mask and pulverized his opponents was the 6' 4", 270 pound Canadian named DON JARDINE (1940-2006). Already in the pro wrestling business for nearly twenty years, Jardine was known as an incredibly agile worker for such a big man, known for 'walking the ropes' before lowering the boom on his competition. His ring style was rough and tough and, being the consummate 'heel', rule breaking was a big part of his m.o.

THE SUPER DESTROYER rose to main event level in JCP almost immediately, going against such greats as Johnny Weaver, Bearcat Wright, Wahoo McDaniel, Paul Jones, Rufus R. Jones and Sonny King.

A major program involving THE SUPER DESTROYER would be with a hooded 'babyface' who called himself THE AVENGER. The battle between these two escalated to a MASK VERSUS MASK battle in which the loser would reveal his identity. I witnessed the Greensboro, N.C. encounter between these two (seems like it was on Thanksgiving night) in which THE AVENGER was eventually pinned and revealed to be none other than Reggie Parks. This same type match was probably held in other cities as well.

However, the program with THE SUPER DESTROYER I enjoyed the most was his incredible matches with SWEDE HANSON. The long-time JCP heel, big SWEDE was now a single, as partner RIP HAWK had bolted to the newly-formed IWA. Swede joined forces with SUPER D as a new tag team, but things went sideways between the two, with the masked man humiliating Hanson after a defeat. From this point on, Swede turned 'babyface' and went after his ex-partner.

The two went from town-to-town in the MID-ATLANTIC territory fighting each other in mostly bloody battles. It would be Swede's swan song as a JCP main eventer. After this program, Hanson would finish his career as a mid-card wrestler, splitting his time between JCP and the then-WWF.

THE SUPER DESTROYER would continue on in JCP for a while, later leaving abruptly over 'corporate issues', with JCP announcing on its weekly wrestling programs he had been unmasked and showing Jardine's photograph without the mask.

Some thought this was not the most professional way to end things between the company and the employee, but we see things like this in the corporate world everyday, don't we?

 

THE SENSATIONAL SIXTIES

 

THE VIKING

CHARLESTON, S.C. - 1965

THE ALASKAN and THE BEAST lost to GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER.

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT topped THE VIKING and SIR NELSON ROYAL.

MIKE VALENTINO submitted to ED CASTILLO.

GREG PETERSON rolled 'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS.

SWEDE HANSON and RIP HAWK

ROANOKE, VA. - 1969

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT defeated LARS and GENE ANDERSON.

LUTHER LINDSAY and ABE JACOBS topped RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON via DQ.

OLE ANDERSON pinned BOB NANDOR.

PAUL DEMARCO won over TINKER TODD.

ANGELO MARTINELLI lost to BOB RAMSTEAD.

GORY GUERRERO

RICHMOND, VA. - 1966

TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL won via a reversed decision over RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON.

DON CHUY and JOE CAROLLO beat IKE EAKINS and JOHN GUDISKI.

THE GREAT MALENKO bested ROGER KIRBY.

JOHNNY HEIDEMAN lost to GORY GUERRERO.

BRUTE BERNARD

GREENSBORO, N.C. - 1966

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER topped BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY.

TEX McKENZIE and NELSON ROYAL lost to BRONCHO LUBICH and ALDO BOGNI with HOMER O'DELL.

KARL GOTCH bested HENRY VON STROHEIM.

KURT VON STROHEIM pinned ROGER KIRBY.

RUDY KAY beat IKE EAKINS.

ABE JACOBS kee-wee rolled HANS SCHMIDT.

THE MUMMY

LYNCHBURG, VA. - 1967

HAYSTACK CALHOUN won a ten man BATTLE ROYAL.

THE AMAZING ZUMA topped IAN MACBIRD.

HAYSTACK CALHOUN squashed HENRY VON STROHEIM.

SANDY SCOTT defeated THE MUMMY.

PEDRO GODOY beat TONY ROMANO.

JESSE JAMES wrestled KURT VON STROHEIM to a draw.

 

A STEAMBOAT (SAM) BATTLE

                                                                      March 8, 1969

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

54 Years Ago

Last week's wrestling card was called off due to heavy snowfall, but action returns tonight to the LEXINGTON YMCA with a star-studded card, beginning at 8:15.

SAM STEAMBOAT, the Hawaiian sensation, will be joined by his regular partner, the masked MR. WRESTLING, to meet the villainous duo of ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH, in the evening's two-out-of-three fall main event. And where BOGNI and LUBICH go, so does their manager HOMER O'DELL.

THE MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW, GENE and OLE ANDERSON, slated to meet STEAMBOAT and MR. WRESTLING last Saturday, will battle the hero unit of New Zealander ABE JACOBS and gridironer LES WOLFE in the night's semi-final tag battle, also for the best-of-three falls.

Singles matches will pit young DAVE COX against tough TONY NERO, and BILLY SPEARS faces veteran "BULLDOG" LEE HENNING in the opener.

 

THE ANDERSONS WANT MORE

                                                                      May 25, 1968

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

LARS and GENE ANDERSON

NELSON ROYAL

BOBBY RED CLOUD

'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING

ABE JACOBS

LUTHER LINDSAY

---

Action should reach an exciting peak tonight at the LEXINGTON YMCA when the popular Texas duo of NELSON ROYAL and PAUL JONES and Minnesota brothers LARS and GENE ANDERSON clash in the wrestling main event.

It will be a best-of-three falls rematch of a thriller won in disputed fashion by the Texans last Saturday night. The ANDERSON brothers demanded another match.

War-dancing Indians CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE and BOBBY RED CLOUD meet another set of villains in 'BULLDOG' LEE HENNING and big JIM GRABMIRE in another team affair.

A scientific match is offered between BOB NANDOR and ABE JACOBS.

The card is completed with a contest between LUTHER LINDSAY and FRANK HICKEY.

Action gets underway at 8:15.