CAROLINA CAT FIGHT

 

BELLE STARR makes her point to the hot crowd.

BARBARA and BELLE go at it while referee ANGELO MARTINELLI looks on.

BELLE got a kick out of this.

While just about every section of the country and every town in that section claims that they have the most rabid wrestling fans, few will argue the claim that the loudest and wildest of them all come from the Carolinas. What makes these fans so? Well, those wild and woolly matches that they are presented with week after week could be the reason.

A recent match between 'Blonde Venus' BARBARA NICHOLS and the saucy brunette, BELLE STARR, was an occasion for rejoicing as these two gals just plain don't like each other, and when they climbed through the ropes to do battle, the sparks really flew.

As actions and pictures speak louder than words - we will let the photos tell the story.

From a 1969 WRESTLING REVUE article by Gene Gordon.

THE PLAYBOY GETS HIS

                               You could push a mild-mannered guy like JERRY BRISCO only so                           far. 'Playboy' GARY HART crossed the line and paid the price!

"Chain matches disgust me," claimed JERRY. "If a wrestler can't win a match on his ability alone---then he should get out of the business."

Then why did BRISCO end up in a 1973 CHARLOTTE COLISEUM ring battling 'Playboy' GARY HART in a CHAIN MATCH?

The whole bloody mess stemmed from a title match the night OLE ANDERSON hoped to grab JERRY's EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

At a point in the match, it seemed that OLE was really on the short end of a wrestling match, and that didn't happen often. ANDERSON was the victim of a series of dropkicks, spinning toe holds and the abdominal stretch. The end appeared to be near.

Enter GARY HART. Angry that he hadn't been given a title match as he had demanded, HART jumped into the ring to OLE's defense---with a chain.

The heavy metal object left its marks on BRISCO. The referee disqualified ANDERSON due to HART's outside interference. JERRY remained EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

Immediately, HART challenged BRISCO to a match...a CHAIN MATCH. The 'Playboy' and the man he managed, RIP HAWK, told everyone that JERRY wouldn't accept the challenge...because he was yellow.

But they were wrong.

The match was signed for The Big Dome in CHARLOTTE.

It was a night GARY HART would regret. Although he had a few shining moments during the match, the night belonged to JERRY BRISCO. HART was soon a bloody mess, so bad that RIP HAWK grabbed his manager and dragged his limp body to the dressing room and on to the hospital.

Talk about a plan that backfired.

The referee secures each end of the chain to the combatants' wrists.

HART gets the advantage by choking BRISCO with the heavy chain.

The 'Playboy' inflicts more damage to JERRY.

The tide of battle changed, as RIP HAWK helps his manager from the ring.

The EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION is victorious.

 

Rip Hawk bloodies Nelson Royal, Paul Jones toe holds Bob Ramstad, George & Sandy Scott before a TV match, Rip Hawk plays with the Amazing Zuma, Johnny Weaver slams an opponent.

THE TIME: 1964 - THE PLACE: LEXINGTON, NC

                                                                    August 15, 1964

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

'IRISH' MIKE CLANCY

NICK KOZAK

BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY

RONNIE ETCHINSON

DOC GALLAGHER

DOUG GILBERT

TIM WOODS

JIM GRABMIRE

A return match between the top tag teams of fan favorites 'IRISH' MIKE CLANCY and NICK KOZAK and the rowdy skinheads, BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY, headlines pro wrestling tonight at LEXINGTON'S YMCA gym.

This return match, set for the best two-out-of-three falls, came about because of the recent match these combos had with one another that got completely out-of-hand when falls were even. Tonight, it's NO DISQUALIFICATION and NO TIME LIMIT, so a winner is assured.

Singles action is on tap when the rugged DOC GALLAHER returns to the area to face popular RONNIE ETCHINSON.

Two top prelims are booked as well.

TIM WOODS squares off with MIKE VALENTINO, and DOUG GILBERT will test JIM GRABMIRE.

Bell time is 8:15 p.m.

 

 BRUTE BERNARD AND SKULL MURPHY SQUASH

THEIR OPPONENTS DURING A WRESTLING TAPING

AT WBTV- CHARLOTTE

TWO GREATS PASS AWAY ON SAME DAY

 AUGUST 23, 2023

ABE JACOBS

age 95

TERRY FUNK

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

 JOHNNY WEAVER, with George Becker as second, dukes it out with ART NELSON.

THE SIZZLIN' SIXTIES

 From West Virginia to South Carolina, JCP fans had no trouble finding great wrestling entertainment...

ABE JACOBS

CHARLESTON, W.V. - 1969

ABE JACOBS, GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT topped LARS, GENE and OLE ANDERSON in six man action.

LITTLE BRUISER pinned COWBOY LANG.

PAUL DEMARCO and BOB RAMSTEAD lost to THE MASKED RED DEMONS.

LES WOLFE toppled TINKER TODD.

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT

LYNCHBURG, VA. - 1968

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

BOBBY RED CLOUD and CHIEF LITTLE EAGLE won over THE INFERNOS with J.C. DYKES via DQ.

CHUCK CONLEY topped THE MATADOR.

ROGER KIRBY pinned ALEX MEDINA.

JOHN and CHRIS TOLOS

GREENVILLE, S.C. - 1966

JOHNNY WEAVER defeated JOHN and CHRIS TOLOS in a Handicap Match.

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT bested MIKE GALLAGHER and PEDRO ZAPATA.

'THE BIG O' BOB ORTON stopped RON REED. *

*RON REED later wrestled as BUDDY COLT.

LUTHER LINDSAY pinned 'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS.

'THE BIG O' BOB ORTON

RICHMOND, VA. - 1966

KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM beat GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT.

GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER won from 'THE BIG O' BOB ORTON and THE GREAT MALENKO.

IKE EAKINS topped JIM GRABMIRE.

DON CHUY pinned MIKE PAIDOUSIS.

TEX McKENZIE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1966

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

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON defeated ABE JACOBS and RUDY KAYE.

PAUL DEMARCO topped GENE ANDERSON.

GEORGE 'CATALINA' DRAKE pinned GORY GUERRERO.

JESSE JAMES

ROANOKE, VA. - 1969

ALDO BOGNI, BRONCHO LUBICH and GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS won over GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT and LES WOLFE in six man action.

GREG PETERSON and JESSE JAMES bested TOM BRADLEY and JOHNNY HEIDEMAN.

RANDY CURTIS defeated GEORGE GRANT.

EL GAUCHO topped RON CHARLES.

 THE ASSASSINS

with MGR. PAUL JONES

THERE'S ACTION...ADVENTURE...AND MYSTERY

Actually, that is the phrase that was used for TV's ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.

But, think about it. It could also apply to the great storylines and matches of JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS throughout the years.

The greatest wrestling talent in the world worked in the MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING territory.

Here are but a few...

JOHNNY RINGO has the upper hand, at least for the moment, in this battle with MIKE 'THE ALASKAN' YORK.

One of THE INFERNOS comes to the aid of his masked partner in this match featuring a very young TERRY FUNK.

BOB BRUGGERS and DANNY MILLER turn the tables on CHUCK O'CONNOR (later known as JOHN STUDD).

You can't see his face, but that's NELSON ROYAL taking a beating from the German duo of KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM.

Not one, but two referees attempt to get SWEDE HANSON away from THE SUPER DESTROYER (Don Jardine).

PRINCESS LITTLE CLOUD and BETTE BOUCHER prove the ladies can be just as rough as the guys.

'Camel Clutch' time for GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS. RONNIE GARVIN is in charge.

 JOHNNY WEAVER battles THE MASKED RED DEMONS

BRUTES VERSUS KENTUCKIANS

                                                                      December 5, 1964

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

59 Years Ago

A SIX MAN TAG TEAM MATCH, growing out of a disputed finish of a tag battle last week, features tonight's wrestling card at the LEXINGTON YMCA, kicking off at 8:15.

GEORGE BECKER, who served as referee last week after the assigned official was injured and who was involved in the final fall, will join last week's winners THE KENTUCKIANS, TINY ANDERSON and BIG BOY BROWN, to form one team. The two angry losers of the same match, BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY, will be joined by THE BRUTE to form what should be one of the roughest trios ever to enter the Lexington ring.

The battle will go for the best two-out-of-three falls with a one hour time limit.

Girl wrestlers PENNY BANNER and MARGIE RAMSEY will square off in a special attraction.

The opening match sends GEORGE "TWO TON" HARRIS against young DOUG GILBERT.

WE WUZ ROBBED!

                                                                    October 21, 1968

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

HAYSTACK MULDOON

SAM STEAMBOAT

BRONCHO LUBICH, GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS, ALDO BOGNI

THE AMAZING ZUMA

GREG PETERSON

---

What has turned into the most devastating grudge match of the Fall climaxes tonight at the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM with a SIX MAN TAG TEAM MATCH as the number one attraction.

HAYSTACK MULDOON and SAM STEAMBOAT took a highly controversial win last Monday night over ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH. At first, referee ANGELO MARTINELLI gave the BOGNI - LUBICH team the nod, then changed his decision.

The chief reason for the referee's switch was an arm-waving testimony from THE AMAZING ZUMA, who was at ringside. ZUMA made it clear that GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS, who manages BOGNI and LUBICH, was in the ring and was involved with the so-called final pin fall.

HARRIS, as usual, has been wringing out the crying towel. The entire purse of the last outing went to MULDOON and STEAMBOAT. HARRIS dug into his vocabulary and pulled out the old boxing saying of Mike Jacobs that, "WE WUZ ROBBED!"

Promoter JIM CROCKETT told HARRIS to put his body where his mouth is, and 'TWO TON' agreed to do just that. So HARRIS will don the tights tonight and will amble into the ring with his two "partners in crime," and ZUMA will be added to the MULDOON - STEAMBOAT combo for the two-out-of-three falls bash. Plenty of action is guaranteed in this one.

GREG PETERSON of Alabama, a favorite here several months past, returns to action against Florida's bad boy LEON BAXTER in one of the five preliminary matches, which get underway at 8:15 p.m. in the BIG DOME.

 MGR. GEORGE "TWO TON" HARRIS

and his

MASKED RED DEMONS

NUMBER ONE AND THE RUSSIAN BEAR

 Two long-time JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS main eventers who could really set a town on fire were The Russian Bear IVAN KOLOFF and Number One PAUL JONES.

But when the two squared off against one another, the flames were even hotter!

The Russian Bear knee drops Number One from the ring apron...

PAUL gets a bit of revenge...

KOLOFF has JONES in big trouble...

That's referee ANGELO MARTINELLI.

IVAN takes down PAUL for some more punishment.

It could be the beginning of the end for KOLOFF as JONES applies the airplane spin.

The arena looks like Charlotte's PARK CENTER.

 

SCOTTS AND BOLOS BATTLE

                                                LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

JANUARY 5, 1963

THE FLYING SCOTT BROTHERS - SANDY and GEORGE

THE GREAT BOLO and BOLO

P.Y. CHUNG

A four match card returns professional wrestling to the LEXINGTON YMCA tonight following a two week holiday layoff.

The Canadian duo of GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT, known in wrestling as THE FLYING SCOTTS, return as a team after a very long abscence. They have a tall order ahead of them as they are paired against the masked terror combo of THE GREAT BOLO and BOLO in the evening's best-of-three falls main event.

Midget stars will also be on hand in a special event when LITTLE BOY BLUE faces PEE WEE LOPEZ.

Two single bouts are also scheduled with the Oriental craftsman P.Y. CHUNG meeting DON WHITTIER, and JOHNNY HEIDEMAN tackles EDUARDO CASTILLIO in the 8:15 opener.

JACK BRISCO versus DORY FUNK, JR.