SWEDE HANSON - IMPACT PLAYER

 

During his long-term teaming with RIP HAWK.

SWEDE's about to feed a VON STROHEIM a knuckle sandwich.

HANSON near the end of his ring career.

SWEDE in his 'rebel' gear while working in the W.W.F.

HANSON even teamed with ANDRE THE GIANT.

---

Big, rugged ROBERT 'SWEDE' HANSON had a remarkable career.

He wrestled in four decades and was as tough at the end of his wrestling tenure as when he began.

There's no question the apex of his career was when he teamed with RIP HAWK for an incredible sixteen years, during which time they captured virtually every tag team award in the business.

"I'll never forget my years together with Rip. He was quite a character, and you can't imagine all the crazy things we got involved in. Most established teams in the business didn't stay together half as long as we did. Personal goals were never an issue. With us, it was what was best for the team." (Swede Hanson, 1984)

But nothing lasts forever, and they eventually went their separate ways, working for different wrestling organizations.

Around 1973, RIP went to the newly-formed I.W.A., and SWEDE stayed in JCP and soon began teaming with THE SUPER DESTROYER (DON JARDINE). But things soon went sideways, and at this point, HANSON turned 'babyface' and began a bloody war with his masked partner.

Following this program, SWEDE dropped to mid-card status, teaming with the likes of JOHNNY WEAVER, TIGER CONWAY JR. and PAUL JONES.

After a while, he headed north to work for the then-WWF but returned to the MID-ATLANTIC territory near the end of his career. Upon his arrival, he was back to being a 'bad guy' and worked as a mid / lower card single or teamed with ruffians like BRUTE BERNARD, GENE ANDERSON or SGT.JACQUES GOULET.

SWEDE HANSON was like a fine wine. Throughout his career, he became better and better until time caught up with him, as it does with all of us.

I, like many others, had the pleasure of attending the 2007 N.W.A. FANFEST banquet when SWEDE (and RIP) were inducted into the HALL OF HEROES. The two were inducted by their long-time manager, the late 'Playboy' GARY HART. SWEDE's award was accepted by his two children, Bobby and Luana.

When it comes to the history of JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, 'Big' SWEDE HANSON made an impact very few can match.

MGR. PAUL JONES joins his ASSASSINS in the ring.

 

TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN

 

 

A TEXAN NAMED MULLIGAN

 

BJ has the upper hand over Wahoo in an Indian Strap match as referee Sonny Fargo looks on.

Look out Thunderbolt Patterson...Mulligan is coming in for a landing...

Former World Heavyweight Champion TERRY FUNK gets an idea of what size boots BJ wears...

The American Dream feels like anything but in this battle with BJ...

T-Bolt is about to become another BJ 'claw' victim...

---

Wherever he wrestled, as a heel or babyface, he was 'over' big-time.

BLACKJACK MULLIGAN drew fans to the TV screen or the arenas like a flame attracts a moth.

His MID-ATLANTIC feuds with Paul Jones, Wahoo McDaniel, John Studd, Bobby Duncam, Ric Flair and The Masked Superstar sold as many tickets as JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS could print.

His interviews are as legendary as Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed. Who will ever forget the stories of Odessa, Sweetwater, 'Spider Grip' and 'Reba Joe'?

There has been a large number of 'cowboy' wrestlers throughout the years, but none were ever as colorful and entertaining as BLACKJACK MULLIGAN (Bob Windham).

Thank you, Sir, for all the entertainment you gave JCP fans.

 

BRUTE BERNARD loans GEORGE BECKER his cane.

 

BRIGHT STARS EVERY NIGHT

     The skies may have been cloudy some nights, but when JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS brought MID-                     ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING to your town, the stars came out every night...

BRONCHO LUBICH

'JUMPIN' JIM BRUNZELL

DINO BRAVO

'CRUSHER' JERRY BLACKWELL

BOB ORTON JR. and SR.

BOBBY SHANE and KLONDIKE BILL

BILLY and JIMMY HINES

(The UNMASKED RED DEMONS)

 

HAWK AND HANSON'S FAN CLUB

 The tag team combination of RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON was a duo wrestling fans loved to hate. And then again, many fans just loved them.

I was one of those fans. Another was a young man named ROCK RIDDLE. ROCK was much more ambitious than I. He started a HAWK / HANSON fan club and actually had a convention for his 'BLONDE BOMBER' heroes (maybe more than one), and 'The Profile' attended.

Here's RIP and ROCK at the convention.

The meeting shall come to order (ROCK is at bottom left).

RIP and SWEDE taking care of business.

The 'BLONDE BOMBERS' actually being besieged by autograph seekers. (HAWK and HANSON were getting ready to wrestle THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA, so maybe that's why.)

Young ROCK RIDDLE grew up and became a professional wrestler.

 

BECKER'S BACK IN LEXINGTON

                                                         LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

August 15, 1961

GEORGE BECKER and ABE JACOBS, a couple of top heroes with local wrestling fans, will return to the LEXINGTON YMCA for mat action tonight.

The two gladiators, who recently have operated as a tag team, will divide their forces this week to meet rugged opponents in a pair of singles main events.

BECKER will battle the mighty Greek star, CHRIS AVEROFF, while JACOBS will scrap with big SWEDE HANSON.

Both matches are set for the best-of-three falls.

Midget stars take over in a tag team match pitting popular little guys FRENCHY SEMARD and TINY BELL against the not-so-popular duo of FARMER McGRUDER and PEE WEE LOPEZ.

A preliminary match between SID JONES and PRINCE OMAR will open the card at 8:15.

 

A HOT HANUARY NIGHT

                                                                    January 11, 1969

Lexington, North Carolina

MR. WRESTLING and SAM STEAMBOAT

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON

TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN

JESSE JAMES

Professional wrestling's 'Blonde Bombers' --- RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON --- will take on the hero unit of Hawaiian star SAM STEAMBOAT and the masked man MR. WRESTLING in tonight's main event at the Lexington YMCA.

The Canadian brother duo of TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN will meet fan favorites BOB RAMSTEAD and JESSE JAMES in the semi-final tag team match.

Both tag contests will be decided under a best two-of-three falls stipulation.

Preliminary singles bouts will find rugged ROCK HUNTER meeting young BILLY SPEARS and TINKER TODD facing another masked man in the guise of EL LOBO.

The action gets underway at 8:15 p.m.

 

LES THATCHER'S BURNING ISSUES - CONCLUSION

                                              PART FOUR - LES GETS SATISFACTION

There was no wrestling in CHARLOTTE, N.C. on December 18th, 1967 as JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS was on its CHRISTMAS break.

Therefore, the WBTV-CHARLOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TV program which aired on Saturday, December 16th included the announcement of the annual WRESTLING card which would be held at the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM on CHRISTMAS night. This holiday card was always one of the top shows of the year and brought attention to the CHARLOTTE NEWS EMPTY STOCKING FUND, a charity to provide for the needy during the holidays. (The CHARLOTTE NEWS was, at the time, the evening newspaper of the Queen City, the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER was and still is the morning paper.)

Headlining the big holiday card was the match many had been hoping for...and none more than young LES THATCHER. The match would feature LES teaming with GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER opposing THE INFERNOS and, in the ring as a participant, manager J.C. DYKES in SIX MAN action.

LES went home to Ohio for a few days during his holiday break. Returning back to CHARLOTTE the day of the match, he was picked up at the airport by his good friend and wrestling 'cousin', ROGER KIRBY.

ROGER KIRBY

During the drive to his apartment, LES confided to KIRBY that he was nervous about the upcoming match, now just hours away. Nervous not because of his participation in the match, but rather because he feared if the crowd wasn't a good one, he would be blamed for the lower-than-expected attendance. THATCHER had worked main events while in Florida, but never in a building as large as the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM. And not on a wrestling card of this magnitude.

As it turned out, he need not have worried. Before the show started, while in the dressing room, JCP employee GEORGE HARBEN came in and said, "They're really pouring in."

At the end of the evening, the card had drawn the largest CHRISTMAS house for WRESTLING in CHARLOTTE to that time.

THE INFERNOS and DYKES await BECKER, WEAVER and THATCHER's ring entrance.

Finally, a chance for LES to even the score with the men who had injured him so badly. And here he was...teaming with the company's top twosome against a 'heel' team that drew big money wherever they worked.

Things went well for the 'good guys' that CHRISTMAS night. After splitting the first two falls, BECKER, WEAVER and THATCHER had DYKES a bloody mess when his men decided it was way too hot, even for INFERNOS. They grabbed their bludgeoned leader and headed for their dressing room, but before their getaway, one of the hooded 'heels' lost a most precious possession...his mask. Although his identity was concealed, this was the only instance I am aware that one of THE INFERNOS was unmasked while in the MID-ATLANTIC territory.

Referee SAM 'LUCKY' ROBERTS raises the hands of BECKER, WEAVER and THATCHER after DYKES and THE INFERNOS deserted the ring. Look closely at THATCHER's right hand and you'll see a just-removed INFERNO mask, quite a holiday stocking stuffer.



Article which appeared in the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, December 26th.

The LIKE AND DISLIKES column which appeared in the CHARLOTTE PARK CENTER wrestling program the week after the CHRISTMAS night match.

click on image to enlarge

And LES THATCHER's response in the same program.

click on image to enlarge

A four-month program came to a close CHRISTMAS night of 1967. This 'feud' was a great example of how to create, build and sell a program to the fans that was both believable as well as entertaining (something sorely lacking in today's product).

And as LES has said, "It was one of the highlights of my entire career."



My thanks to my very good friends DICK BOURNE of the MID-ATLANTIC GATEWAY and CARROLL HALL for their research assistance and to a true gentleman, LES THATCHER, for sharing his personal reflections on this wonderful look back to some great days of the wrestling business.

Illustrations from wrestling programs courtesy of DICK BOURNE.

Photographs of LES THATCHER from his personal collection and used with his permission.

September 2023Sad to report the passing ofCURTIS SMITH (right).Curtis joined his brother Rocky (left) as one ofTHE INFERNOSupon the departure of Frankie Cain.THE INFERNOS set every territory they worked on fire.THE INFERNOS was the perfect name for them.

 

LES THATCHER'S BURNING ISSUES - PART THREE

                                           PART THREE - THE PROGRAM CONTINUES

Safely back in his apartment, LES THATCHER kept a low profile for several days.

He did his own facial make-up to show the effects of the 'burning'. LES shaved off his left eyebrow, then used a coarse Turkish towel to rub up the skin around his eye to give it an irritated look. He applied what is known as 'New Skin' to the area to give his injured area a wrinkled effect, then painted the area with merbromin (household name: mercurochrome) and tinted Vicks Vapor Rub which gave an oozing appearance.

Then it was on to his bookings. For the time being, most would be in the general CHARLOTTE TV area as this was the target area for the 'burn' program. LES didn't wrestle for a couple of weeks, but instead appeared in all of his scheduled cities going into the ring, showing his burned face and explaining how the injury had occurred. (Before each appearance, 'BIG' JIM CROCKETT personally instructed LES to what degree he was to reduce the size of the 'burn', giving the illusion that the injury was heeling.)

After a week or two, every wrestling fan in the area was aware of the heated battle that had been touched off.

LES then appeared on the WBTV-CHARLOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING program hosted by BIG BILL WARD. During his interview with WARD (the interviews were always conducted in front of the ring apron), THE INFERNOS and DYKES were in the ring awaiting their match. At some point, while he was being questioned, LES was assaulted by one of the masked men (LES believes FRANKIE CAIN), who ripped at his injured face, causing THATCHER extreme pain and discomfort, thus (and pardon the pun) adding fuel to the fire. GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER came rushing to LES' aid, preventing even more damage.

click on image to enlarge

---

During their tenure with JCP, J.C. DYKES often wrote a column in the weekly CHARLOTTE wrestling program which was handed out (or sold--- I can't recall which) entitled LIKES AND DISLIKES BY J.C. DYKES. During the time frame after LES was burned, a number of the DYKES articles were directed at young THATCHER for concocting such a ridiculous "lie" that J.C. had hit him with a fireball.

Later in the mid-70s, LES wrote an editorial in each issue of MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING MAGAZINE entitled WRESTLER'S EYE VIEW. LES still uses that trademark to this day. But even before his editorials of the 1970s, LES originated that banner during this INFERNOS program. In a later-to-come 60 MINUTES POINT / COUNTERPOINT style, LES was given a rebuttal column in the programs giving his side of the 'burning" incident. (One will appear in tomorrow's wrap-up entry of this story.)

LES chases one of THE INFERNOS during a CHARLOTTE PARK CENTER encounter.

click to enlarge image

---

NEXT...the final chapter...LES THATCHER GETS SATISFACTION

LES THATCHER'S BURNING ISSUES - PART TWO

                                          PART TWO - WHAT THE PUBLIC DIDN'T SEE

LES THATCHER related to me that those participating in the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM main event of September 4, 1967 met at the CROCKETT office on Morehead Street that same morning.

 Those present included LES, GEORGE BECKER (also the booker at the time), JOHNNY WEAVER, J.C. DYKES, both of THE INFERNOS (FRANKIE CAIN and ROCKY SMITH), GEORGE HARBEN, and 'BIG' JIM CROCKETT himself.

'BIG' JIM instructed HARBEN to make sure that by the time the main event started that evening, that all referees working the show (except ANGELO MARTINELLI, who was assigned the main event) were to be out of the building. This way no one would spot any other refs hanging around, thus spoiling credibility to HARBEN's ringside plea for LES to come to the ring to officiate the remainder of the match.

CROCKETT told LES to wear his very best suit and to be visible at the back of the COLISEUM arena, so word would reach LES to come to the ring when HARBEN called for him. "If your clothes get damaged or ruined during the match, I'll pay to replace them", CROCKETT would say.

Near the end of the first fall, referee MARTINELLI would be knocked down, injured, but able to count to three in favor of THE INFERNOS.

HARBEN would go to ANGELO's aid. Determining that the official could not continue, MARTINELLI would be helped to the dressing room. With no other ref available, HARBEN (without the use of a microphone) would call out for LES to come to the ring. The fans would actually become involved in the proceedings by relaying the message back to THATCHER, who then went to the ring and received instructions from HARBEN.

THATCHER would referee the second and third falls of the match, amidst the protests of DYKES and his two men. GEORGE and JOHNNY would even the match, winning the second fall. WEAVER would 'schoolboy' one of THE INFERNOS for the third fall victory. LES would raise GEORGE and JOHNNY's hands, who would then leave the ring and start for the dressing room.

LES was to drop back a bit, so before he could leave the ring, he would be accosted by the sore losers. A little scuffle would ensue climaxing with DYKES igniting THATCHER's face with a fireball. LES would hit the mat, screaming in pain, and BECKER and WEAVER would jump back into the ring. GEORGE was to run off the 'heels' (their dastardly deed fulfilled), and WEAVER (who had conveniently worn a towel around his neck for the match) would wrap it around the burnt youngster's face and help him back to the dressing room.

RUDY KAY

---

Once inside the dressing room, LES wouldn't even take the time to change his clothes. He would cover his head and slip out the back of the COLISEUM, where RUDY KAY would be waiting in his automobile. LES would slouch down on the floorboard of the back seat, and RUDY was to quickly drive LES home to the THATCHER apartment.

One more detail to cover---the hired ambulance drivers who would be at the COLISEUM in case they would really be needed during the evening. WEAVER was assigned the task of telling the ambulance guys that THATCHER had a 'phobia' with ambulances, and that GEORGE and JOHNNY would take LES to the hospital themselves, thus relieving the medics of participating. The medical personnel could not be involved, in order to 'protect the business'.

"That's how meticulous the program was laid out...every detail was taken care of," LES said.

NEXT...PART THREE - SELLING THE PROGRAM