BLACKJACK MULLIGAN

 

GENE KINISKI

 

MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING WARS

 

TERRY KAY feels the wrath of KURT VON STEIGER.

LES THATCHER applies a headlock on RIP HAWK. That's referee ANGELO MARTINELLI, with THATCHER's partner JOHNNY RINGO in the background.

Referee TOMMY YOUNG looks as PAUL JONES applies a hammerlock on RIC FLAIR at CHARLOTTE's PARK CENTER.

A rare sight---referee SAM 'LUCKY' ROBERTS raises the hands of EL GAUCHO and TINKER TODD in victory.

P.Y. CHUNG has GEORGE BECKER at his mercy.

INFERNOS manager J.C. DYKES asks a poor fellow to check his shoe size.

JOHNNY WEAVER and DORY FUNK JR. battle for the NWA WORLD title.

"ROWDY" RODDY PIPER

 

DINO BRAVO AND MR. WRESTLING (TIM WOODS)

 

TOTAL BRUTALITY

            GENE ANDERSON and ART NELSON versus RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON

TEXAS DEATH MATCH

No Disqualification...No Time Limit. Falls don't count. The winner is determined only when one team is unable to continue.

Just consider climbing into the wrestling ring to face any of these individuals...you can count me out!

But imagine, after pairing them up, these four would go at it until the opposing team was beaten down so badly they couldn't go any more.

That's exactly what happened one wrestling night in 1972 in GREENVILLE, S.C.

At this point, GENE ANDERSON has RIP HAWK in a compromising situation.

Big SWEDE HANSON evens things up.

The match now taking its toll on everyone.

Especially RIP (that 'Profile' may be changed permanently).

But as HARLEY RACE stated at NWA FANFEST 2007, "Pound for pound, RIP HAWK was as tough as anyone who was ever in the wrestling business."

ART NELSON took a beating as well.

Referee SAM 'LUCKY' ROBERTS looks on.

GENE GORDON witnessed the match and gave the following account..."I believe this TEXAS DEATH MATCH was the roughest, most vicious and bloody match I had seen in many years, and I go all the way back to the likes of COWBOY LUTTRELL, DANNY McSHANE and STRANGLER BOB WAGNER. There was not a lot of wrestling. It was more like something out of the days of the Roman gladiators who battled to the death. No one paid any attention to any of the normal rules. The referee was knocked down several times and thrown to the floor once. He wanted to stop the match but couldn't under the stipulations. All four wrestlers looked like they had been run through a sausage grinder. They were so exhausted they could hardly leave the ring at the end. I saw one woman faint and a few others left in disgust, unable to stand the brutality and gore. I know I'll never forget it."

THE MONGOLS with MGR. GEORGE "CRY BABY" CANNON

 

ART NELSON

 

ABE JACOBS

 

BOILING POINT

                                                                     January 21, 1963

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

60 Years Ago

The stage is set for one of the biggest matches in the history of Charlotte professional wrestling since its debut here thirty years ago. And tonight's the night.

This match, which has building to a climax for several months now, pits the team of THE GREAT BOLO and BOLO against THE KENTUCKIANS, BIG BOY BROWN and TINY ANDERSON.

Special rules have been set for this match to insure that the BOLO team does not duck and run as they did at PARK CENTER two weeks ago. Ten wrestlers will be stationed around the ring to keep all four participants within the roped boundaries. THE KENTUCKIANS, the big fan favorites, will have two-out-of-three falls and one hour to not only defeat the hooded villains, but to unmask them and reveal their identities to the huge crowd which is expected to be in attendance.

"In the wrestling business, we call this a LUMBERJACK MATCH," said promoter JIM CROCKETT as time grows near for the big event. "No one will be able to escape if things aren't going their way."

A gigantic undercard is set for tonight's CHARLOTTE COLISEUM scene of the big showdown.

GEORGE BECKER and BILLY TWO RIVERS head it up, going against big IKE EAKINS and rugged PANCHO VILLA in the best-of-three falls semi-final tag team contest.

In single fall bouts scheduled, popular young JOHNNY WEAVER faces the Oriental villain P.Y. CHUNG.

LUTHER LINDSAY takes on EDDIE GOLD.

JOHNNY "RUBBERMAN" WALKER clashes with Japan's HOSHINO SATO.

And to add even more excitement, PENNY BANNER will face BRENDA SCOTT in a special ladies event.

A huge crowd is expected at the CHARLOTTE COLISEUM tonight, but as of press time, there were some good seats still available, according to CROCKETT.

The starting time tonight is 8:15 sharp.

TWO LEGENDARY CROCKETT TEAMS TANGLE

                                                                   January 30, 1965

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Action galore is on tap for professional wrestling fans fortunate enough to attend

the big card tonight at the LEXINGTON YMCA starting at 8:15.

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT, known world-wide as THE FLYING SCOTTS, and victorious here last Saturday, will face long-time rivals RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON, wrestling's BLONDE BOMBERS, in the featured two-out-of-three-falls main event.

A top semifinal match is scheduled with popular young JOHNNY WEAVER taking on rugged ex-footballer MIKE PAIDOUSUS.

Two other singles matches will round out the program when Indian star CHIEF BIG HEART faces MIKE VALENTINO *, and TONY NERO will face a newcomer to Lexington when he squares off against THE ALASKAN (JAY YORK).

GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT

MIKE PAIDOUSUS

MIKE VALENTINO

JOHNNY WEAVER

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON

* MIKE VALENTINO wrestled in the WWWF as BARON MIKEL SCICLUNA.

LES THATCHER

 

THE ROCK 'N' ROLL EXPRESS (RICKY MORTON AND ROBERT GIBSON)

 

MASKED SUPERSTAR (BILL EADIE) VERSUS MR. WRESTLING (TIM WOODS)

 

GREG VALENTINE AND RIC FLAIR

 

TAG TEAM TITLES UP FOR GRABS

                                                                  September 14, 1959

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

The SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP will be up for grabs tonight at PARK CENTER in the co-feature of a big four bout wrestling card promoted by JIM CROCKETT.

Colliding for the coveted title will be the current champions, THE GREAT BOLO and LARRY 'CRUSHER' HAMILTON, and a pair of more than worthy challengers, GEORGE BECKER and CYCLONE ANAYA.

The animosity between these men is staggering, especially that of BECKER and BOLO. These two men have battled all over the southern United States for several years, and the fire is now hotter than ever.

Two recorded falls by pin fall or submission is the requirement for the challengers to become the champions. The title match carries a one-hour time limit.

The co-feature tag match has FARMER McGREGOR and PANCHO LOPEZ taking on SKY LOW LOW and FUZZY CUPID in a midgets' tag scrap. McGREGOR is subbing for LITTLE BEAVER, who was injured in a match a few days ago and is out of action for the time being. This one's also for the best-of-three falls.

A pair of single matches opens the card with PAT FRALEY tackling CHICK GARABALDI and STEVE BOLUS faces MARTINO LORENZO.

Each of the single contests is set for one fall, twenty minutes.

Action begins at 8:15 p.m.

GEORGE BECKER

THE GREAT BOLO

CYCLONE ANAYA

LARRY 'CRUSHER' HAMILTON

SKY LOW LOW

MGR. GEORGE HARRIS and THE MASKED RED DEMONS (JIMMY & BILLY HINES)