PROFESSOR BORIS (THE GREAT) MALENKO

 

CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD

 To my knowledge, THE INFERNOS were never fully unmasked in the ring, nor were their identities revealed to the fans.

Jim Crockett actually offered J.C. Dykes and THE INFERNOS a huge bonus to be unmasked all around his territory before they headed for other areas, but the trio refused the cash offer.

Actually, there was more than one team of THE INFERNOS, not uncommon for someone who was THAT hot (pardon the pun) in the business to have their ring personas ripped off. (Just try to imagine how many masked ASSASSIN teams there have been. Actually, there are STILL masked ASSASSINS wrestling in local indy outfits all over the country.)

But, back to THE INFERNOS, that is, the original ones.

If you have read some of my previous postings, it should be apparent that THE INFERNOS and J.C. DYKES were (and still are) at the top of my all-time 'heel' team list, and I've have been a pro wrestling fan now for over sixty years.

When THE INFERNOS burst upon the JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS wrestling scene back in the mid-1960s, they were an immediate sensation. They quickly joined BOGNI & LUBICH, HAWK & HANSON, MAULER & MALENKO and BERNARD & MURPHY as main event nasties. They immediately were causing in-ring trouble for BECKER & WEAVER, McKENZIE & ROYAL, the SCOTT brothers and all our other favorite babyfaces.

All of a sudden, J.C. DYKES was generating as much heat as a manager as his peer HOMER O'DELL (and that is saying plenty).

J.C. had his metal canteen (which he often used as a weapon) and that blasted whistle, playing it like a trumpet to signal his men during their match.

Add to that the fact that mysterious 'fireballs' appeared from time-to-time scorching the faces of some good guys (you can ask LES THATCHER about that) and, of course, that dreaded built-up wrestling boot (which many wrestlers claimed contained items varying from horseshoes to the kitchen sink).

These boys were so 'hot' in the territory that when they faced other heel teams in ring battles, the RIP & SWEDEs and the BRUTE & SKULLs drew the cheers of the crowd (at least for that one night).

THE INFERNOS took their ring gimmick to other territories besides JCP (such as Florida and Texas), and did the same blockbuster business there as well.

Over the course of their long run, some changes occurred within the group. The originals were FRANKIE CAIN and JIMMY 'ROCKY' SMITH. At one point, ROCKY had a heart attack (down in Texas, I believe) and how to bow out for a while, but returned later. FRANKIE eventually left to become wrestling's GREAT MEPHISTO and was replaced by ROCKY's brother CURTIS SMITH. Other INFERNOS included DOUG GILBERT, RON GIBSON, STAN PULASKI and KARL VON BRAUNER.

Then, of course, there were the copycats. When DYKES and his boys left Florida, Eddie Graham put two guys together and tried to pass them off as the originals. And to this day, like THE ASSASSINS, one can find masked men in indy outfits wrestling as THE INFERNOS.

FRANKIE CAIN is still with us. J.C. 'JIMMY' DYKES passed away in 1993. ROCKY SMITH is also gone.

But I still remember THE INFERNOS.

THE original INFERNOS

ROCKY SMITH (left) and FRANKIE CAIN (right)

A bloodied (and nearly unmasked) FRANKIE CAIN is checked out by manager J.C. DYKES.

DYKES consoles one of his men during a wild match.

Why the headgear on INFERNO ROCKY SMITH? It's because boxing champion JOE LOUIS was refereeing the match.

THE INFERNOS fall victim to GEORGE BECKER & JOHNNY WEAVER's "row your boat".

J.C. and the boys celebrate another victory.

During their Florida campaign, J.C. and ROCKY took issue with JOSE LOTHARIO's being on the wrestling program instead of THE INFERNOS.

Another bloody night in the ring.

J.C. DYKES submits to an interview, but refuses to disclose his men's identities.

A young TERRY FUNK gets an INFERNO boot to the face.

INFERNO FRANKIE CAIN unmasked.

INFERNO ROCKY SMITH unmasked.

SID EURY (known as Sid Justice and Sid Vicious), dies at 63 - August 26, 2004

 

DOUBLE MAIN EVENTS

                                                                        May 24, 1969

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

55 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.

DICK STEINBORN, JIM CROCKETT SR., GEORGE BECKER

 

TEX McKENZIE

 

GREAT WHILE IT LASTED

 All good things must come to an end, and JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS was one of those things, but wasn't it great when we could get in our cars and journey to nearby towns and experience the wrestling matches in person...

GREG VALENTINE and RIC FLAIR

SILENTO RODRIGUEZ and RANDY CURTIS

DARLING DAGMAR and THE KENTUCKIAN TINY ANDERSON

TONI ROSE

JIMMY SNUKA and RICKY STEAMBOAT

FRANK MORRELL and BILLY HINES

(At one time, HINES was one of THE MASKED RED DEMONS.)

JOHNNY VALENTINE

 

ONE MORE SUMMER NIGHT OF WRESTLING - ALMOST

 

August 24, 1967

STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

The third and final JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS wrestling card for Statesville, N.C. in the summer of 1967.

This says it all.

I was not happy.

Back to City News Stand to retrieve my $2.00 reserved ringside admission.

I probably spent the $2.00 on new comic books before I got out of the place.

DORY FUNK, JR.

 

DOUBLE MAIN EVENTS

                                                                       May 24, 1969  

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

55 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.

JOHNNY WEAVER AND GEORGE BECKER

 

RIC FLAIR

 

MISSOURI MAULER (LARRY HAMILTON)

 

NATURE BOY BUDDY ROGERS

 

LIKE TWO LOAVES OF BREAD - FOUR HEELS

                                                                 December 9, 1968

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Promoter JIM CROCKETT has announced the complete wrestling card set for tonight at PARK CENTER starting at 8:15.

The headliner finds two of the nation's toughest tag teams opposing one another. GENE and OLE ANDERSON, known as the "MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW", will go hammer and tong with the brutal combination of THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA. As usual, HOMER O'DELL will second the MAULER and his Japanese partner. It's set for two-out-of-three falls.

Since the ANDERSON and O'DELL teams have both been steady winners at tag team efforts, the outcome will be interesting for the fans. It will also provide a key to future main event shots for the winning combination.

Towering ART THOMAS, the wrestling sailor from Arkansas, and THE AMAZING ZUMA will test the talents of the brother duo TERRY and RONNIE GARVIN. This one is also for the best-of-three falls.

JESSE JAMES grapples with LEON BAXTER in one of the prelims.

The opener offers SILENTO RODRIGUEZ, the Mexican swifty, against EL GAUCHO in a "south of the border" contest.

CARROLL HALL collection

 

COWBOY RON BASS

 

QUEEN CITY OUTDOOR WRESTLING

                                                                        May 4, 1966

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

58 Years Ago

Three Charlotte newcomers are on the big outdoor wrestling card tonight at MEMORIAL STADIUM, promoter JIM CROCKETT has announced.

The three debuting are all billed in the preliminary matches to the RUSSIAN CHAIN MATCH, which serves as the main event.

Big man KLONDIKE BILL, who is scientific-minded (but can rough it up when necessary), meets the rugged, tough villain IKE EAKINS.

BRUISER MORGAN, another of the first-timers, tangles with "Flying" SANDY SCOTT.

The third to make his debut will be promising young BOBBY SHANE, who tries out the experience of EL GAUCHO.

All are set for one fall.

The main event brings together BORIS "THE GREAT" MALENKO and fan favorite GEORGE SCOTT in a RUSSIAN CHAIN MATCH.

These men, bitter enemies, are shackled at the wrists by a six-foot length of chain and battle each other until one can drag the other around the ring twice. The normal falls do not count in this match. Chain matches are usually extremely brutal and bloody, and both men stand a good chance of spending the night in a hospital emergency room.

The SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP goes on the line tonight when THE MISSOURI MAULER climbs into the ring to face KARL GOTCH.

THE MAULER is the defending champion but has met few battlers of GOTCH's caliber. They'll go at it for the best-of-three falls with a one-hour time limit.

LUTHER LINDSEY, the North Carolina tussler, who is regarded as the best of the Negro wrestlers working today, joins forces with GEORGE "CATALINA" DRAKE to test BRONCHO LUBICH and ALDO BOGNI in tag team warfare. Of course, HOMER O'DELL, the slimy manager of LUBICH and BOGNI, will be in his men's corner.

Action begins at 8:15 and will continue under the stars.

A LONG TIME JCP FEUD

 GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER ruled the tag team world in JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS for most of the 1960s.

They faced every top 'heel' team that passed through the territory. The longest ongoing program was with RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON. The next longest would probably be with ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH, but right up there was the on-and-off again feud that BECKER and WEAVER had with THE ANDERSON BROTHERS.

It would start with the duo of LARS and GENE ANDERSON. Later, OLE was brought in, and while the younger 'brother' was being broken in, there were three ANDERSONs. LARS then left the MID-ATLANTIC area, and THE MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW was redefined as GENE and OLE ANDERSON.

GENE ANDERSON attempts to ram JOHNNY WEAVER'S head into the ring apron...or worse!

Judging from the blood on WEAVER's face, GENE was successful.


BECKER pummels a cornered LARS ANDERSON.


JOHNNY just can't seem to get away from GENE's fist.


GENE decides to work on BECKER for a while.