THE ASSASSIN (JODY HAMILTON)

 

GEORGE, JOHNNY AND THE ANDERSONS

 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.

SO LONG FOR NOW

 

BLACKJACK MULLIGAN

 

BOILING POINT

                                                                  January 21, 1963

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

62 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.

LES THATCHER AND RUDY KAYE

 

HEELS, HEELS AND MORE HEELS

                                                                       March 29, 1969

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

56 Years Ago

Anything is likely to happen tonight...

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON, "The Blonde Bombers" of the pro wrestling world, tear loose against an equally rough duo of THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA in tonight's LEXINGTON YMCA wrestling feature, kicking off at 8:15.

"Colonel" HOMER O'DELL, the diabolical manager of MATSUDA and the MAULER, will be accompanying his men and could get mixed up in the BATTLE OF THE BULLIES main event, scheduled for the best two-out-of-three falls.

"Let O'DELL stick his nose in the ring while I'm wrestling," said HAWK. "I've got a piledriver waiting with his name on it!" HAWK's partner HANSON had no comment.

Popular GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT will be back tonight, fresh off a victory here last week. "Bulldog" LEE HENNING and "Big" JIM GRABMIRE are the foes facing "The Flying Scotts" tonight. Two falls will decide the winning team.

Single matches send young BOBBY PAUL against the rugged ROCK HUNTER, and RANDY CURTIS will test tough EL GAUCHO in the opening match.

ROBERTO SOTO

 

GERMANS VERSUS INDIANS

                                                                    January 22, 1966

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

VON STROHEIM

SUNI WAR CLOUD

(looks a bit like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, doesn't he?)

'The Big O' BOB ORTON SR.

BILLY TWO RIVERS

BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY

A rough and rugged pair of German brothers will make their LEXINGTON YMCA debut tonight in the main event of professional wrestling action.

The big bruisers, KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM, who tip the scales at a combined 510 pounds, will face a very popular duo of Indian mat stars in the guise of BILLY TWO RIVERS and SUNI WAR CLOUD.

The current SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, 'The Big O' BOB ORTON will face newcomer KARL GOTCH in a non-title match. A GOTCH victory would propel him to the top of the list of contenders for the title.

More tag team action is slated as fan favorites STEVE BOLUS and OMAR ATLAS will collide with the Irish / Canadian skinhead bully team of BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY, who are returning to the area after a long absence.

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

Another singles match will open the card at 8:15.

NELSON ROYAL AND TEX McKENZIE

 

HAYSTACKS AND LUMBERJACKS

                                                                      April 19, 1965

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

60 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.

JOHNNY VALENTINE

 

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!"

SCOTT AND RICK STEINER

 

EVERY MATCH A MAIN EVENT

                                                                   AUGUST 10, 1959

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

66 Years Ago

Many wrestling fans are saying that promoter JIM CROCKETT has outdone himself with tonight's pro wrestling card. Every match on the program could headline any wrestling show anywhere in the United States.

But it is the fans in the CHARLOTTE area who shall reap the benefits.

In tonight's headliner at PARK CENTER, the devious duo of MR. MOTO and DUKE KEOMUKA will face another challenge for their SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP. The Japs, who have protected their titles at any cost against all comers in the month they have had the belts, will face a severe challenge when they meet fan favorites GEORGE BECKER and BILLY TWO RIVERS, the top-ranked contenders. The championship encounter is set for the best two-of-three falls, with a one hour time limit.

The semi-final squares off PAT O'HARA and THE GREAT BOLO. Perhaps tonight will be the lucky night for the Irishman in his quest to unmask the hooded ruffian. O'HARA has come close a few times, but THE GREAT BOLO has managed to hang on to his mask...so far. This one's also two-out-of-three falls, forty-five minute limit.

The main prelim sends popular DANO O'SHOCKER against the rugged LARRY 'CRUSHER' HAMILTON for one fall, thirty minutes.

And the 8:15 opener, set for one fall and twenty minutes, has REGGIE PARKS, the handsome Canadian scraper from Ontario, meeting CYCLONE ANAYA.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early to guarantee getting a seat.

GEORGE BECKER, BIG BILL WARD, DICK STEINBORN

 

MID-ATLANTIC RING ACTION

 

JAKE (pre-'The Snake') ROBERTS clamps a headlock on THE GRAPPLER (LEN DENTON).

JOHNNY WEAVER holds the leg of THE MISSOURI MAULER (LARRY HAMILTON) as GEORGE BECKER lays one in. Referee ANGELO MARTINELLI observes.

High-flying DINO BRAVO coming in for a landing.

(This is gonna hurt.)

'The Russian Bear' IVAN KOLOFF sneers at his victorious opponent.

The rugged ART NELSON puts the boots to the back of TOMMY SIEGLER.

MAGNUM TA (TERRY ALLEN)

 

O'DELL WRESTLING, NOT MANAGING

                                                                    October 31, 1964

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

61 YEARS AGO

THE KENTUCKIANS

TINY ANDERSON and BIG BOY BROWN

GEORGE BECKER

BRONCHO LUBICH and ALDO BOGNI

THE BEAST

GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS

RUDY KAYE

JESSE JAMES

The HOMER O'DELL gang may find their Halloween to be a haunting one tonight at the LEXINGTON YMCA when they face THE KENTUCKIANS, TINY ANDERSON and BIG BOY BROWN, and their partner, hero GEORGE BECKER.

It's tonight's big main event.

Last Saturday night, O'DELL, after losing one fall to BECKER, tucked tail and ran like a scalded dog, bringing an abrupt ending to their match. Tonight, the 'COLONEL' will have his two rule breaking men, BRONCHO LUBICH and ALDO BOGNI, to cower behind during their SIX MAN TAG TEAM MATCH. O'DELL will need that protection in the best-of-three falls match, as BECKER wants another piece of HOMER's hide for his taking a powder last time. THE KENTUCKIANS have promised to look after BOGNI and LUBICH.

Another big crowd is expected to witness this big contest, as well as the three fine supporting matches on the card.

DOUG GILBERT will test PEDRO ZAPATA.

RUDY KAYE faces THE BEAST. *

JESSE JAMES squares off against GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS in the 8:15 opener.

* Rudy Kaye and The Beast were, in fact, brothers. Rudy's real name was Jean-Louis Cormier. The Beast was Yvon Cormier.

JACK BRISCO

 

SUPER STARS IN SUPER ACTION

 

KIM DUK battles WAHOO MCDANIEL

PAUL JONES has the better of BARON VON RASCHKE.

JACK BRISCO ties up GREG VALENTINE with a rear chin lock.

The end is near for his opponent as DINO BRAVO begins his airplane spin.

THE ASSASSIN manhandles an opponent.

DUSTY RHODES deals with both OLE and GENE ANDERSON.

BLACKJACK MULLIGAN arm bars PAUL JONES.

ABE JACOBS