A fond look back at the great days of JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS professional wrestling.
Friday, April 4, 2025
Thursday, April 3, 2025
FLYING SCOTTS MEET THE BOLOS
March 4, 1963
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
62 Years Ago
Pro wrestling's most dreaded tag team, THE GREAT BOLO and BOLO, return to action after a week's absence, headlining tonight's PARK CENTER mat card when they face Canada's popular duo of GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT.
Just about everybody in the bone-cracking business has a feud of long standing with the two masked wrestlers, and the "FLYING SCOTTS" are no exception. These four have met before with nothing really being settled. Both teams intend to make a statement tonight in the best two-of-three falls battle.
There's more tag team action in the semi-final tonight, and this one brings in the rugged twosome of FRANK VALOIS and CRUSHER ANGELO, and they will have a potentially tough evening as they will face THE KENTUCKIANS, TINY ANDERSON and BIG BOY BROWN. This one is also for two-out-of-three falls.
In singles matches, Yugoslavian BRONCHO LUBICH, who will be accompanied to the ring by his manager, HOMER O'DELL, squares off against DALE LEWIS, a newcomer from Oklahoma.
Tonight's opener features JERRY BALLARD and PAUL HARRISON, a pair of Negro grapplers, against one another.
Bell time is 8:15.
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
WEAVER CHASES MAULER FOR TITLE
June 11, 1966
LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

The SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP will be at stake in tonight's LEXINGTON YMCA feature attraction.
THE MISSOURI MAULER, holder of the coveted belt designating the championship, will defend his honor against the popular JOHNNY WEAVER, probably the most popular wrestler in the Carolinas, who has held this title himself.
The two-out-of-three falls encounter matches two long-time adversaries within a one-hour time limit.
A tag team battle is also set, and a battle it should be when GEORGE BECKER (WEAVER's regular tag partner) joins his old buddy ABE JACOBS to meet the brutal German brother combination of KURT and HENRY VON STROHEIM in a two-of-three falls contest.
"Johnny's title match gives ABE and me a chance to team back up like we used to. ABE and I are going to take care of the Germans, then watch JOHNNY become the new SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION," BECKER has stated.
In the prelim matches, which kick off the 8:15 p.m. card, the tough veteran EL GAUCHO meets North Carolina's own LUTHER LINDSAY, and KEN HOLLIS dukes it out with RUDY KAYE.
Monday, March 31, 2025
Sunday, March 30, 2025
AROUND THE TERRITORY
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 1969
GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT won from THE INFERNOS with J.C. DYKES via DQ.
BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY topped ABE JACOBS and LES WOLFE.
JOHNNY WEAVER whipped MATTI SUZUKI.
BOBBY RED CLOUD topped PHIL ROBLEY.
GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT won from THE INFERNOS with J.C. DYKES via DQ.
BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY topped ABE JACOBS and LES WOLFE.
JOHNNY WEAVER whipped MATTI SUZUKI.
BOBBY RED CLOUD topped PHIL ROBLEY.
GREENVILLE, S.C. - 1968
LARS, GENE and OLE ANDERSON toppled ARGENTINA ZUMA, LES THATCHER and PAUL DEMARCO in six man action.
JESSE JAMES topped PEPPY GOMEZ.
PANCHO VALDEZ pinned JACK RICO.
BOB RAMSTEAD wrestled JOHNNY HEIDEMAN to a draw.
LARS, GENE and OLE ANDERSON toppled ARGENTINA ZUMA, LES THATCHER and PAUL DEMARCO in six man action.
JESSE JAMES topped PEPPY GOMEZ.
PANCHO VALDEZ pinned JACK RICO.
BOB RAMSTEAD wrestled JOHNNY HEIDEMAN to a draw.
CHARLESTON, S.C. - 1965
GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER won over BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY.
THE KENTUCKIANS bested THE ALASKAN and THE BEAST.
GEORGE 'CATALINA' DRAKE topped EDUARDO CASTILLO.
PEE WEE LOPEZ pinned JIM DANDY.
GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER won over BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY.
THE KENTUCKIANS bested THE ALASKAN and THE BEAST.
GEORGE 'CATALINA' DRAKE topped EDUARDO CASTILLO.
PEE WEE LOPEZ pinned JIM DANDY.
GREENVILLE, S.C. - 1969
GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER defeated LARS and GENE ANDERSON.
BOB GRIFFIN and LES WOLFE lost to BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY.
OLE ANDERSON whipped BOBBY RED CLOUD.
JOHNNY HEIDEMAN topped EL LOBO.
GEORGE BECKER and JOHNNY WEAVER defeated LARS and GENE ANDERSON.
BOB GRIFFIN and LES WOLFE lost to BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY.
OLE ANDERSON whipped BOBBY RED CLOUD.
JOHNNY HEIDEMAN topped EL LOBO.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Friday, March 28, 2025
A CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT FOR SURE
August 28, 1965
LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
Something unusual is on tap for wrestling fans tonight at the LEXINGTON YMCA as two heavyweight championships are up for grabs when action gets underway at 8:15.
The current SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH, will defend their title against the popular contenders in that of big HAYSTACKS CALHOUN and speedy ABE JACOBS.
HAYSTACKS is the biggest man in the wrestling business, and JACOBS is a top competitor who should mesh well with CALHOUN.
BOGNI and LUBICH will have their devious manager, HOMER O'DELL, in their corner.
SOUTHERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 'BIG O' BOB ORTON will put his title up against top contender RON REED (he later wrestled as BUDDY COLT). REED is certainly capable of taking the belt away from the current champ.
Both title bouts are scheduled for two-out-of-three falls with one hour time limits.
Prelim action will find GORY GUERRERO squaring off against tough MIKE GALLAGHER.
The opening match pits good-looking fan favorite OMAR ATLAS facing the rugged 'ROWDY' RED ROBERTS.
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
HEAT UNDER THE HOOD
THE INFERNOS with Manager J.C. DYKES
JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, throughout the 1960s, was known in the professional wrestling world as the top territory for tag team wrestling. Probably more than ninety percent of the time, a JCP card was topped off with a tag match.
JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, throughout the 1960s, was known in the professional wrestling world as the top territory for tag team wrestling. Probably more than ninety percent of the time, a JCP card was topped off with a tag match.
The list of main event teams who worked the MID-ATLANTIC area is a 'Who's Who' of the greatest combos ever in the business.
Other than THE BOLOS, the best masked team to ever hit the Carolinas and Virginia was a couple of guys who went by the ring name of THE INFERNOS. Along side them was a red-headed manager J.C. (Jimmy) DYKES.
There were, through the years, several incarnations of the INFERNO team (and countless impersonators), but the original two 'blue tigers' (as Dykes often called them) were FRANKIE CAIN and ROCKY SMITH. Neither men were big in stature by wrestling standards, but could they ever work!
In interviews, DYKES claimed the duo was European and spoke little English. He was the only person who could really communicate with them well, and did much of it by the use of blowing a whistle during their matches to give them strategic commands.
The wrestling fans, to create problems for the evil trio, soon began bringing their own whistles to the matches. The areas would become deafening with several hundred whistles being blown at the same time. A great way for the fans to be involved in the match.
DYKES also carried a metal canteen to the ring, giving his men a needed refreshment between falls of their matches. Naturally, the metal canteen often found its mark on the noggins of many a 'babyface' opponent.
And it was not beneath the dignity of J.C. to throw an occasional fireball at their adversaries. I recall George Becker and Les Thatcher at the receiving end on two different occasions.
But the 'gimmick' of THE INFERNOS that got the most heat (and this team's heat was as hot as the sun) was the loaded boot.
THE INFERNOS and DYKES drew big money in every territory they appeared, be it the Carolinas and Virginia, Florida, Texas, etc. They headlined countless wrestling cards facing each area's top teams (including other 'heel' teams).
J.C. DYKES died in 1993. ROCKY SMITH has also passed away. FRANKIE CAIN was the first to leave the team when he became pro wrestling's THE GREAT MEPHISTO. Cain was replaced by Rocky's brother CURTIS, who has passed as well.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Monday, March 24, 2025
DEAL THOSE CARDS
THE YEAR WAS 1969
...it was a very good year...
GENE KINISKI beat SAM STEAMBOAT to remain World Heavyweight Champion
GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT topped GENE and OLE ANDERSON
THE MISSOURI MAULER & HIRO MATSUDA with MGR. HOMER O'DELL defeated ABE JACOBS & LES WOLFF
TONI ROSE bested BARBARA OWEN
MR. WRESTLING defeated "BULLDOG" LEE HENNING
EL LOBO over JESSE JAMES
THE MISSOURI MAULER beat JOHNNY WEAVER to become Southern Heavyweight Champion
SIX MAN MATCH between GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT and GEORGE BECKER versus RIP HAWK, SWEDE HANSON and ROCK HUNTER ended in a Double DQ
SAM STEAMBOAT and HIRO MATSUDA wrestled to a draw
MR. WRESTLING over EL GAUCHO
KOA TIKI beat JIMMY HINES
BILLY HINES topped GREG PETERSON
GEORGE BECKER, JOHNNY WEAVER and SAILOR ART THOMAS over HOMER O'DELL, THE MISSOURI MAULER and HIRO MATSUDA
SANDY and GEORGE SCOTT versus THE INFERNOS with MGR. J.C. DYKES ended in a Double DQ
MR. WRESTLING and GENE ANDERSON wrestled to a draw
OLE ANDERSON topped GREG PETERSON
SAM STEAMBOAT over RONNIE GARVIN
GEORGE and SANDY SCOTT beat THE INFERNOS with MGR. J.C. DYKES
SAILOR ART THOMAS & ABE JACOBS won over ALDO BOGNI & BRONCHO LUBUCH with MGR. GEORGE "TWO TON" HARRIS via DQ
NELSON ROYAL topped EL GAUCHO
PAUL JONES bested BOB GRIFFIN
LES WOLFF defeated PANCHO VALDEZ

DORY FUNK JR. retained the World's Heavyweight Championship by defeating RIP HAWK
BRUTE BERNARD & SKULL MURPHY beat SANDY and GEORGE SCOTT
NELSON ROYAL & PAUL JONES topped THE INFERNOS with MGR. J.C. DYKES via DQ
BOBO JOHNSON & COWBOY LANG over MIGHTY ATOM & LITTLE CRUSHER
SWEDE HANSON & ABE JACOBS wrestled to a draw

GEORGE BECKER & JOHNNY WEAVER toppled BRUTE BERNARD & SKULL MURPHY
SAILOR ART THOMAS & MR. WRESTLING over OLE and GENE ANDERSON via DQ
PAUL JONES & NELSON ROYAL beat PEDRO GODOY & PHIL ROBLEY
TONI ROSE bested DONNA CHRISTIAN
MATTI SUZUKI won over PANCHO VALDEZ

GEORGE BECKER, JOHNNY WEAVER and MR. WRESTLING topped J.C. DYKES and THE INFERNOS
SAILOR ART THOMAS & LUTHER LINDSAY over "BULLDOG" LEE HENNING & PHIL ROBLEY
LORD LITTLEBROOK beat MIGHTY ATOM
TONI ROSE pinned BETTY BOUCHER
NELSON ROYAL defeated JOHNNY HEIDEMAN
BOBBY RED CLOUD bested TINKER TODD
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Saturday, March 22, 2025
SKIN HEADS BATTLE HILLBILLIES
December 5, 1964
LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
61 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.
Friday, March 21, 2025
Thursday, March 20, 2025
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.

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."
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
O'DELL'S BOYS BATTLE BOLOS
APRIL 6, 1964
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
There's wrestling tonight at Charlotte's PARK CENTER, but can the building sustain the explosion?
That will be the big question when the rugged masked combo of THE GREAT BOLO and BOLO return for main event action...this time against the equally rough duo of ALDO BOGNI and BRONCHO LUBICH, who will have their manager HOMER O'DELL in their corner.
Both teams have long winning streaks going, and tonight's victor should emerge as a major challenger for the Southern Tag Team Championship. The bout is slated for two-of-three falls, one hour time.
The semi-final sends TOMMY O'TOOLE against TINY ETCHISON in a one fall contest.
The undercard is topped by a tag team affair which will pit ALEX MEDINA and GINO BRANDO opposite GENE MURPHY and JOE TOMASSO in a two-out-of-three falls affair.
The 8:15 opening match sends BOBBY HART against FRANK VALOIS.
Monday, March 17, 2025
Sunday, March 16, 2025
BAD BOYS! BAD BOYS!
July 28, 1969
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
PARK CENTER is a great venue for professional wrestling as proven over the years, but the building may not be able to handle the action tonight when two of the very roughest and brutal tag teams (and constant rule breakers) in the business collide head-on in the evening's headline attraction.
In what has to be billed as a BATTLE OF THE BULLIES, the skin headed duo of BRUTE BERNARD and SKULL MURPHY clash with wrestling's 'BLONDE BOMBERS' RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON. Sympathies to whichever referee is assigned the job of officiating this two-out-of-three falls contest. One may describe the match as two locomotives colliding at breakneck speed.
More tag team action is in store for fans attending tonight when the popular duo of New Zealander ABE JACOBS and his youthful partner LES WOLFE face the rugged ROCK HUNTER and his masked partner EL LOBO. No one seems to know the identity of EL LOBO, and if HUNTER actually does, he isn't talking. This is also a best-of-three falls match.
Two singles matches will open the 8:15 card when JESSE JAMES takes on TOM BRADLEY and the youngster MATTI SUZUKI faces veteran tough guy JOHNNY HEIDEMAN.
Saturday, March 15, 2025
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