BACK TO THE FIFTIES

February 21, 1959

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

THE CHAMPIONS

THE CHALLENGERS

The coveted SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP of professional wrestling is up for grabs on tonight's WRESTLING agenda at the LEXINGTON YMCA when the bearded Russian brothers, AL and JOHN SMITH, risk their titles against the popular Mexican duet of ENRIQUE and ALBERTO TORRES. The championship will be decided in a best two-out-of-three falls contest.

PAIDOUSIS

PAUL ANDERSON, the 'World's Strongest Man' will face the always tough and powerful MIKE PAIDOUSIS in a special attraction.

'DANDY' JACK DONOVAN

RAY STEVENS

TONY BAILLARGEON

CRIS ZAHARIAS

There will also be three other bouts featuring top grappling stars.

'DANDY' JACK DONOVAN will make his local debut when he opposes young RAY STEVENS.

TONY BAILLARGEON squares off against CRIS ZAHARIAS, and in the 8:15 opening match, ROMAN CERNANDAS faces TARZAN TOURVILLE.

The ticket office opens at 6:00.

SOMEONE HAD TO JERK THE CURTAIN

Not every wrestler who worked for JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS could headline the wrestling card.
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Someone had to work underneath at mid-card or lower level to fill out the show. But that certainly didn't mean that these guys didn't give their all, night after night, to give the audience their admissions' worth.
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And because of their efforts, I give recognition to five of the many guys who fit into this category, at least during their tenure with JCP.

JIM LANCASTER

ROBERTO SOTO

TOMMY SEIGLER

SGT. JACQUES GOULET

S.D. (SPECIAL DELIVERY) JONES

THE MAN

On November 3, 2007, in Rocky Mount, Virginia, a tribute was held to celebrate the wrestling career of the man who, more than ANYONE else, was synonymous with the terms MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING and JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS...

JOHNNY WEAVER

Johnny getting the better of a long-time ring nemesis...George 'Two Ton' Harris.

Weaver in ring action.

Johnny's pin of Gene Anderson thwarted by 'brother' Lars Anderson.

Johnny shows Ole Anderson the quickest way to the mat.

THE MAN and me

JOHNNY WEAVER...the wrestling world will never have another like him.

THIS AND THAT

IN 1983, THESE ARE THE TV STATIONS WHERE NORTH CAROLINA FANS COULD FIND MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING / WORLD WIDE WRESTLING

RICHMOND, VA. - OCTOBER 8, 1972

GREENSBORO, N.C. - JULY 4, 1976

(and I was there)

How in the world did I get myself into this?

(Moments after the picture was taken, I broke the 'cobra' and gave MASKED SUPERSTAR the beating of his life. And if you believe that...)

All I did was ask KAMALA if I could borrow some money.

EARLY ON WITH HAWK AND HANSON

June 22, 1963

LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

ERIC POMEROY

TINKER TODD

FRANK VALOIS

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON

JESSE JAMES

The current SOUTHERN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, RAY ANDREWS and ERIC POMEROY, delayed in making their LEXINGTON YMCA debut two weeks ago, will definitely be on hand tonight in pro wrestling action.

The popular champions have powerful opposition tonight when they defend their tag crowns against tough guys RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON in a best-of-three falls title match.

Two other bouts have been signed for tonight's card.

JESSE JAMES, a fan favorite from the Lone Star State, will face Ireland's bad boy TINKER TODD.

To kick off the evening at 8:15, LEXINGTON newcomer DANNY DALE will test the veteran Frenchman FRANK VALOIS.

LOOK, UP IN THE SKY

The JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS heavens were filled with stars...

ROBERTO SOTO

SUSAN GREEN

KOA TIKI

SGT. JACQUES GOULET

RIC FLAIR knows it was a smart move coming to JCP.

BEARCAT WRIGHT

PAUL ORNDORF

J.C. DYKES & THE INFERNOS

 J.C. DYKES and his masked men declare war on

MID-ATLANTIC GRAPPLIN' GREATS.

SEVEN YEARS AGO

JOHNNY WEAVER

(November 17, 1935 - February 15, 2008)

There are SO MANY legendary wrestling performers who, during their careers, worked for JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS.

The list could fill a book the size of Webster's Dictionary.

None would be listed higher in that book than the name Johnny Weaver.

Johnny came to JCP in 1962 and immediately rode his skyrocket to the top of the territory.

For the most part, he would work for the Crockett family for the next twenty-five years.

Even people living in the MID-ATLANTIC section of the country who weren't wrestling fans knew the name Johnny Weaver.

He worked with many partners, he wrestled as a single, he announced the JCP wrestling TV shows, he booked CROCKETT territories.

He could do it all.

AND WE LOVED HIM.

AND WE REMEMBER HIM.

He left us seven years ago.

WE MISS HIM.

THEY ALL WORKED FOR JCP

KIM DUK

PAUL JONES

JOE LU DUC

JOHN TOLOS

VIRGIL RUNNELS

KILLER KARL KRUPP

GREG VALENTINE

MYSTERY WRESTLER...or not?

Do you know who this wrestler is?

Bill Watts?...No...

Here he is...

BLACKJACK MULLIGAN

One of the greatest ever in the business.