FLAIR THROUGH THE YEARS

(Circa 1973)

The FLAIR cockiness beginning to appear...

It's there...

Applying a half-crab on an opponent.

Body slam time...looks like a POFFO to me.

An AWA body block on GREG GAGNE.

A knee-drop to the chest (later the knee moved northward to the forehead).

THE MAN IN WHITE

He wrestled barefaced as TIM WOODS. He donned an all-white mask and wrestled as MR. WRESTLING. Either way, he sold a lot of wrestling tickets.

Ole Anderson about to taste a MR. WRESTLING elbow.

GEORGIA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

Gene Anderson takes a tumble from the masked man.

Ready for ring action.

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George Burrell Woodin began his wrestling career at the age of 29 using the ring name TIM WOODS. He was given the name 'MR. WRESTLING' by Nebraska promoter Joe Dusek. Woodin would go on to become a main event superstar in the Georgia, Florida, Texas and the MID-ATLANTIC territories.

During his tenures with JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, TIM WOODS had several title runs - - MID-ATLANTIC TV CHAMPION, U.S. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, MID-ATLANTIC TAG TEAM CHAMPION (with Dino Bravo) and WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPION (also with Bravo).

Tim (along with Ric Flair, Johnny Valentine, Bob Bruggers, David Crockett and pilot Michael Farkas) was aboard the 1975 Wilmington, N.C. bound aircraft that
came up short in landing and crashed. Pilot Farkas eventually died from injuries and Valentine never wrestled again. Woods and Bruggers were 'babyface' wrestlers, the rest were 'heels'. To protect the business from exposure, when arriving at the Wilmington hospital, Tim gave his real name and said he was a wrestling promoter. And to quash rumors among wrestling fans that Tim Woods had been on the plane with the 'heels', he was back in the ring within two weeks.

Ric Flair later said in his book 'TO BE THE MAN', that Tim Woods was more than just MR. WRESTLING that day---he was the man who saved the wrestling business.

A gentleman in and out of the ring, Tim Woods passed away November 30, 2002. It's difficult to imagine he's been gone that long.

Just imagine what a hit Tim would have been if he had attended wrestling fan gatherings.

1962 STATESVILLE, N.C. WRESTLING - PART THREE

June 1, 1962

STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

The results:

1962 STATESVILLE, N.C. WRESTLING - PART TWO

May 4, 1962

STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

And the results:

1962 STATESVILLE, N.C. WRESTLING - PART ONE

April 6, 1962

STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

I actually have memories of attending this JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS wrestling card, although my recollection was a bit flawed.

All these years, I had it in my mind that GEORGE BECKER wrestled BULL RAMOS in the main event.

When I came across these newspaper clippings of the show, I was surprised that BECKER's opponent was the diabolical PANCHO VILLA. That's OK, because now I know that I actually saw PANCHO wrestle in person, not just on TV.

JOHNNY WEAVER shared some great VILLA stories with a group of us driving to Virginia a few years ago. Unfortunately, I can't retell those stories here without "dilluting" them to the point they would lose their humor.

The specifics of this wrestling I recall are few. I have no recollection of the matches, except for the main event.

What I do recall...my Grandfather took me to this show, which was fitting, as he is the person responsible for getting me "hooked on pro wrestling." I'll always be in his debt for that. The other thing that comes to mind is that GEORGE BECKER lost the main event to PANCHO VILLA, an occurence so traumatic to little eleven-year-old me that I cried in the car on the way home because my hero had been defeated.

That's all I can tell you.

THE BIG NAMES WRESTLED FOR CROCKETT

JERRY BRISCO locks the 'figure four' on TERRY FUNK

When he first came to JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, he was the rulebreaking 'SIR' NELSON ROYAL.

PAUL JONES has to battle both of 'THE MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW' GENE and OLE ANDERSON.

KEN PATERA applies a rear chin lock on then-WORLD CHAMPION HARLEY RACE.

RUFUS R. JONES about to wind up that 'freight train'.

DUSTY RHODES batters THE GREAT MALENKO.

None were dirtier than 'DIRTY' DICK SLATER.

Remember THE HOLLYWOOD BLONDES?

A pre-Freebird BUDDY ROBERTS and JERRY BROWN with SIR OLIVER HUMPERDINK.

YOUNG LIONS

Watching the MID-ATLANTIC / WIDE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TV shows each week, viewers became accustomed to hearing specific 'catch-phrases' on a regular basis...

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There was BOB CAUDLE's curtain line..."So long for now."

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There was JOHNNY WEAVER's singing..."Turn Out the Lights."

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And there was DAVID CROCKETT's weekly reference to the "Young Lions" of professional wrestling.

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This was a reference to a number of young wrestlers who primarily jobbed for the main eventers for TV matches, or in plain terms, lost week after week. But that was their purpose.

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Most of these youngsters, however, worked very well and gave good matches, even though viewers generally knew they wouldn't win.

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Some of these guys went on to become big stars in the business, either for JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS, or other wrestling organizations.

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Today, these men absorb the spotlight...

ED WISKOSKI

(born 1945)

Became a big star as Colonel DeBeers in the AWA

JAY YOUNGBLOOD

(STEVEN ROMERO 1955-1985)

Teamed with RICKY STEAMBOAT to become one of JCP's all-time popular tag teams.

TERRY SAWYER

(Norfolk, Va. native - was a Virginia high school State Wrestling Champion)

DEWEY ROBERTSON
(BYRON JAMES JOHN ROBERTSON 1939-2007)
Very successful as THE MISSING LINK in MID-SOUTH WRESTLING and WORLD CLASS WRESTLING.
MID-ATLANTIC TAG TEAM CHAMPION twice, once with JOHNNY WEAVER and once with GEORGE WELLS.

DOUG SOMERS
(first wrestled in 1971)
Always a great worker, either in JCP or later as a top AWA star.

BILL HOWARD
(I know little about his career away from JCP, but always enjoyed his work in the MID-ATLANTIC territory.)

THE ANDERSONS WRECKED THEM

OLE ANDERSON takes a slam from DUSTY RHODES.

PAUL JONES has to deal with both GENE and OLE ANDERSON.

OLE prevents JOHNNY WEAVER from sending GENE to slumberland.

OLE and GENE have GREG VALENTINE in a bad way.

KOA TIKI actually believes he can defeat GENE ANDERSON.

GENE and DUSTY slug it out.

MR. WRESTLING about to slam his face into GENE's fist.

TOP TAG TEAMS

The JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS / MID-ATLANTIC WRESTLING area was known in the business as the top tag team territory in the U.S.

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Here are five duos who contributed to earning that reputation...

RUDY and BOBBY KAYE

(Fans may remember OLE ANDERSON smashing BOBBY's heirloom guitar into pieces against the ring post.)

RIP HAWK and SWEDE HANSON

(The Blonde Bombers)

None better anywhere...ever!

THE MASKED RED DEMONS

(JIMMY AND BILLY HINES)

with Manager GEORGE 'TWO TON' HARRIS

THE ROYAL KANGAROOS
(LORD JONATHAN BOYD and NORMAN FREDERICK CHARLES, III)
Brass Knuckles Champions...as rugged as a team could be.



SANDY and GEORGE SCOTT
(THE FLYING SCOTTS)
Next to Becker and Weaver, the top 'babyface' team in JCP during the 1960s.