GEORGIA WRESTLING NEWS, NOTES, AND NOSTALGIA: 11/20/2007

Courtesy of Georgia Wrestling History's Rich Tate:

NEWS

The talent war between Southern Extreme Championship Wrestling and Great Championship Wrestling is beginning to boil. Click here for Cru Jones’ response to comments made about him not appearing at the SECW event on Sunday.

We have learned that Dr. Phil C. Astin III, under house arrest and facing charges of overprescribing to Chris Benoit and Mike Durham (a/k/a Johnny Grunge), asked last week to be permitted to leave his home in order to work and earn money. He had filed for bankruptcy in October, and had already forfeited his medical license. As of this writing, no such permission has been granted. On the charges Astin is facing, if convicted, he could spend up to twenty years in prison on each of seven counts.

NOTES

More reactions from the local wrestling community in regard to the proposed GAEC regulations …

Quentin Michaels (GCW): “From my experience in participating in professional wrestling, this is a pretty typical governmental response to public outcry against this business. I have worked in states that have adopted this procedure and I have seen two distinct categories of what these commissions can be like: 1) a nuisance (States like Maine and Massachusetts have an athletic commission where clearly the commissioners have no idea nor desire to know what is going on. These commissions simply "collect the cash" and run.), and 2) a total nightmare (Some states like Nevada has been in the past have absolutely the strictest of commissions and it is nearly impossible to conduct business in any sort of way. The commission will hold you on the most minute detail and arguably some details that are not outlined within their jurisdiction, simply to make the show more acceptable to them. They even have the authority to cancel the show until they can prove that it is in their jurisdiction. None of us have any way of knowing how this commission will act, nor how it will when it evolves. It is entirely possible for a commissioner to believe that a wrestler telling a fan to "shut up," would constitute verbal abuse and thus fine or suspend said wrestler, or perhaps shut the event down. I agree that the costs of implementing these regulations could put many promoters out of business and/or greatly decrease the creativity of their booking. I have not yet seen anything related to wrestlers/managers/referees licenses yet, but that does not mean that they won't be introduced – that is also a staple of the commission's revenue. I plan on contacting some of the promoters over the course of the next week to discuss the appropriate ways of arguing our cause. I, for one, along with the owners of Great Championship Wrestling, will be in attendance for the hearing to present an argument. I know we will all support the cause in whichever ways we can.”

Jen Holbrook (Ring Announcer): “I have come up against the commission before with my work with MMA shows here in Georgia. We run amateur shows in Georgia and because of injuries and an obvious money making opportunity, the commission came down on us with new regulations, very similar to the ones they are pushing on wrestling. As such, we are moving a lot of our shows to Alabama which has less of such regulations. I believe I can help, and as with Bill Behrens, I think we can put together a solid argument but it has to be handled a certain way. Railing against and just arguing and looking like an idiot is not going to get us anywhere. I am also concerned as a worker of course. As an announcer, no shows mean no money and nowhere to ply my trade. I'd like to be recognized as a premier ring announcer and if there are no shows running in Georgia, it makes it hard to make a living and get a reputation in my home state. I am also part owner in a wrestling company here in Georgia, the NFWA. We are currently running in North Carolina out of necessity, but I think we can make another run here in Georgia. I would hate to know that these regulations would make that an impossibility.”

Gabe Sapolsky (Ring of Honor): “I think the people behind this really need to do some more research on the real effects of their laws. They will hurt a lot of hardworking people who do good for the community and also count on this as a means of income. This isn't going to hurt the major corporations like WWE, but it is once again going to take down the "Mom & Pop" type operations. Many of the rules are absolutely ridiculous and not relevant, showing that the proper research was not done by the people trying to pass them. I hope they take a deeper look at the situation and realize how absurd most of it is and who it is really hurting.”

NOSTALGIA

1928: Stanislaus Zbyszko defeated George Hill in two straight falls in the main event at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter John Contos. George Hill substituted for Alan Eustace, who had reportedly been injured in a Kansas City match earlier in the week.

1933: George Romanoff defeated Jim Hesslyn in the main event at the American Legion in Augusta for promoter Max Stewart.

1934: Leo Numa defeated Whitey Hewitt in two straight falls in the main event at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Henry Weber.

1935: Joe Wolfe defeated Sammy Miller in the main event at the Supreme Circle Hall in Albany for promoter Frank Bettis.

1936: Dorv Roche defeated Blue Sun Jennings by countout in the main event at Loew’s Grand Theatre for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Frank Speer.

1942: Angelo Cistoldi & Cowboy Luttrall and Dorv Roche & Babe Zaharias wrestled to a draw in the main event at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Charles Rentrop.

1953: Ray Villmer defeated Mike Paidousis to retain the Southern Heavyweight Title at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. Villmer had been the reigning Southern Heavyweight Champion since he defeated Don McIntyre on October 16, 1953, in Atlanta. It should also be noted that Mildred Burke defeated Millie Stafford, although there was nothing in our documentation that shows it as being a match for Burke’s Women’s World Title.

1959: A title match between Johnny Weaver and Southern Heavyweight Champion Freddie Blassie was ruled a no contest at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. It is unclear as to how Freddie Blassie came to be recognized as Southern Heavyweight Champion. The last reference we have shows Ray Gunkel winning the title from him on October 2, 1959, in Atlanta.

1962: Freddie Blassie defeated Jake Smith to retain the World Heavyweight Title at the Macon City Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Fred Ward. Blassie had been billed as World Heavyweight Champion since June 29, 1962.

1963: A title match between Bob Eisenburg & Bob Morrow and Southeastern Tag Team Champions Luke Graham & Al Galento was ruled a no contest at the Columbus Municipal Auditorium for promoter Fred Ward. Graham & Galento had been the reigning champions since they defeated Lonnie Brown & Bob Morrow in a tournament final on November 6, 1963, in Columbus. Ward was not affiliated with the Atlanta office of Georgia Championship Wrestling at this time.

1964: The Mysterious Medics defeated Eddie Graham & Sam Steamboat to win the Southern Tag Team Title at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. Graham & Steamboat had been billed as champions since November 6, 1964.

1965: Eric & Karl Von Brauner, managed by Saul Weingeroff, defeated Dick Steinborn & Ken Hollis in the main event at the Franklin Drive Arena in Marietta for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Elmo Chappell.

1970: Ray Gunkel defeated Georgia Heavyweight Champion Buddy Colt, managed by Homer O’Dell, by disqualification in a title match at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. Colt had been the reigning champion since he defeated Nick Bockwinkel on September 4, 1970, in Atlanta. Also, Bobby Shane & Doug Gilbert wrestled to a draw with Georgia Tag Team Champions the Assassins in a title match. The Assassins had been the reigning champions since they defeated Mr. Ito & the Great Ota in a tournament final on October 16, 1970, in Atlanta.

1971: It was announced on the “Georgia Championship Wrestling” television program, hosted by Ed Capral, that promoter Paul Jones had received approval by the NWA to strip the Georgia Tag Team Title from the Assassins based on multiple infractions over recent months. He said there would be a tournament held on November 26, 1971, to determine new champions. The Assassins had been billed as champions since August 13, 1971.

1973: Although we do not have documented results for the card, it should be noted that Ann Gunkel’s All-South Wrestling Alliance had a card at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium, where Edouard Carpentier no-showed for a scheduled match with Tarzan Tyler. Despite not having results, this fact has been confirmed by many sources who were with the ASWA at the time.

1977: Ric Flair & Greg Valentine defeated Ricky Steamboat & Andre the Giant to retain the World Tag Team Title at the Savannah Civic Center for Jim Crockett Promotions promoter Aaron Newman. Flair & Valentine had been the reigning champions since they defeated Ole & Gene Anderson on October 30, 1977, in Greensboro, NC.

1979: A title match between Tommy Rich and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race was ruled a no contest at the Warner Robins Civic Center for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Fred Ward. Race had been the reigning champion since he defeated Giant Baba on November 7, 1979, in Amagasaki, Japan. Also, in a handicap tag team match, Tony Atlas & Ray Candy defeated the Masked Superstar, Killer Karl Kox & Bobby Heenan.

2000: Booker T defeated Lex Luger to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Title at the Richmond County Civic Center in Augusta for World Championship Wrestling. Also, Shawn Stasiak defeated Dallas Page in a lumberjack match.

2004: Erik Watts defeated Sonny Siaki to retain the GCW Heavyweight Title at the GCW Sports Arena in Columbus for Georgia Championship Wrestling. Also, A.J. & Damien Steele defeated Terry Taylor & Lash Leroux to retain the GCW Tag Team Title.

2004: Sean Logan defeated Mac Davis to win the Mid-State Heavyweight Title in Dublin for the Georgia Independent Wrestling Alliance. It is unclear as to what venue was the site of this card.