GEORGIA WRESTLING NEWS, NOTES, AND NOSTALGIA: 11/26/2007

Courtesy of Georgia Wrestling History's Rich Tate:

NEWS

Southern Extreme Championship Wrestling results from Villa Rica, GA, on November 25: Chris Lightning over Adam Blood; Bruce Biggins and Kyle Matthews wrestled to a draw; Bulldog Raines over War Daddy; the Regular Guys over Todd Zane & Chick Donovan by disqualification; and Frankie Valentine & the Nightmare over Billy Love & El Mexicano. Shannon Dumas was credited as being the referee on this card.

Down South Hardcore Wrestling results from Darien, GA, on November 24: Jay Stevens over Ugly Kid Joe & the Unknown Artist; Ryan Savage over the Dirty Player; Sage over C.J. & Sebastian Troy; Fear over Ash Kristansen; Night Train & the Ghetto Superstar over E-Dogg & Camo; Dallas Riley over Lance Alonte & Johnny Romano in a ladder match; Morbid Angel over T-Money; and Cameron LaRue over Teddy Baddstreet. Click here for a report from Thomas Bugg.

Alternative Pro Wrestling is back in Royston, GA, on November 30 at the Royston Gym, with matches getting underway at 8:00 PM. Call (706) 680-3234 for more info. Advertised: J.T. Talent versus Adrian Hawkins in a cage; Kyle Matthews & Jeremy Vain versus Shadow Jackson & a mystery partner; and the Original Franchise versus Billy Buck & Chris King for the tag titles.

Georgia Wrestling Promotions will be in Woodstock, GA, on December 7 at the Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency Building, with a bell time of 8:00 PM. Tickets are $15.00 for this show, but if you bring an unopened package containing a toy for the Toys for Tots drive, you get $3.00 off at the door. Call (770) 296-5290 for more info. Advertised: Manny Fernandez versus Iceberg (w/ the Rev); Shaun Tempers (w/ the Rev) defends the GWP Southern Heavyweight Title versus Ace Rockwell; and the Regular Guys defend the GWP Southern Tag Team Title in a three way match against the Hellbillies and the Hollywood Brunettes. Slim J, Kid Ego, Jr., Big Head Hansen, Jamar Acid, Jay Clinton, and even Santa Claus are also scheduled to appear. Fernandez will be available for autographs at 7:30 PM.

GWP will also be in Woodstock, GA, on December 23 at the Hot Wheels Skate Center, with a bell time of 8:00 PM. Call (770) 296-5290 for more info. Advertised: Shaun Tempers (w/ the Rev) defends the GWP Southern Heavyweight Title versus Buff Bagwell; Manny Fernandez & Shadow Jackson versus Iceberg & Tank; the Hollywood Brunettes versus Bob & Brad Armstrong; the Regular Guys defend the GWP Southern Tag Team Title versus Talent & Money; and Chad Parham versus Ace Rockwell. Also scheduled to appear are Jay Clinton, Slim J, Big Head Hansen, Jamar Acid, Kid Ego, Jr, and even Santa Claus. Fernandez, Bagwell, and the Armstrongs will participate in a meet-and-greet beginning at 7:00 PM.

GWP will kick off 2008 in Cartersville, GA, on January 19 at the Cartersville Civic Center, with a bell time of 8:00 PM. Call (770) 296-5290 for more info. Advertised: Gangrel versus Tank. Also scheduled to appear are Rob Conway (w/ Nigel Sherrod), Chad Parham, Ace Rockwell, the Hellbillies, VIP (w/ Ace Heffner), Leatherface, Big Head Hansen, D.L. Norris, Danny Horne, and Jamar Acid. Gangrel will sign autographs beginning at 7:00 PM.

NOTES

GWH wishes a happy 46th birthday to Lisa Moretti, as well as Maven, who turns 30 today.

We’re not about to predict that territorial wrestling will be rejuvenated in the future, but it is a fact that just about everything in the wrestling business is cyclical. If that is the case, and territorial wrestling does once again prevail in the future, making it possible for fans to see big time local wrestling on a weekly basis as prior generations did, it perhaps could happen during the 2020s. We base this on several factors, none of which are scientific, and it was mostly done for fun. However, if history truly repeats itself, and wrestling is cyclical, we are about two decades away. Of course, that means WWE would have to experience a downslide during the 2010s, which isn’t too unbelievable considering how poorly their product tends to be, and the independent scene today mirrors that of the 1930s, when local wrestling really experienced a pre-war boom. With the war, there was a lack of activity during the 1940s, but by the 1950s, all major cities of the U.S. were tied to a major promotion of some sort. Now, just convert the 1930s to the 2000s, the 1940s to the 2010s, and that leaves us with the 1950s equating to the 2020s. Then again, we could have just enjoyed our early morning cocktails a bit too much. And there’s also that pesky Mayan calendar thing that apparently some believe won’t allow GWH to celebrate an eleventh anniversary.

NOSTALGIA

1926: Dick Daviscourt defeated Pete Sauer (Ray Steele) in the main event at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter John Contos. Pete Dallis was the special referee.

1929: Paul Jones defeated George Zaharias in the main event at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Henry Weber. This was the first card promoted in Atlanta by Weber, looking to revive the business locally, taking over from Earl McGrory.

1935: Man Mountain Dean defeated Tiny Roebuck in two straight falls in the main event at Loew’s Grand Theatre in Atlanta for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Henry Weber.

1941: Bobby Roberts defeated Strangler White by disqualification in the main event at the Warren Arena in Atlanta for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Abe Simon.

1943: Jack Dillon defeated Tom George in the main event at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Sammy Friedman.

1945: Vincent Lopez defeated Cowboy Willoughby in the main event at the Savannah Municipal Auditorium for promoters Lou Masters, Dick Leonard, and Buster White.

1948: Lou Thesz defeated Don McIntyre to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Title at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. Thesz had been the reigning champion since he defeated Bill Longson in Indianapolis, IN, on July 20, 1948. This version was the one recognized by the National Boxing Association as the National Wrestling Association.

1951: Juan Hernandez defeated Sheik Ben Ali in the main event at the William Bell Auditorium in Augusta for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Tom Mahoney.

1954: Red McIntyre won a one-night tournament at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. The tournament was to determine a contender to set up a match with Wild Red Berry on December 3, 1954. Pairings and detailed results are not known, but Johnny Harmon, Chief Big Heart, Ivan Petroff, Jerry Graham, Pierre DeGaulle, and Tommy O’Toole also participated.

1963: A main event match between Bob Morrow and Luke Graham was ruled a no contest at the Macon City Auditorium for promoter Fred Ward. Ward was not affiliated with the Atlanta office of Georgia Championship Wrestling at this time.

1965: Eric & Karl Von Brauner, managed by Saul Weingeroff, defeated Mario Galento & Chief Little Eagle in the main event at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones.

1971: The Assassins defeated Bill Dromo & Bob Armstrong to win the Georgia Tag Team Title in the final round of a one-night tournament at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. Other teams in the tournament were George Scott & Klondike Bill, Big John & Mr. X, Flash Monroe & Oki Shikina, Billy Spears & Buddy Colt, and Jimmy Dancing Bear & El Mongol. The tournament was to determine new champions after Jones had stripped the Assassins of the title on November 20, 1971, after considering the outcome of a match against Dancing Bear & Mongol on November 19, 1971, in addition to previous borderline infractions that had occurred during their reign.

1974: NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jack Brisco and Mr. Wrestling #2 wrestled to a draw in a title match at the Macon Coliseum for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Fred Ward. Brisco had been the reigning champion since he defeated Harley Race on July 20, 1973, in Houston, TX.

1977: The Fabulous Moolah defeated Joyce Grable to retain the Women’s World Title at the WTCG Studios. This was taped for the “Georgia Championship Wrestling” television program hosted by Gordon Solie. Moolah had been billed as Women’s World Champion since she defeated Judy Grable on September 18, 1956, in Baltimore, MD.

1978: Blackjack Mulligan defeated Baron Von Raschke in the main event at the Savannah Civic Center for Jim Crockett Promotions promoter Aaron Newman. Also, Ken Patera defeated Tony Atlas in a lumberjack match.

1979: Ivan Koloff & the Masked Superstar defeated Ole Anderson & Tony Atlas in the main event at the William Bell Auditorium in Augusta for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Charlie Harbin. Also, Tommy Rich defeated Austin Idol to retain the Georgia Heavyweight Title. Rich had been the reigning champion since he defeated Killer Karl Kox on October 26, 1979, in Atlanta. A match between Georgia Television Champion Kox and Ray Candy was ruled a no contest. Kox had been the reigning champion since he defeated Stan Hansen on November 3, 1979, in Atlanta.

1981: Bob & Brad Armstrong defeated Mr. Saito & Mr. Fuji to win the National Tag Team Title in the finals of a one-night tournament on Thanksgiving Day at the Omni Auditorium in Atlanta for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. Other teams participating in the tournament were Ted & Jerry Oates, Ray Candy & Buzz Sawyer, the Russians (Alexis Smirnoff & Chris Markoff, managed by ‘Lord’ Al Hayes), Rick Martel & Mr. Wrestling #2, Ray Stevens & the Super Destroyer, Kevin Sullivan & Wayne Farris, Steve O & El Gran Apollo, the Sheepherders (Jonathan Boyd & Luke Williams), Terry Gordy & Austin Idol, and Michael Hayes & Big Red. The title had been declared vacant after the team of Michael Hayes & Otis Sistrunk (substituting for Kevin Von Erich), who had defeated Terry Gordy & Jimmy Snuka to win the title on September 27, 1981, in Atlanta, split up. Also, the Masked Superstar defeated Tommy Rich to win the National Heavyweight Title in a Texas death match. Rich had been the reigning champion since he defeated the Superstar on September 28, 1981, in Augusta.

1992: Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas defeated Tony Atlas & the Barbarian to retain the NWA/WCW World Tag Team Title at the Omni Auditorium in Atlanta for World Championship Wrestling. Steamboat & Douglas had been the reigning champions since they defeated Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes on November 18, 1992, in Macon. Also, Ron Simmons, Dustin Rhodes (substituting for Nikita Koloff), Sting & Van Hammer defeated Barry Windham (billed as a mystery partner), Rick Rude, Cactus Jack & Big Van Vader in a cage match main event.