GEORGIA WRESTLING NEWS, NOTES, AND NOSTALGIA: 01/04/2008

NEWS

Great Championship Wrestling results from the Gr8 Sk8plex in Phenix City, AL, on January 3: J-Rod over Randall Johnson; Zero Tolerance (w/ Quentin Michaels) over Jonathan Davis; Orio Bishop (w/ Wicked Nemesis) over Deathrow; A.J. Steele (w/ the Intern) over Mason Cutter (w/ Devin Cutter) to retain the GCW Interstate Heavyweight Title; Scotty Beach over Nick Anderson; Hot Like Lava (Shaun Banks & Cru Jones, w/ Quentin Michaels) over David Young & Sonny Siaki to retain the GCW Tag Team Title; Scotty Too Hotty over Johnny Swinger (w/ Michaels & Tolerance), in a match that ended in a brawl due to outside interference; and Beach & Too Hotty over Swinger & Jones in an unscheduled match following the brawl from the previous match. It was reported that 300 were in attendance for this card. Jeff McGowan (Scrappy’s son) was credited as being a referee for this card. Click here for a more detailed report from the event. (Brian Slack)

Correction to the lineup we reported yesterday: Southern Extreme Championship Wrestling runs in Carrollton, GA, tonight at the VFW Fairgrounds, beginning at 6:00 PM. Call (770) 355-5742 for more info. Ringside seats are $10, while general admission is $8. Advertised: Bull Buchanan versus the Super Destroyer for the SECW Heavyweight Title; Bob Armstrong, Tommy Rich & Buff Bagwell versus Steve Lawler, Chick Donavan & Bulldog Raines; Billy Love versus the Nightmare in a hair versus mask match; Melissa Coates versus Bambi for the SECW Women’s Title; Frankie Valentine versus El Mexicano in an ironman match; and Adrian Hawkins & Kyle Matthews versus Sal Rinauro & a mystery partner. (Rich Tate)

Georgia Pro Wrestling Association will be in Cordele, GA, on January 19 at the Crisp County Middle School, with a bell time of 8:00 PM. Call (229) 382-6520 for more info. All tickets are $10, and it is a benefit for Diana Olalde. Seven-year-old Diana Olalde is in her second remission from her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of bone cancer. Without receiving an expensive bone marrow replacement, doctors say that she has only a 20 percent chance of survival. She was originally diagnosed with leukemia in May 2006. She was then put in the children’s hospital in Macon, Ga., and she had undergone 17 months of chemotherapy. Then, in August of 2007, she had a bone marrow procedure, and they found out that the leukemia was back. Because an exact bone marrow match cannot be found for her, she needs a special procedure using stem cells. The stem cells from umbilical cords would be transmitted through I.V. and would then fuse with her marrow to help her form a new immune system. The cost of such an operation is substantial. The family was originally told that the procedure would cost about at or more than $500,000. Advertised: Mike Pain defends the GPWA Heavyweight Title versus Cru Jones; K.I. Elite (Mike Stratus & Jake Slater) versus the Hotshots (Frankie Valentine & J-Rod) for the GPWA Tag Team Title; Matt Black versus Preston Paradise; Tommy Dane versus Psych in a strap match; and Iron Will & Q-Ball versus the Marvelous Ones. Tommy Rich and Big Bank Barfield are also scheduled. (Thomas Bugg)

NOTES

GWH wishes a happy birthday to Chris Kanyon (38) and Simon Sermon (34) today.

On this day in 1981, Clarence Eklund died of natural causes at the age of 93.

Villano I died on this day in 2001 of a heart attack. He was 49.

Today marks the first anniversary of the death of Cowboy Lang, who passed away from heart disease at 56.

NOSTALGIA

1888: Greek George defeated Piero Celi two falls to one at the Clinch Rifles Hall in Augusta. It was reported that 300 were in attendance for this card.

1918: Strangler Lewis, managed by Billy Sandow, and Wladek Zbyszko wrestled to a draw that went seventy-five minutes for promoter Max Bauman at the Liberty Theatre in Savannah. Zbyszko had vowed he would defeat Lewis in straight falls, and since he did not, the Savannah Morning News considered this a defeat for him. There must have been some outcry against Greco-Roman rules, as Bauman said he would never use them again, and would only use catch-as-catch-can rules. Lewis was mentioned as the World champion in the newspaper advertisement, but it was likely a misprint as Earl Caddock was the champion at that time. It was reported that Lewis broke a rib during the match, though it is questionable as to whether this was legitimate.

1934: Young Americus defeated Bull Schmidt by disqualification at the Lakewood Heights Arena in Atlanta for promoter Frank Bettis.

1937: John Mauldin defeated Farmer Mack at the Spring Street Arena in Atlanta for promoters Frank Bettis and Cleve Roby.

1946: Al Massey & Laverne Baxter defeated Jack LaRue & Vic Emanuel in the main event at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones.

1952: We don’t have results for this match, but Don McIntyre was scheduled to defend the Southern Heavyweight Title against Babe Zaharias at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. McIntyre had been the reigning champion since he defeated Art Nelson on September 10, 1951, in Augusta.

1954: Ray Villmer defeated Don McIntyre to retain the Southern Heavyweight Title at the William Bell Auditorium in Augusta for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Tom Mahoney. Villmer had been the reigning champion since he defeated McIntyre on October 16, 1953, in Atlanta.

1957: Chief Big Heart defeated Jerry Graham to win the Southern Heavyweight Title at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. Graham had been the reigning champion since he defeated Bobby Weaver Arnold Skaaland) on December 14, 1956, in Atlanta.

1961: Chief Little Eagle defeated Freddie Blassie in a barbed wire fence match at the Columbus Sports Arena for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Fred Ward.

1963: World Heavyweight Champion Freddie Blassie and Ray Gunkel wrestled to a draw in a title match at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Don McIntyre. Les Ruffen was the special referee for the match. Blassie had been billed as champion since June 29, 1962. It was announced that John Paul Henning, the Bat, and the Steve Boys would be wrestling on the card on January 11, 1963, and that Bob Ellis would be wrestling on the card on January 18, 1963.

1965: Jack & Bob Dalton (Don Fargo & Billy Strong) defeated Joe Scarpa & Sputnik Monroe in the main event at the William Bell Auditorium in Augusta for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Steve Manderson.

1966: Eric & Karl Von Brauner, managed by Saul Weingeroff, defeated Billy & Bad Boy Hines in the main event at the Macon City Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Fred Ward.

1969: The Professional defeated the Blue Destroyer on the “Atlanta TV Wrestling” television program hosted by Ed Capral. During the match, the Pro removed the Destroyer’s mask to identify him as Gene Kiniski. Kiniski explained to Capral that he wanted to test the Pro without his NWA World Heavyweight Title on the line. Kiniski had been the reigning champion since he defeated Lou Thesz on January 7, 1966, in St. Louis, MO. Jack Crawford appeared on the program and announced he was managing Dale Lewis.

1972: A main event match between Bill Dromo and Flash Monroe was ruled a no contest at the Macon Coliseum for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Fred Ward.

1974: Robert Fuller defeated referee Frank Cochran in a lights out match at the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Paul Jones. Also, Fuller & Bob Armstrong defeated Stan Vachon & Bobby Shane, substituting for an injured Gorgeous George, Jr. In addition, Mr. Wrestling #2 defeated Tim Woods.

1977: Ole & Gene Anderson defeated Thunderbolt Patterson & the Mighty Igor to retain the Georgia Tag Team Title at the Macon Coliseum for Georgia Championship Wrestling promoter Fred Ward. The Andersons had been the reigning champions since they defeated the Black Bombers (Tom Jones & Bobby ‘Porkchop’ Cash) on October 22, 1976, in Atlanta. Also, Dick Slater & Abdullah the Butcher defeated Bob Backlund & Mr. Wrestling #2 in the semi-main event.

1999: Hollywood Hogan defeated Kevin Nash to win the WCW World Heavyweight Title at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for World Championship Wrestling.

– GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com