Tri-State Wrestling 1967 - Upper Mid-Card
Here's a closer look at the upper mid-carders for Tri-State in 1967.
Jack Brisco - Brisco continued his rapid ascent in pro wrestling, firmly established in the upper mid-cards here. In May, he went to East Texas. In November, he went to Japan for what would be the first of many tours there, and returned here after Christmas.
Scandor Akbar - Texas-born Jim Wehba started his career in 1963, wrestling in several territories as both Jim Wehba and Wildman Wehba before changing his ring name at the behest of Fritz Von Erich. He started his first full-time run here in mid-January, coming in as a heel aligned with The Assassins, though he also teamed with Krusher Karlsson. His babyface turn started in late April and by the end of May he was a full-fledged face in every town on the loop.
Nikita Mulkovich - Mulkovich was primarily in a managerial role for this run, managing Chati Yokouchi & Togo Shikuma, and then Yokouchi & Chuck Karbo after Shikuma left. When he was booked in matches, they were often six-man tags. He left here in mid-December, and had a series of matches against Chuck Karbo on his way out (though both were still positioned as heels). He went to Mid-Atlantic in January of 1968 and would return here in February 1969.
Gorgeous George, Jr. - George started the year as a heel firmly entrenched in the lower end of the mid-card. He turned babyface in late January and moved up the cards, occasionally teaming with Paul Jones.
El Diablo #1 - While I seem to have been able to identify El Diablo #2 (as Treach Phillips), #1's identity remains a mystery. He debuted in mid-October and worked his way up the card until being joined by #2 after a month.
Johnny Heidman & Frank Marconi - Heidman & Marconi debuted in late June as a tag team called The Executioners. Both had been here previously, but this was their first time as a regular team not just in Tri-State, but anywhere. The two had both been in Mid-Atlantic in the spring and in Florida for a few weeks before coming here. They left in mid-December and both returned to Mid-Atlantic, continuing on as a team. Marconi would return by himself and 1968, and Heidman would return in 1969.
Chuck Karbo - Karbo spent the first eight months of the year in Arizona, returning here in late August. He began this run in the middle of the card, but when Togo Shikuma left the territory in mid-October, he took his place as partner of Chati Yokouchi and found himself moved up to the main events.
Jerry Kozak - Kozak was here through March, at which point he returned to his home base of Amarillo. His next run here would take place in the summer of 1968.
Paul Jones - Best known for his runs in Georgia and Mid-Atlantic, Jones debuted as a pro in 1964 and started his first run here at the beginning of July 1967. He started the year in the Pacific Northwest, then went to East Texas for about a month before coming here. He would leave in mid-December, taking about a month off before going to Mid-Atlantic for the first of his many runs there. He would not return here until 1982, when Leroy McGuirk was struggling to keep his territory afloat more than two years after the split with Watts.
Krusher Karlsson - Karlsson, also known as Swede Karlsson and Karl Karlsson, started his first run in the territory in February. He came from Florida, and after staying here for a few months he next shows up in Detroit. He would return here in 1968.
Mike Clancy - As mentioned in my coverage of 1966, Clancy retired from the ring in February 1967, opening a pizza place in Tulsa and later working for the Sheriff's Office there. His last known booking was on February 16th in Wichita Falls against Ronnie Etchison.
