McGuirk Wrestling Territory: Week of 2/7/72-2/13/72
For the week ending February 13th, 1972: The roster is stacked with wrestlers capable of being in main events in any given town on any given night, Ramon Torres being moved down the cards allows us to discuss some "Booking 101" & more!
Here's a look at the talent roster along with SPOT ratings, Rankings and FEUD scores for the week.
Other wrestlers advertised for shows this week but not listed in the SPOT ratings: Jim Garvin (primarily working as Terry Garvin's manager) and midget wrestlers Farmer Pete and Little Bruiser.
Buddy Austin and Tom Bradley appear on the SPOT Ratings chart this week. Both are generally being used as part-timers (with Bradley also refereeing on occasion), but had enough matches over a several-week period to be included in the chart.
Debuting in the territory this week is Bruce Swayze. Bruce, who also wrestled as Beautiful Bruce, came in from East Texas. Preliminary wrestler Rick Renaldo left the territory and went to Portland.
Looking at the Rankings chart, you get a good idea of how deep the roster was. The top 8 singles wrestlers were all slotted as Main Eventers, with each of them (as well as the two regular tag teams) being positioned high up the cards on a nightly basis and rotating in and out of the actual main events.
Ramon Torres continues to be moved down the cards as he is finishing up his run here. It's clear that his bouts with Eric the Red are being used to give Eric a push. This was common practice in the territories; when someone that had been positioned high on the cards is about to move on, they are used to 'put over' a relative newcomer to give them the rub of beating someone fans considered a top star. It's Booking 101 during an era where wrestlers weren't signed to long-term contracts.
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-Don Duffy vs Silento Rodriguez
-plus one other bout, likely a singles match involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Sunday - Houma, LA
-Don Duffy & Great Mephisto vs Grizzly Smith & Vic Muehler
-Bob Sweetan vs Silento Rodriguez
-plus two other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Here's a look at the talent roster along with SPOT ratings, Rankings and FEUD scores for the week.
As you can see, I've added a Rankings chart. This chart separates singles wrestlers from those primarily working as a tag team and ranks them according to their SPOT Ratings. For tag teams, I take each individual's SPOT Rating (which can be different if they work occasional singles matches) and just use the average. It's the simplest way to do it and still gives a generally accurate ranking of the teams.
Buddy Austin and Tom Bradley appear on the SPOT Ratings chart this week. Both are generally being used as part-timers (with Bradley also refereeing on occasion), but had enough matches over a several-week period to be included in the chart.
Debuting in the territory this week is Bruce Swayze. Bruce, who also wrestled as Beautiful Bruce, came in from East Texas. Preliminary wrestler Rick Renaldo left the territory and went to Portland.
Looking at the Rankings chart, you get a good idea of how deep the roster was. The top 8 singles wrestlers were all slotted as Main Eventers, with each of them (as well as the two regular tag teams) being positioned high up the cards on a nightly basis and rotating in and out of the actual main events.
Ramon Torres continues to be moved down the cards as he is finishing up his run here. It's clear that his bouts with Eric the Red are being used to give Eric a push. This was common practice in the territories; when someone that had been positioned high on the cards is about to move on, they are used to 'put over' a relative newcomer to give them the rub of beating someone fans considered a top star. It's Booking 101 during an era where wrestlers weren't signed to long-term contracts.
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Known house show lineups for the week:
Monday - Hot Springs, AR
-US Tag Team titles: Billy Red Lyons & Tom Jones vs Bob Sweetan & Terry Garvin
-Great Mephisto vs Vic Muehler
-plus one other bout, likely a singles match involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Monday - Shreveport, LA
-North American title: Bill Watts vs Doctor X (Doctor X barred from wearing his "loaded" boot)
-Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente vs Danny Hodge & Ivan Putski
-Eric the Red vs Ramon Torres
-Billy Hamilton vs Ken Mantell
-Chuck Karbo vs Silento Rodriguez
Monday - Westwego, LA
-Don Duffy & Little Bruiser vs Farmer Pete & Johnny Eagles
-Grizzly Smith vs Joe Corea
Tuesday - Alexandria, LA
-Bob Sweetan vs Grizzly Smith (winner gets a shot at N.A. champion next week)
-Billy Hamilton & Chuck Karbo vs Johnny Eagles & Silento Rodriguez
-plus two other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Tuesday - Little Rock, AR
-North American title: Bill Watts vs Doctor X
-Farmer Pete & Ivan Putski vs Little Bruiser & Terry Garvin
-Eric the Red vs Ramon Torres
Tuesday - Monroe, LA
-Falls count anywhere: Great Mephisto vs Vic Muehler
-US Tag Team titles: Billy Red Lyons & Tom Jones vs Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente
-Joe Corea vs Ken Mantell
-Bob Boyer vs Don Duffy
Wednesday - Baton Rouge, LA
-Sudden Death (one fall to a finish) match: Great Mephisto vs Vic Muehler
-Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente vs Johnny Eagles & Silento Rodriguez
-Don Duffy vs Ken Mantell
-the ad for the show promised one additional bout but the results list two additional bouts, singles matches pitting Hart vs Eagles and Parente vs Rodriguez
Thursday - Greenville, MS
-Billy Red Lyons & Tom Jones & Vic Muehler vs Bobby Hart & Great Mephisto & Lorenzo Parente
-plus three other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the six-man bout
Thursday - Longview, TX
-Doctor X & Little Bruiser vs Farmer Pete & Grizzly Smith
-Bob Sweetan vs Ken Mantell
-Farmer Pete vs Little Bruiser
Thursday - Wichita Falls, TX
-Ivan Putski vs Jim Garvin & Terry Garvin
-Chuck Karbo & Eric the Red vs Danny Hodge & Ramon Torres
-Chuck Karbo vs Ramon Torres
Friday - Lafayette, LA
-Great Mephisto vs Vic Muehler
-Chain match: Don Duffy vs Grizzly Smith
-Billy Hamilton & Bob Sweetan vs Johnny Eagles & Silento Rodriguez
-plus two other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Friday - Oklahoma City, OK
-Handicap match: Bill Watts vs Jim Garvin & Terry Garvin
-Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente vs Ivan Putski & Ken Mantell
-Eric the Red vs Ramon Torres
-Bruce Swayze vs Joe Corea
Saturday - Greenwood, MS
-Billy Red Lyons & Tom Jones vs Chuck Karbo & Doctor X
-Farmer Pete vs Little Bruiser
-plus one other bout, likely a singles match involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Saturday - Joplin, MO
-Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente vs Ivan Putski & Red McKim
-Eric the Red vs Ramon Torres
-plus two other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Saturday - Loranger, LA
-Bob Sweetan & Great Mephisto vs Grizzly Smith & Vic MuehlerMonday - Hot Springs, AR
-US Tag Team titles: Billy Red Lyons & Tom Jones vs Bob Sweetan & Terry Garvin
-Great Mephisto vs Vic Muehler
-plus one other bout, likely a singles match involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Monday - Shreveport, LA
-North American title: Bill Watts vs Doctor X (Doctor X barred from wearing his "loaded" boot)
-Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente vs Danny Hodge & Ivan Putski
-Eric the Red vs Ramon Torres
-Billy Hamilton vs Ken Mantell
-Chuck Karbo vs Silento Rodriguez
Monday - Westwego, LA
-Don Duffy & Little Bruiser vs Farmer Pete & Johnny Eagles
-Grizzly Smith vs Joe Corea
Tuesday - Alexandria, LA
-Bob Sweetan vs Grizzly Smith (winner gets a shot at N.A. champion next week)
-Billy Hamilton & Chuck Karbo vs Johnny Eagles & Silento Rodriguez
-plus two other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Tuesday - Little Rock, AR
-North American title: Bill Watts vs Doctor X
-Farmer Pete & Ivan Putski vs Little Bruiser & Terry Garvin
-Eric the Red vs Ramon Torres
Tuesday - Monroe, LA
-Falls count anywhere: Great Mephisto vs Vic Muehler
-US Tag Team titles: Billy Red Lyons & Tom Jones vs Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente
-Joe Corea vs Ken Mantell
-Bob Boyer vs Don Duffy
Wednesday - Baton Rouge, LA
-Sudden Death (one fall to a finish) match: Great Mephisto vs Vic Muehler
-Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente vs Johnny Eagles & Silento Rodriguez
-Don Duffy vs Ken Mantell
-the ad for the show promised one additional bout but the results list two additional bouts, singles matches pitting Hart vs Eagles and Parente vs Rodriguez
Thursday - Greenville, MS
-Billy Red Lyons & Tom Jones & Vic Muehler vs Bobby Hart & Great Mephisto & Lorenzo Parente
-plus three other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the six-man bout
Thursday - Longview, TX
-Doctor X & Little Bruiser vs Farmer Pete & Grizzly Smith
-Bob Sweetan vs Ken Mantell
-Farmer Pete vs Little Bruiser
Thursday - Wichita Falls, TX
-Ivan Putski vs Jim Garvin & Terry Garvin
-Chuck Karbo & Eric the Red vs Danny Hodge & Ramon Torres
-Chuck Karbo vs Ramon Torres
Friday - Lafayette, LA
-Great Mephisto vs Vic Muehler
-Chain match: Don Duffy vs Grizzly Smith
-Billy Hamilton & Bob Sweetan vs Johnny Eagles & Silento Rodriguez
-plus two other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Friday - Oklahoma City, OK
-Handicap match: Bill Watts vs Jim Garvin & Terry Garvin
-Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente vs Ivan Putski & Ken Mantell
-Eric the Red vs Ramon Torres
-Bruce Swayze vs Joe Corea
Saturday - Greenwood, MS
-Billy Red Lyons & Tom Jones vs Chuck Karbo & Doctor X
-Farmer Pete vs Little Bruiser
-plus one other bout, likely a singles match involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Saturday - Joplin, MO
-Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente vs Ivan Putski & Red McKim
-Eric the Red vs Ramon Torres
-plus two other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Saturday - Loranger, LA
-Don Duffy vs Silento Rodriguez
-plus one other bout, likely a singles match involving wrestlers from the tag bout
Sunday - Houma, LA
-Don Duffy & Great Mephisto vs Grizzly Smith & Vic Muehler
-Bob Sweetan vs Silento Rodriguez
-plus two other bouts, likely singles matches involving wrestlers from the tag bout
