Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling: Q4 1973
Here’s a look at the 4th quarter of 1973 in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. We look at the talent roster, title histories, the big feuds in the territory, and a schedule of all known house shows.
I’d like to thank Dick Bourne and Mark Eastridge of the Mid-Atlantic Gateway for providing the bulk of the house show records I used to compile this data. The Gateway, which is updated regularly by David Chappell, is an invaluable resource. I strongly encourage you to visit (and bookmark!) it: http://www.midatlanticgateway.com
Here is the roster for the quarter. Wrestlers are listed in descending order by their average SPOT Rating during the quarter. Directly below their week-by-week SPOT Ratings is a list of their Frequent Partners and Frequent Opponents (if applicable):
ROSTER NOTES
Newcomers: With a new booker (George Scott), several wrestlers came into the territory during the quarter. First was The Super Destroyer (Don Jardine). According to Don, who primarily competed as The Spoiler, he had been asked to come in as The Destroyer, but since there was a well-known wrestler (Dick Beyer) already using that name, it was soon changed to Super Destroyer. Two weeks after Jardine came in, Johnny Valentine and Bobby Bold Eagle started. The following week, Bob Bruggers debuted. Later in December, Bearcat Wright came in. In the previous quarter, virtually every Main Eventer and Upper Mid-Carder had a regular tag team partner. That wasn’t the case with any of the newcomers; they all primarily worked as singles. Additionally, the Royal Kangaroos (Jonathan Boyd & Norman Charles) left, further reducing the number of full-time tag teams.
Further down the cards, some notable names coming here included Don Kernodle, Doug Somers, and Ali Vaziri (the Iron Sheik). Kernodle got his start over the summer when he accepted an “open challenge” from Bob Roop. While Roop was able to submit him, Don was so impressive that Ole Anderson offered to train him on the spot.
OTHER WRESTLERS NOT LISTED IN THE SPOT RATINGS
NATIONALLY KNOWN STARS
Bill Watts, Buddy Colt, Dory Funk Jr, Eddie Graham, George Scott, Jack Brisco, Paul Jones, Terry Funk, and Tim Woods
PART-TIMERS OR JUST PASSING THROUGH
Akio Yoshihara, Angelo Martinelli, Apache Gringo, Big Mack, Bobby Paul, Buck Forrest, Dennis Condrey, Frank Cochran, Frank Dalton, the Infernos (one appearance in Anderson, SC putting over Zuma & Casey; this may not have been one of the ‘famous’ versions of the team, but I am honestly unsure), Jim Dillon, Jose Rivera, Les Thatcher, Mike Graham, Roy Lee Welch, Taro Kobayashi, and Tom Jones
WOMEN WRESTLERS
Belle Starr, Debbie Johnson, Donna Christianello, Dottie Downs, Fabulous Moolah, Joyce Grable, Paula Kaye, Peggy Patterson, and Penny Banner
(their overall SPOT Rating was a .63 this quarter)
MALE MIDGET WRESTLERS
Billy the Kid, Cowboy Lang, Frenchy Lamont, Haiti Kid, Little Bruiser, and Little Louie
(their overall SPOT Rating was a .63 this quarter)
FEMALE MIDGET WRESTLERS
Darling Dagmar and Diamond Lil
(their overall SPOT Rating was a .70 this quarter)
MANAGERS
Beauregard continued to manage Jay York & Brute Bernard, while Homer O‘Dell continued to manage Rip Hawk & Swede Hanson.
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TITLE HISTORIES
The Eastern States Heavyweight title was renamed the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title in either September or early October. Jerry Brisco was the reigning champ at the beginning of the quarter. On 12/28 in Charleston, Brisco was “injured” during a match with Johnny Valentine; Johnny would be awarded the title at some point in January 1974 (the injury angle was done because Brisco was going to Japan in January and this allowed the promotion to explain his absence while simultaneously giving him an “out” for losing the title, thus a reason to challenge for it when he returned)
The Atlantic Coast Tag Team titles were renamed the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles shortly after Sandy Scott & Nelson Royal beat Ole & Gene Anderson to win the titles on 10/2 in Raleigh. Jay York & Brute Bernard won the titles from Scott & Royal on 11/26 in Greenville. Ole & Gene Anderson beat York & Bernard to win the title on 12/26 in Columbia.
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Here’s a look at two of the biggest feuds and how they progressed in each city/market. Details and match stipulations are listed where known, but keep in mind that this information is often incomplete.
1) NELSON ROYAL & SANDY SCOTT vs BRUTE BERNARD & JAY YORK
Charlotte NC
9/17 Royal & Scott won by disqualification
9/24 York & Bernard beat Scott & Scott Casey (sub for Royal) by disqualification
10/1 No disqualification: York & Bernard won
11/22 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles, special referee Joe Louis: Royal & Scott won by disqualification
Norfolk VA
9/27 York & Bernard won
Richmond VA
10/19 Royal & Scott won
10/26 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Results not available
Columbia SC
10/23 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Royal & Scott “won a referee’s decision”
10/30 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Royal & Scott won
Roanoke VA
10/27 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Results not available
11/3 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Results not available
12/1
Greensboro NC
11/1 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Royal & Scott won
Charleston SC
11/2 Royal & Scott beat Bernard & Beauregard (sub for York)
12/14
Hampton VA
11/24 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Results not available
Salem VA
11/25 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Royal & Scott won by disqualification
Greenville SC
11/26 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: York & Bernard won the titles
12/3 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles, Johnny Weaver in Royal & Scott’s corner to offset Beauregard: Both teams were disqualified when “the referee lost control of the match”
Raleigh NC
11/27 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: Royal & Scott won by disqualification
12/4 Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles: York & Bernard won
2) JERRY BRISCO vs RIP HAWK
Anderson SC
9/26 Brisco beat Hawk
Colonial Heights VA
10/5 Brisco beat Hawk
Columbia SC
10/9 Hawk beat Brisco in a non-title match
10/16 Mid-Atlantic title: Brisco beat Hawk
Hampton VA
10/27 Mid-Atlantic title: Brisco beat Hawk
Fayetteville NC
10/29 Brisco beat Hawk
Greenville SC
11/5 Hawk beat Brisco in a non-title match with Homer O’Dell barred from ringside
11/12 Mid-Atlantic title: Hawk beat Brisco by disqualification
Raleigh NC
11/6 Piledriver legal, Homer O’Dell barred from ringside: Brisco beat Hawk
Roanoke VA
11/10 Homer O’Dell barred from ringside: Results not available
Charleston SC
11/16 Mid-Atlantic title: Brisco beat Hawk
Salem VA
11/25 Mid-Atlantic title, special referee Joe Louis: Brisco beat Hawk; it was reported that Joe Louis “got in his share of the licks when he slugged Hawk for arguing”
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Here is a calendar of all known house shows in the territory during the quarter.
Match listings and results from many of these shows can be found in various places. In addition to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway, I recommend the following sites for wrestling results:
