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Post by TNCOWBOY on Sept 5, 2013 16:29:28 GMT -5
They had cards at D-B every month in the early 80's. That place looked like a packed Astrodome EVERY month for a long while.
I remember a card where Wahoo was fighting Greg Valentine in a Lumberjack strap match. I was going with my next door neighbors who were a good bit older and rabid Valentine supporters.
Back then, cheering for the bad guy was not cool. At all. So this guy in front of us knocks down the popcorn of this at the time 8 year old boy.
The Spriggs family proceeded to beat this guy within an inch of his life. Right out in the open as the match is going on.
Cops came in and eventually the EMT's. I bet that dude walks with a limp to this day.
Very memorable but what I remember more was Jake Roberts beating the every living shit out of Valentine with his belt everytime he got tossed out of the ring by Wahoo.
Was no fake in that. I couldn't believe it and sold me on the real well into high school.
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Post by Magnum on Sept 5, 2013 18:24:56 GMT -5
They would even come to tiny little Coalfield. I remember Black Jack Mulligan got his head split wide open, and they didn't mess around, and took him right to Oak Ridge hospital.
The Iron Sheik was the one who did it.
This was around 1979, and I was 5, and it scared the shit out of me.
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Post by Ned Land on Sept 5, 2013 18:49:07 GMT -5
When I was a kid Harley Race seemed like this mythic champion to me. He never seemed to wrestle on TV. Just clips of his matches. I finally saw him in person and remember thinking I couldn't believe he was champion. He looked like a furniture mover.
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Post by TNCOWBOY on Sept 5, 2013 18:55:40 GMT -5
Amen on that Ned. Race, however, was a real live badass despite his looks.
In those days the world champ had to hit all those little territories. There was always the chance a Ron Wright type would shoot on the champ to make a name for himself.
Hard as it is to believe that wasn't an issue with Harley. Anybody tried that crap he would beat their ass. Same with Bruno Sammartino and Verne Gagne in the WWWF and AWA in that day.
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Post by Mauler on Sept 5, 2013 18:58:31 GMT -5
I think the look was one of the best things about old rasslin. To hell with all that oil and tanned up gay Vince BS. The dudes looked like they could be your neighbor.
It was easy for the common fan to relate.
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Post by Ned Land on Sept 5, 2013 19:09:34 GMT -5
Don't get me wrong, I liked the common man. You know, like the son of a plumber.
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Post by TNCOWBOY on Sept 5, 2013 19:11:49 GMT -5
Fed is right on point and it only served to elevate when they brought in people like Tony Atlas.
You have all those Jack Briscoe types out there and when a Nikita Koloff came in they were believably unstoppable.
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Post by Orange Daddy on Sept 5, 2013 19:47:34 GMT -5
Guys I grew up in the Jackie Fargo, Tojo, Herb Welch and a young Jerry Lawler days. In the late 60's we would pile up in my Bros 57 Chevy 2 door 4 speed on the floor and to Memphis 90 miles away EVERY Monday night. It would be my bothers who were not in jail and my Granddaddy. Drinking beer, whiskey smoking fat joints. I did not do any as I was 11 or 12.. Then the 70's was Lawler Dundee, Lance Russell Dave Brown was the Sat show. The good ol days
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Post by Ned Land on Sept 5, 2013 19:51:53 GMT -5
Fed is right on point and it only served to elevate when they brought in people like Tony Atlas. You have all those Jack Briscoe types out there and when a Nikita Koloff came in they were believably unstoppable. Do you remember who unmasked Tony Atlas? I first recall him as Black Atlas, but can't remember how he gave up the mask routine.
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Post by Ned Land on Sept 5, 2013 20:19:45 GMT -5
I found it online. Abdullah the Butcher unmasked him. I also ran across this interview with Johnny Walker/Mr. Wrestling II from two years ago. Looks like he might have a touch of dementia setting in. youtu.be/hKzb7cP6GtY
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Post by TNCOWBOY on Sept 5, 2013 20:20:06 GMT -5
Fed is right on point and it only served to elevate when they brought in people like Tony Atlas. You have all those Jack Briscoe types out there and when a Nikita Koloff came in they were believably unstoppable. Do you remember who unmasked Tony Atlas? I first recall him as Black Atlas, but can't remember how he gave up the mask routine. Tony Atlas was never masked. You are likely thinking about Sweet Ebony Diamond. Who went on to greater fame as Rocky Johnson in the WWF. Who went onto even GREATER fame via his son Rocky Maivia. Or better known as The Rock. Sweet Ebony Diamond is THE marker for southern racism. That dude wrestles today he's an instant world champ. You simply couldn't do that in the Mid Atlantic area then. The mask and name in itself was absurd. There was a dude in Florida who was drawing named Sweet Brown Sugar and I assume Crockett was trying to duplicate that.
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Post by TNCOWBOY on Sept 5, 2013 20:29:12 GMT -5
Ned, you have already taken my belt as wrestling historian because Atlas did indeed get unmasked by Abdullah in Georgia around '78. He was called Black Atlas according to what I am reading.
Anyway, this sort of supports the thread. We didn't get cable until about 1982 or so. Occasionally you would read about the Mil Mascaras and Dusty Rhodes types but much went over your head.
When Atlas came into Mid Atlantic they billed him as a totally new guy. I believed that then and did to this day until researching your post. Despite ravaging thru every message board in existence regarding wrestling.
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Post by Ned Land on Sept 5, 2013 20:35:19 GMT -5
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Post by wolfgang on Sept 5, 2013 20:46:12 GMT -5
Did Dick the Bruiser, Cowboy Bob Ellis or Fritz Von Erich rassle in this area?
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Post by TNCOWBOY on Sept 5, 2013 20:54:57 GMT -5
The very best thing about getting cable was Georgia Championship Wrestling. Not even close.
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