July
of
1975
was
the
most
significant
month
of
the
year
1975
to
date.
July
featured
record
crowds
and
gates
in
several
Mid-Atlantic
towns,
a
new
title
introduced
to
the
area,
significant
roster
movement
and
the
blossoming
of
one
of
the
greatest
feuds
in
Mid-Atlantic
Championship
Wrestling
history.
All
in
all,
July
of
1975
was
quite
a
month.
The
month
began
with
Andre
the
Giant
continuing
his
swing
through
the
area,
which
had
begun
in
late
June.
The
Giant’s
presence
no
doubt
contributed
to
record
gates
in
two
of
the
area’s
most
significant
towns.
Columbia,
South
Carolina
set
a
record
in
its
gate
receipts
for
its
July
1,
1975
card
headlined
by
a
spectacular
bout
between
Andre
and
Wahoo
McDaniel
against
Ric
Flair
and
Johnny
Valentine.
Richmond,
Virginia
set
a
gate
record
as
well
from
its
super
holiday
card
at
the
Richmond
Coliseum
on
July
4,
1975
headlined
by
a
60
minute
draw
between
NWA
World
Tag
Team
Champions
Gene
and
Ole
Anderson
and
challengers
Wahoo
McDaniel
and
Paul
Jones,
with
a
semi-final
dream match-up
of
Andre
The
Giant
against
the
Super
Destroyer.
Additionally,
Greenville,
South
Carolina
had
a
sellout
crowd
for
its
July
7,
1975
card
featuring
Andre,
Paul
Jones
and
Rufus
R.
Jones
against
the
Anderson’s
and
the
Super
Destroyer.
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Also
early
in
July,
a
major
new
NWA
Title
found
its
home
in
the
Mid-Atlantic
area.
On
July
3,
1975,
Harley
Race
defended
the
United
States
Heavyweight
Championship
against
Mid-Atlantic
Heavyweight
Champion
Johnny
Valentine
in
the
Greensboro
Coliseum.
After
a
titanic
battle
between
these
two
legends,
Valentine
emerged
victorious,
and
the
U.S.
Title
would
become
and
remain
the
territory’s
prized
singles
championship
for
the
duration
of
the
promotion.
Valentine
would
wrestle
Race
in
a
classic
rematch
in
Greensboro
for
the
U.S.
Title
on
July
26,
1975.
In
another
memorable
bout,
Valentine
again
prevailed
and
the
United
States
Title
stayed
safely
in
the
Crockett
territory.
Speaking
of
Flair,
the
“Nature
Boy”
continued
to
hold
onto
his
Mid-Atlantic
TV
Title
in
July,
but
Paul
Jones
was
starting
to
close
in
fast.
On
July
18th,
Flair
and
Jones
had
a
brutal
Lumberjack
Match
in
Richmond
for
Ric’s
TV
Title,
and
Jones
came
so
very
close
to
winning
the
belt.
This
led
to
a
climatic
rematch
in
Richmond
three
weeks
later
between
these
two
for
the
Mid-Atlantic
TV
Title.
That
same
July
18,
1975
card
in
Richmond
saw
the
one-night
return
of
Blackjack
Mulligan
for
a
brutal
Texas
Death
Match
against
Wahoo
McDaniel.
Despite
being
a
regular
in
the
WWWF
at
the
time,
Blackjack
came
down
I-95
South
to
try
to
avenge
a
beating
he
took
from
Wahoo
in
May
in
Richmond
during
an
Indian
Strap
Match.
Mulligan
said
an
Indian
Strap
Match
was
thought
up
by
savages,
and
that
a
Texas
Death
Match
was
where
real
men
settled
their
differences.
In
his
promo
for
the
match,
Blackjack
asked
if
Wahoo
was
“man
enough”
to
face
him
in
a
Texas
Death
Match.
The
answer
was
a
resounding
“Yes,”
as
after
quite
a
battle
Wahoo
defeated
Mulligan
once
again.
The
NWA
World
Heavyweight
Championship
was
not
actively
defended
in
the
area
in
July,
as
Champion
Jack
Brisco
made
only
one
defense
during
the
month---that
being
against
Wahoo
McDaniel
in
Asheville,
North
Carolina
on
July
20,
1975.
But
the
NWA
World
Tag
Team
Titles
could
not
have
been
more
actively
defended
during
the
month
of
July.
In
addition
to
the
Richmond
60
minute
draw
noted
earlier,
the
champion
Anderson
Brothers
wrestled
Paul
Jones
and
Wahoo
McDaniel
to
several
other
60
minute
time-limit
draws
across
the
area
in
memorable
matches
during
July.
Then,
in
Raleigh
on
July
22nd,
the
time
limit
between
these
four
was
extended
to
90
minutes!
The
90
minute
battles
between
these
two
amazing
teams
would
soon
spread
around
the
territory
like
a
summer
wildfire
out
of
control!
And
it
was!
ROSTER
CHANGES
July
produced
some
significant
roster
movement
in
the
area.
Sonny
King,
who
was
a
Main
Event
performer
for
the
previous
year,
left
the
area
in
early
July.
King’s
last
match
in
the
area
was
against
Mr.
Fuji
in
Anderson,
South
Carolina
on
July
10,
1975.
Coincidentally,
King’s
main
rival
for
much
of
his
Mid-Atlantic
stay,
the
Super
Destroyer,
also
saw
the
month
of
July
spell
the
effective
end
of
his
stay
in
the
Mid-Atlantic
area
after
nearly
two
years.
Unable
to
agree
with
the
promotion
on
his
role
and
direction
in
the
Company,
the
Super
D.
and
Mid-Atlantic
Championship
Wrestling
parted
ways
forever
on
July
16,
1975.
The
Super
Destroyer
would
finish
out
his
remaining
dates
with
the
promotion
through
August
1,
1975.
Three
noteworthy
additions
entered
the
area
in
July
of
1975.
Muscleman
Tony
White
of
Roanoke,
Virginia
made
his
debut
on
July
12,
1975
in
Spartanburg,
South
Carolina.
Called
Tony
Atlas
by
the
promotion,
Atlas
amazed
everyone
with
his
tremendous
bodybuilding
physique
at
the
outset,
and
settled
into
a
solid
mid
card
role
for
the
rest
of
the
year.
After
a
lengthy
absence,
the
Missouri
Mauler
Larry
Hamilton
returned
to
the
area
on
July
21st
in
Greenville.
Almost
immediately,
the
Mauler
teamed
up
with
Professor
Boris
Malenko---their
first
match
together
was
on
the
Mid-Atlantic
television
taping
on
July
23rd
from
the
WRAL
TV
studios
in
Raleigh.
Malenko
and
Mauler
would
be
a
team
to
be
reckoned
with
for
the
remainder
of
1975.
Another
veteran
returning
to
the
area
in
July
was
Tim
Woods.
Not
wearing
his
“Mr.
Wrestling”
hood,
Woods
returned
on
July
26th
in
Greensboro
against
the
mammoth
Jerry
Blackwell.
Woods
came
back
to
Mid-Atlantic
Wrestling
because
he
was
bent
on
revenge
against
Johnny
Valentine
for
breaking
his
leg
some
time
back.
Woods
was
intent
on
paying
Valentine
back,
and
their
feud
against
each
other
would
begin
in
earnest
during
the
upcoming
month
of
August
1975.
Mid-Atlantic
Championship
Wrestling
in
August
of
1975
was
shaping
up
to
be
as
hot
as
the
weather
was
outside!
WHO’S
HOT
1.
TONY
ATLAS---The
strongman
from
Roanoke,
Virginia
impressed
everybody
with
his
amazing
physique
and
strength.
But
could
the
youngster
stand
up
against
all
the
experience
and
talent
in
the
area?
2.
MISSOURI
MAULER---The
Mauler
came
back
to
the
territory
with
a
vengeance,
and
looked
better
than
ever.
He
quickly
teamed
with
another
recent
returnee
to
the
area,
Professor
Boris
Malenko,
to
form
an
impressive
tag
team
combination.
3.
KEN
PATERA---Patera
continued
his
steady
climb
to
the
top
of
the
Mid-Atlantic
rankings.
Combining
amazing
strength
and
growing
experience,
Patera
rightfully
received
some
of
the
first
shots
at
Johnny
Valentine’s
new
United
States
Heavyweight
Championship.
WHO’S
NOT
1.
SONNY
KING---Sonny
King
wins
this
award
two
months
running!
After
a
strong
stint
in
the
area
for
a
year,
King
left
the
territory
for
good
in
early
July.
King’s
best
moments
in
the
area
were
likely
in
the
beginning
of
his
run
in
1974,
rather
than
at
the
end
of
it
in
1975.
2.
SUPER
DESTROYER---Unhappy
over
how
he
was
being
used,
the
Super
D.
and
the
promotion
agreed
to
part
ways
in
July.
An
inglorious
way
for
such
a
great
run
to
end.
However,
strangely
enough,
it
would
get
even
worse
for
the
Super
Destroyer
after
he
left
the
area!
3.
ART
NELSON---A
big
star
with
the
promotion
in
the
early
70s,
Nelson’s
slide
down
the
area’s
ladder
continued
in
July.
His
solid
tag
team
partnership
with
Mr.
Fuji
was
also
nearing
its
end.
RETURN
TO
TOP
OF
PAGE
©
David
Chappell
/
Mid-Atlantic
Gateway
|