This photograph was taken on November 9, 1975
in Greensboro, NC during the one night tournament for the United
States heavyweight Championship (vacated following career ending
injuries to Johnny Valentine in the Wilmington NC plane crash in October
1975.) It is one of the most famous
tournaments and famous cards in Mid-Atlantic wrestling history.
The framed photograph hung in Jim Crockett, Jr.'s office on Briarbend
Drive in Charlotte until that office closed when moving to Dallas,
shortly before the sale of Crockett
Promotions to Ted Turner in late 1988. The photo was given to Paul
Jones, and it was proudly displayed in Paul's office at his body shop
until Paul retired in the late 1990s. Paul gave the photo to
George South. The inscription reads: "November 9, 1975 / US
Heavyweight Championship Tournament / Southeast Gate Receipt Record /
Coliseum - Greensboro, NC." The photo shows the interior of sold out
building during the event, the familiar numbers surrounding the outer walls of the
coliseum, and the equally familiar outer rope (complete with tire and
cement anchors) around ringside. Ole
Anderson and Paul Jones are battling in the ring. Not sure who the
referee is in this photograph. Ring
announcer Tom Miller and local promoter Joe Murnick can clearly be seen
at ringside. We're sure Wally Dusek is in there somewhere, too. Jack
Adkisson (aka Fritz Von Erich) might also be at ringside. He was NWA
President at the time, and the Greensboro News and Record story
on the tournament reported he was part of a five-man crew that served as
judges in case of a draw.
The U.S. title was vacated when Johnny Valentine's career was ended
by a plane crash in Wilmington, NC in October of 1975. Wrestlers from
NWA territories all over the United States came in for the show. Terry
Funk defeated Paul Jones in the finals of the tournament to win the
title, but would lose the title three weeks later to Jones in the same building
on Thanksgiving night. Two weeks after that, Funk would upset Jack Brisco in Miami Beach to win the NWA title, and Paul Jones would become
the number one contender. -Dick Bourne,
May 2003
George
South and Dick Bourne hold the Greensboro photograph
that
once hung in the office of Jim Crockett, Jr. |