| This
card of
Mid-Atlantic
Championship
Wrestling at
the end of
1974 was
unforgettable
in several
respects. It
was the last
Mid-Atlantic
card that
Richmond would
host during
the year of
1974, a year
that saw Jim
Crockett
Promotions
revitalized
with new and
impressive
talent that
would set the
stage for the
promotion to
reach
unparalleled
heights in the
decade to
follow. This
card also
showed very
vividly the
transitional
nature of
1974, where
the big names
of yesteryear
gave way to
the stars and
great
rivalries of
the future.
But more than
anything, I
now remember
this card for
the night that
three of
Richmond's
greatest
wrestling
rivalries of
1974 ended on
this frigid
December night
in 1974,
Friday the
13th.
MAIN
EVENT---Rip
Hawk battles
former partner
Swede Hanson
in a Lights
Out,
Non-Sanctioned
Fence Match.
Rip Hawk
and Swede
Hanson were
probably the
most famous
and recognized
tag team in
the history of
Jim Crockett
Promotions to
this point in
time. When
Swede turned
"good
guy" in
early 1974, it
was inevitable
that these
former long
time partners
would clash at
some point. In
Richmond, they
had never met
one on one
until this
fateful night.
Previously,
the two had
been paired
against each
other as part
of tag teams
during 1974,
but never in a
singles bout.
The promotion
not only made
this epic
confrontation
Richmond's
last match of
1974, but made
it a lights
out,
non-sanctioned
anything goes
fence match!!
What a way to
close out the
banner year of
1974!!
This bout
was a bloody
battle between
these two long
time friends,
with Hawk
keeping the
much larger
Hanson on the
mat for long
periods of
time utilizing
low blows,
foreign
objects and of
course the
steel of the
fence. Swede
would rally,
only to
seemingly
always be put
on the
defensive by a
Hawk cheap
shot. The
crowd roared
to deafening
noise levels,
as Swede would
make his
series of
comebacks.
Finally, close
to the
20-minute
mark, Swede
used a number
of battering
ram shots into
the cage to
immobilize Rip
and take the
pinfall.
None of us
knew at the
time, that
this would be
Rip Hawk's
last match
ever in
Richmond,
Virginia as a
member of Jim
Crockett
Promotions. So
many, many
great
performances
by Rip for
more than a
decade ended
with a
memorable
finale this
night. Even in
victory, this
night turned
out to be a
"farewell"
of sorts for
Swede Hanson
as well as the
promotion
immediately
de-emphasized
Swede's role
with
Mid-Atlantic
Championship
Wrestling
after this
final program
with the
departing Rip
Hawk. Swede
would never
again appear
in a main
event program
for Crockett
Promotions
after this
night, despite
wrestling in
the area for
many years in
the future.
This match
truly ushered
in a changing
of the guard
for
Mid-Atlantic
Championship
Wrestling.
SEMI-FINAL---"Chief"
Wahoo McDaniel
battles the
masked Super
Destroyer.
These two
top stars had
developed
quite a
rivalry over
the last half
of 1974. In
fact, upon
Wahoo's
arrival in the
Mid-Atlantic
area in the
summer of
1974, the
Super
Destroyer was
one of the
great Indian's
primary
targets. The
two had a
number of
terrific
battles, but
this night
would be the
last time
Wahoo and the
Super D. would
ever face each
other in the
Richmond
Coliseum.
It's too
bad that this
battle wasn't
also inside a
fence, as the
majority of
the action in
this bout took
place outside
of the ring!
During the
course of this
lengthy match,
Wahoo nearly
unmasked the
Super
Destroyer
after
lambasting him
with a series
of chops that
rang
throughout the
Coliseum.
There was also
a sequence of
several
minutes where
the Super
Destroyer had
Wahoo trapped
in his
vice-like claw
hold. Wahoo
would finally
escape, to the
delight of the
huge crowd and
the battle
waged on at a
fever pitch.
After
several more
back and forth
near falls by
both men, the
match ended
the way most
Super
Destroyer
bouts did, via
disqualification.
This time,
with the Super
Destroyer
tossing the
referee out of
the ring in a
fit of rage,
while he and
Wahoo
continued to
battle for a
while longer.
At the time
of course, no
one in the
crowd knew
that this was
the last match
these two
icons would
ever have
against each
other in the
Richmond
Coliseum. But
the match had
so much
intensity and
was so hard
fought, you
almost have to
wonder if the
combatants may
have known
that this was
their final
night to shine
in the
Coliseum---they
surely gave it
their all and
left it all in
the ring!
Ivan
Koloff vs.
Paul Jones for
the
Mid-Atlantic
TV Title
Much like
the match that
would follow
it, this bout
would have
been well
served to be
inside a
fence! This
was a
particularly
vicious bout,
despite the
fact that
there were no
special
stipulations
in it other
than Koloff's
TV title being
on the line.
Throughout
the last half
of 1974, these
two had traded
the TV title
and battled in
a number of
bloody
specialty
matches,
including
Koloff's
favorite, the
Russian Chain
Match. This
match saw its
share of
blood, as
foreign
objects were
used to open
up both men.
The vast
amount of
action outside
the ring
whipped the
crowd into a
frenzy, almost
to riot-like
levels close
to ringside.
When
wrestling was
actually
utilized in
this match,
Jones was far
superior.
However,
Koloff was
intent on
making this a
brawl, and he
succeeded.
Finally, both
wrestlers
secured steel
chairs on the
outside of the
ring that they
were more
focused on
than the
referee's
count inside
of the ring.
Both grapplers
were
ultimately
counted out,
which enabled
Koloff to
retain his
Mid-Atlantic
Television
Title.
As with the
other two main
events, this
would be the
final match in
the Richmond
Coliseum
between these
two in what
was a brutal
feud over the
Mid-Atlantic
TV Title.
Koloff was
about ready to
bolt Jim
Crockett
Promotions for
the IWA, while
Jones was
ready to
settle in as
one of the
Mid-Atlantic
area's biggest
superstars.
Other
Matches
An
excellent
six-man tag
team match saw
the "good
guy" trio
of the
Avenger, Tiger
Conway, Jr.
and Tommy
Seigler defeat
Brute Bernard,
Mr. Fuji and
Chuck O'Connor
in an exciting
contest. The
masked Avenger
was the star
of this match,
as the
promotion was
building him
for a major
upcoming feud
with another
masked man,
the Super
Destroyer. On
the other side
of the fence,
Brute Bernard
was slipping
further and
further down
cards, and
Chuck O'Connor
(later known
as John Studd)
was about
ready to leave
the area.
Samoan Tio
Tio pinned
Japanese star
Mr. Hayashi in
a surprisingly
good match. It
was rare to
see Hayashi in
a singles
match without
his normal tag
team partner,
Mr. Ota.
In the
opening tag
team bout of
the evening,
Cowboy Parker
and Frank
Morrell
(subbing for
Ken Dellinger)
took the
measure of the
young team of
Mike Stallings
and Billy Ash.
The team of
the
"Outlaws"
Parker and
Dellinger were
actually
getting a
minor push by
the promotion
at this time,
so it was
somewhat
disappointing
that Dellinger
was a no-show
this night.
The plodding
Morrell
actually did a
fine job as a
replacement
this night.
In the
curtain
raiser,
Richmond
"favorite"
(OK, how could
you not like
the guy a
little bit!)
George
"Two
Ton"
Harris
disposed of
hapless Joe
Furr with a
well-placed
thumb to the
windpipe.
Next
Up #
8---December
27, 1976
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