The month of August 1979
started with Jim Crockett
Promotions doing some
dynamic six man tag team
matches across the
territory, featuring a
“dream team” if there ever
was one! Ric Flair,
Blackjack Mulligan and Ricky
Steamboat represented the
“good guys,” and they were
every bit as dominant and
one could imagine. The NWA
World Tag Team Champions
Paul Jones and Baron von
Raschke formed the
opposition, with their
partner being one of three
“bad guys” from the main
event side of the roster.
These six man battles were
set in motion on the
Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling television program
that was taped on August 1st
at the WRAL TV studios in
Raleigh, North Carolina. On
that show, Paul Jones came
out and said he had a
“brainstorm” to keep Flair,
Mulligan and Steamboat from
calling the Baron a “bald
headed geek” that ruined
Raschke’s concentration, and
Jones proceeded to plop a
blonde wig on Raschke,
saying after that all the
Baron could be called was
“handsome.” That show also
revealed that Flair had
given Mulligan a new glove
to wear in the ring, so the
battle lines had certainly
been drawn!
On August 5th in the Hampton
Roads Coliseum in Hampton,
Virginia, massive John Studd
teamed up with Jones and
Raschke to battle the Flair,
Mulligan and Steamboat
terrific trio. In Richmond,
Virginia on August 10th, the
giant “Cat” Ernie Ladd
formed the third member of
the villainous team, but
even Ladd’s addition
couldn’t put the World Tag
Team Champions over the top.
In Raleigh on August 14th at
the Dorton Arena, “Superfly”
Jimmy Snuka formed another
version of a powerhouse team
with Jones and the Baron,
but once again Flair,
Mulligan and Steamboat
prevailed in a titanic
battle.
The Charlotte Coliseum in
Charlotte, North Carolina
actually got two version of
this great six man tag team
action. On August 4th the
Flair, Mulligan and
Steamboat combination had
their way with the pairing
of Jones, Raschke and Studd.
The World Tag Team Champions
were none too happy with
that result, and vowed to
extract revenge when they
came back in two weeks. On
August 18th, the World Tag
Team Champions brought in
Ernie Ladd as their partner,
but “Old 99’s” presence
didn’t change the result as
the Flair, Mulligan and
Steamboat pairing again
emerged victorious!
Paul Jones and Baron von
Raschke had more to worry
about during the month of
August than the six man
battles with Flair, Mulligan
and Steamboat. Their coveted
World Tag Team Titles were
hanging by a thread as the
month began.
Early in the month, Paul and
the Baron seemed to finally
extinguish the Title threat
from the dynamic duo of Ric
Flair and Ricky Steamboat.
On August 5th in the Roanoke
Civic Center in Roanoke,
Virginia, the Champs held
onto their belts against
Flair and Steamboat in
controversial fashion,
losing the bout by
disqualification, which
allowed them to nevertheless
carry out the World Titles.
Then, an amazing World Tag
Team Title match between
Jones and Raschke and Flair
and Steamboat took place in
Raleigh’s Dorton Arena on
August 7th in a Lumberjack
Match. As in many of the
contests in this series, the
challengers got the better
of the action, but were
unable to get over the hump
and snare the prestigious
belts. A final bout between
these four took place in
Savannah, Georgia on August
26th, with the hated duo of
Jones and Raschke
prevailing.
The new combination that
would ultimately dethrone
Jones and Raschke in August,
albeit briefly, was the
dynamic duo of Ric Flair and
Blackjack Mulligan. On
August 12th at the
Greensboro Coliseum in
Greensboro, North Carolina,
these four battled in a
World Tag Team Title Match
with George Scott serving as
the special referee. In a
rugged encounter, the “good
guys” ultimately prevailed
in 34 minutes through the
effective use of Flair’s
figure four leg lock. Did
the fans in Greensboro ever
go wild with this Title
change!
This NWA World Tag Team
Title victory of Flair and
Mulligan not only created an
upheaval in the tag team
division, but in the singles
ranks as well. Because of
the prohibition of one
wrestler holding two of the
major NWA belts, Ric Flair
was in the unenviable
position of being forced to
relinquish one of his two
Titles. The “Nature Boy”
elected to part with the
United States Heavyweight
Championship on the
Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling television show
that was taped on August
15th, and Jim Crockett
Promotions established a
giant one night tournament
in Charlotte that was
scheduled for September 1st
to crown a new U.S.
Champion.
Prior to surrendering his
U.S. Heavyweight
Championship, Ric Flair did
have several eventful Title
defenses. On August 3rd, Ric
took the measure of Paul
Jones in Columbia, South
Carolina in a very spirited
Lumberjack Match. The next
night in Spartanburg, South
Carolina, Flair and
Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight
Champion Ken Patera battled
in a Title versus Title
encounter, with Ric
prevailing by
disqualification. Then on
the afternoon of August
12th, just hours before he
would capture one-half of
the World Tag Team
Championship, the “Nature
Boy” had a successful U.S.
Title defense against the
stiff challenge of the
gigantic Ernie Ladd.
Flair and Mulligan had two
successful defenses of their
NWA World Tag Team Titles
against the former champions
Jones and Raschke. On August
16th at the Scope Coliseum
in Norfolk, Virginia, Ric
and Mully scored a clean
victory despite the
underhanded tactics employed
by Paul and the Baron. Ric
and Blackjack followed up
that Norfolk victory with an
equally impressive win at
the Greenville Memorial
Auditorium in Greenville,
South Carolina on August
20th. In a somewhat
surprising move, Flair and
Mulligan then agreed to give
Jones and Raschke a return
World Tag Team Title bout on
television at the WRAL TV
studios in Raleigh on August
22nd for the television
tapings of World Wide
Wrestling. The stakes could
not have been higher for
this rare NWA World Tag Team
Title match on television.
The World Tag Team Title
bout on television was an
entertaining one to say the
least. Ricky Steamboat
assisted host Rich Landrum
by providing insightful
color commentary. Flair and
Mulligan dominated a good
portion of the match, and
appeared well on their way
to retaining their
Championship. However, when
the “Nature Boy” got Paul
Jones up for what looked
like a match-winning suplex,
something went terribly
wrong. Paul ended up falling
on top of Ric, and captured
a quick one-two-three to win
the belts back for the
villains. There were two
schools of thought as to
what happened. Jones and
Raschke contended that Paul
“reversed the suplex in
mid-air” that allowed for
Jones’ pinfall victory.
Flair and Mulligan had a
different take as to what
happened. Blackjack said it
was a “fluke,” as he had
just given Raschke a
piledriver, and that Raschke
remained in the ring
“illegally.” Flair went on
to argue that Raschke caused
him to trip, enabling Jones
to fall on top of him, stun
him and capture the pin.
The “re-crowned” Champions
battled Flair and Mulligan
in a couple of heated Title
rematches before the end of
the month. On August 30th in
the Norfolk Scope Coliseum,
the two teams grappled in a
vicious “Texas Tornado”
match that saw Ric and
Blackjack emerge with a
controversial
disqualification win. The
next night in the Richmond
Coliseum, the action was
every bit as heated between
these bitter rivals, but
Jones and Raschke retained
their belts by the skin of
their teeth.
“Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers
continued to make his
presence felt throughout the
Mid-Atlantic area during the
month of August. In addition
to managing and transforming
Jimmy Snuka, Rogers
announced on the August 8th
taping of the World Wide
Wrestling television show
that he was also the new
manager of “Big” John Studd.
It didn’t take long for
Rogers’ new team of John
Studd and Jimmy Snuka to
make an immediate impact. On
the Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling
program that was taped on
August 8th, Rufus R. Jones
introduced the fans to
Luther and Leroy Dargon.
According to Rufus, the
“Dargon Twins” were the
first pair of black twins in
professional wrestling
history. Rogers quickly came
out, and challenged the
twins to meet his new team
of John Studd and Jimmy
Snuka and the Dargon’s
accepted the challenge.
Almost immediately after the
match began, Rogers
interfered which led to
Rufus coming into the fray
to help the twins.
Luther and Leroy took a
beating, but actually got
the win by disqualification.
The way that things went
down led to Rufus
challenging Snuka to a
singles match, so that set
up to be a bitter contest
between two combatants who
were close friends up until
about a month prior to this
situation.
Two weeks later on the
Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling television program
that was taped on August
22nd, there was a rematch
between the Dargon twins and
John Studd and Jimmy Snuka.
Again, Buddy Rogers
interfered, this time
leading to Rufus, Ricky
Steamboat and Jay Youngblood
entering the ring to even up
the sides. And earlier on
that same August 22nd
television program, Rogers
had a letter read to him
from NWA President Bob
Geigel, demanding that Buddy
start appearing in the
territory’s arenas by August
30th, or that he would be
suspended and his manager’s
license would be revoked.
Geigel’s letter also
acknowledged that Rogers had
a problem with his ears,
from a previous operation,
and the NWA President asked
the Mid-Atlantic fans to
keep their noise down when
Buddy was at ringside! For
Rogers’ part, he said he
would honor his contract and
start appearing at the
arenas, but he also
beseeched the fans to keep
the noise down because of
his sensitive ears!
NWA Television Champion
Ricky Steamboat successfully
defended his prestigious
Title against the challenges
of Ken Patera, Paul Jones
and Jimmy Snuka during the
month of August. But Ricky’s
biggest accomplishment
during the month regarding
his TV Title was ending the
Title threat of Ernie Ladd
with a rousing victory on
Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling television in a
bout that was taped on
August 8th at the WRAL
studios. Paul Jones and
Baron von Raschke provided
running commentary on the
match along with announcers
Bob Caudle and David
Crockett. In a very
entertaining see-saw affair,
Steamboat captured the
pinfall victory when Ladd
attempted a dive off the top
rope that Steamboat moved
away from in the nick of
time. Steamboat then went
off the top rope himself,
and covered a stunned “Big
Cat” for the win.
The post match activity was
almost as entertaining as
the bout itself! Right after
Ladd was pinned, Jones and
Raschke rushed the ring and
attached the victorious
Steamboat. This in turn
prompted Blackjack Mulligan
and Ric Flair to enter the
fray! Once the sides were
evened up, Ladd left Jones
and Raschke and headed to
the dressing room, which
gave the “good guys” the
advantage. After the fracas,
as Jones and Raschke were
being interviewed by Bob
Caudle, an enraged and
bloody Blackjack Mulligan
came on the set and tore off
Jones’ prized “bravery”
medal given to him by the
Baron, and promised revenge
for getting busted up on
national television!
Ricky Steamboat seemingly
found a new tag team partner
during the month of August.
On the August 22nd
Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling TV program, Ricky
came out with the “Indian
Sensation” Jay Youngblood
and the two talked about
their friendship, and later
had an impressive win over
the team of Gene Anderson
and Charlie Fulton. It
appeared as through
Youngblood was transitioning
from the mid card ranks to
the main event ranks.
During the month of August,
Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight
Champion Ken Patera
successfully defended his
prized belt against the
challenges of Ric Flair and
Ricky Steamboat in Title
versus Title bouts. Patera
also battled Rufus R. Jones
over his Championship in
August. But far and away
Ken’s biggest challenge
during the month came from
the acrobatic “Jumping” Jim
Brunzell. Ken not only
defended his Title against
Jim, but also grappled
Brunzell in a series of
bouts where a $1,000 prize
was awarded to the winner.
It became abundantly clear
during a late July episode
of Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling that Ken Patera
was going to have his hands
full with Jim Brunzell.
During that televised match,
Jim not only defeated Ken
once in a non-title bout,
but he defeated him TWICE in
succession! So the pressure
on Patera from Brunzell was
enormous during the month of
August, as it really
appeared that Jim had
Patera’s number.
On August 24th at the
Richmond Coliseum Patera and
Brunzell punished each other
throughout with Ken’s Title
on the line, but it appeared
that Jim was going to emerge
the new Mid-Atlantic
Champion. Only some very
fast thinking, and
underhanded tactics, allowed
Ken to get himself
disqualified and retain his
Title. Similar scenarios led
Patera to escape with his
Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight
Title in Winston-Salem,
North Carolina on August
25th and at Raleigh’s Dorton
Arena on August 28th.
Patera’s near escapes left
one to wonder whether it was
only a matter of time before
Jim Brunzell broke through
and ended Ken’s stranglehold
over the Mid-Atlantic belt.
The “World’s Strongest
Wrestler” didn’t fare any
better against “Gentleman”
Jim Brunzell in the $1000
matches mentioned earlier.
Brunzell became $5000 richer
during the month of August,
first by beating Patera on
August 12th with the money
on the line, in Asheville in
the afternoon and in
Greensboro the same evening.
Then “Jumping Jim” also took
the $1000 prize from Patera
on August 16th in Columbia,
South Carolina, on August
21st in Raleigh and on
August 30th at the Scope
Coliseum in Norfolk,
Virginia.
And finally, August of 1979
saw a true rarity, in that
the NWA World Heavyweight
Title changed hands, not
once but twice! Titleholder
Harley Race dropped
wrestling’s biggest prize on
August 21st in Tampa,
Florida to none other than
the “American Dream” Dusty
Rhodes. However, Dusty’s
reign at the top was a very
brief one, as Harley
returned the favor on August
26th in Orlando, Florida to
recapture the coveted “Ten
Pounds of Gold.”
WHO’S HOT
1. Blackjack Mulligan---The
big man from Eagle Pass,
Texas was dominant upon his
return to the Mid-Atlantic
area, winning his singles
bouts and also forming an
imposing tag team
combination with the “Nature
Boy” Ric Flair.
2. Jimmy Snuka---Much like
Mulligan, the “Superfly”
looked unstoppable as he
mowed down all the
competition put in front of
him. With his manager Buddy
Rogers running interference
for him, Snuka had his
sights squarely set on the
United States Heavyweight
Championship.
3. Jim Brunzell---“Jumping”
Jim Brunzell had another
impressive month, taking a
series of $1000 purses from
Ken Patera, and clearly
emerged as the number one
contender for the
Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight
Championship belt.
WHO’S NOT
1. Ernie Ladd---“The Cat’s”
Mid-Atlantic run pretty much
ended in August, though he
would take part in the U.S.
Title Tournament on
September 1st before
departing. Ernie dropped TV
Title bouts to Ricky
Steamboat, U.S. Title bouts
to Ric Flair and typically
dropped the fall when teamed
with Paul Jones and Baron
von Raschke in six man bouts
against Flair, Mulligan and
Steamboat.
2. Ken Patera---The
muscle-man from Portland,
Oregon was feeling the heat
from Jim Brunzell, dropping
a number of $1000 bouts to
the youngster as well as
barely escaping with his
Mid-Atlantic belt against
Jim in several bouts late in
August.
3. Rufus R. Jones---The
“King of Wrestling” seemed
to be treading water during
the month of August, with
his short lived alliance
with the Dargon twins not
helping matters. Rufus just
didn’t seem to have the same
spark that he did in
previous stints in the
Mid-Atlantic area.