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David Chappell's
Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling
History
November 1979
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The Almanac
Almanac Index
November 1979 Roster
Championship Picture
This Month:
NWA
WORLD CHAMPION ---
• Giant Baba
• Harley Race (November
7, 1979 in Amagasaki,
Japan)
NWA WORLD TAG TEAM
Ricky Steamboat and Jay
Youngblood
UNITED STATES CHAMPION
Jimmy Snuka
MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPION
• Jim Brunzell
• Ray Stevens (Nov 22,
1979 at the Greensboro
Coliseum)
MID-ATLANTIC TAG TEAM
VACANT
NWA TELEVISION CHAMPION
• Ricky Steamboat
• VACANT (Nov 21, 1979
at the WRAL TV studios
in Raleigh, North
Carolina, Steamboat
relinquishes the NWA TV
Title when he determines
he is physically able to
defend the NWA World Tag
Team Titles)
CANADIAN CHAMPION
Dewey Robertson
Newspaper clippings
courtesy of Mark
Eastridge.
Black and White 2nd
Edition
Only $12.95!
TenPoundsofGold.com
Full Color Edition Also
Available
|
The month of November 1979
began with a couple of very
unique matches around the
Mid-Atlantic area, billed as
a first of their kind in the
respective towns. Getting
their start in October, two
“Eight Man Tag Team Matches”
trickled into November.
On November 1st at the Scope
Coliseum in Norfolk,
Virginia the “good guy”
foursome of Blackjack
Mulligan, Ric Flair, Jay
Youngblood and “Mr.
Wrestling” Tim Woods went to
battle against the equally
formidable team of John
Studd, Jimmy Snuka, Ken
Patera and “the immortal”
Buddy Rogers. The bout
actually billed Woods’ slot
as that of a “Mystery
Wrestler,” so imagine the
anger when Buddy Rogers and
Jimmy Snuka found out they
would have to face the man
they brutally injured in his
first match back in a
Mid-Atlantic arena! Also,
when this match was signed
Ricky Steamboat was supposed
to be a part of the fan
favorite foursome, but
Steamboat was still on the
injured list after having
been put out of action by
Paul Jones and Baron von
Raschke, so Ricky’s tag team
partner Jay Youngblood
subbed for Steamboat.
The Norfolk “Eight Man Tag”
match was filled with
non-stop action, with a
fired up Tim Woods leading
his team to a dominating
performance.
The other Eight Man Tag Team
Match during the month took
place two days later,
November 3rd, in Charlotte,
North Carolina. John Studd,
Jimmy Snuka, Ken Patera and
Buddy Rogers again
represented the “bad guys,”
while the “white hatters”
were comprised of Ric Flair,
Blackjack Mulligan, Jim
Brunzell and Tim Woods. Like
Norfolk, Ricky Steamboat was
originally scheduled to
compete in this bout, but
due to him being on the
injured list he was again
replaced, this time by
Woods. The action was once
again fast and furious in
this unique match, and this
time Blackjack Mulligan
pinned a dumbfounded Ken
Patera to secure the victory
for the fan favorite team.
The next night in Toronto,
Canada saw a distinct
Mid-Atlantic flavor at the
top of the card. The
November 4th super
spectacular saw “Superfly”
Jimmy Snuka pitted against
“Nature Boy” Ric Flair in a
United States Heavyweight
Championship match, with two
referees assigned to keep
order. Also on that November
4th Toronto lineup, Dewey
Robertson put up his
Canadian Heavyweight
Championship against the
stiff challenge of the
World’s Strongest Wrestler,
Ken Patera. Two weeks later,
Toronto also featured an
outstanding card, with Dewey
Robertson again defending
his Canadian Title belt,
this time against the
ferocious challenge of
United States Heavyweight
titleholder Jimmy Snuka.
During November, United
States Heavyweight Champion
Jimmy Snuka was busier in
eight man tags, six man tags
and conventional tag team
matches than in defending
his U. S. Title, but the
“Superfly” did manage an
occasional Title defense.
With one notable exception,
all of Snuka’s U. S. Title
defenses were against the
rugged challenge of Ric
Flair. In a number of the
Snuka versus Flair Title
bouts, Ric won the matches
via disqualification.
Flair’s disqualification
wins occurred in Richmond,
Virginia on November 2nd,
Spartanburg, South Carolina
on November 10th and
Greenville, South Carolina
on November 26th. Jimmy
prevailed in one match
against Flair during the
month, capturing a pinfall
victory in Savannah, Georgia
on November 11th.
Snuka’s lone U.S. Title
defense in November that
wasn’t against Ric Flair,
was against none other than
“Mr. Wrestling” Tim Woods!
Tim carried his baseball
bat, which he nicknamed his
“dingbat,” with him at all
times for protection against
Snuka and his manager Buddy
Rogers.
Photo from Tim Woods'
personal collection,
submitted by Brack Beasley
The “dingbat”
certainly seemed to have a
deterrent effect on Snuka
and Rogers. The match in
Greensboro got out of
control early, and the
hostilities didn’t abate one
iota during the rest of the
bout. The double
disqualification result
didn’t settle anything,
which would lead to a number
of classic Snuka-Woods U.S.
Title wars during the month
of December.
November saw a major
newcomer enter the
Mid-Atlantic area, being
none other than
international star Ray “The
Crippler” Stevens. Ray was
introduced on Mid-Atlantic
television on the November
7th tapings from the WRAL TV
studios in Raleigh, North
Carolina, and his debut
arena match in the territory
was on November 12th in the
Greenville Memorial
Auditorium in Greenville,
South Carolina. In that
bout, Stevens easily
dispatched Tony Garea with
his patented “Bomb’s Away”
finisher, and the “Crippler”
was off and running. In
fact, in a mere ten days,
Stevens aced a major tile in
Jim Crockett Promotions!
Upon his arrival in the
territory, Stevens targeted
“Jumping” Jim Brunzell and
Jim’s Mid-Atlantic
Heavyweight Championship.
Brunzell had a strong
beginning of the month,
defending his Mid-Atlantic
belt successfully against
Baron von Raschke in
Richmond on November 2nd, in
Winston-Salem, North
Carolina on November 8th and
in Greenville, South
Carolina on November 19th.
Jim also bested Johnny
Weaver on November 6th in
Raleigh and Dewey Robertson
in Asheville, North Carolina
on November 11th with the
Mid-Atlantic belt on the
line.
Then on Thanksgiving night,
November 22nd, in
Greensboro, North Carolina,
Brunzell put up his prized
Title against Ray “I Like To
Hurt People” Stevens. These
two were no strangers, as
they had battled quite often
in the American Wrestling
Association (AWA) prior to
them both arriving the
Mid-Atlantic area. Stevens
used that experience and
familiarity to pull off a
controversial victory in 27
minutes, ending Brunzell’s
Mid-Atlantic Title reign a
little over two months after
it began. The “Crippler”
successfully defended his
newly captured Mid-Atlantic
Title against Brunzell in
Columbia, South Carolina on
November 23rd and in Sylva,
North Carolina on November
29th rounding out the
remainder of the month of
November.
Special Feature!
Thanksgiving Night Tradition
-
Greensboro & Norfolk 1979
The Mid-Atlantic television
program that was taped on
November 14th highlighted
just how ferocious the feud
between Blackjack Mulligan
and Big John Studd had
become. As background, on
the Mid-Atlantic TV show
that aired in most markets
on Saturday November 3rd,
Blackjack had appeared
nicely dressed with airplane
tickets to Los Angeles in
hand for he and his
girlfriend Sara Jo Puckett.
However, Studd got into it
with “Mully” and some of
Blackjack’s nice clothing
was damaged in the melee! On
the following TV taping,
which occurred in the WRAL
studios on November 7th,
Studd told the viewing
audience that he would put
up the $10,000 bounty money
he previously collected on
Blackjack, just to get
Mulligan into the ring!
Well, Mulligan wasn’t going
to have a repeat of getting
attacked by Studd on TV, so
he came dressed to fight on
the November 14th TV taping,
replete with his “Texas
Street Fight” gear,
including spurs! Blackjack
called out Studd to fight,
but John and his manager
Buddy Rogers said they were
“professionals,” and only
did their business via
signed contracts. Mulligan
countered that both Studd
and Rogers were gutless, but
things seemed to end there
without getting physical.
But the television hour was
still very young!
When Blackjack was wrestling
David Patterson later in the
November 14th show, Studd
interjected himself into the
fray, prompting Mulligan to
comment that Studd and
Rogers would not leave him
alone. Studd seemed to be
particular giddy that he had
torn up Blackjack’s hatband
earlier! Not to be outdone,
Mulligan interfered in the
last match of the TV
program, where Studd and
Jimmy Snuka were wrestling
Special Delivery Jones and
Bob Marcus, causing the
latter two men to be
disqualified. Blackjack
brutally whipped Studd with
his belt, causing an enraged
Studd to reiterate to the
viewing audience that he
would put up the $10,000
bounty money he had
previously collected on
Blackjack just to get
Mulligan into the ring, and
if Blackjack could put him
out of wrestling Mulligan
would collect the loot!
Mulligan and Studd had a
number of heated battles in
the area’s arenas during the
month, with a multitude of
different stipulations.
After “Big John” defeated
Mulligan in a No
Disqualification match in
the Roanoke Civic Center on
November 4th, Blackjack
generally got the better of
these bruising encounters
during the remainder of
November, including a
rematch in Roanoke on
November 18th, when “Mully”
bested John in a Texas Death
match, where the $10,000
bounty money was also on the
line.
But the two wildest arena
matches between Mulligan and
Studd occurred on back to
back nights, beginning at
the Greensboro Coliseum on
Thanksgiving night, November
22nd. Before a huge crowd of
11,387 fans, Blackjack
whipped up on the mighty
Studd, beating him in a
brutal Texas Street Fight
match! There was no rest for
the weary, as the very next
night in the boisterous
Richmond Coliseum, these two
hooked up again in a Texas
Street Fight, with Studd’s
$10,000 bounty money also on
the line. While Blackjack
thrilled the thousands in
attendance in Richmond with
another rugged but decisive
win, Studd did manage to
limp out of the Coliseum on
his own, so at least John
held onto his money.
Ricky Steamboat’s injury
when he and partner Jay
Youngblood aced the NWA
World Tag Team Titles on
October 24, 1979 prevented
any Title defenses by the
new Champions for much of
the month of November. In
fact, Steamboat’s lingering
leg injury almost resulted
in a forfeit of the Titles
back to Paul Jones and Baron
von Raschke, as Ricky and
Jay just barely were able to
meet their contractually
obligated rematch with the
former champs within 30
days.
On the Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling
television program that was
taped on November 21st,
Ricky Steamboat appeared on
TV for the first time since
his serious knee injury, and
told the fans that while he
was not 100% he would
nevertheless be capable of
defending the World Tag Team
Titles before the expiration
of the mandatory 30 day
return clause.
To prove to the viewing
audience that he was serious
about his position as
one-half of the World Tag
Team Champions, Ricky
promised to wrestle on TV
the following week. But more
significantly, when color
commentator David Crockett
told Steamboat, who was also
the NWA Television Champion,
that he was forbidden by NWA
rules from holding two major
titles simultaneously, Ricky
reluctantly relinquished the
TV Title. Steamboat
reminisced about the
Television Title being the
first championship belt he
ever owned, and called it
like his “first true love.”
Announcer Bob Caudle
commented with Ricky holding
onto the World Tag Team
Titles, and giving up the
NWA TV belt, that those
actions should have sent a
clear message to Paul Jones
and Baron von Raschke that
Steamboat was steadfast in
his determination to defend
the World Tag Titles.
On the final day prior to
the 30 day mandatory return
clause deadline, Ricky and
Jay finally defended their
World Tag Team Championships
against Paul Jones and Baron
von Raschke. The long
awaited return match
transpired on Thanksgiving
night, November 22nd, in the
Scope Coliseum in Norfolk,
Virginia.
The battle between these
four at the Scope certainly
exposed the ring rust of the
Steamboat and Youngblood
team, but at the same time
highlighted the absolute
hatred the “good guys” had
for Jones and Raschke. This
heated battle resulted in
Ricky and Jay being
disqualified for being
absolutely out of control,
giving Jones and Raschke the
win but not the Titles. The
next night in Columbia,
South Carolina these four
hooked up again, with the
same result after a wild
melee of a match!
As the month of November
came to a conclusion, Ricky
and Jay were able to get
their emotions under
control, and started to
again show the continuity as
a team that brought them the
World belts to begin with.
On November 24th in
Savannah, Georgia Ricky and
Jay soundly whipped Jones
and Raschke, and followed
that with two more decisive
victories over the ex-champs
before the end of the month,
in Charlotte, North Carolina
on November 25th and in
Christiansburg, Virginia on
November 27th.
The last Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling
television show during
November, taped on November
28th, had numerous
newsworthy moments. Ray
Stevens was announced as the
new Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight
Champion, and he promised to
hurt the former champ Jim
Brunzell if Jim came back
after the belt. Also, World
Tag Team titlists’ Ricky
Steamboat and Jay Youngblood
had their first match back
on TV after Steamboat’s
injury, easily conquering
the duo of the wacky Brute
Bernard and his partner Tony
Russo.
But the most significant
happening on the November
28th TV taping, saw Ric
Flair run in on a bout
between Jimmy Snuka and Rick
“Quick Draw” McGraw. Of
course, Snuka’s manager
Buddy Rogers was at
ringside, and it became
clear very quickly that it
was Rogers that Flair was
after. Even Jimmy Snuka
couldn’t contain Flair’s
assault against Rogers! Ric
used Rogers’ walking stick
against him, and then used a
piledriver hold to drop
Buddy squarely on his head.
At that juncture, Flair
pounded fist after fist into
Rogers’ already injured
right ear, and it appeared
that Buddy could have been
seriously injured from Ric’s
onslaught. When Rogers was
attempted to be interviewed
soon after by Bob Caudle, he
was in such rough shape that
the usually chatty Rogers
couldn’t utter a single
word. The month of November
would end with Buddy Rogers’
wrestling future very much
up in the air.
One thing that was not up in
the air anymore in November,
was the status of the NWA
World Heavyweight
Championship. While not
something that many
Mid-Atlantic fans were aware
of at the time, November did
produce another NWA World
Heavyweight Title change. In
Amagasaki, Japan on November
7th, Harley Race regained
the “10 Pounds of Gold” that
he had lost a week earlier
to Giant Baba. November had
thus brought back some
normalcy to the NWA World
Heavyweight Title picture.
(Learn more about the NWA
world championship during
this era and the famous "Ten
Pounds of Gold" at
www.TenPoundsOfGold.com)
WHO’S HOT
1. Ray Stevens---“The
Crippler” entered the area
early in the month, and made
an immediate impact, acing
the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight
Championship from Jim
Brunzell. Whether Ray would
fulfill his promise to put
Brunzell out of wrestling,
remained to be seen.
2. Blackjack Mulligan---In
one of the most intense and
physical feuds in
Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling history, Mulligan
appeared to be gaining the
upper hand against Big John
Studd as the month of
November wore on. However,
each of the matches between
these two was an all out
war!!
3. “Mr. Wrestling” Tim
Woods---The unmasked Woods,
along with his trusty
baseball bat “dingbat” hit
his stride in November after
being on the shelf in
October at the hands of
Jimmy Snuka. December was
shaping up to be a climactic
month for Woods and Snuka.
WHO’S NOT
1. Ken Patera---After
dropping match after match
early in November, Ken
exited the area all together
before month’s end. Patera
would never compete in
Mid-Atlantic Championship
Wrestling again.
2. Buddy Rogers---Buddy
competed in the ring quite a
bit in November, with mixed
results. However, when Ric
Flair attacked Rogers on the
November 28th Mid-Atlantic
Championship Wrestling TV
show, Buddy’s wrestling
future appeared very much in
doubt.
3. Jim Brunzell---Jim ran
into an old enemy during the
month, Ray Stevens, who came
into the area with the
intent to do Brunzell
damage. “The Crippler” made
his mark quickly, stripping
Brunzell of his prestigious
Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight
Championship in short order.
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