NWA World Tag Team Tournament

Greensboro, NC - April 23, 1978


 

 

 

 

 


ALMANAC ENTRY


 

 

DATE: April 23, 1978

LOCATION: Greensboro NC

VENUE: Greensboro Coliseum

WINNERS: Paul Jones and Ricky Steamboat

OFFICIALS AT RINGSIDE: Sandy Scott, David Crockett, Joe Murnick, Wally Dusek, Ring Announcer Tom Miller

TEAMS ENTERED: 10

BRACKET: Single Elimination, Three Rounds, Four Teams compete in an additional qualifying round for advance to the semi-finals.*

REASON FOR TOURNAMENT: Previous champions Ric Flair and Greg Valentine were stripped of the titles by the NWA for failure to defend the titles

 

 


 

FIRST ROUND

 

Wahoo McDaniel and Andre the Giant defeated Ric Flair and Greg Valentine by forfeit.

Valentine came out in a 3-piece suit, Flair was nowhere to be found. Valentine said that they were not going to compete in the tournament because nobody had defeated them for the belts. Wahoo grabbed the microphone and told Valentine that they would have lost if Flair had shown up.

*Winner advances to special qualifying round to move to semi finals - see brackets.

Ken Patera and the Masked Superstar beat Bobo Brazil and Tony Atlas

*Winner advances to special qualifying round to move to semi finals - see brackets.

Gene and Ole Anderson defeated the Jack and Jerry Brisco

Jack Brisco went for a body slam on Ole Anderson; Ole held onto the leg and cradled Jack cleanly for the pin.

Paul Jones and Steamboat beat Cyclone Negro and Baron Von Raschke

Side note: Jones and Steamboat are the reigning Mid-Atlantic Tag Team champions.

Blackjack Mulligan and Stan Hansen beat Johnny Weaver and Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods

Mulligan was booed as a heel at this point, even though the famous "hat & robe" angle turning Mulligan babyface had already occurred.

 

 

SPECIAL QUALIFYING ROUND

WINNER TO ADVANCE TO SEMI-FINALS AGAINST MULLIGAN/HANSEN

Patera and Superstar beat Wahoo and Andre

Ken Patera body slammed Andre the Giant in this match. Match went to a time limit draw. Winner was to be decided on a coin flip. The referee flipped the coin and Patera went down to pick it up. Wahoo stomped on the coin. When he moved his foot, he saw he had lost the toss. Patera and Superstar jumped around the ring in celebration.



SEMI-FINALS


Jones and Steamboat beat the Anderson Brothers

Patera and Superstar beat Mulligan and Hansen by DQ

Mulligan challenged Superstar to come into the ring and "get his ass kicked", since Flair had put the bounty up and Superstar said he would collect it. Mulligan got DQ'd by pushing the referee when trying to take off Superstar's mask. He tore the top and Superstar had to change his mask for the finals. Mulligan was cheered heavily in contrast to the reaction he received in the first round.
 


CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

WINNERS AWARDED WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS


Jones and Steamboat beat Patera and Superstar

Steamboat won with a bodypress.

 


 


© 2007 Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Edited by Dick Bourne

Special thanks to Mark Isley, who was in attendance that night in Greensboro, for his assistance with this feature.