David Chappell's

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling History

August 1975

© David Chappell /  Mid-Atlantic Gateway


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The month of August 1975 started off in an eventful fashion in both the northern and southern ends of the Mid-Atlantic area. In the southernmost portion of the territory, the Super Destroyer wrestled his final match for Jim Crockett Promotions on August 1, 1975 in Charleston, South Carolina. By the end of the month of August, there would be an unusual television “unmasking” of the Super Destroyer by Rufus R. Jones, and mere days after that happened, a huge masked newcomer arrived in the area whose express purpose in coming to the area was to exact revenge on behalf of the departed and exposed Super Destroyer.

 

 

CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

At the other geographical end of the territory, August 1, 1975 saw a tremendous 90 minute draw between NWA World Tag Team Champions Gene and Ole Anderson and challengers Wahoo McDaniel and Paul Jones in Richmond, Virginia. A number of these 90 minute classics were repeated in early and mid August across the area. By the end of August, the time limit for championship bouts between these two teams had been extended at times to an amazing two hours, and matches with two hour time limits occurred in a number of the larger Mid-Atlantic venues, including Columbia, Greenville and Richmond. It’s no stretch to say that these battles in August between the Anderson’s and Jones and Wahoo were some of the greatest tag team bouts in wrestling history.

 

Richmond was not only the site of two classic tag team battles in August, but it was also the site of the area’s only title change in the month of August. On August 8, 1975 in the Richmond Arena, Paul Jones defeated Ric Flair for the coveted Mid-Atlantic Television Title. The stipulation for this bout was that Jones would have his head shaved if he didn’t win the title. To avoid that indignity, Jones had to wrestle a near perfect match---and he managed to pull it off. Jones’ victory ended a six month back and forth battle over the TV Title with Flair. The Nature Boy proved to be a formidable holder of the TV belt---his first singles title. Jones’ first defense of his newly won TV Title was on August 16th in Spartanburg, South Carolina against the Missouri Mauler.

 

United States Heavyweight Champion Johnny Valentine was active in the month of August, which was the first month that he defended his U.S. belt for an entire month’s time. Valentine had a variety of opponents in August, but two opponents that gave him a difficult time were Ken Patera and Rufus R. “Freight Train” Jones. Patera’s strength gave Valentine some real fits early in the month of August. Later in the month of August, the unorthodox style of the “Freight Train” gave Valentine some anxious moments as well. But, through it all, Valentine would retain the U.S belt without interruption throughout August.

 

Wahoo McDaniel had perhaps the busiest month of anybody during the month of August. In addition to pursuing the World Tag Team Titles, the Chief had several superlative matches in August for the U.S. Title against old nemesis Johnny Valentine. During the month, the Chief also had a number of successful defenses of his newly captured Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title against the likes of Ric Flair and Ole Anderson.

 

While Gene and Ole Anderson had a number of classic bouts with Wahoo and Paul Jones during the month of August 1975, they also had some issues with the NWA arise over their in-ring behavior. In early August, the NWA fined both Gene and Ole $500 each for continually punishing an opponent after the final bell. As part of the NWA’s sanction, the Anderson’s were also prohibited from appearing on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television programming for two weeks. During this time, the Anderson’s made a brief appearance in Florida before returning to Mid-Atlantic TV to denounce the NWA’s penalty against them.

 

 

OTHER FEUDS

 

The new tag team of Professor Boris Malenko and the Missouri Mauler was extremely impressive during the month of August. With Malenko’s “Russian Sickle” and the Mauler’s “Missouri Knee Drop,” it was clear that it would take a supreme effort from any of the area’s best to knock this duo off. As the month was winding down, the Mauler and Malenko were beginning to face tougher competition. Malenko was also active in the singles ranks during August. On the August 20th taping of the Mid-Atlantic TV show, the “Professor” ripped and tore up Ken Patera’s ear, causing a large gash requiring stitches. On August 23rd, Malenko had his patented “Russian Chain Match” against Rufus R. Jones, in Jones’ backyard of Florence, South Carolina.

 

The top singles feud that played out in August was between “Mr. Wrestling” Tim Woods and U.S. Champion Johnny Valentine. Woods was seeking revenge for Valentine previously breaking his leg in a leg hold. Woods’ challenge concerned Valentine so much that “The Champ” put a Bounty on Woods’ head in August so he wouldn’t have to get into the ring with the raging Woods. The primary bounty hunter early on was Valentine’s good friend, Ric Flair.

 

In the middle of the month, it appeared that Woods was about to get his revenge against Valentine. In a match between the two, Woods had Valentine in the figure four leg lock in the middle of the ring with nowhere for Valentine to go. Woods was determined to keep the hold on Valentine until Valentine’s leg was broken just the same way Johnny had done to Woods months earlier. But Ric Flair came to the ring to bail Valentine out, and then both of them were able to double team Woods. Woods called both Flair and Valentine cowards, and this feud was really heating up by month’s end.

 

 

THE UNMASKING OF THE SUPER DESTROYER

 

While the Super Destroyer wrestled his last match in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling on August 1st, he was back in the forefront of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling by the end of the month. And in an extremely unusual way. At the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television taping on August 20th, Rufus R. Jones came out and told the area’s TV audience that he, Wahoo McDaniel and Paul Jones had unmasked the Super Destroyer. If that wasn’t shocking enough, a large picture of the Super Destroyer without the mask on was put on the television screen. In a final indignity for the Super Destroyer, announcer Bob Caudle told the viewing audience that the Super Destroyer’s real name was Don Jardine. Rufus Jones confirmed that, and laughingly told Caudle that the picture shown was the Super Destroyer, “the ol’ cotton picker.” Jones said the Super Destroyer was so embarrassed by being unmasked that he left the area and kept going.

 

It didn’t take long for there to be repercussions from this TV “unmasking” of the Super Destroyer. On August 26, 1975, a mammoth masked newcomer named Spoiler # 2 made his Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling debut in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. On this night, Spoiler # 2 wrestled Rufus R. Jones, the man who had come on TV and made a mockery of the Super Destroyer.

 

We would soon learn that Spoiler # 2 came to the Mid-Atlantic area expressly to get revenge for his friend the Super Destroyer against the “good guys” led by Rufus R. Jones that had ended the Super Destroyer’s Mid-Atlantic stint. Weighing 345 pounds but being amazingly agile with a devastating Stomach Claw as his finishing move, Spoiler # 2 presented a major threat to all the territory’s fan favorites. Spoiler # 2 would soon bring in a masked partner, Spoiler # 1, and the tag teams in the area would not be safe either. Nobody knew who Spoiler # 2 was, but everybody knew that he was trouble. The new month of September would soon give us an idea of just how much havoc Spoiler # 2 could wreck.

 

WHO’S HOT

 

1.     PAUL JONES---After months of chasing Ric Flair, Jones finally regaining his Mid-Atlantic TV Title from his young foe. “Number One” had to put his hair on the line to get the job done, but he rose to the occasion. Jones’ victory on August 8th effectively ended this spirited feud between he and Flair over the Television Title.

2.     TIM WOODS---“Mr. Wrestling” was unrelenting in his quest for revenge against Johnny Valentine for “The Champ” injuring him a number of months previously. Even a “Bounty” placed on his head by Valentine would not deter Woods. “Mr. Wrestling” vowed to go through any bounty hunters, and to eventually get Valentine. At this point, nobody was betting against Woods.

3.     PROFESSOR BORIS MALENKO & MISSOURI MAULER---This team made steady strides throughout the month of August, and was becoming a force to be reckoned with in the tag team division. As the level of competition picked up for this duo, it remained to be seen how high their ascension would go.

 

WHO’S NOT

 

1.     THE SUPER DESTROYER---After wrestling his last match for the promotion on August 1st, the Super Destroyer was later unceremoniously unmasked on TV by Rufus R. Jones by way of a photograph towards the end of the month. An embarrassing end for an outstanding competitor. But, by the end of the month, Spoiler # 2 had come on the Mid-Atlantic scene and was out for revenge for his fellow masked man, and friend, the Super Destroyer.

2.     RIC FLAIR---The Nature Boy dropped the Mid-Atlantic TV Title to Paul Jones in early August, and was unsuccessful in his efforts to wrest the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title from Wahoo McDaniel. Towards the end of the month, Ric became Johnny Valentine’s chief bounty hunter against Tim Woods.

3.     SWEDE HANSON---The big Swede continued his descent down cards through the month of August, which really had gradually been occurring throughout the year of 1975. While Swede was a formidable opponent for anyone, his victories were becoming less and less frequent.

 


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© David Chappell /  Mid-Atlantic Gateway


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