The Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Building the Definitive Title Histories

of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling . . . 

This section remains "under construction" as we try to find clippings or other supporting documentation for title changes for the Mid-Atlantic era titles.


 

Title Spotlight!

Ricky Steamboat wins the U.S. title from Ric Flair in Charleston's County Hall!

New results clipping!

 


ALMANAC INDEX


 

 


Special thanks to the contributions of Mark Eastridge, Allan Barrie, and Sam Finley, and Carroll Hall who have assisted us greatly in our title change histories.


 

 


       We are working through the slow process of trying to isolate and confirm every title change in Mid-Atlantic Wrestling. Methodology...(Read more)

As we have time to locate clippings or other confirmation of title changes we will report them here.

TITLE INDEX


NWA World Tag Team Title

United States Title

Eastern Heavyweight Title

Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title

Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title

Mid-Atlantic Television Title


 

NWA World Tag Team Championship

 

Gene & Ole Anderson (1)

(Announced January 29, 1975 in Raleigh, NC at WRAL TV Studios)

The Anderson Brothers were announced on Mid-Atlantic television as having won a tournament in California to become the NWA World Tag Team Champions. They defeated Dino Bravo and Gino Brito in the finals of the tournament.  Fictitious Tournament to establish championship. Broadcast date February 1, 1975.

 

 

Wahoo McDaniel and Paul Jones

5/15/75 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina

NEWSPAPER AD, PREVIEW & RESULT

 

 

Gene and Ole Anderson (2)

6/11/75 at WRAL TV studios, Raleigh, North Carolina.

The famous "supreme sacrifice" match where Ole Anderson throws Wahoo McDaniel into the head of his brother Gene.

SUPREME SACRIFICE TV AUDIO & TRANSCRIPT

 

NOTE: Most published title histories list Tiger Conway, Jr. and Steve Keirn as winning the World Tag Team titles from the Andersons on 11/3/75 in Charlotte.

Research has proven this not to be the case. Keirn and Conway never held the NWA World Tag Titles. For full details, CLICK HERE.

 

 

Wahoo McDaniel & Rufus R. Jones

1/27/76 Township Auditorium, Columbia, South Carolina

NEWSPAPER PREVIEW & RESULT CLIPPINGS

 

 

Gene & Ole Anderson (3)

2/3/76 at Dorton Arena in Raleigh, NC

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 

 

Dino Bravo & Mr. Wrestling

5/5/76 at WRAL TV studios, Raleigh, NC. (Broadcast Date 5/8/76)

 

 

Gene & Ole Anderson (4)

6/28/76 at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, SC.

NEWSPAPER AD

Clipping courtesy Sam Finley

 

Ric Flair & Greg Valentine (1)

12/26/76 at the Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

TWO NEWSPAPER ADS & RESULT

 

 

Gene & Ole Anderson (5)

Special Referee Wahoo McDaniel

May 8, 1977 at the Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

 

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 

GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING NOTE: Some published title reports show Mr. Wrestling I & II winning the World Tag Team titles from the Andersons during this time. This was not the case. Mr. Wrestling I & II won and lost the Georgia tag team titles to the Andersons. The Andersons held both the world tag and Georgia tag titles at the same time during part of the year, which has apparently created that confusion.

 

 

Dusty Rhodes and Dick Slater

in Georgia Championship Wrestling

9/23/77 The OMNI, Atlanta GA

See GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com

 

 

Gene & Ole Anderson (6)

in Georgia Championship Wrestling

10/14/77  The OMNI, Atlanta GA

See GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com

 

 

Ric Flair & Greg Valentine (2)

10/30/77 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 

 

Vacant

Early April 1978

Flair & Valentine stripped of the titles for continually getting disqualified to retain the titles.

 

 

Paul Jones & Ricky Steamboat (1)

4/23/78 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro NC

Defeated Masked Superstar and Ken Patera in the finals of a one night/ten team tournament for the vacant title.

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT | BRACKETS

 

 

Greg Valentine and Baron von Raschke (1)

June 7, 1978 at the WRAL TV studios in Raleigh, North Carolina

 

 

Paul Orndorff and Jimmy Snuka (1)

December 26, 1978 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia

NEWSPAPER AD AND RESULTS

 

 

To be continued...

As we find clippings and specifically verify additional title changes, we will post them here.

 

 

WORLD TAG | US | MID-ATLANTIC | TAG | TV


 

United States Championship

 

Harley Race

Brought into Greensboro by Crockett Promotions as US Champion. Won title in fictitious tournament in Florida, defeating Johnny Weaver in the finals.

 

Johnny Valentine

7/3/75 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

EVENT POSTER | NEWSPAPER ADS, PREVIEW, & RESULT

 

Vacant

Title vacated following 10/4/75 Wilmington NC plane crash which ended the career of reigning champion Johnny Valentine.

Tournament scheduled for 11/9/75 in Greensboro

WILMINGTON PLANE CRASH INFORMATION

 

Terry Funk

11/9/75 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

Defeats Paul Jones in the finals of a one-night US Title tournament.

Fills vacancy following the 10/4/75 Wilmington NC plane crash which ended the career of reigning champion Johnny Valentine.

NEWSPAPER ADS & RESULT

 

Paul Jones

11/27/75 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 

Blackjack Mulligan

3/13/76 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro NC

EVENT POSTER | NEWSPAPER AD | RESULTS

 

Paul Jones (2)

10/16/76 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro NC

NEWSPAPER AD | RESULTS

 

Blackjack Mulligan (2)

11/28/76, Charlotte Coliseum,  in Charlotte, NC

NEWSPAPER AD | RESULTS

 

Paul Jones (3)

12/10/76*, Winston-Salem Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC

Jones pins Blackjack Mulligan to win U.S. Title, but Mulligan files a post match protest challenging the title switch with the NWA Board of Directors.

*Corrected from earlier date thought to be 12/9/76. There is no known newspaper clipping for this show which has led to some confusion. The change may have taken place twice, also occurring in Norfolk on 12/9, although the film shown on TV was from Winston-Salem

 

Blackjack Mulligan (3)

12/15/76 WRAL TV Studios, Raleigh, NC

On the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV show that aired on Saturday, December 18, 1976, Jim Crockett, Jr. forces Paul Jones to turn the U.S. Title back over to Blackjack Mulligan after NWA President Eddie Graham in a video taped ruling upholds Mulligan’s protest and requires the title to be returned to Mulligan.

 

Bobo Brazil (*)

7/7/77 at the Scope Coliseum in Norfolk, Virginia

(Bobo rolls straight sevens...7.7.77)

*Number of title wins for Bobo Brazil will indicate only those wins for the

Crockett version of the US title.

(Brazil held the Detroit/Sheik version of the US title on several occasions.)

NEWSPAPER AD

 

Ric Flair

7/29/77 Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia

NEWSPAPER AD

 

Ricky Steamboat

10/21/77  County Hall, Charleston SC

NEWSPAPER AD  NEWSPAPER RESULT

(Ad courtesy of Allan Barrie, result courtesy of Kriss Knights)

 

Blackjack Mulligan (4)

1/1/78 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

NEWSPAPER AD  NEWSPAPER RESULT

 

Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods

3/19/78 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

NEWSPAPER AD  |  RESULT

 

Ric Flair (2)

4/9/78 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

NEWSPAPER AD  |  RESULT

 

Ricky Steamboat (2)

December 30, 1978 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC

NEWSPAPER AD  |  RESULT

 

To be continued...

As we find clippings and specifically verify additional title changes, we will post them here.

 

WORLD TAG | US | MID-ATLANTIC | TAG | TV


 

Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship

INCLUDES EASTERN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE MID-ATLANTIC TITLE HISTORY PAGE


 

Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship

(Originally the Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship)

This title evolved from the Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship which was created in June of 1968.

 

  Atlantic Coast Tag Team Title
(chart courtesy All Star Championship Wrestling website.  )

© All Star Championship Wrestling

* * * * * * *

 

Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title

 

Sandy Scott & Nelson Royal

10/3/73 - First Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions.

Scott and Royal defeated Gene and Ole Anderson on 10/2/73 in Raleigh NC for the Atlantic Coast Tag titles. On the WRAL TV taping on 10/3, they were presented with new Mid-Atlantic tag belts. First title defense of new Mid-Atlantic titles on 10/9/73 in Raleigh vs. The Royal Kangaroos.

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS SHOWING TRANSITION FROM

"ATLANTIC COAST" TO "MID-ATLANTIC" TITLES

 

 

Brute Bernard & Jay York

Date and Site yet to be Clearly Determined

Best Guess is 11/26/73 Memorial Auditorium, Greenville SC

However, there is a newspaper article that ran before the Thanksgiving card in Charlotte (11/22/73) that reported that Bernard and York were defending the titles.  A 2nd article said Scott and Royal were reigning champions. cott and Royal were still billed as champions on 11/2, but by 11/12 it appears they are no longer teaming regularly. Still working to nail down this one!

 

 

Gene & Ole Anderson (1)

12/26/73 Township Auditorium, Columbia SC

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS & RESULTS

 

 

Paul Jones & Bob Bruggers

4/8/74 Memorial Arena, Fayetteville NC

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING AND RESULTS

A GATEWAY EXCLUSIVE

 

 

Rip Hawk & Ric Flair

7/4/74 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro NC

PHOTO, POSTER, NEWSPAPER AD, RESULT AND MORE: "THE GATEWAY REMEMBERS"

 

 

Paul Jones & Tiger Conway Jr.

12/6/74 County Hall, Charleston, South Carolina

Brute Bernard substitutes for Rip Hawk, but the titles remained on the line. Jones pinned Flair to win the belts.

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING AND RESULT

 

 

Gene & Ole Anderson (2)

2/20/75 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC 

(World Title vs. Mid-Atlantic Tag Title Match with Jones & Conway. Mid-Atlantic Tag Titles retired at this point. They would be reinstated in Sept. 1976.)

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING | RESULTS

 

 

Vacant

Titles vacant from 2/20/75 - 9/22/76

Titles were vacated by Gene & Ole Anderson 

after winning the NWA World Tag Team titles in January of 1975.

Gene and Ole Anderson had just been announced as NWA World Tag Champions on 1/29/75. This match in Greensboro with Mid-Atlantic Tag Champions Tiger Conway Jr. and Paul Jones on 2/20/75 was a title vs. title match. After winning the Mid-Atlantic Tag titles, Gene and Ole Anderson retired the titles.  The Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles were dormant until September of 1976 when the Anderson’s left the Mid-Atlantic area for Georgia Championship Wrestling and took the NWA World Tag Team Titles with them. A tournament on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling TV to determine the new Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions started on September 22, 1976 (air date Sept. 25, 1976.)

 

 

Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods & Dino Bravo

11/3/76 in WRAL TV studios, Raleigh, NC

Woods and Bravo defeat Sgt. Jacques Goulet & Mike "The Judge" DuBois

in finals of the tournament that aired on Saturday, November 6, 1976.

TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

(GATEWAY EXCLUSIVE)

 

The Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Buddy Roberts)

1/17/77 Greenville Memorial Auditorium, Greenville SC

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 

 

Dino Bravo & Tiger Conway, Jr.

4/10/77 Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, NC

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 

 

Ric Flair and Greg Valentine

6/30/77 Anderson Recreation Center, Anderson SC

(Thanks to Mark Eastridge for confirming this change. News clipping coming soon.)

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULTS

 

 

Paul Jones and Ricky Steamboat

8/22/77 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC.

NEWSPAPER AD

 

 

Ric Flair and John Studd

10/30/78 Greenville Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, SC

NEWSPAPER RESULT (THERE WAS NO AD)

 

 

Paul Jones and Ricky Steamboat

11/5/78 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro NC

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 

To be continued...

As we find clippings and specifically verify additional title changes, we will post them here.

 

WORLD TAG | US | MID-ATLANTIC | TAG | TV


 

Mid-Atlantic Television Championship

NWA Television Championship

 

Danny Miller

(Tournament Winner - First Mid-Atlantic TV Champion)

2/27/74 WRAL Television Studio, Raleigh, NC

Defeated Ole Anderson in Tournament Final

NEWSPAPER AD

 

 

Ivan Koloff

5/10/74 Richmond Coliseum, Richmond VA

NEWSPAPER AD

 

 

Paul Jones

7/8/74 Memorial Stadium, Charlotte NC

 

 

Ivan Koloff (2)

10/30/74 Raleigh NC - WRAL Television Studio

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Television Taping

Source: Actual TV audio of this title change match has been uncovered, with local promos for matches in the area helping us establish the date of the TV taping.

 

 

Paul Jones (2)

12/26/74 Greensboro NC, Greensboro NC

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING COMING SOON

 

 

Ric Flair

2/8/75 Memorial Coliseum, Winston Salem, North Carolina

(Mid-Atlantic Gateway Exclusive)

•  NEWSPAPER AD | RESULTS | GEORGE SCOTT DATE BOOK ENTRY

•  COMBINED NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT, PLUS GEORGE SCOTT DAY PLANNER ENTRY

 

 

Paul Jones (3)

8/8/75 Richmond Arena, Richmond, VA

 

 

Vacant

12/3/75

Title forfeited by Paul Jones after winning the US title on 11/27/75

Title vacant from 12/3/75 until 4/14/76

Tournament being conducted on Mid-Atlantic television.

 

 

Angelo Mosca

4/14/76 Tournament winner  [BRACKETS]

Defeated Tim Woods in final match on at WRAL TV studios in Raleigh, NC.  Broadcast date: 4/17/76

 

Paul Jones (4)

6/30/76 at WRAL TV studios in Raleigh, NC. Broadcast Date 7/3/76.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

 

 

Angelo Mosca (2)

8/11/76 at WRAL TV studios in Raleigh, NC. Broadcast Date 8/14/76

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

 

 

Mr. Wrestling (Tim Woods)

10/16/76 in the Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

NEWSPAPER AD | RESULTS

 

 

Greg Valentine

Won title from Tim Woods 11/6/76 in Spartanburg S.C.

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 (Corrected - Info courtesy of Kriss Knights)

Title change also reported to have taken place 11/8/76 in Fayetteville NC.

We have no confirmation of that change.

 

 

Rufus R. Jones

Won title from Greg Valentine 11/26/76, in County Hall, Charleston, SC

NEWSPAPER AD & RESULT

 (Corrected - Info courtesy of Kriss Knights)

 

 

Greg Valentine (2)

1/19/77 at WRAL TV studios, Raleigh, NC. Broadcast date 1/22/87

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

 

Rufus R. Jones (2)

2/15/77 Dorton Arena, Raleigh NC NEWSPAPER AD | RESULTS

Also 2/18/77, County Hall, Charleston SC  NEWSPAPER AD |  RESULTS 1  |  RESULTS 2

This is one of those rare occasions where the title change hands twice in different cities on different dates. In this case, Rufus first beat Valentine on Tuesday 2/15 in Raleigh for the title.  Rufus then beat Valentine again on Friday 2/18/77 in Charleston. The Raleigh change (#1) would have been announced at the TV taping on Wednesday night 2/16 in Raleigh, so when the announcement aired on Television on Saturday 2/19/77. both "changes" would have already happened and fans in both cities would never know the difference. This type thing was rare, but did happen on several occasions on the 1970s and 1980s.

Thanks to Allan Barrie and Carroll Hall for confirmation on these title changes.

 

 

Ric Flair (2)

Date and Site Unknown

Previously reported as 4/4/77 Greenville Mem. Aud. Greenville, SC, but a clipping from the Spartanburg Herald-Journal referencing the Greenville results says Flair beat Rufus outside of the 15 minute time limit to win the title at the time. Newspaper results on wrestling in those days frequently had erroneous information, but this clipping, along with clippings weeks later in April showing Rufus still TV champ, put the widely published date of 4/4/77 in major doubt. The only record of them meeting that we can find is 4/17/77 in Savannah GA. Flair was definitely TV champ by early May.

(Thanks to Kriss Knights for the helpful information.)

 

 

Ricky Steamboat

6/15/77 at WRAL Studios, Raleigh, NC. 

 

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

Air Date 6/18/77

 

 

Baron Von Raschke

10/12/77 at WRAL Studios, Raleigh, NC. Air Date 10/15/77

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

 

 


ADDING FURTHER SUPPORTING CLIPPINGS SOON!


 

 

- - - - Mid-Atlantic TV Title Discontinued - - - -

NWA TV Title Established

Baron Von Raschke announces on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling television that aired from the WRAL studios in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 4, 1978 (taped 3/1/78) that he will enter a national Tournament of TV Champions featuring other TV champions from other NWA territories around the nation.

 

 

Baron Von Raschke

First NWA Television Champion

Wins NWA TV Tournament featuring TV champions from around the NWA

(Fictitious Tournament - March 3-4, 1978)

Date of tournament determined by researching other title defenses between the two television tapings on 3/1 and 3/8/78. The Baron defended the Mid-Atlantic TV title against Paul Jones in Fisherville VA on 3/2/78. This is the only TV defense documented between the two TV tapings, the 2nd of which was announced that Baron had won the TV tournament.

A MID-ATLANTIC GATEWAY EXCLUSIVE

 


Johnny Weaver

3/5/78, Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina

It is announced on Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from the WRAL studios in Raleigh, North Carolina that aired March 11, 1978 (taped 3/8) that Baron Von Raschke had recently won the NWA TV title tournament. Despite the Baron's assertions a week earlier that the area competition for his title is "too weak", Johnny Weaver defeated Baron Von Raschke for the championship within days of Baron winning the NWA TV tournament. (The Mid-Atlantic TV title is retired.)

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING AND RESULT

A MID-ATLANTIC GATEWAY EXCLUSIVE

 

 

Baron Von Raschke

4/3/78, Greenville Memorial Auditorium, Greenville SC

NEWSPAPER AD COMING SOON

 

To be continued...

As we find clippings and specifically verify additional title changes, we will post them here.

 

 

WORLD TAG | US | MID-ATLANTIC | TAG | TV


* Accurate Title reign number to be determined following additional research.