Identify the Wrestler #3

Finally, after a LONG pause, here's my third Identify the Wrestler contest. If you think you can identify the wrestler in this photo, email me at gregwarren88@gmail.com. All correct guesses received by midnight CST on Friday, January 7, 2011 will be entered into a drawing to receive a cd of newspaper clippings for every card held in Shreveport, La. in 1972. Good luck, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Shreveport - Dec. 18, 1981

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Been a busy holiday season. Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope you have a wonderful new year.

Enjoy this clipping from a show I attended in Shreveport in 1981. It was a great card that featured the biggest stars of Mid-South at the time, plus a special appearance by Dusty Rhodes as well as a one-shot return of Bad Leroy Brown, who had gone onto Georgia after a great run here.

One of my best memories of this card was the fact that I was able to get Ted DiBiase's autograph.

Shreveport, LA - Late 1981-Early 1982

Here are a few clippings from this great time period of Mid-South Wrestling. I actually got to attend the Sept. 25 and Dec. 18 shows. Talk about some talent and excitement - JYD, Ted DiBiase, Great Kabuki, Kerry Von Erich, Dusty Rhodes, the Samoans, Paul Orndorff - the list goes on and on. Every card was loaded top to bottom and the crowds were hot! I remember a near-riot when Kabuki beat Kerry Von Erich after Gary Hart interfered and hit Kerry with Kabuki's nunchukas!

Zebra Kid - Where Was This?

Sharing something a little different today. A friend gave me this poster/flyer and I'm not sure what promotion it's from or even where it took place. Can anyone out there help me out with some more information? I'd really appreciate it.

Alexandria, LA - May 5, 1979

Here's a clipping from a card in Alexandria from around the time that Bill Watts took over from Leroy McGuirk. I'm not sure of the exact date that the change took place, but I do recall that the feud between Watts and Rock Hunter was going during this time. Notice that this card was a birthday celebration for Charles D'amico, a local restaurant owner and businessman.

More of Those Mysterious Masked Men!

Here are a few more pictures of some of my favorite masked wrestlers who appeared in the Championship Wrestling/Mid-South/UWF area. I always tried to figure out who was under the mask, but more often than not, I never could. Enjoy!

Who Was That Masked Man?

As a kid, I was always intrigued by masked wrestlers, and some of the best in the world worked our area. The Spoiler, the Assassin, the Wrestling Pro, Mr. Olympia, the Grappler, Dr. X, Mr. Wrestling II, Super Destroyer, the Medics...the list goes on and on. These mystery men provided some of my fondest wrestling memories. Enjoy some pictures of a few of my favorites.

And the winner of the 2nd contest is...

Michael of Newnan, GA and Dennis of Pearl, MS. They both identified the mystery wrestler as "Treacherous" Treach Phillips. Each of them will receive a cd of newspaper clippings for every show held in Shreveport, LA in 1971. Thanks again to everyone for entering, and keep checking back for another contest in the near future.

R.I.P. Skandor Akbar

Another one of my favorites is gone...got the news last night that General Skandor Akbar had passed away. Just a few short months ago I got the chance to sit down and talk to him at a show I helped put on here in Louisiana. He was a super nice guy, full of information and full of life. Although his age was showing, his mind was still as sharp as ever, and he was still a true professional. I just wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures of Ak, and to say that my prayers and condolences go out to his family and friends. R.I.P. Jim, you will be missed.

Identify the Wrestler #2

Ok, guys, here's my second Identify the Wrestler contest. If you think you can identify the wrestler applying the hold in this photo, email me at gregwarren88@gmail.com. All correct guesses received by midnight CST on Friday, August 27 will be entered into a drawing to receive a cd of newspaper clippings for every card held in Shreveport, La. in 1971. Good luck, and I look forward to hearing from you!

JYD - Greatest Mid-South Star Ever?

In a territory that produced such greats as Ted DiBiase, Danny Hodge, Bill Watts, LeRoy McGuirk, Dr. Death Steve Williams and many others, arguably the greatest star to ever come out of the area was Sylvester Ritter, better known as the Junkyard Dog, or JYD for short. While not nearly the caliber of worker as the others mentioned, his charisma and ability to connect with the crowd made him a true superstar. In a south steeped in racism and hate, JYD transcended all of the problems of the time to become everybody's favorite. Just wanted to share a couple of pics of this great star.

Hulk Hogan Pinned By Fabulous Freebirds!

Here is a clipping and some results from a Randy Hales card that ran in Jonesboro, Arkansas on Sept. 11, 1979. One of the matches featured the Fabulous Freebirds, Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes vs. The Hulk and Steve Regal. Results show that Hogan was pinned to lose the match.

Some Great Action!

Wanted to share a page from an old program from the 1970's. It features a match between Luke Brown and the Golden Hawk vs. Mr. Fuji and Mr. Ito, two monster heels at the time. I posted over on kayfabememories.com to see if anyone knows who the masked Golden Hawk was. Someone help me out please. Enjoy!

Shreveport 1980 - DiBiase vs. Orndorff - 1 Hr. Draw!

Sharing a couple of clippings from a super card held in Shreveport on August 22, 1980. The main event was a 1 hr. draw with Ted DiBiase defending the North American belt against Paul Orndorff. Also on the card was a Loser-Leaves-Town match that never happened between Buck Robley and Michael Hayes, JYD vs. the Grappler, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts vs. Steven Little Bear and Terry Orndorff, and 3 other prelims that included Killer Kahn and Paul Ellering.

Grizzly and Sam

I wanted to share an old photo I have of Grizzly Smith and his son Sam Houston. One of my friends wrestled for a brief time in the 1980's, and she took this picture of the two at a show. I know Sam and Grizzly had some well-documented ups and downs, but this photo brings back great memories of the two. If I recall correctly, they never mentioned on Mid-South shows that the Grizzly, Sam, and Jake were even related.

Look Like Dr. X !?!

Take a look at this old advertisement from one of my 70's programs.

First Mention of Jim Ross as Referee, 1973!

I'm not sure when Jim Ross began working for Leroy McGuirk, but the first mention I have found is from these clippings from a card held in Shreveport, LA on April 16, 1973. The next card had both Ross and Grizzly Smith serving as referees in the main event.

And the winner is...

Thanks to all who entered the contest to identify the mystery wrestler in this photo. Only a few people were correct. The winner, or should I say winners are Nick of Little Rock, AR, and John of Baton Rouge, LA. They both identified the man in the photo as none other than the late, great Grizzly Smith and will each receive a cd with clippings from every card held in Shreveport in 1970. It's ironic that just a couple of days after I posted the pic and started the contest that Grizzly passed away.

Thanks to everyone for entering, and I'll be doing another contest soon.

We Are The Champions

One of my favorite parts of the old programs sold at the matches were the pages that featured all the recognized champions of the company. I wanted to share a couple of those pages. These come from a program from late 1978. Notice that Ray Candy held both the North American Heavyweight belt and the Arkansas state championship. He must have been pretty over at the time!

R.I.P. Grizzly Smith, 1932-2010

Sadly, I just read of the passing of one of my all-time favorites, Grizzly Smith. Born Aurelian Smith in Whitesboro, Texas, Smith was one-half of one of the most beloved tag teams of all time, the Kentuckians, along with Luke Brown. The father of Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Sam Houston, and "Rocking" Robin, Smith had a long career in professional wrestling. My last wrestling memories of him are as the matchmaker for "Cowboy" Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling. Wanted to share a couple of my favorite pictures. R.I.P. Griz.

Carrying On The Legacy

Here's a pic of Spoiler 2000 and me. Spoiler is a great wrestler who is carrying on the tradition of the late Don Jardine. From the claw hold to walking the ropes, Spoiler 2000 is a great mix of old school and new, and he often works with General Akbar.

Identify the Wrestler

Just for fun, thought I'd post a photo of a wrestler to see how many could identify him. If you think you know who is pictured, email me at gregwarren88@gmail.com. All correct guesses received by midnight CST on Friday, June 18 will be entered into a drawing to receive a cd of newspaper clippings for every card held in Shreveport, La. in 1970. Good luck, and I look forward to hearing from you!

R.I.P. Rocket Monroe

Just learned of the passing of Rocket Monroe, "brother" of Sputnik Monroe. Although not as well-known as Sputnik, the two formed a successful tag team throughout the south in the 1960's and early 1970's. Rocket passed away yesterday, June 7, 2010. Sputnik passed in 2006. Wanted to share a couple pics of Rocket.

Hodge-Akbar Feud

For several years Danny Hodge and Skandar Akbar feuded in the McGuirk territory. The two were tag partners for several years prior to this. I've included a couple of excerpts from some old 1970's programs that show these two and talk about the beginning of this feud. Anyone have any memories to share of this?

Oklahoma is OK!

Since I'm on a mission trip in the great state of Oklahoma right now, I thought I'd share a clipping from this area. This comes from Oklahoma City, Jan. 9, 1970. The card featured a tag match with Danny Hodge and Gerald Brisco losing to Mr. Ito and Mr. Ota, "Cowboy" Bill Watts d. the Mummy, Dutch Savage d. Red McKim, Luke Brown d. Mario Rios, and Antonio Rocca d. Roberto Pico. Thanks to Mark Eastridge for these clippings.

"Cowboy" Up

This is a scan of an old program that "Cowboy" Bill Watts autographed for me at a Shreveport show in 1971. At this time, you could still walk up to the ring and get an autograph after a wrestler had entered the ring. My earliest wrestling memory is of this time period and seeing Watts beat "Dirty" Dusty Rhodes in a North American Heavyweight Title match.

The Good Doctor

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams and I at an independent show in Louisiana in 2007. Doc was doing great at this point. A real fighter and an inspiration. R.I.P. Doc.

What A Card!

Here are some clippings from a card in Shreveport from 1971 that featured a World's Heavyweight Title match with Dory Funk Jr. defending against Danny Hodge, North American Heavyweight Champion "Cowboy" Bill Watts defending against Doctor X in a cage (cyclone fence) match, U.S. Tag Champions the Spoilers defending against Tiny Smith and Luke Brown, Dusty Rhodes vs. George Gaiser, Tom Jones vs. Rip Kirby, and Sputnik Monroe vs. Chuck Karbo. The card drew nearly 6,000 spectators.

Still The General

I recently had the chance to meet General Skandar Akbar at an independent show in Louisiana. At 75 years of age, he is still as sharp as ever. A true legend in professional wrestling!

Introduction

Welcome to Mat Memories. The focus of the blog will be to discuss professional wrestling through the years, especially here in Louisiana and in the south. I've enjoyed the sport since the early 1970's, and I have many clippings, photos, experiences, and memories that I'll be sharing. I've even been lucky enough to meet some of the men who helped to make these memories. I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you!