Official NC Wrestling Thread:

[Montague]

North Carolina was such a “wrestling town” years ago, and has such a rich history.
I’m thinking of starting a thread (or, you can do it) devoted to NC-based wrestling, and I’d like you guys to head it up.

Any stories,
Info,
Memories,
Footage,
Backstage stuff,
Personal encounters/experiences…

It’s up to you guys; it’ll be your thread.
I’ve always been fascinated with the Carolinas (even beyond wrestling), but my knowledge is very limited to what you guys have experienced.

Think it over.
I hope you’ll do it!

[OLE BIG]

Go for it.

[Playboy]

This is right up Big Ole and Showstoppa's alley 

[Montague]

This is right up Big Ole and Showstoppa's alley 

Absolutely!
Of course, anyone is welcomed to weigh in with comments & questions; in fact - I have one…

Does Flair and/or Steamboat still own any gyms in and around the Charlotte area?

[Playboy]

I could have sworn that Lugar & Sting owned a gym. I think in Atlanta.

[Montague]

I could have sworn that Lugar & Sting owned a gym. I think in Atlanta.

Correct.

[The Showstoppa]

OLE BIG lived in and worked out at that gym in Atl.  He can fill you guys in on it.

As far as a I know Flair doesn't own anymore Gold's gyms.  He sold them a few years back with one of the problems being that they didn't want to allow him to call it Ric Flair's Golds Gym, or something like that.  I belonged to one of them in Hickory, NC at one time. 

As for stories about NC and wrestling, I could go on forever about it.  Is there anything in particular you guys want to hear/know about?

[Montague]

As far as a I know Flair doesn't own anymore Gold's gyms.  He sold them a few years back with one of the problems being that they didn't want to allow him to call it Ric Flair's Golds Gym, or something like that.  I belonged to one of them in Hickory, NC at one time.

Okay.
I’d come across some info about the Hickory location a while back.
I believe there was a problem with Flair not paying the last month’s salary to the employees before selling the place, and Flair defending himself by insisting he was NOT the site manager at the time.
LOL!!!

As for stories about NC and wrestling, I could go on forever about it.  Is there anything in particular you guys want to hear/know about?

Whatever you want; there doesn’t have to be any rhyme or reason to it.
It’s your thread.
You’re the experts.
I‘m just a jabroni, here!

[Playboy]

OLE BIG lived in and worked out at that gym in Atl.  He can fill you guys in on it.

As far as a I know Flair doesn't own anymore Gold's gyms.  He sold them a few years back with one of the problems being that they didn't want to allow him to call it Ric Flair's Golds Gym, or something like that.  I belonged to one of them in Hickory, NC at one time. 

As for stories about NC and wrestling, I could go on forever about it.  Is there anything in particular you guys want to hear/know about?

Have you ever seen the Road Warriors train? I would luv to know what kind of poundages these guys heaved in a gym.

[mass 04]

OLE BIG lived in and worked out at that gym in Atl.  He can fill you guys in on it.

As far as a I know Flair doesn't own anymore Gold's gyms.  He sold them a few years back with one of the problems being that they didn't want to allow him to call it Ric Flair's Golds Gym, or something like that.  I belonged to one of them in Hickory, NC at one time. 

As for stories about NC and wrestling, I could go on forever about it.  Is there anything in particular you guys want to hear/know about?

Have you known anyone that claimed to or actually did ride space mountain?

[OLE BIG]

Okay.
I’d come across some info about the Hickory location a while back.
I believe there was a problem with Flair not paying the last month’s salary to the employees before selling the place, and Flair defending himself by insisting he was NOT the site manager at the time.
LOL!!!


Whatever you want; there doesn’t have to be any rhyme or reason to it.
It’s your thread.
You’re the experts.
I‘m just a jabroni, here!

I thougth the Hickory gym was Arn's?

I think Gold's sued Flair for using his name.  When I went to his gym, everything had his name as well as Gold's.  Of course I spent a lot.  I could not see what the problem was.  And Ric said he appreciated it.  

[OLE BIG]

Have you known anyone that claimed to or actually did ride space mountain?

No.  But looking back, he was extremely friendly to my mom one night when was saw him after a match in my hometown when I was very young.  Good thing he didn't try to hard, my dad would have put an end to Space Mounain that very night. 

[Playboy]

No.  But looking back, he was extremely friendly to my mom one night when was saw him after a match in my hometown when I was very young.  Good thing he didn't try to hard, my dad would have put an end to Space Mounain that very night.

Lol...not if he had Arn, Tully and Ole with him 

[OLE BIG]

Lol...not if he had Arn, Tully and Ole with him 

I am dating myself, but that was way before the Horsemen days.  Valentine was with him though.  I would have taken my dad in a cage against either one, although I know Valentine would be tough to handle.  I'm sure my old man would have had a few reserves to call in had they wanted to make it a tag-team match.

[OLE BIG]

The cool thing about that was, at the time, it was one of the few gas stations in town and it was on the way out.  Each time wrestling was in town, we would head straight to the station.  Most everyone would stop, and most were pretty friendly.  I saw Mulligan, Flair, Steamboat, Valentine, Piper, Whatley, and many others.  Blackjack was absolutely huge.  The guy that ran the station was six five, about three hundred pounds, and he said the only time he ever felt small in his life was when Jack walked in.

Ivan Koloff was the only jerk I ever met there.  From what I have gathered later on, I think he just didn't want to break kayfabe.  I really respect him for that now!

[Playboy]

I am dating myself, but that was way before the Horsemen days.  Valentine was with him though.  I would have taken my dad in a cage against either one, although I know Valentine would be tough to handle.  I'm sure my old man would have had a few reserves to call in had they wanted to make it a tag-team match.

Valentine was tough as nails. A good worker too.

[The Showstoppa]

haha, funny thread so far.  I do know a female that Flair attempted to pick-up at a bar in Asheville, but it was much later than his truly wild partying days...mid 90's I think.  She knew her brother was a huge wrestling fan from back in the day and called him from the bar to tell him.  His response "Why in the hell didn't you go with him?" hahaha


The Road Warriors came along a little later than the true mid-atlantic/JCP time period, so they didn't travel as extensively in the Carolina's.  That was around the time they started having shows mostly in "larger" towns/cities and not coming to the local HS gyms as much. 

The Hickory gym had Flair's name on it, but Arn might have owned it. 

[OLE BIG]

Valentine was tough as nails. A good worker too.

Yes, he was.  I saw him work a guy over in Asheville one time that got a few licks in on Flair.  Not a good day for the guy.

The one guy that should have been a Horsemen but never was.  That was always a tragedy.

[OLE BIG]

haha, funny thread so far.  I do know a female that Flair attempted to pick-up at a bar in Asheville, but it was much later than his truly wild partying days...mid 90's I think.  She knew her brother was a huge wrestling fan from back in the day and called him from the bar to tell him.  His response "Why in the hell didn't you go with him?" hahaha


The Road Warriors came along a little later than the true mid-atlantic/JCP time period, so they didn't travel as extensively in the Carolina's.  That was around the time they started having shows mostly in "larger" towns/cities and not coming to the local HS gyms as much. 

The Hickory gym had Flair's name on it, but Arn might have owned it. 

Just admit the brother was you.

Did we not go to that gym one time to try and find AA?

[The Showstoppa]

Just admit the brother was you.

Did we not go to that gym one time to try and find AA?

I don't have a sister, haha.... but if I did...... 


I can't remember going to that gym, but we might have.  I seem to have forgotten a lot of what we did back then for some odd reason. 

[Montague]

Do you guys remember when Steamboat feuded with Tully for the TV title?
This would have been not long before Dusty came into the territory.

[The Showstoppa]

Do you guys remember when Steamboat feuded with Tully for the TV title?
This would have been not long before Dusty came into the territory.

I vaguely do, not sure why I don't remember it more.  Wasn't that right before Steamboat went to the WWF?  I think Tully is one of the most underrated workers ever.  I saw him live on numerous occasions and he always delivered.  Goes without saying that the same with Steamboat.  I probably saw Steamboat live 2 dozen times, at least.  He was so over it was insane.

[Montague]

I vaguely do, not sure why I don't remember it more.  Wasn't that right before Steamboat went to the WWF?  I think Tully is one of the most underrated workers ever.  I saw him live on numerous occasions and he always delivered.  Goes without saying that the same with Steamboat.  I probably saw Steamboat live 2 dozen times, at least.  He was so over it was insane.

Yes; by Steamboat’s own admission, it was Dusty’s arrival that ultimately lead to his departure.

Steamer had been feuding with Tully for the TV belt over several months.
They’d built tremendous momentum with longer & longer matches - eventually working 45-50 min. per night - with all of them ending the same way: Tully just barely escaping with his title.

Ricky looked forward to what his eventual win would mean due to the history the two men had created…
…until the “common man” made his way into Carolina…
…and became booker.
From the same man who brought us the “Shockmaster,” Rhodes booked himself in a match with Tully & won the strap in under 12 mins.

Steamboat said he saw the writing on the wall & left for NY.

[The Showstoppa]

Yes; by Steamboat’s own admission, it was Dusty’s arrival that ultimately lead to his departure.

Steamer had been feuding with Tully for the TV belt over several months.
They’d built tremendous momentum with longer & longer matches - eventually working 45-50 min. per night - with all of them ending the same way: Tully just barely escaping with his title.

Ricky looked forward to what his eventual win would mean due to the history the two men had created…
…until the “common man” made his way into Carolina…
…and became booker.
From the same man who brought us the “Shockmaster,” Rhodes booked himself in a match with Tully & won the strap in under 12 mins.

Steamboat said he saw the writing on the wall & left for NY.

So sad.  I wish I had a better memory of the Steamboat/Tully fued.  Rhodes/Tully certainly had an incredible run, but I think Tully could have worked a great program with anybody at that time.  He was a great interview and could back it up in the ring.  What i have always respected about Tully is that he could have stayed in Texas and worked for his dad, Joe, but instead he ventured out on his own.

I saw Tully and Magnum work an hour long match to a draw in Cherokee, NC one night that literally had the bldg on its feet for the last 30 minutes. 

[Montague]

So sad.  I wish I had a better memory of the Steamboat/Tully fued.  Rhodes/Tully certainly had an incredible run, but I think Tully could have worked a great program with anybody at that time.  He was a great interview and could back it up in the ring.  What i have always respected about Tully is that he could have stayed in Texas and worked for his dad, Joe, but instead he ventured out on his own.

I saw Tully and Magnum work an hour long match to a draw in Cherokee, NC one night that literally had the bldg on its feet for the last 30 minutes. 

Who would you say were the "most over" guys in the Carolinas over the years?