Embedded Files
National Wrestling Alliance - Atlanta (1962-1972)
After rejoining the Alliance, the Atlanta outfit experienced some big changes. Paul Jones, in his sixties, was a stockholder, not the main promoter. Instead, it was Don McIntyre, until he sold his stock to Buddy Fuller. Leslie Wolfe took over running the office for a stint, then the aging Jones stepped in again. Fuller was a top star along with majority stockholder Ray Gunkel, the two tagged up frequently as well. However, they did not see the business in the same way and frequently butted heads. Fuller traded his Georgia stock with his uncle Lester Welch for stock in Florida. The conflicts continued until Gunkel's sudden death. Most suspected his wife Ann would see his stock and the fighting would cease, but instead she stepped up and wanted to run the show. When the boys tried to keep her out, she left and took nearly all the talent with her. Jones and Welch were only saved by their familial and Alliance-based connections.
Skandor Akbar
Ox Baker
Gino Brito
Bearcat Brown
Lonnie Brown (Dutch Savage)
Corsica Brothers (Joe & Jean)
Wayne Cowan (Dutch Mantell)
Jack Dalton (Don Fargo)
Bill Dromo
J.C. Dykes
Gino Garibaldi
Leo Garibaldi
Mike George
Swede Hanson
Rip Hawk
Heavenly Bodies (Al & Don Greene)
John Paul Henning
Hollywood Blonds (Jerry Brown & Buddy Roberts)
The Infernos (Frankie Cain & Rocky Smith)
Mr. Ito
Matt Jewell (Bearcat Brown)
Krusher Karlson
The Kentuckians (Tiny Smith & Luke Brown)
Nick Kozak
Dale Lewis
Salvadore "El Gran" Lothario (Jose Lothario)
Bill Miller
Missouri Mauler (Larry Hamilton)
Guy Mitchell
The Mysterious Medics (Tony Gonzales & Donald Lortie)
The Medics (The Interns - Billy Garrett & Jim Starr)
Jerry Oates
Eduardo Perez
Angelo Poffo
The Professional
Ron Reed (Buddy Colt)
Tex Riley
Red Roberts
Pancho Rosario (Gypsy Joe)
Joe Scarpa (Jay Strongbow)
Mitsu Sito
Sugi Sito
Roberto Soto
Rip Tyler
Tarzan Tyler
Von Brauners (Kurt & Karl)
Wildman Wehba (Skandor Akbar)
Roy Lee Welch
Rube Wright
Mid-South Sports (1972-1974)
In the wake of Ann Gunkel taking all of the talent from the Atlanta office, Jones, Lester Welch and his brother Roy Welch out of Nashville came together to form a new company. Bill Watts, Jack Brisco, Jerry Jarrett and Eddie Graham all helped the group get off the ground by buying stock, helping book or supplying talent. The Atlanta-Nashville connection became vital to replenishing their depleted roster and they were able to compete with All-South Wrestling much more quickly as a result. However, they needed something else to win.
Norvell Austin
Bill Dromo
Dale Lewis
Bepo Mongol (Nikolai Volkoff)
Jerry Oates
Roy Lee Welch
Bearcat Wright
National Wrestling Alliance - Atlanta (1962-1972)
After rejoining the Alliance, the Atlanta outfit experienced some big changes. Paul Jones, in his sixties, was a stockholder, not the main promoter. Instead, it was Don McIntyre, until he sold his stock to Buddy Fuller. Leslie Wolfe took over running the office for a stint, then the aging Jones stepped in again. Fuller was a top star along with majority stockholder Ray Gunkel, the two tagged up frequently as well. However, they did not see the business in the same way and frequently butted heads. Fuller traded his Georgia stock with his uncle Lester Welch for stock in Florida. The conflicts continued until Gunkel's sudden death. Most suspected his wife Ann would see his stock and the fighting would cease, but instead she stepped up and wanted to run the show. When the boys tried to keep her out, she left and took nearly all the talent with her. Jones and Welch were only saved by their familial and Alliance-based connections.
Skandor Akbar
Ox Baker
Gino Brito
Bearcat Brown
Lonnie Brown (Dutch Savage)
Corsica Brothers (Joe & Jean)
Wayne Cowan (Dutch Mantell)
Jack Dalton (Don Fargo)
Bill Dromo
J.C. Dykes
Gino Garibaldi
Leo Garibaldi
Mike George
Swede Hanson
Rip Hawk
Heavenly Bodies (Al & Don Greene)
John Paul Henning
Hollywood Blonds (Jerry Brown & Buddy Roberts)
The Infernos (Frankie Cain & Rocky Smith)
Mr. Ito
Matt Jewell (Bearcat Brown)
Krusher Karlson
The Kentuckians (Tiny Smith & Luke Brown)
Nick Kozak
Dale Lewis
Salvadore "El Gran" Lothario (Jose Lothario)
Bill Miller
Missouri Mauler (Larry Hamilton)
Guy Mitchell
The Mysterious Medics (Tony Gonzales & Donald Lortie)
The Medics (The Interns - Billy Garrett & Jim Starr)
Jerry Oates
Eduardo Perez
Angelo Poffo
The Professional
Ron Reed (Buddy Colt)
Tex Riley
Red Roberts
Pancho Rosario (Gypsy Joe)
Joe Scarpa (Jay Strongbow)
Mitsu Sito
Sugi Sito
Roberto Soto
Rip Tyler
Tarzan Tyler
Von Brauners (Kurt & Karl)
Johnny Weaver
Wildman Wehba (Skandor Akbar)
Roy Lee Welch
Rube Wright
GCW - Georgia Championship Wrestling (1974-1984)
Jim Barnett left his promotion in Australia, bought out Lester and Roy Welch's stock in Mid-South Sports and voted to rename the company "Georgia Championship Wrestling." The "War for Georgia" was raging between the NWA affliated Atlanta office and Ann Gunkel All-South promotion with each group battling over Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah, Augusta, Macon and other cities in the state. Barnett brought in the best minds to help GCW as Bill Watts, Ole Anderson and Jerry Jarrett did some excellent booking that soundly reclaimed Georgia and reaped the benefits of All-South's fall. Barnett secured a Saturday night spot on WTBS and when it went to satellite in 1976, the company became the first NWA affiliate to gain national exposure. Over the next ten years, the organization became one of the best in the United States and their TV was considered some of the best. They began using the "World Championship Wrestling" name for programming that Barnett had previously used in Australia to minimize their regional feel. This corresponded with an unprecidented move by expanding their operations to Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. Whlie they were not aggressively invading, they were making it obvious that a national move was going to be made by someone at some point. Then Barnett was voted out as chairman of the company and he left the NWA the following year. Barnett used the influence that had made GCW a national powerhouse to destroy it. He brokered a deal that saw the WWF acquire GCW through a stock buyout and their valuable TV timeslot. Although the WWF did not last on WTBS, the move effectively killed Georgia Championship Wrestling. Ole Anderson tried to salvage the remains, but to no avail.
Abdullah the Butcher
Arn Anderson
Tony Atlas
Norvell Austin
Bob Backlund
Porkchop Cash
Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Michael Hayes)
Sterling Golden (Hulk Hogan)
Tim Horner
Ken Mantell
Oates Brothers (Ted & Jerry)
Rip Oliver
Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal)
Rip Rogers
Jerry Roberts (Jacques Rougeau Jr.)
The Russian Assassin (Alexis Smirnoff)
The Samoans (Afa & Sika)
Alexei Smirnoff
Super Destroyer (Scott Irwin)
Les Thornton
I'd like to thank first and foremost the websites Mid-Atlantic Gateway and Peach State Pandemonium, which provided a wealth of information. Furthermore, thanks to Tim Hornbaker's NWA History book, an invaluable resource. Also the various contributions to kayfabememories.com that helped with some details. And, of course Royal Duncun and Gary Will's contributions to wrestling-titles.com
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