Wrestling MarketWatch: The Road Warriors

Longtime readers know that when it comes down to tag teams with face paint, I'm pretty biased. In fact with tag teams in general I'm beyond biased. I am a Demolition guy. Aside from paint and the era in which they came, I honestly never saw much similarities between Demolition and The Road Warriors. Are Sting and The Ultimate Warrior the same just because they both wore face paint in the '80s and '90s? Not at all. That being said, as much of a Demolition fan as I am, I have always been thoroughly entertained by the LOD, as well, and greatly respect what they did for the business.

As of press time we have just recently mourned the passing of Road Warrior Animal. It's time to look back on a small sampling of the merchandise created in the images of Animal, Hawk, and manager Paul Ellering. While a few items may have seen a slight inflation over their regular market value, I think that you'll notice relative stability seeing as that merchandise of "the boys" is usually in high demand regardless.

*For many fans their love affair with the team began with their first action figures. They, of course, came courtesy of Remco and the American Wrestling Association in 1985. Originally Hawk and Animal came sold in a two-pack. It was later expanded to a three-pack by including Paul Ellering. The trio has great accessories and are still the best figure representations of the early days of the Legion of Doom. Although Mattel has promised us that this will change next year, this is still the only released figure of Ellering. The figure was later re-released singly as part of the infamous "Mat Mania" line. The threesome is averaging $100 loose and complete, which isn't too far out of the ordinary for figures that many consider to be highlights of the series.

*Sticking with early LOD we've got what is probably their best remembered magazine cover appearance. The Pro Wrestling Illustrated issue from March 1984 was not only the "year end" issue for 1983, but also a true iconic moment for Hawk and Animal. The cover may proclaim them "Tag Team of the Year" but the combination of their unique look and the incredible photography (horror lighting, anyone?) made sure that no one would forget them even thirty-six years after hitting the newsstands. In what may be a record for the issue it recently sold for $70. This could be the one price listed in this entry that is higher solely from Animal's passing.

*The Road Warriors competed nearly everywhere, but many fond memories stem from their time with the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions. The underrated memorabilia produced by JCP has long been celebrated in this blog and you may recall seeing many of those southern stars plastered on bandanas. The first one that I owned featured none other than Hawk and Animal. There are actually several designs featuring the tag team, but the one shown here has been selling for an average of $50. Considering how high these bandanas can go, it's actually a fair price.

*Even after Road Warrior Hawk's passing, Animal continued to venture in pro wrestling. He returned to the big time in the mid-2000's with another run in WWE. He still looked good and I was always pleased to see him continue to take part in the business. The company tried to utilize him in several different ways, though he was ultimately released in 2006. Several action figures were born out of this run as were trading cards and promotional photos. His solo promotional photo from this run, complete with the classic face paint and spiked shoulder pads, recently sold autographed for $20. 

*Ending as we started with action figures, we now look at what are probably their best remembered pair. In the ever popular Hasbro line The Legion of Doom was represented in what turned out to be the second and final series of tag team two-packs. The other set, The Nasty Boys, saw manufacturing problems thus causing Hasbro to send LOD-only cases to retailers early on. The Nasty Boys pack was the single Hasbro WWF item that I never saw at retail. Many other fans encountered the same issue. Due to this, many of the over-shipped LOD two packs sat on clearance. This has done nothing to hurt their value or take away from the fact that they are fun figures. You may recall that the Hasbro Hawk even made a cameo appearance at their WWE Hall of Fame induction. The pair of loose figures has been selling for an average of $90.

Hawk and Animal may be gone physically, but their influence will assuredly always be felt in the world of professional wrestling...and its merchandise. What else is there to say? What a rush!

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--Mid Atlantic Wrestling Magazine Vol. 4 No. 3

 It's hard to believe that it has been over a year since we "cracked open" a classic wrestling magazine and took a look at all of the info, entertainment, and history contained inside. Seeing as that it's the return of our feature titled "From The Musty Yellowed Pages," where better to pick up than with one of the all-time classic characters of the ring and one of the most beloved promotions of the past? Killing two birds with one stone, we're taking a look at Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine Vol. 4 No. 3 featuring the one and only "Sheiky Baby" himself, The Iron Sheik. Camera man, zoom.

I've always liked this cover. The yellow border is eye-popping and goes well with the baby bluebackground that Sheiky is standing in front of. This era of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine had a chrome, almost Star Wars-like frame to the cover photos. Very '80s, but a style that would be fresh and welcome today. The Sheik is in a classic pose, hoisting one of his infamous pointed boots and wearing the coveted Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Heavyweight Championship. His ownership of the championship coupled with some other photos inside of the magazine place this issue between June and September 1980.

Immediately, it's clear that no one involved with the production of the magazine knew how to spell "Sheik." On the cover and throughout the magazine it is misspelled as "Shiek." By and large, this is one of few mistakes in an otherwise high quality publication. While this series of publications considered itself a magazine, you could argue that these are more like programs. Featuring only around fifteen pages each, a high volume of photos,  and very short articles, these issues were sold solely at shows. All of these factors combine to make them highly collectible.

Like most vintage wrestling publications, each of these magazines is a time capsule. Anderson's Army was a stable managed by Gene Anderson who, at the time, was recovering from health issues and had to continue outside of the ring. He obviously had a successful run boasting both Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion The Iron Sheik and NWA Tag Team Champions Ray Stevens and Jimmy Snuka as being under his tutelage. Seeing Snuka as a more civilized heel than his better known WWF run as a savage would be jarring to some fans. On the flip side we have the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions in the form of Matt Borne and Buzz Sawyer. No clowning around when it came to that duo.

As with most magazines of the era, you get a centerfold. Despite it being Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, there's no Penny Banner or Susan Green here. Instead, yes, it's once again The Iron Sheik. Humbling, to say the least. Following the poster is a short black and white profile and photo gallery of the worldly Iranian. His legitimate Olympic background is discussed. Fans always enjoy seeing a young Sheik, complete with hair. Speaking of hair, check out the long locks on The Sheepherders. Luke Williams and Butch Miller were a simply bushwhacking team of crazies.

At the end of the day Mid-Atlantic Wrestling prided itself on presenting second-to-none ring action. Here we have a small photo feature on a bloody tag team match pitting Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan against Bobby Duncum and Greg Valentine. Can you think of four harder-hitting competitors? Of course Flair and Valentine were no stranger to tag team wrestling in the area, at one time teaming together. On the other end we have a full color shot of Sweet Ebony Diamond. Wherever Diamond wrestled, you can be sure a little Rock was rolling right along behind him.

And of course no Mid-Atlantic Wrestling feature is complete without stalwart Paul Jones. The passing of Jones earlier this year was sadly overshadowed by names more familiar to the modern fan, but there's no denying that it was one of the biggest blows to the business in 2018. From the sound of the article, it appears as if "Number One" was once again wrestling on the side of the fans. We all know that didn't last long.

As mentioned above, the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazines are highly collectible and sought after. Secondary market prices vary, but it's often hard to pinpoint individual issues at any one time. You either strike while the iron is hot or you could wait some time before you see that exact issue available again. From the earlier artistic covers of the '70s to the photographic shots that brought the publication into the following decade, I don't think there's a single issue that sells for under $20 if properly listed. Monetary value aside, they're just fun to collect!

And there ain't nothin' humble about that!

The "Granddaddy of 'Em All" of Wrestling Conventions...

Over the past decade wrestling conventions have popped everywhere. Just like in other genres, "cons" allow fans to mingle with stars in addition to meeting with other average Joe's who have the same interests that they do. These wrestling events provide access that would have been unheard of even just a few decades ago. While there were smaller fan gatherings that occasionally received attention from the wrestling world, it was nothing like the modern day scene. And as far as these current conventions, nothing compared to the mighty NWA Fanfest.

You may have heard it referred to as "the Charlotte Fanfest," "Greg Price's Fanfest," or "NWA Legends Fanfest," but it all really started as a tribute to Jim Crockett Promotions under the name "Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest." 2004 actually saw three different events held under the banner, and my first came over Thanksgiving weekend of that year which was deemed "A Tribute to Starrcade." Never in a million years did I think that I would be up close and personal with Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Greg Valentine, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Ole Anderson, not to mention seeing legends like Dusty Rhodes and The Masked Superstar who I'd already had the pleasure of meeting. It was a wrestling dream come true.

I would go on to attend quite a few more of the Fanfests in Charlotte, in addition to those which branched out to Rockville, MD and Atlanta, GA. Each one had its own unique flavor and special guests. Many fans began to view the event as a family reunion. Not only were they seeing their "television family" from the old days, but they were reuniting with the new family that they had made thanks to Fanfest. Promoter Greg Price and his tireless staff made sure that this atmosphere was cultivated each year and never disappeared.

In addition to the personal feeling of the weekends, fans got to see and witness things right before their eyes that they never could have fathomed. The Horsemen together again? Dusty Rhodes returning to the Charlotte stomping grounds of Crockett Promotions? Jimmy Valiant and Paul Jones hugging and reminiscing? Harley Race and Ric Flair sitting down to discuss Starrcade? The legendary dog collar match revisited? It all happened at various Fanfests, and those are events just off the top of my head.

Of course, there are bittersweet memories as well. Rowdy Roddy Piper performed a stellar comedy act at 2011's Fanfest, only to have the news of his death break during the 2015 weekend. Many of us vividly remember managers Sir Oliver Humperdink and Gary Hart running around Fanfest like a couple of kids at Disney World. A few years later, Humpy would induct his friend into the Hall of Heroes (an event held at Fanfest) shortly before passing away himself. And of course all of the names like Sherri Martel, Buddy Roberts, Jimmy Snuka, Ivan Koloff, Ernie Ladd, and Jack Brisco, to list a few, who attended the event before their deaths.

This year's Fanfest was cancelled for unknown reasons. It would be a true shame if we have seen the last of this great event, as no other convention offers what Greg's show did. I often liked to say that it had "something for everyone," and I wasn't lying. With my very own eyes I saw folks both young and young at heart enjoy the legends and living the memories that were simultaneously being made. It was a spirit that is not often able to be captured, bottled, and released year after year. At Fanfest, that was the magic that indeed happened.

Wrestling MarketWatch: The Publications of Jim Crockett Promotions

It's almost the Fourth of July! This time of year always gets me to thinking of the magic of Jim Crockett Promotions. It may be true that a lot of the territorial wrestling promotions looked to summer as a time when business was down due to other activities taking up the evenings of the money-paying fan, but JCP changed that. The company and its talent took those long, hot, summer nights and created events that many remember to this day: The Great American Bash. It was a summer get together. Bring the kids! Bring grandma! Bring the beer and brats! It was music, food, the great outdoors, and hard-hitting wrestling action.

In this edition of MarketWatch we'll look at some of the most treasured memorabilia featuring The Great American Bash and other Crockett-promoted events: the publications. JCP produced some very nice all-slick, sometimes even all-color, programs and magazines that showcased their stars in a way that the WWF would later become famous for. The rough, often bloody, action that took place in JCP rings came through the pages making them highly collectible today. If you're a longtime reader, you've seen some of these items before. This time we'll look at some recent selling prices for them. As always, the prices given are for un-autographed copies.

*Jim Crockett Promotions history of high-quality color spectacles in publishing goes back to the legendary Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine. Nearly all of the big stars of the promotion made the cover at one point or another as the production carried on into the 1980's. Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, Dino Bravo, Blackjack Mulligan, The Mighty Igor, and Greg Valentine are just a few of the names who found themselves on the front page, but none may have looked more menacing than Ole Anderson. The notoriously gruff grappler was featured on the cover several times, but the Volume 4 Number 6 issue has Anderson, by himself, in a full color photo. A copy of this issue recently sold for $30.

*As mentioned earlier, The Great American Bash may have been the signature event for the company. While Starrcade was positioned as "The Granddaddy of Em All," The Bash, for me, signifies what Jim Crockett Promotions really stood for. In its original form, The Bash was a tour rather than just one event. Many cities and towns, large and small, got to taste live, summer, wrestling action. There will never be wrestling tours of that magnitude again, so taking in as much as we can about "the glory days" from both the wrestlers and the fans who were there is how we can still connect to that era. The '86 Bash tour is still fondly remembered as one of the best. The program from the tour recently sold for $25.

*Speaking of tours, The Rock & Roll Express even had their own offshoot, "The Summer Sizzler Tour." That tour produced its own publication, as did Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson themselves. Jim Crockett Promotions knew that many of the wrestlers had large female followings and produced what could almost be described as photo albums for some of the stars. The Express even had a fan club for a time with high-quality bulletins. One of the publications featuring Morton and Gibson was "The Rock & Roll Express: Solid Gold." This magazine, featuring photos of the boys in and out of the ring, recently sold for $20.50. It should be noted that the sold example had major cover wear. A copy as pictured here would likely fetch a bit more.

*Another signature JCP event was The Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. More commonly known as simply "The Crockett Cup," the event was completed in two shows and held from 1986 to 1988. The winners were predictable, but it was still a chance to see interesting match-ups and wrestlers from outside the promotion. Many are hoping that the shows in as complete forms as possible will end up on WWE Network. It could also be said that The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is a successor to the Crockett Cup. The program from the final Crockett Cup tournament held in 1988 recently sold for $60.

*Jim Crockett Promotions, and many fans, definitely looked at Starrcade as the biggest event of the year. It certainly came before WrestleMania as the industry's biggest supercard, but often had endings that weren't quite as final or conclusive. Some also point to Starrcade being moved out of its original home of the Carolinas as the beginning of the end for the promotion. While I find the latter to be a bit dramatic, something just seems right about Starrcade and Greensboro, NC. After the move to Chicago in 1987, Starrcade came to the more fitting Norfolk, VA in 1988. The program from that event, subtitled "True Gritt," recently sold for $175.50.

It wouldn't be a Fourth of July for me without celebrating Jim Crockett Promotions a bit. Maybe I'll pull up a classic show on WWE Network, schlepp out the programs and magazines, perhaps even the Wonderama trading cards. I'll wrap a Road Warriors or Four Horsemen bandana around my head and cue up "Rock & Roll Is King." It's a great time to revisit that era. It may gone forever, but that's what's great about the kind of memorabilia that we look at here each week. It lets us hop in that time machine for a quick spin without ever leaving our seats.

Life Without The Dream...One Year On

I was preparing to attend my first live NXT show. It was the debut of the "developmental" brand here in Pittsburgh. From another room, a friend of mine yelled, "Dusty Rhodes died!" My first thought? Nah. Can't be. It didn't even shake me. Another sick death hoax. They happen more than we realize. Why even remember them? As soon as they're debunked, we forget that they ever happened. Dusty wasn't dead. He was just at WrestleMania a couple of months ago. He looked thin, but he's been dropping weight for awhile now. I even read a Tweet where he had mentioned taking walks for exercise. "The American Dream" is fine and probably at his job at the WWE Performance Center.

It was not a hoax.

We've now had a year to accept the death of one of the most colorful and brightest stars in wrestling history. In that time we lost other wrestling icons such as Rowdy Roddy Piper and Nick Bockwinkel, not to mention many other huge names in entertainment, sports, and pop culture. The death of Dusty still hits me, personally, just a tad more. I never imagined a time when Big Dust wouldn't be part of the wrestling business. Appearing at a convention, coaching young talent, or breaking out that legendary combination of lisp and drawl for one more cameo on WWE television.

Speaking of his coaching, it may be that aspect of his career that he was most connected with at the end of his life. As the promo/interview coach at the WWE Performance Center, so many of the stars who have come through NXT and are now debuting in the WWE's "New Era" spent time under the learning tree of The Dream. That NXT show which I attended the night of his death turned out to be the first true public memorial for Dusty. Many of the young stars who he had likely coached just days earlier were on the card. Their love for him was evident only by their emotions and personal showings of respect. Their abilities to perform were in no way hindered, exactly as The Dream would have wanted it.

Since his passing, the respect for Dusty Rhodes has not waned. As I said even one year ago, I believe that the attention and remembrances following Dusty's death would have even shocked the man himself. Whether it was as an outlaw, a son of a plumber, a cowboy, or a common man, everyone had some memory of The American Dream to share. Whether you saw him wrestle live, met him, or just saw him for years and years on television, Dusty reached out to you, his hand touching your hand, just as the promo said.

The wrestling business itself continues to feel the Rhodes "bootprint." NXT has the "Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic" tournament. Wrestlers ranging from Cody Rhodes to Tommy Dreamer to Bailey to Kevin Owens have integrated tributes to the dream into their respective attires. In his last major WWE moment, Stardust paid several tributes to the original Stardust (an early moniker of Rhodes) at WrestleMania 32. A statue of The Dream was also unveiled by WWE that same weekend.

Recently departing WWE, son Cody has set his sights on tearing up the independent wrestling scene as soon as possible. Thanks to his natural in-ring gifts, this new phase in Cody's career will likely remind many of his father's time as a traveling attraction similar to Andre the Giant. Dusty's other son, Goldust, is coming up on the thirtieth anniversary of his own storied wrestling career, with no signs of slowing down. And as far as Dusty's aforementioned wrestling "kids" such as the current and former stars of NXT? I think we've been seeing his impact in many of them already.

I still miss Dusty. Along with Piper, I constantly find it hard to believe that I'll never see them pop up at a wrestling convention again. They were always around. They should still be. Unfortunately, it's the way that this life runs. That doesn't mean that we have to totally succumb to such sobering thoughts. Instead, just as I noted a year ago, we should celebrate their lives. A lifetime of memories were left. Let's put on a polka dot shirt, crack open a cold one, or maybe even a Mello Yello, and watch the greatest hits of that "Bionic Elbow."

Now that's what I call "livin' on the end of a lightnin' bolt..."

Magnum T.A. Still Beloved, 3 Decades Into Retirement

No matter where you look, only one name has dominated wrestling chatter this week: Daniel Bryan. After months and months of "will he or won't he" speculation, the popular superstar announced his retirement at the age of 34. Because of his fan following, his announcement won't likely end the speculation for all. The abruptness of the announcement coupled with legal entanglements with WWE won't allow some of his fans to completely give up on someday seeing the "Yes" man back in a squared circle.

In discussions of Bryan's early retirement, I saw some trying to find a comparison. Another star who had their career ended during their prime or perhaps had yet to even see their best years. Only one name truly fits the bill and, in a way, the story is probably even more tragic than the Bryan injury. That individual was Terry Allen, known to the wrestling world as Magnum T.A.

October of 2016 will mark thirty years since the tragic automobile accident that nearly cost Magnum T.A. his life. Only a few years into his career, Magnum had already made his way through several major wrestling territories including Florida and Mid-South. He was now in Jim Crockett Promotions which at that point was by far the biggest brand under the NWA banner. He was a nationwide television star thanks to Superstation TBS, and he was the protege of "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes both in and out of the ring.

Magnum had a true gift. He was able to win over the NWA fans despite not being the most technically sound wrestler to ever step through the ropes. He had the great look and the intangibles that Dusty, as his mentor, knew how to best utilize. Truly, Magnum was on his way to the top. Feuds with hated villains of the promotion only cemented this. To this day, fans fondly remember the "Best of Seven" series of matches against Nikita Koloff or Magnum's conflict with Tully Blanchard that saw its peak at Starrcade 1985 in the brutal "I Quit" match.

Magnum also saw quite a bit of marketing despite starring in the wrestling company that was lesser known for such things. Dusty and the others recognized Magnum's fan following, especially among females. Similarly to the Rock 'n Roll Express, much of the merchandise was designed to appeal to those screaming ladies, desperate to get a glimpse or even a touch of their favorite mustached star. From bandanas to posters, Magnum's mug was one of the most marketed by Jim Crockett Promotions. An over-sized photo book, very obviously marketed to those with an eye for the rugged idol, was even produced. After Magnum's accident, many of those same images made it into the famous NWA trading card set by Wonderama. Even if he could no longer step through the ropes as a competitor, it was obvious that his image was still selling.

The comparisons with the Daniel Bryan retirement end in a place where more question marks arise in the case of Magnum. Whereas Bryan, albeit briefly, got to reach the pinnacle of the business with his World Championship win, Magnum did not get to see that. Almost all involved agree that Magnum was being primed for a run with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, but the accident ultimately prevented it. While Bryan got to hoist "Big Gold" high, Magnum did not get the chance, ironically with the original version of that same belt.

Perhaps an even bigger question is if and when Magnum would have shown up in the WWF. Nearly every major star eventually appeared there, and there is no doubt in my mind that Magnum would have followed eventually. His television-star looks were exactly what the WWF was built upon in that era. While he may not have had much room at the top with the other star power in the company during what would have been Magnum's prime, it's easy to imagine him in the ring with the likes of Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels in the early '90s in a solid upper-mid-card position.

I've seen first hand the impact that Magnum had on the fans of the era. Despite being left with a few small reminders of his accident, fans still completely lose it when meeting the fabled star. From his regular showings at the Charlotte Fanfests to rare appearances in the Northeast, location matters little. People all over were touched by Magnum. This leaves me with no doubt that his career could have gone much further, likely in any promotion, had the accident not occurred. Just like with Bryan, it's what the fans wanted to see.

Terry Allen is not a bitter man. He recognizes his potential, but also knows that there's nothing that he can do to change history. He carved out a happy life for himself post-wrestling. If Magnum T.A. can do it, so can Daniel Bryan. Not all careers have story book endings, but that fact has little to do with cultivating a happy one.

Jim Crockett's All-American Legacy

November 27, 1975. Greensboro, North Carolina. A night of wrestling presented by Jim Crockett Promotions. Terry Funk. Paul Jones. All the ingredients needed for what we would now look upon as a classic night of professional wrestling. Traditional wrestling. Wrestling the way that many still remember as the greatest era in the history of the sport. The one element that I failed to mention? The Funker and Number One were battling over the United States Championship. Funk had just won a tournament for the vacant title while Jones, an icon of Carolina wrestling, was the other wrestler who had made it to the finals. Who won the epic Thanksgiving night rematch? You could go look it up and simply see the result, but I have a better idea. How about learning each nuance of the match. Why it happened, what happened during, and what the ramifications were. This is where a brand new book comes into the picture.

Dick Bourne's newest in a line of books is titled "Jim Crockett Promotions' United States Championship." You may already have read some of Bourne's other titles including "Big Gold," "Ten Pounds Of Gold," and "Minnesota Wrecking Crew." Bourne is also one of the creative forces behind The Mid-Atlantic Gateway website. The Gateway is a site that I'm sometimes too scared to surf over to. The reason is that I know I'm about to lose an hour or two getting absorbed into the great content covering anything and everything that you ever would want to know about Jim Crockett Promotions and the rich Carolina wrestling history. Everything from wrestlers to venues to food (yes, food!) is covered there. The writing and photography pulls you in and actually almost transports you back to the era that's being described.

That same style of publication carries over into the new "United States Championship" book. As any fan of wrestling's past will tell you, history isn't always easy to follow. The promoters of the day probably never imagined that nearly a half century later, their moves and tactics would be studied. This was a business designed to draw fans into a building to buy tickets, Cokes, and popcorn. It wasn't rocket science...to them. To a lot of us, it's a form of sports and entertainment that is as worthy to chronicle as is cinema or pro football. That's the kind of history that is presented at the Gateway and the same level of dedication went into this book.

Bourne traces the Crockett version of the United States title all the way back to it's origins and brings it to present day. You'll see why this version of the championship (there were several around the country) is in fact the predecessor to today's WWE United States Championship. With so much focus on that particular title over the past year, a book like this could not have come at a better time.

Detailed descriptions and stories are given with each title change. Rare photos, newspaper clippings, and even newly created art and charts break down the fantastic title lineage. Can you believe that some wrestlers who held the title were never even photographed with it? And there wasn't just one physical belt. As the cover illustrates, there were actually five different versions of the belt while it was under the Jim Crockett Promotions banner. Before this book, I could have described three of them. I never before realized that two others existed, both of which look very much like other title designs. You'll see them all, as well as impressive replicas of some that are now missing in action.

Perhaps the most striking takeaway from the book is just how many of wrestling's biggest legends held this belt. Ric Flair, Harley Race, Jimmy Snuka, Dusty Rhodes, Roddy Piper, Blackjack Mulligan, Ricky Steamboat, Sgt. Slaughter, and Wahoo McDaniel just to name a few. Sure, we hear Michael Cole rattle off a few of the names every so often during a WWE U.S. Title match, but the complete list is absolutely mind-boggling. A line on the cover describes the book as "A Close Look at Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's Greatest Championship." With a list of title holders like that, it's hard to disagree with that description of the title.

If you're familiar with Bourne's books on the most recognizable versions of the NWA Championship, you remember the great "belt photography" that went into those. This volume is no different, with photos so clear and close that you might think Reggie Parks etched the belts right into the book. There are also plenty of shots of the various title holders wearing the championship, some of which have never before been published, as well as replicas and memorabilia.

If there's a classic wrestling fan on your list this holiday season, look no further. The legacy of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and one of its best draws is all right here. For more information and to order, check out the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. While you're there, stick around and check out some of the great content. Just grab a drink, make a sandwich, and reserve an hour or two. You'll be hanging out awhile!

Jim Crockett Promotion's Coolest Piece Of Merchandise...Ever!

When you think of wrestling merchandise from the '80s, you automatically think of the WWF marketing machine and men like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and The Ultimate Warrior.  Their likenesses dominated the products and conscious of collectors of the time and even today.  But that doesn't necessarily mean that items from outside of that spectrum weren't as great.  While Vince McMahon certainly owned the market, Jim Crockett Promotions was able to churn out some items as well in a vain attempt to catch up to the company that was taking over wrestling and crossing over into the mainstream.

Starting with the successful mostly-color/all gloss Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine in the '70s and early '80s, Crockett was no stranger to producing quality publications.  Many of the company's larger shows and events had beautiful full-color programs.  Several attempts at a regular publication to follow up on the MACW Magazine's success were made, but seemed to fizzle out after a few issues.  Magazines solely dedicated to the popular Rock 'N Roll Express were produced as well, and no doubt ended up in the hands of many female fans.

It was in these publications that Crockett was able to showcase what other merchandise he produced.  T-shirts and apparel were aplenty, with everyone from Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, and Baby Doll getting their own shirts.  Mugs and programs as well as a full line of Four Horsemen attire were also advertised, but one thing that seemed to be popular at the time were bandanas.  Everyone remembers the logo bandanas worn by Hogan and Savage in the WWF, but these were different.  While a few were patterned logos of the stars, many actually featured full depictions of the individuals themselves.  Occasionally the same designs were used on t-shirts, but these bandanas are almost frameable art.

If any of these bandanas stand out, it's undoubtedly the one that depicts The Four Horsemen.  This isn't just any incarnation of the legendary faction, but rather the original group.  Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Ole Anderson are in all of their glory.  This is quite possibly one of the few pieces of merchandise to feature the original Horsemen that is licensed by Jim Crockett Promotions.  By the time that many of the other items were produced, including the popular trading cards by Wonderama, Ole had long since left the group.

The amount of detail on the Horsemen bandana is even more striking than those produced later.  The Four Horsemen name is done in glittery gold lettering, there's some cash trailing a limo with a woman's leg sticking out, and there's even a small city skyline to the right, that probably should have been done a bit larger for effect.  The boys are done in a cool pastel look, and while Flair may look a bit feminine, you just can't look past the lipstick on Tully's collar.  Horsemen through and through!

How many of any of these bandanas were made?  We may never know.  I like to call the 1970's the "wild west" years of wrestling.  In turn, the 1980's were the equivalent as far as wrestling merchandise.  We just don't know what all was made from each promotion and won't until those items surface again.  What we do know is that they're fun to collect and part of that enjoyment is making new discoveries of old items.  We also know that even three decades later, The Four Horsemen are still the coolest...in the ring and printed onto cloth!

Starrcade--"The Granddaddy Of Em All" Turns 30

I was a few weeks shy of a year old for its debut, but in the thirty years since I'm not the only wrestling fan who has come to celebrate and cherish what Starrcade stood for.  It was the event, and concept, that combined southern territorial wrestling with the advent of going beyond the walls of the host arena via closed circuit television.  With no one denying the boundaries broken by WrestleMania less than two years later, the door was opened by Starrcade.

Growing up as a "WWF kid," to me Thanksgiving wrestling tradition meant the Survivor Series.  As my fandom grew, I learned that Starrcade has an equally large space at the wrestling holiday table.  These two events were actually a then new-era equivalent to traditions that had been going on for decades.  For many years, after wrestling fans enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinner or opened their presents on Christmas, a night out at the matches was in order.  While it probably wasn't the ideal night to be working for the wrestlers themselves, I would imagine that some of the hottest crowds of the year packed armories and arenas for these special shows.  With the advent of Starrcade, the talent no longer had to be split up among towns.  Finally, one huge holiday supercard could be seen in multiple towns on the same night.

That first Starrcade in 1983 was subtitled "A Flare for the Gold."  Inside the brutal confines of a steel cage, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair was looking to regain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from the man who wanted him out of the business altogether, Harley Race.  Gene Kiniski, a former NWA Champion himself, officiated the match which saw Flair capture his second NWA title in a blood-soaked celebration that has been replayed many times since.

Championship grandeur aside, others look to another match that night as the most memorable portion of the event.  Rowdy Roddy Piper and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, two men who would go on to participate in the first WrestleMania as well, battled in an absolutely vicious dog collar match.  If certain ECW matches made fans of the '90s think that the participants were truly brutalizing each other, then this match did the same for the audience of a decade earlier.  Dog collars were wrapped around each man's neck which were connected by a heavy chain.  The chain ultimately became one of the stars of the event, helping each man to wreak havoc on the other.  Although Piper emerged victorious, he has since claimed that the effects of the chain hitting his ear caused hearing loss.

In 1984 and 1985 the event grew with subtitles of "The Million Dollar Challenge" and "The Gathering," respectively, but it was in 1986 that the event became "The Night of the Skywalkers."  It was on this night that one of the most awkward match concepts in wrestling history suddenly became one of the most memorable.  Jim Cornette's Midnight Express battled Paul Ellering's Road Warriors in the notorious scaffold match.  The only way to win?  Toss your opponents off of the scaffold.  While Hawk and Animal were successful in tossing "Beautiful" Bobby and "Loverboy" Dennis from the elevated war zone, it was a third fall that became the most memorable.  The fans rabidly wanted to see the much-hated Cornette get his just desserts that Thanksgiving.  Cornette's bodyguard Big Bubba Rogers was supposed to catch the loud-mouthed manager as he fell, but was legitimately just a few seconds too late.  Cornette blew his knee out thanks to the fall and says that he still feels the effects to this day.  Thanks to the moment being played on a commercial for the videotape that aired for weeks on end, it became one of the most seen wrestling "bumps" in history.

Due to the Survivor Series and the WWF's tactics of promotional war, Starrcade was later moved to late in December.  When Jim Crockett Promotions became WCW, the event continued and many fans point to the tenth anniversary of the event as its last great moment.  Once again Ric Flair, the man who arguably could add "Mr. Starrcade" to his list of nicknames, was on another quest for the gold.  This time, Flair would be up against the monstrous Big Van Vader.  A dramatic build insinuating that Flair was too old to defeat the behemoth from the Rocky Mountains only helped to bring the true Starrcade "feel" to the event.  Flair was victorious, in his hometown of Charlotte, NC to boot.  A few months later, Hulk Hogan would enter the company much to the chagrin of some fans who had been with the event and the NWA/WCW brand of wrestling for many years.

Although I was never able to attend Starrcade, my own "live" memories of the event were first created four years after the last one was held.  In 2004, my very first wrestling convention was the Thanksgiving weekend Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest in Charlotte.  The event was a tribute to Starrcade and included many of the stars that made the events what they were.  Fittingly, the first autograph that I obtained that weekend was from the original voice of the event, Bob Caudle.  Many of the Fanfests since have had Starrcade themed moments such as Flair and Race reuniting as well as Piper and Valentine posing for photos with the original dog collars, still owned by Piper today.

At press time, we're at just about the time of the year that would be the halfway point between Starrcade's two "homes," Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We're just a few weeks removed from the 30th anniversary of the event's premiere and just days away from the 13th anniversary of its end.  What would Starrcade be today?  I always held out hope that, like the Great American Bash, WWE would someday resurrect the name.  It's most likely not to be, but recent reports indicating that WCW-themed home video releases outsold most of the other WWE titles this year could be good news.  Will more DVD and Blu-Ray releases join the 2008 Starrcade collection?  Time will tell.  In the meantime, memories and memorabilia from the event like those just displayed here will continue to ensure that "The Grandaddy of Em All" is remembered for another thirty years...and beyond.