August 30th in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Ernie Roth\The Grand Wizard\Abdullah Farouk 1926
Matt Jewell\Bearcat Brown 1935
Happy Birthday:
Scott Stafford (58)
RIP Memorial: We stop & remember those who have passed on this day and gave themselves to the business for us, the fans. We salute you and thank you.
Erneste "Gorilla" Poggi 8-30-1988 at the age of 88
Dale Lewis 8-30-1997 at the age of 64
Walter "Killer"" Kowalski 8-30-2008 at the age of 81
Beverly Lehmer 8-30-2010 at the age of 77
Ric Drason 8-30-2020 at the age of 76
40 Year Flashback
*AWA Championship Wrestling correction
In episode 135 (Aug 28th, 2025) I had made a mistake about that being the debut episode of Pro Wrestling USA. After speaking with Chad Olson, that 8/28/1985 ESPN debut was not Pro Wrestling USA, but rather the taping for the debut of AWA Championship Wrestling for ESPN.
Pro Wrestling USA had already been on television since approximately a year earlier in 1984 and would make another appearance beginning on 9/21/1985 as a name for the AWA broadcasted show to build toward the Chicago show we mentioned.
I hope this clears up this confusing issue. Or perhaps it was only I who was confused? That happens a lot when trying to untanglle Pro Wrestling History.
50 Year Flashback
August 1975 Review of LeRoy McGuirk\Bill Watts Oklahoma\Louisiana NWA Championship Wrestling Territory
After searching around and talking to various candidates, I think I may have found someone who can possibly do some episodes on my Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings about this territory in 1975. But since we haven't been able to feature it on the show yet, I thought we would re-cap August of 1975 for the territory here in the Daily Chronicle.
We documented records for 64 shows run by the promotion in the month of August of 1975. Bill Watts is slowly building the office back into a place of drawing good crowds after the terrible period from 1973 through March of 1975. This just happens to be the period in which Watts left and then returned to increase his partnership stake to 50% with McGuirk.
Hiro Matsuda had won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title from Ken Mantell on 6/14/1975, and he returned to the territory to make title defenses of the all-important title for the National Wrestling Alliance in all the major towns around the circuit in the month of August.
8/1/1975 Lake Charles, LA vs Tom Jones
8/2/1975 Greenwood, MS vs Tom Jones
8/4/1975 Monroe, LA vs Ken Mantell
8/6/1975 Jackson, MS vs Ken Mantell
8/7/1975 Chalmette (New Orleans), LA vs Roberto Soto
8/8/1975 Lake Charles, LA vs Ken Mantell
8/12/1975 Shreveport, LA vs Roberto Soto
8/13/1975 Fort Smith, AR vs Ken Mantell
8/14/1975 Pine Bluff, AR vs Ken Mantell
8/19/1975 Alexandria, LA vs Ken Mantell, Bob Sweetan barred from Arena
8/20/1975 Jackson, MI vs Danny Hodge
8/21/1975 Greenville, MI vs Pork Chop Cash
8/26/1975 Shreveport, LA Jack Brisco, NWA World Heavyweight Title vs Hiro Matsuda, NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
8/27/1975 Baton Rouge, LA vs Roberto Soto
8/29/1975 Lawton, OK vs Ken Mantell
8/30/1975 Wichita Falls, TX vs Danny Hodge
Jack Brisco, NWA World Heavyweight Champion, made a few dates through the towns in August
8/26/1975 defeated Hiro Matsuda in 23 minutes at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, LA
8/27/1975 defeated Dick Murdoch at the Coliseum in Jackson, MI
8/28/1975 defeated Dick Murdoch at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, LA
The biggest singles feud in the territory was over the NWA North American Title with champion Dick Murdoch defending against hometown hero, Bill Watts and other top contenders
8/4/1975 defeated Pat O'Connor at the Fairgrounds Pavillion in Tulsa, OK
8/6/1975 vs Bill Watts at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, MI
8/11/1975 DDQ with Bill Watts at the Fairgrounds Pavillion in Tulsa, OK
8/12/1975 vs Bill Watts at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, LA
8/25/1975 lost by DQ to Bill Watts at the Fairgrounds Pavillion in Tulsa, LA
8/26/1975 lost by DQ to Bill Watts at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, LA
Dick Murdoch and Killer Karl Kox were the NWA United States Tag Team Champions
8/7/1975 defeated Bill Watts & Pat O'Connor at the St. Bernard Civic Auditorium in Chalmette, LA
8/8/1975 defeated Grizzly Smith & Roberto Soto at the Coliseum in Lake Charles, LA
8/10/1975 defeated Grizzly Smith & ken Mantell at the East Park Rec Center in Houma, LA
8/14/1975 defeated Danny Hodge & Jay Clayton at the Civic Auditorium in Chalmette, LA
8/18/1975 defeated Bill Watts & Jay Clayton at the Fairgrounds Pavillion in Tulsa, OK
8/20/1975 defeated Jay Clayton & Vic Muehler at the Coliseum in Jackson, MI
8/21/1975 defeated Jay Clayton & Vic Muehler at the Civic Auditorium in Chalmette, LA
There were Lumberjack Matches between Bob Sweetan & Tom Jones, Grizzly Smith & Bill Dromo and Buck Robley and Vic Muehler, Texas Tornado Tag Matches, Arm Wrestling Matches between Frank Goodish (later Bruiser Brody) and Jay Clayton, Grizzly Smith, Tom Jones and Danny Hodge to get Goodish over as a singles tough guy. Rookie year for Ted DiBiase, Texas Death Matches between Frank Goodish and Grizzly Smith. Ken Mantell and Bob Sweetan.
One Thing I Learned Today About Pro Wrestling History
Bearcat Brown made his pro debut in 1961, working for the offices in Kansas City and in Georgia. He came one half of one of the most popular tag teams in southern states with Len Rossi, when they broke the color barrier in the Municipal Auditorium cards in Birmingham, Alabama in 1969.
Thank You for Reading
I'm Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share it with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
Remember, paid subscribers get access to exclusive and special content such as some special issues including a multi-part deep dives on wrestling territories, wrestler bios and championship title histories, special audio and video interviews on territory pro wrestling and more available in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel for Premium Subscribers.