Happy Presidents’ Day from The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
John Bonica 1917
Jim Wright 1913
Wild Bill Zim 1913
Ray Gunkel 1924
Helen Hart 1934
Happy Birthday:
Jim Lancaster (72)
David Heath\Gangrel (57)
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.
Ann Gunkel 2-16-1987 at the age of 50
Johnny Grunge 2-15-2006 at the age of 39
Fran Gravette 2-16-2016 at the age of 77
George “The Animal” Steele 2-16-2017 at the age of 79
Significant Debuts:
Joe Savoldi 1931 age: 22, Kansas City, MO
Kensuke Sasaki 1986 age: 19 Korakeun Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Don Frye 1996 age: 31, San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Life and Career of Ann Gunkel
Ann Mariam Campbell Gunkel, born on July 30, 1936, in Paulding County, Georgia, and passing away on February 16, 1987, in Fulton County, Georgia, at the age of 50 due to cancer, remains a compelling figure in American business and professional wrestling history. Her life story is one of resilience, entrepreneurial acumen, and defiance against entrenched power structures. Best known for her role as a wrestling promoter in the early 1970s, where she waged a fierce territorial war against the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Ann’s career also encompassed significant success as a hotel executive in Atlanta. This essay explores her early life, business ventures, marriage to wrestling icon Ray Gunkel, the tumultuous events following his death, her groundbreaking foray into wrestling promotion, and her enduring legacy as a woman who challenged male-dominated industries.
Ann Gunkel’s formative years were rooted in the American South, where she developed a sharp business mind and an unyielding determination. Little is documented about her childhood, but by the 1960s, she had established herself as a formidable presence in Atlanta’s burgeoning hotel industry. As a former model, Ann combined charisma with savvy entrepreneurship, amassing considerable wealth through her ventures in hospitality. Atlanta, during this era, was experiencing rapid growth as a commercial hub, and the hotel sector was ripe for innovation. Ann’s success in this field was not merely financial; it demonstrated her ability to navigate competitive markets, manage operations, and build networks in a time when women in executive roles were rare.
Her hotel career provided the foundation for her later independence. Sources describe her as a “very successful businesswoman” who accumulated “quite a bit of money” before entering the world of wrestling. This financial security allowed her to take risks that others might not have, and it honed her skills in negotiation, promotion, and resource management—skills that would prove invaluable in her wrestling endeavors. Ann’s exterior was that of a “good-looking woman” with Southern charm, but those who knew her, like wrestler Jody Hamilton, noted her toughness: “Beneath that pleasant-looking exterior, she was as tough as nails.” She was unafraid to confront adversaries head-on, a trait that defined her professional life.
Pictured: One of Pro Wrestling original “Power Couples”, Ray and Ann Gunkel
Ann’s path intersected with professional wrestling through her marriage to Ray Gunkel, a prominent wrestler and promoter. Ray, born in 1924, was a former amateur standout who transitioned to the pros in the 1950s. By the late 1950s, he had become a key shareholder in Atlanta’s ABC Booking Office, which controlled wrestling promotions in Georgia. Ray owned approximately 41% of the territory, partnering with figures like Don McIntyre and Paul Jones. As Atlanta’s top babyface (heroic wrestler) in the 1960s, Ray revitalized local wrestling’s popularity, often teaming with Buddy Fuller despite underlying business tensions.
Ann and Ray’s marriage blended her business expertise with his wrestling acumen. While Ann continued her hotel work, she gradually became involved in the promotional side, supporting Ray’s efforts. Their partnership was both personal and professional, with Ann providing stability and insight from her hospitality background. Tragically, this union was cut short on August 1, 1972, when Ray, at age 48, suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after a match against Ox Baker in Savannah, Georgia. The cause was attributed to heart trauma from stiff in-ring blows, compounded by arteriosclerosis. Ray’s death not only devastated Ann personally but also thrust her into the cutthroat world of wrestling politics.
Ray’s passing exposed the ruthless underbelly of the NWA, the dominant governing body of professional wrestling territories in the United States. As Ray’s widow, Ann inherited his 41% stake in the Georgia promotion, positioning her as a major player. However, the NWA and its affiliates had other plans. Wrestler Jody Hamilton recounted the immediate aftermath: “The vultures are beginning to descend on the carcass.” At Ray’s funeral, key figures like Buddy Fuller, Eddie Graham, Lester Welch, and Paul Jones convened in his office, dissolving ABC Booking and forming a new NWA-sanctioned entity, Mid-South Sports, Inc., without consulting Ann.
This exclusion was deliberate. Hamilton later asserted, “The NWA was going to take it all. They wanted to push Ann Gunkel out and steal her territory.” Ann clashed with Lester Welch over the company’s direction, and when offered a buyout for Ray’s shares, she refused, feeling insulted. Roy Lee Welch even changed the office locks to bar her entry. Ann applied for NWA membership but was denied, citing the existence of two promotions in the area—a rule conveniently enforced to sideline her.
Fueled by grief and determination, Ann vowed revenge. Her daughter Pam recalled a stormy night when Ann drove to Ray’s gravesite, declaring, “As God is my judge, Ray, I will never let the Welch’s win.” This personal resolve set the stage for what became known as the “Battle for Atlanta” and “The Georgia Wrestling War.”
Pictured: ASWA founder Ann Gunkel and her booker, Tom Renesto
On November 20, 1972, Ann launched her counteroffensive, founding Gunkel Enterprises Inc., which operated as the All-South Wrestling Alliance (ASWA). She recruited booker Tom Renesto, secured local promoters in six Georgia cities, and poached much of the existing talent roster, leaving the NWA-backed group with only a handful of wrestlers. Loyalty to Ray played a key role; stars like Thunderbolt Patterson, who sold out Atlanta’s City Auditorium 13 times, joined her side.
A pivotal move was negotiating with media mogul Ted Turner for airtime on WTCG Channel 17 (later TBS). Turner, who had previously dealt with Ray, allocated her a slot back-to-back with the NWA’s show to avoid legal issues. ASWA’s debut card on November 24, 1972, featured high-profile matches, including Argentina Apollo versus Ox Baker. The promotion expanded into Florida and North Carolina, drawing strong crowds initially.
The NWA responded with aggressive tactics, blacklisting at least 19 wrestlers who sided with Ann, including Ernie Ladd and Jose Lothario. Threats ranged from physical confrontations to personal smears. They slashed ticket prices, wined and dined venue officials, and orchestrated disruptions like trashing cars. Jim Barnett, a shrewd NWA ally, sued Ann for $1 million over alleged document theft (later dismissed). Even independent promotions like Verne Gagne’s AWA (which were behind the scenes NWA members) were pressured not to cooperate.
Ann’s promotion thrived on familiar talent and innovative booking, but internal issues arose. Thunderbolt Patterson was fired after demanding a cut of the gate, leading him to form his own rival group, the International Wrestling League (IWL), which further fragmented the market. Despite sellouts, financial strains mounted as the NWA flooded Atlanta with stars like Jack Brisco and André the Giant.
Operating ASWA required Ann to leverage her hotel-honed skills in logistics and promotion. She offered wrestlers guaranteed minimums, such as $500 weekly to Jody Hamilton (equivalent to over $3,000 today). The promotion reused talent in varied matches to maximize resources, but lacked a studio format, relying on live events. Ann faced sexism head-on; in a 1974 interview with The Atlanta Constitution, she quipped, “A lot of people were against me... I told them the NWA stood for ‘no women allowed.’”
Pictured: Jim Barnett, Partner in Mid-South Sports, Atlanta, Georgia NWA-affiliated Booking Office
By 1974, the war intensified. The NWA, under Barnett’s leadership after he bought into the Mid-South Booking Office (publicly branded as Georgia Championship Wrestling), drew massive gates at both the traditional home for wrestling Atlaanta, the City Auditorium and the new, massive Omni Coliseum, which opened duirng the war in 1973. Ann’s ASWA struggled with venue access and TV slots, often airing at inconvenient times. NWA President Sam Muchnick called 1973 the National Wrestling Alliance’s toughest year due to the struggles in Atlanta. It was more appropriately named “his toughest year” as the NWA President. As Muchnick was nearing retirement, he had to juggle several personal relationaship close to his heart that were conflicted due to his loyalty to the people involved in the Atlanta ordeal. He has mentioned that he had a fondness for the Gunkels going back into the 1950s.
In November 1974, after two years, Ann sold out to Barnett for approximately $250,000. Hamilton attributed the failure to the NWA’s stranglehold: “We couldn’t make enough money from that one town to pay the rest of the bills.” Georgia Championship Wrestling emerged dominant, eventually gaining national exposure via satellite in 1976. The other issue for the ASWA was access to available talent. Talent was one of the huge advantages the NWA had, as the ASWA in two years had gone through all the outide talent that they could book that would be credible in Atlanta. All the “stars” were over on the NWA side of Atlanta, and many were leaving ASWA to go back to NWA affiliated territories. Barnett used other strategies to keep talent out of ASWA also, such as Jerry Oates getting booked with a great singles push in Kansas City instead of being a homegrown Georgia talent possibly working for Gunkel.
Ann Gunkel’s legacy transcends her short-lived promotion. She challenged the NWA’s monopoly, highlighting gender barriers in wrestling and business. Gunkel did try a few other comebacks for promotion after the 1972-1974 Georgia ordeal, but eventually all her efforts would not be long-term successes.
Her story underscores the territorial era’s brutality, where loyalty was fleeting and tactics often mob-like. As a hotel executive turned promoter, Ann exemplified women’s potential in male-dominated fields, paving the way for future figures like Linda McMahon. Besides dying on her deceased husband’s birthday, She was buried beside Ray in Arlington Memorial Park, Ann’s battle, though lost, reshaped Georgia wrestling in particular and also made an impression on the national scope of wrestling in general.
50 Year Flashback
A Time Capsule Review of the Pro Wrestling Cards In the North American Wrestling Territories On This Day In Pro Wrestling History In 1976
As a regular Monday feature of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel’s Daily Chronicle, we crack open the Wrestling Time Capsule to do a survey of the cards, matches and performers of the decades of territory pro wrestling. This week we flashback to this Day in Pro Wrestling History, Saturday, Wednesday, February 16, 1976.
Championship Wrestling From Florida Tampa, Florida Office
Eddie Graham Sports Stadium in Orlando, Florida
Karl Von Steiger vs Steve Keirn
George McCreary vs Jerry Brisco
Rock Hunter vs Tom Jones
King Curtis Iaukea vs Thunderbolt Patterson
Bob Roop & Bob Orton, Jr. (ch) vs Mike Graham & Mr. Wrestling II for the NWA Florida Tag Team Titles
The Auditorium in West Palm Beach, Florida
Beauregard defeated Joe Matti
Abe Jacobs & Bill Dromo defeated Roger Kirby & Jim Dalton
Billy Robinson defeated Kim Duk
Frank Goodish defeated Dino Bravo in a Special Challenge Match
Dusty Rhodes defeated The Missouri Mauler by DQ in a Bounty Match
Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling Office in Mobile, Alabama
The National Guard Armory in Gulfport, Mississippi
Ted Heath defeated Ken Lucas
Johnny Fields beat The Golden Hawk in 2 falls to 1 fall
The British Bulldogs (Heath\Foley) defeated Ken Lucas & Ricky Gibson
Georgia Championship Wrestling Office in Atlanta, Georgia
The Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia
Ken Mantell defeated Jay Clayton
The Fabulous Moolah (ch) defeated Joyce Grable to retain the NWA Women’s World Title
Ted & Jerry Oates defeated Les Thornton & Tony Charles by DQ
Stan Stasiak defeated Bob Armstrong
The Spoiler (ch) defeated Dick Slater to retain the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title
Jim Crockett Promotions Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Office in Charlotte, North Carolina
The Park Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
Bill White vs Tio Tio ended in a draw
Tony Atlas defeated Bill Hoard
Professor Boris Malenko defeated Danny Miller
Geo & Bolo Mongol defeated Ken Patera & Swede Hanson
Paul Jones (ch) defeated Blackjack Mulligan to retain the NWA United States Title
The Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Greg Peterson vs Jack Evans
Don Kernodle vs Larry Zbyszko
Doug Gilbert & Michael DuBois vs Tiger Conway, Jr. & Ronnie Garvin
Angelo Mosca vs Haystacks Calhoun
Ric Flair vs Wahoo McDaniel
The Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina
Klondike Bill defeated Doug Somers
El Rayo & Roberto Soto defeated Jim Lancaster & George Harris
Johnny Weaver beat Steve Strong
Ole & Gene Anderson (ch) defeated Mr. Wrestling (woods) & Rufus R. Jones to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
The International Wrestling Association (IWA) Office in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
The City Armory in Lynchburg, Virginia
Luis Martinez vs Mauler #2
Bruiser Banks vs Phil Watson
Mauler #1 vs Pez Whatley
Hartford Love vs Nelson Royal
Bulldog Brower & Eric The Red vs Johnny Powers & Mighty Igor in a Texas Tornado Match
The Gulas-Welch Wrestling Company Office in Nashville, Tennessee
The Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee
The Spoiler (morrell) defeated Wayne Petty
Roosevelt Jones beat Buddy Wayne
Big Bad John beat David Schultz
Tommy Gilbert & Bearcat Brown (ch) defeated Professor Toru Tanaka & Mitsu Arakawa to retain the NWA Southern Tag Team Titles
Sam Bass, Al Greene & Don Greene defeated Tojo Yamamoto, Jerry Jarrett & Bill Dundee by DQ
Tommy Rich defeated Jerry Lawler by DQ
The Municipal Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama
The Patriot defeated Mario Leone
Sheila Shepard defeated Leilani Kai
The Assassin (Hamilton) defeated Joe Turner
The Bounty Hunters vs Tom Anderson & George Gulas ended in a 45 min draw at 1 fall each
Phil Hickerson defeated Giant Frazier
Dennis Condrey vs Jackie Fargo in a Bounty Match ended as a no contest
Big Time Wrestling Office in Dallas, Texas
The North Side Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas
Bob Sweetan defeated Joe Palardy
Rocky Johnson defeated Number One
Red Bastien defeated Jumbo Tsuruta
Chris Taylor & Al Madril defeated Stan Hansen & Don Fargo
The Mongolian Stomper vs Peter Maivia ended in a draw
Tri-State Wrestling Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Fairgrounds Pavillion in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mr. Ito defeated Sonny Rogers
Buddy Roberts & Jerry Brown defeated Ted DiBiase & Calypso Joe
Vicki Williams defeated Toni Rose
Ted DiBiase beat Killer Karl Kox
Dick Murdoch defeated Waldo Von Erich by DQ
The Civic Center in Monroe, Louisiana
David Nevins vs Ken Dillinger
Butcher Brannigan vs Grizzly Smith
Sonny King defeated Buck Robley by DQ
Greg Valentine & Gorgeous George, Jr. (ch) defeated Hiro Matsuda & Butcher Brannigan to retain the NWA United States Tag Team Titles
Big Time Wrestling Office in Detroit, Michigan
The Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio
El Bracero vs Kurt Von Brauner
John Boy Ruffin & Denny Alberts vs The Wolfman & The Wildman
A Samoan vs Kurt Von Hess
The Islanders (Afa & Sika) vs Chris Colt & Count Drummer (ch) for the NWA World Tag Team Titles
Brute Bernard vs Hank James in a Brass Knuckles Match
All-Star Wrestling Office in Vancouver, British Columbia
The PNE Gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia
Eric Froelich vs Yasu Fuji ended in a draw
Dennis Stamp & Tami Samoa defeated Randy Morse & Igor Volkoff
Don Leo Jonathan defeated Dale Lewis in a Mormon Strap Match
Gene Kiniski defeated George Wells by DQ
Dean Higuchi defeated Siegfried Steinke
World Wide Wrestling Federation Office in New York City, New York
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York
Francisco Flores vs Pete Reeves
Bull Pometti vs Mark Tendler
Dominic DeNucci vs Louis Cyr
Frank Monte & Baron Mikel Scicluna vs Tony Parisi & Louis Cerdan (ch) for the WWWF World Tag Team Titles
Superstar Billy Graham vs Pat Barrett
Bruno Sammartino (ch) defeated Ivan Koloff by CO to retain the WWWF Heavyweight Title
The “On This Date” (OTD) Cards Analysis Feature is a way for our readers to look back through the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel to see the way cards were constructed, the finishes, the number of cards that were presented and some idea of how many wrestlers were working in the various territories North America during the time period. In next Monday’s Issue of The Daily Chronicle, we will take a look at an On This Date (OTD) Analysis for the cards in 1986.
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, premium investors 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 Investors.
I am often struck by the lamentations of old promoters and what 'New York' did to them, stealing their cities, stealing their TV slots etc. What happened to Ann Gunkel was straight up theft. Not better promoting or better business, just a cold deal cut whilst Ray was being buried.
I love the history of pro wrestling and the sport has given me a lot of joy but it isn't unreasonable to say it is an industry of crooks and people of poor character. The power of historical reflections like your writing gives us the choice. To choose what we honour, choose what to remember and choose how our futures can be better.
Thank you Barry, it’s always great to hear from you and get your feedback and insights. What you said is spot on, I believe my job is to present the facts around things that happened and then record them for presentation and future readers and researchers to judge for themselves how they want to think about it. It’s not really my job to “bury people” with my writing but rather just tell the story and allow folks like you to make your determinations about the circumstances and people involved. I appreciate you my friend.