All posts by TGBL

Episode 32: August 28, 1982

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns alongside Roman Gomez, to take a look at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from August 28 1982, featuring:

* Wahoo McDaniel finally topples Sgt. Slaughter for the US title, and we get the genesis of Jimmy Valiant hair matches, in one fell swoop.

* The burgeoning House of Humperdink brings a very familiar face back to the area – as well as a very scary new one.

* The months-long reign of the Mid-Atlantic belts as the preeminent tag team titles in the area comes to a very quiet end.

* Roddy Piper’s redemption tour continues, as he teams with another former blood rival: Ricky Steamboat.

* Plus, tons of historical context, important results from around the circuit, incredible promos, and so much more on another exciting edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast! 


The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

Episode 31: August 21, 1982

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns alongside Roman Gomez, to take a look at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from August 21 1982, featuring:

* Another incredible week of television keeps August red hot for Jim Crockett Promotions.

* An obnoxious Ric Flair unintentionally talks himself into an impromptu match against Mid-Atlantic Champion Jack Brisco.

* The tag team you didn’t know you needed, on the mic and in the ring: The Boogie Boogie Man Jimmy Valiant and Rowdy Roddy Piper.

* Wahoo McDaniel continues to fight a championship war on two fronts, as he deals with both Ric Flair and Sgt. Slaughter.

* The House of Humperdink continues to swell, with a higher level still yet to be reached.

* Plus, extremely important results from around the circuit, historical context, incredible promos, and so much more on another exciting edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast! 


The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

Special Episode: It’s A Happy August Thanksgiving In Richmond

Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. Mike Sempervive returns with a very special edition of the show, celebrating wrestling history and memories! With a big assist from our friends at the Mid-Atlantic Gateway, we present to you exclusive audio of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling program – August 14, 1982 – that is not available on the WWE Network!

Ripped from the recording David Chappell made when the show originally aired on WTVR in Richmond, you’ll get to hear key happenings that would shake up the territory’s makeup. Jim Crockett Jr resigns his position as the President of the National Wrestling Alliance. NWA World Champion Ric Flair has returned to cause havoc. The Marines attack Wahoo McDaniel, tearing up his headdress – and threatening to scalp him! Roddy Piper, a week after being stabbed in the chest, has turned babyface and began soliciting help from some unlikely sources. Meanwhile, Paul Jones has turned dirty, joined the House of Humperdink and is thirsting for championships. History that could have been lost forever, will instead be played for you!

Plus, we’ll get a chance to hear audio from sister-program World Wide Wrestling, including local promos for an upcoming card at the Richmond Coliseum. In addition, we take a glimpse at the “River City’s” wrestling history, as well as reading your responses to the question of which Crockett-era Starrcade means the most to you!

The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

Episode 30: August 7, 1982

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns alongside Roman Gomez, to take a look at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from August 7 1982, featuring:

* Roddy Piper is stabbed in Raleigh; makes television the next day. We sift through both the fact and the fiction, including his imminent babyface turn, what the papers reported, what was said on TV – including a key angle on WTBS – and Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s spin on it all.

* We have two major championship changes, as Jack Brisco and Jimmy Valiant have claimed the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight and Television titles, respectively.

* Inserted promos spoil Sgt. Slaughter’s upcoming suspension exploits in Hawai’i (aka New Japan) and Paul Jones’ heel turn.

* As a bonus, straight from the personal archives of Dick Bourne, you’ll hear a frustrated Jim Crockett Jr resign as President of the NWA, and get the details on very special edition of the next podcast!

* Plus, important results from around the circuit, incredible promos, and so much more on another exciting edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast! 


The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 29: July 31, 1982

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns alongside Roman Gomez, to take a look at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from July 31 1982, featuring:

* Ivan Koloff provides a new match twist for The Boogie Woogie Man, as Matt Bourne looks for a way into the House of Humperdink.

* A made-over Bad Bad LeRoy Brown and Ricky Steamboat continue their war of words, while Jack Brisco hasn’t forgotten about the treachery of Mid-Atlantic Champion Roddy Piper.

* Sgt. Slaughter tries to fend off Wahoo McDaniel, and also plays promoter for an upcoming tag match.

* Roman & Mike open by talking about Roman’s trip to Jerry Lawler’s 50th Anniversary show in Jackson and the MLB Playoffs. (The proper show begins at the 11:02 mark.)

* Extremely important results from around the circuit, promos, and tons more on another exciting edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast! 


The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

Episode 28: July 24, 1982

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns alongside Roman Gomez, to take a look at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from July 24 1982, featuring:

  • The House of Humperdink begins to expand in somewhat peculiar ways.
  • Ricky Steamboat and Jack Brisco, as well as US champ Sgt. Slaughter, put in some work for the young guys.
  • Speaking of Slaughter, Wahoo McDaniel introduces him to his painful new challenge match.
  • This week’s show MVP for both colorful commentary and wardrobe: Ivan Koloff. 
  • One of the best comedic sight gags in Mid-Atlantic history engulfed by the Network overdub, promos, and tons more on another exciting edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast!
     

The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

Episode 27: July 17, 1982

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns alongside Roman Gomez, to take a look at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from July 17 1982, featuring:

  • In the wake of Roddy Piper’s conquest last week, Jack Brisco tries to get himself together and move forward. 
  • The House of Humperdink begins to come together, and connects with the Marine Corps.
  • Sergeant Slaughter’s face is suffering from PTSD after his battles with Wahoo McDaniel, and it’s causing him consternation. 
  • The return of Steamboat & Youngblood as a team, new gear choices, classic promos, and tons more on another exciting edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast!
     

The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

George Scott Booking Tri-State Special

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns with a special edition of the show. 

In late 1981, LeRoy McGuirk’s Tri-State territory, covering Oklahoma, Arkansas, and part of Missouri, was in upheaval, and on its last legs. Desperate to keep the territory going, McGuirk called on noted Jim Crockett Promotions booker George Scott to try and work his magic.

The attempt would only last through the first quarter of 1982, but featured a battery of very familiar Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling veterans, such as Paul Jones, Jimmy Snuka, Rip Hawk, Swede Hanson and Abe Jacobs, alongside a mix of youngsters and locals, which included Bruno Sammartino Jr, Chief Frank Hill, Porkchop Cash, Sivi Afi and Eddie Mansfield.  

Joining Mike to talk about all this is Al Getz, whose Charting The Territories website and podcast is unearthing valuable information about the region,  and is applying it to his two new statistical formulas, SPOT and FEUD. We go through changeover in roster, results, and the mass walk-out in August 1981 that led to bringing Scott in. Once the experiment ended, many of these same men would reappear for Crockett, either in the Carolinas or Knoxville.

It’s a fun and unique hourlong look on a critically under-researched area. One that felt like it was stuck in a time-warp, in more ways than one. 

You can listen to Al and his co-host Jon Boucher on Charting The Territories, available here: http://chartingthepodcast.com/. And you can view much more in-depth research that Al is doing, including helpful charts and graphs here: http://www.chartingtheterritories.com/

The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

Episode 26: July 10, 1982

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns alongside Roman Gomez, to take a look at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from July 10 1982, featuring:

  • One of the great Mid-Atlantic television programs in history – and arguably the best of what’s currently available on the WWE Network.
  • In a tour de force performance, Roddy Piper single-handedly sends shockwaves throughout the area, by baiting the entire babyface locker room into an embarrassing – and costly – trap.
  • United States champion Sgt. Slaughter and Greg Valentine both wrestle singles matches, plus the team of Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood gets back together. 
  • Piper’s all over the show on interviews, plus results from around the area, and so much more on another exciting edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast!

The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

Episode 25: July 3, 1982

Welcome to The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast. On this episode of the show, Mike Sempervive returns alongside Roman Gomez, to take a look at Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from July 3 1982, featuring:

  • Roddy Piper appears, with little explanation, as the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion. (He’s not, Jack Brisco still is, and we explain why.)
  • Greg “The Hammer” Valentine is back on the scene, ratcheting up the Q-factor of the bad guys in the area through the roof. 
  • Ricky Steamboat and Don Muraco appear destined to meet, as The Magnificent One gets “happy again.”
  • Two really good matches bookend the program, classic promos, and tons more to unpack on another exciting edition of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast

The Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.