Local Promoters for Jim Crockett Promotions

[Baltimore Jack]

Who were some of the long-time (almost lifetime) local promoters that worked for Crockett Promotions over the years, and what towns did they run?

Only three immediately come to my mind:

Joe Murnick – Raleigh, NC
Pete Apostolou – Roanoke VA
Henry Marcus – Charleston, SC

There were many guys that served as local promoters in other areas for short periods of time. Sandy Scott and Danny Miller, for example, ran the Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville market. Would be interested in some of those, too.

Thanks!

[HardcoreHeroes]

baltimorejack said:

Henry Marcus – Charleston, SC

In addition to Charleston, I know Mr. Marcus also promoted the towns of Conway, Myrtle Beach, Sumter, Florence and Columbia.

I imagine he had most of SC that's east of I-77.

I think, too, the Murnicks had all of eastern NC.

[cwh47]

This is a sixties photo of Paul Winkhaus who was listed
in Wrestling Revue magazine as the promoter in Greenville,SC.
I also remember Charlie Harville would sometimes mention
George Harben as the promoter of the Lexington and
Winston-Salem shows during the WGHP broadcasts.

[dogthuhoops2k]

Who was the local promoter for Norfolk, Richmond, Petersburg, and Hampton? Murnick's name sound familar but the name Elliot keeps popping into my head. Any connection?

It's funny. Every body thinks of Jim Crockett as MACW and he was, but he had a lot of help from regional promoters. The only Indy operation that seems to follow that same formula, and has been successful, is CWF MidAtlantic. Jeff Rudd knows his stuff and has a nice business plan in place and it seems to mirror Crockett's to some degree.

[Sir Oliver Humperdink]

Joe had two sons, Elliott and Karl. Not sure about Norfolk, but the other towns were Murnick's I believe. Joe was a class act. I believe also that one of the boys are dead, now that I think about it. Karl, maybe? SOH.

[undertakerfan]

Din't Gary juster promot for some as keystone promotions.

[bluedevil71]

The Murnicks definitely promoted towns/cities in Virginia. I also recall that Sandy Scott, who used to reside in/around Roanoke, not sure if he still does, would be at the shows in Charlottesville, Culpeper, etc., in Virginia.

[RowdyRoddy]

I have heard from several sources that Sandy Scott still lives in the Roanoke Valley. The Roanoke Civic Center was built ing 1971 and played host to several great Mid-Atlantic cards in the 1970s and 1980s. Before 1971, the Starland Arena hosted wrestling cards in the 1950s and 1960s.

[RowdyRoddy]

I think Danny Miller was the promoter in Columbia, SC in 1983 for MACW

[Baltimore Jack]

Columbia was a Henry Marcus town, although Danny Miller was definitely the agent for a number of years for Crockett in the Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville market and other smaller towns in western North Carolina and the upstate of South Carolina. I'd be interested in knowing about the agents, too. The Greenville market had many different agents over the years, which included Sandy Scott and Johnny Weaver, to name two others.

From what I'm learning from research (and from being lucky enough to talk with a few folks that were in the business back then) Apostolou, Marcus, and Murnich were perhaps the only actual promoters who ran their own companies under the Crockett umbrella. Not sure about Paul Winkhouse, trying to track down some additional info on him. But I am in an area I admittedly am only beginning to learn about so all input is welcomed and needed. Thanks.

Interesting side-note: Several membership rosters for the NWA list the Murnichs as members of the NWA separate from the Crocketts.

[wildbill2006]

I know the Murnicks had a hand here in Richmond, I thought Sandy Scott did too.

[Baltimore Jack]

I received this information from Rich Landrum regarding the Murnichs:

"As you may recall from my interview for the Mid-Atlantic Gateway, I mentioned that Joe Murnich bought the Richmond and Norfolk territories from Bill Lewis's widow. Bill Lewis had run those two towns for more years than most can remember.

Now, here's the catch ... Joe Murnich's business card listed the promotion as C & M Promotions. I would have to assume the 'C' stood for Crockett . However, I don't ever recall seeing Jim Sr (he was still living then) at any of the Richmond, State Fairgrounds of Virginia shows. Or the Richmond Arena or old Parker Field (now, The Diamond), while I was doing the ring announcing for those shows in the early to mid 70's.

It wasn't until we moved to the Richmond Coliseum, that Jim Jr. started showing up, but not every week. However, the Murnich's' were still highly visible throughout that era. But, mainly it was Joe's sons, Elliott and/or Carl.

Other than Richmond, they also ran shows in Norfolk, Hampton, Charlottesville and spot shows throughout VA. Except Roanoke, which was Pete Apostolou's territory. In addition, there was Raleigh and other towns close to Raleigh."

We'll try to do a little research on Bill Lewis.

[Baltimore Jack]

Thanks also to Rich for sending this link:
They Make Wrestling Tick from NWA Offical Wrestling, 1952

In this article about various NWA members, it says the following about Richmond's Bill Lewis:

"Richmond, Virginia: Millionaire Bill Lewis is the big man here. Big in more senses than one. Big in ideas and big in poundage. Bill has kept fans coming to his arenas in Richmond, Norfolk, and other Va. towns for years, he has the faculty of giving his fans the type of entertainment they wish to see."

Rich also sent this to me on Bill Lewis in a seperate e-mail:

"Bill Lewis was a short, rotund man. In later years when I knew him, he walked with a carved, what looked like a bamboo cane. In addition to promoting wrestling he raised ponies and kept some of them in a pasture along the James River. Hence, later it being named the "Pony Pasture", which is now a park owned by the City of Richmond.

It's my understanding from a phone call I just made, his promoting days date back to the early 40's. The one match that stood out was a match involving Strangler Lewis, which was held outside at old City Stadium (Now Spider Stadium of the University of Richmond). Apparently, the match ended up out in the ringside seats, with Strangler Lewis's opponent getting a wooden folding chair broken over his head. Blood flew everywhere and the police were called in to stop the match.

I have had several old timers tell that story and I always wondered if the match was a shoot or not.

He drove a white Cadillac convertible and always had a smile on his face and a willing handshake.

Really a very nice guy."

[Baltimore Jack]

More information on Paul Winkhaus - Greenville Promoter in the 1960s:


Photo from CWH47 / WrestlingMemories.com

I received this information from a friend and fellow longtime fan Don Holbrook in Greenville SC on Promoter Paul Winkhaus:

"Yes, I knew him well. He was indeed Crockett's man in Greenville. He also handled Columbia, Asheville, Anderson back then and did a few other cities around here from time to time like Greenwood at the ball park and others. He was already up in years, we are talking late 1960's for a reference point here. He lived in Matthews North Carolina, outside of Charlotte and he was originally from Ohio I think. He told me that he was a sports writer for a newspaper somewhere before he got into wrestling. One thing I remember was how creative he was at writing press releases that he would send over to the newspaper here in town to go along with the ad they ran every week for Monday nights card.

Most of the years Billy Powell was ring announcer, he actually worked for Winkhaus. Billy would walk in the back door about 15 minutes before show time and he and Mr. Winkhaus would go over the line up and any changes or announcements etc.

I actually rode to Anderson Rec. Center with Mr. Winkhaus a few times on Thursdays. There was a period of time he was running a show there every other week or every 3 weeks or so. This was before I was old enough to drive. He used to stop by Greenville memorial Auditorium on Thursday afternoons on his way to Anderson. He also would run the tape for Saturday afternoon television by WFBC TV studio over on Rutherford Rd. on some of the Thursdays. I can remember running it in to the lobby desk at channel 4 for him a time or two.

He was a nice old man, to me, but he had a gruff sounding voice and back then wrestling was so believable that many of the folks around here would be on him the minute they saw him, complaining about the heels, one thing or the other!

After Winkhaus resigned, he died very shortly thereafter. He was interesting to talk to and he would tell me wrestling stories and at a young age. I thought it was so cool to have this inside track on wrestling."

[Baltimore Jack]

Some additional information on the agents that worked the Greenville part of the territory follwoing Mr. Winkhaus's death. This information is also from Don Holbrook:

"After Mr. Winkhaus died, there was a short period I don't think they had anyone because I can remember Johnny Ringley, Crockett's Son-In-Law coming down a few times, and once I remember Jim Sr. was here on Monday handling things. There may have been an interim along that time, I don't remember, but the next one I do remember was Sandy Scott. He actually lived in an apartment out on Wade Hampton Blvd. for a long while and ran the same towns Winkhaus did but also helped George Harbin with Spartanburg and more spot shows in Western N.C. Then Danny Miller came in when Sandy went back to the Charlotte office."