1974

[justahamandegger]

I was just kind of wondering why the boards were split at 1974? I understand the 1987 split.

Was 1974 the year Jim Crokett Sr. died? Or is this the year Ric Flair entered the Mid Atlantic?

[Baltimore Jack]

I'll defer to Hardcoreheros for the final answer on that for this board, but I imagine it's along the same lines as our reasoning on the Gateway to start coverage of the Mid-Atlantic period in 1974 because it’s the first full year where all the titles and TV shows and promotional material all had been changed to “Mid-Atlantic”. (The earliest documented reference of the promotion using the term Mid-Atlantic was actually in March of 1972. You can view that clipping by clicking here.)

For further info on this transitional time period, you may be interested in checking out the following:

Defining The Mid-Atlantic Era: 1974-1986

Origin of the Mid-Atlantic Championship

We've thought about backing that time frame up on our site to at least 1973, and will probably do so, but it will most likely be after all the other years from 1974-1986 are done, and as you know (because we hear it constantly), we are taking our sweet time!

PS - A better breaking point on this board for the back end might have really been 1989, as Crockett promotions was sold in late 1988 and from then on it was Turner's. But 1987 works, too, becasue the Mid-Atlantic Championship was retired in December of 1986.