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Post by RMF1973 on Jul 16, 2005 10:44:06 GMT -5
We just added an article and photo's to a new page on our site about the live Wrestling Show on WDBJ Channel 7 from Roanoke, VA in the 60's. Here is the link: www.wrestlingmemories.com/Roanoke.htmlThanks! |
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Post by kyle on Jul 19, 2005 12:03:33 GMT -5
I've always heard about these shows but was just a few years old when they stopped, so I never saw them. It was good to see the photos, your dad had shared one of them whith me after meeting both of you in Lenoir. My memories of Roanoke wrestling started with the next generation on WSLS channel 10 around the time that Flair first came in and Valentine was crippled in the plane crash.
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Post by finalconflict83 on Sept 21, 2005 18:17:32 GMT -5
Im from Rocky Mount..about 3o minutes south of Roanoke...is that the same Hal Grant that did the weather on Channel 7? WOW!! I never knew he was a fan..of course..I wasnt born until 1970..lol..by then all we got was Channel 10 on Saturday Morning/afternoon and Channel 13 on Saturday Night. Got any more pics from this time?
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Post by cwh47 on Sept 21, 2005 19:14:02 GMT -5
Yes.That is the same Hal Grant that did the weather.
We are looking for more photo's from this show.We
will post them if we find some more.
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Post by finalconflict83 on Sept 21, 2005 20:29:43 GMT -5
man..i was just a little squirt when grant was on channel 7....and victory stadium is soon to be torn down from what i read on the channel website...oh well..theres still the civic center...they too have some great memories of shows!!
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Post by RMF1973 on Oct 3, 2005 8:38:54 GMT -5
Hey folks! We just updated our Wrestling From Roanoke Page with some cards that our good friend Boris Zhukov/Jim Nelson sent us. If anyone out there has any information or memorablia from this area that would like to share with us we would gladly add it to this section. www.wrestlingmemories.com/Roanoke.html |
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Post by Baltimore Jack on Dec 7, 2005 11:21:30 GMT -5
I was just listening to some old audio tapes from early 1976 and Ed Capral (then the host of Wide World Wrestling) was talking about Tony Atlas and kept referring to him by his real name of Tony White. Later on, perhaps a bit embarrased, Capral corrects himself and apologizes to the fans and explains that all of Tony's fans in his home town of Roanoke VA know him as Tony White, and how when Tony wrestles at the Starland Arena in Roanoke, they blow the roof off the place for Tony. Kind of neat to hear Ed talk about Roanoke and specifically mention the old Starland Arena.
(By the way, Ed wasn't giving away any secret when he used Tony's real name. When Tony first started wrestling in Mid-Atlantic after being discovered by Blackjack Mulligan and Sandy Scott, he wrestled under his real name of Tony White, including numerous matches on Mid-Atlantic TV.)
(I know this post refers to something in 1976, outside the time frame of this thread, but I thought it would fit within the Roanoke thread.)
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Post by mofat152 on Jan 24, 2006 22:52:59 GMT -5
I spent many wonderful evenings at the old Starland arena. If you got a top row seat on the back wall you could watch X-rated movies at the drive in next door. Our weekend started on Friday night at the Lynchburg Armory and carried over to Saturday night in Roanoke. I also loved the occasional outside shows at Victory Stadium. Man I wish those good old days were still around. The modern pyrotechnics may be eye catching but give me the dim lights and cigar smoke of the old days!
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Post by cwh47 on Jan 25, 2006 7:46:30 GMT -5
Mofat152, do you remember about what year the
Starland Arena opened? Also can you tell us more
about promoter Pete Apostolou.Thanks.
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Post by RowdyRoddy on Jan 25, 2006 13:05:50 GMT -5
Is there any interest in putting together a legends convention with wrestling show in Roanoke?
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Post by cwh47 on Jan 25, 2006 13:49:54 GMT -5
Wouldn't it be great if a Saturday Fanfest could be
held there in the old Starland Arena building.All of the
wrestlers who ever performed there that are still with
us could be invited.
George Scott,Sandy Scott,Johnny Weaver,Rip Hawk,
Ole Anderson, and Killer Karl Kox are just a few of
the many that I would like to see.
I would also like to see any of the folks who worked the
undercard included also.Those wrestlers worked just
as hard as if they were in the main event.I won't ever
forget guys like Johnny Heidman,Red Roberts,El Gaucho,
Tinker Todd,Leon Baxter,Joe Turner and Bill Bowman
just to name a few.
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Post by mofat152 on Jan 25, 2006 21:11:27 GMT -5
Sorry, but no to both questions. The first event that I attended at the Starland was around 1969 or 1970. I watched Wrestling from Roanoke with my grandfather starting around 1959 or 1960 and I'm pretty sure it was in use at that time. I don't remember a lot about Pete but we met him once at Peter's Newsstand in Lynchburg (this was the local ticket venue) and my mother thought he was a very handsome man. Pete was usually at the Friday night matches in Lynchburg so I assume he also promoted these cards. I remember Pete making frequent appearances on Wrestling from Roanoke and recall some his favorite phrases were "This is going to be a pier six brawl." and "This will be a no holds barred match." I wish I could give you more info but thats about all I remember. Also, while on the subject of jobbers, there was a wrestler back in the early 70's in the Mid-Atlantic named Steve Regal. Does anyone know if he might be our present day WWE Steven Regal? Some of the other preliminary guys I remember were, Oni Wiki Wiki, Jesse James, Rock Hunter and the Amazing Zuma.
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Post by cwh47 on Jan 26, 2006 10:04:44 GMT -5
 Thanks for the response mofat152.I was able to get the wrestling show from Roanoke from Jan.1962 until it ended.I was able to confirm recently with old TV Guides that the show ended by Feb.1967.All Star Wrestling with Bob Caudle then began airing on WSLS channel 10 in Roanoke. Can you identify the timekeeper sitting with Hal Grant and Pete Apostolou in the photo above?I can't remember seeing him on camera and if his name was mentioned during the years I watched the show,I just forgot what it was. Thanks |
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Post by mofat152 on Jan 26, 2006 22:06:18 GMT -5
No, I can't make out the face and I doubt if my memory is good enough to remember the timkeeper anyway. Thanks for the info on when the show changed names. I really can't keep up with when one program changed to another. I got to thinking while we were mentioning preliminary wrestler and wonder if you might know the name of a guy who had a latin name and wore a beard. He wrestled in the Mid-Atlantic area around the early 70's. It wasn't El Gaucho or Pampero Firpo but he put on a great show, always interacting with the fans.
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Post by cwh47 on Jan 27, 2006 7:40:42 GMT -5
Pancho Valdez is the first one that comes to mind.
His brother Pedro also came in and joined him for
a while around 1969.
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