1980 Georgia Championship Wrestling: May (1/2)
Austin Idol goes for the World Heavyweight Title. Dory Funk Jr. wants to teach Mr. Wrestling II a lesson. The Baron works for no man. Plus, links to watch along!
Welcome to Georgia Championship Wrestling, in this edition you’ll read about Austin Idol, Harley Race, Mr. Wrestling II, Dory Funk Jr., Tommy Rich, Baron von Raschke, Ivan Koloff and Alexis Smirnoff, Kevin Sullivan, Tony Atlas, Jay Strongbow, Ernie Ladd, and a whole lot more!
Get caught up with April.
Current Champions (As of May 1, 1980)
NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Harley Race
Defeated Giant Baba (Nov. 7, 1979)
NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion: Austin Idol
Defeated Mr. Wrestling II (Mar. 29, 1980)
NWA Georgia Tag Team Champions: Alexis Smirnoff & Ivan Koloff
Defeated Kevin Sullivan & Tony Atlas (Apr. 26, 1980)
NWA National Television Champion: Tommy Rich
Defeated Austin Idol (Feb. 23, 1980)
Sat. May 3 Georgia Championship Wrestling
Tony Atlas and Kevin Sullivan interview. They have USA flags and are upset at Koloff and Smirnoff. Solie cuts to the previous week of him interviewing fans who smelled the odor when Atlas was taken out with a rag. It was ether. We come back to the studio and learn the NWA wouldn’t overturn it. They went to the Georgia Championship Wrestling Board of Directors and Bill Watts ordered The Russians to return and defend the titles tomorrow in The Omni! Sullivan thanks the people. USA! USA! USA! (Watch)
Rock Hunter, Alexis Smirnoff & Ivan Koloff interview. Hunter once was suspended for something similar but has no comment. American wrestlers are always making excuses. The only smell was failure! Hunter shows film of the Russians training. Ivan’s doing crazy bridges and neck rolls. They show the full effect of the devastating hammerlock. Good stuff to once again get over wrestlers as masters at specific holds. It reminds me of MMA and how everyone can do a guillotine choke but certain people are masters at it. (Watch)
Austin Idol interview. Idolmania all over the US. It’s the same everywhere he goes. He throws some Vegas glitter. The true stardust not that fat slob Dusty Rhodes. Idol throws foot powder. The closest Dusty came to being an athlete was rubbing it on his feet. He will be World Champion soon. Really good promo and he does feel like a legitimate World Champion material in 1980. (Watch)
NWA World Champ Harley Race promo. He talks about looting and holding people hostage being popular. Georgia is doing it to him. They confiscated his money and he won’t be held hostage! He’s the World Champion! This is the man. He used Idol like a puppet. He knows he can beat him and will do it in The Omni. Idol responds calling Race a two bit ham and egger. Race has ducked him for too long and he’s going to win it with the Las Vegas Leglock. They’re really consistent about the Georgia Title being the top contender and following through with title shots. (Watch)
Georgia Champ Austin Idol vs. Ricky Pierce. Idol throwing stardust around. He’s the real American Dream. Easy squash for him. His presence fits alongside all these heavy hitters. (Watch)
Hour Two
Gordon Solie informs us he’s wearing shades due to eye infection. (Watch)
Leroy Brown promo. He’s coming for Tommy Rich and Mr. Wrestling II. He’s the biggest and the baddest. He’s gonna chase Dusty Rhodes all over the South. He doesn’t like the South but he likes money. Pretty good promo. (Watch)
Tommy Rich vs. Mr. Tenryu. Rich's is knee back to 100%. Another Tenryu match where he goes right at his opponent. Rich wins a good one. (Watch)
Tommy Rich post-match interview. You gotta go crazy when someone goes after your knee. Every dog has his day and he’ll have his. He got a raw deal for the TV Title and he thanks Goergia Wrestling for holding it up. It’ll be Baron and Tommy at The Omni for the TV Title. USA is number one and he’s ready for a fight. (Watch)
Baron Von Raschke interview. American wrestlers are crybabies. Austin Idol out. Baron is representing him to win back the National TV Title for him. Baron says he's mistaken. Idol blows him off. Baron will stop the wildfire! (Watch)
Baron Von Raschke vs. Gerald Finley. There’s no Gerald. Instead Tommy Rich comes out and wants to do it right now. The match is on with Baron Von Raschke vs. Tommy Rich. Tommy explodes with great punches and a dropkick. The crowd is hot. Baron goes after his bad knee. Austin Idol trips Rich and Tommy goes after him for a DQ. Idol throws powder in Baron’s eyes by mistake and the blinded Baron puts the claw on Idol! Tommy Rich dropkicks them both. The crowd is going wild. Great segment. Baron post-match interview. He thought he had Rich. He’s upset at Idol. He works for no man! (Watch)
Dory Funk Jr. promo. Wearing a suit. He was asked to be a judge in the World Title match between Harley Race and Mr. Wrestling II. He did his job and it was II’s fault he lost and not his. II cannot call himself the Champion of Champions without beating him. Facing off Sunday at The Omni. Going to teach him a wrestling lesson. One of the best, most intense Dory promos that I’ve ever seen. (Watch)
Mr. Wrestling II interview. Two main events in one night. He has to prove a point to everyone who voted him champion of champions. We got to a Harley Race taped promo. Stay out of it. You may be a hostage too. Georgia is after him. He’s gonna straighten out some issues at The Omni. A Lights out match with Mr. Wrestling II after the Austin Idol match? You gotta be insane!! II responds saying no one is gonna kick him around anymore. (Watch)
Solie with some youngsters to see Chief Jay Strongbow. He thanks them all. (Watch)
Chief Jay Strongbow vs. French Angel. An ok win for Strongbow. (Watch)
Bob Sweetan & Jim Nelson vs. Mike Fever & Iron Mike Sharpe. Sharpe and Sweetan have issues. They both hit piledrivers but Sharpe wins. Clever finish. (Watch)
Ernie Ladd interview. Heel promo on Strongbow, II, and Tommy Rich. (Watch)
Ernie Ladd vs. Jerry Mahoney. Ladd squash. Post match interview. Ladd rips JYD. He ran him out of town. Ran ole out. Strongbow next. Mr. Wrestling II must be unmasked. In the territory setting up all sorts of matches. (Watch)
Other Results: Mike Sharpe defeated Buck Starr and Snake Brown. Bob Sweetan defeated Mike Davis. Tommy Rich defeated Austin Idol by disqualification.
Sun. May 4 @ The Omni
Lars Anderson defeated Rocket Monroe
Leroy Brown defeated Bill Dromo
Bob Sweetan defeated Eddie Gilbert
Mike Sharpe defeated French Angel
Jay Strongbow defeated Ernie Ladd by disqualification
NWA Georgia Tag Team Titles Match: Ivan Koloff and Alexis Smirnoff (c) defeated Kevin Sullivan and Tony Atlas
NWA Georgia Television Title Match: Tommy Rich (c) defeated Baron Von Raschke
NWA World Heavyweight Title Match: Harley Race (c) defeated Austin Idol
Champion of Champions Cup Match: Mr. Wrestling II defeated Dory Funk Jr.
Lights out Match: Mr. Wrestling II defeated Harley Race
Sat. May 10 Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Tag Champs Ivan Koloff & Alexis Smirnoff vs. The Avengers. Avengers are a masked team. Rock Hunter vows to unmask them. They attack The Russians. It’s Ole and Lars!! Huge pop for Ole’s return. He gets on the mic and says the time is over for The Russians! Great angle. (Watch)
Austin Idol interview. They show Omni clips of Baron and Idol getting into it after Baron lost against Rich. Baron attacked him from behind. They constantly pivot off of losses into new feuds. This also continues Idol being booked against heels. Onion head is gonna have to face him. The Georgia Title is on the line May 18 at The Omni. He wants his Idolmania fans to bring onions. Good promo. (Watch)
Ernie Ladd promo. Calls Strongbow a coward. His arm is in a sling. A great heel move as he taunts Strongbow until he comes out then attacks him with the “injured” arm. Tony Atlas makes the save to a big pop! Atlas cuts a promo on Ladd saying his day is coming and he’s gonna get his. Very good segment. (Watch)
Other Results: Kevin Sullivan defeated Tenryu. Baron Von Raschke defeated Jerry Mahoney. Mike Sharpe defeated Charlie Fulton. Bob Sweetan defeated Bob Garrett.
If anything is missing or incorrect, please let me know!
Credits: WrestlingData, Retro Wrestling Archive, Kris Zellner, Cagematch.