1981 Georgia Championship Wrestling: January (1/2)
Dusty Rhodes is back for Ole Anderson, Tony Atlas pursues the World Title, and The Freebirds want Robert Fuller's car. Plus, links to watch along!
Welcome to Georgia Championship Wrestling, in this edition you’ll read about Dusty Rhodes, Ole Anderson, The Fabulous Freebirds, Ted Dibiase, Robert Fuller, Mr. Wrestling II, Tony Atlas, The Mongolian Stomper, Alexis Smirnoff, Kevin Sullivan, Steve Keirn, and a whole lot more!
Current Champions (As of Jan. 1, 1981)
NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Harley Race
Defeated Giant Baba (Sept. 9, 1980)
NWA National Heavyweight Champion: The Mongolian Stomper
Defeated Jack Brisco (Dec. 12, 1980)
NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion: Tony Atlas
Defeated Dennis Condrey (Oct. 24, 1980)
NWA National Tag Team Champions: The Fabulous Freebirds
Won Tag Team Tournament (Nov. 27, 1980)
NWA National Television Champion: Kevin Sullivan
Defeated Steve Keirn (Nov. 29, 1980)
Note: The Georgia Junior Heavyweight Title seems to disappear around this time. It’s never referenced on TV.
Thu. Jan. 1 at The Omni
Bobby Eaton defeated The Assassin
Jos LeDuc defeated Jerry Oates
Kevin Sullivan vs. Steve Keirn ended without a winner as a time limit draw
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Les Thornton (c) defeated Steve O
NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title Match: Tony Atlas (c) defeated Alexis Smirnoff
NWA National Heavyweight Title Match: Mr. Wrestling II defeated Mongolian Stomper (c) by disqualification
NWA National Tag Team Titles Match: Robert Fuller and Ted DiBiase defeated Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts) (c) by disqualification
André the Giant defeated Hulk Hogan
No Disqualification Match: Dusty Rhodes defeated Ole Anderson
Sat. Jan. 3 Georgia Championship Wrestling
Ole Anderson talks over Omni clips of him facing Dusty Rhodes. Calls Dusty a coward for hitting him from behind to win. Ole and Alexis Smirnoff take out Dusty and Tony Atlas. Ole is looking for a fight but they’re not in the studio. Tony Atlas and Dusty Rhodes give pre recorded comments about teaming up on the next Omni show on Jan. 16. Dusty puts over Atlas as a contender for Harley Race. It’ll be Race teaming with Ole against Atlas and Rhodes at The Omni. Dusty and Atlas are funny talking about who has soul. Back to Ole and Solie. They’re both gonna get it!
National Television Champion Kevin Sullivan vs. World Junior Heavyweight Champion Les Thornton. Les is billed as ‘The Man Of A Thousand Holds’. Steve O is on commentary. We get some bridgework and technical wrestling. Some real neat work by Les. The intensity heats up and we hit the time limit. A good match. Sullivan cheap shots Thornton after.
Tony Atlas interview. Ole stuck his nose in his business first! Ole attacks but Atlas fights him off. Solie apologizes. Ole is running wild. It’ll be Ole and Atlas today on TV!
Robert Fuller and Ted Dibiase interview. The Freebirds are dodging them and Michael Hayes is a thorn in their side. The Omni clips show a very hot crowd for this feud. Hayes got the Freebirds DQ’d to save the titles. It’ll be a Non-Title No DQ Match at The Omni. They’re vowing revenge for Plowboy Frazier.
The Fabulous Freebirds interview. They’re feeling beautiful. Hayes wants Fuller’s Lincoln Continental car on the line for another title match! Very good promo and stakes.
Mr. Wrestling II interview. Don't touch his mask! He’s fired up and angry at The Mongolian Stomper.
Mr. Wrestling II vs. Bobby Eaton. Young Eaton already has great punches and looks good. Eaton has to throw II over the top for a DQ. II runs him off and Eaton goes with manager Don Carson.
Georgia Heavyweight Champion Tony Atlas vs. Ole Anderson. It’s a big match for TV and it’s a good one. Lots of punches and grinding away by Ole until Tony fires back. Ole’s selling is terrific and he winds up bloody. It goes to double countout and a pull apart but it’s well worth seeing.
Fuller & Dibiase interview. They’ll put up the car! They’re gonna get the belts. Ted mentions his father. Real strong promo work from Dibiase and a good angle.
Results: Ole Anderson defeated Bill Dromo. Kevin Sullivan vs. Les Thornton ended without a winner as a time limit draw. Tony Atlas defeated Ron Cheatham. Mongolian Stomper defeated Pat Rose. Mr. Wrestling II defeated Bobby Eaton by disqualification. Ted DiBiase defeated Ricky Craven. Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts) defeated Steve O and Pat Rose. Ole Anderson vs. Tony Atlas ended without a winner as a double countout. Robert Fuller and Ted DiBiase defeated Chick Donovan and Ken Timbs. Jos LeDuc defeated Jimmy Jones.
Sat. Jan. 10 Georgia Championship Wrestling
Tony Atlas has been reinstated after last week while Ole Anderson is suspended from wrestling on TV. Ole Anderson gives pre recorded comments calling Atlas a front runner. Imagine Ole as Mr. USA? He vows that Atlas won’t get a chance at the World Heavyweight Title. He’s afraid of Ole. No one is going to stop him on the 16th at The Omni. Harley Race is coming too. A very good promo by Ole. Tony Atlas responds saying no one is going to stop him. He responds well to Ole’s derogatory remarks and gets big cheers from the fans. He’s going to take it to the street.
Georgia Heavyweight Champion Tony Atlas vs. Russian Assassin #1. I like Georgia’s in house style for TV matches. They’re grounded in wrestling, intense, and direct to the point. Atlas gets the mask of the Russian and it’s Alexis Smirnoff! There’s no finish. Atlas and Smirnoff shout at each other. Smirnoff is working with someone Atlas cuts a very good fired up promo on all of them. Tony feels like a huge star whenever he’s around.
The Fabulous Freebirds interview. They want that Lincoln Continental. There’s a film crew on location with Ted Dibiase and Robert Fuller to show the car. They want those Tag Team Titles so much that they’ll put it on the line. They have no doubt they’ll win. Hayes is fired up. They’re the champions and now they want their pride and their dreams. A great line.
National Television Title Kevin Sullivan vs. Steve Keirn. Solid match with good intensity and mat wrestling. Les Thornton is on commentary and mentions Tatsumi Fujinami. Keirn has Sullivan in trouble so Sullivan fakes and injury and throws him over the top for the DQ.
The Mongolian Stomper and Don Carson interview. Carson says that Stomper can’t stand masks. They show clips of him going for Mr. Wrestling II’s mask.
Mr. Wrestling II responds. Stomper made his point for him.
Results: Charlie Cook defeated Bobby Garrett. Russian Assassin #1 vs. Tony Atlas ended without a winner as a no contest. Steve O defeated Ron Cheatham. Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts) defeated Bill Dromo and Tom Hart. Robert Fuller and Ted DiBiase defeated Rocket Monroe and Gene Spurlock. Mongolian Stomper defeated The Masked Man. Mr. Wrestling II defeated Jack Poure. Kevin Sullivan defeated Steve Keirn by disqualification. Jos LeDuc defeated Ricky Craven. Bobby Eaton defeated Pat Rose
Fri. Jan. 16 at The Omni
Bobby Eaton vs. Charlie Cook ended without a winner as a time limit draw
Joe Leduc defeated Bill Dromo
NWA National Television Title Match Steve O defeated Kevin Sullivan (c) - TITLE CHANGE!!!
Steve Keirn defeated Ted Oates
Mongolian Stomper vs. Mr. Wrestling II ended without a winner as a no contest
NWA National Tag Team Titles No DQ Match: Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts) (c) defeated Robert Fuller and Ted DiBiase
Dusty Rhodes and Tony Atlas defeated Harley Race and Ole Anderson
If anything is missing or incorrect, please let me know!
Credits: WrestlingData, Retro Wrestling Archive, Kris Zellner, Cagematch.