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| An assortment of fold out posters from various Japanese wrestling magazines featuring many of the NWA champions that held the Ten Pounds of Gold. |
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Japanese Magazine Posters
Friday, September 7, 2012
The Great Pretenders
...pretenders to the throne, that is.
Here are some interesting photographs of some great wrestlers who came close to getting the gold, but in the end fell short. These photos show, however, that they left the ring with the ten pounds of gold for at least a brief moment in time, and no doubt the fans in the building where this took place thought they had seen the title change hands.
See more posts with other photos featuring great pretenders to the NWA title:
Here are some interesting photographs of some great wrestlers who came close to getting the gold, but in the end fell short. These photos show, however, that they left the ring with the ten pounds of gold for at least a brief moment in time, and no doubt the fans in the building where this took place thought they had seen the title change hands.
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| Bruiser Brody |
Bruiser Brody had fans in St. Louis thinking he had won the title from Ric Flair, and fans in Japan likely thought so momentarily when they saw this magazine on their news stands.
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| Mr. Wrestling II |
Mr. Wrestling II holds the NWA belt over his head in the crowd in Atlanta when it appeared he had defeated Harley Race for the championship. (Photo by Bill Christmas.)
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| Wahoo McDaniel |
Wahoo McDaniel pinned Ric Flair in Charlotte and left the ring with the belt. The decision was later over turned.
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| Jerry "The King" Lawler |
This is my favorite; Jerry Lawler not only left the ring at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis with the NWA belt after battling Terry Funk, he posed for a photo wearing it that appeared on the cover of "City of Memphis" magazine. The man is a genius. No wonder they call him The King. (Thanks to Dave Millican and Scott Bowden.)
UPDATE:
After this article was originally posted, Scott Bowden sent along this photo of Buddy Landel with the NWA belt, which was also a part of an article he had written on his blog "Kentucky Fried Rasslin."
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| "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel |
Buddy Landel holds the Ten Pounds of Gold high over his head after pinning Ric Flair in Greensboro in July 1985.
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See more posts with other photos featuring great pretenders to the NWA title:
- More Great Pretenders (featuring Jumbo Tsuruta)
- A Sure Bet to be Champion? (featuring Magnum T.A.)
- Another Great Pretender (featuring Mil Mascaras)
- Dory Funk, Jr. and the Domed Globe (featuring Funk, Jr.)
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I know there have to be more photos like this out there. If you have a photo similar to these of someone who came close to winning the NWA title (1973-1986) and want to forward it to us, please do so using the mail link on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway or send to us via Facebook.
Check out Ten Pounds of Gold, the book that takes a close look
at the 1973-1986 NWA title belt:
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Ten Pounds of Gold: The Action Figures
I would have become interested in wrestling action figures a long time ago if I had realized earlier I could do this.....
Yes, I turned 51 and finally started playing with dolls. But these are pretty cool! Shown here are Harley Race (love the 70s robe!), Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and Kerry Von Erich. A little work to be done for Kerry, will be outfitting him for Texas Stadium, and will update with that photo later.
Four down, four to go. I still need Jack Brisco (rare and expensive), Giant Baba (rare, and Japan only I think), Terry Funk (no figure available that looks like he did back in the 1970s as champion), and Tommy Rich (no figure period, would have to have one custom made.)
Yes, I turned 51 and finally started playing with dolls. But these are pretty cool! Shown here are Harley Race (love the 70s robe!), Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and Kerry Von Erich. A little work to be done for Kerry, will be outfitting him for Texas Stadium, and will update with that photo later.
Four down, four to go. I still need Jack Brisco (rare and expensive), Giant Baba (rare, and Japan only I think), Terry Funk (no figure available that looks like he did back in the 1970s as champion), and Tommy Rich (no figure period, would have to have one custom made.)
Visit the official website for our book at
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Terry Funk Q&A Excerpt
It's a good short Q&A and Terry's off-beat sense of humor shines through.
Q: I have recently read the book Ten Pounds of Gold: A Close Look at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, and in it -- if I remember correctly -- the night you won the title, it's mentioned that it was your brother Dory that was supposed to have the shot that night. I was just wondering how that came about? (Alan O'Melia, Halifax, NS)
A: That is correct and it was a ploy to get the better part of Jack Brisco. It worked very fine and it worked well with the fans down there in Miami too. One thing I'd like to say about the ten pounds of gold -- it's gone. Where'd it go -- all the gold? All of a sudden they got the belt back, the belt that had ten pounds of gold in it, and the gold is not in it anymore. That's a mystery. Ask somebody out there where'd the gold go? Ten pounds of gold. Where is it? Where'd it go? I want to know.
Follow this link to Slam! Wrestling:
Saturday, August 25, 2012
The Domed-Globe Version Chart
The domed-globe NWA world heavyweight title belt was actually a series of four belts that all had a connection to one another.
In the book Ten Pounds of Gold, there is a detailed chart (a thumbnail version seen below) that graphically demonstrates how each version of the belt was connected to the pervious version and the characteristics that made them different.
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| The exclusive version chart from the book. |
The belt was not all one piece. It was hundreds of small pieces attached together by a jeweler. Over the years, many of the pieces were replaced or repaired. But in the end, parts of the final belt (seen in the photos of the book) were on the original belt first worn by Harley Race (technically) and then Jack Brisco in 1973.
Ten Pounds of Gold is available in a gorgeous full color version as well as an inexpensive classic black and white edition, both with full color covers. Both contain all the same information and beautiful exclusive photos of the belt and the champions that wore them.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Behind the Scenes with Mr. McMahon
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| Photo by Dave Millican. Genius by Scott Bowden. |
We have a confirmed report from a source inside the company that the WWE is indeed now in possession of the 1973-1986 NWA world title belt (the "ten pounds of gold.") I reported in the final chapter of the book that they were rumored to have it, that it was on display during Wrestlemania weekend in 2012. No details available on the arrangement, whether it was purchased from Ric Flair or it is just on loan to them, but regardless I am pleased they have it. I was worried that some collector or fan would wind up with the thing at some point and the belt would not be treated with the respect it deserves. The plans are, apparently, for the belt to be on display under glass in the WWE Hall of Fame Museum when it is built in Orlando, FL. Updates as we get them.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Ric Flair and the Ten Pounds of Gold
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| Photograph by Sheree Spivey |
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| Photograph by Sheree Spivey |
Check out the book with all the details on wrestling's most famous title belt on the official Ten Pounds of Gold website: www.TenPoundsofGold.com
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Harley Race on Japan Cover
Harley Race is seen here on the cover of a Japanese wrestling magazine. The photo is from July 20, 1973 in Houston, Texas. Only moments before this photo was taken, Harley was presented the brand new $10,000 NWA world championship belt. He briefly posed with it around his waist before handing it to the official and defending it against Jack Brisco. Brisco won the title that night.
For all the details about that night in Houston, and all the back story leading up to that night, check out the revised and expanded 2nd edition of the Ten Pounds of Gold. On sale now!
www.tenpoundsofgold.com
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Night One for the Domed-Globe
This rare photo is of the NWA belt on the night it was first presented. It sits on the mat of the ring in the Sam Houston Coliseum on Friday, July 20, 1973.
This was the first version of the belt known as "the ten pounds of gold". It was on a wide leather strap encased in red velvet fabric. You will notice that the belt does not yet have the "Jack Brisco" name plate on it, which would be attached to the belt just below the word "WRESTLING." Brisco defeated Harley Race for the title that night in Houston.
The belt as you see it here was used until early 1974 when the wide velvet-covered strap was replaced by a black leather strap cut very close to the shape of the main plate of the belt.
These, and hundreds of other details about the belt itself and how it evolved over the years it was in service, are a part of the book "Ten Pounds of Gold", available now in its second edition.
What's New in the Second Edition?
NWA Champs in the Mid-Atlantic Era
The years 1973-1986 are wonderful years for me in pro-wrestling. Not only were these the years that Jim Crockett promotions identified their company as "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling", they were also the years that the domed-globe version of the NWA world heavyweight championship belt was defended in the ring. They were also, not so coincidentally, my favorite years to follow professional wrestling
The two eras overlap almost perfectly. These, more or less, are the appropriate dates:
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling:
Date began: 9/6/1973 - Eastern Heavyweight Champion Jerry Brisco presented with the first Mid-Atlantic championship belt in Greensboro NC. (See "The Origin and Evolution of the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship")
Date ended: 12/27/1986 - Ron Garvin surrenders the Mid-Atlantic belt in Atlanta GA after winning the U.S. tag team championship with Barry Windham. The title is retired.
NWA "Domed-Globe" Belt:
Date first defended: 7/20/1973 - The "Thesz" version of the NWA belt is retired and the new "domed-globe" belt is presented to NWA champion Harley Race in Houston, TX.
Date retired: 2/14/1986 - Ric Flair debuts the new "bog gold" version of the NWA belt before a title match in Orlando, FL.
Below are photos of the NWA champions during the "Mid-Atlantic" era.
For more information, visit "NWA Champions During the Mid-Atlantic Era" and "What's in a Name? Defining the Mid-Atlantic Era as 1973-1976"
For info on the "Ten Pounds of Gold" book, visit www.TenPoundsOfGold.com.
The two eras overlap almost perfectly. These, more or less, are the appropriate dates:
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling:
Date began: 9/6/1973 - Eastern Heavyweight Champion Jerry Brisco presented with the first Mid-Atlantic championship belt in Greensboro NC. (See "The Origin and Evolution of the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship")
Date ended: 12/27/1986 - Ron Garvin surrenders the Mid-Atlantic belt in Atlanta GA after winning the U.S. tag team championship with Barry Windham. The title is retired.
NWA "Domed-Globe" Belt:
Date first defended: 7/20/1973 - The "Thesz" version of the NWA belt is retired and the new "domed-globe" belt is presented to NWA champion Harley Race in Houston, TX.
Date retired: 2/14/1986 - Ric Flair debuts the new "bog gold" version of the NWA belt before a title match in Orlando, FL.
Below are photos of the NWA champions during the "Mid-Atlantic" era.
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| Images from the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archives: NWA Champs in the Mid-Atlantic Era |
For more information, visit "NWA Champions During the Mid-Atlantic Era" and "What's in a Name? Defining the Mid-Atlantic Era as 1973-1976"
For info on the "Ten Pounds of Gold" book, visit www.TenPoundsOfGold.com.
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