Wrestling History Message Forum

[Larry]

I see where you have these titles as being renamed in November of 1973. I have been looking through microfilm archives at the Columbia (SC) library and found some newspaper clippings from mid October that refer to the regional championships as "Mid Atlantic" titles.

It is strange, though...in one clipping, the call the singles title "Mid Atlantic" while the tag team titles is still referred to as "Atlantic Coast" tag team champions.

The clipping in question appeared in The State newspaper on Tuesday, October 16th, 1973. The tag team titles were "renamed" to "Mid Atlantic" the following week.

Would you consider updating your website? I know it is only one month difference, but it should be accurate, right?

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Thank you for the info.

Heavyweight title was renamed in 73/11, and tag team title was
renamed in 73/10, right?

[Larry]

I think it would be safe to say that both titles were re-named in 73/10.

[Dan Poutsma]

According to the Mid-Atlantic Gateway, Eastern heavyweight champion Jerry Brisco was presented with the new Mid-Atlantic belt on September 6, 1973. So that's officially when the Mid-Atlantic heavyweight title began, although the site mentions that the title was still called Eastern in various ads and in other promotional material for at least another couple of months until all of the territory's local promoters finally fell in sync.

Also according to the Gateway, the new Mid-Atlantic tag team belts were presented to Sandy Scott and Nelson Royal on October 3, 1973 at the WRAL TV studios, the day after they won the Atlantic Coast championship from the Andersons. Their first "Mid-Atlantic' title defense was in Raleigh on October 9th against the Royal Kangaroos. It's certainly possible that various ads continued to call the title Atlantic Coast for a period of time like they did with the Eastern/Mid-Atlantic heavyweight title.

On another note, the earliest reference found to "Mid-Atlantic" in general is March 1972. The name was apparently used sporadically in various ads and promotional material up until the latter half of 1973 when they began making the final transition. In July the first issue of the Mid-Atlantic Magazine appeared, and in September and October the Mid-Atlantic heavyweight and tag team titles were established. And of course, the TV show "Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling" was developed.