Georgia Championship Wrestling
July 5, 1980
Atlanta, GA
WTBS-17 Studios

The current GCW champs are as follows:
NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Harley Race (11/7/1979)
NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion: Baron Von Raschke (6/8/1980)
NWA Georgia Tag Team Champions: The Assassins (6/16/1980)
NWA Georgia Jr. Heavyweight Champion: Kevin Sullivan (6/8/1980)
NWA National Television Champion: Vacant (6/28/1980)

TIME FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT. That’s right. While this show is incomplete and jumps around, it’s available here on YouTube for all to enjoy and there’s enough action here to warrant a watch.

Your host is Gordon Solie.

We start off with a match where the Assassins take on Don Diamond and (Genichiro) Tenryu, but then the video cuts to Gordon Solie talking with Wahoo McDaniel. Solie brings up Mark Lewin and his Shanghai Sleeperhold. He hates to bring up Lewin’s personal life, but he’s married to an “oriental girl” and trained in the “Orient” where he learned the Shanghai Sleeper. Wahoo tells a story of Mark Lewin putting an Australian guy out of wrestling with this hold. He talks like Lewin gave a man a STROKE from this hold. Anyways, Wahoo will meet Alexis Smirnoff tomorrow night in the Omni. Wahoo instead talks about Tommy Rich taking Harley Race’s NWA world title.

The video cuts to Austin Idol and Kevin Sullivan hanging out with Gordon. Sullivan’s arms are JACKED right now. He says the only man he’s ever hated before was Austin Idol, but now he’s hating on the MEPHISTO CULT. Idol says he’s concluded that the Great Mephisto, Abdullah the Butcher, and Mark Lewin are DEVIL WORSHIPPERS. Solie sees this is getting out of hand and redirects Idol to hyping their match for tomorrow night in the Omni. They are gonna kick some @$$.

Now over to Dusty Rhodes in the Florida TV studio. He still totally trusts Ole Anderson despite everyone telling him Ole shouldn’t be trusted. In the Omni, Dusty and Ole will be meeting the Assassins in a double bull rope match. I would definitely watch that. Apparently, the tag titles are even on the line.

We switch over to Wahoo McDaniel. He hypes a big surprise for Tommy Rich later in the show. Solie brings up Alexis Smirnoff and Wahoo says he’s going to beat some respect into Smirnoff.

Next up, we see Tommy Rich coming back on Jerry Lawler in 1976 Memphis. Pretty epic little clip as Lawler sells some great punches from Rich.

Now we come to 1978 Georgia where Tommy Rich teamed up with Rick Martel. They are facing The Challenger (Len Denton) and Herb Calvert. The match breaks down and Rich leaps off Martel’s back to land the THESZ PRESS on Calvert for the three-count.

Wahoo stops by and shakes Tommy Rich’s hand before bringing his mother out to AWW the girls in the crowd. Rich’s mother has brought some pictures to share – and she’s got bare butt baby pictures. Good grief. There’s pictures of Tommy all the way up through high school. He’s got all the support in the world from his mother. Wahoo is putting his money down on Tommy Rich to win the NWA world title this weekend. While Tommy leaves with his mom, Wahoo sticks around with Gordon to further build to the conversation of Tommy Rich becoming the NWA world champ.

• Wahoo McDaniel vs. Charlie Fulton

Wahoo chops the shit out of Fulton. He gives him a great looking suplex for two. Wahoo looks confused and continues to chop. Another WAHOO CHOP connects, but Fulton gets his foot on the bottom rope. What are you doing, man? Fulton tries coming back, but Wahoo will not be denied. A third WAHOO CHOP finally ends Fulton in 1:18. Here comes Alexis Smirnoff to jump Wahoo, but Mr. Wrestling II cleans house. Ole Anderson shows up as well, but II has already taken care of business.

And that’s it for this week. Until next time, so long for now.