I just heard that Carolina Wrestling legend Johnny Weaver passed away today. I was lucky enough to be around Johnny a few times. On the times that I was around Johnny he was a class act. It’s a shame when a class act like Johnny leaves us. It’s just another reminder to me that that glory days of wrestling are gone.
When I got my shot in the Carolina’s it was Nikita Koloff who got me a try out with Nelson Royal. At the time Nelson was starting his own promotion called ACW. They were starting out on the NBC affiliate station WCNC in Charlotte I believe it was at twelve noon. I was supposed to work one match the night of my try out. It was only my second time in the Carolinas and I was booked for Crockett the next night in Norfolk. When I arrived in the building in Mooresville, NC it was packed. I then found out none of his scheduled referee’s had showed up. I had to do all the matches it was a long night for me. I also got the job and was the regular referee for the company after that for as long as it lasted. So I packed up the car and moved to North Carolina. I lived with Nikita Koloff for quite awhile. I had achieved part of my dream of being employed full time by a wrestling company.
It was a shame the company didn’t make it, it was under funded. It was a good company and Nelson was a good man. It was a shame that it was opened in a place that had been pretty much burned out by the NWA. I do believe people wanted to work for Nelson but when you don’t have the funding to put in the time it’s a recipe for disaster.
The other problem the company had was trying to push to many of Nelson’s students at one time. He had a good wrestling school but most of his guys had been jobbed out on Crockett TV. It would have been ok to push one or two but he pushed six or eight. He had some stars and they all worked hard but he tried to help to many people.
I can say this Nelson Royal was one hell of a worker even for an older guy he was tough as nails. I asked Paul Jones one time how good Nelson was in his youth and he said “I can tell you this you couldn’t out work him and you sure couldn’t blow him up”. If Nelson had just focused on the business perhaps things would have been better. Who knows it’s all hindsight but it was an interesting time in my life for sure. It created many stories which I am sure I will talk about here on the site.
This was a tough day the son of a legend was arrested for DUI this morning and we lost a legend just another sad day for wrestling.
The picture for this article is from a show in Yonkers NY. It was a three way dance with Nikolai Volkoff, George “The Animal” Steele and Thunderfoot #2 (Gene Ligon). The match was refereed by “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino
This has been a piece of my mind.
