A Match 2 Remember
Chapter One: First Ever CCTV Card In America
#PWHS #Article #Match2Remember #M2R #CCTV #FirstEver
August 1, 1971 - LA Times
California was a hotbed of Pro Wrestling in July of 1971 and Promoter Mike LeBell capitalized on its popularity on July 30, 1971 by not only selling out the famed Olympic Auditorium, but also selling 4000+ more seats by showing the card in two large movie theaters in Los Angeles. He was the first to pull this CCTV idea off (great speculation has swirled concerning the possibility that the Chicago NWA World Championship bout between Buddy Rogers and Pat O’Connor was first, but as far as I know, there has never been any definitive proof).
John Tolos had solidified his number one villain ranking by throwing blinding powder into the Vampire’s face, Classy Freddy Blassie, that hinted of permanent blindness in one eye. His tag partner Don Carson swore revenge and the revenge match was set with extra seats made available so all could see Blassie avenged. The Olympic sold out all 11,104 seats, with an additional 2,340 seats sold at the Orpheum Theater and 1,780 at Warren's Theater.
Here’s the card:
1 - El Sicodelico def. Apolo
2 - Shibuya & Saito def. Earl Maynard & Sunni War Cloud
3 - Mask Vs. Hair - Two out of Three Falls
Mil Mascaras def. Bull Ramos,
Two Falls to One
4 - Raul Mata def. El Gran Markus
5 - Grudge Match - Americas' Championship - Roman Gladiator Rules
John "The Golden Greek" Tolos (234lbs) def. Don Carson (242lbs)
(00:10:00)
The Roman Gladiator Rules were as follows:
- No time-limit.
- No disqualification.
- No doctor to stop the bout.
- No holds-barred.
- No referee in the ring.
- No surrender.
- The loser is the man who becomes so helpless his opponent is able to drag him all the way across the ring.
In the final fall a lady in the second row poured two cups of beer over Mascaras's head and he "was suddenly clear-headed," this act gave him the strength to mount a victorious comeback.
After the main bout Fred Blassie, with eye patch, tried to attack Tolos and challenged him to a grudge match in nearly four weeks time at the Coliseum.
There were more matches shown on closed circuit with Tolos versus Mascaras and Tolos versus Blassie. LeBell stopped the closed circuit after a Battle Royal in 1972 failed to sell out the Olympic.
Who knows if Mike LeBell dreamed of where this idea would lead someday.
John Tolos had solidified his number one villain ranking by throwing blinding powder into the Vampire’s face, Classy Freddy Blassie, that hinted of permanent blindness in one eye. His tag partner Don Carson swore revenge and the revenge match was set with extra seats made available so all could see Blassie avenged. The Olympic sold out all 11,104 seats, with an additional 2,340 seats sold at the Orpheum Theater and 1,780 at Warren's Theater.
Here’s the card:
1 - El Sicodelico def. Apolo
2 - Shibuya & Saito def. Earl Maynard & Sunni War Cloud
3 - Mask Vs. Hair - Two out of Three Falls
Mil Mascaras def. Bull Ramos,
Two Falls to One
4 - Raul Mata def. El Gran Markus
5 - Grudge Match - Americas' Championship - Roman Gladiator Rules
John "The Golden Greek" Tolos (234lbs) def. Don Carson (242lbs)
(00:10:00)
The Roman Gladiator Rules were as follows:
- No time-limit.
- No disqualification.
- No doctor to stop the bout.
- No holds-barred.
- No referee in the ring.
- No surrender.
- The loser is the man who becomes so helpless his opponent is able to drag him all the way across the ring.
In the final fall a lady in the second row poured two cups of beer over Mascaras's head and he "was suddenly clear-headed," this act gave him the strength to mount a victorious comeback.
After the main bout Fred Blassie, with eye patch, tried to attack Tolos and challenged him to a grudge match in nearly four weeks time at the Coliseum.
There were more matches shown on closed circuit with Tolos versus Mascaras and Tolos versus Blassie. LeBell stopped the closed circuit after a Battle Royal in 1972 failed to sell out the Olympic.
Who knows if Mike LeBell dreamed of where this idea would lead someday.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
A Match 2 Remember: Chapter One.
Author: Terry Kent.
Published: July 2014.
Article: #33.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
A Match 2 Remember: Chapter One.
Author: Terry Kent.
Published: July 2014.
Article: #33.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
[From the Editor
Ticket Prices went as follows:
- Olympic; $3.50 to $5.00.
- Orpheum; $3.00.
- Warren's; $3.00.
All three venues were sold out.
LeBell claimed 10,000 people were outside of the Olympic, because they could not get in.
There was partial ringside commentary pumped into the theaters with CCTV.]
Ticket Prices went as follows:
- Olympic; $3.50 to $5.00.
- Orpheum; $3.00.
- Warren's; $3.00.
All three venues were sold out.
LeBell claimed 10,000 people were outside of the Olympic, because they could not get in.
There was partial ringside commentary pumped into the theaters with CCTV.]
A Match 2 Remember: Chapter Two - Read Here.
Other articles by Terry can be Read Here.