Sunday, February 24, 2013

"Mid-Atlantic" Wrestling on WGHP 1972

Clipping courtesy Carroll Hall at the All-Star Championship Wrestling blog.

The name of the wrestling show that was taped at and aired on WGHP-8 in High Point NC from 1964-1974 was "Championship Wrestling". But in 1972, Jim Crockett began changing the brand name associated with his wrestling to "Mid-Atlantic" Wrestling, a process that would be completed by the end of 1973.

Toward the end of the run of "Championship Wrestling" on channel 8, host Charlie Harville began referring to the program as "Mid-Atlantic Wrestling" on air, and the name began to pop up in ads for the TV show in the newspapers. One of those early ads using that name is seen above, from the September 17, 1972 edition of the Greensboro paper.

This was not long after the slow change began. The earliest reference we've ever found by the promotion to "Mid-Atlantic" wrestling is from March 28, 1972 in an add for a wrestling event in Raleigh, NC. (See that ad here.)