WDBJ-7 in Roanoke Builds Its Own Wrestling Ring (1961)

Wrestling Ring Is Homemade
Roanoke Times, September 23, 1961

Ch. 7's new regulation-size wrestling ring is a masterpiece of sturdy, yet intricate building engineering.
Built to professional specifications, the ring measures 18 feet square, with flooring of three-quarter inch plywood, covered with a foam rubber cushion one inch thick, and with a finished surface of canvas.

Support for the ring is provided with 2x10-inch timbers spaced two feet apart, with eight-foot corner posts of white oak eight inches square.

The ropes enclosing the ring are cable, covered with a good grade of rubber hosing tightened by means of turnbuckles which are fastened to the corner posts.

The ring is designed for easy disassembling, since it is connected with five-eighths-inch bolts, and can then be placed on dollies and rolled to storage in the adjoining prop room. Each Saturday evening after "Wrestling From Roanoke," the ring is disassembled and stored until the following week's match.

The construction of the ring is the handiwork of Charles Verna, of the WDBJ-TV staff, with the help of an assistant.