First off, I would like to apologize to Vince and to the KM readers for the hiatus of the Gulf Coast column. It has been a hectic couple of months and I haven't been able to devote the time needed to put together the type of column I like to present here. But finally, I'm back. 

This month I would like to return to the seventies after our "flashbacks" to 1968 and 1969 and take a look at the year of 1976. New NWA World's Heavyweight Champion, Terry Funk appears, as does future legend Randy Savage and the rest of the Poffo Family. Another family returns with a new version of the Bass Family and Andre the Giant returns to the Gulf Coast. And a certain popular "cowboy" comes home. 

JANUARY: 

The New Year saw a change in the television programming seen by Gulf Coast fans. After nearly six years of live studio tapings at WEAR Channel 3 in Pensacola, the TV show shown to the fans in the Pensacola/Mobile end changed completely. The show was switched to WKRG Channel 5 in Mobile. Channel 5 was the first station to feature Gulf Coast wrestling with it's "Wrestling Live on Channel Five" program from the late 1950s until mid-1970. Jack Bitterman, who doubled as the ring announcer at the Mobile house shows, was the host of the program. Now back on Channel 5, Bitterman returned but the format was totally different. Instead of a live or taped show done from a television studio, the live Mobile house shows were taped every Tuesday and edited into two or three different shows, with interviews filmed in the locker room and spliced in later. The Dothan shows remained the same, with the live studio program from WTVY in Dothan. 

The Mississippi end closed down completely after the departure of Cowboy Bob Kelly in late December of 1975. 

Another change came with Rocky McGuire and Rip Tyler taking over the booking on the Mobile end. Rocky was the longtime booker and figurehead promoter in Dothan and Tyler had been helping him on that end. With Bob Kelly gone, Lee Fields turned Mobile/Pensacola over to McGuire who had Tyler book for him. 

Bruiser Bob Sweetan was still the reigning Gulf Coast champion heading into the New Year, with the British Bulldogs, Lord Jonathan Foley & Sir Edward Heath, still the reigning Gulf Coast tag team champions. Duke Miller was holding tight to the Alabama State championship. 

Sweetan was embroiled in a feud with the suddenly popular Donnie "The Fonz" Fargo. Fargo had gone from his Hell's Kitchen street thug look to the look of a leather jacket wearing biker ala Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, the character portrayed by Henry Winkler on the popular TV program Happy Days. Fargo now flashed the "thumbs up" sign and said "Heeeyyy!!!" to his new legions of fans. And he was determined to strip Sweetan of the Gulf Coast title.

The title match between the two brawlers was a wild affair. Fargo had the upper hand until Sweetan tossed him out of the ring. As the referee held Sweetan back, Gene Lewis came to ringside and slugged Fargo as he was trying to re-enter the ring. This brought Rip Tyler out of the dressing room to aid Fargo, but it was too late. Lewis' punch had laid Fargo low and he was counted out of the ring. This allowed Sweetan to retain the Gulf Coast title.

Tyler revived Fargo and the two tied into Sweetan and Lewis and chased them back to the dressing room. The four clashed again the following week when they were involved in a four-corner tag team match. Four teams were involved, one in each corner of the ring. Two men would start out in the ring and could tag anyone in any corner. Once a member of a team was pinned or submitted, the team was eliminated from the bout. The four teams involved were Sweetan & Lewis, Fargo & Tyler, Duke Miller & Dandy Jack Donovan and newcomers Lanny & Randy Poffo. The Poffo Brothers were the sons of former United States Heavyweight champion, Angelo Poffo. Angelo was along as well, serving as the manager of his sons.  More...