Recap

The long-running feud between Don & Al Greene against Jackie Fargo reached a fascinating point when Al Greene downed the area’s favorite Fargo in a hair match. 1972 though was the year of the tag team in the Gulas-Welch promotion as Don & Al Greene, Len Rossi & Bearcat Brown, The Von Brauner Brothers, The Masked Interns, Jackie Fargo & Jerry Jarrett, Tojo Yamamoto & Jerry Jarrett, The Bounty Hunters, Ron & Don Wright and Lorenzo Parente & Bobby Hart all had major runs in the area during the year. One other tag team, Jim White & Jerry Lawler with manager Sam Bass, debuted during 1972 and it was just the start of big things ahead for the trio. Meantime, area legend Len Rossi’s career was cut short after a December auto accident. Rossi would survive the crash but would not return to in-ring action for several years and then only on a very limited basis. 

1973

While 1972 was the year of the tag team, 1973 wasn’t far behind in that regard as tag team feuds packed in the crowds around the Gulas-Welch territory. The landscape of wrestling in the South was being challenged somewhat as the NWA promotion in Georgia was undergoing a promotional war. That war would impact the Gulas-Welch territory some in the next year or so as Johnny Walker, a journeyman wrestler who had headlined many area cards would leave to help the NWA promotion and Jerry Jarrett, a popular headliner with behind-the-scenes power, would bring the Tennessee style of ring action to Georgia in the behind-the-scenes role of booker there. Meantime, the area reeled from the late 1972 auto accident that shortened the career of top star Len Rossi. During 1973, the area began to be introduced to Nick Gulas’ son, George, a man who would have great impact on the future of pro wrestling in Tennessee within a short time. 

January-March 1973

The Southern tag titles began the year around the waists of Jim Kent’s Bounty Hunters. Tojo Yamamoto & Jerry Jarrett won the titles from Kent’s team before losing them back. Jarrett continued to be a thorn in the Bounty Hunters’ sides as he paired with Jackie Fargo to lift the titles again. A few weeks later, Jim White & Jerry Lawler with manager Sam Bass win the Southern tag titles for the first time. It does appear that for a time in January and February that the Bounty Hunters were billed as Southern tag champions on the eastern end of the loop while at the same time Yamamoto & Jarrett were billed as Southern tag champions on the western loop.

The World tag championship resurfaced around February with the renowned team of the Fabulous Kangaroos: Al Costello & Don Kent and manager George “I Am Right” Cannon claiming the titles. Some cards billed the Kangaroos as “International tag champions”. Near the end of March, Tojo Yamamoto teamed with area newcomer Ben Justice to win the titles.

Lorenzo Parente & Bobby Hart begin the year as Mid-America tag champions. Parente & Hart, managed at one time by Gentleman Saul Weingeroff, were at this point in time by Don Duffy. Eddie Marlin & Tommy Gilbert dropped Parente & Hart to win the titles in this time frame. As March drew near an end, Parente & Hart faced the Kangaroos in a match where the team that lost had to bid farewell to their manager. The Kangaroos won and manager George Cannon got to stay while, Parente & Hart’s manager, Don Duffy, had to leave the area. Meantime, there is also evidence to indicate that Parente & Hart lost the tag titles to Tojo Yamamoto & Tommy Gilbert for a time in early February although that switch may have only happened in Chattanooga.  More...