Welcome to another edition of the Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling report. This month I want to "flashback" and take a look at the year 1968. Just a couple of explanations before we start, the year will begin in the month of March. That is because the Gulf Coast promotion was presented in "seasons" each year prior to 1969. Each season began in late March and extended through the mid-November. No cards were presented in the winter months. This changed in 1968. Although the first card of the season wasn't until Wednesday March 20^th, they continued on through December and were year round after that. 

Also it should be noted that Lee Fields was still an active competitor at this point and the fans did not know that he was actually the owner and promoter of Gulf Coast wrestling. Fields had purchased the promotion from his cousin Edward "Buddy Fuller" Welch in 1959, but kept the fact a secret as he continued as an active competitor. Rocky McGuire, who served as the booker, was presented to the fans as the promoter of Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. 

MARCH: 

The 1968 wrestling season began with Eduardo Perez reigning as the Gulf Coast Heavyweight Champion. This was the third and final title reign for Perez. He was the very first Gulf Coast champion when he defeated Lee Fields (Albert Lee Hatfield) on May 22, 1957 in the final match of a 14-man tournament in Mobile, Alabama. Perez had also defeated Ken Lucas on February 16, 1966 to begin his second reign. At this point, he was in his third reign having defeated Bobby Fields (Luther Robert Hatfield) in September of 1967. 

The Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship was in the hand of the team comprised of The Scorpion & The Cobra Kid.  I have no idea who these two masked men were, and they did not stay in the area very long. The 1967 season had ended with the team of Eddie Sullivan (Ruben Huizar) & Ramon Perez (no relation to Eduardo) holding the tag titles. During the time off, Sullivan left the territory, so I am assuming that the Scorpion/Cobra duo was awarded the titles at the beginning of the season simply to serve as transitional champions.  

In order to determine number one contenders for the Gulf Coast champions, the Scorpion & the Cobra Kid, a match was set up between Lee & Bobby Fields against Eduardo Perez & the infamous Dr. Jerry Graham (Jerry Matthews). Graham had competed in the area and had held the Gulf Coast title for a little over a month the summer of 1961. He was better known for the many exploits while teaming with his "brother" Eddie Graham (Eddie Gossett). The Golden Grahams were multi-time World tag team champions and had wrestled all over the world. At this point in his career, however, Jerry Graham was pushing 400 pounds and well past his prime. And although teamed with the current Gulf Coast champion, Perez, the villainous pair was unable to get past the popular Fields brothers. This led up to Lee & Bobby getting a shot at the Scorpion & the Cobra Kid and their Gulf Coast tag team titles. The Fields brothers defeated the masked pair in straight falls on March 27^th in Mobile to win the Gulf Coast tag team titles. The Fields boys slammed the masked duo into one another and Lee pinned the Scorpion to earn the first fall. In the second fall, the Fields' were having fun battering their foes into one another. The fall ended when Lee & Bobby double monkey-flipped the hooded pair and scored a double pin.  More...