1979 Rax Roast Beef Wrestling Mystery Solved....

[Dpeck100]

[Dpeck100]

It was long thought that the cards were handed out at Rax Roast Beef restaurants. It turns out they were only offered one night and handed out at this show.

[Dpeck100]

This is the poster for the show. In further research I have found that Graham didn't end up working the date. I plan to look for further information on the reported attendance that night. The promotion shut down a little over a year later so it makes me think attendance was starting to dwindle. No telling how many survived.

In a conversation with Bob from NY last night he said Shultz put out want adds for the cards in Tenn. with no luck in the past year. I am excited to learn that he did win the Shultz card that was auctioned off as he too desperately wanted one.

[Dpeck100]

http://x-titles.com/wc/years/1970-1979/index.html


1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Cover card (Coupon for free fries)
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - * Nick Gulas (promoter)
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Dennis Condry
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - * Mike St. John
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - * Tommy Sloan (referree)
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - George Gulas
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - * Len Rossi
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Hans Shroeder
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Robert Gibson
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - * Donna Bower
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Tojo Yamamoto
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Pat Smith
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Bobby Eaton
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - * Tommy Kerkeles
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - The Red Terror
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Tommy Resesto, Jr.
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Cheif Thundercloud
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Ken Lucas
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - * Tommy Resesto, Sr.
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - David Shultz
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Ricky Gibson
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Jerry Barber
1979 - Gulas N.W.A. Mid America Championship Wrestling - Prince Tonga
Note: Sealed sets were distributed to the first 1200 attendees at the Sport Arena at the Tenness State Fairgrounds on November 21, 1979.
Note: Non-wrestlers designated above with "*"
Note: Cards are unnumbered.
Note: Cards were sponsored by Rax Roast Beef Restuarants and Pabst Blue Ribbon
Note: Order the cards above shown in order from an opened sealed pack.

[Dpeck100]

Here is the famous clip of Dr. David Shultz slapping John Stossel. I had to have his best card!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrX9Ca7LSyQ

[aaroncc]

"Open hand slap"

[Bored5000]

Thanks for the information and scans, Mr. Peck. Congratulations on the pickup. What a great thread. I was not at all familiar with this set until opening this thread. On one of the wrestling boards I read, a couple posters from the Memphis territory have a cult following of George Gulas because of how bad he was. I never would have guessed that George Gulas actually has a card.

As a kid, I remember seeing the Dr. D slap of John Stossel when it aired on 20/20 and thinking it was just about the coolest thing ever. LOL

[spec]

David,
I have absolutely no interest in wrestling, or in cards this recent for that matter, but I thoroughly enjoyed this thread. This is what collecting is all about IMHO. Thanks for sharing.

[Dpeck100]

Here is a back scan.

[Dpeck100]

Originally Posted by spec

David,
I have absolutely no interest in wrestling, or in cards this recent for that matter, but I thoroughly enjoyed this thread. This is what collecting is all about IMHO. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the checking out the thread.

[Dpeck100]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennes...d_Sports_Arena



http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/def...?itok=6aI0IXig



Here is a picture of the venue and the historical information. In the wiki link it says there was a sellout in 2011 of 1,700 fans so the 1,200 packs offered were probably intended to be given to each fan in 1979. When looking at the Google images one link calls the venue "Tennessee State Fairgrounds Sports Arena. The worst dump imaginable and the best Wrestling venue imaginable."

[Dpeck100]

George Gulas


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfeK3SaJAmk


I had some fun looking for videos last night that feature him. Here is one. The guy definitely wasn't world champion material. I read he went to a draw with Harley Race! No wonder there was a war to win Memphis. You will also see a the crowd and how packed in they are and lively. I just can't imagine one of these crowds taking any care of the free gift they received that night. If they had I think we would have seen some signed cards surface from the sets from autograph seekers.