NWA Member: Paul Jones Admitted to Organization: November 26, 1949 Atlanta Office: 76 Houston St., N.E. Atlanta Office: 310 Chester Avenue (1976) (GCW) Jones' Address: White House Inn, 70 Houston St. N.E. (Penthouse) (1976) Phone Number: Cypress 6880, Cypress 0792 (1955) NWA Member: Fred Ward Admitted to Organization: Columbus Office: 1028 Front Avenue Corporation Name: Fred Ward Sports Promotions Sam Muchnick notified the NWA membership on December 22, 1949 that Jones had contacted him, saying that Billy Wolfe "booked some girls for a fellow running opposition to him." Muchnick stated that he wrote Wolfe about it. Two days later, Muchnick followed up on this story with another bulletin, claiming that Wolfe had booked women to promoter Tommy Ward in George for "several years." Muchnick said that "as long as he does not run opposition to Paul Jones in Atlanta or any other town that Paul has been booking, Billy is entirely within his rights." In 1957, Jones worked a deal with former NWA member Joe Gunther in New Orleans to provide talent to local promoter Ernestine Murtagh. This arrangement would send Atlanta wrestlers into New Orleans beginning on February 28, 1957. In promotions, a high class of grappling talent was promised, and Jones attended the initial program to oversee the transition. A photo of promoter Paul Jones appeared in the February 1959 edition of Wrestling Life magazine as he checked the masked head of The Great Bolo, "pro wrestling's most feared and famous mask man!" The magazine claimed that Bobo had "crippled 15 wrestlers," and was "barred in 21 states." A.B.C. Booking, Inc. was incorporated in Georgia on June 27, 1968 with the intention of "promote, sponsor, manager, contract, and present public entertainment." Mid-South Sports, Inc. was incorporated in Georgia on November 22, 1972 and the initial board of directors were Paul Jones of Atlanta, Roy Welch of Griffin, and Lester Welch of Barnsville, Georgia. The company was established to handle the "business of wrestling, entertainment and atheletic (sic) events, including concessionaires, and to do all acts and things necessary, convenient, expedient, ancillary or in aid to the accomplishment of the foregoing," according to the articles of incorporation filed with the state. 200 shares worth $10.00 per share were initially issued. On March 29, 1974, Mid-South Sports, Inc. altered the name of the corporation to, "Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc." Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc. was formally dissolved on December 18, 1986. The officers of the company, when it dissolved, were Vincent K. McMahon (President), Linda E. McMahon (Executive Vice President), and Otto F. Feil III (Secretary) Read more about the case Jim Wilson filed against the National Wrestling Alliance, Paul Jones and others here. In the mid-to-late 1970s, Sam Muchnick believed that Atlanta was the "leading wrestling city," as it was "drawing capacity and near capacity crowds at the City Auditorium or the Omni every Friday." Research by Tim Hornbaker |
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