For a majority of the 1900s, the Southeastern Coast of the United States from Virginia to Florida constituted a region dominated by four key wrestling promotional entities, Bill Lewis, Jim Crockett, Paul Jones, and Cowboy Luttrall.  Three of the four men were once professional wrestlers themselves, with Jones being the most successful.  This region balanced itself against the Gulf Coast region to the West, the Gulas-Welch territory to the northwest, and against Capitol Wrestling territory to the north.  The men were each bookers for the National Wrestling Alliance, and saw the organization’s best grapplers venture into their territories, especially the Sunshine State when the winter months dragged on just about everywhere else.

The first promoter to settle into his specific territory and find a niche locally with his audience was Bill Lewis, born James Arthur Whitefield on May 28, 1898.  He grew up in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and the occupations that consumed his youth ranged from carrying groceries to working as an apprentice for a respected boiler-maker.  After moving to Richmond around the time of the World War, he worked in a munitions factory before joining the Con T. Kennedy’s traveling circus as a concession salesman.  He met an old circus hooker named John Colonas, who had beaten him in several dollar a minute engagements during his taking on all comers routine in Texas.  Colonas, impressed by Whitefield’s prowess, advised him to journey to Omaha and continue his wrestling education under the legendary Farmer Burns.

Burns trained Whitefield for two months, and by 1920, he was a wrestling shooter that could hold his own.  He joined a circus in the role his mentor Colonas had been in, taking on locals for cash, and was highly successful.  A meeting with Ed “Strangler” Lewis offered the guidance to change his name to “Bill Lewis,” and James took the advice.  Claiming to have had 1,800 professional matches between 1921 and 1932 under guises that included a variation of his nickname, Captain Bluebeard and The Masked Marvel, Lewis retired and began to promote athletics in the Carolinas.  His promotional career began as early as 1928 around Greensboro,  but Richmond, Virginia became his homebase, and the outspoken Lewis was quickly fortified in a position that would garner respect from all corners of the sports world.

National Wrestling Alliance Members:

Jim Crockett was admitted to the NWA in September 1951.

Mid-Atlantic Wrestlers and Promoters:

Scotty Dawkins was a popular and personable wrestler in the 1930s.  He hailed originally from Monroe, Louisiana, born on November 19, 1907.  By 1941, he was an advance man for former boxing champion Jack Dempsey, traveling to cities to set-up the latter's appearances as a fight or wrestling referee.  Dawkins was well known to sports writers and promoters, and formed many lasting relationships.  His nephew Doug was a talented college football player and was likely the professional wrestler "Doug Dawkins" in the 1950s and '60s.  Dawkins settled in Roanoke, Virginia, where he opened up shop as a promoter.  He died in July 1969.

Articles:

Introduction of Jim Crockett to Charlotte

Obituaries:

Considered by some to be the "father" of professional boxing and wrestling in Virginia, Luke Moody (Luke Churchill Moody Jr.) died in February 1965.  Moody was a businessman in Petersburg, Virginia for decades.  He promoted athletics during the 1920s.

Longtime wrestler Angelo Martinelli, whose real name was Stanley Wiggins, passed away on July 6, 1976 in Charlotte.  According to his obituary, he retired 16 years earlier after a 25 year career, and became a local wrestling referee.  He had moved to Charlotte from Boston around 1960.  He was 59 years old.

Born in Italy and raised in the Clifton, New Jersey area, Jim Austeri (Vincent Austeri) became a well-traveled professional wrestler.  He died in Charlotte at the age of 72 on April 27, 1987.

Gene Anderson (Eugene Avon Anderson) died on October 31, 1991 in Charlotte at 52 years of age.

Tim Woods (George Burrell Woodin), who gained international notoriety as the masked Mr. Wrestling, passed away on November 30, 2002 in Charlotte.  He was 68.

Charlotte Wrestling Results:

Charlotte Wrestling Results - 1934