| GEORGIA WRESTLING AWARDS |
Beginning at the end of 2009, GWH began polling those in the business as well as fans to honor those participating in the business in
the state of Georgia, and will continue to do so on an annual basis. Winners for 2009 are listed below:
the state of Georgia, and will continue to do so on an annual basis. Winners for 2009 are listed below:
VOTED ON BY COLLEAGUES AND GWH STAFF MEMBERS
VOTED ON BY FANS
VOTED ON BY COLLEAGUES, FANS, AND GWH STAFF MEMBERS
Ray Gunkel Award for Best Overall Wrestler: Phil Shatter
Ray Gunkel was not only an electrifying performer with the ability to get over huge with the fans, but he was also an excellent mat
technician.
An alumnus of Purdue University, where he also played football, he was a two-time All American wrestler on the college level, going
undefeated in his junior and senior years and leading the Boilermakers wrestling program to the Big Ten title twice. He finished second
to Dick Hutton in the NCAA Finals, and was also national champion for the AAU in 1947 and 1948.
Combining his ability to bring an air of legitimacy to the pro ranks inside the ring, it was also his clean-cut, good-looks that helped to
make him the longest running babyface in Georgia wrestling between 1958 and his untimely death in 1972 that made him arguably the
best overall wrestler in the history of professional wrestling in the state.
Tommy Rich Award for Best Performer: Shadow Jackson
Tommy Rich was never mistaken as a great technical wrestler, but his ability to get himself over as a massive babyface, while also being
able to draw unprecedented heat when programmed as a heel, made him the great performer he was during his prime.
Although he spent most of his time in Georgia and Memphis, he was one of the most sought-after wrestlers by promoters all over the
country looking to do big business, and he never failed to disappoint.
There were times when Rich seemed to have the same magnetism of Elvis Presley or the Beatles wherever he appeared simply
because of how he came across as a national wrestling superstar on TBS in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Tim Woods Award for Best Technician: Kyle Matthews
Tim 'Mr. Wrestling' Woods was perhaps the finest mat technician Georgia fans had the pleasure to watch on a long term basis. While his
promo skills were nothing to write home about, he still was one of the more popular wrestlers of fans because of his legitimate amateur
background and the skills he displayed in the ring.
He won three AAU titles in the 1950s, and also was named an All-American twice while wrestling for Michigan State University. While at
MSU, Woods was a Big Ten conference champion in 1958 and runner-up the following year.
Woods turned professional and brought that strong amateur background to the pro ranks, and never looked back. For more than twenty
years, many of them as a top wrestler on the Georgia scene, he was arguably one of the best mat wrestlers during his era.
Assassins Award for Best Tag Team or Stable: Talent & Money (J.T. Talent & Drew Pendleton III)
When it comes to longevity and success as a tag team in the history of wrestling in Georgia, no unit comes close to that of the original
Assassins team, Tom Renesto and Jody Hamilton. No one team who ever appeared in Georgia had the type of chemistry they did in the
ring, nor can another group boast of having the ability to remain at the top of the heap for as long.
Renesto and Hamilton first teamed together in Georgia as the Assassins in 1961, and maintained a successful run unequaled by any
team until their final matches together in 1974. Not only were they able to make a match look like a shoot, they also were both masters on
promos, drawing huge pops from the crowd no matter which side of the fence they happened to be on at the time.
Brad Armstrong / A.J. Styles Award for Most Improved Wrestler: J.T. Talent
Brad Armstrong and A.J. Styles were arguably the most successful homegrown pro wrestlers who went on to the greatest level of
success during their eras. It was their work on the Georgia scene during their early years that made it possible to shine on a larger level.
Armstrong, who began in 1980 working as a partner with his father Bob, worked for several years in Georgia honing his skills and
preparing himself to move on when wrestling became a national sport, and although he may never have reached the top of the heap, he
is easily one of the most respected wrestlers by his peers of his era.
Styles, who has become arguably one of the few great mat wrestlers of the current scene, also learned his trade in our state. When
opportunity for bigger things came calling, he answered, and has not failed to disappoint, earning the respect of his peers and fans all
over the world today.
Jack Crawford / Gary Hart Award for Best Manager or Valet: Jeff G. Bailey
When it comes to managers, valets, or simply seconds, no one could compare to 'Dandy' Jack Crawford or 'Playboy' Gary Hart in Georgia.
A manager's role in pro wrestling has primarily always been meant to have someone to get others over, but when they can also draw heat
to themselves in such intense ways as Crawford and Hart, they are meeting all the requirements necessary.
Crawford was the most successful manager at exceeding those expectations in the 1960s, portraying the wronged manager just looking
out for his charge's best interests and failing to understand why the hatred came their way. The perfect cowardly heel with a golden voice,
Crawford gave as good as he received.
Hart was more villainous and evil than his cowardly counterpart, and drew more heat than anyone in Georgia during the 1970s and early
1980s. He could speak better than most, and did so in such a maniacal way that fans both hated and feared him, afraid he could really
accomplish those dastardly goals he so proudly predicted.
Fred Ward / Jim Barnett Award for Best Promoter: Scott East
A great promoter is one who consistently present successful shows, has a great reputation with the fans, and most importantly,
maintains credibility with the talent. Fred Ward and Jim Barnett were perfect examples of this, evidenced by the fact that decades after
their last significant work was completed, they are still spoken of with great respect by those who worked for them.
Ward ran regular cards in middle Georgia for some forty years, with Columbus and Macon being his primary towns on the circuit.
Although he was affiliated with the main office in Atlanta, he had his own television deals in both towns, and is remembered fondly for
being a man of integrity who gave many their beginnings, but always openly shared his success with those who made it possible.
Barnett, regarded highly for his innovations in the wrestling business, helped make many stars in Georgia during the 1970s and 1980s,
with help from national television exposure. His abilities to rub the right elbows politically, and his knowledge of how to not just produce a
quality program but also analyze and understand ratings and how to use them, made him one of the most revered figures in the
business.
Ole Anderson / Leo Garibaldi Award for Best Booker: Rob Adonis
Without a booker, pro wrestling would resemble amateur wrestling, and although interesting, it wouldn't be good for business. Two of the
best storyline writers with innovative angles in Georgia history were Ole Anderson and Leo Garibaldi.
Anderson booked for the Atlanta NWA office for eight years, minus a brief break in 1980-81, and those years were the largest
money-makers for the company. Anderson booked some of the most legendary angles that are still fondly recalled today among the older
fans.
Garibaldi, a legendary booker at every stop during his career, was the creative mind in Georgia during the mid-to-late 1960s, a period
when Atlanta made its most money in the company's history at that point. Fans of that era constantly cite Garibaldi's innovative ideas, and
industry-wide, Garibaldi is arguably remembered as the best booker the business ever had.
Paul Jones / Bill Behrens Award for Best Promotion: NWA Anarchy
A good promotion is one that brings the fans a consistent product with strong production. It must also be loaded with solid talent and
compelling reasons to keep fans coming back.
Jones, although a figurehead for the better part of his forty years of promotion in Georgia, took these pieces and put them all together
early, making the NWA office in Atlanta one of the premier places for a wrestler to work. Even when he pulled back from the day-to-day
operations, he still managed to stay involved enough to help those who worked for him to make the territory the place to be.
Behrens did the same, but in a much different time and under extremely more difficult circumstances to have a successful promotion. His
longevity and innovations while at the helm of NWA Wildside made the company a launching pad for many of today's top stars, and has
made the Wildside/Anarchy group a worldwide promotion with the help of the Internet.
Gordon Solie / Ed Capral Award for Best Announcer: Greg Hunter
For more than thirty years, televised wrestling was a major event in Atlanta homes, and there were primarily two announcers during that
time who called the action. A wrestling announcer is a key part to a promotion, especially in the area of television, as they are the voice not
only describing the action, but they are also the person responsible for making certain the wrestlers get over, and that the fan
understands exactly what is happening.
Gordon Solie is perhaps most remembered by Georgia fans as the voice of GCW during the 1970s and 1980s. His fan base far
exceeded the territory, as he called the action for other companies as well, but it was the TBS exposure that led to him being as much a
household name as anyone in the business. His approach to calling the action in a legitimate way, as if the wrestlers were truly
competing, added to the believability of the programs and the business itself.
Before Solie, it was Ed Capral who provided fans in their living rooms with the calls, and he came across as everyone's friend in doing
so. Capral's smooth delivery and ability to call it as he saw it, made fans feel as though he were in their own homes, bringing the action to
life.
Charlie Harben / Charlie Smith Award for Best Referee: Jeff McGowan
The best referee is one barely noticed, but that can add a sense of legitimacy to the matches as though they were true competitions. They
also must maintain a modicum of control and temperament, while never becoming part of the action.
Over three decades, Charlie Harben was a key figure in Georgia wrestling, with most of those wearing the stripes. Charlie Smith, has
spent parts of six decades refereeing matches in the state. Both managed to meet all of the aforementioned criteria, and were highly
respected for their ability to not only make a match and its wrestlers look good, but they also brought an air of reality to their work, never
letting the business look foolish under their watch (when they could see it, of course).
Ray Gunkel was not only an electrifying performer with the ability to get over huge with the fans, but he was also an excellent mat
technician.
An alumnus of Purdue University, where he also played football, he was a two-time All American wrestler on the college level, going
undefeated in his junior and senior years and leading the Boilermakers wrestling program to the Big Ten title twice. He finished second
to Dick Hutton in the NCAA Finals, and was also national champion for the AAU in 1947 and 1948.
Combining his ability to bring an air of legitimacy to the pro ranks inside the ring, it was also his clean-cut, good-looks that helped to
make him the longest running babyface in Georgia wrestling between 1958 and his untimely death in 1972 that made him arguably the
best overall wrestler in the history of professional wrestling in the state.
Tommy Rich Award for Best Performer: Shadow Jackson
Tommy Rich was never mistaken as a great technical wrestler, but his ability to get himself over as a massive babyface, while also being
able to draw unprecedented heat when programmed as a heel, made him the great performer he was during his prime.
Although he spent most of his time in Georgia and Memphis, he was one of the most sought-after wrestlers by promoters all over the
country looking to do big business, and he never failed to disappoint.
There were times when Rich seemed to have the same magnetism of Elvis Presley or the Beatles wherever he appeared simply
because of how he came across as a national wrestling superstar on TBS in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Tim Woods Award for Best Technician: Kyle Matthews
Tim 'Mr. Wrestling' Woods was perhaps the finest mat technician Georgia fans had the pleasure to watch on a long term basis. While his
promo skills were nothing to write home about, he still was one of the more popular wrestlers of fans because of his legitimate amateur
background and the skills he displayed in the ring.
He won three AAU titles in the 1950s, and also was named an All-American twice while wrestling for Michigan State University. While at
MSU, Woods was a Big Ten conference champion in 1958 and runner-up the following year.
Woods turned professional and brought that strong amateur background to the pro ranks, and never looked back. For more than twenty
years, many of them as a top wrestler on the Georgia scene, he was arguably one of the best mat wrestlers during his era.
Assassins Award for Best Tag Team or Stable: Talent & Money (J.T. Talent & Drew Pendleton III)
When it comes to longevity and success as a tag team in the history of wrestling in Georgia, no unit comes close to that of the original
Assassins team, Tom Renesto and Jody Hamilton. No one team who ever appeared in Georgia had the type of chemistry they did in the
ring, nor can another group boast of having the ability to remain at the top of the heap for as long.
Renesto and Hamilton first teamed together in Georgia as the Assassins in 1961, and maintained a successful run unequaled by any
team until their final matches together in 1974. Not only were they able to make a match look like a shoot, they also were both masters on
promos, drawing huge pops from the crowd no matter which side of the fence they happened to be on at the time.
Brad Armstrong / A.J. Styles Award for Most Improved Wrestler: J.T. Talent
Brad Armstrong and A.J. Styles were arguably the most successful homegrown pro wrestlers who went on to the greatest level of
success during their eras. It was their work on the Georgia scene during their early years that made it possible to shine on a larger level.
Armstrong, who began in 1980 working as a partner with his father Bob, worked for several years in Georgia honing his skills and
preparing himself to move on when wrestling became a national sport, and although he may never have reached the top of the heap, he
is easily one of the most respected wrestlers by his peers of his era.
Styles, who has become arguably one of the few great mat wrestlers of the current scene, also learned his trade in our state. When
opportunity for bigger things came calling, he answered, and has not failed to disappoint, earning the respect of his peers and fans all
over the world today.
Jack Crawford / Gary Hart Award for Best Manager or Valet: Jeff G. Bailey
When it comes to managers, valets, or simply seconds, no one could compare to 'Dandy' Jack Crawford or 'Playboy' Gary Hart in Georgia.
A manager's role in pro wrestling has primarily always been meant to have someone to get others over, but when they can also draw heat
to themselves in such intense ways as Crawford and Hart, they are meeting all the requirements necessary.
Crawford was the most successful manager at exceeding those expectations in the 1960s, portraying the wronged manager just looking
out for his charge's best interests and failing to understand why the hatred came their way. The perfect cowardly heel with a golden voice,
Crawford gave as good as he received.
Hart was more villainous and evil than his cowardly counterpart, and drew more heat than anyone in Georgia during the 1970s and early
1980s. He could speak better than most, and did so in such a maniacal way that fans both hated and feared him, afraid he could really
accomplish those dastardly goals he so proudly predicted.
Fred Ward / Jim Barnett Award for Best Promoter: Scott East
A great promoter is one who consistently present successful shows, has a great reputation with the fans, and most importantly,
maintains credibility with the talent. Fred Ward and Jim Barnett were perfect examples of this, evidenced by the fact that decades after
their last significant work was completed, they are still spoken of with great respect by those who worked for them.
Ward ran regular cards in middle Georgia for some forty years, with Columbus and Macon being his primary towns on the circuit.
Although he was affiliated with the main office in Atlanta, he had his own television deals in both towns, and is remembered fondly for
being a man of integrity who gave many their beginnings, but always openly shared his success with those who made it possible.
Barnett, regarded highly for his innovations in the wrestling business, helped make many stars in Georgia during the 1970s and 1980s,
with help from national television exposure. His abilities to rub the right elbows politically, and his knowledge of how to not just produce a
quality program but also analyze and understand ratings and how to use them, made him one of the most revered figures in the
business.
Ole Anderson / Leo Garibaldi Award for Best Booker: Rob Adonis
Without a booker, pro wrestling would resemble amateur wrestling, and although interesting, it wouldn't be good for business. Two of the
best storyline writers with innovative angles in Georgia history were Ole Anderson and Leo Garibaldi.
Anderson booked for the Atlanta NWA office for eight years, minus a brief break in 1980-81, and those years were the largest
money-makers for the company. Anderson booked some of the most legendary angles that are still fondly recalled today among the older
fans.
Garibaldi, a legendary booker at every stop during his career, was the creative mind in Georgia during the mid-to-late 1960s, a period
when Atlanta made its most money in the company's history at that point. Fans of that era constantly cite Garibaldi's innovative ideas, and
industry-wide, Garibaldi is arguably remembered as the best booker the business ever had.
Paul Jones / Bill Behrens Award for Best Promotion: NWA Anarchy
A good promotion is one that brings the fans a consistent product with strong production. It must also be loaded with solid talent and
compelling reasons to keep fans coming back.
Jones, although a figurehead for the better part of his forty years of promotion in Georgia, took these pieces and put them all together
early, making the NWA office in Atlanta one of the premier places for a wrestler to work. Even when he pulled back from the day-to-day
operations, he still managed to stay involved enough to help those who worked for him to make the territory the place to be.
Behrens did the same, but in a much different time and under extremely more difficult circumstances to have a successful promotion. His
longevity and innovations while at the helm of NWA Wildside made the company a launching pad for many of today's top stars, and has
made the Wildside/Anarchy group a worldwide promotion with the help of the Internet.
Gordon Solie / Ed Capral Award for Best Announcer: Greg Hunter
For more than thirty years, televised wrestling was a major event in Atlanta homes, and there were primarily two announcers during that
time who called the action. A wrestling announcer is a key part to a promotion, especially in the area of television, as they are the voice not
only describing the action, but they are also the person responsible for making certain the wrestlers get over, and that the fan
understands exactly what is happening.
Gordon Solie is perhaps most remembered by Georgia fans as the voice of GCW during the 1970s and 1980s. His fan base far
exceeded the territory, as he called the action for other companies as well, but it was the TBS exposure that led to him being as much a
household name as anyone in the business. His approach to calling the action in a legitimate way, as if the wrestlers were truly
competing, added to the believability of the programs and the business itself.
Before Solie, it was Ed Capral who provided fans in their living rooms with the calls, and he came across as everyone's friend in doing
so. Capral's smooth delivery and ability to call it as he saw it, made fans feel as though he were in their own homes, bringing the action to
life.
Charlie Harben / Charlie Smith Award for Best Referee: Jeff McGowan
The best referee is one barely noticed, but that can add a sense of legitimacy to the matches as though they were true competitions. They
also must maintain a modicum of control and temperament, while never becoming part of the action.
Over three decades, Charlie Harben was a key figure in Georgia wrestling, with most of those wearing the stripes. Charlie Smith, has
spent parts of six decades refereeing matches in the state. Both managed to meet all of the aforementioned criteria, and were highly
respected for their ability to not only make a match and its wrestlers look good, but they also brought an air of reality to their work, never
letting the business look foolish under their watch (when they could see it, of course).
Favorite Wrestler: Mike Taylor
Favorite Tag Team: Cash Vault (Kyle Matthews & Frankie Valentine)
Favorite Babyface: J-Rod
Favorite Heel: Cru Jones
Favorite Manager or Valet: Charlie Cash
Favorite Referee: Jeff McGowan
Favorite Promotion: Rampage Pro Wrestling
Favorite Tag Team: Cash Vault (Kyle Matthews & Frankie Valentine)
Favorite Babyface: J-Rod
Favorite Heel: Cru Jones
Favorite Manager or Valet: Charlie Cash
Favorite Referee: Jeff McGowan
Favorite Promotion: Rampage Pro Wrestling
Best Television or Internet Video Broadcast: Rampage Pro Wrestling
Best Wrestling Related Website: Georgia Wrestling History
Best Internet Radio Program: Peach State Pandemonium
Best Wrestling Related Website: Georgia Wrestling History
Best Internet Radio Program: Peach State Pandemonium