Southern Championship Wrestling: A History

Southern Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion owned Jim Somers up until 2008. It was a member of the International Wrestling Alliance (IWA) and was, at one time, considered one of the largest (and most successful) regional promotions in the business.

EARLY HISTORY
In 1970, Jim Somers began promoting wrestling from his homebase of Atlanta, Georgia. At first, they were “spot shows” – an occasional show here and there – runs mostly at fairs, rodeos, and the like. In 1973, Somers gave up his day job (he owned a few car dealerships) and decided to launch Southern Championship Wrestling, a promotion that would run throughout the Southern territory.

Shortly after officially starting SCW, Somers was able to use his various business contacts to land a weekly television show known as “All Star Wrestling.” The show would generally consist of one to two hours of wrestling, interviews, and primarily, hype for upcoming arena shows – especially at the Omni in Atlanta, a venue Somers envisioned as the “Madison Square Garden of the South.”

In 1975, Somers was invited to have SCW join the International Wrestling Alliance, a group of promotions that covered the globe. His territory was to include Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas for the most part but Somers did occasionally drift into other states, making him far from the most popular men in the IWA’s group of promoters.

At this point, All Star Wrestling was really hitting its stride with Gordon Myers handling the Play By Play duties while Dr. Mark Goldberg was his color man for several years. The show was frequently the highest rated show on the network and inspired a B-Show called “SCW Slammers” – a one hour show that would run on Wednesday nights to recap the week’s arena events.

In 1980, at the first IWA meeting of the new decade, Somers was elected President of the International Wrestling Alliance. This relationship proved to be quite successful and thrived for several years – even under the threat of nationwide expansion from other promotions. But by the late 80’s, the IWA was in trouble and was crumbling under pressure. The future seemed to be promotions growing beyond their territorial borders and expanding nationwide. Somers, however, clung to his roots and kept his promotion running the Southern territory. The fans were fiercely loyal to SCW and for years, no other promotion would dare even try to run a show south of the Mason-Dixon line. An attempted supershow in Atlanta from the Global Wrestling Alliance was a bust, barely drawing 3,000 to a 15,000 seat building – something credited to SCW’s fans staying away from the “intruding” promotion.

As 1987 arrived, Somers was struck with a new vision… to purchase every single territory in the IWA, giving him the chance to promote worldwide while still retaining separate territories. This plan worked for a bit as Somers purchased promotions in Florida, Texas, and Virginia, creating an even stronger Southern base to run SCW shows. At an IWA meeting in early 1988, Somers outlined plans to convert SCW into the Worldwide Wrestling Alliance. However, these plans never came to fruition as Somers died on Labor Day 1988, shocking the wrestling world.

A NEW ERA
SCW took the remainder of 1988 off, trying to regroup from the loss of their founder and owner. On New Year’s Day, 1989, Michael Somers took over his father’s business and made an immediate impact by declaring he was pulling back to only run the Southern territory. He rejected all of his father’s plans for global expansion and said he was happy to work the smaller area. Many in SCW were furious at young Somers causing a second promotion to split off from SCW – International Championship Wrestling (ICW.) Several of the AWA’s top stars and executives fled to the ICW – a promotion that intended to go worldwide, just like Jim Somers had wanted to do.

Michael Somers held his ground though and continued to run shows throughout the South in 1989-1992. A strong challenge from ICW came in 1993 though, forcing Somers to venture outside of his comfort zone. He ran shows in Arizona, California, and New Mexico… a shocking move that turned out to be very profitable for Somers. With the new income, Somers was able to lure back some of his old stars from ICW, ultimately putting ICW under in 1995 which brought back the majority of the talent he’d lost in six years earlier.

With a full locker room once more, Somers kept an aggressive schedule, running shows in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, California, New Mexico… and even ran a tour of Mexico itself. The houses were packed, the fans were excited, and it looked like SCW was about to break through into a national promotion – something Jim Somers had dreamed of.

In early 1996, something unexpected happened. A growing national promotion based out of New York, the EMWC, decided they were going to strike deep in the heart of Somers’ territory. They opened up a second promotion in Texas called Extreme Southern Wrestling (ESW.) The “extreme” style of wrestling was shocking to Somers who had grown up watching a very different type of wrestling. He refused to fight fire with fire and held his ground, running things the same way he always had. Within months, the crowd at SCW shows were starting to fall off a bit. 1997 saw Somers experiment with a series of spot shows throughout the South with a more aggressive style. These were successful but Somers didn’t feel right about them and ultimately pulled the plug on them.

By the time 1997 ended, ESW had been absorbed by the EMWC and Michael Somers was happy. But he wouldn’t be for long. Michael Somers soon found himself trapped between two powerhouses. Both the EMWC and the IIWF had decided to go global and were at constant war all over the United States… including the South. Both promotions made Somers buy-out offers but Somers held his ground. He refused to sell and soon found himself being attacked on both sides by the two warring promotions. He fought as hard as he could but 1998 drew the line in the sand.

Somers was broke. His efforts to fight off the two promotions had left his roster stripped, his fanbase slashed nearly in half, and his bank accounts deep in the red. He was confronted with two choices – either go out of business or make a drastic change. He chose the latter, pulling all the way back to the bare minimum – running shows in Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas – the three areas where the SCW was doing best.

He still held onto a dream of going global in his father’s honor but most privately claim even he knew it was a pipe-dream.

And so it continued, for a decade… 1998 to 2008, Somers running the same small towns, running All Star Wrestling, and keeping things small. He was making a profit… but it was a small one… and he constantly found himself exhausted. At the urging of his family, he decided to make one final stand.

On the day before the Super Bowl in 2008, Somers decided to put it all on the line. One show… one HUGE show. He brought in talent from all over the globe, putting himself in so much debt, that many wondered if the show would even happen. It was a star-studded lineup looking to put on one of the biggest shows of all time. And it was exactly that. One of the biggest shows of all time… in quality. It was a great show but it was a financial flop. Just days after the show, Somers announced his intention to leave the wrestling business and to close SCW forever. Longtime fans were stunned, employees were shocked. There were numerous efforts to save the company, looking for a buyer willing to carry on the SCW name.

And eventually, a buyer was found. It was a group of buyers led by former EMWC star Bobby Taylor. He wanted to purchase SCW for the tape library, for the contacts throughout the South, and for the talent roster. They wanted to use the SCW as a base for a new promotion – the American Wrestling Alliance.

And so it happened. Somers sold the promotion to Taylor and his group, leaving the wrestling business and the company his family built behind.

To this day, members of the SCW roster including Soup Bone Samson, Sweet Daddy Williams, and Clayton Shaw continue to compete in the AWA. The broadcasting team was a hit as well, both Gordon Myers and Bucky Wilde, moved over to host the AWA’s television shows.

With each AWA show, SCW continues to live on.

ON-CAMERA HISTORY

1985 – THE RUSSIAN ARRIVES
In March of 1985, a young Russian arrived in Southern Championship Wrestling in the midst of the Cold War mania running over the United States. This 19-year old’s name was Vladimir Velikov. Velikov’s barrel-chested physique housed a brutal, powerful style of wrestling that overwhelmed the opponents put before him. Best known for his gravely-voiced interviews, Velikov’s debut came on an episode of SCW Slammers where he met a local talent by the name of Kevin Foster. Foster was beaten badly by Velikov, finished off with a kneedrop off the middle rope. After the match, Velikov used his heavy steel chain to brutalize Foster, choking him and dragging him around the ring until SCW security made the save. The fans’ hatred for Velikov was off the charts and he became an instant superstar.

One month later, Velikov’s string of brutality claimed another victim when he took on fan favorite “Showtime” Michael Mason. Mason, a spunky high-flying underdog, embarrassed Velikov when he scored what was considered an upset, plucking Velikov into a schoolboy rollup off a missed clothesline in the corner. Mason was celebrating his victory when Velikov struck from behind, blasting him with the metal chain. Velikov wrapped the chain around his fist, bloodying Mason in the process before he was finally dragged from the ring. The brutal assault was one of the worst ever seen on SCW television and it had fans whipped into a frenzy looking for a rematch.

Mason didn’t return to television for several weeks, giving Velikov plenty of chances to boast over his handiwork but when Mason did return, it was in shocking fashion. Velikov was scheduled for a showcase match against a masked man known as “Skyfire.” The Russian was in total control of the match when Skyfire released a series of high-flying moves that caught Velikov off-guard – making him easy prey for a top rope cross body press for a three count. Velikov was livid but got even angrier when Skyfire unmasked to reveal Michael Mason. With two victories over Velikov, Mason had put himself into position to challenge for “Mr. Electricity” Shannon Fields for the Southern Championship. The SCW Board of Directors scheduled the match for Memorial Day’s big arena event at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia.

The big Memorial Day event was a raging success that saw The Wessler Brothers overcome a three-on-two match with the Dark Shadows and their manager, the mysterious Grand Cobra, to regain the Southern Tag Team Titles while incoming IWA World Champion Morgan Storm battled SCW fan favorite Ronnie Marsh to a bloody thirty minute draw. But when Mason and Fields hit the ring for the Southern Title match, the SCW fans were hotter than ever.

Fields dominated much of the match but Mason just kept fighting back, refusing to stay down. The wily Fields used his crossface chickenwing to great effectiveness, leaving Mason to fight with only one arm throughout much of the match. But Mason’s high-flying tactics knocked Fields off his game with a surprising top rope sunset flip coming very close to crowning a new champion. With Fields stunned, Mason locked in a sleeperhold – although with only one good arm, it wasn’t the best strategy. Fields battled the hold for several moments before he frantically began waving his arms. That brought the arrival of Vladimir Velikov who distracted the official just long enough for Fields to floor Mason with a low blow and pin him with a slingshot suplex. After the match, Velikov joined Fields in the ring and together, they beat down the popular Mason. Using his Russian chain, Velikov bloodied Mason badly once more as Fields continued to drop down punishment of his own. At the end of it all, Fields raised Velikov’s hand and the dastardly duo celebrated together.

In the weeks to come, Fields explained that he had purchased Velikov’s assistance and hired him as his personal bodyguard. Velikov seemed to have no issue with this arrangement even though it would seemingly preclude him from getting a shot at the Southern Championship. The duo worked together in tag team matches throughout June to great effectiveness until Velikov made a grandstand challenge for the 4th of July. The Russian challenged “any American” to come to the ring that night in Dallas, Texas to meet him. Rumors swirled over who would accept the challenge.

On the 4th of July, Fields successfully defended his title over a tough challenge from “Iron” Buck Allen before Velikov took to the ring and re-issued his challenge. It turned out that several competitors wanted to take up the challenge including fan favorites Eli Davis, “Hoppin'” Harry Hines, and even rulebreaker The Red Ninja. None were successful. With Velikov waving the Soviet flag back and forth in the middle of the ring, it appeared that the night was lost for the American people – until the sounds of the Marine Corps anthem filled the air. It was long-time rulebreaker “Bad Boy” Johnny Bass. Bass was carrying the American flag much to the shock of the crowd. Bass hit the ring and hit it hard, clearing out Fields before taking the fight to Velikov. The fight only went a few minutes before Bass hit the Bad Boy Buster (gourdbuster) and chased the Russian from the ring. The American flag flew high on that night but Velikov and Fields swore revenge.

SCW television was a hotbed of action over the coming weeks as Johnny Bass revealed that he had been in the Marine Corps fresh out of high school back in 1971 just narrowly missing being sent to Vietnam. Bass was proud of his military heritage as well as his country and couldn’t let Velikov get away with his actions on the 4th of July. A new hero was born in SCW. The fans fell strongly behind Bass – even moreso when he teamed up with Buck Allen to become the Southern Tag Team Champions on July 25th. Fields immediately issued a challenge to the new champions, claiming he wanted to become the first double champion in SCW history.

On August 13th, the tag match went down – Shannon Fields and Vladimir Velikov challenging Buck Allen and Johnny Bass for the Southern Tag Titles. The Charlotte, North Carolina crowd was crazed that night as these two teams threw the rules out the window, brawling all over the building. Eventually, the match was declared a double countout when the referee couldn’t get the squads back into the ring but the fans’ appetite for a rematch was strong. The Board Of Directors called for another match on Labor Day Weekend – this one conducted under Texas Tornado Rules.

The Texas Tornado match went along the same lines, brawling all over ringside and all over the building. But when a sneaky Fields managed to steal handcuffs from a security guard, he cuffed Bass to the ringpost while a double-teamed Allen fell to the rulebreaking duo. Fields and Velikov were the new Southern Tag Team Champions and the celebration was on.

The next episode of All Star Wrestling saw Fields and Velikov in a “victory parade” through downtown Atlanta. Fans lining the streets booed, jeered, and threw garbage at the duo en route to the television studios. Once there, Fields declared that they were the greatest tag champions ever… a claim that didn’t go over well with the duo known as the Rockin’ Rebels. The Rebels, seven-time Southern Tag Team Champions were returning from a two-year hiatus from SCW and had their eyes set on regaining the gold. However, the former champions, Allen and Bass, were looking for a rematch as well. The BoD called for a #1 contender tag team match for September 19th in New Orleans.

The tag match was a well-fought showdown that the fans were truly enjoying. Bass seemed ready to defeat “Dixie” Dale Sage with the Bass Breaker when Velikov appeared, jumping up on the apron. This sparked a brawl between Allen and Velikov at ringside that distracted Bass just long enough to get rolled up for a three count. The Rebels had won and were ready for their title shot.

That title shot took place on October 1st in Oklahoma City. The Rebels were on their game that night, showing exactly why they were widely considered one of the best tag teams in the world. Fields and Velikov were constantly on defense and were having trouble getting on track when a low blow from Fields turned the tide. Velikov tagged in and used his massive power edge to throw both Rebels around the ring with ease. Velikov powerslammed Sage down to the mat, ready for the middle rope kneedrop when a charging Bass arrived, grabbing Velikov’s foot. The interference gave just enough time for Sage to connect with a dropkick on the trapped Velikov, rolling him off the ropes into a cradle for a three count. The Rockin’ Rebels were eight-time Southern Tag Team Champions and the Russian was madder than ever at Johnny Bass.

With the tag titles out of the way, Bass and Velikov traded wins throughout the month of October all over the South but on November 3rd, Velikov used his steel chain to bloody Bass. Fields joined in on the attack and it seemed to be big trouble for Bass until Michael Mason charged in from the crowd, clearing the ring with a flurry of offense. Mason helped Bass to his feet and in a great moment for fans who witnessed Bass and Mason feud violently in 1983, shook his hand. Mason and Bass immediately formed a partnership and promised to put an end to Fields and Velikov on Thanksgiving night – SCW’s biggest night of the year – once and for all.

Come Thanksgiving night in the Omni, we had a double Main Event set. Shannon Fields defending the Southern Title against Michael Mason and Johnny Bass against Vladimir Velikov in the dreaded Russian Chain Match. In a controversial decision, the BoD put the Chain Match on last, going against years of tradition. It was an angry Fields the fans saw that night as he punished and tortured Michael Mason, using his vast array of submission holds to injure Mason. But when Fields went to procure the crossface chickenwing, Mason kicked off the buckles, rolling Fields up for a three count to become the new Southern Champion!

The Main Event was everything that fans thought it would be – a brutal, bloody war that left both men lying in pools of blood throughout the match. In the end though, Vladimir Velikov made a mistake, missing the middle rope kneedrop which allowed Bass to score with the Bass Breaker onto a pile of steel chain for a three count. A bloodied and beaten Bass celebrated in front of the roaring crowd, waving the American flag with one hand and holding the crimson-covered chain high in the air with the other. The two fan favorites were successful in their quest to defeat Fields and Velikov on Thanksgiving Night and went on to defeat the duo again in tag team action on Christmas Night but as 1986 began, things were about to drastically change for Bass and Mason.

SCW TITLE HISTORY

Southern Championship
“Mr. Electricity” Shannon Fields listed as champion in May 1985
Michael Mason beat Fields on Thanksgiving Night 1985
GAP IN HISTORY
Oliver Strickland won on Thanksgiving Night 1987
William Waters defeated Strickland on Christmas Night 1987
GAP IN HISTORY
Oliver Strickland won the title in 1995
Starfire defeated Strickland on Thanksgiving Night 1995

Southern Tag Team Championships
The Dark Shadows listed as champions in May 1985
The Wessler Brothers regained the titles from the Dark Shadows – Memorial Day 1985
Johnny Bass and Buck Allen bested the Wesslers – July 25, 1985
Shannon Fields & Vladimir Velikov defeated Bass & Allen – Labor Day Weekend 1985
The Rockin’ Rebels beat Velikov & Fields to become eight-time Southern Tag Team Champions – October 1, 1985

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