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In the roaring twenties, George Romanoff, a colorful ex-wrestler who claimed to be a member of the Russian royal family as well as the "original" Tarzan, began promoting wrestling to SRO crowds in Jacksonville. Holding events at various venues such as the Businessman's Gymnasium on 122 W. Forsyth St., and the nearby Duval Theatre, Romanoff's cards were considered the hot ticket in town. By the mid 1930s, Jimmy Murdock had joined Romanoff in promoting and together they established Thursday night wrestling shows at the Main and Beaver Streets Arena, a tradition that would continue for twenty-six years. On Thanksgiving Day in 1960, over six thousand people turned out for the grand opening of the Jacksonville Coliseum. Residents flocked to the new Coliseum, where the festivities included guest speakers Haydon Burns, then Mayor of Jacksonville, and future Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Terry. Featuring a state-of-the-art circular design, and having cost over three million dollars, the Coliseum was considered a showpiece for Jacksonville. Within six weeks, Murdock gave the Main and Beaver Streets Arena his notice and a new era of wrestling at the Coliseum had begun.
The debut in the new venue came on January 7, 1961 when Argentina Rocca defeated Angelo Savoldi in two straight falls to win the main event. Seating just over 10,000, attendance increased immediately as fans flocked to the new high tech arena. Another significant event occurred just months later when "The Buffalo Bomber" Don Curtis made his debut in the city, wrestling Hans Schmidt on April 20, 1961. By January of 1966, Curtis had become "Jacksonville's favorite son," as well as promoter in the city, replacing Murdock. In late 1979, Curtis had a falling out with the front office and resigned, forming his own outlaw promotion to run opposition. Curtis' Sunbelt Wrestling was short-lived, but CWF continued to hold their shows at the Coliseum until the Crockett buyout in 1987. In 1995, the Coliseum underwent a major renovation, but is now considered antiquated and its days may be numbered. The Main and Beaver Streets Arena has been gone for many years and an indoor parking garage now sits on that hallowed ground.
Matches 1 to 17 of 17 |
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March 28th, 1963 Clipping |
April 4th, 1964 Clipping |
June 19th, 1965 Clipping |
July 21st, 1966 Clipping |
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August 4th, 1966 Clipping |
February 26th, 1970 Lineup |
February 26th, 1970 Cover |
October 5th, 1972 Cover |
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October 5th, 1972 Lineup |
August 9th, 1973 Lineup |
August 9th, 1973 Cover |
March 31st, 1977 Lineup |
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March 31st, 1977 Cover |
February 23rd, 1978 Lineup |
February 23rd, 1978 Cover |
October 13th, 1979 Cover |
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October 13th, 1979 Lineup |
Matches 1 to 17 of 17 |
© Copyright 2004-2006, Barry Rose,
