Copyright Michael W. Rickard II
Originally presented at Canadian Bulldog's World.
As I discussed in my recent book review on Dick Bourne’s United States Championship: A Close Look at Mid-Atlantic Wrestling's Greatest Championship, Jim Crockett Promotions’ United States Heavyweight Championship was one of the most prestigious titles in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), serving as a steppingstone to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and being the focus of many top programs in JCP. The 21 different men who held the belt were either famous veterans or rising stars who eventually became legends. However, which one of these stars is the greatest U.S. Champion of all time? It’s time to find out as Canadian Bulldog’s World presents The Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament. This is part one of round one, an elimination tournament with the winner advancing to round two and the loser heading to WWE Main Event (just kidding, I wouldn’t do that to my arch-enemy).
The first-round matches are being held at the historic Charlotte Coliseum (now known as the Bojangles Coliseum) in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Charlotte Coliseum opened in 1955 and could hold 10,000-14,000 people, depending on the event. Tonight’s card is headlined by the first round of The Greatest U.S. Champion of All Time Tournament. Dignitaries from the world of professional wrestling are on hand including former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz, current AWA World Champion Verne Gagne, and former WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino.