Recap

1965 in the territory operated by Nick Gulas and Roy Welch saw tag teams dominate much of the night-to-night and week-to-week wrestling action. Gentleman Saul Weingeroff and the Von Brauner Brothers (Kurt & Karl and,  later in the year, Karl & Eric), Tojo Yamamoto & Mitsu Hirai, Yamamoto & Tor Kamata, Yamamoto & Kanji Inoki, Jackie Fargo & Mario Milano, Frankie Cain & Irish Mike Clancy, Jackie Fargo & Len Rossi, The Mysterious Masked Medics and Eddie Graham & Sam Steamboat all headlined cards during the year. Although most often tag teams composed of two fan favorites would battle a team of villains, sometimes Gulas and Welch would pit two villainous tag teams against each other in what Gulas would call "a battle of the brutes". Since tag teams so dominated the area, it seemed likely that 1966 would follow suit.
 
1966 Preview

Tag teams would continue to headline area cards during the year. The various combinations of fan favorites would mix some during the time but would continue to include area mainstays Jackie Fargo and Len Rossi. Masked teams were also a hit with area fans. 1966 would see a rough masked team called The Blue Infernos debut. The year would also see veteran stars Al Costello and Luke Graham pop in for extended stays. It would also be the area's first look at a future superstar named Jack Brisco.

January-March 1966

The year began with Eddie Graham & Sam Steamboat recognized as World tag champions. Hiro Matsuda & Kanji Inoki would upend Graham & Steamboat to lay claim to the title. Inoki though would suffer a broken leg and the titles would be declared vacant. The injury would end Inoki's run in the area. Inoki though would prove to be one of wrestling's great attractions ever as he would headline some of the biggest cards ever in Japan and Korea.

The Southern tag titles were in limbo as the year started. Hiro Matsuda & Kanji Inoki had held the titles but the titles were held up after a late December 1965 match Matsuda & Inoki had with The Mysterious Masked Medics. Early in the new year, Len Rossi & Mario Milano won a tournament to lay claim to the titles. Later, Rossi & Milano would drop the titles to Tojo Yamamoto & Alex Perez. Yamamoto & Perez were short-lived champions as they dropped them back to Rossi & Milano.

The area's singles title, the Southern Junior heavyweight championship, was held at year's start by Rocky Smith. Smith though would lose the title to Alex Perez in January.

Other wrestlers seeing action in the area during the first quarter of the year include Jackie Fargo, Danny Dusek, The Mysterious Masked Medics, Frankie Cain, Gene Dundee, Johnny Apollo, Ken Hollis, Rip & Slim: The Scufflin' Hillbillies, George Harris, Tamaya Soto, Haystack Calhoun, Pedroy Amesa, Carlos Mendoza, Karl Von Brauner, Eric Von Brauner, Gentleman Saul Weingeroff, The Ox, Charlie Laye, Corsica Joe NWA champion, Gene Kiniski, Sonny Myers, The Arabian Sheik, Treach Phillips, Gene Anderson & Lars Anderson, Dwayne Peale, Wilbur Snyder, Chief Little Bear, Herb Welch, Al Costello, Art Thomas, Matt Jewell, Mack York and more.  More...