On this day in wrestling history 12/03

[Guest Sassquatch]

From Dave Meltzer:

 

ON THIS DAY IN WRESTLING HISTORY 12/03

 

1951 - Mitsuo Kwak was born in South Korea. He later migrated to Japan and was a top amateur wrestler in the early 1970s, competing in both Japan and the United States at the national level under the name Mitsuo Yoshida. He joined New Japan Pro Wrestling after representing his country in the 1972 Olympics in Munich and changed his ring name to Riki Choshu. His feud with Tatsumi Fujinami in 1982-84 changed the business from a Japan vs. foreigner program as the usual main event to a promotion where foreigners weren't as important and Japanese vs. Japanese was the main event. Later he became booker for New Japan and had a several year run where he turned the company into the hottest promotion in the world, particularly in the mid-90s. He remains booker today, although the company is very stale. Without question, Choshu, having booked more shows that have drawn in excess of 50,000 fans probably than every other booker in wrestling history combined, plus being one of the five biggest stars in the history of Japanese wrestling (along with Rikidozan, Antonio Inoki, Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta), is one of the most influential men in pro wrestling history.

 

1970 - Gene Kiniski ends Giant Baba's second reign, this one having lasted two-and-a-half years, as NWA International heavyweight champion, winning two of three falls in Osaka, Japan.

 

1983 - In furthering the destruction of the credibility of the Georgia Championship Wrestling office, leading to the company's sale to Vince McMahon just a few months later, Tommy Rich pinned Ted DiBiase to apparently win the NWA National heavyweight title in Cleveland. On TV a few days later, without it being switched back on the tour, DiBiase was still champion and the match was never acknowledged.

 

1991 - The WWF experimented, coming off the Survivor Series the previous week shooting a big angle where Undertaker beat Hulk Hogan to win the WWF title, with a show called "Tuesday in Texas" as a PPV one week after a previous PPV. The show drew a sellout 8,000 fans to the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio and about a 1.1 percent buy rate for the 90-minute long mini-PPV, a figure considered poor at the time as no WWF show had ever drawn such a low number. Clearly the experiment wasn't considered a success, as WWF has never attempted another PPV with just one-week notice to the fans or one-week after a PPV show. There were complaints among cable viewers that had purchased Survivor Series, believing they had paid to see a show that was simply hype for a second show. Hogan pinned Undertaker to apparently regain the title, by throwing dust from Undertaker's turn into his eyes and schoolboyed him for the win. Jack Tunney, who was knocked down by Ric Flair, later vacated the title which set up the 1992 Royal Rumble for the vacated title.

 

1993 - Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi won the All Japan Real World Tag League tournament and vacant tag team title beating Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue in the finals at Budokan Hall.

 

1994 - Randy Savage makes his WCW debut at a TV taping in Birmingham, AL for WCW Saturday Night

 

1999 - Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama defeated Stan Hansen & Akira Taue to win the last great All Japan Real World Tag League tournament at Budokan Hall.

[Guest dreamer420]

1991 - The WWF experimented, coming off the Survivor Series the previous week shooting a big angle where Undertaker beat Hulk Hogan to win the WWF title, with a show called "Tuesday in Texas" as a PPV one week after a previous PPV. The show drew a sellout 8,000 fans to the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio and about a 1.1 percent buy rate for the 90-minute long mini-PPV, a figure considered poor at the time as no WWF show had ever drawn such a low number. Clearly the experiment wasn't considered a success, as WWF has never attempted another PPV with just one-week notice to the fans or one-week after a PPV show. There were complaints among cable viewers that had purchased Survivor Series, believing they had paid to see a show that was simply hype for a second show. Hogan pinned Undertaker to apparently regain the title, by throwing dust from Undertaker's turn into his eyes and schoolboyed him for the win. Jack Tunney, who was knocked down by Ric Flair, later vacated the title which set up the 1992 Royal Rumble for the vacated title.

A classic of a match between Randy Savage and Jake Roberts took place on this card as well.

[Guest kingkamala]

By the way how did Savage make his WCW debut? I always thought he debuted at Starrcade 94 when he saved Hogan from the post match attack from the Dungeon of Doom....

[Guest JHawk]

Savage cut a promo with Mean Gene saying he'd be at Starrcade to either shake Hogan's hand or slap him in the face. He didn't actually wrestle until January.

[Guest bob_barron]

Didn't Savage beat AA in his first match? I remember if you called the hotline you could find out what Savage was gonna do to Hogan