On this day in wrestling history 12/22

[Guest Sassquatch]

From Dave Meltzer:

 

ON THIS DAY IN WRESTLING HISTORY 12/22

 

1954 - Rikidozan defeated Masahiko Kimura at Tokyo Sumo Hall in a match which set the stage for what Japanese wrestling would be in a battle of a former sumo star against a world judo champion. The match was to create the first Japanese heavyweight champion and the two men agreed to wrestle to a draw to build up a rematch. Suddenly, in perhaps the most vicious beating in a pro wrestling ring, Rikidozan unleashed punches and kicks on his wide open opponent, who was not ready for any kind of an attack, and beat him into semiconsciousness, and with the double-cross in the ring, as often happens in wrestling, became almost a wrestling God in the process. Kimura was somewhat renowned as the best fighter in the world after making Helio Gracie (Royce and Rickson's father) submit in a match in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil three years earlier. The match was a lesson as to what happens even with one of the toughest men alive, if he gets bombarded with blows with his guard down.

 

1969 - In a battle of world class amateur wrestlers, Masa Saito of Japan won his first U.S. based singles title, the Florida heavyweight, from Dale Lewis. Lewis wrestled in two Olympics (1956 and 1960) while Saito wrestled in the 1964 Olympics. Saito was given the belt because they were building Jack Brisco to be not only the top man in the territory, for eventually to be NWA world champion, and wanted his first title win in Florida to be against someone with the credibility of being an Olympic wrestler as well as being a foreign heel when there was still a good deal of Japanese hatred from World War II.

 

1997 - Stevie Richards undergoes neck surgery to remove two vertebrae, and is said to be leaving pro wrestling for good.

 

1999 - Sports Illustrated announced its 50 greatest athletes from all 50 states, a list which included many pro wrestlers, although only one specifically for his work as a pro wrestler, Frank Gotch, who was named No. 27 from Iowa. Other notables on the list included Danny Hodge (No. 26, Oklahoma), Verne Gagne (No. 24, Minnesota), Wayne Munn (No. 38, Minnesota), Paul Anderson (No. 36, Georgia), Russ Francis (No. 4, Hawaii) and Bronko Nagurski (No. 1, Minnesota)