On this day in wrestling history 1/08

[Guest Sassquatch]

(This will be the last "On this day..." post until the 26th)

 

From Dave Meltzer:

 

ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY FOR 1/08

 

1925 - University of Minnesota football star Big Wayne Munn, a giant by the standards of the time, was brought into pro wrestling after failing as a boxing attraction, by the Gold Dust Trio with the idea of making him world champion as a big box office draw due to his size. The first order of business was having Strangler Lewis lose the world heavyweight title to him, which he most willingly did, but with the gimmick of being thrown over the top rope and being injured and counted out. Lewis took the belt itself with the idea that both men would defend their title claims to build for a rematch in May. But by the time May came, everything was a mess when promoter Tony Stecher convinced old Stanislaus Zbyszko to shoot on Munn in a title match in April, which he did, to capture the title, and he then had Zbyszko agree to drop the title to his brother Joe Stecher, taking the world title away from possession of the Gold Dust Trio and the idea that was going to lead to strengthening their power, ended up weakening it because Munn couldn't defend himself when a real wrestler came after him.

 

1937 - Frank Gotch's original trainer, and the man considered the greatest wrestler by legend at the turn of the century, Martin "Farmer" Burns passed away at the age of 75. Burns held the recognized American heavyweight title, despite being only 175 pounds, between 1895 and 1897.

 

1968 - One of the greatest female athletes ever to go into pro wrestling, Keiko Nakano was born. As Bull Nakano, she was easily the best working large woman in the history of pro wrestling, and during her career held world titles not only in Japan, but also in the United States (WWF women’s title) and Mexico. Her big run was in the early 90s when she held the WWWA belt for nearly three straight years. She is now a competition golfer after injuries forced her out of wrestling.

 

1977 - One of the brightest newcomers in pro wrestling, 19-year-old Gino Hernandez from Houston, went to the Detroit territory and captured the U.S. title from Don Kent. Hernandez, largely due to drug problems, never lived up to his promise as a wrestler.

 

1996 - The Monday Night Wars got way out there when the WWF did a sketch alluding to the idea that Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were so large because WCW didn't have a steroid policy. Eric Bischoff publicly defended the company's policy by stating that three current WWF headliners had failed steroid tests while they worked in WCW. What Bischoff failed to state was that none of the three were suspended after failing those tests, and that another WWF headliner at the time, Sid Eudy, walked out on a steroid test rather than take it, and after doing so, was still promised the WCW heavyweight title in 1993 (which didn't happen because of the Arn Anderson incident). The wars were really hot at this point as on the night; Raw did a 3.0 rating to a 2.8 for Nitro.

 

1998 - WCW Thunder debuts in Daytona Beach featuring Juventud Guerrera winning the WCW cruiserweight title from Ultimo Dragon.

 

1999 - Bas Rutten's UFC debut sees him come from behind to knockout Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in New Orleans in a huge battle of Pancrase vs. RINGS . . . Shohei Baba underwent surgery for cancer of the bowels and it was acknowledged at this point, although the cancer was never spoken of, that Baba would never wrestle again. He died just 23 days later.

[Guest netslob]

1996 - The Monday Night Wars got way out there when the WWF did a sketch alluding to the idea that Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were so large because WCW didn't have a steroid policy. Eric Bischoff publicly defended the company's policy by stating that three current WWF headliners had failed steroid tests while they worked in WCW.

 

Vince...Pot. Kettle. Black.