This Week In Wrestling History (Week Seventeen) 4/22 – 4/28

This Week In Wrestling History hosted by Don Tony aired back in 2018-2019 and spanned two seasons. These retro episodes return remastered and are filled with hundreds of hours of original wrestling clips & stories. Enjoy this deep dive into pro wrestling's awesome history. SYNOPSIS: Episode 17 (4/22 – 4/28)RUNNING TIME: 2 Hours 55 Minutes - Alex Karras and Dick The Bruiser turn their 'feud' into a real life bar fight with patrons and Detroit Cops. - Bruno Sammartino breaks his neck during a WWWF Title Match against Stan Hansen. - Tommy Rich def Harley Race to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. - Audio: Infamous Empty Arena Match between Terry Funk and Jerry 'The King' Lawler including the memorable UNCENSORED Terry Funk pre match promo. - Superstar Billy Graham wrestles last WWF match (1983) and leaves company (for AWA) due to issues including painkiller abuse. - Audio: How does Verne Gagne and AWA celebrates the one year anniversary of their fu**ery towards AWA fans and Hulk Hogan? By doing it again but this time, it's 'Super'. - Looking back at AWA Super Sunday event (1983). - Almost three years to the day the AWA fu**ery began for Hulk Hogan, The Hulkster (now WWF Champion) lands the cover of Sports Illustrated. - Jerry 'The King' Lawler loses his first Hair match and the Southern Heavyweight Title. - Ken Patera makes his WWF return after serving two years in prison for the McDonalds incident. - Bonus Audio: Looking back at the night both Bobby Heenan and Andy Kaufman managed Ken Patera against Jerry Lawler. - The Fantastics end The Midnight Express' 345 day record reign as NWA US Tag Team Champions. - Sting and Lex Luger defeat Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson to win last ever Jim Crockett Sr Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. - Big Bubba Rogers wrestles last match in Japan (teams with Jimmy Snuka) before signing with WWF and becoming The Big Boss Man. - Looking back at Episode 21 of Saturday Night Main Event (1989). - Looking back at New Japan's first event (Battle Satellite) from the Tokyo Done (1989). - Mr Perfect defeats Tito Santana in a tournament final to win the vacated WWF IC Championship (previously held by The Ultimate Warrior). - ECW crowns its first ever ECW Champion (Jimmy Snuka), just to lose it a day later to Johnny Hotbody. - Sid Vicious abruptly leaves WWF after a match against The Ultimate Warrior. - The Heavenly Bodies def The Fantastics to become the first ever Smokey Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Champions. - Naliz makes his WWF debut, attacking The Big Boss Man. - Bonus Audio: A tale of two Nailz promos: One with the WWF voice modulation and one without. - Tammy Sytch debuts for Smokey Mountain Wrestling. - Sean Waltman (as The Lightning Kid) makes his WWF debut. - WWF signs Boni Blackstone. - Captain Lou Albano manages his last tag team to WWF Tag Team Championship victory as The Headshrinkers defeat The Quebecers. - Looking back at the Sumo Match between Earthquake and Yokozuna on Monday Night Raw. - Looking back at AAA Triplemania II-A event (1997). - Audio: Hunter Hearst Helmsley makes his WWF in ring debut, beating convicted Pedophile Buck 'Rock And Roll' Zumhoff. - Audio: Triple H speaks on the origins of the 'Hunter Hearst Helmsley character and name. - Hulk Hogan finalizes paperwork to launch a small chain of Pastamania restaurants. - Looking back at WCW and New Japan 'Collision In Korea' two day event in North Korea. - Looking back at WWF 'In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies' PPV (1996). - 'Fat Frank' Iadevia (RIP) causes local controversy in NY/NJ after and odd in call-in to The Howard Stern Show. - D-Generation X attempts to invade WCW event. - Audio: Val Venis is 'coming' with Jenna Jameson. - Audio: Bruce Prichard speaks on the D-X WCW Invasion skits behind the cameras. - Looking back at WWF 'In Your House 21: Unforgiven' PPV (1998). - Looking back at the first annual 'Brian Pillman Memorial Event' (1998), and the WWF House Show that also raised money for the family of the late Brian Pillman. - Audio: DDP loses the WCW Heavyweight Championship to an insanely over Sting during an episode of Monday Nitro - just to win the title back later the same night. - While Ric Flair is stuck in a Mental Hospital during WCW Monday Nitro, Steve Austin rescues Stephanie McMahon from the Ministry Of Darkness. - WWF tapes the pilot episode of Smackdown (1999). - The Corporate Ministry of Darkness is formed. - Juventud Guerrera and Jerry Flynn arrested in PA for DWI. - Looking back at WWF 'In Your House 28: Backlash' PPV event (1999). - Steve Austin returns to WWF TV with a bang! and blows up the DX Express Tour Bus. - David Arquette wins the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and donates his earnings to the families of Brian Pillman and Owen Hart, and to Droz. - Sabu defeats The Messiah in a tournament final to win the vacated XPW Heavyweight Championship (previously held by Chris Candido). - Steve Corino defeats Mike Rapada to win the NWA Heavyweight Championship. - Looking back at WWF Backlash PPV (2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 - Audio: Randy Orton makes his WWF main roster debut. - 'The Scorpion King' starring The Rock opens up to record revenue numbers at the box office. - Steve Austin announces his in ring retirement (2003). - Audio: Only hours after announcing his retirement from in ring action, Steve Austin becomes Co-GM of Raw with Eric Bischoff. - Randy Orton spits in the face of Harley Race. - Looking back at TNA 'Lockdown' PPV (2005, 2006) - Chris Candido suffers serious ankle and leg injury during match on TNA PPV, and sadly passes away only days later due to a blood clot. - WWE starts contacting former ECW stars about appearing for WWE relaunch of ECW brand. - MTV and Viacom sign off on the creation of Wrestling Society X. - Hogan Knows Best renewed for a third season. - Looking back at the World Wrestling Legends '6:05 - The Reunion' PPV (2006). - 'The Condemned' starring Steve Austin hits movie theaters to terrible reviews. - Audio: Vince McMahon wins the ECW Heavyweight Championship. - One of the greatest matches in WWE Raw history: Shawn Michaels and John Cena battle almost an hour on Raw (HBK wins). - Reid Flair arrested after DWI incident involving heroin and driving with a revoked license. - Looking back at WWE 'Extreme Rules' PPV (2010, 2012). - Looking back at 2010 WWE Draft (Kelly Kelly #1 Draft Pick) - Audio: TNA Monday Night Impact Main Event: Abyss vs Ric Flair battle over WWE Hall Of Fame Rings. - Monday Night Wars II: After bombing to record low ratings, Dixie Carter announces Impact moving back to Thursday nights. - WWE releases Tony Atlas. - TNA fires Bubba 'The Love Sponge' after horrendous comments towards Haiti. - Lisa Marie Varon (aka Tara, Victoria) announces her exit from TNA, just to return two months later. - Audio: 2011 WWE Draft opens up Raw with John Cena drafted to Smackdown, just to be traded by to Raw by the end of the show. - Nick Gage sentenced after pleading guilty to Second Degree Bank Robbery. - WWE launches their 'Be A STAR' Anti-Bullying campaign. - Audio: Cesaro makes his WWE main roster debut. - Audio: Stevie Richards speaks on Justin Credible passing out backstage prior to Extreme Rising Event (2012). - Audio: Nikki and Brie Bella 'fired' from WWE (2012), which leads to their legit exit until Spring 2013. - Looking back at TNA 'Sacrifice' PPV (2014). - Bad News Barrett defeats Neville to win the WWE 2015 King Of The Ring Tournament. - Jeff Hardy suffers a broken leg after a Dirt Bike stunt goes wrong. - WWE releases NXT Talents: Mason Ryan, Raquel Diaz, Shaul Guerrero, Oliver Grey, and Sarah Backman. - Kalisto defeats Braun Strowman in a terrible Dumpster Match on Raw. At least Kalisto suffers a great post match beat down. https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/prowrestlingwebcast/S2E16TWIWH20190416.mp3 to download the AUDIO episode of THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING HISTORY S1 E17 (4/22 – 4/28) ========== CHECK OUT DON TONY AND KEVIN CASTLE SHOW CONTENT ACROSS THESE PLATFORMS: - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-don-tony-show/id133542489 FOR ITUNES - https://open.spotify.com/show/1qh9K4lvIHbzUp1BdeA7nc FOR SPOTIFY - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-don-tony-show/id133542489 FOR APPLE & ANDROID APPS - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/75fe1c9b-edd5-438e-a0c7-7f5fdc69fb30/the-don-tony-show FOR AMAZON MUSIC - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2RvbnRvbnlrZXZpbmNhc3RsZS5jb20vcnNz FOR GOOGLE PODCASTS - https://www.pandora.com/podcast/don-tony-and-kevin-castle-show/PC:1668?part=ug&corr=78071668%3Cspan%20id= FOR PANDORA - https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/amrtw-3965c/The-Don-Tony-Show--Wednesday-Night-Don-O-Mite-Podcast FOR PODBEAN -