Updated For 2025! This Week In Wrestling History (Season 3 Week 17) covering the period of 4/23 thru 4/29. Running Time: 4 Hours 20 Minutes.
This Week In Wrestling History hosted by Don Tony first aired in 2018 and spanned two seasons. After much demand, these retro episodes return REMASTERED and UPDATED FOR 2025. Wrestling history up to and including 2024 has been added!
Hundreds of hours of original wrestling clips & stories. Enjoy this deep dive into pro wrestling's awesome history.
RUNNING TIME: 4 Hours 20 Minutes
Hosted by Don Tony
SYNOPSIS: S3 E17 (04/23 - 04/29)
- 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.
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