This Week In Wrestling History (Season 3 Week 17: 4/23 – 4/29) Updated For 2025

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.
• 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
• Audio: Conan O'Brien takes shots at WWE after being labeled as 'Essential Business' during the Pandemic
• Looking back at the first Saudi Arabia event "The Greatest Royal Rumble" (2018)
• Audio: Titus O'Neil stumbles his way into an all-time viral moment during the Greatest Royal Rumble match
• Audio: Hulk Hogan talks candid about using the 'N' Word and being labeled as a racist. The most Hogan has ever spoken about this story
• Lilian Garcia makes her return to ring announcing. But it isn't for WWE or even a pro wrestling company
• The very beginnings of the overhyped AEW fake news, led by Dave Meltzer started this week. And you won't believe the level of fake news they were attempting to present
• Looking back at Impact Wrestling: Rebellion 2019, 2021, 2022
• Charlotte and Andrade get engaged 
• Dutch Mantel' infamous fake news tweet and delete claiming he 'overheard directly' at WWE Headquarters of an imminent sale with Disney
• Audio: Very interesting information from Triple H and Vince McMahon about locker morale and precautions being taken during Covid-19 pandemic
• Audio: Jim Cornette receives alot of heat discussing Velveteen Dream's alleged online incident with a minor
• Less than a day being released from 1+ year prison sentence, Tammy Sytch launches an OnlyFans account
• Audio: After being released by WWE, Drake Maverick cries himself into making a fortune on Cameo
• Bronson Rechsteiner (Bron Breakker) signed by Baltimore Ravens during 2020 NFL Draft
• WWE signs Samantha Irvin and Megan Morant
• Sasha Banks gets her own Star Wars: The Mandalorian action figure
• WWE releases Dexter Lumis, Dakota Kai, Harland, Persia Pirotta, Malcom Bivens, Draco Anthony and several others
• Bray Wyatt and JoJo Offerman get engaged
• CM Punk, while still under AEW contract, visits Impact Wrestling and WWE RAW backstage
• Naomi (Trinity) makes her Impact Wrestling debut
• Looking back at WWE Draft 2023 and 2024
• Looking back at NXT Spring Breakin' 2023 and 2024
• Audio: Oba Femi makes his NXT in-ring debut
• Audio: Triple H reveals the creation of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
• Samoa Joe signs to co-star in the Twisted Metal TV series
• NJPW and Stardom for an alliance
• Audio: Ronda Rousey explains why WWE is a 'disorganized sh*t show'
• Jesse 'The Body' Ventura and WWE reopen discussions about a future return to WWE
• Dave Meltzer reveals he was told that The Rock' recent promos and vulgar Paul Heyman WWE HOF Speech are considered the 'official end of the PG era'
• Darby Allin breaks his news after being clipped by a New York Bus
• Audio: Jack Perry and Young Bucks attack Tony Khan on AEW Dynamite
• Audio: Tony Khan mocked by non-wrestling news media and NFL owners for the way he sold his 'injuries' on AEW Dynamite
• Audio: Tony Khan appears on NFL Network and proceeds to call WWE 'The Harvey Weinstein Of Pro Wrestling
• And so much more!

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