This Week In Wrestling History (Season 4 Episode 19: 5/7 – 5/13)

Enjoy this episode (Season 4 Episode 19) of This Week In Wrestling History covering the week of 5/7 thru 5/13. Running Time: 4 Hours 53 Minutes.

Hundreds of hours of wrestling memories, all featuring the ORIGINAL moments as they aired including ORIGINAL theme music! Enjoy this deep dive into pro wrestling's awesome history. You won't find history documented like this anywhere but here!

 

SYNOPSIS: SEASON 4 EPISODE 19 (5/7 - 5/13)
RUNNING TIME: 4 HOURS 53 MINUTES

• Bruno Sammartino vs Giant Baba: First time ever WWWF Championship is defended in Japan
• Verne Gagne retires as AWA Heavyweight Champion
• Eddie Gilbert seriously injured in fiery auto accident following WWF PA event
• Nancy Argentino, girlfriend of Jimmy Snuka, dies after head injury suffered at PA hotel. This occurs a few months after Snuka is arrested in NY and originally charged with second and third degree assault of Argentino and a Police Officer
• Audio: Infamous promo featuring "Dr. D" David Schultz, sporting a giant swastika on his shirt and alongside Randy Savage, trashes Jerry Lawler and claims Lawler has AIDS
• Looking back at the first ever episode of Saturday Night's Main Event (1985)
• Career vs Title: Jerry Lawler def Curt Hennig to win AWA Heavyweight Championship
• Bonus Audio: Curt Hennig attacks owner of Toyota Dealership and destroys the CWA Studio
• Looking back at 5th Von Erich Memorial Parade Of Champions (1988)
• Looking back at NWA WrestleWar 1989
• Audio: Memorable attack by Terry Funk on Ric Flair following his NWA Heavyweight Championship win against Ricky Steamboat
• Roddy Piper returns to WWF after two-year retirement
• Looking back at "Wrestling Week" edition of Family Feud featuring WCW vs GLOW and the story behind the infamous WCW vs NY Giants episode: Lost Media?
• Audio: Highlights of Team WCW featuring Sting, Lex Luger, The Steiners, Jim Ross, Brian Pillman, Masterblaster Steel (Kevin Nash), Tony Schiovane, Dutch Mantel, Road Warrior Animal and others battle Team GLOW featuring: Hollywood, Mt Fiji, Jackie Stallone, Babe The Farmer's Daughter, Godiva, Justice and others
• Audio: Macho Man Randy Savage vs Steve Austin battle for the one and only time they faced off in the ring
• Audio: Steve Austin comments on Macho Man Randy Savage
• Bill Alfonso makes memorable debut in ECW
• WCW announces Nitro expanding to two hours
• Standards and Practices: WWF forced to edit RAW segment showing Goldust licking Undertaker's leg and thigh
• Looking back at AAA TripleMania IV (1996)
• Looking back at WWF IYH 15: A Cold Day In Hell (1997)
• Memorable RAW moment: HBK superkicks Bret Hart back into his wheelchair
• Audio: Farooq accuses WWF of racism and lack of Black Heavyweight Champions
• Audio: Rob Van Dam makes his Monday Night RAW debut against Jeff Hardy (1997)
• Audio: Dustin Runnels tears up during RAW segment while speaking about Dusty Rhodes and Goldust character
• Audio: Eric Bischoff challenges Vince McMahon to a fight at WCW Slamboree 1998
• Online voting gone wrong: Ric Flair voted People Magazine's #2 Most Beautiful People In The World for 1998. Who was #1?
• MTV airs special WCW 'Ultimate Music Video Feud' and begins the crossover highlighted by Raven / DDP feud
• Steve Austin makes memorable appearance on TSN's Off The Record
• Looking back at Sable's leaving WWF and filing $110 Million Lawsuit claiming sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions
• Audio: Debra vs Sable Evening Gown Match for WWF Women's Championship
• Audio: Sean Waltman speaks on putting a cup of feces inside Sable's luggage
• DT looks back at highest rated RAW episode (8.1) in history and how WCW never fully recovered from one preemption due to NBA Playoffs
• US News And World Report publishes seven page story of WWF and explosion in popularity for pro wrestling
• Looking back at WCW Slamboree PPV (1999, 2000)
• Miss Elizabeth wrestles her first two matches ever (vs Daffney, vs Rhonda Singh)
• Audio: APA destroy Big Boss Man and Bull Buchanan in a bar fight
• Four days after Linda McMahon tells AP that WWF and NBC were working on second season for XFL and not being killed off - NBC and WWF discontinues XFL
• Perry Saturn sent home by WWF after 'shooting' on Mike Bell during a match on WWF Jakked
• WWF releases Scott Hall 48 hours after the infamous 'Plane Ride From Hell'
• Batista makes his WWF main roster debut
• Audio: Edge-A-Mania is running wild!
• Infamous RAW segment: Hulk Hogan tries to steal Undertaker's Motorcycle which fails miserably. Undertaker attacks, hogties, and drags Hulk Hogan while riding his motorcycle backstage thru the halls of Air Canada Center
• Launch of NWA - Total Nonstop Action (TNA) officially announced
• Audio: Memorable RAW segment featuring Steve Austin, Christian, RVD/Kane and the surprise return (and final WWE appearance ever) of The Road Warriors (2003)  
• Audio: Freddie Blassie tells D-Von to 'Get The Tables!'
• John Tenta (Earthquake) diagnosed with an inoperable bladder cancer tumor with no chance of recovery
• After two years of PPV only shows, TNA and Fox Sports announce creation of non PPV weekly series, 'Impact!' (2004)
• Almost a year to the day TNA inks a deal with Fox Sports Net and the debut of Impact!, FSN drops TNA programming
• Booker T and Batista fight during filming of a SummerSlam commercial
• Audio: Beth Phoenix makes her WWE main roster debut
• Audio: Dr. Vince McMahon (Yes, Doctor) gives the Commencement Speech at Sacred Heart University (CT)
• Audio: After Undertaker battles Batista in a bloody Cage Match and a post-match beatdown by Mark Henry, Edge cashes in MITB Briefcase to win the World Heavyweight Championship
• NWA officially ends their relationship with TNA
• Looking back at TNA Sacrifice PPV (2007, 2008, 2012)
• Audio: Jim Cornette strips Kurt Angle of TNA Heavyweight Championship
• Fresh off the disaster of moving Impact to Monday nights and dismal ratings, Dixie Carter issues an odd and desperate plea to wrestling fans
• Infamous RAW moment: Jerry Lawler uses Michael Cole's tie to smash Cole's face into the 'Cole Mine'
• Brock Lesnar pulled from UFC event due to developing diverticulitis
• New Japan Pro Wrestling holds their first ever show in the US with help from JAPW
• Hulk Hogan's solution to increase fan interaction with TNA? Follow and film TNA Wrestlers anytime they are seen in public
• Gail Kim and celebrity chef Robert Irvine get married
• Baron Corbin makes his WWE NXT TV debut
• After Christy Hemme botches the ring introduction of Austin Aries and Bobby Roode, Aries climbs ring rope and puts his crotch in Hemme's face. TNA waits almost a week to denounce the behavior
• Buck Zumhofe sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing his 15 year old daughter
• Audio: Attitude or Ineptitude? TNA tries to get edgy by having MVP use the 'N' word during politically charged promo on Impact
• Adam Rose arrested for alleged domestic battery and is immediately suspended by WWE
• Looking back at ROH / NJPW Global Wars 2016
• Billy Corgan finalizes the deal to purchase the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)
• Looking back at WWE Backlash 2018, 2022 and 2025
• WWE signs the last two members of MMA Four Horsewomen: Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke
• Audio: Vince McMahon, with the help of Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston, creates the RAW and SmackDown 'Wild Card Rule'
• Silver King (51) tragically dies in the ring during a wrestling match against Juventud Guerrera
• Looking back at WWE Money In The Bank 2020
• Audio: Becky Lynch announces her pregnancy on RAW and Asuka as the new RAW Women's Champion
• Audio: One of the worst storylines in WWE history begins: Seth Rollins has a weird infatuation with Rey Mysterio's eye
• Audio: Alberto Del Rio arrested and charged with sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping and how he escaped prison time for these serious charges
• Looking back at WWE Throwback SmackDown from 2021
• AEW is the first to announce their return to touring since the Covid-19 Pandemic began
• Audio: Swerve introduces the NXT Universe to his new stable, 'Hit Row'
• Looking back at Impact Wrestling: Under Siege 2022 PPV
• Audio: Rhea Ripley attacks AJ Styles and becomes the newest member of Judgement Day (led by Edge)
• Looking back at The Authors Of Pain's 'Wrestling Entertainment Series' promotion fiasco
• Bobby Roode abruptly retires from pro wrestling after needed a second neck fusion surgery
• Kenny Omega hit with a very serious case of Diverticulitis
• Audio: Highlights of Sami Zayn's stand-up comedy act from 'Netflix Is A Joke' with Becky Lynch and Johnny Knoxville
• Audio: Jesse The Body Ventura reveals negotiations with WWE for a Legends Deal
• Audio: Wrestling news and IWC livid at Triple H after taking shots at PWInsider and Fightful
• Sabu tragically passes away at 60 years old
• WWE begins plans to bring back the all-women's event: WWE Evolution
• Patrick Clark (Velveteen Dream) calls out the media and WWE, demanding apologies and a second chance in WWE
• Episode of Family Guy airs a segment featuring Peter and Chris Griffin wearing AEW Excalibur and Colt Cabana (Matt Classic) masks
• Audio: JC Mateo (Jeff Cobb) makes his WWE debut. He would be released from WWE one year later
• Audio: Hulk Hogan doubles down on the denial why WWE fans boo'd during WWE RAW debut on Netflix. And the pattern continues as another Hogan interviewer avoids any mention of the "R" (race) word to Hogan
• And so much more!

RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE to download the AUDIO episode of THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING HISTORY S4 E19 (5/7 – 5/13)

CLICK HERE to listen to COMMERCIAL FREE episode of THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING HISTORY S4 E19 (5/7 – 5/13)

CLICK HERE to listen to THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING HISTORY S4 E19 (5/7 – 5/13) online

CLICK HERE to access previous episodes for all the shows

====

Want to help promote our shows and get a special shout-out on the next show? Stop by Apple Podcasts (CLICK HERE) or SPOTIFY (CLICK HERE) and leave a review!

====

DON TONY *PATREON* AND *YOUTUBE CHANNEL MEMBERSHIPS:

You can send additional support for and help us grow in 2026 by becoming a member of our PATREON and/or YOUTUBE CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP FAMILY. Don Tony / Don Tony And Kevin Castle Show PATREON has been around for over eight years! You can access all eight years of BONUS CONTENT right now including:

• Ad-Free episodes of all of the weekly Non-Patreon shows
• Access to the ENTIRE Don Tony And Kevin Castle Show library (RIP KEV). THOUSANDS OF SHOWS going back to 2004 available immediately 
• Weekly Patreon Exclusive podcast hosted by Don Tony
• Don Tony's entire library (8+ years) of Patreon exclusive shows
• Kevin Castle's entire library (8+ years) of Patreon exclusive shows
• 2000+ hours of Patreon exclusive shows never released publicly! (Over 8 Years of Patreon Exclusive Content!)

CLICK HERE to access DT/KC Patreon now!

YOUTUBE CHANNEL MEMBERSHIPS:
Another option is to become a CHANNEL MEMBER on YouTube. Get exclusive enhanced versions of weekly shows, access to DT's weekly Patreon show, retro DTKC Show episodes, giveaways and more.

CLICK HERE for more details and to join The DT/KC YouTube Channel Member Family!

====

CLICK HERE for DTKC Pro Wrestling Tees Store

====

CHECK OUT OUR CONTENT ACROSS THESE PLATFORMS:

• CLICK HERE FOR APPLE PODCASTS
• CLICK HERE FOR SPOTIFY
• CLICK HERE FOR ANDROID
• CLICK HERE FOR AMAZON MUSIC
• CLICK HERE FOR GOOGLE PODCASTS
• CLICK HERE FOR PANDORA
• CLICK HERE FOR PODBEAN
• CLICK HERE FOR IHEARTRADIO
• CLICK HERE FOR DON TONY AND KEVIN CASTLE SHOW MERCHANDISE!

====

WEEKLY SHOW SCHEDULE (UPDATED: APRIL 2026):

• THE DON TONY SHOW AND WWE RAW RECAP: LIVE EVERY MONDAY NIGHT immediately following WWE RAW on YouTube (www.YouTube.com/DonTony)
• PRO WRESTLING NEWS UPDATES: Posted every WEDNESDAY evening at DonTony.com and across all podcasting platforms
• DT VIPATREON CHRONICLES: Patreon Exclusive Show hosted by Don Tony LIVE EVERY THURSDAY at 8:30PM on DTKC Patreon Channel (https://www.patreon.com/dontony)
• THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING HISTORY: Posted every SATURDAY MORNING at DonTony.com and available across all podcast platforms
• THE SIT-DOWN w/DON TONY: VIDEO PODCAST hosted by Don Tony LIVE EVERY SUNDAY at 8PM on YouTube (www.YouTube.com/DonTony)
• WWE/AEW PPV RECAP/REVIEW: Streaming LIVE on YouTube following every PPV

====

SOCIAL MEDIA / WEBSITE / CONTACT INFO:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dontonyd
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dontony
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/DTKCShow
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dontony