Updated For 2025! This Week In Wrestling History (Season 3 Week 19) covering the period of 5/7 thru 5/13. Running Time: 4 Hours 15 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

SYNOPSIS: SEASON 3 EPISODE 19 (5/7 – 5/13)
RUNNING TIME: 4 HOURS 27 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.
• 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.
• 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 up his 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 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: Undertaker attacks, hogties, and drags Hulk Hogan while riding a motorcycle throughout the 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 announces retirement after developing bladder cancer.
• 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 debuts Impact!, FSN drops TNA programming.
• Booker T and Batista fight during filming of Summerslam 2006 commercial.
• Audio: Beth Phoenix makes her WWE main roster debut.
• Audio: Dr. Vince McMahon gives the Commencement Speech at Sacred Heart University (CT).
• Audio: After Undertaker battles Batista in a bloody Cage Match and endures 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 attack Cole within the Cole Mine.
• Brock Lesnar pulled from UFC event due to 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.
• Happy Wedding Anniversary to Gail Kim and Chef Robert Irvine.
• 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. And 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.
• Ray ‘Adam Rose’ Leppan 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 and 2022
• 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 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
• And so much more!

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