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Episode Details

Enjoy this episode (Season 4 Episode 31) of This Week In Wrestling History covering the week of 7/30 thru 8/5. Running Time: 5 Hours 54 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 31 (7/30 – 8/5)
RUNNING TIME: 5 HOURS 54 MINUTES

  • Bruno Sammartino ‘refuses’ the NWA World Heavyweight Title after defeating champion Buddy Rogers, who suffered an ‘injury’ during the match. This was a common finish back in the golden era of wrestling.
  • A memorable bloodbath between Bruno Sammartino and Superstar Billy Graham (Special Referee: Gorilla Monsoon) takes place at Madison Square Garden.
  • Roddy Piper and Tony Atlas make their WWWF TV debuts.
  • Audio: Roddy Piper trolls fans in his WWWF TV debut (1979).
  • Bonus Audio: Roddy Piper’s second WWWF TV match vs. Jose Estrada (1979).
  • Roddy Piper is stabbed in the chest following an NWA Mid-Atlantic Title match against Jack Brisco.
  • Bonus Audio: Roddy Piper’s ‘$10,000’ promo and match against Jack Brisco for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Title (1982).
  • Bob Backlund’s original WWF run ends (1984).
  • Miss Elizabeth makes her WWF debut.
  • Audio: Eddie Gilbert vs. Shane Douglas (original opponent: Sting) for the UWF TV Title (1987).
  • Looking back at the WWF Wrestlefest ’88 event (1988).
  • The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) is created.
  • Looking back at the one and only WCW appearance of ‘The Pearl’.
  • Audio: Nikita Koloff vs. Rick Rude + Sting’s ‘injury’ caused by Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts (making his WCW debut) leads to Ron Simmons vs. Vader for the WCW Heavyweight Championship (1992).
  • Audio: Ron Simmons defeats Vader to become the first-ever Black WCW Heavyweight Champion (1992).
  • Hulk Hogan wrestles his final WWF match before exiting in 1993.
  • Looking back at the SMW ‘Night of Legends’ event (1994) and the match where Chris Jericho broke the ‘Muta scale’.
  • WCW Collision in Korea airs on PPV.
  • Looking back at ECW ‘Wrestlepalooza’ 1995.
  • Audio: Memorable ECW match between The Steiners and Eddie Guerrero vs. Cactus Jack, 2 Cold Scorpio, and Dean Malenko (1995).
  • Becky Two Belts? Great Sasuke is not impressed: The Great Sasuke defeats Ultimo Dragon to win the J-Crown Tournament and becomes ‘Sasuke Eight Belts’!
  • Looking back at ECW’s ‘The Doctor Is In’ event and the final ECW appearance of Chris Jericho (1996).
  • Audio: Kurt Angle defeats Abbas Jadidi of Iran to win the Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympics. And yes, he legitimately won it with a broken freakin’ neck!
  • Looking back at the WWF SummerSlam 1997.
  • Audio: Lex Luger defeats Hollywood Hulk Hogan to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1997).
  • Looking back at the ECW ‘Heatwave ’98’ PPV.
  • Audio: Sunday Night Heat makes its debut on the USA Network.
  • Audio: Infamous segment from RAW when Kaientai ‘Choppy Choppy’ Val Venis’ Pee Pee!
  • Looking back at the Brian Hildebrand Benefit Show, ‘Curtis Comes Home’ (1999).
  • Becky Two Belts? Lance is not impressed: Lance Storm wins the WCW Cruiserweight Title and becomes ‘Lance Three Belts’!
  • Looking back at the i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling ‘Rodman Down Under’ event (2000).
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH holds its inaugural event.
  • Audio: The first promo confrontation between The Rock and Booker T after WCW closed its doors (2001).
  • WWE Niagara Falls opens in Canada.
  • The official autopsy report is released on the death of Miss Elizabeth.
  • PlayStation 2 Magazine (UK) launches four commemorative covers featuring WWE Divas. Or did they?
  • Audio: Shawn Michaels’ infamous Hulk Hogan impersonation on ‘Larry King Live’ (2005).
  • ROH ‘Fight of the Century’: Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) and Samoa Joe battle to a 60-minute time-limit draw.
  • Audio: CM Punk makes his WWE/ECW debut (2006).
  • Audio: NY WWE fans tell viewers to ‘change the channel’ during the Batista vs. Big Show match (2006).
  • Did the arrest of vandals spray-painting “DX” throughout a New Hampshire town spark the idea of “DX” being ‘spray-painted’ on the WWE Headquarters building?
  • Vince McMahon loves c***.
  • Vince McMahon makes a regular return to WWE programming after the Chris Benoit tragedy—and is ‘served’ with a paternity lawsuit.
  • Matt Morgan signs with TNA Wrestling.
  • Audio: John Morrison vs. Joey Ryan in a 15 Minutes of Fame match on WWE/ECW TV (2007).
  • The last WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event airs on NBC (2008).
  • With SummerFest right around the corner, looking back at when Celebrity Guest Host Dr. Ken Jeong (with Jeremy Piven) was dropped on his head on Raw (2009).
  • TNA suspends Samoa Joe after a backstage tirade over TNA Creative’s handling of his match against Jeff Hardy.
  • WWE releases Melina, Chris Masters, Vladimir Kozlov, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and several developmental wrestlers.
  • Audio: Memorable confrontation between Triple H and newly crowned WWE Champion, CM Punk (2011).
  • Gail Kim announces her departure from WWE.
  • Billy Corgan announces the creation of the Resistance Pro Wrestling promotion.
  • Booker T becomes the new General Manager of SmackDown (2012).
  • Audio: Abraham Washington makes a dopey Kobe Bryant rape joke on WWE Raw, which ultimately leads to his WWE release (2012).
  • Vince McMahon makes a regular return to WWE programming after the Chris Benoit tragedy—and is ‘served’ with a paternity lawsuit. (Note: This was a duplicate in your original text).
  • Looking back at NJPW’s first-ever iPPV event (2012).
  • Audio: ‘And the crowd goes mild!’ Remembering the less-than-stellar TNA ‘August 1st Warning’ storyline and revelation (2013).
  • Following Ronda Rousey’s heartfelt tribute to Roddy Piper at UFC 190, Dana White calls WWE ‘fake sh’.
  • Audio: The Broken Hardys become ‘Woken’ (2017).
  • Joey Ryan counters Mr. Socko with the D*** Flip.
  • WWE releases Eva Marie.
  • Audio: The Big Show Show: Netflix and WWE announce production for a comedy series starring Big Show.
  • Audio: The Rock (2019) chooses who he thinks could be the next John Cena or Hulk Hogan in WWE.
  • The Rock reaches a deal to purchase the XFL for fifteen million dollars.
  • Audio: WWE debuts RAW Underground, hosted by Shane McMahon, on RAW.
  • Looking back at the debut and quick demise of the faction Retribution.
  • WWE hires Nick Khan as the new President and Chief Revenue Officer of WWE.
  • Looking back at the incident on AEW Dynamite involving Matt Hardy, Sammy Guevara, and a pair of folding chairs.
  • Audio: AEW launches AEW Heels.
  • WWE releases Bray Wyatt, Ric Flair, Mercedes Martinez, Jake Atlas, Bobby Fish, Desmond Troy, Tyler Rust, Leon Ruff, Kona Reeves, Zechariah Smith, Giant Zanjeer, Asher Hale, and Ari Sterling.
  • Audio: The Boss Is Back: Sasha Banks’ memorable WWE return and heel turn on Bianca Belair.
  • Looking back at Impact Wrestling: Homecoming 2021.
  • Acknowledge Your Daddy: Roman Reigns!
  • Looking back at WWE SummerSlam 2022 thru 2025.
  • Audio: Highlights of Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing Match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2022.
  • Charlotte Flair and Liv Morgan are removed from the filming of the Queen of the Ring movie and replaced with Kamille and Toni Storm.
  • Looking back at NXT Great American Bash 2023 and 2024.
  • Audio: Fans quickly turn on Gable Steveson during his NXT debut match against Baron Corbin.
  • Audio: Highlights of Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso in a Tribal Combat Match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and recognition as Tribal Chief by the Anoa’i Family (from SummerSlam 2023).
  • Bonus Audio: Paul Heyman’s memorable promo hyping up the Tribal Combat match between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso.
  • Audio: Joe Hendry Concert from the NXT Great American Bash 2024.
  • Audio: Highlights of Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley and the memorable Dominik Mysterio turn on Rhea Ripley from SummerSlam 2024.
  • Audio: Highlights of Damian Priest vs. Gunther for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the memorable Finn Bálor turn on Damian Priest (from SummerSlam 2024).
  • Joey Ryan’s second attempt at a Pro Wrestling comeback nuked, leading to a charity event canceled due to ‘threats of gun violence’ and a promotion shutting down
  • WWE leaves Peacock for ESPN, signing a 5-Year, $1.6 Billion Deal to air WWE Premium Live Events beginning in 2026
  • WWE Unreal debuts its first ever season on Netflix to mixed reviews
  • Audio: Triple H and The Rock gush over using Travis Scott, positioning him to be at ‘the center’ of the John Cena heel turn and Championship run (From WWE Unreal Season One)
  • Audio: Seth Rollins pulls off The Ruse of the Century, cashing in MITB Briefcase and defeating CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship
  • Audio: John Cena passes the torch to Cody Rhodes, just to be decimated by the shocking return of Brock Lesnar. A return that Dave Meltzer claimed left some women in WWE ‘privately disgusted’.
  • And so much more!

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