THIS DAY IN BOSTON / WRESTLING / IRON SHEIK HISTORY - JUNE 4TH
by wrestling historian The Jackal
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 * 1:48AM
Saturday, June 21st - Good Time Emporium - Somerville, MA
Abyss - The Iron Sheik - Black Machismo
Homicide - Chris Sabin - John Cena Sr. - Leticia Cline
Live Wrestling - VIP Question & Answer Session - FanFest
Special Raffle To Win Lunch With THE IRON SHEIK!
-- June 4th: The Day In Boston / Wrestling / Iron Sheik History
On this day in 1979, Hossein Arab won the first battle royal in MSG history. He would go on to face WWWF Champion Bob Backlund later that night, Backlund retained the title.
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-- June 2nd: The Day In Boston / Wrestling / Iron Sheik History
1984
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan def. The Iron Sheik at the Spectrum in Philadelphia
1985
Barry Windham def. The Iron Sheik in Denver, CO
1987
The Honky Tonk Man def. Ricky Steamboat to win the WWF IC Championship in Buffalo, NY
1998
The Junkyard Dog passes away
2003
Legendary manager "Classy" Fred Blassie passed away. Blassie was a true wrestling legend and indeed a class act.
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June 2nd, 1990 - Boston Garden, Boston, MA
Haku, Dino Bravo, Koko B. Ware and the Brooklyn Brawler won singles matches
Big Boss Man def. Ted DiBiase
The Rockers def. Orient Express via CO
The Warlord def. Tito Santana
WWF World Champion The Ultimate Warrior def. Rick Rude
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-- May 31st: The Day in Boston Wrestling / Iron Sheik History
WWWF at the Boston Garden - May 31st, 1969
Haystacks Calhoun & Domenic DeNucci def. Crazy Luke Graham & Baron Mikel Scicluna
Victor Rivera drew Prof. Toru Tanaka
Killer Kowalski def. Bruno Sammartino in a Texas Death Match
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WWWF at the Boston Garden - May 31st, 1975
Bruno Sammartino def. Spiros Arion via DQ
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May 31st, 1979
Willingboro, NJ
Hossein Arab def. Johnny Rivera
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In 2003, the first MWF SOUL SURVIVOR took place in Lynn, MA, with Todd Hanson defeating D-Lo Brown, and Tiger Mulligan winning the Soul Survivor competition to become the first MWF Heavyweight Champion. The legendary Bobby "The Brain" Heenan presented Mulligan with the championship belt.
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-- May 29th: The Day in Boston Wrestling History
WWWF at the Boston Garden - May 29th, 1968
Baron Mikel Scicluna and Victor Rivera competed in singles matches. The midgets were also on hand.
The Sicilians (Lou Albano & Tony Altimore) def. Louis Cerdan & Arnold Skaaland
Prof. Toru Tanaka def. Crybaby Ccannon
Gorilla Monsoon & The Kentucky Butcher def. Eduard Carpentier & Bruno Sammartino
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-- May 23rd: The Day In Wrestling History
Truthfully this day should only be remembered for one.
Owen Hart died on this date, sadly, now nine years later. Owen wrestled for his father Stu in Stampede Wrestling and then had a tremendous career in New Japan Pro Wrestling. His two runs in WWF/WWE as Owen Hart & the Blue Blazer spanned from 1988-1989, and 1991-1999. His storied WWE career was fantastic, he would have been a world champion by now.
Kansas City was the site of this tragic accident
I hope to see him in the WWE Hall of Fame someday. He for one deserves it.
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-- May 22nd: The Day In Wrestling History
In 1972, Sonny King & Chief Jay Strongbow defeated King Curtis & Baron Mikel Scicluna in Madison Square Garden for the WWWF Tag Team Championship
In 1999, Owen Hart wrestled his final match, sadly (more on this 5/23)
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-- May 21st: The Day In Wrestling History
In 2000, it was WWF Judgement Day on PPV with Triple H defeating the Rock in a 60 minute Iron Man Match. The plan was for the Rock to retain the championship, but there appeared to be some "interesting" use of the clock by guest referee, yet to be reformed, Triple H best friend Shawn Michaels. This match also marked the return of The Undertaker, returning after an injury he was out of action for in September 1999.
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-- May 19th: The Day In Wrestling History
In 1980, WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund def. Ken Patera in a Texas Death Match. This was one of Backlund's better title matches ever.
In 1996 at Madison Square Garden in NYC, WWF Heavyweight Champion Shawn Michaels def. Diesel in a steel cage match. This was Diesel/Kevin Nash's final night in the WWF, and after the match, good guy Razor Ramon / bad guy Triple H all came to the ring to pose together in the ring, setting off a fire storm behind the scenes in WWF. Diesel and Ramon were leaving for WWF, and they didn't want the champion to lose his smile, so Triple H was punished for some time, including losing the 1996 King Of The Ring tournament he was supposed to win (which worked out for the best, as Steve Austin won and Austin 3:16 was born). He's come a long way.
-- The Day In Iron Sheik History
May 19th, 1979 - Binghamton, NY
Hussein Arab def. Frank Williams
May 19th, 1984 - Landover, MD
Iron Sheik DDQ Sgt. Slaughter
May 19th, 1985 - Birmingham, AL
Iron Sheik drew Tony Atlas
May 19th, 1991 - Pittsburgh, PA
Jim Duggan def. Col. Mustafa
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-- May 18th: The Day In Wrestling History
In 2002, "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith passed away (the father of Raw/Heat star DH Smith)
In 2004, Chavo Classic wins the WWE Cruiserweight Championship in Las Vegas
Today was the birthday of the first MWF President, the late Franklin D. Churchill
-- This Day In Boston Wrestling History
May 18th, 1985 - huge, historic card at the Boston Garden featuring Ken Patera, Moondog Spot and WWE HOF'er Ivan Putski
Greg Valentine def. Junkyard Dog
Big John Studd def. Rocky Johnson
Tito Santana def. Brutus Beefcake
Hulk Hogan & Jimmy Snuka def. Don Muraco & "Cowboy" Bob Orton
This card will go down in history because this was the night NESN started airing WWF wrestling and it was heavily advertised during Boston Red Sox games
May 18th, 1991
Featuring Bret "Hitman" Hart, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Jimmy Snuka & Kerry Von Erich
Hulk Hogan def. Sgt Slaughter in a Desert Storm Match
-- The Day In Iron Sheik History
May 18th, 1979 - Long Island, NY
Hussein Arab def. Domenic DeNucci
May 18th, 1991 - Boston, MA
Jim Duggan def. Col. Mustafa
May 18th, 1992 - Cincinnati, OH
Wrestling Challenge Taping
Sgt. Slaughter def. Col. Mustafa
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-- May 17th: The Day In Wrestling History
In 1963, Bruno Sammartino def. "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds to win the WWWF Championship at the old Madison Square Garden
In 1967, Bruno Sammartino retained the WWWF Championship with a victory over "Cowboy" Bill Watts at MSG
In 1976, there was an event at MSG with no WWWF Champion on it. The previous month, Stan Hansen broke Bruno's neck. Hansen challenged Ivan Putski on this night.
In 1993, it was a wild Monday Night Raw from NYC at the Manhatten Center. The Kid (Sean Waltman, who went on to compete under many different names) shot to stardom with an upset, pinfall victory over Razor Ramon.
On the same episode of Raw, Marty Jannetty defeated former tag team partner Shawn Michaels to become new WWF IC Champion, albeit a short reign.
-- May 17th - The Day In Iron Sheik History
May 17th, 1984 - Johnstown, PA
Bob Backlund def. Iron Sheik via DQ
May 17th, 1986 - Oakland, CA
Pedro Morales def. Iron Sheik
May 17th, 1991 - Houston, TX
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan def. Col. Mustafa
May 17th, 1992 - Nashville, TN
Tatanka def. Col. Mustafa
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-- May 15th: The Day In Wrestling History
In 1967, WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Gorilla Monsoon at Madison Square Garden
In 2007, Sabu was released by WWE. Sabu had been competing mainly on the ECW brand.
Happy birthday's go out to Ron Simmons and Kevin Von Erich
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-- May 15th: The Day In Boston Wrestling History
May 15th, 1971 - Boston Garden
The Fabulous Moolah competed in a ladies tag (thats one reason she held the ladies championship for 500 years)
Jimmy Valiant and Beautiful Bobby had singles matches
Gorilla Monsoon won a handicapped match
Tarzan Tyler saw individual competition
Jay Strongbow def. Bulldog Brower via DQ
Pedro Morales def. Blackjack Mulligan in a WWWF Title Match
Mulligan was stabbed in the leg by a fan with a knife dipped in pig fat
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May 15th, 1977 - Boston Garden
Featuring Johnny Rivera, Ted Adams, Johhny Rodz and Pete Doherty
Ken Patera def. Chief Jay Strongbow
SD Jones def. Baron Mikel Scicluna
George Steele def. Bruno Sammartino via DQ
"Superstar" Billy Graham def. Tony Garea in a WWWF Title Match
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-- May 13th: The Day In Wrestling History
1975 Victor Rivera and Domenic DeNucci def. The Valiant Brothers to win the WWWF Tag Team Titles
1984 - Rick Martel won the AWA World Championship
2002 - Trish Stratus def. Jazz to win the WWE Womens Championship
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-- May 13th: The Day In Boston Wrestling History
May 13th, 1989
Featuring Mega Man Magee (I remember when WWF signed him they thought he was the superstar of the future - Mr. Magee didn't last long)
The Warlord def. Koko B. Ware - any match with the Warlord sucked
The Rockers def The Rougeaus
King Duggan def Haku - yuk
Big John Studd vs Andre The Giant - their matches were horrible in 1983, let alone 1985. Now four years later not close to being good. Haku and Duggan interfered and I was going "oh my God a tag match next month"
The crowd was about the third lowest I ever saw live in Boston
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May 13th, 1995 - A Night To Remember
After hearing for 25 years the Garden was closing, this was the final event in the old Boston Garden, many WWF Boston legends were on hand
Crowd was only about 10,000 but wrestling was dead at this point anywhere
The Heavenly Bodies def. The Bushwackers
HHH appeared
Man Mountain Rock def Kwang - not a classic
Bret Hart & Davey Boy Smith def Hakusi & Jerry "The King" Lawler
comments: Bret Hart had a great run in WWF; Bulldog I liked as a tag team with Dynamite Kid; Hakushi, i enjoyed his work; Lawler was a great wrestler - if I lived in Memphis I could have been the singles champ 245 times
IC Champ Jeff Jarrett def Razor Ramon in a ladder match
The Undertaker def. Kama
Bam Bam Bigelow def. Tatanka
Diesel def. Sid
