The closing moments of the worst year in the modern history of pro wrestling ended with the creation of a most unlikely star.
Antonio Inoki’s New Years Eve special was built around the creation of a comeback storyline for Tadao Yasuda, a 38-year-old former sumo. Not a wrestling comeback, but a sentimental life comeback. The television show built up his life-long problem with gambling, and that he started pro wrestling at the age of 31 to pay back debts, and then, when he continued to gamble, piling up debuts of about $760,000, his wife left him, taking his daughter with her. On 3/25, Yasuda became something of a pushed pro wrestling star with an unlikely win in a dreadfully boring Pride match over Masaaki Satake, that proved once again, you can never fully predict what will happen in a shoot.
Simply the most appropriate nickname for one of the biggest mega-stars ever. Few people in modern history have reached the level of fame that Muhammad Ali did.
Ali was a force beyond stardom in the 1970’s. If you were old enough to be aware of sports then Ali was as big as they came. He fought George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Antonio Inoki, and even Superman.
Ali had a lot in common with pro wrestlers, in fact, it was the entertainment aspect of pro wrestling, when combined with the incredible boxing skills of Ali, that made him a world-wide superstar.
Ali, of course, crossed over into the wrestling world multiple times. He created catchphrases and stood tall above his peers in a way that probably only Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has in modern times.
Kansas City, Kansas: – NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dory Funk, Jr. wrestled Dick Murdoch to a time limit draw
1976
Indianapolis, Indiana: – Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher beat Ox Baker & Chuck O’Connor to win the WWA Tag Team Title in a steel cage match – The Strangler beat Pepper Gomez to win the WWA title – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Art Thomas – Art Thomas won a 16 man battle royal – Bounty Hunters beat Steve Regal (sub Bob Kelly) & Bobby Bold Eagle – Wilbur Snyder beat Blackjack Heddon (sub Baron Von Krupp) – Johnny Starr beat Raoul Guzman – Moose Cholak beat Emile Zapata – Paul Christy beat Cashbox Jim Kent
1980
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat the Crusher dq – Dino Bravo no contest Jerry Blackwell – Greg Gagne beat Super Destroyer Mark II – Super Destroyer Mark III beat Bobby Heenan – Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura beat Mad Dog Vachon & Steve Olsonoski – Little Bruiser & Lone Eagle beat Billy the Kid & Tom Thumb
1981
Gainesville, Georgia: – Harley Race defeated Tommy Rich for the NWA World Heavyweight Title
Richmond, Virginia: – Gene & Ole Anderson defeated Paul Jones & Masked Superstar for the NWA World Tag Team Title
Mexico City, Mexico; – Bob Backlund defended the WWF title against NWF World champion Antonio Inoki, wrestling to a draw in a 2 out of 3 falls match
Denver, Colorado: – Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat AWA Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura in a non-title Cage Match – The Crusher and Jerry Blackwell went to a double disqualification – Nick Bockwinkel beat Tito Santana – Baron Von Raschke beat Big John Studd – Ray Stevens beat Buck Zumhofe
1983
Atlanta, Georgia: – Tommy Rich & Paul Orndorff defeated Larry Zbyszko & Killer Brooks a – Tony Atlas defeated NWA World Champion Ric Flair via disqualification – Bob Roop defeated Joe Lightfoot – Ray Candy defeated Chick Donovan – Arn Anderson & Matt Borne (w/ Paul Ellering) defeated Brian Blair & Tito Santana – Ron Garvin defeated the Iron Sheik (w/ Paul Ellering) – Dick Murdoch defeated Buzz Sawyer via count-out
Greensboro, North Carolina: – Greg Valentine defeated NWA U.S. Champion Roddy Piper to win the title – NWA World Tag Team Champions Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood defeated Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle – Keith larsen defeated Ken Timbs – Jos LeDuc defeated Rick Harris – Bugsy McGraw defeated the One Man Gang – Jake Roberts defeated Mike Graham – Dick Slater defeated Sweet Brown Sugar – Jack & Jerry Brisco defeated Angelo Mosca & Gene Anderson – Jimmy Valiant defeated the Great Kabuki in a New York Street fight
1987
Euguene, Oregon: – AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel drew Curt Hennig – AWA Tag Team Champions Midnight Rockers beat Mike Miller & Rip Oliver – Jimmy Snuka beat Larry Zbyszko dq – Assassin & Ricky Santana beat Kevin Kelly & Doug Somers – Art Crews beat Scott Peterson – Joey Jackson drew Coco Samoa – George Skaaland drew Buddy Wolff – Mark Young beat Mighty Sputnik – Sherri Martel beat Madusa Meceli
Atlanta, Georgia: – The New Breed, Chris Champion & Sean Royal defeated Jeff Sampson & Jeff Belk – Baron Von Raschke defeated Thunderfoot #1 – Vladimir Pietrov defeated Jimmy Valiant – The Midnight Express, Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane defeated Bob & Brad Armstrong – Barry Windham defeated Lex Luger via disqualification – Arn Anderson & NWA World TV Champion Tully Blanchard defeated Ole Anderson & Tim Horner – NWA U.S. Champion Nikita Koloff defeated Ivan Koloff in a Russian chain match – NWA World Champion Ric Flair defeated Jimmy Garvin in a lumberjack match
1988
Indianapolis, Indiana: – Jimmy Garvin defeated Kevin Sullivan – Brad Armstrong & Tim Horner defeated Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane – Steve Williams defeated NWA World Tag Team Champion Arn Anderson – The Road Warriors defeated the Powers of Pain – Lex Luger & Nikita Koloff defeated the Sheepherders – Dusty Rhodes fought NWA World Tag Team Champion Tully Blanchard to a double countout when both men began fighting on the floor – NWA World Champion Ric Flair pinned Sting
1993
Memphis, Tennessee: – Brian Christopher defeated Jeff Jarrett for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title
1994
Tokyo, Japan: – Shinya Hashimoto defeated Tatsumi Fujinami for the IWGP Heavyweight Title
1995
Memphis, Tennessee: – Jerry Lawler defeated Razor Ramon for the USWA Unified Heavyweight Title – PG-13 defeated Brickhouse Brown & The Gambler for the USWA Tag Team Title
1998
Greenville, South Carolina: – Booker T defeated Chris Benoit for the WCW World Television Title
Tokyo, Japan: – Satoru Asako defeated Yoshinobu Kanemura – Manukea Mossman (Tayyo Kea) defeated Daisuke Ikeda – Jumbo Tsuruta, Rusher Kimura & Mitsuo Momota defeated Masa Fuchi, Haruka Eigan & Tsuyoshi Kikichi – The Headhunters defeated Tamon Honda & Shigeo Okumura – Johnny Smith & Wolf Hawkfield (Jim Steele) defeated Gedo & Jado – Akira Taue, Takao Omori & Masao Inoue defeated Mike Awesome, Tetsuhiro Kuroda & Hideki Hosaka – Steve Williams & Gary Albright defeated Masahito Kakihara & Yoshihiro Takayama – Giant Baba, Kentaro Shiga & Hayabusa defeated Hakushi, Jun Izumida & Giant Kamala II – Jun Akiyama defeated Hiroshi Hase – Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace defeated Vader & Stan Hansen – Toshiaki Kawada defeated Mitsuharu Misawa to win the All Japan Triple Crown
2005
WWE Backlash | Manchester, New Hampshire: – Tyson Tomko defeated Val Venis – Shelton Benjamin defeated Chris Jericho to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship – The Hurricane and Rosey defeated Tajiri and William Regal, The Heart Throbs (Antonio and Romeo), Simon Dean and Maven, and La Résistance (Robért Conway and Sylvain Grenier) in a Tag Team Turmoil match to win the World Tag Team Championship – Edge defeated Chris Benoit in a Last Man Standing match – Kane (with Lita) defeated Viscera (with Trish Stratus) – Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels defeated Muhammad Hassan and Daivari – Batista defeated Triple H (with Ric Flair) to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
2011
WWE Extreme Rules | Tampa, Florida: – Kofi Kingston defeated Sheamus to win the US Title in a Tables Match – Christian won the World title in a ladder Match defeating Alberto del Rio – John Cena won the WWE title in a three-way cage match defeating The Miz and John Morrison
