Good morning to you pro wrestling enthusiasts.
I just arrived at my new place in Kentucky. I checked my trip odometer and with the road trip last week to Waterloo, Iowa and the trip down here from Columbia, Missouri plus a few other miles this week, my trip odometer says in the last two weeks I have traveled 1283 miles.
In addition to that, I’ve helped load the moving truck with all my stuff.
I'm pretty tired.
Tomorrow we are recording a special Time Tunnel podcast segment on the passing of Hulk Hogan, also, I will write something new for the Chronicle for Monday's edition.
Meanwhile, as we look at our daily tribute to pro wrestlers, I believe this is the longest RIP Salute I have ever published since I have been tracking the birthdays and RIP lists last September. July 27th is a sad day in Pro Wrestling History over the years.
Let's get started.
July 27th in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Marv Westenberg 1910
Karloff Legarde 1928
Matt Borne 1957
Happy Birthday:
Greg Gagne (77)
Manny Fernandez (71)
Paul Levesque\Triple H (57)
Shannon Moore (47)
Nick Nemeth\Dolph Ziggler (46)
Stephen Woltz\"Hangman" Adam Page (35)
RIP Memorial: We stop & remember those who have passed on this day and gave themselves to the business for us, the fans. We salute you and thank you.
Sam Bass 7-27-1976 at the age of 41
Pepe Lopez 7-27-1976 at the age of 39
Frank Hester 7-27-1976 at the age of 37
(*see today’s flashback for details)
Gordon Solie 7-27-2000 at the age of 71
Rhonda Sing\Bertha Faye 7-27-2001 at the age of 40
Brenda Joyce Sciarra\Brenda Britton 7-27-2007 at the age of 66
Rita Cortez 7-27-2012 at the age of 73
Kat LeRoux 7-27-2020 at the age of 55
Beckie Mullen\Sally the Farmer's Daughter 7-27-2020 at the age of 56
Alan Blake\Vladimir Petrov 7-27-2024 at the age of 67
Pete Sanchez 7-27-2024 at the age of 81
49-Year Flashback: Tragic Tennessee Car Crash
7-27-1976: In the early morning hours of July 27th, following a show at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee, on Interstate 40 between Jackson and Nashville at the Little Piney Creek Bridge, a car driven by Jerry Lawler’s manager, Sam Bass and carrying the tag team he managed, The Masked Dominos (Pepe Lopez & Frank Hester) struck a disabled vehicle which Bass had not seen. The disabled vehicle was driven by a drunk driver who had crashed into the bridge. Seconds later an 18-wheeler crashed into both cars and all vehicles burst into flames. Bass, Lopez, Hester & the Drunk Driver were all killed. The truck driver survived the crash.
One Thing I Learned Today About Pro Wrestling History
Pro Wrestling's popularity declined from 1910 to 1920 due to doubts about its legitimacy, exacerbated by Frank Gotch's retirement in 1913, leaving no new superstar to captivate audiences.
Thank You for Reading
I'm Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share it with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
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