September 10th in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Johnny Walker\Mr. Wrestling 2 1934
Jerry Morrow 1949
Happy Birthday:
Don Muraco (76)
Steve Keirn (74)
Matt Morgan (49)
William Mueller\Trevor Murdoch )45)
Drake Younger (41)
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.
Jean Holland 9-10-1996 at the age of 73
Jack Adkisson\Fritz Von Erich 9-10-1997 at the age of 68
Enrique Torres 9-10-2007 at the age of 85
Moose Morowski 9-10-2016 at the age of 81
42 Year Flashback
9-10-1983: The last episode of "Wrestling at the Chase" aired on September 10, 1983, on KPLR-TV (Channel 11) in St. Louis, Missouri.
This marked the end of the original run of the show, which had been produced in association with the St. Louis Wrestling Club (promoted by Sam Muchnick and later Bob Geigel) since its debut on May 23, 1959. Over its 24-year history, more than 1,100 episodes were produced, making it one of the longest-running wrestling TV programs of its era and a staple for NWA-affiliated wrestling in the Midwest. The episodes were typically taped at the Khorassan Ballroom in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel, with commentary by announcers like Joe Garagiola, Larry Matysik, and Rick Stuart in later years.
Pictured: Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri
The show's cancellation was tied to internal issues within the St. Louis Wrestling Club after Muchnick's retirement in 1982, including a shift in talent booking, increased use of non-local wrestlers from Kansas City, and declining ratings amid the changing wrestling landscape. By this time, the St. Louis matches, and the TV show were filled with talent from the Kansas City territory, as Bob Geigel and Harley Race, as principal partners in the Kansas City office had taken majority control of St. Louis.
Wrestling at the Chase was consistently one of the highest rated television shows in St. Louis. Among St. Louis-based shows, it was third behind the local news and St. Louis Cardinals baseball games. The show often had over 100,000 viewers per episode.
KPLR ended its relationship with the St. Louis Wrestling Club in September 1983 and ended that version of Wrestling at the Chase. On December 27, 1983, and January 16, 1984, the WWF held TV tapings at the Chase Park Plaza that were turned into several episodes of Wrestling at the Chase, which began airing in 1984.
One Thing I Learned Today About Pro Wrestling History
"Wrestling At the Chase produced approximately 1,100 episodes over its 24 years. On a few occasions, for matches that would attract larger crowds, the show would be recorded in the Kiel Auditorium or the St. Louis Arena.
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!
Remember, paid subscribers get access to exclusive and special content such as some special issues including a multi-part deep dives on wrestling territories, wrestler bios and championship title histories, special audio and video interviews on territory pro wrestling and more available in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel for Premium Subscribers.