September 17th in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Harry Light 1898
Bulldog Brower 1933
Happy Birthday:
Wild Bill Irwin (71)
Jim Cornette (64)
Masahiro Chono (62)
Henry Dell Rios\Spellbinder (53)
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.
Prince Mihalakis 9-17-1973 at the age of 60
William Desmond Goodman\Big Bad John 9-17-1980 at the age of 37
Dory Detton 9-17-1991 at the age of 79
Jim Barnett 9-17-2004 at the age of 80
Bobby Heenan 9-17-2017 at the age of 73
Gordon Ivey 9-17-2017 at the age of 75
(no photo available)
Emile Dupree 9-17-2023 at the age of 87
55 Year Flashback
9-17-1970: The Texas Outlaws (Rhodes\Murdoch) defeated Jose Lothario & Argentina Apollo to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship at the Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida
Pictured: The Texas Outlaws with a young Ric Flair
The Texas Outlaws had formed as a tag team partnership in 1968, quickly gaining notoriety in the territorial wrestling scene of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). They were portrayed as roughneck heels from Texas, emphasizing a brawling, no-holds-barred style that included stiff strikes, double-team maneuvers, and crowd-baiting antics. Their chemistry was built on real-life friendship and shared training under legendary promoter Fritz Von Erich in Texas, which helped them stand out in promotions across the U.S., including stints in Detroit, Dallas, and Florida.
Lothario and Apollo had held the NWA Florida Tag Team titles since April 20, 1970, when they defeated The Infernos (a masked team) in Orlando. The Outlaws entered the Florida Championship Wrestling (CWF) territory as challengers, capitalizing on their reputation from other regions. This match marked a key moment in their early success together, solidifying their status as a top heel duo in the Southeast. Additionally, Dusty Rhodes was engaged in a parallel singles feud with Jose Lothario, pursuing the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship during this period, which added personal stakes to the tag team match.
44 Year Flashback:
9-17-1981: Ric Flair defeated Dusty Rhodes (ch) to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion for the first time at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas
Dusty Rhodes won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the second time in his career on June 21, 1981, defeating the reigning champion Harley Race in a house show at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. This victory came after Rhodes had briefly held the title earlier in 1979 for just three days. His 1981 reign lasted 88 days and was marked by defenses across various NWA territories, positioning him as a popular babyface champion representing the working-class section of pro wrestling fans.
The match was originally scheduled to be a rematch between Rhodes and Harley Race, but a last-minute card change substituted Ric Flair as Rhodes' opponent—reportedly to give the rising star a high-profile opportunity. The bout was officiated by legendary former NWA champion Lou Thesz as the special referee, adding prestige and neutrality to the proceedings. The event drew a crowd of around 3,000.
Video: Dusty Rhodes (ch) vs Ric Flair for the NWA World Title at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Missouri
Dusty's third go around with the NWA World Title was shorter than he anticipated, due to the reluctance of NWA booking offices acceptance of booking him in their territory as champion. A few sources in the know at the time said that hurt his feelings deeply. They just didn't see him in the mold of the previous touring champions with the ten pounds of gold. So, even though he cooperated with the NWA board's directive that he drop the title to Flair on this occasion, he did so reluctantly.
One Thing I Learned Today About Pro Wrestling History
Wild Bill Irwin broke into the business in 1973. He won the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship in August of 1980.
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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