September 24th in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Doc Gallagher 1916
Miguel Torres 1918
Fuzzy Cupid 1928
Len Rossi 1929
Hartford Love 1940
Happy Birthday:
Richard Allen\Sunny Beach (62)
Stephanie McMahon (49)
Chris Nowinski (47)
Shane Haste (40)
Sonya DeVille (32)
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.
Abe "King Kong" Kashey 9-24-1965 at the age of 61
Roy Hefferman 9-24-1992 at the age of 67
Professor Roy Shire 9-24-1992 at the age of 70
60 Year Flashback
9-24-1965: EMLL has their 32nd Anniversary Show at Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico
The EMLL 32nd Anniversary Show was a major professional wrestling event produced by Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL), which later became known as Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). EMLL was founded in 1933 by Salvador Lutteroth, often called the "father of Lucha Libre," and the anniversary shows are annual celebrations of the promotion's establishment, typically featuring championship matches, high-profile rivalries, and sometimes Luchas de Apuestas (mask or hair vs. mask or hair stipulation bouts). These events are considered the biggest of the year for the promotion, akin to WrestleMania for WWE, and have been held primarily at Arena México in Mexico City since the 1950s. Arena México is revered as the "Cathedral of Lucha Libre" or the "Mecca of professional wrestling in Mexico."
The 1965 show took place during a period when EMLL was showcasing prominent wrestlers like those from the Los Rebeldes group, including Karloff Lagarde and Rene Guajardo, who often headlined major cards. The event commemorated the 32nd anniversary of EMLL's founding and was highlighted by title matches that drew significant interest and the live gate for the show was 17,100.
There were 7 matches on the show overall here were the top 3 matches on the card:
El Santo & Rayo de Jalisco defeated Benny Galant & Henry Pilusso
There were two significant title matches:
Espanto I (ch) defeated Mil Mascaras to retain the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship
This match featured Mil Máscaras early in his career, who would later become a legendary figure in Lucha Libre.
Karloff LeGarde defeated Huracan Ramirez (ch) to win the NWA World Welterweight Championship
Lagarde captured the title for his second reign. This was one of Mexico's most prestigious championships at the time.
This show underscored EMLL's dominance in Mexican wrestling during the 1960s, with a focus on technical welterweight and light heavyweight divisions. Karloff Lagarde's victory solidified his status as a top star, while the undercard match against Mil Máscaras helped introduce the latter to major audiences. The event's sell-out crowd reflects the popularity of Lucha Libre at the time, and it remains part of the long lineage of anniversary shows that continue to this day.
One Thing I Learned Today About Pro Wrestling History
Roy Shire teamed with George "the Great" Scott to win the NWA Texas Tag Team Titles in October of 1954. He became the promoter of the San Francisco territory after being one of the few to move in on and defeat an existing NWA Member promotion in 1964.
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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