October 12th in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
(none)
Happy Birthday:
Rodney Mack (55)
Karen Jarrett (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.
Buddy O’Brien 10-12-1941 at the age of 32
Nat Pendleton 10-12-1967 at the age of 72
Ernie Roth\The Grand Wizard 10-12-1983 at the age of 57
Lana Lamar 10-12-1983 at the age of 54
Cowboy Bob Kelly 10-12-2014 at the age of 78
Katsuya Kitamura 10-12-2022 at the age of 36
Significant Debut Match
10-12-1955: Gene LeBell defeated Ted Christy in a Judo Match at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.
Gene LeBell made his debut in pro wrestling by using a gimmick Judo match. LeBell had a successful career in judo, specifically in this time frame following up on his successes in judo, including back-to-back AAU National Judo Championships in 1954 and 1955. Ted Christy, a veteran pro wrestler, had previously been one of LeBell’s training partners at Hollywood Legion Stadium.
50 Year Flashback
PWF US Title Change
10-12-1975: Abdullah the Butcher defeated The Destroyer (Dick Beyer) for the PWF version of the United States Heavyweight Championship at the Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park in Suita, Osaka, Japan
This was a house show event held at the World Expo Memorial Park Festival Plaza in Suita, Osaka, Japan. that was on Day 13 of the All-Japan Pro Wrestling Giant Series I. This marked Abdullah’s first and only reign with the title, which lasted 52 days before he dropped it back to The Destroyer in a rematch on December 3, 1975, in Kiryu, Japan. The PWF (Pacific Wrestling Federation) United States Heavyweight Championship was primarily defended in Japan under All Japan Pro Wrestling and was considered a regional version of the title originally from the United States.
The match itself was a brutal, hard-hitting affair typical of both wrestlers’ styles, featuring brawling and weapon use. Abdullah, known for his hardcore and bloody matches, used his signature aggressive tactics to dethrone The Destroyer, a masked technical wrestler who had held the title since 1974 in its PWF incarnation.
EMLL Mexican National Welterweight Tournament
10-12-1975: Fishman (real name José Ángel Nájera Sánchez) won the vacant Mexican National Welterweight Championship—promoted by Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL, now CMLL)—in a live event at Arena Coliseo in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
This marked his second reign with the title, which he had previously held from October 3, 1973, until it was vacated earlier in 1975. The championship had been vacated on May 3, 1975, following Fishman’s brief win of the NWA World Welterweight Championship in April 1975, as rules at the time prohibited holding both titles simultaneously. To crown a new champion, EMLL organized a four-man single-elimination tournament featuring Fishman, Alberto Muñoz, Karloff Lagarde, and Gallo Tapado.
Tournament Details:
Semifinals:
Alberto Muñoz defeated Karloff Lagarde on September 28, 1975.
Fishman defeated Gallo Tapado
Final Match: 10-12-1975: Fishman defeated Alberto Muñoz via pinfall in the tournament-deciding match.
This victory was notable as it was Fishman’s second win over Muñoz in 1975, following a prior decision match for the NWA World Welterweight title in April. Fishman held the Mexican National Welterweight Championship for 180 days before vacating it again on April 9, 1976, after regaining the NWA World Welterweight Championship. At the time, Fishman was establishing himself as a top rudo (heel) in EMLL, known for his green-and-yellow fish-scale mask and aggressive style, and this win contributed to his prominence in the mid-1970s Mexican wrestling scene.
One Thing I Learned Today About Pro Wrestling History
Nat Pendleton was a silver medal winner at the 1920 Olympics and his professional wrestling career spanned from the 1920s into the 1930s. He also appeared as a Hollywood actor, playing the role of Joe, the ambulance driver in 8 of the Dr. Kildare series of movies as well as several other Hollywood film productions.
Pictured: Nat Pendleton along with Jean Arthur and Jack Holt in “The Defense Rests” from 1934.
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.