Written and Produced by Tony Richards
December 22nd in the Time Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Johnny “Red Shoes” Dugan 1911
Happy Birthday:
Toni Rose (80)
Luis Alvirde\Mistico (43)
Andrew Hankinson\Doc Gallows (42)
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.
Frank Hewitt 12-22-1958 at the age of 38
Rip Hawk 12-22-2021 at the age of 82
Corporal Kirchner 12-22-2021 at the age of 64
50 Year Flashback
A Time Capsule Review of the Pro Wrestling Cards In the North American Wrestling Territories On This Day In Pro Wrestling History
As a regular Monday feature of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel’s Daily Chronicle, we crack open the Wrestling Time Capsule to do a survey of the cards, matches and performers of the decades of territory pro wrestling. This week we flashback to this Day in Pro Wrestling History, Tuesday December 21st, 1975. Due to the Christmas Holiday falling in the middle of the week, many of the wrestling offices promoted shows on that Sunday, Gulas Welch ran their two biggest towns, Memphis and Louisville, normally Monday and Tuesday shows on that Sunday the 21st in 1975.
NWA Tri-State Wrestling Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria, Louisiana
Danny Hodge defeated Sonny Rogers
Greg Valentine vs Killer Karl Kox ended in a time limit draw
Buck Robley defeated Sonny King in a Lumberjack Match
Grizzly Smith & Jay Clayton defeated Jerry Brown & Buddy Roberts by DQ by 2 falls to 1
East Park Recreation Center in Houma, Louisiana
Denney Alberts & Johnny Davis vs Grizzly Smith & Mike Pappas
Bob Slaughter vs Porkchop Cash
Bob Griffin vs Skandor Akbar
Georgia Championship Wrestling Office in Atlanta, Georgia
Memorial Gymnasium in Rome, Georgia
Ron Garvin vs Tony Garea
Billy Spears vs Tony Charles
Bobo Brazil & Chief Jay Strong bow vs Luke Graham & Otto Von Heller
Dick Slater vs Moondog Lonnie Mayne
Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling Office in Mobile, Alabama
Gorgeous George Jr vs Greg Peterson
Gene Lewis & Bob Sweetan vs Rip Tyler & Mr. Ito
Don Fargo vs Duke Miller
Ricky Gibson & Jimmy Golden vs The British Bulldogs (Heath\Foley)
Heart of America Sports Attractions Office in St. Jospeh, Missouri
Municipal Auditorium in Junction City, Kansas
Akio Sato vs Benny Ramirez
Betty Niccoli vs Sharon Brooks
Bob Geigel & Mike George vs Ed Wiskowski & Tank Patton
Gulas-Welch Wrestling Enterprises in Nashville, Tennessee
Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee
Jerry Bryant defeated Buddy Wayne by DQ
Ben The Wrestling Bear defeated Sam Bass
Don & Al Greene defeated Eddie Marlin & Robert Fuller
Tommy Gilbert & Bearcat Brown defeated The Interns to win the NWA Southern Tag Team Titles
Jerry Lawler (ch) defeated Ron Fuller by DQ to retain the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title
Bob Armstrong & Bill Dundee defeated Jerry Lawler & Sam Bass
The Louisville Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky
Joe Rossi vs Mitsu Arakawa
Cowboy Bob Kelly vs Don Anderson
David Schultz vs Tom my Rich
Dennis Condrey & Phil Hickerson vs George Gulas & Pez Whatley
The Bounty Hunters vs Jackie Fargo & Tojo Yamamoto
NWA Hollywood Office in Los Angeles, California
The Arena in San Bernadino, California
Rock Riddle vs Salvador Lothario
Black Gordman vs Bob Orton
Great Goliath vs Mando Lopez in a Texas Death Match
Raul Mata & Chavo Guerrero vs The Infernos
Darling Dagmar & Princess Little Dove vs Diamond Lil & Marie LaVeau
World Wide Wrestling Federation Office in New York City, New York
The Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
Joe Crugnale defeated Pete Doherty
Joe Nova defeated Ruben Ayala
Dean Ho defeated Bill White
Tony Garea defeated Joe Nova
Bruno Sammartino (ch) defeated Lou Albano in a Steel Cage Match
Killer Kowalski vs Pedro Morales ended in a 20 minute time limit draw
Bobby Duncum, Jimmy & Johnny Valiant vs Gorilla Monsoon, Larry Zbyszko & Chief Jay Strongbow in a 3 out of 5 falls match ended in a DDQ
Championship Wrestling From Florida Office in Tampa, Florida
(Tues 12/23/75) Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida (Two Big Title Changes)
Dino Bravo defeated Beautiful Bruce
Thunderbolt Patterson & Big Bad John defeated Bob Roop & Super Inferno
Billy Robinson (ch) defeated Kim Duk to retain the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title
Bob Orton, Jr vs Hiro Matsuda (ch) for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title ended in a no contest
Eddie Graham & Mike Graham defeated Rip Hawk & Roger Kirby (ch) to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Titles
Rocky Johnson defeated King Curtis (ch) to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title
Terry Funk (ch) defeated Dusty Rhodes by DQ to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Title
Thursday December 25th Christmas Day Cards in 1975
Championship Wrestling From Florida Office in Tampa, Florida
Convention Hall in Miami, Florida (att 5,792)
Big Bad John defeated Beautiful Bruce
The Destroyer defeated Roosevelt Jones
Rocky Johnson defeated Roger Kirby
Abe Jacobs & Dino Bravo defeated Mitsu Hata & The Outlaw
Karl Von Steiger & Bob Orton, Jr defeated Eddie & Mike Graham
Hiro Matsuda (ch) defeated Kim Duk to retain the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
Billy Robinson (ch) defeated Bob Roop to retain the NWA southern Heavyweight Title
Dusty Rhodes defeated King Curtis in a Lights Out Match
Georgia Championship Wrestling Office in Atlanta, Georgia
Municipal Auditorium in Columbus, Georgia
Les Thornton defeated Mike Davis
Tony Charles defeated Sir Dudley Clements
Joyce Grable defeated Paula Kaye
Rock Hunter defeated The Wrestling Pro
Bill Dromo defeated Luke Graham
Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Gorgeous George Jr
Mr. Wrestling II & Dick Slater defeated Moondog Mayne & Rock Hunter
Dick Slater won the 14-man Battle Royal
Jim Crockett Promotions Office in Charlotte, North Carolina
Park Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
Joe Soto defeated Greg Peterson
Steve Keirn defeated Jerry Blackwell
Tiger Conway, Jr defeated Spoiler 1
The Haiti Kid & Vicki Williams defeated Little Tokyo & Leilani Kai
Gene & Ole Anderson vs Mr. Wrestling & Johnny Weaver ended as a time limit draw
Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina
Sheila Shepard defeated Donna Christianello
Charlie Fulton defeated Don Serrano
Tony Atlas defeated Bill Howard
Angelo Mosca defeated Ken Patera
Danny Miller & Swede Hanson defeated Steve Strong & Missouri Mauler
Paul Jones defeated Blackjack Mulligan
The Scope in Norfolk, Virginia
Joe Turner vs Johnny Heidman
George Harris vs Larry Sbyszko
Michel DuBois & Bill White vs Roberto Soto & El Rayo
Cowboy Lang vs Sonny Boy Hayes
Rufus R. Jones vs Spoiler 2 in a No Countout & NO DQ Match
Professor Boris Malenko vs Wahoo McDaniel in a Russian Chain Match
Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling Office in Mobile, Alabama
Wade Kennedy Arena in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Don Faro vs Johnny Fields
Duke Miller vs Mike Boyette
Gene Lewis vs Ricky Fields
Bob Sweetan vs Mr. Ito
9-Man Battle Royal Main Event
Southeastern Wrestling Office in Knoxville, Tennessee
Chilhowee Park Sports Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee
Bill Brown vs Dennis Hall
Jackie Welch & Roy Lee Welch vs Jerry Myatt & Tony Peters
Jimmy Golden vs Tiny York
Norvell Austin & Butch Malone vs Ron Wright & Ron Fuller
Don Carson vs Robert Fuller
Gulas-Welch Wrestling Enterprises in Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee State Fairgrounds Arena in Nashville, Tennessee
Saul Weingeroff defeated Butch Thornton
The Interns defeated Tommy Rich & Tommy Marlin 2 falls to 1 fall
Bill Dundee defeated Bill Costello
George Gulas & Pez Whatley defeated David Schultz & Mitsu Arakawa
Phil Hickerosn & Dennis Condrey vs Jackie Fargo & Tojo Yamamoto ended as a no contest
Jaycee Sports Pavillion in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Don & Al Greene vs Randy Fargo & Nick Adams
Ben The Wrestling Bear vs Sam Bass & Jimmy Kent
The Bounty Hunters vs Joey Rassi & Don Anderson
Heart of America Sports Attractions Office in St. Joseph, Missouri
Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Missouri
Mike George & Akio Sato defeated Superfly & Tank Patton
Jean Antone & Sharon Brooks defeated Betty Niccoli & Sandy parker
Jerry & Ted Oates defeated Dutch Mantell & Ron Bass in a Texas Death Tag Team, Match
Ed Wiskowski (ch) vs Ray Candy for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title ended in a DCO at 1 fall each
Ray Candy won the 10-Man Pole Battle Royal
Western States Sports Office in Amarillo, Texas
Sports Arena in Amarillo, Texas
Sputnik Monroe defeated Joe Palardy
Lord Alfred Hayes vs Ted DiBiase ended as a time limit draw
Dick Murdoch defeated Don Wayt
Dory Funk, Jr defeated Killer Tim Brooks
The Super Destroyer (ch) defeated Haystacks Calhoun by DQ to retain the NWA International Heavyweight Title
NWA Hollywood Office in Los Angeles, California
Strelich Stadium in Bakersfield, California
Inferno #2 defeated Mickey Doyle
Inferno #2 defeated JC Dykes by DQ
Inferno #1 defeated Inferno #2
Sal Lothario defeated Rock Riddle by DQ
Bob Orton defeated Inferno #3 by DQ
Chavo Guerrero (ch) vs Inferno #1 for the NWA Americas Heavyweight Title ended in a DDQ
Mando Lopez defeated Great Goliath in a Texas Death Match
Pacific Northwest Office in Portland, Oregon
Grand Theater in Salem, Oregon
Matt Suzuki vs Chief Tapu ended in a time limit draw
Ricky Hunter defeated Fritz Von Schneider
Bull Ramos & Jesse Ventura defeated Johnny Eagles & Geoff Portz
The Center Arena in Seattle, Washington
Manny Cruz defeated Siegfried Stanke
Dale Lewis defeated Lenny Hurst
Dennis Stamp defeated Igor Volkoff
Eric Froelich vs Ski Hi Morse ended as a time limit draw
Dutch Savage & Jimmy Snuka defeated Johnny Boyd & Norman Charles III (ch) to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
The “On This Date” (OTD) Cards Analysis Feature is a way for our readers to look back through the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel to see the way cards were constructed, the finishes, the amount of cards that were presented and some idea of how many wrestlers were working in North America during the time period. As we go into next year, it will be interesting to look at the way cards would change in 1966. Next Monday, we will look at the cards OTD in pro wrestling history in 1985.
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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