May 20 in the Tunnel:
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
(none)
Happy Birthday:
Dale Veasey\Lt James Earl Wright (65)
Brian "Roaddog" Armstrong James (56)
Kayden Carter (37)
Sunny Dhinsa\Akam (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.
Julius Sigel 5-20-1942 at the age of 47
Randy "Savage" Poffo 5-20-2011 at the age of 58
Ruth Boatcallie 5-20-2015 at the age of 81
Select Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling Match Flashbacks:
50-Year Championship Change Flashback in Canada:
5-19-1975: Gene Kiniski & Dale Lewis defeated Guy Mitchell & Ormand Malumba (CH) to win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship at Exhibition Gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
*Tony Note: Ormand Malumba (Lawrence Liger), also known as The Great Malumba, was a striking figure in the mid-1970s, when Andre the Giant was primarily the largest wrestler most fans had ever seen, and he had only really been visible to people in North America the previous year in 1974. Malumba was not as big as Andre but had a much better body than Kamala the Ugandan Giant. This was the next period of the evolution of the "bigger is better" trend that became so prevalent ten years hence in the mid-1980s with the arrival of The Road Warriors that had started with Haystacks Calhoun in the 1950s, and advanced with The Kentuckians in the 1960s. When wrestling bookers and promoters saw Malumba, they saw green, and lots of it. It's unfortunate for everyone that it never quite worked out that way and I am not sure of the reason. It could have been that he was not that interested in the wrestling business and it's assorted shenanigans like backstage ribbing.
Pictured: The Great Malumba
Malumba was originally from Guyana and carried a voodoo doll with him in his gym bag. Moondog Morretti used to go through Malumba's bag and find his voodoo doll and then put a bandage around its head or put tape on its fingers for blade usage. The story goes this used to really get under Malumba's skin, so to speak. At any rate, after defeating Kiniski and Masa Saito for the tag straps almost three months earlier, it was Malumba's only tag championship and Vancouver is where he stayed the longest. He worked in the business from 1972 through 1988, but the number of his matches substantially dropped off after 1976, only having a handful a year in various parts of the world. For years, he used to attend the British Wrestlers Reunion gatherings and from all accounts was loved and respected by his peers through his later years. Malumba passed away on January 11, 2015, at the age of 93 years old.
One Thing I Learned Today About Pro Wrestling History:
Sandor Kovacs & Danny Miller were the first NWA Canadian Tag Team Champions winning the tag belts on November 12, 1962, defeating Gene Kiniski & Clyde Stevens in the tag team tournament finals.
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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