Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Stanislaus Zbyszko 1879
Ralph Garibaldi 1908
Mighty Atlas 1914
Oni Wiki Wiki 1920
Donn Lewin 1926
Dick Woehrle 1930
Happy Birthday:
Randy Orton (46)
Logan Paul (31)
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.
Jim Crockett, Sr. 4-1-1973 at the age of 63
Little Brutus 4-1-2010 at the age of 72
Cyclone Smith 4-1-2017 at the age of 82
Geoff Portz 4-1-2016 at the age of 82
Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Community Update for April 2026
Greetings Pro Wrestling History Enthusiasts,
Welcome to the Community Update for April 2026:
I am so excited to tell you about a new series I am launching this month.
Dropping in April like a piledriver from the top rope, my brand-new feature “Family Tradition: The Stories of the Greatest Families in The Territory Era of Pro Wrestling” is here to do what no one else has—dig deep into the bloodlines that built this business before the territories got swallowed up and the cartoon era took over. We’re talking the Harts in Calgary, the Von Erichs in Dallas, the Funks in Amarillo, the Gagnes in Minnesota, the Briscos in Florida and Mid-Atlantic, the Grahams in Florida, the Welches in Tennessee, and every other dynasty that turned armories and high-school gyms into war zones where legacy actually meant something.
Blood is thicker than water and blood will be spilled.
No glossy highlight reels, no kayfabe—just raw, unfiltered stories of the sweat, the scars, the brotherly beatdowns, the territories that were built into kingdoms, and the unbreakable code that kept those family names alive long after the territories died. If you’ve ever wondered what it really cost to be a Hart, a Von Erich, or any of those old-school bloodlines, this series is your front-row seat. First feature lands April—strap in, because the territory wars are about to get personal.
The Family Tradition Series will be Premium Content available for our paid subscribers to deliver value for their financial investment in what we are doing here in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel.
Our other Premium Series will continue as well such as The Evolution of Pro Wrestling, Tracking the Title Changes and Tracking The World Champions will all have new installments in April. My countdown lists for The Top 30 Tag Teams of 1975 and The Top Women Wrestlers of 1975 will continue with each countdown advancing from Number 20 to Number 11 in April.
For our regular free subscribers, The Daily Chronicle is the flagship newsletter that continues with daily doses of territory history. The Sunday edition features analysis of a territory from the second quarter months of 1976, April, May and June. We will offer analysis of Mid-Atlantic, Georgia, Florida, Amarillo, NWA Hollywood, WWWF, AWA and many more. 13 weeks of analysis every Sunday with all the territories in 1976. On Mondays, The Chronicle has analysis of the territory system featuring my framework of the 7 Stages of the Territory Era, breaking down the month of April in 1956, 1966, 1976 and 1986 showing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats the wrestling business was facing in each stage along the way. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the Chronicle features are focused on telling the stories of the performers who worked to make the wrestling business successful.
Also for our free subscribers is The 31 Greatest Television Announcers of the Territory Era Series, which will continue with another great biography piece of the legends who were on our televisions each week advancing the storylines and working with the performers to fill the buildings.
Last but certainly not least, the fastest growing pro wrestling history podcast, The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show drops every Wednesday, and we kick off April with one of our longest episodes in the history of the show with our Dennis Condrey Memorial Show. Also in April, we will be starting our 1976 Territory Review Series with a show on St. Louis 1976 with two guests, Herb Simmons and Darla Staggs. In addition to going back to 1976 in St. Louis, we will be talking about Herb’s event coming up, Fanfest 4 and this year’s St. Louis Hall of Fame. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, we will have a special WWE Hall of Fame show to discuss this year’s inductees, Steve Gennerelli and Brian R. Solomon will be joining in on what should be another fun episode on April 15th, just days before the Hall of Fame induction at WrestleMania.
Also on April 22nd, Howard Baum and I will have another show to discuss Florida 1976, and we will be joined by the amazing Steve Kiern. We will discuss Stave’s career in 1976, coming back to Florida, wrestling Bob Orton, Sr. and Bob Orton, Jr for the Florida tag titles and the crazy feud with Bob Roop involving his father. You don’t want to miss this show.
We have lots and lots of great territory wrestling history in store for you in April!
Thanks for taking the ride with me,
Tony
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, premium investors 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 Investors.