Wrestling History

May 26th – On This Day In Wrestling History

May 26th - On This Day In Wrestling History

1987 – In one of the most high profile incidents of kayfabe being broken, Nikolai Volkoff and ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan were arrested whilst driving in New Jersey for suspected possession of drugs and drinking whilst driving. The kicker was that the two were feuding at the time and when the news made headlines across the USA, the face vs. heel dynamic was shattered. As a result, both men were fired. Both returned to the company within 12 months.

1996 – In Your House 8: Beware Of Dog took place at the Florence Civic Center in Florence, South Carolina. The event famously lost power in the building due to a thunderstorm which caused havoc with the live PPV broadcast. Home viewers therefore did not see most of the card until power was restored just before the main event. Two nights later WWE ‘re-did’ the event as a make up for both live attendees and PPV audiences. The main event on this night saw WWF Champion draw with The British Bulldog after a double pin.

1997 – On an episode of Raw is War in Evansville, Indiana, Shawn Michaels and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin won the WWF Tag Team Championship from Owen Hart and The British Bulldog in one of Raw’s all time classic main events.

2013 – Hector Garza passes away at the age of 43 due to lung cancer.

2020 – The WWE 24/7 title reign of NFL legend Rob Gronkowski came to an end at the hands of perennial champion R-Truth at a Raw taping at the WWE Performance Center. ‘Gronk’ had held the title since defeating Mojo Rawley at WrestleMania 36 the month prior. At the same taping session, Sasha Banks and Bayley became two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions by defeating Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross in a match that would air on SmackDown.

Notable Wrestling Birthdays:

  • Commander Azeez (1989)
  • Steve Cutler (1987)
  • Natalya (1982)
  • Ashley Massaro (1979)
  • Pat Kenney (1968)