Break It Down

In 1997, the WWF held a pay-per-view with the moniker of "One Night Only". In the main event, Shawn Michaels was slated to face Davey Boy Smith for Smith's European Championship. The match resulted in Shawn walking away champion but why. After interference by Triple H, Chyna, and Rick Rude, he was able to put Smith in a Figure 4 Leg Lock that made Davey Boy lose consciousness. Not long after the match, it was recognized that one of the sport's most influential factions ever, Degeneration X, had formed and would go on to become an irreplaceable part of the Attitude Era.
This day in 1985 would also mark the last time "Classy" Freddie Blassie would step in the ring with his wrestling boots on. For on this day, Blassie would come out the loser in a cage match against Capt. Lou Albano at Nassau Coliseum. Even though he would retire from the ring, he would continue to add to his success as a manager while shouting, "Listen here, you pencil neck geeks!" He passed away in 2003 and left behind an untouchable legacy.

Baron Mikel Scicluna, Who?

Not many people are familiar with this name, Baron Mikel Scicluna. He hailed from the Isle of Malta, just south of Sicily. His frame was larger than life itself. Those facts aren't particularly expected to be known, but his accomplishements, which are plentiful, shouldn't be overlooked. He started out his three-decade career in Canada under his legal name Mike Valentino. Before long, he wound up in the Northeast under the reign of promoting giant Vince McMahon Sr. The light blue cape he draped over his shoulder to signify Maltese ancestry. He was a villain, therefore, he carried an illegal object to the ring. His perfered choice for a weapon was a roll of coins which he bashed his opponents over the head with. His first Championship claim was with Smasher Sloan when they executed a victory to gain the WWWF United States Championships. They held the titles for just a little over two months before dropping them. The them of Scicluna and Curtis Iaukea went on to a achieved a bigger goal by gaining the World Tag Team Championships. In just over a month, they lost the titles to the acclaimed team of Professor Tanaka and Mr. Fuji. In Australia, Scicluna also had instant success by winning a Australian World Title. also from time to time, he would attempt to de-throne the WWWF World Champion. Maybe his most memorable moment was in 1976 when he was pitted up against Gorilla Monsoon. He left the ring after being dominated and suffered a countout loss. Muhammad Ali then jumped in the ring and attempted to attack Monsoon who gave an airplane spin to the esteemed boxer. The confontation led to a match between Japanese wrestling pioneer Antonio Inoki and Muhammad Ali. The next eight years of his career were relatively quiet until his 1984 retirement. The most overlooked fact of this common unknown is taht in 1996 he was inducted into WWF's Hall of Fame and was proudly welcomed. Several years after fame, he can now be found residing in Philadelphia. Scicluna is only one of several overlooked legends that never get recognition. Hopefully someday he will be remembered for his successes in the business that he loved.

Simply Fabulous

When you want to think of women's wrestling pioneers there is one name that 99% of the time will pop up. That name is no other than Fabulous Moolah. She had the longest Women's World Championship reign in women's wrestling history. In 1956 in Baltimore, she won a prestigious tournament last defeating Judy Grable. When current champion June Byers retired, she claimed the title. Even though in a complete lineage of champions she held the title four times instead of one, the WWE lneage suggests thst she held the title for an estimated 27 years. Even though she may have not have really endured that incredible reign. Moolah proved to be one of the toughest women in the sport's esteemed history. If she had been given the choice, she probably would have stomped them in minutes. For years, she has been making sporadic appearances in the WWE. The legends that come out of her area proved to be why there is a women's division today. Her accomplishments, fighting style, and wrestling savvy still remains as some of the best in the business ever.

The Man

This post is going to be very short. Why? Because the point is simple. This day in 1981, Ric Flair def. Dusty Rhodes in Kansas City to become a World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. This would go on to be known as one of the matches that made Ric Flair the legend that he is today. "To be the man, you've got to beat the man." -A.Y.

Piper's Pit

In 1986, Roddy Piper was a huge influence on the WWF crowds and, he was proving to be a major factor in the company. He had been feuding with Adrian Adonis. They both had talk shows. Roddy was the host of Piper's Pit, an evolutionary idea thought up by Hot Rod himself. Adrian, who often wore makeup, had the Flower Shop. On the set, he graced himself as a garden and bad-mouthed Roddy and various others. On this day twenty-one years ago at a Baltimore TV Taping, both shows were being filmed simultaneously. "Magnificent" Don Muraco was Piper's guest at the time when Adonis and ally "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr. ran over and destroyed the Pit and its host with the help of Muraco. Later in the taping, even though it was aired differently from the Pit's end, Piper showed up with a Louisville Slugger at the Flower Shop set. He took the bat to Adrian's home, and ultimately gained revenge. Not long after Piper's Pit was destroyed, a new set was revealed. The Flower Shop would never be reproduced. In its original three year run from 1984 to 1987, Piper's Pit would go on to be one of the most influential segments in WWF history.
Piper's Pit produced several other memorable moments in its brief history. Here is a list of major events excluding the Adonis encounter. In an early edition, it looked as if Piper and his guest Jimmy Snuka were getting along until Piper started to insult Snuka's heritage. After a round of jokes, Piper turned around and belted Snuka in the head with a coconut. That would go on to be the defining moment of the Pit. Following that moment in 1986, Piper and Orton Jr., then allies, kidnapped the Haiti Kid and shaved his head. Another edition involved Andre the Giant. Piper said it was amazing that Andre had a "big body and a teeny, weeny brain". After Andre pushed Piper around, Piper shouted "Andre, do you want to fight? You don't throw rocks at a man whose got a machine gun." In 1985 , an ongoing staple was insulting Mr.T which would led to Orndorff turning on his friend Piper after they lost to Hogan and T. One of the first guests was jobber Frankie Williams whom Piper attacked a shouted ,"Just when they think they've got the answers, I change the questions!" Andre actually turned on good friend Hogan with the persuasion of Bobby Heenan on a 1987 episode of Piper's Pit. At Wrestlemania V after many attempts to stop Morton Downey Jr. from smoking, Piper sprayed him with a fire extinguisher. In 2003, Sean O'Haire smashed a coconut over Rikishi's head on the Pit set. The most recent edition was in June'06 when The Great Khali was the guest. The Pit will probably continue to make sporadic appearances over the years. The basic fact is that without The Pit, Roddy Piper would have never been the man that he was and the performer that created hilarious skits. "The Hot Rod" added something more than wrestling ability to the sport, he added comedy. Therefore, he will always be remembered as the trouble making comedian that he was.