It has been a very long time since I wrote a The Last Match blog post. Recently though I came across match footage of The Big Boss Man's last match and it was in Japan. So I took a look see and sure enough he did, so I thought it was time a new The Last Match post.
Big Boss Man Ray Traylor
August 31, 2004 Tokyo, Japan IWA Japan 10th Anniversary Show
Semi Final: defeated Freddy Krueger
Finals: was defeated by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan for the vacant IWA World Heavyweight Championship
Hard to believe the final matches of Ray Traylor's career were in Japan, although at only age 41 when he passed away less than a month after these matches, I don't think he intended them to be. After his WWE fun finished in 2002 he didn't wrestle again until March 2004 when he was brought to Japan for IWA. His final tour was August 28th through the 31st. You can find his last match on YouTube.
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
May 12, 2019 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Destiny World Wrestling
defeated by Gursinder Singh
In a career that spanned 40 years I best know Hacksaw for the 2 x 4 carrying, cross eyed, flag carrying all American WWF mid card guy. It wasn't until many years later that I saw his Mid-South run where he was on top of the territory. When he entered WCW I would have like to have seen him return to his Mid-South style rather than continue his WWF character.
One Man Gang
March 28, 2009 Franklin, Pennsylvania International Wrestling Cartel: Night of Legends
defeated by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Also known as Akeem the African Dream, Gang wrestled for 32 years debuting in 1977 with runs in Mid-South, World Class, before going to the WWF. He debuted as the One Man Gang in 1987 and in 1988 debuted the Akeem character, joining the Big Boss Man as the team the Twin Towers. He left the WWF in 1990 wrestling on the independents until 2001 with a couple of short stints in WCW where he won the WCW United States Championship.
Earthquake
July 19, 2003 Tokyo, Japan All Japan Pro Wrestling
teamed with George Hines & Robbie Brookside defeated Hiroshi Hase, Masayuki Kono & Shigeo Okumura
John Tenta ending his career in Japan is fitting as he began combat sports career as a sumo wrestler in the Japan Sumo Association and in pro wrestling with All Japan Pro Wrestling. He joined the WWF in 1989 in a very memorable segment sitting on Dino Bravo while he did pushups and then attacking the Ultimate Warrior when he attempted the same. After a good run with the WWF he followed Hogan to WCW where he had a string of gimmick names and then had to walk around with half beard for a few months. His last WWF run was a member of the oddities under a mask as Golga before ending his career back in Japan with All Japan.
Until Next Time!
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