Ivan Koloff's WWWF Championship Matches

Fifty one years ago today the "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff ended the near 8 year reign of the legendary Bruno Sammartino in a stunned Madison Square Garden.  Koloff, one of the all time greats in wrestling, was just 29 years old and had been wrestling for 10 years at the time he won the championship.  He wrestled regularly for the next 21 years and then sporadically having his last match in 2013.  

He would hold numerous singles and tag team championships in his career, but these 21 days in 1971 would be his only recognized singles World Championship.  I knew about his match where he defeated Sammartino and when he lost the title to Pedro Morales, however until I researched it I never knew if had any other title defenses.  

Koloff would wrestle several matches in the territories loop in singles and tag matches before dropping the title to Morales.  Sammartino did not get a rematch with Koloff after losing the title.  He did defeated Koloff on February 12, 1971 in Pittsburgh by disqualification, after Koloff had dropped the title to Morales.    

January 18, 1971 Madison Square Garden
Ivan Koloff pinned WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino to win the championship

January 20, 1971 Hammonton, New Jersey 
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Tony Marino

January 22, 1971 Cherry Hill, New Jersey 
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Manuel Soto

January 27, 1971 Hammonton, New Jersey 
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff & the Black Demon defeated Gorilla Monsoon & Manuel Soto via count-out

January 28, 1971 Washington DC
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Jean DuBois

January 29, 1971 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff & WWWF International Tag Team Champions: The Mongols: Geeto & Bolo Mongol fought Gorilla Monsoon, Pedro Morales, & Chief Jay Strongbow to a no contest in a Best 3 out of 5 falls Match

January 30, 1971 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Gorilla Monsoon via count-out

February 1, 1971 Allentown, Pennsylvania

WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Chief Jay Strongbow via count-out

February 2, 1971 Scranton, Pennsylvania
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Chief Jay Strongbow via count-out 

February 3, 1971 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Lee Wong

February 5, 1971 North Attleboro, Massachusetts
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff fought Chief Jay Strongbow to a double disqualification

February 6, 1971 Boston, Massachusetts - Boston Garden
WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff defeated Jean Dubois

February 8, 1971 Madison Square Garden
US Champion: Pedro Morales pinned WWWF World Champion: Ivan Koloff to win the title at 23:18 to win the championship

The only footage I'm aware of that shows Koloff as Champion is the match where he defeated Sammartino and the match when he lost the title to Morales.  

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my new book Limitless Wrestling: The First Five Years, or any of my other books as well.  

Until next time!

My 2021 In Wrestling

Hello everyone!  

Pandemic wise, 2021 sucked, but my family and I really worked hard to make the best of it with in State outdoor adventures, camping, and really enjoying each other's company.  On the wrestling side of things, I gotta say it was a pretty fantastic year for me.  

My biggest moment, without a doubt, was the release of my book Limitless Wrestling: The First Five Years.  This was a passion project like you wouldn't believe and it was much more successful than I could have imagine.  I mean for two days it was the Number 3 best selling book in the wrestling category on Amazon!

I can't thank Limitless Wrestling and Randy Carver enough for their support with this project and of course everyone around the work that bought one.   There will be future versions of this book, you'll have to wait and see what they look like.

After only attending four live wrestling events in 2020, however, I rebounded in 2021 and made it to 20 shows!  The majority of these shows, fourteen of them, were Limitless based beginning with the Limitless Dojo Student Showcase shows in February, leading to the return of a full Limitless shows with fans in June.  

The other promotions whose shows I attended included, the NAWA (2), Vacationland Pro Wrestling (2), and the premier show of Pine State Pro Wrestling.  The other show I went to is also the only out of State event I went to, AEW in Boston!   All twenty shows totaled 165 matches!

There were two very strong moments at Limitless Shows that struck me hard.  The first was at Patience is a Virtue, June 26, 2021 the first show Limitless show back with full fans.

It was the end of an era, the end of the Maine State Posse as we know it when Alexander Lee, Aiden Aggro, and Danger Kid teamed up one last time to take on Prestigious.  Sadly the Posse came up short when Lee took their assisted doomsday device finish.  The real story was Aggro and Kid "giving" the Maine State Posse gimmick back to Lee draping him with their plaid & MSP flag.  I'm not going to lie, it got me all emotional.

During the Limitless Dojo showcase shows Aggro and Kid official began calling themselves MSP, and adopted new ring hear, music, and personas.  I thought it was odd that they had reverted back to the old gimmick, but it made sense by the end of the show. 

Another huge moment was July 31st at Limitless Wrestling Undeniable, when AG made his surprise return to Limitless after his WWE release.  It was his first post WWE appearance anywhere as well.  It was the loudest pop I have ever heard at an Indie show in Maine when AG came out.  You can see on the video he was taken back by the fans reactions getting emotional before pulling himself together.

My only out of State show this year was AEW in Boston!  Our show was originally scheduled for April 2020 and we finally got it in October 2021.  Before the show outside Mikey and I got selfies with Dragon and we bought meet and greet tickets for FTR with Tully Blanchard!  Well worth the cash money no doubt!  The other meet and greets was Sammy and Nyla Rose & Vickie Guerrero.  I sorta regret not buying one with Nyla and Vickie.

  

The show was outstanding as we got Dark Elevation taping featuring matches with  FTR & Tully Blanchard, Tay Conti, Best Friends, Kris Statlander and more.  Live AEW Dynamite with  CM Punk vs. Bobby Fish, Hikaru Shida vs. Serena Deeb, Moxley and a huge Main Event match of the Dark Order vs. The Elite.  The night finished with a Rampage Taping featuring Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston and more.  I cannot wait to go back to another AEW show.

Vacationland Pro Wrestling bought in the Mortons: Ricky & Kerry.  It was an awesome mark out night for me as they wrestled Luke & Moment.  Ricky threw a drop kick and even dedicated it to me.  You can read all about that show here.  

 

I'm not exactly sure what wrestling is going to bring me in 2022, my first show in January is a Limitless show that looks killer.  Aside from monthly Limitless shows and the returning Let's Wrestle I'm hoping AEW comes back to Boston.  In June I'd like to go to Expo Lucha at the old ECW Arena, I've always wanted to go to a show at that venue.  

I watched a lot of wrestling on TV, getting together with my buddies for the AEW PPV's and a few WWE PPV's, now know as Premier Events.  Almost every Wednesday Cousin Paul came over to watch AEW Dynamite which was awesome.  Also my buddy Brandon and I text through out the show is he's watching live.

That's what I like most about wrestling, the friends I have made from watching this great sport.

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my new book Limitless Wrestling: The First Five Years, or any of my other books as well.  

Until next time!

The Iron Sheik's WWF World Title Defenses

On Monday, December 20, 2021 on the horrible Peacock network WWE posted 6 Madison Square Garden shows in their old school section.  All six shows were from 1983, including the historic match where The Iron Sheik captured the WWF World Championship from Bob Backlund.

I don't recall ever watching this match in it's entirety only the finish of the match.  On the episode of All Star Wrestling that aired on Christmas Eve 1983, taped December 7th, the Iron Sheik challenged anyone to perform with his Persian clubs, no one had been successful before.  This is schtick that the Sheik had been doing for years and I saw him do it at an Indie who in Maine in 1998, I tried it, it's VERY hard to do.

On his third attempt Bob Backlund was successful and he was attacked by the Iron Sheik who struck Backlund with in the back of the neck several time injuring him.  Thirty-nine years ago today, On December 26, 1983 Backlund stepped in the ring at Madison Square Garden against The Iron Sheik who dominated the match wearing Backlund down and applying his dreaded Camel Clutch wrenching back on the champion until his Manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel ending Backlund's 2,135 day championship reign.

The narrative had always been that Bob Backlund never got his rematch with the Iron Sheik, but as you'll read below he did get a few return matches, including one Boston, which was a big market.  Sheik wrestled all around the then WWF territory as champion wrestling almost everyday of his 28 day reign.  

December 27, 1983 Lancaster, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik pinned Chief Jay Strongbow with his feet on the ropes

December 28, 1983 Hazleton, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Bob Bradley

December 29, 1983 Landover, Maryland

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Salvatore Bellomo

December 30, 1983 Salisbury, Maryland

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Pat Patterson by disqualification

January 2, 1984 Scranton, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Salvatore Bellomo

January 3, 1984 Allentown, Pennsylvania

Championship Wrestling television 

Aired January 7, 1984

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik submitted John Callahan

Aired January 21, 1984

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik  submitted Mike Dorsett

January 4, 1984 Hamburg, Pennsylvania

All Star Wrestling Television Taping

Aired January 7, 1984

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik submitted Denny Hill

Aired January 14, 1984

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik submitted Ken Jugan

January 5, 1984 Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Israel Matia

January 6, 1984 La Plata, Maryland

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik pinned Chief Jay Strongbow

January 7, 1984 Erie, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Salvatore Bellomo

January 8, 1984 Cincinnati, Ohio

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Pat Patterson by disqualification

January 9, 1984 Akron, Ohio

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Pat Patterson by disqualification

January 11, 1984 Jericho, New York

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik pinned Chief Jay Strongbow

January 12, 1984 Marlboro, Massachusetts 

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Salvatore Bellomo

January 13, 1984 Bangor, Maine

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik pinned Chief Jay Strongbow

January 14, 1984 Boston, Massachusetts

Bob Backlund defeated WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik by disqualification

January 15, 1984 Pittsfield, Massachusetts

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Ivan Putski

January 16, 1984 Oil City, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik defeated Salvatore Bellomo

January 18, 1984 Warren, Ohio 

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik fought Bob Backlund to a no contest

January 19, 1984 Monongahela, Pennsylvania

Bob Backlund defeated WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik by disqualification

January 20, 1984 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik pinned Chief Jay Strongbow

January 21, 1984 Landover, Maryland (matinee show)

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik competed in an 18 man battle royal that was won by Andre the Giant 

January 21, 1984 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik fought Tito Santana to a double disqualification

January 22, 1984 Williamsport, Pennsylvania

WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik pinned Chief Jay Strongbow

Ivan Putski defeated WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik by disqualification

January 23, 1984 Madison Square Garden

Hulk Hogan pinned WWF World Champion: The Iron Sheik to win the championship

Sheik wrestled four matches on the syndicated shows in his 28 day reign as champion, by comparison in a 6 year period Hogan only wrestled 12 matches as champion on the syndicated shows.  You can read about it here:  Hulk Hogan's Rare TV Matches

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my new book Limitless Wrestling: The First Five Years, or any of my other books as well.  

Until next time!