On This Day in Pro Wrestling History – April 20 | ECW Chaos, Goldberg’s Streak, Four Horsemen & More

April 20

On This Day in Pro Wrestling History

Some days in pro wrestling history feel neat and tidy.

April 20 is not one of those days.

This one has a little bit of everything. You have old-school championship history stretching all the way back to the 1800s, major tag title changes, wild Memphis moments, one of the most memorable betrayals of the 1980s, ECW doing ECW things, Goldberg continuing his march through WCW, and a very sad loss in the passing of Rick Rude.

So today’s trip through wrestling history feels less like a straight line and more like a road full of sharp turns. Let’s get into it.

Before Wrestling Was Modern, It Was Already Making History

April 20 reaches way back into the roots of the business.

In 1895, Martin “Farmer” Burns defeated Evan “Strangler” Lewis for the American Heavyweight Title in Chicago. That is one of those results that reminds you how deep wrestling history really goes. Long before television, pay-per-view, or Monday night wars, this sport already had rivalries, champions, and names that carried weight.

By 1933, Earl McCreary is winning the Canadian Heavyweight Title in Calgary.

By 1936, Albion Britt becomes the first National Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Champion in Hollywood.

Even in those early decades, wrestling was already building traditions that would last for generations. New champions were being crowned, divisions were taking shape, and the bones of the wrestling world were being set into place.

Gory Guerrero’s Name Belongs Everywhere in Wrestling History

One of the best names on today’s list is Gory Guerrero, who in 1945 defeated Jack O’Brien to win the Mexican National Welterweight Title in Mexico City.

And honestly, anytime Gory Guerrero’s name shows up in wrestling history, it is worth slowing down for a second.

He was not just a champion. He was one of the great foundational figures in lucha libre history, and his influence stretches far beyond one title change. He helped shape a style, a legacy, and a family line that would leave fingerprints all over wrestling for decades to come.

Some names show up in history books.

Others helped write them.

Tag Team Wrestling Was Busy All Over the Map

April 20 is also a very tag-heavy date, and that is always fun because it shows just how central tag wrestling has always been to the business.

Back in 1955, NWA All-Star Wrestling ran a tournament in Vancouver for the Northwest Tag Team Title.

In 1960, The Great Bolo and Joe McCarthy captured both the Gulf Coast and Mid-America NWA Southern Tag Team Titles in Mobile.

In 1968, Rusher Kimura and Thunder Sugiyama won the TWWA World Tag Team Title in Nagoya.

In 1970, Argentina Apollo and José Lothario won the NWA Florida Tag Team Title, while K.O. Kox and Killer took the Central States NWA North American Tag Team Title.

That is a lot of tag team gold changing hands on one date, and it is a good reminder that for long stretches of wrestling history, tag team wrestling was not some side attraction. It was one of the pillars of the entire business.

A Few Names Fans Know Right Away

April 20 also brings us the birth of Johnny Stamboli in 1977, another recognizable name from later eras.

And tucked into the older results are names like Jack Brisco, Terry Funk, Kevin Von Erich, and Toru Tanaka, all of whom can make any wrestling history nerd stop and nod in approval.

For example, in 1971, Jack Brisco won his second NWA Florida Television Title by defeating Terry Funk in Tampa. That one result alone has enough pedigree to carry its own little spotlight. Two major names. One title. Florida. It just sounds right.

WrestleRock ‘86 Was a Whole Circus Under One Roof

Then we jump to 1986, and things get big.

AWA WrestleRock ’86

The AWA ran WrestleRock ‘86 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, drawing 22,000 fans, and the card looks like someone dumped an entire toy box of wrestling names onto the page.

You had:

The Midnight Rockers

Tiger Mask

Giant Baba

Rick Martel

Harley Race

Sherri Martel

Sgt. Slaughter

Scott Hall

Curt Hennig

Stan Hansen

Nick Bockwinkel

The Road Warriors

The Freebirds

Jimmy Snuka

Bruiser Brody

Verne Gagne

That is not subtle. That is wrestling excess in the best possible way.

The event had title matches, battle royals, steel cage matches, a boxing match, and enough star power to light up a small city. It feels like the kind of card that could only happen in the AWA, where chaos and ambition sometimes shared the same locker room.

Memphis Did Memphis Things

In 1987, Memphis gave us one of those wonderfully absurd wrestling details that only Memphis can provide.

At a Continental Wrestling Association show, Jerry Lawler defeated Austin Idol in a chain match in 36 seconds to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title.

Thirty-six seconds.

That is almost too perfect. Memphis wrestling always had a way of making things feel hot, dramatic, and a little outrageous, and that finish fits right in. Same night, Chick Donovan also picked up the CWA International Heavyweight Title, while the tag titles were awarded after a team left the territory.

Again, very Memphis.

One Turn Changed Wrestling History

If there is one moment on April 20 that feels absolutely massive, it is this one.

Barry Windham Turns on Lex Luger and Joins the Four Horsemen

In 1988, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard defeated Lex Luger and Barry Windham for the NWA World Tag Team Title in Jacksonville after Windham turned on Luger.

And that betrayal was not just a title change. It was the start of something bigger.

Windham immediately joined the Four Horsemen, creating the version of the group that many fans still think of first. That lineup became one of the most remembered incarnations of the Horsemen and later landed in the WWE Hall of Fame.

This is one of those dates where wrestling history does not just move forward. It swerves.

ECW Gave Us One of Its Most Infamous Nights

Then we get to 1996, and the temperature changes completely.

ECW Hostile City Showdown

ECW ran its third annual Hostile City Showdown, and the card was as chaotic as you would expect. Tables, fights, wild finishes, no-contests, and total mayhem were everywhere.

But the real reason this event is remembered is the infamous angle involving Tommy Dreamer, Beulah McGillicutty, Kimona Wanalaya, Shane Douglas, and Raven.

It was one of those classic ECW moments that had people talking for a long time after the show ended. Controversial, messy, over-the-top, and unforgettable. That promotion had a gift for turning shock into momentum, and this was one of the best examples.

The main event saw Raven retain the ECW World Heavyweight Title against Shane Douglas, but the angle before it is what still hangs over the night like a neon sign.

Revenge of the ’Taker and a Very 1997 WWF Card

In 1997, WWF presented In Your House: Revenge of the ’Taker, which sounds like exactly the kind of title 1997 WWF would put on a pay-per-view.

The show gave fans:

Legion of Doom challenging Owen Hart and British Bulldog

Savio Vega vs. Rocky Maivia

the debut of Billy Gunn’s Rockabilly gimmick

Undertaker vs. Mankind

Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart

That is a card full of transition-era WWF energy. You can feel the old era fading and the Attitude Era beginning to flicker into view.

Also, Undertaker blasting Paul Bearer with a fireball after the match is the sort of sentence that only makes sense in pro wrestling.

Goldberg Keeps Rolling, Hogan Regains the Throne

Then comes April 20, 1998, and WCW wins the Monday night ratings battle over RAW.

A few huge things happen on Nitro that night.

First, Goldberg defeats Raven to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Title, marking his 75th consecutive win. At that point, Goldberg had become more than a push. He was an event.

Then, in the main event, Hollywood Hulk Hogan defeats Randy Savage to win the WCW World Heavyweight Title.

That is a pretty loaded night right there. One superstar continuing an unstoppable rise, another old icon reclaiming the top prize, and all of it happening while the Monday Night War was still running hot.

Remembering “Ravishing” Rick Rude

Not every note on April 20 is a celebration.

In 1999, Rick Rude passed away at just 40 years old.

And for a lot of fans, that one still hits hard.

Rude had the look, the arrogance, the body language, the promos, and the kind of confidence that made him instantly believable. He felt like a star because he carried himself like one. Whether it was in Memphis, World Class, the WWF, WCW, or even ECW, Rick Rude always felt like he belonged near the top of the card.

He also occupies a unique place in wrestling trivia as the man who famously appeared on RAW, Nitro, and ECW programming all within the same general window in late 1997. But beyond the trivia, Rick Rude’s legacy is much bigger than that. He was one of wrestling’s great personalities, full stop.

Hardcore Titles, Indies, and Wrestling Staying Weird

The later April 20 entries also give us some classic turn-of-the-century wrestling weirdness.

In 2000, Meng wins the World League Wrestling Heavyweight Title.

In 2001, Barry Houston becomes the first and only NWA Main Event Nashville Television Champion.

And in 2002, the WWF Hardcore Title changes hands three times at a house show in Des Moines.

That last one might be the most Hardcore Title sentence possible. Bubba Ray Dudley loses it, Goldust wins it, Raven wins it, then Bubba wins it back again. Pure chaos. Completely on brand.

Why April 20 Matters

April 20 is one of those dates that shows wrestling history at full spread.

You have:

the sport’s roots in the 1800s

foundational champions in North America and Mexico

classic tag team title changes

a giant AWA supercard

a historic Four Horsemen turn

ECW shock value at full blast

Goldberg’s rise in WCW

and the remembrance of Rick Rude

That is a lot of ground to cover, but that is what makes these daily history posts so fun. Wrestling history is never just one story. It is a thousand stories bumping into each other.

Support Wrestling History

At WFIA, we believe the history of pro wrestling deserves to be preserved, celebrated, and shared every day.

The legends. The territories. The title changes. The unforgettable moments. The strange moments too. They all matter.

That is what keeps the past alive for the fans who still care deeply about where this business came from.

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