On This Day in Pro Wrestling History – May 2 | The Rock Is Born, Big Bossman, Curt Hennig Wins AWA Gold & More

May 2

On This Day in Pro Wrestling History

May 2 is one of those dates where wrestling history comes in layers.

You have major birthdays, Bruno Sammartino all over the map, Curt Hennig winning the biggest championship of his career, All Japan history, WCW chaos, ECW grit, WWF touring madness, and even the Hardcore Title changing hands so many times it needed its own traffic cop.

So let’s jump into a packed day of wrestling history.

A Giant Day for Wrestling Birthdays

May 2 gave us several names worth remembering.

In 1951, Japanese hardcore legend Mr. Pogo was born. He became one of the unforgettable names tied to Japan’s wild, violent, and dangerous deathmatch scene.

In 1963, Ray Traylor was born. Fans knew him as Big Bossman, Big Bubba Rogers, The Guardian Angel, and The Boss. No matter the name, Traylor brought size, timing, credibility, and personality. Whether he was swinging a nightstick in WWF or standing tall in WCW, he always felt like someone who belonged on the card.

And then, in 1972, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was born.

That one changed everything.

The Rock became one of the biggest stars in wrestling history and then somehow became even bigger outside wrestling. From the Nation of Domination to the People’s Champion to Hollywood megastar, his career is one of the wildest success stories the business has ever produced.

May 2 does not just have birthdays. It has headliners being born.

Bruno Sammartino Was Everywhere

The 1960s and 1970s entries for May 2 are loaded with Bruno Sammartino.

In 1964, Bruno defeated Boris Malenko in Philadelphia.

In 1965, Bill Miller defeated Bruno by disqualification at a TV taping, though the WWWF said the bout was non-title.

In 1966, Bruno defeated Killer Kowalski in Adelaide, Australia.

In 1969, Bruno defeated George Steele by referee’s decision after Steele was injured and too bloody to continue.

In 1970, Bruno fought Karl Kovacs to a double count-out.

In 1975, Bruno defeated Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death Match in Pittsburgh, with Haystacks Calhoun as guest referee.

That is not just a champion staying busy.

That is a territorial-era workhorse carrying the company city to city, country to country, building the legend one defense at a time.

When you read these old cards, you can feel just how important Bruno was to the WWWF machine. He was the anchor. The attraction. The mountain everyone was trying to climb.

Mad Dog Vachon Takes AWA Gold

In 1964, Mad Dog Vachon defeated Verne Gagne to win the AWA World Title.

That is a major old-school title change.

Gagne represented the polished, athletic, scientific side of wrestling. Vachon was something rougher, wilder, and more dangerous. When Mad Dog took the title, it gave the AWA championship picture a very different kind of energy.

Sometimes the right champion is the hero.

Sometimes it is the storm cloud.

The WWWF Touring Machine Keeps Rolling

May 2 gives us a long look at how active the WWWF and WWF were across the Northeast.

Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Albany, Bangor, Hartford, White Plains, Salisbury, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, London, Philadelphia again… the list just keeps moving.

The names are a roll call of eras:

Bruno Sammartino

Bobo Brazil

George Steele

The Fabulous Moolah

Bob Backlund

Pat Patterson

Ken Patera

Hulk Hogan

Tito Santana

Ricky Steamboat

Roddy Piper

Bret Hart

Randy Savage

The Undertaker

Ultimate Warrior

That is the fun of a date like May 2. It does not give you just one snapshot. It gives you the whole photo album.

Curt Hennig Wins the Big One

One of the biggest moments of the day comes in 1987.

Curt Hennig defeated Nick Bockwinkel in San Francisco to win the AWA World Heavyweight Title.

The finish had controversy, with Larry Zbyszko handing Hennig a roll of quarters to knock Bockwinkel out.

But the result still stands as the only world title win of Hennig’s career.

That gives it real weight.

To many fans, Curt Hennig is remembered as Mr. Perfect, one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions ever. But before that, he stood at the top of the AWA. Even with the controversy, it was a career-defining moment for one of wrestling’s most gifted performers.

Steamboat and Savage Keep the Cage Warm

Also in 1987, the WWF ran Chicago’s Rosemont Horizon with Ricky Steamboat defending the Intercontinental Title against Randy Savage in a steel cage match.

That pairing will forever carry magic because of WrestleMania III, and any time they met afterward, it carried extra electricity.

On the same night in Boston, Hulk Hogan defended the WWF Title against Harley Race, leading to a post-match challenge for a future Texas Death Match.

That is 1987 WWF in full color: Hogan, Steamboat, Savage, Race, Demolition, the Hart Foundation, and a whole lot of arena energy.

All Japan Hits the Tokyo Dome

In 1998, All Japan Pro Wrestling held the biggest show in company history, drawing 58,000 fans to the Tokyo Dome.

And the main event delivered something huge:

Toshiaki Kawada defeated Mitsuharu Misawa to win the All Japan Triple Crown.

That is one of those matches and moments that carries serious weight for fans of Japanese wrestling. Kawada and Misawa were not just rivals. They were artists of punishment, crafting matches that felt like personal wars.

A Triple Crown change between those two, in the Tokyo Dome, on All Japan’s biggest stage?

That is history with brass knuckles on.

Booker T and Chris Benoit Keep Swapping the TV Title

Also in 1998, Chris Benoit defeated Booker T for the WCW Television Title in Charleston, South Carolina.

This was part of a wild stretch where the title changed hands repeatedly between them over several days.

It eventually fed into their famous best-of-seven series, one of WCW’s stronger in-ring rivalries of that period. Booker was rising, Benoit was relentless, and the TV Title suddenly felt like something worth fighting over every night.

ECW, WCW, and WWF All Stay Busy in 1999

May 2, 1999 gives us a perfect late-90s wrestling buffet.

ECW ran Kissimmee, Florida with names like:

Super Crazy

Yoshihiro Tajiri

The Dudley Boyz

Spike Dudley

Tommy Dreamer

Jerry Lynn

Lance Storm

WCW ran Norfolk with:

Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Fit Finlay

Rick Steiner

Rey Mysterio Jr.

Raven and Saturn

Diamond Dallas Page defending against Ric Flair

And WWF taped television in San Diego with:

Steve Austin

The Rock

Triple H

The Undertaker

Big Show

Owen Hart

Jeff Jarrett

Edge and Christian

That was the wrestling landscape at the time. Everywhere you looked, somebody was running a show, taping TV, defending a belt, or getting thrown into chaos.

Jericho Wins Intercontinental Gold

In 2000, Chris Jericho defeated Chris Benoit during a SmackDown taping in Richmond, Virginia to win the WWF Intercontinental Title, beginning his third reign.

Jericho and Benoit were key players in making that title feel fast, competitive, and important during the early 2000s.

That same taping also featured The Rock teaming with Earl Hebner in a handicap match against Triple H, X-Pac, and Road Dogg, because wrestling loves taking a normal sentence and tossing it into a blender.

WCW Thunder Goes Completely Off the Rails

Also in 2000, WCW taped Thunder in Memphis, and the show was pure late-stage WCW chaos.

Ric Flair won a massive battle royal to earn a WCW World Title shot. Randy Savage made what would be his final WCW appearance. David Arquette showed up with a guitar and accidentally fell through part of the stage.

That is a lot.

Late WCW sometimes felt less like a wrestling company and more like a fireworks factory being run during an earthquake.

But for better or worse, it was rarely boring.

The Hardcore Title Loses Its Mind in Scotland

In 2002, the WWF Hardcore Title changed hands six times during a house show in Glasgow, Scotland.

Shawn Stasiak, Justin Credible, Crash Holly, and Steven Richards all got caught in the 24/7 madness, with Richards eventually leaving with the title.

That belt lived in its own strange universe. It was a championship, a running joke, a stunt prop, and a chaos magnet all at once.

May 2 gave it exactly the kind of nonsense it was built for.

Why May 2 Matters

May 2 is a packed day.

It gives us:

the births of Mr. Pogo, Big Bossman, and The Rock

Bruno Sammartino’s nonstop championship-era schedule

Mad Dog Vachon winning the AWA World Title

Curt Hennig capturing his only world championship

All Japan’s huge Tokyo Dome event

Kawada defeating Misawa for the Triple Crown

Booker T and Benoit battling over the WCW TV Title

Jericho winning Intercontinental gold

late WCW chaos

and Hardcore Title mayhem in Scotland

That is a full wrestling carnival, complete with fireworks, folding chairs, and one suspicious roll of quarters.

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At WFIA, we believe pro wrestling history deserves to be preserved in full.

The world champions matter. The house shows matter. The forgotten cards matter. The strange little title changes matter too.

Together, they tell the real story of wrestling.

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