On This Day in Pro Wrestling History – May 3 | Stu Hart Is Born, Hogan vs. Muta, ECW Wrestlepalooza & More

May 3

On This Day in Pro Wrestling History

May 3 is one of those dates that feels like wrestling history opened a filing cabinet and dumped out gold.

We have old collar-and-elbow wrestling, the birth of Stu Hart, Lou Thesz beating Buddy Rogers years before their names would help shape the future of the WWWF, major New Japan Dome shows, ECW on enemy turf, and even the birth of The Eclectic Gentleman Stephan Watts in 1981.

Yes, wrestling history was already impressive… and then 1981 added some extra seasoning in a velvet smoking jacket.

Wrestling Before Wrestling Looked Like Wrestling

We start way back in 1884, when H.M. Dufur defeated James McLaughlin for the American Collar-and-Elbow Title in Chicago.

That is deep-cut history. Before television, before entrance music, before managers yelling into microphones, wrestling already had champions, rivalries, and people arguing over who was really the toughest.

The names may feel distant now, but these were the roots. Everything else grew from this kind of foundation.

Stu Hart Is Born

In 1915, Stu Hart was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

That is a massive wrestling birthday.

Stu Hart was more than a wrestler and promoter. He became one of the great patriarchs of wrestling history. Through Stampede Wrestling and the legendary Hart family, his influence reached across generations.

The Dungeon became almost mythical. Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart, Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite Kid, and so many others are tied to that orbit.

When Stu Hart is born, a whole branch of wrestling history starts growing.

Lou Thesz vs. Buddy Rogers Before the WWWF Was Born

In 1946, Lou Thesz defeated Buddy Rogers to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title in Houston.

That pairing jumps off the page.

Thesz and Rogers would later be connected to the NWA World Title situation that helped lead to the creation of the WWWF World Championship. But here they are years earlier, already crossing paths in Texas.

It is one of those moments where history whispers before it shouts.

The Territories Keep Turning

May 3 also gives us a healthy dose of territory-era title movement.

You have Sonny Myers winning Central States gold in 1951, Don McIntyre capturing the Georgia NWA Southern Heavyweight Title in 1957, The Mysterious Medics taking Gulf Coast tag gold in 1961, and Dick Steinborn defeating Tarzan Tyler for the Georgia World Heavyweight Title in 1963.

Then the map keeps expanding:

Texas tag titles in San Antonio

Hawaii tag titles in Honolulu

Central States gold in Missouri

Pacific Northwest tag titles

Tri-State North American gold

Mid-America tag gold in Memphis

This is what makes daily wrestling history so fun. It is never just one company. It is a whole wrestling planet spinning at once.

A WFIA Birthday Footnote of Great Importance

In 1981, The Eclectic Gentleman Stephan Watts was born.

Historians continue to debate whether this was technically a wrestling event, a cultural event, or simply the day the universe decided, “You know what this timeline needs? A man with taste, wrestling knowledge, and suspiciously strong graphic-design and video editing opinions"

Either way, May 3 became just a little more distinguished.

Possibly even wearing cufflinks with a bright multicolored suit.

Bret Hart Wins Stampede Gold

In 1983, Bret Hart defeated Leo Burke to win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title in Regina, Saskatchewan.

This ended Burke’s eighth reign and began Bret’s sixth and final run with Stampede’s top title.

That is important because Bret was still on the road toward becoming the Hitman the world would know. Stampede was his proving ground, and every title reign there helped shape the wrestler he became.

Before the pink and black became iconic, Bret was building his name the hard way.

Mid-South Tag Team Muscle

In 1985, Ted DiBiase and Steve Williams defeated The Rock ’n’ Roll Express to win the Mid-South Tag Team Title in Houston.

That is a serious tag team result.

DiBiase and Dr. Death had power, credibility, and edge. The Rock ’n’ Roll Express had speed, fire, and connection with the crowd. That kind of contrast is exactly what made tag wrestling work so well in that era.

World Class Holds the Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions

In 1987, World Class held the fourth annual Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions at Texas Stadium.

The event came just three weeks after the death of Mike Von Erich, giving the entire show a heavy emotional shadow.

The card featured Kevin Von Erich, Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, Mil Máscaras, The Fantastics, and more.

World Class always carried emotion close to the surface, and this event is another example of how triumph, tragedy, and wrestling spectacle often existed side by side.

Hogan vs. The Great Muta in Japan

In 1993, New Japan held Wrestling Dontaku ’93 at the Fukuoka Dome in front of 55,000 fans.

One of the biggest headlines:

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated IWGP Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta.

Neither title was on the line, but the match itself was a major international attraction.

The controversy came before the match, when Hogan claimed the WWF Title was “nothing” and the IWGP Title was the real championship. When word got back to WWF management, Hogan said the promo had been mistranslated.

Small problem: Hogan gave the promo in English.

Wrestling history is beautiful because sometimes it brings us championship dream matches, and sometimes it brings us diplomatic damage control with a mustache.

Sabu Wins IWGP Junior Heavyweight Gold

In 1995, New Japan’s Wrestling Dontaku ’95 saw Sabu defeat Koji Kanemoto to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title.

Sabu in New Japan always feels like something from another dimension. His style was wild, risky, and unpredictable, but seeing him capture junior heavyweight gold in Japan adds a fascinating layer to his career.

That same show also saw:

Ric Flair defeat Hiroshi Hase

The Steiner Brothers defeat Scott Norton and Road Warrior Hawk

Keiji Mutoh defeat Shinya Hashimoto for the IWGP Heavyweight Title

That is a stacked card with a capital “stacked.”

Remembering Ray Stevens

In 1996, Ray Stevens passed away at age 60.

Stevens was one of the great names of his era, winning titles across the United States and earning a reputation as one of wrestling’s most talented and influential performers.

Some wrestlers become stars because of presentation. Stevens became respected because he could flat-out work.

His legacy deserves to be remembered.

ECW Wrestlepalooza Goes Onto Enemy Turf

In 1998, ECW held Wrestlepalooza ’98 in Marietta, Georgia, close to WCW territory. The show was nicknamed “On Enemy Turf.”

That was very ECW.

The card featured:

Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu going to a 30-minute draw

Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman defeating The Dudley Boyz

Bam Bam Bigelow defeating New Jack

Shane Douglas defending the ECW World Title against Al Snow

The show also had a pre-event legends ceremony featuring Dick Slater, Bob Armstrong, The Assassin, and Junkyard Dog, in what would be JYD’s final public appearance before his death.

ECW always mixed chaos, reverence, danger, and emotion in a strange stew. Wrestlepalooza ’98 had all of it.

Edge vs. Christian Before Edge & Christian

Also in 1998, a WWF house show in Hamilton, Ontario opened with Adam Copeland defeating Christian Cage.

That is wild in hindsight.

Before they became one of the most successful tag teams in WWF history, before the ladders, chairs, comedy, championships, and five-second poses, Edge and Christian were across the ring from each other.

Sometimes wrestling history plants seeds before anyone realizes what is growing.

The Monday Night War Rolls On

In 1999, RAW beat Nitro in the ratings, 6.4 to 3.4.

WCW’s Nitro featured Diamond Dallas Page defending the WCW World Title against Ric Flair, while RAW had Steve Austin and The Rock going to a no-contest in a lumberjack match.

The late-90s wrestling world was still moving at full speed, with stars everywhere and chaos in every corner.

Why May 3 Matters

May 3 is a packed day in wrestling history.

It gives us:

early collar-and-elbow championship history

the birth of Stu Hart

Lou Thesz vs. Buddy Rogers years before the WWWF split

Bret Hart winning Stampede gold

Hogan vs. The Great Muta in Japan

Sabu winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title

Ray Stevens’ passing

ECW Wrestlepalooza on enemy turf

Edge vs. Christian before they became Edge and Christian

and, of course, the birth of The Eclectic Gentleman Stephan Watts, a moment historians have described as “probably not kayfabe”

That is quite a day.

Support Wrestling History

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

The champions matter. The territories matter. The legends matter. The strange little footnotes matter too.

And sometimes, the footnotes wear a hat.

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