On This Day in Pro Wrestling History – May 4 | Rick Rude’s Final Match, Andre’s Broken Ankle & Wrestling Dontaku

May 4

On This Day in Pro Wrestling History

May 4 is one of those dates where the history sneaks up on you.

At first, it looks like a mix of house shows, old territory cards, and Madison Square Garden results. Then suddenly you hit Andre the Giant’s famous broken ankle angle, Tony Atlas beating Ric Flair, New Japan filling the Fukuoka Dome, Rick Rude’s final match, and WCW’s Television Title chaos.

So yes, May 4 brought receipts.

Baltimore Gets the WWWF Treatment

We start in 1963, when the WWWF ran Baltimore, Maryland, headlined by Eduard Carpentier defeating Pedro Rodriguez.

That is a nice early-WWWF snapshot. Before the company became the national and global machine fans know today, it was still building its rhythm city by city, card by card, name by name.

Baltimore was one of those regular stops where the promotion could keep stories moving and crowds invested.

A Big Night at Maple Leaf Gardens

In 1980, Blackjack Mulligan and Dewey Robertson defeated Masked Superstar #1 and #2 in the main event at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens.

Any time Maple Leaf Gardens appears in wrestling history, it carries a little extra weight. That building was one of the true wrestling landmarks, especially for Canadian fans.

This was old-school tag team wrestling in a building that understood old-school wrestling very well.

Georgia Championship Wrestling Returns to the Omni

Also in 1980, Georgia Championship Wrestling returned to the Omni in Atlanta with a loaded card.

The show featured:

Tommy Rich defending the Georgia TV Title against Baron Von Raschke

Georgia Tag Team Champions Ivan Koloff and Alexis Smirnoff defeating Tony Atlas and Kevin Sullivan

NWA World Champion Harley Race defeating Georgia Heavyweight Champion Austin Idol

Mr. Wrestling #2 defeating Dory Funk Jr.

Mr. Wrestling #2 then defeating Harley Race in a non-title lights out match

That final stretch is the real gem.

Harley Race beating Austin Idol already gives the card world title gravity. But Mr. Wrestling #2 defeating Dory Funk Jr., then coming back to beat Harley Race in a lights out match, makes the night feel like a major Atlanta wrestling moment.

That is territory wrestling doing territory wrestling things beautifully.

Madison Square Garden Brings Blood, Drama, and Confusion

In 1981, the WWF ran Madison Square Garden with a card that had plenty going on.

Pedro Morales defended the Intercontinental Title. Pat Patterson beat Sgt. Slaughter in an alley fight. Bob Backlund defended the WWF Title against Angelo Mosca. And that Backlund-Mosca match ended in pure wrestling weirdness.

Mosca won by disqualification after Backlund accidentally punched the referee. Then Mosca ran backstage with the title belt.

That is the kind of finish that makes an arena furious in exactly the way promoters wanted.

But the standout match may have been Pat Patterson vs. Sgt. Slaughter in an alley fight. Patterson won after Slaughter had been beaten so badly that Grand Wizard threw in the towel.

That sounds less like a wrestling finish and more like a boxing corner trying to save its fighter. Excellent old-school drama.

Andre the Giant’s Broken Ankle Angle Begins

Also in 1981, Vince McMahon announced that Andre the Giant had suffered a broken ankle, with the injury blamed on Killer Khan.

That angle became a major grudge-match setup once Andre returned.

And the detail that makes this even better? WWE kept the giant cast used for the ankle and has displayed it at WrestleMania AXXESS events over the years.

That is wrestling history you can practically trip over.

Andre’s cast is the kind of artifact that feels both ridiculous and important, which is exactly why wrestling is wonderful.

Tony Atlas Beats Ric Flair

In 1983, Tony Atlas defeated NWA World Champion Ric Flair in a non-title match at a Georgia Championship Wrestling event in Akron, Ohio.

That is a result worth pausing on.

Flair was the traveling world champion, the man carrying the NWA banner. A non-title loss did not change the championship picture, but it still meant something. Beating Ric Flair, title or not, was a big deal.

The undercard also featured names like Arn Anderson, Matt Borne, Tito Santana, Brian Blair, Ron Garvin, The Iron Sheik, Dick Murdoch, Tommy Rich, and Larry Zbyszko.

That is a strong lineup with serious territory flavor.

JCP Runs Two Towns at Once

In 1987, Jim Crockett Promotions ran two shows at the same time.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina, fans saw:

The Road Warriors defeat The New Breed

Dusty Rhodes defeat Dick Murdoch

Lex Luger wrestle Barry Windham to a no contest

Meanwhile in Greenville, South Carolina, the Rock ’n’ Roll Express defeated The Midnight Express.

That is a perfect snapshot of Crockett’s machine in motion. Two towns, same night, major names on both cards.

That kind of schedule is how territories built their rhythm, and how wrestlers earned every mile.

Wrestling Dontaku 1994 Is Loaded

One of the biggest pieces of May 4 history comes in 1994, when New Japan Pro Wrestling held Wrestling Dontaku at the Fukuoka Dome in front of 53,500 fans.

That is a massive show.

The card featured:

Jushin Liger vs. Satoru Sayama going to a 10-minute draw

The Hellraisers defeating The Steiner Brothers

Rick Rude defeating Sting for the WCW International World Heavyweight Title

Shinya Hashimoto defeating Tatsumi Fujinami to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title

Antonio Inoki defeating The Great Muta

There is a lot to unpack there.

Hashimoto winning the IWGP Title is a major moment on its own. Inoki defeating Muta gives the show legendary name value. Liger vs. the original Tiger Mask is pure junior heavyweight mythology.

But the most bittersweet moment is Rick Rude.

Rick Rude’s Final Match

At that same Wrestling Dontaku show, Rick Rude defeated Sting to win the WCW International World Heavyweight Title, the big gold belt.

It would become Rude’s final match.

During the bout, Rude severely injured his neck, ending his in-ring career. He would later be stripped of the title on a technicality and disappear from the wrestling scene until resurfacing in ECW in 1997.

That makes this match both historic and sad.

Rick Rude was one of wrestling’s great performers. The look, the arrogance, the timing, the presence, all of it. To have his career end in such a sudden and painful way gives May 4 a heavy note.

Sometimes wrestling history celebrates a win.

Sometimes it remembers the cost.

Onita Wins Brass Knuckles Gold

In 1995, Atsushi Onita defeated Mr. Pogo in Nagoya to win the FMW World Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Title for the fourth time.

Onita would vacate the title the next day after defeating Hayabusa in his retirement match.

Of course, the retirement did not last, leading to Onita’s fitting nickname: “Mr. Liar.”

That is a perfect piece of wrestling character history. Retirement in wrestling is sometimes less a goodbye and more a dramatic commercial break.

WCW TV Title Chaos Continues

In 1998, WCW taped Nitro in Indianapolis, and Fit Finlay defeated Booker T to win the WCW World Television Title after Booker was distracted by Chris Benoit.

This came during that wild period where the TV Title was bouncing around and the Booker T vs. Chris Benoit rivalry was heating up.

Finlay winning the belt added another rugged, physical name to the mix. Booker, Benoit, and Finlay around the same championship is a very solid recipe for stiff forearms and bruised ribs.

Why May 4 Matters

May 4 gives us a lot more than it first appears.

It includes:

WWWF action in Baltimore

Maple Leaf Gardens tag team history

Georgia Championship Wrestling at the Omni

Bob Backlund and Angelo Mosca chaos at Madison Square Garden

Andre the Giant’s broken ankle angle

Tony Atlas beating Ric Flair

Jim Crockett Promotions running two major cards in one night

New Japan drawing 53,500 fans to Wrestling Dontaku

Rick Rude’s final match

Shinya Hashimoto winning IWGP gold

Onita and Mr. Pogo in FMW madness

Fit Finlay winning the WCW TV Title

That is a full day.

Some history arrives with fireworks. May 4 arrives with a cast, a cagey finish, a lights-out match, and Rick Rude’s career turning into a tragic final chapter.

Support Wrestling History

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

The big title wins matter. The angles matter. The buildings matter. The injuries, comebacks, and strange little artifacts matter too.

Together, they keep the story alive.

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