Philadelphia Wrestling

60 Years Ago Today!

WWWF — Philadelphia House Show 1966
Venue not specified, Philadelphia, PA
Date: August 27, 1966
Attendance: Unknown

WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Waldo Von Erich

ECW -TNN Television Taping
ECW Arena, Philadelphia, PA
August 28, 1999
Attendance: 1,500

Danny Doring, Roadkill & Angelica defeated Nova, Chris Chetti & Jazz

Simon Diamond defeated Vito LoGrasso

Johnny Smith defeated Little Guido

Spike Dudley defeated PN News

Super Crazy defeated Yoshihiro Tajiri

Balls Mahoney defeated Axl Rotten

Uganda defeated Prodigy

ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam fought Lance Storm to a no contest

ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Jerry Lynn

ECW Tag Team Champions Raven & Tommy Dreamer defeated Rhino & Jack Victory

Looking for 2 wrestlers to cover a no show this weekend. DM please

Today we celebrate Joel Goodhart, born in Philadelphia on August 28, 1953, and one of the most important figures in the history of professional wrestling in this city.

Years before ECW made Philadelphia synonymous with wild crowds, hardcore wrestling and an alternative to the major promotions, Goodhart was already building that foundation with the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance.

Beginning in 1989, TWA gave Philadelphia wrestling fans something completely different. Goodhart mixed established stars such as Terry Funk, Jerry Lawler, Abdullah the Butcher, Eddie Gilbert, Cactus Jack, Paul Orndorff and the Original Sheik with hungry local talent including JT Smith, Larry Winters, Tony Stetson, Johnny Hotbody, Glen Osbourne, Rockin’ Rebel and Don E. Allen.

And Philadelphia responded.

Goodhart understood that this city wanted wrestling with an edge.

Under his promotion, matches didn’t necessarily stay neatly inside the ropes. The action spilled onto the floor and into the building. The atmosphere was unpredictable, intense and aimed directly at the hardcore wrestling fan at a time when the national wrestling product was becoming increasingly polished and cartoonish.

Perhaps nothing represents Goodhart’s influence better than the legendary battles between Eddie Gilbert and Cactus Jack. Their violent TWA series in Philadelphia during 1990 and 1991 helped establish the style of wrestling that this city would soon become famous for. Years later, even Paul Heyman would specifically point to Goodhart’s Tri-State Wrestling when discussing what existed in Philadelphia before ECW.

Goodhart also helped provide a platform for wrestlers who would become deeply connected to Philadelphia wrestling history. The Sandman got his start through Goodhart’s wrestling school, while Cactus Jack, Eddie Gilbert, Sabu and numerous local wrestlers were able to build reputations with the Philadelphia audience.

His influence wasn’t limited to promoting shows, either. Rasslin’ Radio on WIP 610 gave professional wrestling a voice on mainstream Philadelphia sports radio and helped create a community of serious wrestling fans before the internet made that commonplace.

TWA eventually closed in early 1992, but its fingerprints were all over what happened next.

Tod Gordon, who had been involved financially with Tri-State, formed Eastern Championship Wrestling using much of the talent and infrastructure that remained from the TWA scene. Eastern eventually became Extreme Championship Wrestling.

So when we tell the history of ECW—and really the history of Philadelphia becoming America’s great wrestling laboratory—the story shouldn’t begin in 1993 or 1994.

There was a chapter before that.

Joel Goodhart and the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance.

Goodhart proved that an independent promoter in Philadelphia could attract major talent, develop local wrestlers, cater specifically to hardcore fans and create wrestling that felt dangerous, unpredictable and completely different from what the national companies were offering.

ECW would eventually take those ideas somewhere even bigger.

But Tri-State helped light the fuse.

Happy 73rd birthday to Joel Goodhart—promoter, broadcaster, risk-taker and one of the architects of Philadelphia’s unique professional wrestling identity.

Philadelphia wrestling history would not be the same without him. 🎂🥊🔔

32 Years Ago Today

Eastern Championship Wrestling
ECW Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date: August 28, 1994
350 — reportedly all complimentary admissions

JT Smith defeated Stevie Richards

The Tazmaniac defeated Ray Odyssey

Chris Benoit defeated Chad Austin

The Sandman defeated Tommy Dreamer — Singapore Cane Match

ECW Television Champion Jason Knight defeated JT Smith

2 Cold Scorpio defeated Stormin’ Norman

ECW World Champion Shane Douglas defeated Osamu Nishimura

ECW Tag Team Champions Cactus Jack & Mikey Whipwreck defeated Dino Sendoff & Chris Canyon by disqualification

ECW Television Champion Jason Knight defeated The Rockin’ Rebel

Chris Benoit defeated Osamu Nishimura

The Sandman defeated Hack Meyers

ECW Television Champion Jason Knight defeated Dino Sendoff

ECW World Champion Shane Douglas defeated Stevie Richards

The Public Enemy defeated Hack Meyers & Stormin’ Norman

Chad Austin defeated The Rockin’ Robin

Chris Canyon fought Paul Lauria to a no contest

Shane Douglas, Matt Borne & The Public Enemy defeated 2 Cold Scorpio, Chris Benoit, Cactus Jack & Mikey Whipwreck

Eastern Championship Wrestling — NWA World Title Tournament 1994
ECW Arena, Philadelphia, PA
August 27, 1994
Attendance: 1,000

2 Cold Scorpio defeated Chris Benoit — NWA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Quarterfinal

911 defeated Borne Again (Matt Borne) — Quarterfinal

Dean Malenko defeated Osamu Nishimura — Quarterfinal

Shane Douglas defeated The Tazmaniac — Quarterfinal

2 Cold Scorpio defeated 911 by count-out — Semifinal

Shane Douglas defeated Dean Malenko — Semifinal

Cactus Jack & Mikey Whipwreck defeated ECW Tag Team Champions The Public Enemy to win the ECW Tag Team Championship in a Basebrawl Match

Shane Douglas defeated 2 Cold Scorpio to win the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Championship

After winning the tournament, Douglas famously rejected the NWA championship and proclaimed himself ECW World Heavyweight Champion. Following the events of the tournament, Eastern Championship Wrestling became Extreme Championship Wrestling—making this one of the most historically significant wrestling cards ever held in Philadelphia.

36 Years Ago Today

WWF SummerSlam 1990
Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
Date: August 27, 1990
Attendance: 19,304 — 18,703 paid, sellout

Shane Douglas defeated Buddy Rose - dark match

Power & Glory defeated The Rockers

Kerry Von Erich defeated WWF Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship

Sensational Sherri defeated Sapphire by forfeit

The Warlord defeated Tito Santana

The Hart Foundation defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition, 2 falls to 1, to win the WWF Tag Team Championship

Jake Roberts defeated Bad News Brown by disqualification
Big Boss Man was special referee

Jim Duggan & Nikolai Volkoff defeated The Orient Express

Randy Savage defeated Dusty Rhodes

Hulk Hogan defeated Earthquake by count-out

WWF World Champion The Ultimate Warrior defeated Rick Rude in a steel cage match by escaping the cage

38 Years Ago Today

WWF
Philadelphia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
August 27, 1988
Attendance: 4,418

Ron Bass defeated Lanny Poffo

Jacques Rougeau & Raymond Rougeau defeated Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart

The Blue Blazer defeated Barry Horowitz

WWF World Champion Randy Savage defeated Ted DiBiase by disqualification

Tito Santana fought King Haku to a time-limit draw

The Powers of Pain defeated Nikolai Volkoff & Boris Zhukov

Rick Rude defeated Jake Roberts by count-out

The card was televised on PRISM with Dick Graham, Superstar Billy Graham and Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary.

60 Years Ago Today

WWWF
Venue not specified, Philadelphia, PA
August 27, 1966
Attendance: Unknown

WWWF World Championship
Bruno Sammartino(c) defeated Waldo Von Erich