This day in Wrestling History

This day 19 years ago is a very mournful day for those invovled in pro wrestling because they lost a lenegend, a hall of famer the original Nature Boy, the first WWE champion Buddy Rogers. Buddy was the first wrestler to jump from the NWA with Vincent J McMahon to be apart of the WWWF which had there first show in 1963 and used it to crown a world champion which was buddy who vince and, toots mondt felt was black balled in the NWA as buddy is a former NWA world champion but did have as long a regin as vince and toots felt he have had. So they held a "tournament" in Brazil for the world title and Buddy won. But yet again not holding on to the belt for that long because within that year Buddy suffered a mild heart attack which had an impact on his stamina in the ring and 18 days after winning the title he dropped it to another legend Bruno Samartino in 48 seconds. (Nerd Note: Lengend has it that Toots had to force buddy into the match so he could drop the title.) After the lose he was gering up for another match vs Bruno but it never happended as he semi retired before the match took place. Since he retired he wrestled occasionaly for Sheik's promotion in deroit and canada. He then in his late 50's he came back to wrestling in florida and then Mid Atlantic as a manager of heels like Big John Studd, Jimmy Snuka, Ken Patera, & Gene Anderson. He also had a run in with the new nature boy Ric Flair, but then he moved back up north for one last stint in the WWF as a face manager & a part time wrestler in his last match teaming with Jimmy Snuka vs Lou Albano & Ray Stevens he broke his hip and never fought again. Then in 1992 he was trying to come back again for one more run and a feud with Nature Boy Buddy Landel in the tri state wrestling alliance but it never happend as unfortunally Rogers passed away in June of 1992 after suffering 3 strokes and already being weak from a broken arm.
This day 19 years ago he maybe gone but not forgotten