8 Important Wrestling Events That Happened When Great Balls Of Fire Was Released

3. Lou Thesz Defends NWA World Title In Japan

On 7 October, Lou Thesz became the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion to defend in the Land of the Rising Sun. His opponent was Rikidozan, regarded as the “Father of Puroresu”. Although Thesz usually portrayed the no-nonsense babyface, he assumed the role of foreign villain when competing against Rikidozan, a post-World War II hero for the devastated citizens.

They went to a time-limit draw in front of 30,000 fans at Korakuen Hall, drawing an 87.0 television rating and helping legitimize pro wrestling as a sport in the country. In later years, Thesz revealed that he enjoyed wrestling Rikidozan so much that he petitioned NWA officials to book more title matches in Japan, but they were unwilling.