10 Jaw-Dropping Answers To Wrestling Open Challenges

“Give me someone out here to wrestle. I don’t care who it is.”

The Honky Tonk Man must regret ever uttering those words. At SummerSlam 1988, he was scheduled to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Brutus Beefcake. A week prior, however, Beefcake was injured by “Outlaw” Ron Bass, forcing The Barber to pull out of the title match.

As the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time, Honky couldn’t let himself be left off the inaugural SummerSlam. So he issued an open challenge, which was answered by the Ultimate Warrior, who rushed the ring and destroyed Honky within 31 seconds. A new champion was crowned, and Madison Square Garden erupted as a new mega star emerged.

It was the end of an era for Elvis’ most famous impersonator.