Merry Christmas pro wrestling fans. Before the WWE took over the world, territorial pro wrestling dominated the United States. Christmas was one of the biggest days of the year to run events and these territories would script angles to coincide with the big holiday. Portland and Texas specifically booked some of the hottest and greatest wrestling angles of all time. Check out this collection of videos featuring some of pro wrestling’s most memorable Christmas moments.

A Rowdy Roddy Piper Christmas – Portland Wrestling 1979

Santa must have known about what Billy Jack Haynes was really up to – Portland 1985

Fritz Von Erich “collapses” on Christmas night 1987

There are many other great Christmas pro wrestling moments in addition to these angles.

- In World Class Championship Wrestling, Michael Hayes dressed as Santa Claus after losing a Loser Leaves Town Match and sneak attacked Kerry Von Erich.
- In Florida Championship Wrestling, Dusty Rhodes was banished from Florida after losing a Loser Leaves Town Match to Kevin Sullivan on Christmas night in 1982. Jake “The Snake” Roberts dressed up as Santa Claus and interfered on Sullivan’s behalf giving him the win.
- The first time Jimmy Snuka ever did his splash off of a steel cage was in a Christmas match in the late 1970s against Buddy Rose in Portland, Or.
- Austin Idol won his first of many AWA Southern titles beating Jerry Lawler in Memphis, TN on Christmas night 1979.
- On Christmas night 1985 the “Cosmic Cowboys” surprised Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams when the Cowboys turned out to be Kevin and Kerry Von Erich under masks.
- Christmas 1979, Mr. Wrestling #2 beats Mr. Wrestling in a Mask vs. Mask match, where Mr. Wrestling turns out to be an imposter.
- Finally, arguably one of the most profitable angles of all time took place on Christmas night 1982 in World Class Championship Wrestling. Michael Hayes slammed the steel cage door on the head of Kerry Von Erich costing him the NWA world title in a match with Ric Flair. This was the start of one of the biggest feuds in territorial pro wrestling history between the Von Erichs and Ric Flair.

Own the match and other ECW classics on the Bloodsport : ECW’s Most Violent Matches DVD by clicking here.

Read the Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of the ECW book by clicking here.

Read – Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore book by clicking here.

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