This Day in Wrestling History

The Assassins (Jody Hamilton and Tom Renesto) defeat Skandor Akbar and Swede Karlson to win the Tri-State NWA United States Tag Team Title in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
March 10, 1967

Yukiko Tomoe defeats The Fabulous Moolah for the NWA World Women's Title in Osaka, Japan, ending Moolah's second reign.
March 10, 1968

Ernie Ladd, one of the first black wrestlers to rise to prominence in the United States, died in Franklin, Louisiana at age 68 after a three-year battle with cancer. Nicknamed as "The Big Cat", Ladd was one of many athletes to venture off the football field and into the squared circle. Ladd, a defensive tackle at Grambling State University, was drafted by the American Football League's San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 1961 draft, and he played in the AFL for eight seasons with the Chargers, Houston Oilers and Kansas City Chiefs, including a 1963 championship with the Chargers. At 6 feet, 9 inches tall, and 315 pounds, Ladd was arguably the biggest and strongest man in not just the AFL, but all of professional football during his career. He was inducted to the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1981. Ladd made his wrestling debut in 1961, wrestling during the football off-season, and became one of wrestling's most hated heels during the 1970s, and had feuds throughout the years with André the Giant, Paul Orndorff and The Junkyard Dog. He won titles all over the country: in Florida, Georgia, Texas, New York, Los Angeles, and in Mid-South, where the majority of his title wins took place. Ladd was inducted to the WCW and WWF Halls of Fame in 1994 and 1995, respectively.
March 10, 2007