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Don Muraco

Don-Muraco-Showing-Body

Title History

  • NWA Macon Tag Team titles w/ Robert Fuller defeating Roger Kirby and Ron Garvin (February 18, 1975);
  • NWA (Los Angeles) Americas Heavyweight title won a Tournament (May 2, 1975);
  • NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/ Invader I defeating Pedro Morales and Pat Patterson (March 24, 1976);
  • NWA (New Zealand) British Empire/Commonwealth Heavyweight title defeating John DaSilva (1977);
  • NWA (Hawaii) Pacific International Heavyweight title defeating John Studd (1978);
  • NWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Dean Ho (April 1, 1978);
  • NWA Hawaii Heavyweight title defeating Buddy Rose (July 1978);
  • NWA Hawaii Heavyweight title defeating Tor Kamata (September 1978);
  • NWA Hawaii Tag Team titles w/ Rick Martel defeating Karl Von Steiger and Mr. Fuji (November 1978);
  • NWA Hawaii Heavyweight title (March 1979);
  • NWA (Florida) United States Tag Team titles w/ Jos LeDuc defeating Steve Keirn and Mike Graham (June 6, 1979);
  • Polynesican Pacific Heavyweight title (1980);
  • NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Manny Fernandez (March 26, 1980);
  • NWA Florida Television title defeating Manny Fernandez (May 1, 1981);
  • WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title defeating Pedro Morales (June 20, 1981);
  • WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title defeating Pedro Morales (January 22, 1983);
  • Stampede North American Heavyweight title defeating Makhan Singh (December 9, 1988);
  • ECW Heavyweight title defeating Jimmy Snuka (September 30, 1992);
  • ECW Heavyweight title defeating Sandman (April 3, 1993);

Career History

In The Beginning:

  • Don Muraco first gained recognition while in the Florida territory of the National Wrestling Alliance.
  • March 1980: Don Muraco captured the Florida title by defeating “The Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez.
  • ~~~Don Muraco would lose the Florida title to Bugsy McGraw five months later.

World Wrestling Federation:

  • 1980: Don Muraco signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation and debuted with heel manager Lou Albano.
  • June 20, 1981: Don Muraco defeated Pedro Morales to capture the intercontinental title in Philadelphia, PA.
  • Don Muraco held the IC belt for five months before Morales regained it in New York at the famed Madison Square Garden.
  • Don Muraco took time off from the WWF a short time after dropping the IC championship.

World Wrestling Federation:

  • January 22, 1983: Don Muraco defeated Pedro Morales to become a 2-time Intercontinental champion.
  • Don Muraco had a classic steel cage match with Jimmy Snuka that was one of the most historic matches in history.
  • ~~~Muraco miraculously retained his Intercontinental title after Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka accidentally knocked him out.
  • ~~~Snuka would drag Muraco back in, and delivered his “Superfly Leap” finisher from the top of the cage onto Muraco!
  • February 1984: Tito Santana defeated Don Muraco to end Muraco’s 1-year title reign and win the IC championship.

World Wrestling Federation – “Magnificent” Don Muraco:

  • Don Muraco fired Lou Albano and took Mr. Fuji as his manager and began a feud with Ricky Steamboat.
  • 1985: Don Muraco started subbing for Jesse Ventura regularly on his “Body Shop” talk segment.
  • April 7, 1986 – WrestleMania 2: Paul Orndorff vs. Magnificent Don Muraco w/ Mr Fuji ended in a Double Countout.
  • 1986: Adrian Adonis began his “Flower Shop” segment, and Don Muraco began teaming with Adonis’ bodyguard Bob Orton.
  • March 1, 1986 – SNME: Hulk Hogan defeated “Magnificent” Don Muraco by DQ to retain the WWF title.
  • ~~~King Kong Bundy interfered, causing the DQ, and revealing a setup orchestrated by Muraco, Bundy and Bobby Heenan.
  • ~~~Muraco held Hogan chest first into the corner while King Kong Bundy delivered an Avalanche and broke his ribs!
  • August 28, 1986 – WWF Big Event: King Tonga fought the Magnificent Muraco to a time limit draw.
  • March 29, 1987 – Wrestlemania 3: The Can-Am Connection (Rick Martel and Tom Zenk) defeated Don Muraco and Bob Orton.
  • ~~~The Muraco/Orton team broke up on WWF Superstars TV and had a match with Muraco (face) pinning Orton (heel).

World Wrestling Federation – Don “The Rock” Muraco:

  • Don Muraco proclaimed that he was finished with tag team partners, and managers, thus dumping Mr. Fuji.
  • Fall 1987: Don Muraco formed a friendship with returning WWF legend “Superstar” Billy Graham.
  • ~~~Billy Graham suffered a career-ending assault at the hands of Butch Reed and One Man Gang.
  • ~~~Don Muraco came to Superstar Billy Graham’s aid.
  • 1988 – Wrestlemania IV: Don Muraco defeated Dino Bravo in the first round of the 16-Man WWF Title Tournament.
  • ~~~SECOND ROUND: “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase (eventual finalist) defeated Don Muraco.
  • August 1988: Don Muraco left the World Wrestling Federation.

Stampede Wrestling – Don “The Rock” Muraco:

  • Don Muraco went to work for Stu Hart in Calgary for the Stampede Wrestling promotion.
  • December 1988: Don Muraco defeated Makhan Singh to win the Stampede North American title.
  • April 1989: Davey Boy Smith defeated Don Muraco to win the Stampede North American title.

Universal Wrestling Federation – Don “The Rock” Muraco:

  • Don Muraco signed with Herb Abram’s Universal Wrestling Federation promotion.
  • The Rock had matches with Cactus Jack, Brian Blair and Steve Williams while with this promotion until it folded.

Eastern Championship Wrestling – Don “The Rock” Muraco:

  • Don Muraco signed with Eastern Championship Wrestling later known as Extreme Championship Wrestling.
  • October 12, 1992: Don Muraco defeated Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka for the ECW Heavyweight title.
  • November 16, 1992: Sandman defeated Don Muraco to capture the ECW Heavyweight title.
  • April 3, 1993: Don Muraco defeated Sandman to reclaim the ECW Heavyweight title.
  • August 8, 1993: Tito Santana defeated Don Muraco to win the ECW Heavyweight title.

Independent Wrestling – Don Muraco:

  • Don Muraco left ECW and continued to work the independent circuit.
  • May 23, 1993 – WCW Slamboree: Legends Reunion: Don Muraco participated in a Legends Six-Man Match.
  • ~~~Jimmy Snuka and Don Muraco and Dick Murdoch vs Blackjack Mulligan and Wahoo McDaniel and Jim Brunzel (NO CONTEST).
  • 1996: Don Muraco presented a WWF Hall of Fame award to former enemy Jimmy Snuka as part of WWF Hall of Fame ceremony.
  • June 2003: Don Muraco lauched his very own promotion called Hawaiian Championship Wrestling (HCW).
  • March 13, 2004 – WWE: Don “The Rock” Muraco is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York City!
  • March 14, 2004 – Wrestlemania XX: Don Muraco is honored with all the other Hall of Fame inductees during the Pay Per View.
  • July 9 and 10, 2004 – Afa’s wXw Show: Don Muraco appeared on a pair of wXw shows managed his son – Joe Muraco.
  • February 1, 2005 – WWE Super Show in Hawaii: The Coach did a special interviewed Don Muraco.
  • August 27, 2005 – WrestleReunion: Don and Joe Muraco defeated Bob and Brad Armstrong.
  • March 31, 2007 – Hall of Fame: Mr. Fuji was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his protege Don Muraco in Detroit, Michigan.
Updated:

Trained By

Debut

Birthday

September 10, 1949

Hometown

Sunset Beach, Hawaii

Gender

Height

6'3"

Weight

270 lbs

Finishing Move(s)

Inverted Piledriver
The Asian Spike

Favorite Move(s)

The Clothesline

Notable Feuds

Bob Backlund
Pedro Morales
Rocky Johnson
Jimmy Snuka
Tito Santana
Ricky Steamboat
One Man Gang
Dino Bravo
Ted DiBiase
Cactus Jack
Brian Blair
Steve Williams
The Sandman

Status