ABSTRACT
In 1962, a truly bloody pro wrestling program fanned the flames of a growing controversy over TV violence. On April 27, NTV-affiliated networks nationwide broadcast a three-man tag team wrestling match of Rikidōzan, Toyonobori, & Great Togo versus Lou Thesz, Freddie Blassie, & Mike Sharpe (Sr.). During the match, Freddie Blassie bit into the forehead of the Great Togo, sending blood all over him. Two elderly viewers collapsed while watching this gory broadcast, but pre-existing health conditions like chronic heart asthma and high blood pressure may have caused their untimely demise. These deaths caused pro wrestling, so wildly popular and instrumental in establishing the popularity of television as a medium, to become the poster child of a media culture gone awry.
