WWE history: The plane crash that almost destroyed professional wrestling
The backstory
On October 4th, 1975, some of the biggest professional wrestling Superstars of that time boarded a plane that was scheduled to cover a 45-minute distance from Charlotte to Wilmington, NC.
This was way before Ric Flair became quite possibly the biggest Superstar in pro-wrestling, and held a record 16 World Titles, resulting in a Hall of Fame career that is matched by none.
The tragedy
A small commuter plane welcomed famous promoter David Crockett, "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods, former Football superstar Bob Bruggers, Heavyweight Champion Johnny Valentine, and a young Ric Flair on that fateful day. The pilot found it hard to get the overstuffed plane off of the ground, and released some fuel to reduce the load.
Suddenly, the plane began to spin, leading to the pilot going into panic mode and screaming in fright. The plane crashed eventually and was going at a speed of 85-100 miles per hour when it fell down.
David Crockett had a dislocated shoulder and two broken teeth, while Flair's back broke in three separate places. Bruggers and Valentine suffered broken backs too. Tim Woods had broken ribs and suffered a concussion.
The pilot, Joseph Michael Farkas took the brunt of the crash, and a surgery was done on his head after the tragedy. He succumbed to his injuries two months later. He was 28 years old.
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How Tim Woods saved kayfabe
Woods was a babyface at the time. He couldn't let it be known that he was traveling with his rivals, Flair, and Valentine. He went to great lengths to prove that he wasn't traveling with the heels on the plane and resumed wrestling a mere two weeks after the crash to hammer the point down. Woods' effort is considered by wrestling historians as one of the bravest acts in pro-wrestling history, which helped save kayfabe as well as the livelihoods of every wrestler in the world.
One wonders where would the wrestling world be today if Woods hadn't kept kayfabe alive after the incident. Although it's a known fact in today's world that wrestling is predetermined, the fans of yesteryear weren't aware of this tidbit. If this had come out at the time, it would've possibly killed pro-wrestling.
The aftermath
Johnny Valentine and Bob Bruggers never wrestled again. The plane crash doomed their careers. It took months of physical therapy for Flair to recover and come back to the squared circle. He went on to become one of the greatest Superstars of all time.