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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: NWA VS. WWF AT MSG, BOBBY HEENAN MAKES HIS WWF DEBUT, CACTUS JACK RETURNS AND MORE

By Buck Woodward on 2007-09-22 08:00:00

September 22nd

On this day in history in ....

1966 - Baron Mikel Scicluna & Slasher Sloan defeat Johnny Valentine & Antonio Pugliese to win the United States Tag Team Title when Pugliese can't continue during the second fall due to injury.

1970 - Paul Jones & Nelson Royal defeated Gene & Ole Anderson for the NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Title in Greensboro, North Carolina.

1980 - At a WWF event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund defeated NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race via disqualification after a thirty minute match. However, due to the disqualification rule, the titles remained with their respective champions. Here are the full results from the show:
- The Hangman defeated Dominic DeNucci.
- Rick Martel defeated Rick McGraw.
- Les Thornton defeated Jose Estrada.
- Pat Paterson defeated Johnny Rodz.
- Pedro Morales defeated Samoan Afa.
- Tony Atlas defeated Samoan Sika.
- Ken Patera defeated Rene Goulet.
- Larry Zbyszko defeated Tony Garea via disqualification.
- Andre The Giant defeated Hulk Hogan when special referee Gorilla Monsoon gave Hogan a fast count after dealing with Hogan cheating for a majority of the match.
- WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund defeated NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race via disqualification when Race, in order to escape a Backlund sleeperhold, pulled the referee into Backlund.

1984 - Big John Studd, subbing for Jesse Ventura, defeats WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan via countout at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan makes his WWF debut in this match as the manager of Studd. Heenan, who had just come in from the AWA, was originally scheduled to be Ventura's manager, but due to health issues (blood clots in his lungs), Ventura would soon go into semi-retirement.

1986 - Hulk Machine (Hulk Hogan under a mask) teams with Big Machine & Super Machine to defeat King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd and Bobby Heenan at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Also on the show, the Rougeau Brothers make their MSG debut, defeating the Hart Foundation.

1995 - Gran Hamada defeats Koji Kanemoto for the UWA World Welterweight Title in Nagoya, Japan.

1996 - WWE holds their "In Your House: Mind Games" Pay-per-view at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Corestates Center. Here are the results: 
- In a match that aired on the Pre-Show, Savio Vega defeated Marty Jannetty by reverseing a cross bodyblock into a pin. Justin Bradshaw attacked Vega after the match, following an interview where he complained about not being on the PPV. Vega then challenged Bradshaw to a Caribbean Strap Match on the PPV. 
- Savio Vega defeated Justin Bradshaw in a Caribbean Strap Match by touching all four corners. During the match, ECW's Tommy Dreamer, The Sandman and Paul Heyman (who came out and took seats in the front row during the preshow) were seen at ringside and Sandman spat beer at the wrestlers, leading to a brief scuffle and the ECW stars being ushered out. This was a planned angle between ECW and WWE, although they did a fairly good job of making it look like a "shoot" incident. Tazz and Perry Saturn, also with ECW at the time, were seated in the crowd as well. 
- Jose Lothario defeated Jim Cornette in under a minute following two punches.
- Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith defeated WWF World Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns to win the belts when Smith powerslammed Bart after Billy had shoved his partner. Previously, Bart had collided with Billy accidentally. After the match, Sunny, who was managing the Gunns, fired them. 
- Mark Henry defeated Jerry Lawler with a backbreaker. During the match, Marty Jannetty, Leif Cassidy and Triple H tried to interfere, but Henry ran them off and press slammed Triple H on top of the New Rockers on the floor.
- The Undertaker defeated Goldust with a tombstone piledriver.
- WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Mankind via disqualification when Vader interfered. Sid Vicious came out and brawled with Vader, and the Undertaker came out of a casket that Mankind and brought to the ring and chased Mankind off. This match is available on the History Of The WWE Championship DVD.

1997 - WWF held Raw at Madison Square Garden in New York City with the WWF debut of Cactus Jack. Prior to a scheduled streetfight with Triple H, Mick Foley appeared on the screen as Dude Love (who was scheduled for the match), Mankind and finally Cactus. Cactus Jack then won the match with a piledriver through a table on the stage. This match is available on the Mick Foley: Hard Knocks And Cheap Pops DVD.

2000 - Spanky defeats American Dragon in Vicksburg, Mississippi to win the Memphis Championship Wrestling Light Heavyweight Title.

2002 - WWE holds Unforgiven at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Here are the results:
- In a Heat match, Rey Mysterio defeats Chavo Guerrero with the West Coast Pop.
- Booker T, Kane, Goldust & Bubba Ray Dudley defeated Lance Storm, Christian, William Regal & Test when Kane pinned Storm with a chokeslam.
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho defeated Ric Flair with the Walls Of Jericho.
- Eddie Guerrero defeated Edge with a sunset flip-style powerbomb.
- Three Minute Warning defeated Billy Gunn & Chuck Palumbo when Rosey pinned Gunn with a Samoan Drop. As a result, Smackdown General Manager Stephanie McMahon had to perform "Hot Lesbian Action" and Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff said he found the "ugliest lesbian" around for the job. However, it turned out to be Rikishi in drag, who then gave Bischoff a side kick and a stinkface.
- World Champion Triple H defeated Rob Van Dam with a Pedigree.
- Trish Stratus defeated Molly Holly to win the WWE Women's Title with a bulldog.
- Chris Benoit defeated Kurt Angle by turning an anklelock into a rollup and putting his feet on the ropes for leverage.
- WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker ended in a double DQ when the referee couldn't control the two as they brawled in and out of the ring.

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