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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: D-GENERATION X INVADES WCW MONDAY NITRO, BACKLASH, FATHER AND SON TAG CHAMPS AND MORE

April 27th

On this day in history in ....

1878 - Frank Gotch is born in Humboldt, Iowa.

1949 - Yoshiaki Fujiwara is born in Iwate, Japan.

1953 - Miguel Lopez (Mike DiBiase) defeats Hans Schnabel to win the Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Title in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

1960 - Bobby and Don Fields defeat Great Bolo and Joe McCarthy for the Gulf Coast NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Mobile, Alabama, to begin their third reign.

1962 - Dory Dixon and Ciclón Negro defeat Jack (Don Fargo) and Jim Dalton to win the Texas NWA World Tag Team Title in Houston, Texas.

1963 - A match that was hardcore before hardcore was a style took place as part of an event at the Olympia Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan. The results were:
- Angelo Savoldi defeated Johnny King.
- Jim Hady defeated Steve Stanlee.
- Antonino Rocca defeated Bob Stanlee.
- Fritz Von Erich defeated Skyscraper Evans.
- Joe Blanchard and Czaja Nandor fought to a draw.
- Hans Schmidt defeated Emile Duprée.
- The Sheik defeated Chief Kit Fox.
- Ray Stevens defeated Mark Lewin.
- NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz defeated Bill Miller to retain the title.
- Dick the Bruiser defeated Alex Karras in a match described by The Fight Network's Richard Berger as "15 minutes of wild action" that was "violence of the type that was atypical of its day," with "no hold being too vicious and no act too sadistic" and brutality in its purest, most basic form."

1963 - Chief Little Eagle and Dick Steinborn defeat Len Montana and Tarzan Tyler in Atlanta, Georgia to win the Georgia NWA International Tag Team Title.

1967 - Frank Scarpa wins a tournament for the Big Time Wrestling World Heavyweight Title in Boston, Massachusetts.

1967 - Billy and Jimmy Hines defeat The Blue Infernos for the Mid-America NWA World Tag Team Title in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

1973 - Danny Little Bear wins his second NWA Central States Heavyweight Title, defeating Roger Kirby.

1974 - Johnny Devine is born in Merritt, British Columbia.

1976 - Eddie Sullivan is awarded the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title in Mobile, Alabama, beginning his second reign. Rick Gibson had vacated the title three weeks earlier due to injury.

1976 - Mr. Wrestling II defeats Stan Stasiak to win the Macon Heavyweight Title in Macon, Georgia, beginning his second reign.

1978 - Assassin #1 wins a tournament to win the Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Title.

1978 - Bob Sweetan defeats Ken Lucas for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title in Kansas City, Kansas, beginning his second reign.

1980 - Roger Kirby and Jerry Valiant (Guy Mitchell) defeat Dick the Bruiser and Spike Huber for the World Wrestling Association World Tag Team Title in Indianapolis, Indiana.

1981 - Tommy Rich defeats Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Title in Augusta, Georgia, ending Race's fifth reign. Race said in an interview that the title switch was to ensure a power struggle in Georgia Championship Wrestling, between Ole Anderson, Jim Barnett, Jack and Jerry Brisco and Paul Jones over total control of the promotion, ended with Barnett victorious. However, Michael Hayes said on the Territories episode of WWE 24/7's Legends of Wrestling that the title change was a screwjob.

1981 - Junkyard Dog and Dick Murdoch defeat The Grappler and Super Destroyer for the Mid-South Tag Team Title in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1982 - Curt and Larry Hennig defeat Matt Borne and Rip Oliver to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title.

1982 - Roger Kirby defeats Harley Race for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title in St. Joseph, Missouri.

1985 - The WWF held an event at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- In the first of very many meetings between the teams, The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) fought The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) to a 20-minute time-limit draw.
- David Sammartino and Tito Santana defeated Brutus Beefcake and WWF Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine (with Johnny V), when Santana pinned Valentine.
- Bob Orton, Jr. and Roddy Piper defeated Special Delivery Jones and George Wells, when Piper pinned Jones.
- The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions (The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff), when Rotundo pinned Volkoff.
- Jimmy Snuka and Ricky Steamboat defeated Charlie Fulton and Moondog Spot, when Steamboat pinned Fulton.
- WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Paul Orndorff to retain the title.
- Jimmy Snuka and Ricky Steamboat won a $50,000 10-team tag team battle royal, when Snuka last eliminated Roddy Piper. The other teams in the match were: Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine, The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid), Charlie Fulton and Moondog Spot, The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart), The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, Special Delivery Jones and George Wells, Bob Orton, Jr. and Roddy Piper, David Sammartino and Tito Santana and The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham).

1987 - Two titles change hands at a Continental Wrestling Association event in Memphis, Tennessee at the Mid-South Coliseum. Steve Keirn and Mark Starr defeat The Mercenaries for the CWA International Tag Team Title, and Austin Idol defeats Jerry Lawler in a loser leaves town match to win his third AWA Southern Heavyweight Title, ending Lawler's 39th reign. After the match, Tommy Rich, who had helped Idol win the match, also helped cut Lawler's hair, which caused a near riot.

1987 - Wendell Cooley defeats Buddy Landel to win the NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Title in Birmingham, Alabama. At the same event, Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden defeat Tony Anthony and Jerry Stubbs for the NWA Southeast Continental Tag Team Title, ending Anthony and Stubbs' second reign. Also, Mr. Wrestling II won the NWA Alabama Heavyweight Title from Mike Golden.

1987 - Chigusa Nagayo defeats Leilani Kai for the AJW All Pacific Title in Osaka, Japan, beginning her second reign.

1987 - The Red Typhoons (Kazue Nagahori and Yumi Ogura) defeat Yumiko Hotta and Hisako Uno (Akira Hokuto) to win the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan.

1990 - Masahiro Chono and Keiji Muto defeat Shinya Hashimoto and Masa Saito for the IWGP Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan.

1990 - El Hijo del Santo defeats Charles Lucero to win the UWA World Welterweight Title in Monterrey, Mexico.

1991 - The final wrestling event is held at the historic Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri, a WCW event. The results:
- Brad Armstrong pinned Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker.
- Brian Pillman defeated El Cubano.
- Big Josh defeated Dutch Mantel.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) defeated Stan Hansen and The Master Blaster.
- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger fought Nikita Koloff to a double disqualification.
- Ron Simmons defeated Butch Reed.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair and WCW World Television Champion Arn Anderson defeated Sting and El Gigante.

1992 - Barry Windham defeats Steve Austin for the WCW World Television Title in Atlanta, Georgia. The match aired on WCW Saturday Night on May 16.

1992 - Lauren Davenport beat The Dirty White Girl to win the USWA Women's Title in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning her second reign.

1997 - Jerry Lawler defeats King Reginald (Reggie B. Fine) in Memphis, Tennessee to win his 27th USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title.

1997 - Ray Gonzalez defeats Huracán Castillo, Jr. for the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, ending Castillo's third reign and beginning Gonzalez's third.

1998 - Perhaps the most memorable event of the Monday Night War takes place in this week of the war, in which WWF RAW is WAR and WCW Monday Nitro were a mere 19 miles apart from one another in Virginia. D-Generation X (Triple H, Chyna, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn and X-Pac), along with a cameraman, Bruce Prichard and Vince McMahon, made the short drive down Interstate 64 from Hampton to Norfolk. DX, with a bullhorn in hand, shouted insults against WCW, as well as mentioning the fact that WCW gave out free tickets to fill up arenas for television, all while sporting black armbands with the acronym POWCW (Prisoner of WCW) in honor of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. They then tried to enter the arena via a loading dock, before being stopped by someone closing the door.

WCW Monday Nitro took place at the Scope in Norfolk, Virginia, but was taped to air the following night, due to the NBA Playoffs on TNT.
Dark matches:
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Chavo Guerrero, Jr. (with Eddie Guerrero) to retain the title.
- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Goldberg defeated Scott Norton to retain the title.
Nitro:
- Chris Benoit defeated Disco Inferno by submission.
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Psychosis by submission to retain the title.
- The Barbarian and Hugh Morrus (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock) in a Norfolk Street Fight, when Barbarian pinned Grunge.
- Juventud Guerrera defeated Kidman.
- WCW World Television Champion Booker T defeated Eddie Guerrero to retain the title.
- Saturn (with Kidman) defeated Marty Jannetty.
- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Goldberg defeated Jerry Flynn to retain the title.
- The Giant, Lex Luger and Sting defeated Brian Adams, Konnan and Scott Steiner (with Vincent) by disqualification.

WWF RAW is WAR aired live from the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia and got a 5.7 rating, a record at that time.
- Owen Hart and Ken Shamrock fought Mark Henry and WWF Intercontinental Champion The Rock (with D'Lo Brown and Kama Mustafa) to a no-contest when Hart turned on Shamrock and joined the Nation.
- Terry Funk and Scorpio defeated The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) by disqualification.
- Bradshaw defeated Jeff Jarrett (with Tennessee Lee) by disqualification.
- The Disciples Of Apocalypse (8-Ball and Skull (with Chainz, and L.O.D. 2000 (Animal, Hawk and Sunny)) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws (with Chyna, Triple H and X-Pac).
- The Undertaker defeated Barry Windham (with Jim Cornette).
- WWF Champion Steve Austin fought The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust (with Luna) to a no-contest to retain the title after Mankind interfered, and Vince McMahon, guest timekeeper, tried to hit him with Austin's title belt, but hit guest referee Gerald Brisco by accident.

1999 - The WWF taped the first edition of SmackDown! at the New Haven Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut. The show aired on April 29 and was, at the time, just a special WWF show. The show got a 5.8 rating on UPN. Also taped after SmackDown! were the respective May 8 and 9 episodes of Shotgun Saturday Night and Super Astros. The results:
- In a dark match, Kurt Angle defeated Brian Christopher.
SmackDown!:
- The Blue Blazer (with Debra and Jeff Jarrett) defeated Val Venis.
- The Big Show defeated Test.
- D'Lo Brown (with Ivory) defeated Droz (with Prince Albert) by disqualification.
- WWF Tag Team Champions Kane and X-Pac defeated The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg), when X-Pac pinned Gunn, to retain the title.
- Ken Shamrock defeated Bradshaw by knockout in a street fight.
- Mankind defeated The Big Bossman.
- WWF Champion Steve Austin and The Rock fought Triple H and The Undertaker (with Chyna, Paul Bearer and Shane McMahon) to a no-contest.
Shotgun:
- Meat defeated Prince Albert.
- Mideon defeated Eric Sbracchia.
- Hardcore Holly defeated Knuckles Nelson.
- The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt) defeated Ross Greenburg and Julio Sanchez.
Super Astros:
- Pantera defeated Scott Taylor.
- Max Mini and El Torito defeated Battallion and Mini Nova.
- Kaientai (Funaki & Taka Michinoku) defeated Papi Chulo (Mr. Águila) & El Merenguero (Jesús Castillo, Jr.) and José Estrada, Jr. & Miguel Pérez, Jr. in a three-way match.

2000 - The Prototype (John Cena) defeats Smelly in San Diego, California to win the UPW Heavyweight Title. At the same event, Shane Ballard defeats Smooth Billy D. for the UPW No Holds Barred Title, and Los Cubanitos (Rick Reyes and Rocky Romero) defeat Jobbers-R-Us (Funky Billy Kim and Troubled Youth) for the UPW Tag Team Title.

2001 - Pimpinela Escarlata defeats Espectro, Jr. for the Mexican National Middleweight Title in Quéretaro, Mexico, ending Espectro's second reign.

2001 - Bob Evans defeats Slyck Wagner Brown to win the New England Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title in Somerville, Massachusetts.

2001 - The Backwoods Militia (Grunt and Todd Kelly) defeat Chance Beckett and Rockford 2001 in a tournament final in Surrey, British Columbia to win the vacant NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title.

2001 - Heather Savage defeats Che Physique in a tournament final for the vacant World League Wrestling Women's Title in Buffalo, Missouri.

2002 - Ring of Honor held Night of Appreciation at the Murphy Recreation Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- Da Hit Squad (Mafia & Monsta Mack) defeated Elax & Prince Nana (with Simply Luscious) and The Christopher Street Connection (Buff-E and Mase (with Allison Danger)) in a three-way match.
- Jay Briscoe (with Mark Briscoe) defeated Tony Mamaluke.
- Divine Storm (Chris Divine and Quiet Storm (with Brian XL)) defeated Joey Matthews and Christian York.
- James Maritato (Little Guido/Nunzio) defeated Scoot Andrews and Xavier in a three-way match.
- Low Ki defeated A.J. Styles.
- The Carnage Crew (H.C. Loc and Tony DeVito) defeated The Ring Crew Express (Dunn and Marcos).
- Donovan Morgan defeated Christopher Daniels.
- In a "Heartbreak" gauntlet match, featuring graduates of the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy, Spanky defeated American Dragon, John Hope, Paul London and Michael Shane. London defeated Hope, Shane defeated London, Spanky defeated Shane and Spanky defeated London.
- The Amazing Red and Eddie Guerrero defeated The S.A.T. (Joél and José Maximo).
- Eddie Guerrero defeated Brian XL.

2002 - Genki Horiguchi defeats Ryo Saito in Kobe, Japan for the NWA World Welterweight Title.

2002 - Ray Gonzalez defeats Rico Suave to win the WWC Television Title in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.

2002 - Primo Carnero defeats Nuevo Gran Apolo in Levittown, Puerto Rico to win the IWA World Heavyweight Title, beginning Carnero's second reign and ending Apolo's fourth reign.

2002 - XPW held Genocide at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The results were:
- Larry Rivera and Pogo the Clown defeated The SoCal Wrestling Union (American Wild Child, Dynamite D and Street Styles) in a handicap match.
- Chris Hamrick defeated Psicosis.
- Juventud Guerrera and Vinny Massaro (with Lady Victoria) defeated Mexico's Most Wanted (Damián 666 and Halloween).
- Scott Snot defeated Shooting Star.
- New Jack fought a masked man to a no-contest.
- Vic Grimes defeated Evan Karagias.
- The Enterprise (The Sandman, XPW Television Champion Kaos, G.Q. Money, Steve Rizzono and Veronica Caine) defeated The Black Army (Angel, Lizzy Borden, Vic Grimes, Nosawa and XPW World Heavyweight Champion Johnny Webb) in a Genocide War Games match.

2003 - WWE held its fourth-annual Backlash pay-per-view at the Centrum Centre in Worcester, Massachusetts, which got a 0.67 buyrate. The results:
- In a match airing on Sunday Night Heat, Scott Steiner pinned Rico after a Steiner Flatliner.
- WWE Tag Team Champions Team Angle (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) defeated Los Guerreros (Chavo and Eddie), when Haas pinned Chavo after Benjamin clipped Chavo's legs during a suplex attempt, to retain the title.
- Sean O'Haire (with Roddy Piper) pinned Rikishi after the Prophecy.
- World Tag Team Champions Rob Van Dam and Kane defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von), when RVD pinned Bubba Ray after a Five-Star Frog Splash to retain the title. Chief Morley was the guest referee
- Jazz (with Theodore Long) pinned WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus, by reversing a sunset flip and holding the ropes, to win the title.
- The Big Show pinned Rey Mysterio after a chokeslam.
- WWE Champion Brock Lesnar pinned John Cena after an F-5 to retain the title.
- Ric Flair, Chris Jericho and World Heavyweight Champion Triple H defeated Booker T, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash, when Triple H pinned Nash after hitting him in the head with a sledgehammer.
- Goldberg pinned The Rock after the Jackhammer.

2005 - Brent Albright defeats Matt Morgan for the OVW Heavyweight Title in Louisville, Kentucky, ending Morgan's second reign.

2007 - ROH held The Battle of St. Paul at the St. Paul Armory in St. Paul, Minnesota. The results were:
- In a preshow match, Bobby Dempsey, Ernie Osiris and Alex Payne defeated Ash, Dingo and Billy Roc.
- The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew (Lacey and Rain) defeated The Dangerous Angels (Allison Danger and Sara Del Rey).
- Michael Elgin fought Rhett Titus to a no-contest in a Do or Die match.
- Jimmy Rave defeated Michael Elgin.
- Shingo defeated B.J. Whitmer.
- ROH World and FIP Tag Team Champions The Briscoes (Jay and Mark) won an Ultimate Endurance match to retain the ROH title. They defeated Mitch Franklin and Pelle Primeau in a submission match, Gran Akuma and Hallowicked in a Scramble match, and defeated Jigsaw and Mike Quackenbush.
- Brent Albright and Adam Pearce (with Shane Hagadorn) defeated Colt Cabana and Homicide in an Anything Goes match.
- Rocky Romero defeated Delirious, Jack Evans and FIP Florida Heritage Champion Erick Stevens in a four corner survival match.
- FIP World Heavyweight Champion Roderick Strong defeated Christopher Daniels by countout to retain the title.
- ROH World Champion Takeshi Morishima defeated Austin Aries to retain the title.

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