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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: LAWLER'S 36TH SOUTHERN TITLE REIGN ENDS, MID-ATLANTIC TITLE CHANGES HANDS IN CHINA, SHEIK VS. BOBO AND MORE

December 30th

On this day in history ...

1952 - Ben and Mike Sharpe win the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team Title for the seventh time, defeating Fred Atkins and Ray Eckert.

1955 - Henry Lenz and Kurt Von Poppenheim defeat Bill Savage and Buck Weaver to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title.

1966 - Paul Jones defeats Tony Borne for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title, ending Borne's seventh reign and beginning his second.

1968 - Bobby and Lee Fields defeat The Mighty Yankees (Frank Morrell and Eddie Sullivan) in Memphis, Tennessee to win the Mid-America version of the NWA Southern Tag Team Title.

1972 - The Sheik defeats Bobo Brazil for the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title in Detroit, Michigan. This ended Brazil's fifth reign and began The Sheik's third.

1972 - Verne Gagne and Bill Robinson defeat Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens for the AWA World Tag Team Title in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1975 - Black Gordman and Goliath defeat Rock Riddle and John Tolos to win their 10th NWA Americas Tag Team Title.

1978 - Terry Funk defeats Dick Slater for the NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Title in St. Petersburg, Florida, ending Slater's third reign and beginning Funk's second.

1978 - Dick Murdoch defeats Buck Robley in Kansas City, Kansas for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title.

1984 - The WWF ran at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. The results were:
- Angelo Mosca, Jr. (making his WWF debut) pinned Goldie Rogers.
- Bret Hart defeated Terry Gibbs.
- Mike Rotundo defeated Swede Hanson.
- Barry Windham defeated Rene Goulet.
- Tony Atlas defeated The Spoiler.
- Andre the Giant and Blackjack Mulligan fought Ken Patera and Big John Studd to a double disqualification.
- Jimmy Snuka pinned Bob Orton, Jr.

1984 - Terry Taylor defeats Eddie Gilbert to win the CWA/AWA International Heavyweight Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Gilbert's second reign.

1985 - The WWF held an event at Madison Square Garden before 20,225 fans. The results:
- Special Delivery Jones pinned Ron Shaw with an inside cradle.
- Jim Neidhart and B. Brian Blair fought to a 15-minute draw.
- Hercules defeated Jose Luis Rivera by submission with a backbreaker.
- Adrian Adonis pinned Lanny Poffo after a bulldog.
- Randy Savage defeated WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan by countout.
- Big John Studd pinned Tony Atlas with a flying bodypress.
- The Haiti Kid pinned Butch Cassidy with a reverse roll-up.
- Jim Brunzell pinned Bret Hart with a backslide.
- WWF Tag Team Champions Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine defeated Hillbilly Jim and Uncle Elmer, when Beefcake pinned Elmer.

1985 - Bill Dundee defeats Jerry Lawler for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee. This began Dundee's ninth reign and ended Lawler's 36th.

1985 - Tim Horner wins the Southeastern version NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title for the second time in Birmingham, Alabama, defeating Ken Timbs.

1986 - Dos Caras defeats Canek to win the UWA World Heavyweight Title, ending Canek's sixth reign and beginning his own second.

1988 - Cactus Jack defeats Eric Embry for the World Class Light Heavyweight Title in Dallas, Texas, ending Embry's fourth reign.

1988 - Makhan Singh (Mike Shaw) and Vokhan Singh (Gary Albright) defeat The British Bulldogs (The Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith) to win the Stampede International Tag Team Title in Calgary, Alberta, ending the Bulldogs' second reign.

1989 - King Cobra defeats Jerry Lawler to win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Lawler's third reign.

1989 - The Lethal Weapons (Dennis Condrey and Doug Gilbert) defeat Phil Apollo and Vic Steamboat (subbing for Eric Sbraccia) for Apollo and Sbraccia's International Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title in Augusta, Maine, ending their second reign.

1992 - Big Van Vader defeats Ron Simmons in Baltimore, Maryland to win the WCW World Heavyweight Title, beginning his second reign.

1994 - The first-annual CMLL Torneo Gran Alternativa is held in Mexico City, Mexico. The tournament features eight teams, each pairing an established veteran with a relative newcomer. Negro Casas and Hector Garza won the tournament, defeating Satanico and Archangel de la Muerte in the finals.

1997 - As part of the "NWA Invasion" angle in the WWF, on RAW is WAR in New Haven, Connecticut, Jeff Jarrett defeats Barry Windham to win the NWA North American Heavyweight Title.

1998 - Sam Muchnick, longtime promoter of the St. Louis territory, and president of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1950 to 1960 and 1963 to 1975, which he had a hand in founding, dies at age 93. Muchnick's St. Louis Wrestling Club promotion produced the legendary show "Wrestling at the Chase", which aired locally on Saturday nights.

1999 - Tim White defeats Ricky Murdock for the NWA Southern Television Title in Dyersburg, Tennessee.

1999 - Warlock defeats Billy Fives to win the Future of Wrestling International Title in Davie, Florida. At the same event, FP&L defeat Wildside (Anthony Michaels and Jeff Roth) for the FOW Tag Team Title, ending Wildside's second reign.

1999 - Kid Ego defeats Mikey Whipwreck to win the Hardcore Wrestling Alliance Heavyweight Title.

2000 - Christopher Daniels defeats Donovan Morgan in the finals of the first-ever King of the Indies Tournament, held by All Pro Wrestling in Galt, California. Daniels and Morgan would become the first ROH Tag Team Champions two years later.

2000 - Mark Wolf wins his second IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Title, defeating Paul E. Smooth in Charlestown, Indiana, ending Smooth's day-long second reign. At the same show, Cash Flo also ended Ian Rotten's eighth reign as IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion.

2001 - The X Wrestling Federation held an event at the Brown County Arena in Green Bay, Winsconsin. The results:
- Greg Valentine defeated Hail.
- Drezden defeated Big Vito.
- XWF Cruiserweight Champion Kid Kash defeated Josh Mathews.
- British Storm defeated Norman Smiley.
- Jim Duggan defeated The Wall.
- Buff Bagwell defeated Curt Hennig and Vampiro in a Triple Threat match.
- The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk) defeated XWF Tag Team Champions The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags).

2001 - The Elements of Suicide (Cinna and Onix) defeat The Damned (Draven and Matthew Storm) to win their second Power League Wrestling New Tag Team Title in West Warwick, Rhode Island. That same day, Johnny Angel won the PLW Heavyweight Title from Dr. Heresy.

2003 - At a SmackDown! taping in Laredo, Texas, Rey Mysterio wins his second WWE Cruiserweight Title, ending Tajiri's second reign and third overall (he held one during the WCW/ECW Invasion). This began Mysterio's seventh Cruiserweight Title reign overall.

2003 - Steve Williams defeats Terry Taylor in Guangzhou, China to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title.

2005 - IWA Mid-South held its third-annual Revolution Strong Style Tournament in Streamwood, Illinois. The results:
- Trik Davis defeated Claudio Castagnoli.
- Samoa Joe defeated Tank in a Revolution Strong Style Tournament first round match.
- B.J. Whitmer defeated Corporal Robinson in a Revolution Strong Style Tournament first round match.
- Chris Hero defeated Ian Rotten in a Revolution Strong Style Tournament first round match.
- ICW/ICWA Tex-Arkana Television Champion Larry Sweeney defeated Colt Cabana and Delirious to retain the title.
- IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Jacobs defeated Bull Pain by disqualification.
- Mickie Knuckles defeated NWA Midwest Women's Champion Daizee Haze in a non-title match.
- Necro Butcher defeated Eddie Kingston in a Revolution Strong Style Tournament first round match.
- IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Champion Tyler Black, Marek Brave and Matt Sydal defeated Josh Abercrombie and Brandon and IWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion Vito Thomaselli in an elimination match.
- Chris Hero defeated Samoa Joe in a Revolution Strong Style Tournament semifinal match.
- Necro Butcher defeated B.J. Whitmer in a Revolution Strong Style Tournament semifinal match.
- Chris Hero defeated Necro Butcher to win the Revolution Strong Style Tournament.

2005 - Jeff Lewis defeats Slim J. for the NWA Anarchy Television Title in Cornelia, Georgia, beginning his second reign. At the same show, Pomp and Circumstance (Ace Rockwell and Shaun Tempers) defeat The Urban Assault Squad (Shadow Jackson and Nemesis) to win the NWA Anarchy Tag Team Title.

2006 - Steve Greene defeats Brass Munkey for the Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic Television Title in Burlington, North Carolina.

2006 - Jon Moxley defeats Brian Jennings, J.T. Stahr and Matt Stryker in a four-way match to win the vacant Heartland Wrestling Association Heavyweight Title in Dayton, Ohio.

2006 - Kilo defeats Tank in Dyersburg, Tennessee for the New Blood Wrestling Heavyweight Title.

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