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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: FOLEY'S (FIRST) RETIREMENT, ANGLE BECOMES 'EUROCONTINENTAL' CHAMPION, HORNSWOGGLE GETS HIS NAME AND MORE

February 27th

On this day in history in ....

1921 - Pinky Gardner defeats Waino Ketonen for the World Middleweight Title in Boston, Massachusetts, ending Ketonen's second reign.

1940 - Joe Cox defeats Yvon Robert to win the Montreal World Heavyweight Title in Montreal, Quebec, ending Robert's fourth reign.

1958 - Former World Heavyweight Champion Dean Detton passes away at age 49. Detton won the World title in a tournament final over Ed "Strangler" Lewis in 1936, which he held for nine months until losing to Bronko Nagurski.

1958 - Albert and Enrique Torres defeat Casey and Danny McShain for the NWA Texas Tag Team Title in Galveston, Texas.

1958 - Jim Hady defeats Dick Torio to win the Midwest Wrestling Association Junior Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio, beginning his second reign.

1962 - Johnny Barend and Magnificent Maurice defeat Art and Stan Neilson for the American Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title.

1964 - The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) defeat Edouard Carpentier and Ernie Ladd to win the World Wrestling Association World Tag Team Title in Bakersfield, California.

1967 - The WWWF held an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results:
- Tony Nero defeated Miguel Perez.
- Bobo Brazil, Arman Hussein and Antonio Pugliese defeated Luke Graham, Bill Miller and Baron Mikel Scicluna
- Spiros Arion defeated Bull Ortega.
- Louis Cerdan defeated Angelo Savoldi (subbing for The Sheik).
- Ox Baker defeated Tank Morgan.
- Lou Albano defeated Ricky Sexton.
- Gorilla Monsoon defeated WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino by countout.

1969 - Johnny Long and Tojo Yamamoto win the Mid-America NWA World Tag Team Title for the third time in Chattanooga, Tennessee, defeating Don Carson and Len Rossi.

1969 - Bill and Joe Sky defeat The Mighty Yankees (Frank Morrell and Eddie Sullivan) to win the Mid-America NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Lexington, Kentucky. This ended the Yankees' fourth reign and began the Skys' second.

1970 - Abdullah the Butcher defeats Billy Robinson for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title in Calgary, Alberta, ending Robinson's second reign and beginning Abdullah's second.

1970 - Kurt Von Steiger defeats Moondog Mayne to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title, ending Mayne's eighth reign.

1971 - The WWWF held an event at Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The results:
- Mike Conrad defeated Tomas Marin.
- Joe Crugnale defeated Joe Turco
- Tony Marino defeated Gene DuBois.
- Chief Jay Strongbow defeated The Black Demon.
- Lee Wong defeated Jack Evans by disqualification.
- White Venus and World Women's Champion The Fabulous Moolah defeated Sharon Joy and Tippy Wells.
- Joe Crugnale and Tony Marino defeated Mike Conrad and Joe Turco.

1971 - Miyoko Hoshino and Jumbo Miyamoto defeat Masked Killer and Masked Lee for the American Girls' Wrestling Association International Tag Team Title in Mobara, Japan. This ended Killer and Lee's fourth reign and began Hoshino and Miyamoto's second.

1973 - Giant Baba finishes undefeated, with two draws, in a 10-match series to become the first holder of All Japan Pro Wrestling's Pacific Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Title in Tokyo, Japan. Baba faced Abdullah the Butcher, Bobo Brazil, The Destroyer (Dick Beyer), Terry Funk, Don Leo Jonathan, Pat O'Connor, with two matches against both Bruno Sammartino and Wilbur Snyder. That title lasted until 1989, when it was unified with the NWA International Heavyweight and NWA United National Heavyweight Titles to create All Japan's Triple Crown.

1973 - The Super Infernos win a tournament final for the vacant NWA Macon Tag Team Title in Macon, Georgia.

1974 - Danny Miller defeats Ole Anderson in a tournament final in Raleigh, North Carolina to become the first NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion, beginning a lineage that would continue through Jim Crockett Promotions and throughout the lifespan of World Championship Wrestling.

1975 - The Royal Kangaroos (Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles) defeat Dutch Savage and Jimmy Snuka for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title. This ended Savage and Snuka's second reign and began the Kangaroos' fifth.

1976 - Chavo and Gory Guerrero defeat Senor X and Karl Von Brauner to win the NWA Americas Tag Team Title.

1976 - Rubi Rubaleaba defeats Dr. Wagner for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.

1976 - Ricky Romero and Silver Streak defeat Leo Burke and The Beast to win the NWA Western States Tag Team Title, ending their second reign.

1977 - The Sheik defeats Bobo Brazil to win the Toronto NWA United States Heavyweight Title in Toronto, Ontario, beginning Sheik's third reign.

1977 - Fishman wins the Mexican National Welterweight Title for the third time, ending Blue Demon's second reign in Guadalajara, Mexico.

1978 - Don Leo Jonathan and John Quinn defeat The Black Avenger and Don Wayt to win the Vancouver NWA Canadian Tag Team Title in Vancouver, British Columbia.

1980 - John and Rick Davidson defeat Chris Adams and Tom Prichard for the NWA Americas Tag Team Title in Los Angeles, California.

1981 - Gino Hernandez defeats Chavo Guerrero to win the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Title in Houston, Texas.

1981 - David Schultz defeats Leo Burke to win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title in Calgary, Alberta, ending Burke's sixth reign and beginning Schultz's second.

1983 - Bob Sweetan defeats Tully Blanchard for the Southwest Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title in San Antonio, Texas, ending Blanchard's seventh reign.

1984 - Danny Davis and Hubert Gallant defeat Bruce Hart and Davey Boy Smith for the Stampede International Tag Team Title in Vancouver, British Columbia.

1984 - Larry Hamilton defeats David Morgan to win the Southeast NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title in Birmingham, Alabama.

1984 - Killer Tim Brooks defeats Scott Casey for the Southwest Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title in San Antonio, Texas.

1985 - Dory Funk, Jr. defeats Carlos Colon in Bangor, Maine to win both the International Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title and the World Wrestling Council's Universal Heavyweight Title. Colón had been recognized as the first ICW champion in 1984 as he was WWC champion, and Funk defeated Colon for both titles. The WWC title was held up after a match between Funk and Colon on May 18 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, with Colón winning the rematch a month later in San Juan.

1986 - Rencor Latino defeats Black Shadow, Jr. to win the Mexican National Featherweight Title in Apatlaco, Mexico.

1987 - Bob Brown wins the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title for the 17th time by defeating Bill Dundee in Kansas City, Kansas. At the same event, Bart Batten and Rick McCord win the NWA Central States Tag Team Title from The MOD Squad (Basher and Spike).

1987 - Tom Prichard defeats Larry Hamilton to win the Southeast NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title in Knoxville, Tennessee, ending Hamilton's second reign and beginning Prichard's fifth.

1988 - The World Wrestling Council held the second-annual and final Gillette Cup Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The results were:
First round:
- Afa defeated Invader III.
- Rocky Johnson defeated Ron Starr.
- WWC Television Champion Super Black Ninja (Keiji Muto) defeated WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Champion Miguel Perez, Jr.
- Dutch Mantel defeated WWC North American Heavyweight Champion Abdullah the Butcher.
- TNT (Savio Vega) defeated WWC World Tag Team Champion Mr. Pogo.
- Invader I defeated WWC World Tag Team Champion Kendo Nagasaki.
- Dory Funk, Jr. defeated Bruiser Brody.
- Carlos Colón defeated WWC Universal and Caribbean Heavyweight Champion Hercules Ayala.
Second round:
- Afa defeated Rocky Johnson.
- Dutch Mantel defeated WWC Television Champion Super Black Ninja.
- TNT vs. Invader I ended in a draw.
- Carlos Colón defeated Dory Funk, Jr.
Semifinals:
- Afa defeated Dutch Mantel.
- Carlos Colón received a bye to the finals due to TNT and Invader I's second-round draw.
Finals:
- Carlos Colón defeated Afa to win the Gillette Cup.

1991 - Gregory Veritchev defeats FMW World Brass Knuckles Champion Atsushi Onita in Tokyo, Japan to become the first FMW World Martial Arts Champion, a title which would replace the Brass Knuckles title until 1993.

1993 - Colonel DeBeers defeats Bart Sawyer for the Championship Wrestling USA Television Title in Portland, Oregon. This began DeBeers' second reign and ended Sawyer's third.

1996 - Damiáncito defeats Mascarita Magica to win the CMLL World Mini-Estrella Title in Mexico City, Mexico.

1997 - The American Kickboxer defeats Tarek the Great for the IWA Mid-South Lightweight Title in Louisville, Kentucky. This ended and began each man's fourth reign.

1997 - Chad Ripley ends J.T. Atlas' second Canadian Wrestling Federation Canadian Junior Heavyweight Title reign in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

1999 - The East Coast Wrestling Association held the third-annual Super 8 Tournament at St. Matthews Parish Hall in Wilmington, Delaware. The results:
- Steve Bradley defeated ECWA Tag Team Champion Ace Darling in a Super 8 Tournament first round match.
- Christopher Daniels defeated Jeff Peterson in a Super 8 Tournament first round match.
- Matt Hardy defeated Christian York in a Super 8 Tournament first round match.
- ECWA Tag Team Champion Devon Storm defeated Jeff Hardy in a Super 8 Tournament first round match.
- Mr. Ooh La La defeated ECWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Inferno Kid to win the title.
- Steve Bradley defeated ECWA Tag Team Champion Devon Storm in a Super 8 Tournament semifinal match.
- Christopher Daniels defeated Matt Hardy in a Super 8 Tournament semifinal match.
- Brute Force (Carnage, Stud and Viper) defeated J.J. the Ring Crew Guy, Glen Osbourne and J.R. Ryder.
- Steve Bradley defeated Christopher Daniels to win the Super 8 Tournament.

1999 - Super Delfin defeats Olympico in Nagoya, Japan to win the CMLL World Welterweight Title, ending Olímpico's second reign.

1999 - Two Heartland Wrestling Association titles change hands in Hamilton, Ohio. Bobby Kane defeats Shark Boy and champion Tarek the Great in a three-way match for the HWA Cruiserweight Title, and Chip Fairway and Cody Hawk win their second HWA Tag Team Title, by defeating Sean Casey and Brian Taylor.

1999 - In Memphis, Tennessee, Baldo (later Albert, and now Giant Bernard) gives the Power Pro Wrestling Young Guns Title to Randy Hales, after Baldo defeated Jerry Lawler in a tournament final on January 29 to become the first PPW Heavyweight Champion. Power Pro Wrestling didn't allow multiple champions. Hales' reign wouldn't last long, he lost the Young Guns Title to Kid Wikkid the same night, beginning Wikkid's third reign.

2000 - The WWF held the second No Way Out pay-per-view at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut. After the first No Way Out was held in 1998, this event began No Way Out's annuity. The results were:
- WWF European Champion Kurt Angle pinned WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho (with Chyna) to win the Intercontinental title, the only one on the line. Angle pinned Jericho after blocking a Lionsault with the IC title belt. Angle was now a double champion, and would begin referring to himself with a portmanteau of both title names, "EuroContinental Champion".
- The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) to win the title, when D-Von pinned Road Dogg after a 3D. Billy Gunn suffered a separated shoulder during the match when Bubba Ray Dudley hit him with a lead pipe, sidelining Gunn for seven months.
- Mark Henry pinned Viscera after a scoop body slam.
- Edge and Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff (with Terri)), when Christian pinned Matt after Terri knocked Matt off the top rope. The win gave E&C a WWF Tag Team Title match at WrestleMania.
- Tazz defeated The Big Bossman by disqualification, when Albert interfered when Tazz had the Bossman in the Tazzmission.
- X-Pac (with Tori) pinned Kane in a No Holds Barred match after dropkicking him into the steel steps.
- Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay, Scotty 2 Hotty and Rikishi) defeated The Radicalz (Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn), when Rikishi pinned Malenko after the Rump Shaker.
- Big Show pinned The Rock after Shane McMahon hit Rock with a chair, to earn a WWF Title match at WrestleMania.
- WWF Champion Triple H (with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) pinned Cactus Jack in a Hell in a Cell match after a Pedigree to retain the title. Per the pre-match stipulation, Cactus had to retire.

2000 - Alex Shane defeats Mark Sloan for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance British Heavyweight Title in Erdington, England.

2001 - The WWF taped the March 1 episode of SmackDown! and the March 4 Sunday Night Heat at the Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona. SmackDown got a 4.5 rating on UPN. The results:
Heat:
- WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko defeated Funaki to retain the title.
- Justin Credible defeated Grandmaster Sexay.
- WWF European Champion Test defeated Raven to retain the title.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho defeated Perry Saturn to retain the title.
SmackDown!:
- Matt Hardy and Lita defeated Crash and Molly Holly, when Matt pinned Crash after the Twist of Fate.
- Chris Benoit defeated X-Pac (with Justin Credible) by submission with the Crippler Crossface.
- WWF Champion The Rock defeated William Regal by disqualification, when Kurt Angle interfered when Rock had Regal in the Sharpshooter.
- D-Von Dudley, Kane and The Undertaker defeated Christian, Haku and Rikishi, when Undertaker pinned Christian after the Last Ride.
- Steve Austin and Kurt Angle fought to a no-contest, when William Regal and guest commentator The Rock interfered.

2001 - Rico Constantino wins his third OVW Heavyweight Title, ending Nick Dinsmore's sixth reign in Louisville, Kentucky.

2001 - Shark Boy wins a battle royal to win the vacant Heartland Wrestling Association Heavyweight Title in Cincinnati, Ohio, by last eliminating both Dean Jablonski and Matt Stryker. The title had been stripped from Chad Collyer earlier in the night.

2005 - In Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Glamour Boy Shane defeats Ricky Banderas to win the held-up IWA World Heavyweight Title, beginning his eighth reign. At the same show, Golden Boy and Noriega defeat Thunder and Lightning for the IWA World Tag Team Title, ending Thunder and Lightning's fourth reign. Also before his tag title win, Golden Boy lost the IWA World Junior Heavyweight Title to Super Mark.

2005 - Kengo Mashimo and KAZMA defeat Ryota Chikuzen and TAKA Michinoku in a tournament final to become the first Kaientai Dojo Strongest-K Tag Team Champions.

2005 - Danny Daniels and N8 Mattson defeat Bobby Roode and Petey Williams to win the Border City Wrestling Can-Am Tag Team Title in Windsor, Ontario.

2006 - WWE held a Supershow taping the March 3 Friday Night SmackDown! and airing RAW live from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. RAW got a 4.0 rating on USA and SmackDown! scored a 2.6 on UPN. The results were:
SmackDown!:
- Tatanka defeated Booker T (with Sharmell).
- Randy Orton defeated Super Crazy. Orton entered to "This Fire Burns" by Killswitch Engage, a song he would only use for one week, before reverting back to "Burn in My Light" by Mercy Drive. "This Fire Burns" would become CM Punk's theme song later in the year.
- WWE Tag Team Champions MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro (with Melina)) defeated Matt Hardy and Road Warrior Animal, when Mercury pinned Hardy.
- Bobby Lashley and Finlay were both disqualified after both men got chairs and attempted to hit each other and blocked each other.
- The Undertaker defeated World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle by disqualification after Mark Henry came out and attacked Undertaker while he had Angle covered after the Tombstone. Following this, Henry put Taker on the announce table and splashed him from the Spanish announce table, smashing it down.
RAW:
- World Tag Team Champions Big Show and Kane defeated Val Venis and Viscera.
- Rob Van Dam defeated Trevor Murdoch in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.
- WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus (with Mickie James) defeated Candice Michelle (with Torrie Wilson).
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin (with Momma Benjamin) defeated Chavo Guerrero in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.
- Ric Flair defeated Carlito in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.

2007 - WWE taped the March 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown! and aired ECW live from HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Prior to the event, CMLL wrestler Mistico received a tryout in the empty arena. He wrestled Dean Malenko and Jamie Noble. ECW got a 1.6 rating on SciFi and SmackDown! got a 2.9 on The CW. The results were:
ECW:
- Mr. Kennedy pinned Sabu in an Extreme Rules Money in the Bank qualifying match, after a DDT on a broken table, which Sabu had just crashed through missing a legdrop.
- Balls Mahoney defeated Matt Striker by disqualification when Snitsky interfered.
- Marcus Cor Von and Kevin Thorn (with Ariel and Elijah Burke) defeated Tommy Dreamer and Rob Van Dam (with The Sandman), when Thorn pinned RVD after the Dark Kiss.
- CM Punk pinned Stevie Richards after the Go to Sleep, the first time Punk used the move on television.
- ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley pinned Hardcore Holly in a steel cage match after a powerslam, to retain the title. During the match, Vince McMahon came to ringside with Umaga and Armando Alejandro Estrada. After Lashley won, he saw that Umaga was waiting for him outside the cage. Lashley ran and lept at the cage, knocking the side of it down on top of Umaga.
SmackDown!:
- Matt Hardy pinned Joey Mercury after a Twist of Fate off the second turnbuckle in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.
- Shannon Moore, Scotty 2 Hotty and Jimmy Wang Yang defeated Daivari, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero and Gregory Helms, when Yang pinned Daivari after a moonsault.
- Ashley pinned Jillian Hall after the Starstruck.
- Finlay defeated MVP and WWE United States Champion Chris Benoit in a three-way Money in the Bank qualifying match, by pinning Benoit after hitting both men with his shillelagh while Hornswoggle had the referee distracted. Finlay came up to  Michael Cole at the announce table and told him that his leprechaun's name wasn't Little Bastard, which is what Cole had been referring to him as, but it was Hornswoggle.
- ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley pinned Mr. Kennedy after the powerslam to retain the title. The match rules were that Kennedy could not be counted out or disqualified, but if Lashley was he would lose the title to Kennedy.
- In a dark match after the show, World Heavyweight Champion Batista pinned Booker T with the Batista Bomb.

You can write Ryan Martinez at freshprinceofatlanta@gmail.com.

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