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May 6th
On this day in ....
1963 - Rikidozan & Toyonobori defeat Killer Kowalski & Fred Atkins to win the vacant All-Asian Tag Team Title in Toyonaka, Japan. Rikidozan & Toyonobori had vacated the title when Toyonobori was injured. This would be the last championship win for Rikidozan, and he and Toyonobori would still be the champions when he died of stab wounds suffered on December 8, 1963.
1978 - Hurricane Castillo & Pierre Martel defeat Jose Rivera & Invader I to win the WWC World Tag Team Title in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
1980 - Masa Saito defeats Steve Kerin in Tampa, Florida to win the NWA Florida Television Title.
1984 - The most successful show in the history of World Class Championship Wrestling, the First Annual David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions, was held at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. The show drew anywhere from 35,000 to over 40,000 (depending on who you want to believe) and was also aired on closed circuit in San Antonio and Houston locations. In what is universally considered one of the more disgusting promotional moves in wrestling history, World Class sold "autographed" photos of the deceased David Von Erich at the show. The autographs were fakes, as Fritz Von Erich instructed office staff to sign the photos with his son's name.
Here are the results of the card:
- Johnny Mantell vs. Kelly Kiniski ended in a draw.
- Chris Adams & Sunshine defeated Jimmy Garvin & Precious when Adams pinned Garvin.
- Butch Reed defeated Chic Donovan.
- Kamala vs. The Great Kabuki ended in a double DQ.
- The Junkyard Dog defeated The Missing Link via DQ.
- Iceman King Parsons & Buck Zumhoffe defeated The Super Destroyers (Bill & Scott Irwin) to win the American Tag Title.
- Fritz, Mike & Kevin Von Erich defeated The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) to win the Six Man Tag Team Title in a "Badstreet match". As a result of a pre-match stipulation, Kerry would take Fritz' place on the championship team.
- Kerry Von Erich defeated Ric Flair with a backslide to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title.
2000 - Davey Boy Smith defeats Crash Holly for the WWF Hardcore Title in London, England. It would be the last major championship Smith would hold.
2002 - After two years of court battles, WWE (then WWF) faced the fact that they would have to change their established brand name. The company formerly known as World Wrestling Federation Entertainment to most, and WWF to all, officially changed their name to World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE for short. The WWF had chosen to stop their losing fight with the group formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund for the rights to the WWF name and move ahead in a new direction. WWE launched an ad campaign saying that they were going to "Get the 'F' Out" on television to spread the word of their name change. Some fans at the time joked that they were surprised that the word "wrestling" remained. Here is the official press release on the name change:
World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Drops The "F" To Emphasize the "E" for Entertainment
New Name And Logo Reflects International Growth Plans and Increasing Diversity of Entertainment Properties
STAMFORD, CONN., May 6, 2002 - To further capture a greater share of the global marketplace and to represent the growing diversity of its entertainment properties, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment today announced it is changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). The company's website, one of the most popular in the world, will now be found at WWE.com.
A new logo reflecting the name change will be introduced tonight on WWE's top-rated television show RAW on TNN at 9 p.m. (ET).
"As World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, we have entertained millions of fans around the United States and around the globe," said Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. "Our new name puts the emphasis on the "E" for entertainment, what our company does best. WWE provides us with a global identity that is distinct and unencumbered, which is critical to our U.S. and international growth plans."
Mrs. McMahon said the company began considering dropping the word "Federation" from its name when World Wildlife Fund (a/k/a World Wide Fund for Nature) prevailed in a recent court action in the United Kingdom. The court ruling prevents the World Wrestling Federation from the use of the logo it adopted in 1998 and the letters WWF in specified circumstances. The "Fund" has indicated that although the two organizations are very different, there is the likelihood of confusion in the market place by virtue of the fact that both organizations use the letters WWF. The Fund has indicated that it does not want to have any association with the World Wrestling Federation. "Therefore," said, Mrs.McMahon, "we will utilize this opportunity to position ourselves emphasizing the entertainment aspect of our company, and, at the same time, allay the concerns of the Fund."
Mrs. McMahon said the name change provides a distinct and unencumbered global identity that will further cast World Wrestling Entertainment as an integrated entertainment and media company. "World Wrestling Entertainment and WWE will now be the identity that we use from the television base we have established in 130 countries," she said. "As WWE, we will launch our further expanded U.S. and international touring, our international expansion of branded merchandise and licensed products, and our further integration into the film, publishing and music businesses."
The successful development of the "Tough Enough" television series on MTV, a new book deal with Simon and Schuster, and the hit motion picture, "The Scorpion King," executive produced by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and WWE, are examples of the types of activities the company plans to undertake as it expand its horizons in the global entertainment industry.
New logo art has been provided to business partners, licensees and vendors. The company expects that, for the most part, the changeover to the new name and logo will be completed within five months.
WWE will continue to trade as WWF on the New York Stock Exchange until a suitable replacement symbol is found. The company will be providing the appropriate documentation and filings with regulators to solicit shareholder approval of the name change.
In conjunction with the name change, WWE announced it has changed the name of its entertainment complex in New York City's Times Square from WWF New York to The World, currently the name of its popular night club.
World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWF) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York City, Chicago, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at wwe.com and wwecorpbiz.com. Information on television ratings and community activities can be found at wweparents.com.
2003 - At a Smackdown taping, Hulk Hogan debuts his "Mr. America" masked persona to circumvent a suspension by Vince McMahon.
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