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June 24th
On this day in history in ....
1958 - Duke Keomuka and John Tolos defeated Pepper Gomez and Larry Chene for the NWA Texas Tag Team Title in Houston, Texas.
1964 - Tokyo Tom (Antonio Inoki) defeats Joe Blanchard in Houston, Texas, to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title.
1970 - Ripper Collins defeats Sam Steamboat for the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Title in Honolulu, Hawaii, ending Steamboat's second reign and beginning Collins' fifth.
1972 - World Class Championship Wrestling holds one of many "Parade of Champions" events at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, in front of a crowd of 26,339 fans. The results:
- El Santo and José Lothario defeated Terry Funk and Mr. Fuji.
- George Scott and Tommy Siegler fought to a draw.
- NWA World Midget's Champion Lord Littlebrook defeated Cowboy Lang to retain the title.
- Mil Máscaras defeated The Alaskan.
- Bearcat Wright won a seven-man Roulette match.
- Billy Red Lyons defeated The Spoiler to win the World Class American Heavyweight Title.
- Stan Stasiak defeated Red Bastien for the World Class Texas Heavyweight Title.
- NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dory Funk, Jr. fought Fritz Von Erich to a 60-minute time limit draw. Funk retained the title.
1972 - Abdullah the Butcher defeats Ernie Ladd to win the National Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Title in Akron, Ohio.
1972 - The Zodiac (Bob Orton) defeats Tim Woods in Jacksonville, Florida to win the NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Title, beginning his fifth reign. At the same event, Boris Malenko and Johnny Walker defeat Mike Webster and The Professional (Doug Gilbert) for the NWA Florida Tag Team Title.
1978 - Adam Pearce is born in Lake Forest, Illinois.
1979 - El Signo defeats Bobby Lee to win the UWA World Welterweight Title in Tijuana, Mexico.
1984 - Wahoo McDaniel defeats Ricky Steamboat for the NWA United States Heavyweight Title in Greensboro, North Carolina.
1984 - Canek wins his fifth UWA World Heavyweight Title, defeating Dos Caras in Mexico City, Mexico.
1985 - Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams defeat The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton) for the World Class American Tag Team Title in Fort Worth, Texas, ending the Fantastics' second reign.
1985 - Bota the Witch Doctor defeats Jerry Lawler to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Lawler's 33rd reign.
1987 - Cien Caras defeats MS-1 for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Neztahualcoyotl, Mexico, beginning his third reign.
1988 - Tatsumi Fujinami defeats Riki Choshu for the held up IWGP World Heavyweight Title in Osaka, Japan, beginning his second reign. The title had been held up after a match between the two on May 27. At the same show, Shiro Koshinaka defeats Owen Hart to win the IWGP World Junior Heavyweight Title, ending Hart's third reign.
1988 - Fabuloso Blondie defeats Lizmark to win the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1988 - Johnny Smith defeats Chris Benoit in Calgary, Alberta to win the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title for the third time, ending Benoit's second reign. This was the third time the title changed hands in as many weeks.
1989 - Chicky Starr defeats Super Medico I for the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Title in Caguas, Puerto Rico, beginning his third reign.
1989 - Johnny Love defeats Anthony Wright for the vacant Pro Wrestling America Light Heavyweight Title and Silencer and Hunter defeat Matt and Bret Derringer to win the PWA Tag Team Title in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1990 - Villanos I, IV and V defeat Los Brazos (El Brazo, Brazo de Oro Brazo de Plata) to win their second UWA World Trios Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1991 - USWA Tag Team Champions Robert Fuller and Jeff Jarrett defeat USWA Western States Tag Team Champions Samu and Judge Dredd in Memphis, Tennessee, to unify the titles.
1992 - The Southern Rockers (Rex King and Steve Doll) defeat Ron Starr and Doug Masters for the WWC World Tag Team Title in San Germán, Puerto Rico, beginning their second reign.
1994 - ECW holds the first of five annual "Hostile City Showdown" events at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results:
- The Bruise Brothers (Ron and Don Harris) defeated Mr. Hughes and Shane Douglas.
- Chad Austin and Don E. Allen fought to a no contest.
- Tommy Dreamer pinned Hack Meyers.
- ECW Television Champion Mikey Whipwreck defeated Rockin' Rebel by disqualification.
- Tazmaniac pinned Pitbull #1 in a Dog Collar match.
- Tommy Cairo defeated The Sandman by disqualification in a Cane on a Pole match.
- Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk defeated ECW Tag Team Champions The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge) by disqualification.
- Sabu pinned Cactus Jack.
1995 - The WWF holds its annual WWF Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Inductees were:
- Antonino Rocca inducted by WWF World Champion Diesel.
- "The Big Cat" Ernie Ladd inducted by Bobo Brazil.
- George "The Animal" Steele inducted by Doink the Clown.
- Ivan Putski.
- The Fabulous Moolah inducted by WWF Women's Champion Alundra Blayze.
- The Grand Wizard inducted by Sgt. Slaugher.
- Pedro Morales inducted by Savio Vega.
1995 - Tommy Cairo defeats Devon Storm in a tournament final for the vacant NWA North American Heavyweight Title in Williamstown, New Jersey.
1996 - WWF Monday Night RAW's show in Green Bay, Wisconsin, led by an Undertaker-Steve Austin main event which ended in a DQ victory for 'Taker over the newly crowned King of the Ring, scoring a 2.7 rating for the night, doesn't beat WCW Monday Nitro's 3.3 rating. Nitro, in Charlotte, North Carolina, featured Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) winning their fifth WCW World Tag Team Title, defeating champions Sting and Lex Luger and The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) in a three-way match in its main event.
2000 - Ian Rotten defeats Rollin' Hard for the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title in Charlestown, Indiana, beginning Rotten's seventh reign and ending Rollin' Hard's second.
2000 - TBS aired the final episode of WCW Saturday Night, ending 27 years of Saturday wrestling on the Superstation. Sadly, what was once the most important show in the wrestling business had become a forgotten child amongst Nitro and Thunder.
2001 - The WWF holds the ninth-annual King of the Ring pay-per-view at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, earning a 0.96 buyrate. Attendance was 16,024. The results:
- In a match airing on Sunday Night Heat, Matt Hardy pinned Justin Credible, after a Diving Hurricarana from Lita, to retain the WWF European Title.
- Kurt Angle pinned Christian after a Angle Slam in a King of the Ring Tournament semifinal.
- Edge pinned Rhyno after a Edgecution in the second King of the Ring Tournament semifinal.
- The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) defeated Kane and Spike Dudley, when Bubba pinned Spike after a 3D, to retain the WWF Tag Team Title.
- Edge pinned Kurt Angle after an Edgecution to become the 2001 King of the Ring.
- Jeff Hardy pinned X-Pac after a Swanton Bomb to retain the WWF Light Heavyweight Title.
- Kurt Angle pinned Shane McMahon in a Street Fight, after a top-rope Angle Slam.
- Steve Austin defeated Chris Jericho and Chris Benot in a Triple Threat match, by pinning Benoit after Benoit hit a back suplex on Jericho off the top rope, to retain the WWF World Title. During the course of the match, WCW World and United States Heavyweight Champion Booker T made his WWF debut by attacking Austin and putting him through the Spanish announce table. This would be Benoit's last match before going in for neck surgery.
2001 - Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeats Juventud Guerrera in a tournament final to become the first GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion in Nagoya, Japan.
2002 - Bret Hart suffered a stroke while riding his bicycle, and released the following statement on June 25th: "Anyone who is a regular reader of my columns knows that I enjoy riding my bike around town here in Calgary. Well, yesterday I took a tumble and since I retired due to a career ending concussion the docs are checking me over as a precautionary measure. I mention it only because I've heard there are already exaggerated versions of what happened circulating and I don't want my family, friends and fans to be unnecessarily alarmed. Thank you all for your concern and support." Tests later revealed that Hart has suffered a mild stroke when he had the bike accident.
2004 - Ring of Honor holds "Survival of the Fittest" in Essington, Pennsylvania. The results:
- Mark Briscoe defeated Alex Shelley to advance to the Survival of the Fittest finals.
- Colt Cabana defeated Trent Acid to advance to the Survival of the Fittest finals.
- John Walters and Austin Aries fought to a no contest in a Survival of the Fittest qualifier.
- Generation Next (Austin Aries and Roderick Strong) defeated John Walters and Josh Daniels, when Aries pinned Walters. Aries advanced to the Survival of the Fittest finals.
- Homicide defeated Jay Briscoe to advance to the Survival of the Fittest finals.
- Bryan Danielson defeated Jack Evans to advance to the Survival of the Fittest finals.
- ROH Heavyweight Champion Samoa Joe defeated Matt Stryker to advance to the Survival of the Fittest finals.
- Rockin' Rebel defeated Scott Cardinal.
- ROH Tag Team Champion CM Punk, by himself, retained the title, defeating Special K (Dixie and Hydro), The Ring Crew Express (Dunn and Marcos) and The Outkast Killaz (Diablo Santiago and Oman Tortuga) in a Tag Scramble match, by pinning Dunn.
- CM Punk defeated Hydro.
- Bryan Danielson defeated Mark Briscoe, Colt Cabana, Austin Aries, Homicide and Samoa Joe in the six-way elimination Survival of the Fittest final. Order of elimination: Cabana pinned Joe, Briscoe pinned Cabana, Briscoe and Homicide pinned eachother, Danielson made Aries submit.
2005 - Rebecca Knox defeats Miss Chevius in New West, British Columbia to become the first NWA SuperGirls Champion.
2005 - Homicide defeats Trent Acid in a tournament final to become the first Pro Wrestling Unplugged Heavyweight Champion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
2005 - Chase del Monte defeats Brian Milonas to win the Chaotic Wrestling New England Title in Lowell, Massachusetts.
2006 - The newly-launched ECW brand of WWE holds its first, and to date, only event at the New Alhambra Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before 1,100 fans. The results:
- The Full Blooded Italians (Tony Mamaluke and Little Guido) beat Danny Doring and Roadkill, when Mamaluke pinned Guido.
- CM Punk, in his first WWE match upon moving to the main roster from OVW, defeated Stevie Richards by submission with the Anaconda Vise.
- Francine defeated Trinity and Kelly Kelly in a bikini contest. Following the contest, a three-way catfight broke out. During this, Trinity attempted a moonsault off the top rope to the floor on the other two divas, but missed them, suffering a knee injury requiring surgery. She would not be seen on television again until mid-September.
- Mike Knox defeated Balls Mahoney.
- Sabu defeated C.W. Anderson by submission.
- The Sandman defeated Justin Credible.
- Big Show defeated Tommy Dreamer.
- Rob Van Dam defeated Kurt Angle to retain the ECW World Title. Dean Malenko was guest referee.
2006 - Ring of Honor holds "Chi-Town Struggle" in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. The results:
- Josh Abercrombie defeated Rhett Titus.
- Boz defeated Alex Payne.
- Keith Walker defeated Bobby Dempsey and C.J. Otis in a three-way match.
- The Irish Airborne (Jake and Dave Crist) defeated Shane Hagadorn and Trik Davis.
- Roderick Strong defeated Jimmy Jacobs.
- The Briscoe Brothers (Mark and Jay Briscoe) defeated Jimmy Rave and Conrad Kennedy III.
- Samoa Joe defeated Delirious.
- Team CZW (Claudio Castagnoli, Necro Butcher and Nate Webb) defeated Team RcOH (Ace Steel, Adam Pearce and B.J. Whitmer).
- Nigel McGuinness defeated Homicide by countout to retain the ROH Pure Title.
- Bryan Danielson defeated Colt Cabana to retain the ROH World Heavyweight Title
2006 - Takao Omori and Manabu Nakanishi defeat Kohei Sato and Ryouji Sai in Tokyo, Japan for the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Title, ending Sato and Sai's second reign.
2006 - Cheerleader Melissa defeats Jazz to win the fifth ChickFight Tournament in San Francisco, California.
2006 - Black Rose defeats Lady Demonique for the WWC Women's Title in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
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