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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: WATSON DEFEATS THESZ, TORONTO TUNNEY TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT, HOSTILE CITY SHOWDOWN AND MORE

March 15th

On this day in history in ....

1905 - Tom Jenkins defeats Frank Gotch in New York City, New York to win the American Heavyweight Title for the third time.

1943 - The Iron Sheik is born in Tehran, Iran.

1946 - El Santo defeats Pete Pancof in an eight-man tournament final in Mexico City, Mexico to become the NWA World Welterweight Champion.

1951 - Roy Shire defeats Jackie Nichols in Columbus, Ohio for the Midwest Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Title.

1953 - Joakim Murietta defeats Daniel Aladana to win the Mexican National Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.

1956 - Whipper Billy Watson defeats Lou Thesz by countout to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title in Toronto, Ontario. As a result, the Toronto NWA British Empire Heavyweight Title, which Watson had held for over five years, was vacated.

1957 - Don and Red McIntyre defeat Don and Mark Lewin to win the Georgia NWA International Tag Team Title in Atlanta, Georgia.

1961 - Skull Murphy defeats Bill Dromo in the finals of an eight-man one-night tournament for the Georgia NWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Georgia.

1962 - Chris and John Tolos win their third Toronto NWA International Tag Team Title in Toronto, Ontario, defeating Bill Soloweyko and Whipper Billy Watson.

1962 - Mario LaPentero and Billy Varga defeat Nick Bockwinkel and King Koenig for the World Wrestling Association International Television Tag Team Title in Long Beach, California. The title had been vacated after Fred Blassie and Mr. Moto split up in February.

1966 - Mario Galento defeats Chin Lee in Macon, Georgia to win the Georgia NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title, beginning his third reign.

1967 - Jim Hady defeats Ripper Collins for the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Title in Honolulu, Hawaii, ending Collins' second reign.

1968 - Bob Orton and Mad Dog Vachon defeat Doug Gilbert and Reggie Parks to win the AWA Midwest Tag Team Title in Omaha, Nebraska, ending Gilbert and Parks' second reign.

1968 - Waldo Von Erich defeats Ox Baker in Calgary, Alberta for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title.

1968 - Ripper Collins and Curtis Iaukea defeat Jim Hady and The Missing Link (Pampero Firpo) to win the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Title in Honolulu, Hawaii, to begin their second reign.

1968 - Cobra Kid and Scorpion defeat Dennis Hall and Ken Lucas for the NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Title in Dothan, Alabama.

1971 - The WWWF held an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results were:
- Little Brutus and Sky Low Low defeated Sonny Boy Hayes and Joey Russell in a best-of-three falls match.
- Manuel Soto defeated Johnny Rodz.
- Jose Luis Rivera defeated Jack Evans.
- Tony Marino defeated Mike Conrad.
- Chief Jay Strongbow and Bulldog Brower fought to a draw.
- WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales defeated Blackjack Mulligan.

1971 - Dean Higuchi and Steven Little Bear defeats John Quinn and Dutch Savage to win the Vancouver NWA Canadian Tag Team Title in Vancouver, British Columbia.

1972 - Aiko Kyo wins her second WWWA World Singles Title from Jean Antoine in Nagoya, Japan. At the same show, Masked Lee and Sharon Lee won the WWWA World Tag Team Title from Miyoko Hoshino and Jumbo Miyamoto.

1974 - Ron and Terry Garvin defeat Bob Armstrong and Robert Fuller to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title in Atlanta, Georgia, to begin their second reign.

1976 - Eight-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Danny Hodge retires from wrestling after he suffered a broken neck in an automobile accident.

1976 - Mariko Akagi defeats Jumbo Miyamoto to win the WWWA World Singles Title in Tokyo, Japan, ending Miyamoto's fourth reign.

1977 - Antonino Rocca dies as a result of a urinary tract infection in New York City, New York at age 65.

1980 - Monster Ripper (Rhonda Singh) defeats Jackie Sato for the WWWA World Singles Title in Kawasaki, Japan, ending Sato's second reign and beginning Ripper's second reign.

1981 - The WWF held an event at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. The results:
- Special Delivery Jones defeated Larry Sharpe by countout.
- Tony Garea defeated The Hangman.
- Rick Martel defeated Bulldog Brower.
- Pat Patterson defeated Lou Albano by disqualification.
- Yoshiaki Yatsu defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna.
- The Moondogs (Rex and Spot) defeated Rick McGraw and Dominic DeNucci.
- Johnny Rodz defeated Frank Savage.
- André the Giant defeated Hulk Hogan.
- WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund defeated Sgt. Slaughter in a lumberjack match

1982 - World Class Championship Wrestling held a "Wrestling Star Wars" event at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The results were:
- Tom Shaft defeated Carlos Zapata.
- WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion Jose Lothario and Arman Hussein fought to a draw.
- WCCW American Tag Team and Texas Heavyweight Champion Al Madril defeated Bill Irwin by disqualification.
- Bugsy McGraw defeated The Spoiler.
- Bill Irwin defeated Frank Dusek.
- Fritz Von Erich defeated The Great Kabuki.
- Kevin and WCCW American Heavyweight and Tag Team Champion Kerry Von Erich fought King Kong Bundy and Gary Hart to a double-disqualification in a Texas Death Steel Cage match.

1982 - Ron Bass defeats Tommy Rich to win the NWA National Heavyweight Title in Augusta, Georgia, ending Rich's second reign.

1986 - Tyree Pride defeats Jerry Grey for the NWA Bahamas Heavyweight Title in Nassau, Bahamas, beginning his second reign.

1987 - The WWF held the Frank Tunney, Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. The results were:
- Sivi Afi defeated The Red Demon (José Luis Rivera).
- Hillbilly Jim defeated Dino Bravo by disqualification.
- The Killer Bees (B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell) defeated Kamala and Sika in a Tunney Tournament first round match.
- The Can-Am Connection (Rick Martel and Tom Zenk) defeated Jerry Allen and Danny Spivey in a Tunney Tournament first round match.
- Demolition (Ax and Smash) defeated The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) by disqualification in a Tunney Tournament first round match.
- King Kong Bundy and Paul Orndorff defeated Don Muraco and Bob Orton, Jr. in a Tunney Tournament first round match.
- Demoltion defeated The Can-Am Connection in a Tunney Tournament semifinal match.
- The Killer Bees defeated King Kong Bundy and Paul Orndorff in a Tunney Tournament semifinal match.
- The Killer Bees defeated Demoltion to win the Tunney Tournament and earn an immediate WWF Tag Team Title match.
- WWF Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated The Killer Bees to retain the title.

1987 - Mike Rotunda wins the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title for the second time, defeating Ed Gantner in Daytona Beach, Florida. At the same event, The MOD Squad (Basher and Spike) defeat The Southern Boys (Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers) to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Title.

1989 - Hurácan Castillo, Jr. and Miguel Pérez, Jr. are awarded the WWC Caribbean Tag Team Title, beginning their second reign. The title was vacated on March 6, when Chris and Mark Youngblood left the promotion.

1989 - Bret and Mark Derringer defeat Tommy Ferrera and Johnny Love to win the Pro Wrestling America Tag Team Title in Fridley, Minnesota.

1991 - The WWF held an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results were:
- Marty Jannetty defeated Tanaka.
- The Mountie defeated Koko B. Ware.
- The British Bulldog defeated The Warlord.
- The Undertaker defeated Tugboat.
- WWF Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) defeated Dino Bravo and Earthquake.
- The Barbarian defeated Jim Brunzell.
- Kerry Von Erich defeated Ted DiBiase.
- Kato defeated Shawn Michaels.
- Jim Duggan defeated WWF Champion Sgt. Slaughter.

1991 - Tom Prichard defeats Jeff Jarrett for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Dallas, Texas, ending Jarrett's second reign.

1993 - The Moondogs (Splat and Spot) defeat The Big Black Dog and Brian Christopher to win the USWA Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee, to begin their third reign.

1997 - The WWF held an event at USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland. The results:
- The New Blackjacks (Bradshaw and Windham) defeated The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas).
- Crush defeated Aldo Montoya.
- Mankind defeated Flash Funk.
- WWF Tag Team Champions - WWF European Champion The British Bulldog and Owen Hart defeated Doug Furnas and Philip LaFon.
- Savio Vega defeated Goldust.
- WWF Champion Sycho Sid defeated Vader.
- Ahmed Johnson defeated The Sultan.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Rocky Maivia defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
- The Undertaker defeated Faarooq.

1997 - ECW held the fourth-annual Hostile City Showdown event at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results:
- The Full Blooded Italians (Little Guido and Tommy Rich) defeats Chris Chetti and Tracy Smothers.
- Taz defeated Rob Van Dam by submission.
- Sabu defeated Spike Dudley by submission.
- Chris Candido defeats Louie Spicolli in a two-out-of-three falls match. Both each won a pinfall, and Candido made Spicolli submit to win the match.
- ECW World Television Champion Shane Douglas defeated Pitbull #1 in an I Quit match to retain the title.
- The Sandman pinned Balls Mahoney.
- The Dudley Boyz (Buh-Buh Ray and D-Von) defeated ECW World Tag Team Champions The Eliminators (Saturn and Kronus), when Buh-Buh Ray pinned Saturn, to win the title. This began the first of eight Dudley ECW Tag Team Title reigns, and ended the Eliminators' second reign.
- ECW World Heavyweight Champion Raven defeated Tommy Dreamer and Stevie Richards in a three-way dance to retain the title.

1998 - WCW held the fourth-annual Uncensored pay-per-view at the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama. The results were:
- WCW World Television Champion Booker T pinned Eddie Guerrero (with Chavo Guerrero, Jr.) after a Missile Dropkick to retain the title.
- Juventud Guerrera pinned Konnan with a roll-up.
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Dean Malenko by submission with the Liontamer to retain the title.
- Lex Luger pinned Scott Steiner.
- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page defeated Chris Benoit and Raven in a Triple Threat match to retain the title, when he pinned Raven after a Diamond Cutter through a table.
- The Giant defeated Kevin Nash by disqualification, after Brian Adams interfered.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting pinned Scott Hall after a Scorpion Deathdrop to retain the title.
- Hulk Hogan fought Randy Savage to a no-contest in a Steel Cage match, after the referee was knocked out.

1998 - Tank defeats Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Lawler's 25th reign.

1998 - Vance Nevada defeats Bobby Collins to win the Canadian Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Title, ending Collins' fourth reign, and unify it with his Canadian Junior Heavyweight Title. During Nevada's reign, it was renamed the NWA Canadian Light Heavyweight Title when the CWF joined the National Wrestling Alliance.

1999 - The Monday Night War continued on, with WWF RAW is WAR defeating WCW Monday Nitro, 5.8 to 4.3 in the ratings.

WCW Monday Nitro, the 183rd episode, was live from the Firstar Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The results:
- Meng defeated Jerry Flynn.
- Rick Steiner defeated Brian Adams.
- Rey Misterio, Jr. defeated WCW Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman to win the title.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko defeated The Barbarian and Hugh Morrus (with Jimmy Hart) to retain the title.
- Stevie Ray defeated Horace.
- Disco Inferno defeated Konnan.
- WCW World Television Champion Booker T defeated Chris Jericho by disqualification to retain the title.
- Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash defeated Goldberg and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair.

The WWF's 303rd edition of WWF RAW is WAR was held live, along with a taping of the 34th Sunday Night Heat, and the March 28 Super Astros, at San Jose Arena in San Jose, California. RAW was done first, as RAW began at 6pm Pacific time, and also because there were title changes, with those champions appearing on Heat as well as RAW. The results were:
In a dark match, Christopher Daniels defeated ???.
RAW:
- Road Dogg defeated WWF Intercontinental Champion Val Venis to win the title.
- Shane McMahon defeated Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson in a handicap match.
- WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett (with Debra) defeated Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock) to retain the title.
- Mideon vs. The Big Bossman in a Steel Cage match ended in a no-contest.
- Billy Gunn defeated WWF Hardcore Champion Hardcore Holly to win the title.
- Steve Austin and Mankind vs. Paul Wight and WWF Champion The Rock ended in a no-contest.
Heat:
- WWF Hardcore Champion Billy Gunn defeated Al Snow to retain the title.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Road Dogg defeated Ken Shamrock by disqualification to retain the title.
- Steve Williams defeated The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) in a handicap match.
- Triple H defeated The Godfather.
- WWF Champion The Rock and The Big Bossman fought to a no-contest. Rock retained the title.
Super Astros:
- Armando Fernandez defeated El Bandito.
- Apolo Dantes and ??? fought to a no-contest.
- Negro Casas and El Hijo del Santo defeated Papi Chulo (Essa Rios) and Funaki.

2000 - Marie Apache defeats Chaparita Asari for the Sky High of ARSION Title in Tokyo, Japan.

2000 - The Enterprise (Andy Judge) defeats Rick Bassman to win the UPW Lightweight Title in Hollywood, California.

2000 - Sean Casey defeats Chris Michaels for the OVW Light Heavyweight Title in Louisville, Kentucky, to begin his third reign. At the same show, B.J. Payne and Scotty Sabre defeat Mr. Black and Bull Buchanan to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Title.

2001 - Guillotine LeGrande wins a battle royal in Pottstown, Pennsylvania to become the first Premier Wrestling Federation Television Champion.

2002 - Rico Constantino defeats E.Z. Money for the HWA Heavyweight Title in Dayton, Ohio, ending Money's second reign.

2002 - SUWA defeats Magnum TOKYO to win the Michinoku Pro Wrestling British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Title in Yokohama, Japan.

2002 - Rick Michaels wins a battle royal, last eliminating Sal del Rio, for the NWA Wildside Beat the Champ Title.

2002 - Moondog Manson wins his sixth NWA Pacific Northwest Hardcore Title in Surrey, British Columbia, defeating Prince Aladdin.

2003 - The Amazing Red and A.J. Styles defeat Christopher Daniels and Donovan Morgan to win the ROH Tag Team Title in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

2003 - Sabu defeats Carly Colón for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title in Carolina, Puerto Rico, ending Colón's seventh reign.

2003 - Bobby and Donnie York win a four-way match to become the first NWA South Atlantic Tag Team Champions in Ocoee, Florida.

2003 - Shawn Parks defeats Carlton Kaz to win the NWA Tri-State United States Heavyweight Title in Minford, Ohio.

2003 - Jason Ray and Stevie Slick defeat Los Mochis (Paco and Pedro) for the Ultra Championship Wrestling Zero Tag Team Title in Salt Lake City, Utah.

2003 - Baine and Youngblood defeat Corporal Chaos and Krazy Kat in a tournament final to become the first Alabama Pro Wrestling Tag Team Champions in Childersburg, Alabama. APW joined the National Wrestling Alliance in April 2004 and was renamed NWA Xtreme.

2005 - Ala Hussein defeats Quinten Lee to win the HWA Television Title in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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