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On this day in history in ....
1970 - Rey Mendoza defeats John Tolos in Los Angeles, California for the NWA United National Heavyweight Title. That belt is now part of All Japan Pro Wrestling's Triple Crown championship.
1973 - Mariko Akagi & Peggy Kuroda defeat Sarah Lee & Sylvia Hackney for the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Osaka, Japan to start their second reign as champions.
1976 - Hercules Ayala & Victor Jovica defeat Higo Hamaguchi & Gordon Nelson in Caguas, Puerto Rico for the WWC North American Tag Team Title.
1978 - Jerry Lawler defeats Don Fargo in Memphis, Tennessee to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title, ending Fargo's second reign. For Lawler, this would be the fourth of an eventual thirty-three AWA Southern Heavyweight Title wins.
1979 - Bill Watts defeats Mike George in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to win the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Title. Before you groan over a promoter giving himself the top title in his own territory, realize that Watts would lose it back to George two days later, and never held the title again.
1993 - Kevin Sullivan & Tazmaniac defeat Tommy Dreamer & Shane Douglas (subbing for Johnny Gunn) to win the ECW Tag Team Title in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when Douglas turned on Dreamer. This would be the first ECW championship held by the Tazmaniac (later Taz, now Tazz in WWE). Ironically, Tazz would lose his last ECW title (the ECW World Heavyweight Title) to Tommy Dreamer in 2000.
1997 - Cash Flo defeats Rollin' Hard for the IWA-Mid South Television Title in Lexington, Kentucky.
1998 - Ian Rotten defeats Corporal Robinson in Salem, Indiana to become a four-time IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion. Within the first few minutes of the match, Ian hit Robinson in the head with a window pane that had florescent light tubes attached to it. It cut an artery above Robinson's temple, and blood was literally spurting out of his head. Ian quickly pinned Robinson with a double arm DDT, winning the title, and ending the match in less than four minutes. Robinson was taken to a hospital, and suffered a brain aneurysm due to a blood clot. He eventually returned to wrestling.
1999 - Ryuji Yamakawa defeats Shadow WX in Yokohama, Japan for the Big Japan Pro Wrestling Death Match Title. This match ended Shadow WX's third reign, and started the second reign for Yamakawa.
1999 - Rico Constantino defeats Steve Bradley for the Memphis Power Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Bradley's second reign with the title.
2001 - During a taping of Smackdown at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, Vince McMahon was given a Stinkface by Rikishi, putting an end (at least for a while) to the Vince McMahon "Kiss My Ass" club. The Rock had the honors of having Vince kiss his rear end (the result of a prematch stipulation on Raw), but instead teased that Vince would have to kiss Jim Ross' or Trish Stratus' rear (Vince actually like the idea of kissing Trish's) before bringing out Rikishi. Vince refused to kiss Rikishi's rear, so Rock gave him a Rock Bottom, then rammed Vince's face into Rikishi's posterior. An earlier plan by Vince to have Kurt Angle come out and save him was stopped when Steve Austin beat up Angle backstage.
2003 - WWE runs in Seoul, South Korea with World Champion Brock Lesnar defeating Chris Benoit.
2006 - Paul Heyman made his exit from World Wrestling Entertainment. Heyman was sent home from a Raw/ECW taping in North Carolina following a meeting with Vince McMahon, one day after the disastrous ECW December To Dismember Pay-per-view. Heyman was removed from the ECW Creative team, while a storyline reason for his departure was posted on WWE.com, stating Vince sent him home because: "The WWE Chairman cited slumping television ratings and a disgruntled talent roster as causes for Mr. Heyman's dismissal." Heyman had been portraying the heel "ECW Representative" on television.
The backstage story was that Vince McMahon was irate about how awful the PPV was and wanted to pin the blame on Heyman for it, despite many feeling that the poor PPV (which ended a half hour early) was the result of what the McMahons (Vince and Stephanie) booked for the show. Heyman was said to be unhappy with the way that the PPV was booked and backstage sources claim he voiced that concern both before the show began and after it. It was obvious that there were issues between Vince McMahon and Heyman because of the how the show played out on PPV, with everyone knowing it was a disaster.
A number of sources stated that a meeting was held around two o'clock with Heyman, Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon-Levesque. Heyman came out of the meeting and seemed like his normal self, with no one realizing what had just taken place. Shortly thereafter, Heyman gathered his things and left the building to go home.
2006 - The Big Show wrestled his final match before a long sabbatical for WWE during the ECW taping in North Carolina, losing to ECW Champion Bobby Lashley. The match was set up by a pre-taped Paul Heyman promo (done the night before at the December To Dismember PPV) where a crying Heyman announced the rematch before stating "I'm done, thanks" and walking off.
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