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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: DUSTY RHODES WINS HIS FIRST NWA WORLD TITLE

August 21st

On this day in history in ....

1962 - Verne Gagne defeats Mr. M (Bill Miller) for the AWA World Heavyweight Title in Minneapolis, Minnesota, starting Gagne's third title reign. 

1965 - The Crusher defeats Mad Dog Vachon for the AWA World Heavyweight Title in St. Paul, Minnesota, ending Vachon's second title reign, and starting Crusher's third, and final, run with the belt. 

1979 - Dusty Rhodes defeats Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Title in Tampa, Florida, ending Race's second title reign, and starting the first NWA World Title run for the "American Dream", albeit a short one, as Rhodes lost the title back to Race five days later.

1997 - WCW held the Clash of the Champions XXXV, the final Clash ever, at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.  Here are the results:  
- Steve McMichael defeated Jeff Jarrett to win the WCW United States Title when Eddie Guerrero, while trying to hit McMichael with the U.S. Title belt, accidentally hit Jarrett, allowing McMichael to get the pin.
- Raven defeated Stevie Richards in a No Disqualification match with an Evenflow DDT.
- Alex Wright defeated Ultimo Dragon to win the WCW Television Title with a German suplex and bridge. 
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Eddie Guerrero after coming out on top of a series of pinfall reversals. 
- Psicosis, Silver King, Villano IV & Villano V defeated Juventud Guerrera, Super Calo, Hector Garza & Lizmark Jr. when Psicosis pinned Calo with a top rope legdrop.
- Ric Flair & Curt Hennig defeated Konnan & Syxx when Hennig pinned Konnan with a Perfectplex. 
- WCW Tag Team Champions Scott Hall & Randy Savage (subbing for Kevin Nash) defeated Diamond Dallas Page & Lex Luger when Hall pinned Luger after Page (who had been blinded by a Savage thumb to the eye) accidentally gave Luger the Diamond Cutter. 

2002 - Jerry Lynn defeats defending champion Low Ki and AJ Styles in a ladder match to win the TNA X Division Title in Nashville, Tennessee. 

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