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On this day in history in ....
1925 - Joe Stecher defeats Stanislaus Zbyszko for the World's Heavyweight Wrestling Title in St. Louis, Missouri. It marks Stetcher's third World Title reign, but is not without controversy as Wayne Munn, who Zbyszko had won the title from, was still recognized as World Champion in Illinois and Michigan. Ed "Strangler" Lewis would later beat Stecher and Munn to unify the World Title.
1943 - Joe Silva defeats Adolfo Bonales to win the Mexico National Lightweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1945 - Marshall Estep defeats Ken Fenelon for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title in Toronto, Iowa.
1955 - Jake "The Snake" Roberts (birth name Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr.) is born in Gainesville, Texas.
1956 - Killer Kowalski defeats Yvon Robert in Montreal, Quebec for the Montreal World Heavyweight Title, beginning his seventh reign and ending Yvon Robert's 16th.
1964 - Bobby Steele defeats Chick Purvey to win the European Middleweight Title in Manchester, England.
1964 - Benny Galant defeats El Rayo de Jalisco to win the NWA World Middleweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1966 - Herb Welch and Al Costello defeat Karl and Eric von Brauner in a tournament final to win the vacant Mid-America version of the NWA World Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee. The title had been vacant since February when Antonio Inoki, who held the title with Hiro Matsuda, suffered a broken leg.
1970 - The WWWF ran at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The results were:
- Little Brutus and Sky Low Low defeated Sonny Boy Hayes and Joey Russell.
- Victor Rivera defeated Lee Wong.
- Crusher Verdu defeated Joe Crugnale.
- Gorilla Monsoon defeated Toru Tanaka.
- The Mongols (Bepo and Geto) defeated Dominic DeNucci and Mario Milano.
- WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Karl Kovacs.
1970 - Bobby Hart defeats Johnny Valentine for the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee.
1973 - Tony Garea & Haystacks Calhoun defeat Professor Tanaka & Mr. Fuji for the WWWF World Tag Team Title in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. This is the first tag title for Garea, who would go on to hold the same title with three other partners (Dean Ho, Larry Zbyszko and twice with Rick Martel).
1978 - Antonio Inoki defeats André the Giant by countout in Osaka, Japan to win the first-annual New Japan Pro Wrestling MSG League.
1981 - The WWF ran at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The results were:
- Pete Doherty fought Don Serreno to a time-limit draw.
- Dominic DeNucci defeated Johnny Rodz.
- Special Delivery Jones defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Pedro Morales defeated Angelo Mosca via disqualification.
- Bruno Sammartino pinned Killer Khan.
- The Great Yatzu defeated Fred Marzino.
- Rick McGraw defeated Frank Savage.
- Tony Garea and Rick Martel defeated WWF Tag Team Champions the Moondogs via disqualification.
1981 - Jack Brisco defeats Kim Song for the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Title in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
1981 - Sweet Ebony Diamond defeats Greg Valentine to win the NWA Television Title in Charlotte, North Carolina, beginning his second reign and ending Valentine's third.
1983 - Little Tokyo defeats Cowboy Lang in Vancouver, British Columbia, for the NWA World Midgets' Title, beginning his third reign and ending Lang's second.
1984 - Angelo Mosca ends Mike Rotundo's second run with the Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title after only nine days in Tampa, Florida.
1986 - A tournament was held to crown the first ever Universal Wrestling Federation Champion in Houston, Texas. The UWF was the new name for Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling, which had grown and expanded to include more cities outside of it's original Louisiana and Oklahoma territory. Prior to the tournament, Hacksaw Duggan, the reigning Mid-South North American Champion, vacated his title, as the UWF Title would now be the top championship for the company. Here are the results of the tournament:
First Round:
Hacksaw Duggan defeated Buddy Roberts.
Chavo Guerrero vs. Buzz Sawyer ended in a double DQ.
Jack Victory defeated Brett Sawyer.
Kamala defeated Sting.
Steve Williams defeated Rick Steiner.
Terry Taylor vs. Michael Hayes ended in a draw.
Ted DiBiase defeated Rock (Ultimate Warrior).
Terry Gordy defeated Koko B. Ware
Quarterfinals:
Hacksaw Duggan received a bye to the semifinals.
Kamala defeated Jack Victory.
Steve Williams received a bye to the semifinals.
Terry Gordy defeated Ted DiBiase.
Semifinals:
Hacksaw Duggan defeated Kamala.
Terry Gordy defeated Steve Williams.
Finals:
Terry Gordy defeated Hacksaw Duggan. Prior to the match, One Man Gang attacked Duggan, ramming him into the ringpost and leaving him a bloody mess. Gordy and Michael Hayes, having no allegiance to Duggan or Devastation Inc. (the heel stable OMG was a part of) watched the attack without getting involved. Gordy then easily defeated Duggan to win the title.
1986 - The Shadow (Jaymie Knight) wins a 13-man battle royal to win the vacant NWA Central States Heavyweight Title in Des Moines, Iowa. The title had been vacated that same day by Bob Brown due to an ankle injury, ending his 15th reign.
1996 - Sean Morley (Val Venis) defeats El Bronco for the WWC Television Title in Caguas, Puerto Rico. This reign would actually last nearly three years, as the title was not officially vacated until March 3, 1999, despite his working for the WWF since 1997.
1998 - Hysteria defeats Vance Nevada to win the Canadian Wrestling Federation Junior Heavyweight Title.
2000 - In Nampa, Idaho, in a match taped for the May 31 edition of WCW Thunder, Sean Stasiak and Chuck Palumbo defeat Kronik (Brian Adams and Brian Clark) for the WCW World Tag Team Title.
2001 - Evolution (Nova and Frankie Kazarian) win a tournament for the vacant UPW Tag Team Title in Santa Ana, California. The title had been stripped from the Ballard Brothers (Shane and Shannon) on January 31.
2003 - Void wins the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title for the second time, defeating Chris Sanders in Humboldt, Tennessee.
2003 - Talon defeats Joe Woods to win the vacant NWA Florida Junior Heavyweight Title in Ocoee, Florida.
2004 - Lacey defeats Mercedes Martinez and Daizee Haze in a three-way match to become the first NWA Midwest Women's Champion in Highland, Indiana.
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