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June 2nd
On this day in history in ....
1960 - Dan Miller and Frank Valois defeat Rikidozan and Michiaki Yoshimura to win the JWA All Asian Tag Team Title in Osaka, Japan.
1960 - Bob Ellis defeats Dick the Bruiser in Windsor, Ontario to win the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title, ending Dick the Bruiser's second reign.
1962 - Dick the Bruiser defeats Wilbur Snyder in Detroit, Michigan to win the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title for the fifth time, ending Snyder's fifth reign.
1972 - The WWWF runs at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results:
- The Black Demon defeated Jack Evans.
- The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) defeated Mike Pappas and Akim Manuka in a two-out-of-three-falls match.
- Dory Funk, Sr. defeated Bill White.
- Bob Roop defeated Manuel Soto.
- Beautiful Bobby fought Jimmy Valiant to a draw.
- Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Eddie Graham.
- Tarzan Tyler fought Gorilla Monsoon to a draw.
- WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales defeated Luke Graham.
1978 - El Faraon defeats Alfonso Dantes for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico, ending Faraon's third reign.
1979 - Dennis Condrey defeats Ron Garfield to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1979 - The Spoiler wins his fourth WCCW American Heavyweight Title in Houston, Texas. He was awarded the title when champion Wahoo McDaniel was unable to compete due to injury.
1980 - Matt Borne & Buzz Sawyer defeat Jimmy Snuka & The Iron Sheik in Greenville, South Carolina in a tournament final to win the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title.
1980 - Dennis Condrey defeats Gorgeous George Jr. in Chattanooga, Tennessee to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title.
1980 - Ken Lucas and Ricky Morton defeat Gypsy Joe and Skull Murphy for the AWA Southern Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee.
1983 - The finals of the first International Wrestling Grand Prix Tournament was held. The tournament was a round robin affair with ten wrestlers (Antonio Inoki, Killer Khan, Hulk Hogan, Big John Studd, Andre The Giant, Rusher Kimura (subbing for Dino Bravo), El Canek, Enrique Vera, Otto Wanz, and Akira Maeda). At the end of the round robin portion, the two wrestlers with the most points met in the finals. The round robin ended with Hogan and Inoki tied at 37 points, edging out Andre, who had 36 points, for a spot in the finals. Hogan defeated Inoki via countout after knocking Inoki off the apron with an axe bomber (clothesline). Inoki was knocked out on the floor, and Hogan won the match in a now-famous finish that would be shown on Japanese television many times over the next two decades and was the peak of Hogan's Japanese career. It was considered an upset, as Inoki had vacated his NWF championship to have the IWGP tournament. To this day, some still debate whether Inoki was really knocked out at the end of the match. At the same event, Tiger Mask wins his second NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title, defeating Kuniaki Kobayahi for the vacant title. It had been vacant since April 3, when Tiger Mask was injured in a tag team match by the Dynamite Kid.
1983 - Harley Race defeats Dewey Robertson in Kansas City, Missouri for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title, beginning his seventh reign and ending Robertson's second. The title would be vacated eight days later when Race wins the NWA World Heavyweight Title in St. Louis, defeating Ric Flair.
1984 - The WWF runs at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- Samula pinned Steve Lombardi.
- Tony Garea pinned Israel Matia.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana pinned David Schultz.
- Salvatore Bellomo pinned Ron Shaw.
- WWF Champion Hulk Hogan pinned The Iron Sheik.
- Paul Orndorff defeated Sgt. Slaughter via countout.
- Jose Luis Rivera pinned Tony Colon.
- Bob Backlund pinned Samula (subbing for Mr. Fuji).
1986 - Buddy Landel defeats Bill Dundee for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Dundee's eighth reign.
1987 - The longest WWF/E Intercontinental Title reign in history begins in Buffalo, New York, as The Honky Tonk Man defeats Ricky Steamboat, a little more than two months after winning the WWF Intercontinental Title from Randy Savage at Wrestlemania III in one of the greatest matches of all time. The previous record had been 425 days by Pedro Morales, who held the title from November 23, 1981 until January 22, 1983. The Elvis impersonator would hold the title for nearly 15 months time, 454 days to be exact, until losing to The Ultimate Warrior in 31 seconds at SummerSlam on August 29, 1988.
1990 - The WWF runs at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The results were:
- Koko B. Ware defeated The Genius.
- The Big Bossman pinned Ted DiBiase.
- The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) defeated The Orient Express (Sato and Tanaka) via countout.
- The Warlord defeated Tito Santana.
- The Brooklyn Brawler defeated Jim Brunzell.
- WWF Champion The Ultimate Warrior pinned Rick Rude.
1990 - El Dandy defeats Angel Azteca to win the NWA World Middleweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico, beginning his second reign.
1990 - Tony Anthony and Tom Burton win The Southern Rockers' (Rex King and Steve Doll) USWA Tag Team Title by defeating King in a handicap match in Memphis, Tennessee.
1993 - The Patriot (Del Wilkes) and The Eagle (George Hines) defeat Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi for the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Title in Koyama, Japan.
1997 - The Monday Night War waged on, with WWF RAW is WAR scoring a 2.5 rating for their show aired live from Huntington, West Virginia, featuring a main event of WWF Champion The Undertaker defeating Sycho Sid. Ric Flair defeated Scott Hall in the WCW Monday Nitro main event. Nitro won the night with a 3.3 rating.
1998 - Sylvester Ritter, better known to wrestling fans as the Junkyard Dog, was killed in a car crash at the age of 45. Ritter apparently fell asleep at the wheel while driving from North Carolina to Mississippi, and rolled his car off the road. JYD's last wrestling appearance was at ECW's Wrestlepalooza PPV in Marietta, Georgia, where he was introduced to the crowd during a legend's segment, easily getting one of the loudest ovations of the night. Unfortunately, JYD also had a backstage confrontation with New Jack prior to his introduction, with New Jack slugging the Dog over a past problem between the two.
1998 - Khrusher Kong defeats Action Jackson in a tournament final to win the revived NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Title in Denton, Texas. The title had been inactive since 1987 when World Class Championship Wrestling (which used the NWA Texas titles) left the NWA and became the World Class Wrestling Association.
1999 - Silky Boom Boom defeats Frenchy Riviera to win the NWA Wildside Heavyweight Title in Conyers, Georgia, beginning his second reign.
2000 - Tiger Mahatma Khan defeats Richard Pound for the British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title in Calgary, Alberta.
2000 - Samir defeats Zane Morris to win the NWA Texas Junior Heavyweight Title in North Richland Hills, Texas, ending Morris' second reign.
2001 - Chris Sabin defeats Amazing N8 Mattson in Hamburg, Michigan for the NWA Great Lakes Junior Heavyweight Title, ending Mattson's second reign.
2001 - Fidel Sierra defeats Invader I for the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title in Morovis, Puerto Rico, ending Invader I's 10th reign and beginning his own second.
2001 - The East Coast Connection (Joe Wolfen and Sick Dog) defeats Team Titan to win the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Title in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
2001 - Michael Modest defeats Vic Capri for the All Pro Wrestling Universal Heavyweight Title in Pacifica, California, beginning his fifth reign.
2001 - Bison defeats Shirley Doe to win the Championship Wrestling Federation (NWA East) Monongahela Valley Heavyweight Title in Monessen, Pennsylvania. At the same show, Guido and Frankie Corleone defeat J-Ru and Eric Love for the CWF Monongahela Valley Tag Team Title.
2001 - Magnum defeats Mr. Attitude for the NWA Tri-State Heavyweight Title in Murray City, Ohio. At the same event, Ace Spalding ends the fifth NWA Tri-State Hardcore Title reign of Viper.
2002 - The WWE Hardcore Title, then in its final months of existence, switches three times at a live event in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tommy Dreamer wins the title for the fifth time, defeating the initial belt holder, Steven Richards. Dreamer then lost to Raven, winning it for the 21st time. Finally, Raven lost the title back to Richards, beginning his 12th reign.
2002 - Another Hardcore Title changes hands three times in the International Wrestling Association in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. Super Crazy entered as champion in his third reign, then lost to Huracan Castillo, beginning his third reign. Castillo then lost to Ozzie.
2002 - Super Parka defeats Super Kendo for the World Wrestling Association Junior Light Heavyweight Title in Ensenada, Mexico, beginning his second reign.
2002 - The Re-Gexs (Tejas and Mace) defeat the teams of Malice & Venom and Mike Mercury & Romeo Valentino to become the first NWA Wisconsin Tag Team Champions in Mole Lake, Wisconsin.
2003 - "Classy" Freddie Blassie, one of the best known wrestlers of the 50's and 60's, who went on to help popularize managers in the 70's and 80's, passed away at the age of 85. Blassie was also one of the first true "crossover" performers in wrestling, appearing on several television shows and talk shows as a guest star. Blassie had appeared on an edition of Raw only three weeks before his death to promote his autobiography.
2004 - TNA holds their 97th weekly pay-per-view event in Nashville, Tennessee, featuring the first-ever King of the Mountain match. The results were:
- Team Canada (Petey Williams and Bobby Roode) defeated Jerry Lynn and Heavy Metal when Williams pinned Lynn.
- Frankie Kazarian pinned The Amazing Red to retain the TNA X Division Title.
- Abyss pinned D-Ray 3000.
- Kid Kash and Dallas defeated James Storm and Dusty Rhodes, when Kash pinned Storm, to retain the NWA World Tag Team Title.
- Jeff Jarrett defeated champion Ron Killings, A.J. Styles, Raven and Chris Harris in the first-ever King of the Mountain match to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title, beginning his third reign as champion, which would last nearly a full year.
2005 - In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Kenny Omega defeats Chris Sabin in the finals of Premier Championship Wrestling's Premier Cup, to become the first NWA Canadian X Division Champion.
2006 - Heath Miller defeats Scotty Beach in Columbus, Georgia to win the Great Championship Wrestling Columbus Heavyweight Title. A.J. Steele and Scott Fantastic defeat Bobby Sanford and Chris Stevens at the same show to win the GCW Tag Team Title.
2006 - WWE Champion John Cena made an appearance on an Ohio Valley Wrestling show in Kentucky, defeating Aaron Stevens. Also on the show, OVW Champion CM Punk defeated Gunner Scott.
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