PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: SABU DEFEATS TAZ FOR THE FTW TITLE

December 19th

On this day in history in ....

1963 - Pat O'Connor & Sonny Myers defeat The Mongolian Stomper & Mike Sharpe in a tournament final in Kansas City, Kansas to win the NWA North American Tag Team Title. 

1969 - The Assassins (Jody Hamilton & Tom Renesto) win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title by teaming with Nick Bockwinkel to defeat The Professional and defending champions Ray Gunkel & Buddy Fuller in a six-man match in Atlanta, Georgia. 

1970 - Giant Baba defeats Gene Kiniski in Los Angeles, California to begin his fourth, and final, NWA International Heavyweight Title reign.  Over a decade later, Baba would obtain the title for his organization, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and it would go on to become one third of the All Japan Triple Crown, which is still defended today. 

1985 - Dusty Rhodes shows up on TBS with the NWA National Heavyweight Title, announcing that he had defeated Buddy Landell for the belt in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  However, that match never existed.  What had actually happened was Landell, the National champion, was scheduled to appear on TV to shoot an angle with Ric Flair that, according to Landell, was going to result in him having a brief run with the NWA World Heavyweight Title. But, Landell, by his own admission, went on a cocaine, alcohol and drug binge that week, and didn't make the start of the taping that morning.  Accounts differ on what happened next.  According to Landell, he hung up on both Jim Crockett and Dusty Rhodes when they tried to call him in his hotel room.  Another version has Dusty Rhodes going to the hotel and being unable to get Landell out of bed. Regardless, the decision was made to create a fictional title change, and cancel Landell's push.  

1993 - El Canek defeats Canadian Vampire Casanova (Vampiro) to win the UWA World Heavyweight Title for the 12th time in Naucalpan, Mexico. 

1998 - Sabu defeats Taz to win the "FTW" Heavyweight Title at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, becoming the only person other than Taz to hold the belt.  Terry Funk came out before the match, teasing that he would make it a three way dance, then instead sent his new protégé, Justin Credible, into the match.  Credible was eliminated first, leaving Sabu and Taz.  Taz suplexed Sabu through a table, rendering him unconscious, then pulled Sabu on top of himself, allowing Sabu to get the pin and the title.  The idea was that Taz was confident he would beat Shane Douglas the following month for the ECW World Heavyweight Title at the "Guilty As Charged" Pay-per-view.
Here are the full results of the show:
- Super Nova defeated Steve Corino.  This was Corino's ECW Arena debut.
- Yoshihiro Tajiri defeated Antifaz Del Norte.
- The FBI (Little Guido & Big Sal E. Graziano) defeated Roadkill & Danny Doring.
- Lance Storm defeated Wolfie D and Rex King in a three way dance.
- Spike Dudley defeated Skull Von Krush.
- ECW World Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Balls Mahoney.
- The Dudleys (Buh Buh Ray, D-Von, & Big Dick) defeated Rod Price, Mike Lozansky, & One Man Gang.
- Sabu defeated Taz and Justin Credible in a three way dance to win the FTW Heavyweight Title.
- ECW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas defeated Lance Storm.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

• Tweet