This Day In Wrestling History – December 28th

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I just want to take this time to remind ALL of my readers enjoy themselves, & party as much as you’d like, but NEVER DRINK & DRIVE. Life is too precious.

Trivia

1998– WWF Monday Night Raw defeated WCW Monday Nitro in the rating 4.9 to a 4.6

2009– Vince McMahon officially announced on WWE Monday Night Raw that Bret Hart would be returning to the company as the Guest Host of Raw on 1/4/2011.

Events

In 1992, WCW Starrcade: Battlebowl/The Lethal Lottery II was held in Atlanta, Georgia. In this year’s event, only 8 wrestlers would contest the Battlebowl, having qualified from 4 tag team matches:

-Van Hammer Danny Spivey defeated Johnny B Badd & Cactus Jack
– Shane Douglas & Ricky Steamboat defeated Barry Windham & Brian Pillman to retain the WCW & NWA Tag Team Titles
– Sting defeated Big Van Vader to win the King of Cable Tournament
– Ron Simmons defeated Steve Williams by DQ to retain the WCW World Title
– Masa Chono defeated The Great Muta to retain the NWA World Title
– The Great Muta won the Battlebowl, defeating Van Hammer, Danny Spivey, Eric Watts, Big Van Vader, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, Steve Williams, & Sting

In 1997, WCW Starrcade was held in Washington DC:

– Eddy Guerrero defeated Dean Malenko to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Title
– Diamond Dallas Page defeated Curt Hennig to win the WCW United States Title
– Larry Zbyszko defeated Eric Bischoff via DQ with Bret Hart as special guest referee
– Sting defeated Hulk Hogan to win the WCW World Title. Hogan had originally beaten Sting, however Bret Hart claimed that referee Nick Patrick had fast-counted the pin. The match restarted with Hart as referee, leading to Sting’s victory

Title Changes

1876 – James Owens defeated James McLaughlin in New York City, New York to win the American Collar-and-Elbow Title

1949 – Leroy McGuirk defeated Billy Goelz to unify the National Wrestling Association & National Wrestling Alliace Junior Heavyweight Titles

1960 – Pancho Villa defeated Lee Fields to win the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title in Mobile, Alabama

1963 – John & Chris Tolos defeated Killer Kowalski & Gorilla Monsoon to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Titles

1968 – The Crusher & Dick the Bruiser defeated Mitsu Arakawa & Dr. Moto (Tor Kamata) to win the AWA World Tag Team Titles in Chicago, Il.

1972 – Rip Hawk defeated Jerry Brisco to win the NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Title in Greensboro, North Carolina

1979 – Jose Lothario & El Hacon defeated Gino Hernandez & El Gran Markus to win the WCCW American Tag Team Titles

1980 – Kerry von Erich defeated Gino Hernandez to win the vacant WCCW American Heavyweight Title

1984 – The Cobra defeated Black Tiger to win the vacant WWF Junior Heavyweight Title

1984 – Terry Taylor defeated Eddie Gilbert to win the CWA International Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee

1992 – Ron & Don Harris defeated The Moondogs (Spike & Spot) to win the USWA Southern Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee

1998- Scott Steiner defeated Konnan to win the WCW World Television Title on WCW Monday Nitro

Birthdays

Happy birthday to former WWF & WCW wrestler Lanny Poffo (60), women’s indy regular Ariel (30), current TNA Knockout Taryn Terrell (29), & 6-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tatsumi Fujinami (61)