This Day In Wrestling History – August 25th
THIS DAY IN WRESTLING HISTORY – AUGUST 25th
BY BILL FENBERS (on Twitter @billbeingbill)
1962 – Verne Gagne defeats Fritz Von Erich, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha Version).
1970 – In Georgia Championship Wrestling, Skandor Akbar and Buddy Colt defeat Bill Dromo and Albert Torres, to win the NWA Macon Tag Team Championship.
1971 – Al Greene and Sir Clements defeat Jerry Jarrett and Tojo Yamamoto, to win the vacant NWA Mid-Southern Tag Team Championship.
1977 – Hulk Hogan begins wrestling as The Super Destroyer.
1978 – Bruiser Brody defeats Killer Karl Krupp, to win the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship.
1980 – Eddie and Tommy Gilbert defeat Killer Karl Krupp and El Mongol, to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.
1980 – Jimmy Valiant defeats Bill Irwin, to win the vacant AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.
1984 – The Road Warriors defeat Baron von Raschke and The Crusher, to win the AWA World Tag Team Championship. The Road Warriors would be champions for 400 straight days; all the way to September 29, 1985.
1986 – Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka defeat Tarzan Goto and Akio Sato, to win the CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship.
1991 – Sting defeats Stunning Steve Austin, to win the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.
1995 – In a match taped to be televised September 5th, 2 Cold Scorpio defeats Eddie Guerrero, to win the ECW World Television Championship.
1996 – In Pro Wrestling America, Wellington Wilkens, Jr defeats The Hater, to win the PWA Heavyweight Championship. This occurred at Michinoku Pro event in Sendai, Japan.
1998 – In Japan All-Pro Wrestling, Don Montoya defeats Al Poling (wrestling as “911”), to win the JAPW Heavyweight Championship. Also, The Nation of Immigration (Kane D. and Homicide) become JAPW Tag Team Champions; defeat Charlie and Russ Hass in a Weapons Match.
1999 – Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa defeated NO FEAR (Takao Omori and Yoshihiro Takayama) to win the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Titles AND the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles. The All Asia titles were vacated soon after the match.
1999 – In the Heartland Wrestling Association, Alexis Machine and Brian Fury defeat Chip Fairway and Cody Hawk, to win the HWA Tag Team Championship. Also, Todd Morton defeats Rory Fox, to win the vacant HWA Cruiserweight Championship.
2000 – In a three-way dance, Yoshihiro Tajiri and Mikey Shipwreck defeat Tommy Dreamer and Jerry Lynn, and Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger, to win the vacant ECW World Tag Team Championship. This would air on TV on September 1st.
2000 – In World Xtreme Wrestling, Kattra is named the inaugural WXW Women’s Champion.
2002 – WWE holds SummerSlam from Uniondale, New York; with 14,797 in attendance.
-In a match on Sunday Night Heat prior to the PPV, Spike Dudley defeats Steven Richards.
-Kurt Angle defeats Rey Mysterio via submission.
-Ric Flair defeats Chris Jericho via submission.
-Edge defeats Eddie Guerrero.
-The Un-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian) defeat Booker T and Goldust, to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.
-Rob Van Dam defeats Chris Benoit, to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion.
-The Undertaker defeats Test.
-In his first match since WrestleMania XIV in 1998, Shawn Michaels defeats Triple H, in an Unsanctioned Street Fight.
-Brock Lesnar defeats The Rock, to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. Chants from the crowd of “You Sold Out” were directed at The Rock. Rumor had spread he would be taking time off wrestling to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. This was The Rock’s last WWE match for six months.
2005 – Black Tiger IV defeats Jason Rumble, to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.
2006 – The Crusaders defeat Chaz Taylor and Fast Eddie, to win the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship.
2011 – On an Impact Wrestling taping, Mickie James defeats Winter, to win the TNA Knockouts Championship. The match would air on TV September 1st.
2012 – WWE premieres “Saturday Morning Slam;” a program on the CW Network aimed exclusively at children. The show was rated TV-G, with wrestling moves involving the head and neck not being shown on TV. The show would last only one season; with its final episode airing May 11, 2013.
BIRTHDAYS
-Ivan Koloff (born 1942)
-Crash Holly, 22-time WWE Hardcore Champion (born 1971, died in 2003)
-David Young, 3-time NWA Tag Team Champion (born 1972)
SOURCES: Google, Wikipedia, CageSide Seats, PW Mania, gerweck.net
