This Day In Wrestling History – September 12th
1982 – Don Kernodle and Sgt. Slaughter are awarded the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship. According to NWA officials, the two defeated Antonio Inkoki and Giant Baba, in the finals of a tournament that never occurred. The reality is NWA wanted to get the titles on somebody before previous champions, Stan Hansen and Ole Anderson, split up. At the time, Kernodle and Sgt. Slaughter were not even tag team partners.
1982 – King Kong Bundy and Bill Irwin defeat Kerry and Kevin Von Erich, to win the NWA American Tag Team Championship.
1983 – Stan Hansen defeats Austin Idol, to win the AWA International Heavyweight Championship.
1988 – The Samoan Swat Team defeat John Tatum and Jimmy Jack Funk, to win the WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship.
1989 – WCW holds Clash of the Champions VIII: Fall Brawl ’89 from Columbia, South Carolina. The event drew 2,600 fans and a 4.7 TV rating for TBS.
-In a tag team match, The Road Warriors defeat The Samoan Swat Team.
-Tom Zenk defeats The Cuban Assassin.
-Sid Vicious defeats Ranger Ross.
-The Fabulous Freebirds retain the NWA World Tag Team Championship, defeating The Steiner Brothers.
-Brian Pillman defeats Norman the Lunatic.
-Steve Williams defeats Mike Rotunda.
-Lex Luger defeats Tommy Rich, to retain the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship.
-In a tag team match, Sting and Ric Flair defeat Dick Slater and The Great Muta via disqualification.
1989 – Black Bart defeats Texas Dirt, to win the CWA Heavyweight Championship.
1991 – Masaru Toi defeats Danny Davis, to win the USWA Junior Heavyweight Championship.
1991 – Chris Von Erich commits suicide at age 21. Chris grew up working cameras and doing odd jobs in the WCCW promotion. His physical build made it difficult to make headway as a wrestler; he suffered from asthma and brittle bones. Chris is the second Von Erich to take his own life. His brother Mike had done so on April 12, 1987.
1992 – Johnny Hotbody is forced to vacate the ECW World Television Championship due to a legitimate ankle injury.
1998 – Barry Windham and Tully Blanchard defeat The Border Patrol (Agent Gunn and Agent Maxx), to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
1999 – WCW holds it’s annual Fall Brawl from Winston-Salem, North Carolina; in front of 7,491 fans. It only received 135,00 PPV buys, down from 275,000 for Fall Brawl 1998.
-In a six-man tag team match, Rey Mysterio, Jr, Eddy Guerrero, and Billy Kidman defeat Vampiro and The Insane Clown Posse (Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope).
-Lenny Lane defeats Kaz Hayashi, to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
-In a tag team No Disqualification Match, The First Family (Hugh Morrus and Brian Knobs) defeat The Revolution (Dean Malenko and Shane Douglas).
-Rick Steiner defeats Perry Saturn, to retain the WCW World Television Championship.
-Berlin defeats Jim Duggan.
-Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) become the new WCW World Tag Team Champions, defeating The West Texas Rednecks (Barry and Kendall Windham).
-Sid Vicious defeats Chris Benoit, to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.
-Goldberg defeats Diamond Dallas Page.
-Sting defeats Hulk Hogan, to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
2003 – Takashi Suguira defeats Michael Modest, to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship.
2004 – WWE holds Unforgiven from Portland, Oregon in front of 10,000 fans. This pay-per-view was exclusive to the RAW Brand at the time. It received 239,000 PPV buys, down from 360,000 in 2003.
-On Sunday Night Heat, Maven defeats Rodney Mack.
-The tag team of Chris Benoit and William Regal defeat Evolution (Triple H and Batista) via submission.
-Trish Stratus defeats Victoria, to retain the WWE Women’s Championship.
-Tyson Tomko defeats Steven Richards.
-In a Ladder Match, Chris Jericho defeats Christian, to win the vacant Intercontinental Championship.
-Shawn Michaels defeats Kane in a No-Disqualification Match.
-La Resistance (Sylvain Grenier and Robert Conway) defeat Tajiri and Rhyno, to retain the World Tag Team Championship.
-Triple H defeats Randy Orton, to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
2006 – ECW performs at Madison Square Garden for the first time; as a WWE Brand. In the main event, The Big Show defeats Sabu, in an Extreme Rules Match, to retain the ECW Championship.
2010 – Citing his physical condition as a concern, WWE sends Matt Hardy home in the middle of a European tour. Hardy would soon begin posting videos on his YouTube page; the videos expressed his disinterest with the WWE product and Hardy wanting to be released from his WWE contract. Hardy would get his wish. He was released by WWE on October 15th; though he says he was released two weeks prior to the October 15th official announcement.
2012 – In Ohio Valley Wrestling, Crimson defeats Johnny Spade, to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship. Also, Alex Silva defeats Ryan Howe, to win the OVW Television Championship.
2013 – TNA No Surrender is aired as a special edition of the weekly Impact Wrestling; rather than on pay-per-view like in previous years. The event occurred in St. Louis, in front of 2,000 fans.
-In the Bound For Glory series semi-finals, AJ Styles defeats Austin Aries; and Magnus defeats Bobby Roode.
-Bully Ray retains the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Mr. Anderson in a Last Man Standing Match.
-AJ Styles defeats Magnus, to win the 2013 Bound For Glory Series. Styles earns a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at October’s Bound For Glory.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Road Warrior Hawk, part of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2011, was born September 12, 1957. He died of a sudden heart attack on October 19, 2003. Happy birthday to Ann-Marie Cooks, aka Midnight (51 years old today). She had a short career in WCW and was the valet for Harlem Heat. Also a happy birthday to former ROH Tag Team Champion Sal Rinauro (34 years old today), and former CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion Shocker (45 years old today).
SOURCES: Google, Wikipedia, Cage Side Seats, The People’s Wrestling Website, gerweck.net
