This Day In Wrestling History – September 17th

1956 – George Becker and Jack Witzig defeat Jim Austeri and Tiny Mills, to win the NWA Mid-Southern Tag Team Championship.

1958 – Billy Wicks defeats Buddy Fuller, to win the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Championship.

1966 – Bette Boucher defeats The Fabulous Moolah, to win the NWA World Women’s Championship.  Current WWE Title lineage doesn’t recognize Boucher as champion.  Moolah’s reign from September 18, 1956 – July 23, 1984 is the only reign recognized by WWE in this time period;  Boucher and three other wrestlers are listed as champions elsewhere, during this almost 28-year period.

1970 – In Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling, The Avenger defeats Bobby Whitlock, to win the NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Championship.

1970 – The Texas Outlaws (Dick Murdoch and Dusty Rhodes) defeat Argentina Apollo and Jose Lothario, to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship.

1974 – In a disputed decision, “Wrestling Pro” defeats Ken Mantell, to win the NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship.  The title change is only recognized in the Gulf Coast Territory.

1975 – Ciclon Negro and Omar Atlas defeat James J. Dillon and Roger Kirby, to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship.

1979 – The Spoiler and Mark Lewin defeat Kerry Von Erich and Bruiser Brody, to win the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship.  Elsewhere, Ron Starr defeats Bob Sweetan, to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship.

1979 – Bill Dundee defeats Ron Bass, to win the vacant AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.

1981 – At a house show in Kansas City, Ric Flair defeats Dusty Rhodes, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time.  Flair would officially hold the title until June 10, 1983, a span of 631 consecutive days.

1982 – Harley Race defeats Dick the Bruiser, to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship.

1983 – World Wrestling Council holds it’s 10th Anniversary Show in San Juan, Puerto, Rico.  In a Champion vs. Champion Match, Carlos Colon (WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion) and Harley Race (NWA World Heavyweight Champion) fight to a one-hour draw.  In the main event, Andre the Giant defeats Abdullah the Butcher via count-out.

1984 – Dutch Mantel defeats Eddie Gilbert, to win the AWA International Heavyweight Championship.

1985 – Only one day after losing the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship, The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn) defeat The Sheepherders (Jonathan Boyd and Rip Morgan), in a rematch, to reclaim the titles.

1988 – TNT (Savio Vega) defeats Buddy Landel, to win the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship.

1988 – Ron Garvin defeats Greg Gagne, to win the AWA International Television Championship.

1990 – Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Gaylord defeat Brian Lee and Don Harris, to win the USWA World Tag Team Championship.

1995 – WCW presents Fall Brawl 1995:  War Games from Asheville, North Carolina in front of 6,600 fans.  Ten matches were on the card;  with the first four airing on WCW Main Event on TBS.

-Big Bubba Rogers defeats Mark Thorn.

-Disco Inferno defeats Joey Maggs.

-Eddy Guerrero, in his WCW debut, battles Alex Wright to a no-contest.

-In a tag team match, The American Males (Marcus Bagwell and Scotty Riggs) defeat The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobs and Jerry Sags).

-In a match to determine the #1 contender for the WCW United States Championship, Johnny B. Badd defeats Brian Pillman.

-Sgt. Craig Pittman defeats Cobra.

-Diamond Dallas Page defeats The Renegade, to win the WCW World Television Championship.

-Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) defeat Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater, to win the World Tag Team Championship.

-Arn Anderson defeats Ric Flair.

-In the War Games match, The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Lex Luger, and Sting) defeat The Dungeon of Doom (Kamala, Meng, The Zodiac, and The Shark).

2000 – WCW presents Fall Brawl 2000 from Buffalo, in front of 8,638 fans.  This is the final Fall Brawl pay-per-view for WCW.  The rights to Fall Brawl are now owned by WWE.

-Elix Skipper defeats Kwee Weee, to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

-In a six-man tag team match, The Misfits In Action (Cpl. Cajun, Lt. Loco., and Sgt. AWOL) defeat 3 Count (Shannon Moore, Evan Karagias, and Shane Helms).

-In a First Blood Chain Match, The Harris Brothers defeat KroniK (Brian Adams and Bryan Clark).

-Lance Storm defeats General Rection, to retain the WCW United States Championship.  Jim Duggan was guest enforcer;  during the match Duggan turned on General Rection and joined Lance Storm’s “Team Canada.”

-In a 10-person Elimination Match, The Filthy Animals, along with Paul Orndorff and Big Vito, fight The Natural Born Thrillers to a no-contest after an injury suffered by Orndorff.  The Filthy Animals were  represented by Disco Inferno, Rey Mysterio, Jr, and Juventud Guerrara.  The Natural Born Thrillers were represented by Sean O’Haire, Chuck Palumbo, Reno, Mark Jindrak, and Johnny the Bull.

-In a Scaffold Match, Shane Douglas and Torrie Wilson defeat Billy Kidman and Madusa.

-In a Triangle Match, Sting defeats The Great Muta and Vampiro.

-In a Bunkhouse Brawl, Mike Awesome defeats Jeff Jarrett.

-Scott Steiner defeats Goldberg, via referee stoppage, in a No Disqualification Match.

-In a Caged Heat Match, Booker T defeats Kevin Nash, to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

2001 – On WWE RAW, The Dudley Boyz defeat The Brothers of Destruction (Kane and The Undertaker), to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.

2002 – In the Heartland Wrestling Association, Matt Stryker defeats Cody Hawk, to win the HWA Heavyweight Championship.

2005 – Ring Of Honor presents Glory By Honor IV from Long Island, New York.  Bryan Danielson returned after quitting the company earlier in the year.  This was also Mick Foley’s final regular appearance in ROH;  he was in A.J. Styles’ corner for his match against Jimmy Rave.

-Low Ki defeats Jay Lethal in a Fight Without Honor.

-Austin Aries defeats Azrieal.

-Nigel McGuinness defeats Roderick Strong, to retain the ROH Pure Championship.

-Colt Cabana defeats Homicide via disqualification.

-In a rematch, Jay Lethal defeats Low Ki.

-Davey Andrews defeats Eric Matlock.

-In a Four Corners Survival Match, Samoa Joe defeats Adam Pearce, BJ Whitmer, and Ricky Reyes.

-Bryan Danielson defeats James Gibson, to win the ROH World Championship.

-A.J. Styles defeats Jimmy Rave in a Finishers’ Match.

2006 – WWE presents Unforgiven from Toronto, in front of 16,105 fans.  This was a RAW-exclusive pay-per-view.

-In the dark match, Super Crazy defeats Shelton Benjamin.

-Johnny Nitro defeats Jeff Hardy, to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

-A match between Kane and Umaga ends in a double count-out.

-The Spirit Squad (Kenny and Mikey) retain the World Tag Team Championship, defeating The Highlanders (Robby and Roy McAllister).

-In a Handicap Hell in a Cell Match, D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) defeat Big Show and Team McMahon (Vince and Shane).

-Trish Stratus wins the WWE Women’s Championship for the seventh and final time;  defeating Lita by submission.

-Randy Orton defeats Carlito.

-In Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match, John Cena defeats Edge, to become the new WWE Champion.  Had Cena lost, he would’ve had to transfer to the SmackDown roster.

2011 – Ring Of Honor presents Death Before Dishonor IX from the Manhattan Center in New York, with 1,200 fans in attendance.

-Andy Ridge defeats Grizzly Redwood in a Survival of the Fittest 2011 Qualifying Match.

-In a tag team match, The Embassy (Rhino and Tommaso Ciampa) defeat Homicide and Jay Lethal.

-Shelton Benjamin defeats Mike Bennett.

-In a Three-Way Elimination Tag Team Match, The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) defeat Future Shock (Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly) and Bravado Brothers (Harlem and Lancelot Bravado).

-El Generico and Jimmy Jacobs battle to a no-contest.

-Charlie Haas defeats Michael Elgin.

-In a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match, Eddie Edwards defeats Roderick Strong, two falls to one.

-The All Night Express (Rhett Titus and Kenny King) defeat Jay and Mark Briscoe, in Ladder War III, to become the number one contenders for the ROH World Tag Team Championship at Glory By Honor X (to be held November 19).

2014 – Impact Wrestling:  No Surrender airs on Spike TV, rather than on pay-per-view, for the second year in a row.  The event airs from The Grand Ballroom in New York, in front of 1,100 fans.

-Havok wins a Knockouts’ Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender for the TNA Knockouts’ Championship.  The other participants were Taryn Terrell, Angelina Love, Madison Rayne, Rebel, Brittany, and Velvet Sky.

-Chris Melendez defeats Kenny King.

-Samoa Joe defeats Homicide, to retain the TNA X Division Championship.

-In a Three-Way Ladder Tag Team Match, The Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) retain the World Tag Team Championship;  defeating The Hardys and Team 3D (Bully Ray and Devon).

-Bram defeats Gunner.

-Lashley defeats Bobby Roode, to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  Jim Cornette (55 years old today) who has worked as a commentator, manager, member of booking committees, and member of creative teams for CWA, MSW, JCP, WCW, and WWE.  He was also the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling from 1991-1995.  Also celebrating birthdays today are 7-Time IWGP Tag Team Champion Masahiro Chono (53 years old today), and Bill “The Goon” Irwin (62 today), who held titles in 9 different wrestling promotions throughout his career.

SOURCES:  Google, Wikipedia, Cage Side Seats, gerweck.net, YouTube, WWE Network