This Day In Wrestling History – December 10th
1972 – Ric Flair makes his professional wrestling debut in the American Wrestling Association, in a match against George “Scrap Iron” Gadaski. The match ends after a 10-minute draw. When he debuted, Flair had short brown hair and weighed close to 300 pounds.
1973 – Bruno Sammartino becomes the first multi-time WWWF Heavyweight Champion, after winning the title from Stan Stasiak. This begins a reign of 1,273 days as World Champion for Sammartino, ending on April 30, 1977. Sammartino’s first reign lasted from May 17, 1963 until January 18, 1971 (a span of 2,803 days).
1975 – Terry Funk defeats Jack Brisco, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The title change occurs one year and one day after Brisco had defeated Giant Baba for the title.
1994 – Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa win All Japan Pro Wrestling’s World Strongest Tag Determination League, and are awarded the vacant AJPW World Tag Team Championship.
1999 – Universo 2000 defeats Rayo de Jalisco, Jr., to win the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship. Elsewhere, Genichiro Tenryu defeats Keiji Mutoh, to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
2000 – WWF Armageddon is held in Birmingham, Alabama in front of 14,920 fans. Edge and Christian win a Fatal 4-Way Match to become the new Tag Team Champions. Chris Benoit becomes the new Intercontinental Champion, after defeating Billy Gunn via submission. Kurt Angle retains the WWF Championship after winning a six-man Hell in a Cell Match.
2001 – One night after becoming Undisputed WWF Champion at Vengeance, Chris Jericho successfully defends his title on WWF RAW, defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Steel Cage Match.
2006 – Mitsuharu Misawa defeats Naomichi Marufuji, to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship.
2006 – TNA Turning Point is held at the Impact! Zone in front of 900 fans. Christopher Daniels defeats Chris Sabin, to retain the TNA X Division Championship (Jerry Lynn served as special guest referee). Abyss retains the NWA World Heavyweight Championship after winning a Three-Way Dance, involving Christian Cage and Sting.
2007 – On this evening’s WWE RAW, Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly defeat Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, to win the World Tag Team Championship.
2010 – Christopher Daniels wins the ROH World Television Championship, defeating Eddie Edwards on a taping of Ring of Honor Wrestling (title change would air on television January 31, 2011).
2011 – Ted McNaler defeats Adam Revolver, to win the Ohio Valley Wrestling Television Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Former WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Essa Rios (38 years old); 2-time TNA X Division Champion Michael Shane (37 years old); 4-time NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion & former ROH World Television Champion Tomohiro Ishii (41 years old); and former member of WWE tag team “Cryme Tyme” JTG (32 years old).
SOURCES: Wikipedia, Gerweck Archives, wrestlingdata.com
