This Day In Wrestling History – March 1st

1982 – Jerry Lawler wins the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship for the 26th time, defeating Dutch Mantel.

1986 – The fifth edition of WWF’s Saturday Night’s Main Event airs on NBC, receiving a 10.0 TV rating.  Two title matches occur on the show.  Hulk Hogan retains the WWF Championship, defeating Don Muraco via disqualification.  And The Dream Team (Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake) retain the WWF Tag Team Championship, defeating The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid).

1986 – The first-ever WWF Slammy Awards show is aired live on MTV.  Martha Quinn (a VJ for MTV) was the guest interviewer.  Roddy Piper wins the Slammy for Best Personality.  Mona Flambe (aka Cyndi Lauper) wins the Slammy for Best Producer.  Gene Okerlund wins the Slammy for Best Commentator.  Junkyard Dog wins the Slammy for Best Single Performer.  Nikolai Volkoff wins the Slammy for Most Ignominious.

1992 – In New Japan Pro Wrestling, Big Van Vader & Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow win the IWGP Tag Team Championship, defeating Hiroshi Hase & Keiji Mutoh.

1993 – In the United States Wrestling Association, J.C. Ice defeats Nightmare Danny Davis, to become the inaugural USWA Middleweight Champion.  Jeff Jarrett defeats Brian Christopher, to win the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.

1998 – ECW Living Dangerously is held in Asbury Park, NJ in front of 3,700 fans.  Bam Bam Bigelow defeats Taz, to win the ECW World Television Championship;  near the end of the match Taz got the Tazmission locked on Bigelow.  Both fell backwards, Taz first, through the ring.  Bigelow climbed out of the hole, pulled out Taz and pinned him.  Taz was out for some time.  The next match (Sabu defeating The Sandman in a Dueling Canes Match) was only shown to the live audience, while the ring crew fixed the ring damage from the Taz / Bigelow Match.  As for the TV audience, Paul Heyman came into the broadcast position and ordered Joey Styles to announce the playing of the Sandman/Sabu match tape, so that time can be bought, to fix the hole in the ring.

1999 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (6.3 TV rating) beats WCW Monday Nitro (4.3 rating).

2003 – At Day 9 of Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Navigate for Evolution, Kenta Kobashi defeats Mitsuharu Misawa, to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship.

2008 – At All Japan Pro Wrestling’s Puroresu Love in Ryogoku Vol. 4, Silver King wins the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Katsuhiko Nakajima.  In the main event, Kensuke Sasaki defeats Satoshi Kojima, to retain the AJPW Triple Crown Championship.

2009 – At Day 7 of Pro Wrestling NOAH’s The Second Navigation ’09, KENTA wins the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Katsuhiko Nakajima.  In the main event, Jun Akiyama wins the GHC Heavyweight Championship, defeating Kensuke Sasaki.

2010 – Cheech & Chong are the guest hosts, for this evening’s WWE RAW in Oklahoma City.  Bret Hart agrees to a match with Mr. McMahon at WrestleMania.  And Mad Dog Vachon is named the latest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.

2011 – Johnny Curtis (aka Fandango) wins Season 4 of WWE: NXT.

2015 – Ring of Honor’s 13th Anniversary Show is held in Las Vegas in front of 1,000+ fans.  Jay Lethal retains the ROH World Television Championship, defeating Alberto El Patron.  Jay Briscoe retains the ROH World Championship, after winning a Four-Corner Survival Match (with Tommaso Ciampa, Michael Elgin, & Hanson).  Samoa Joe would make his return to ROH, having departed TNA Wrestling February 17th.  Joe would confront and challenge ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe to a title match.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: 2-time Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW) Women’s Supergirls Champion & current WWE RAW wrestler Emma (28 years old);  former ROH World Champion & Tag Team Champion Kyle O’Reilly (30 years old);  former WWE Tag Team Champion as part of The New Day Big E (31 years old);  5-time TNA World Tag Team Champion & 3-time ROH World Tag Team Champion Davey Richards (34 years old);  former World League Wrestling (WLW) Ladies Champion & late 1990s WCW wrestler Brandi Alexander (43 years old);  6-time CMLL World Tag Team Champion Ultimo Guerrero (45 years old);  former WCW World Tag Team Champion Scotty Riggs (51 years old);  and 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee & 5-time WCW & WWE World Champion Booker T (52 years old).

SOURCES: WrestleView, The Internet Wrestling Database, wrestlingdata.com, gerweck.net