This Day In Wrestling History – March 18th
1974 – Lou Thesz defeats Tommy Gilbert, to win the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship.
1984 – Ivan Koloff defeats Angelo Mosca, Jr., to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship.
1988 – In Stampede Wrestling, Chris Benoit defeats Gama Singh, to win the British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship.
1995 – ECW Extreme Warfare is held at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia; some of these matches would air on future episodes of Hardcore TV.
– Mikey Whipwreck defeats Jason Knight.
– Ron Simmons defeats Hack Myers.
– Tommy Dreamer defeats Tony Stetson.
– Tommy Dreamer defeats Johnny Hotbody.
– Tommy Dreamer defeats Stevie Richards.
– Raven defeats Tommy Dreamer.
– 2 Cold Scorpio defeats Dean Malenko, to win the ECW Television Championship.
– Axl Rotten defeats Ian Rotten in a Strap match
– The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock) defeat The Pitbulls (#1 & #2)
– Sabu defeats Mikey Whipwreck.
– In a tag team match, Terry Funk & The Sandman defeat Cactus Jack & ECW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas.
1995 – Greg Valentine defeats John Hawk, to win the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship.
1996 – In the Monday Night Wars, WCW Monday Nitro (3.6 TV rating) beats WWF Monday Night RAW (2.9 rating).
2000 – A couple weeks shy of his 20th birthday, Randy Orton makes his pro wrestling debut, in St. Louis’ Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling (MMWA-SICW).
2001 – Emilio Charles, Jr. defeats Ringo Mendoza, to win the CMLL World Middleweight Championship.
2001 – Ratings numbers show that NBC’s XFL coverage from the night before, only drew a 1.6 TV rating, the lowest rating ever, for a primetime program on ABC, NBC, CBS, or FOX. The XFL had tough competition both on and off TV; it was St. Patrick’s Day and also CBS aired coverage of the NCAA Basketball Tournament the entire day.
2001 – WCW’s final pay-per-view, Greed, is held in Jacksonville, FL in front of 5,030 fans. “Greed” replaced “Uncensored” on WCW’s pay-per-view schedule. Shane Helms defeats Chavo Guerrero, Jr., to win the Cruiserweight Championship. Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo become the inaugural Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions; Skipper & Romeo defeat The Filthy Animals (Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio, Jr.), in the finals of a tournament that began February 26th. Booker T defeats Rick Steiner, to win the United States Championship. In the main event, Scott Steiner defeats Diamond Dallas Page, to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (Falls Count Anywhere Match).
2002 – Brock Lesnar makes his TV debut in the WWF, on this evening’s RAW. Video below.
2006 – WWE brings back Saturday Night’s Main Event; tonight is the first episode since November 14, 1992. The program airs in primetime on NBC, receiving a 2.9 TV rating (by contrast, episodes in the late ’80s and early ’90s earned ratings of 10 or higher).
– Big Show defeats Carlito (dark match).
– In a 2-on-3 Handicap Match, Triple H & John Cena defeat Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, & Randy Orton.
– Stone Cold Steve Austin defeats John Bradshaw Layfield via disqualification……in Beer Drinking Contest.
– In a tag team match, Mickie James & Trish Stratus defeats Victoria & Candice Michelle.
– Shane McMahon defeats Shawn Michaels in a Street Fight.
2006 – Bobby Roode defeats Josh Daniels, to win the NWA Cyberspace Internet Championship.
2012 – At AAA Rey de Reyes 2012, El Mesias defeats Jeff Jarrett, to win the AAA Mega Championship.
2012 – TNA Victory Road is held in Orlando in front of 1,100 fans. It’s the eighth and final “Victory Road” event. James Storm would defeat Bully Ray, to become the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. In an Open Challenge, Robbie E loses the TNA Television Championship to Devon. In the main event, World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode defeats TNA General Manager Sting, in a No Holds Barred Match; Roode’s title was not on the line.
2013 – It’s announced on Monday Night RAW, that Booker T is the latest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2013.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Indy wrestlers Jaxson James (26 years old) and Brittany Wonder (28 years old); CHIKARA founder & current NXT production consultant Mike Quackenbush (41 years old); 2-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion “EC3” Ethan Carter III (34 years old); 3-time WWF Tag Team Champion Rick Martel (61 years old); and former WSU Tag Team & Spirit Champion Sassy Stephie (33 years old).
Today would’ve been the 46th birthday for former ECW & WWF wrestler Mike “Mad Dog” Bell.
SOURCES: WrestleView, Chicago Tribune, wrestlingdata.com, gerweck.net, The Internet Wrestling Database
