This Day In Wrestling History – March 21st
1972 – In Monroe, Louisiana, The Continental Warriors (Lorenzo Parente & Bobby Hart) defeat Tom Jones & Billy Red Lyons, to win the NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship.
1981 – Tommy Gilbert defeats Medico II, to win the World Wrestling Council (WWC) Caribbean Heavyweight Championship.
1990 – Lizmark defeats The Fabuloso Blonde, to win the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship.
1991 – The first WCW/New Japan SuperShow (also known as ‘Starrcade 1991 in Tokyo Dome’) is held in Tokyo, Japan. This is possibly the first show of its kind, cross-promoting an American and a Japanese promotion. It didn’t air in America until April.
– Jushin Liger defeated Akira Nogami, to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
– In a Title vs Title Match, The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeat Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki, to retain the WCW World Tag Team Championship, AND win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
– The Great Muta defeats Sting.
– Tatsumi Fujinami defeats Ric Flair, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Flair retained the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, as New Japan considered them separate entities, despite WCW considering them the same championship at the time.
1997 – The WWF Slammy Awards show is held in Chicago, airing live on the USA Network.
– Rocky Maivia won the New Sensation Award.
– Sable won the Best Dressed Award.
– Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart from WrestleMania XII won Match of the Year.
– The Undertaker won Best Entrance Music & Best Tattoo.
– Shawn Michaels’ Sweet Chin Music won Best Finisher.
– Goldust & Marlena won Best Couple.
– Steve Austin won the Freedom of Speech Award.
– The Undertaker won Superstar of the Year.
– Arnold Skaaland won the Lifetime Achievement Award.
– Sable won Miss Slammy.
1999 – ECW Living Dangerously is held in Asbury Park, New Jersey in front of 3,900 fans.
Dark Match:
– Nova & Chris Chetti defeat Danny Doring & Amish Roadkill.
PPV:
– Super Crazy defeats Yoshihiro Tajiri.
– Balls Mahoney (with Axl Rotten) defeats Steve Corino.
– Little Guido (with Sal E. Graziano) defeats Antifaz Del Norte.
– Rob Van Dam (with Bill Alfonso) defeats Jerry Lynn, to retain the ECW World Television Championship.
– New Jack defeats Mustafa.
– Spike Dudley & Nova defeated The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray & D-Von) (with Joel Gertner & Sign Guy Dudley). Nova was injured during the match, and was replaced by Sid Vicious.
– Tommy Dreamer & Shane Douglas (with Francine) defeat The Impact Players (Lance Storm & Justin Credible) (with Jazz, Jason Knight, & Dawn Marie).
– Taz defeats Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) to unify the FTW Championship and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.
2001 – The final episode of WCW Thunder airs on TBS. On the same day, Eric Bischoff and his Fusient Media Ventures Group end negotiations, in their attempt to buy World Championship Wrestling. This comes after Jamie Kellner, the new Chairman & CEO of Turner Broadcasting, had decided to cancel all WCW programming on TBS and TNT. Without the TV airtime, Bischoff says, WCW “was worth a small fraction of the original price.”
2002 – On this evening’s SmackDown, William Regal defeats Diamond Dallas Page, to win the WWF European Championship.
2004 – Jeff Jarrett defeats Latin Lover, to win the AAA Rey de Reyes Tournament. This result was stricken from the AAA records, when they and TNA Wrestling ended their working relationship. It was reinstated when the companies resumed their relationship in 2010.
2009 – The first episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling airs on HDNet.
2010 – TNA Destination X is held in Orlando in front of 1,100 fans.
– Kazarian wins the #1 contender spot for the X Division Championship, after he defeats Daniels, Amazing Red, and Brian Kendrick, in a 4-Way Ladder Match.
– Tara defeats Daffney, to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship.
– Rob Terry defeats Magnus, to retain the TNA Global Championship.
– The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) defeat Generation Me (Max & Jeremy Buck).
– The Band (Scott Hall & Syxx-Pac) defeat Eric Young & Kevin Nash, to win TNA Wrestling contracts.
– Doug Williams defeats Shannon Moore, to retain the TNA X Division Championship.
– Matt Morgan & Hernandez defeat Beer Money Inc (James Storm & Robert Roode) to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
– Kurt Angle defeat Mr. Anderson via submission.
– AJ Styles (with Ric Flair) fought Abyss to a no contest, after Styles is chokeslammed through the ring. Styles retains the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
2011 – WWE officially announces, that Abdullah the Butcher would be inducted into their Hall of Fame Class of 2011.
2014 – At Day 2 of Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Spring Navigation 2014, Taiji Ishimori & Atsushi Kotege defeat Yoshinari Ogawa & Zack Sabre, Jr., to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: 3-time AWA Light Heavyweight Champion Buck Zumhofe (66 years old); former FCW wrestler Conrad Tanner (36 years old); rapper and former WWE “talent” Kevin Federline (39 years old); and former lead singer of Misfits, and participant in a Handicap Tag Team Match on the 11/15/1999 Nitro, Michale Graves (42 years old).
Today would’ve been the 45th birthday for former WWF Tag Team Champion & WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Candido. Today would’ve been the 86th birthday for 7-time JWA All Asia Tag Team Champion Toyonobori.
SOURCES: SLAM! Sports, New York Times, WWE.com, gerweck.net, wrestlingdata.com, The Internet Wrestling Database
