This Day In Wrestling History – April 6th
1979 – Abdullah the Butcher wins his second AJPW Champion Carnival, defeating Jumbo Tsuruta to break a tie atop the leaderboard (both had 24 points).
1979 – Jake Roberts defeats Big Daddy Ritter, to win the Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship. Elsewhere, Dory, Jr. & Terry Funk defeat The Invaders, to win the WWC World Tag Team Championship.
1980 – The Junkyard Dog & Buck Robley defeat The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy), to win the Mid-South Wrestling Tag Team Championship.
1984 – After he and Mr. Saito are refused service from a McDonald’s after hours, Ken Patera throws a rock through a window of the building. Patera and Saito (both AWA performers at the time) would also assault the police officers who came to their hotel to arrest them. In August 1985 Patera, now with the WWF, would be sentenced to two years in prison.
1987 – Rocky Johnson & Soul Train Jones defeat Big Bubba & Goliath, to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.
1991 – The Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith defeat Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Kenta Kobashi, to win the vacant AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship. Elsewhere, Dave Taylor defeats Dave “Fit” Finlay, to win All Star Wrestling’s British Heavyweight Championship.
1993 – The first episode of ECW Hardcore TV airs in syndication.
1996 – The Canadian Glamour Boys (Sean Morley & Shane Sewell) defeat Huracan Castillo, Jr., & Ray Gonzalez, to win the WWC World Tag Team Championship.
1997 – WCW Spring Stampede is held in Tupelo, Mississippi, in front of 8,356 fans.
– Rey Mysterio Jr. defeats Ultimo Dragon.
– Akira Hokuto defeats Madusa to retain the WCW Women’s Championship.
– Prince Iaukea defeats Lord Steven Regal, to retain the WCW Television Championship.
– The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock) defeat Jeff Jarrett & Steve McMichael (with Debra).
– Dean Malenko retains the United States Championship, after fighting Chris Benoit (with Woman) to a no-contest.
– Kevin Nash (with Syxx & Ted DiBiase) defeats Rick Steiner, to retain the WCW World Tag Team Championship for The Outsiders. The match was scheduled to be Hall & Nash vs The Steiner Brothers, but Scott Hall no-showed the event, and Scott Steiner had been arrested earlier in the evening.
– In a Four Corners Match, Lex Luger defeats The Giant, Booker T, and Stevie Ray.
– Diamond Dallas Page (with Kimberly Page) defeats Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth), in a No Disqualification Match.
1998 – In the Monday Night Wars, WCW Monday Nitro (4.6 TV rating) beats WWF RAW IS WAR (4.4 rating). This is the final week, of the 84 consecutive weeks, that Nitro beat RAW in the ratings.
2002 – The Hardcore Championship changes hands several times (via the 24/7 Rule), at a WWF House Show in Salt Lake City, Utah. William Regal pins champion Bubba Ray Dudley. Raven later pins Regal. Bubba Ray would later pin Raven, to reclaim the title.
2007 – WWE SmackDown airs its 400th episode.
2013 – At SHIMMER 53, Cheerleader Melissa defeats Saraya Knight, to win the SHIMMER Championship (Steel Cage Match).
2014 – At New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Invasion Attack 2014, Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) defeat The IronGodz (Jax Dane & Rob Conway), to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. In the main event, Shinsuke Nakaumura defeats Hiroshi Tanahashi, to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.
2014 – WrestleMania XXX is held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, in front of 75,167 fans.
WrestleMania Kickoff Show:
– The Usos (Jimmy & Jey) retain the WWE Tag Team Championship, after winning a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Elimination Match. The Usos defeat The Real Americans (Cesaro & Jack Swagger) (with Zeb Colter), Los Matadores (with El Torito), and RybAxel (Ryback & Curtis Axel).
PPV:
– Daniel Bryan defeats Triple H (with Stephanie McMahon), to earn a spot in the main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
– In a Six-Man Tag Team Match, The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, & Dean Ambrose) defeat Kane & The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg & Billy Gunn).
– Cesaro wins the inaugural Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, by last eliminating Big Show.
– John Cena defeats Bray Wyatt (with Luke Harper & Erick Rowan).
– Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) defeats The Undertaker, to end The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania. Undertaker had been 21-0 at WrestleMania prior to facing Lesnar.
– AJ Lee retains the WWE Divas Championship, after winning the Vickie Guerrero Divas Championship Invitational. This match also included: Nikki & Brie Bella, Naomi, Eva Marie, Emma, Aksana, Alicia Fox, Summer Rae, Natalya, Tamina Snuka, Layla, Rosa Mendes, and Cameron.
– In a Triple Threat Match, Daniel Bryan defeats Randy Orton and Batista, to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Indy wrestlers Josh Pain (31 years old), Shane Marx (37 years old), and Brute Barreto (32 years old); and 5-time All Pro Wrestling Tag Team Champion Tony Jones (46 years old).
Today would’ve been the 80th birthday for WWE Hall of Famer Peter Maivia.
SOURCES: prowrestlinghistory.com, Ken Patera on Wikipedia, wrestlingdata.com, gerweck.net, The Internet Wrestling Database
