This Day In Wrestling History – May 6th

Happy birthday to NXT performer Evie! (photo credit: Gilda Pasquil)

1963 – Rikidozan & Toyonobori defeat Killer Kowalski & Fred Atkins, to win the vacant JWA All Asia Tag Team Championship.

1966 – Enrique & Alberto Torres defeat The Mysterious Medics, in a tournament final, to win the vacant Georgia NWA Southern Tag Team Championship.

1978 – Carlos Colon defeats Ox Baker, to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship.

1982 – Black Tiger defeats Gran Hamada, to win the vacant WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship.

1984 – WCCW’s inaugural Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions is held at Texas Stadium, outside Dallas.  The event drew 50,123 fans, the largest wrestling attendance in the USA at the time.

– In a Mixed Tag Team Match, Chris Adams & Sunshine defeat Jimmy Garvin & Precious.
– Junkyard Dog defeats The Missing Link, via disqualification.
– Kamala (with Skandor Akbar) fought The Great Kabuki (with Gary Hart) to a double disqualification.
– Butch Reed defeats Chick Donovan.
– Rock & Soul (Buck Zumhofe & Iceman King Parsons) defeat The Super Destroyers (Bill & Scott Irwin), to win the NWA/WCCW American Tag Team Championship.
– Kerry Von Erich defeats Ric Flair, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
– Kevin, Mike, & Fritz Von Erich defeat The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts), to win the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.

1988 – Makhan Singh defeats Owen Hart, to win the Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship.

1996 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF Monday Night RAW (4.1 TV rating) beats WCW Monday Nitro (1.9 rating).

2000 – WWF’s inaugural Insurrextion event is held in London, England, in front of 17,000 fans.  The British Bulldog made his final pay-per-view appearance at this event.

– Too Cool (Scotty 2 Hotty & Grand Master Sexay) defeat The Radicalz (Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn).
– Kane (with Paul Bearer) defeats Bull Buchanan.
– Road Dogg (with Tori) defeats Bradshaw.
– The Kat (with Mae Young) defeats Terri Runnels (with Fabulous Moolah) in an Arm Wrestling Match.
– Showkishi (aka Big Show) & Rikishi defeat The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von).
– Kurt Angle defeats Chris Benoit.
– The British Bulldog defeats Crash Holly, to win the WWF Hardcore Championship.
– In a match for the Tag Team Championship, The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff) defeat Edge & Christian via disqualification;  Edge and Christian retain the titles.
– Eddie Guerrero (with Chyna) defeats Chris Jericho, to retain the WWF European Championship.
– In a Triple Threat Match, The Rock defeats Shane McMahon (with Vince McMahon), & Triple H (with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley), to retain the WWF Championship.

2002 – This evening’s episode of RAW is the first televised program to air in renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).  The company, long known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), was forced to change its name after losing a court case against another WWF – the World Wildlife Fund – for violating a 1994 agreement regarding international use of the WWF initials.

Two titles changed hands.  William Regal defeats Spike Dudley, to win the WWE European Championship.  The Hardcore Championship changes hands six times during the night, thanks to the 24/7 rule.  The title was passed from Steven Richards to Bubba Ray Dudley, to Raven, to Justin Credible, to Crash Holly, to Trish Stratus, and back to Steven Richards.

2004 – On this evening’s SmackDown, Jacqueline defeats Chavo Guerrero, to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.  Jacqueline is the only female to win the Cruiserweight Championship in WWE;  Madusa and Daffney were champions when the title was owned by WCW.

2006 – In Ohio Valley Wrestling, CM Punk defeats Brent Albright in a Strap Match, to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship.

2009 – Manabu Nakanishi defeats Hiroshi Tanahashi, to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

2011 – On this evening’s SmackDown, Randy Orton defeats Christian, to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

2012 – Two titles change hands at Dragon Gate’s DEAD or ALIVE 2012.  Dragon Kid defeats Ricochet, to win the Open the Brave Gate Championship.  Also, the trio of Pac, Masato Yoshino, & Naruki Doi win the Open the Triangle Gate Championship, after defeating Jimmy Kanda, Ryo “Jimmy Saito,” & Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Me!! (the exclamation points are officially part of his name).

2015 – Go Shiozaki & Kento Miyahara defeat Akebono & Yutaka Yoshie, to win the AJPW World Tag Team Championship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: 2-time ROH Tag Team Champion & 2-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Colt Cabana (37 years old);  former WWF, WCW, & AWA Southern Tag Team Champion Brian Knobbs (53 years old);  3-time WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion Apolo (42 years old);  former SHIMMER Tag Team Champion & current NXT wrestler Evie (29 years old);  and children’s author & 15-year wrestler Ted Lewin (82 years old).

SOURCES: World Wide Fund for Nature on Wikipedia, gerweck.net Archives, The Internet Wrestling Database, May 6th at wrestlingdata.com