This Day In Wrestling History – May 11th

1976 – The Executioners (#1 & #2) defeat Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi, to win the WWWF World Tag Team Championship.  Elsewhere, Killer Karl Kox & Bob Sweetan defeat Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch, to win the NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship.

1978 – Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta defeat Kintaro Ohki & Kim Duk, to win the NWA International Tag Team Championship.

1979 – Hector Guerrero & Barry Orton defeat The Twin Devils, to win the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship.

1980 – The Iron Sheik defeats Jim Brunzell, to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship.

1981 – Ernie Ladd defeats Kerry Von Erich, to win the NWA/WCCW American Heavyweight Championship.

1985 – WWF’s very first edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event airs on NBC, scoring an 8.8 TV rating.  This was the first time that a network aired wrestling in 34 years.  The show was taped the previous night in Uniondale, New York, at the Nassau Coliseum.

– In a Six Man Tag Team Match, Ricky Steamboat & The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo & Barry Windham) defeat George Steele & WWF Tag Team Champions The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff, when Windham pinned Steele with a roll-up after Sheik and Volkoff refused to tag Steele.
– Paul Orndorff was the guest of Roddy Piper in Piper’s Pit, during which the partnership between the two broke down.
– WWF Champion Hulk Hogan (with Mr. T) defeats Bob Orton, Jr. (with Roddy Piper) via  disqualification, when Piper punched Hogan from the floor, while Hogan had Orton pinned after hitting the leg drop.  Orton and Piper attacked Hogan and Mr. T, with Paul Orndorff making the save.
– WWF Women’s Champion Wendi Richter pins The Fabulous Moolah, by reversing a slam into a small package, to retain the title.
– The Junkyard Dog (with his mother) defeats Pete Doherty.

1989 – Steve Austin makes his pro wrestling debut, in a WCCW match against Frogman LeBlanc.

1993 – In a Hair vs Titles Match, airing on Hardcore TV, Tony Stetson & Larry Winters defeat The Super Destroyers, to win the NWA-ECW World Tag Team Championship.

1997 – WWF In Your House 15: A Cold Day In Hell is  held in Richmond, VA in front of 9,381 fans.

Match airing on the Free For All Show:
– Rockabilly defeats Jesse James.
PPV:
– Hunter Hearst Helmsley (with Chyna) defeats Flash Funk.
– Mankind defeats Rocky Maivia.
– The Nation of Domination (Crush, Savio Vega, & Faarooq) defeat Ahmed Johnson, in a Gauntlet Match.
– Ken Shamrock defeats Vader, in a No Holds Barred Match
– The Undertaker defeats Stone Cold Steve Austin, to retain the WWF Championship.
Post PPV Dark Match:
– The Legion of Doom (Hawk & Animal) defeat WWF Tag Team Champions The British Bulldog & Owen Hart via disqualification;  Hart and Bulldog retain the titles.

1998 – This evening’s battle in the Monday Night Wars ends in a tie, as both WWF RAW IS WAR and WCW Monday Nitro each receive a 4.3 TV rating.

2000 – On this evening’s SmackDown, Crash Holly defeats The British Bulldog, to win the WWF Hardcore Championship, for the 7th time.  With the 24/7 Rule in effect, Crash is able to pin Bulldog, who was in the middle of a title defense match against Hardcore Holly.

2002 – At Combat Zone Wrestling’s High Stakes, The H8 Club (Nate Hatred & Nick Gage) defeat VD (Eddie Valentine & Jon Dahmer), to win the CZW World Tag Team Championship.  In a Four-Way Match, with the CZW Iron Man AND World Heavyweight Titles on the line, Nick Mondo pins Adam Flash, to become the new Iron Man Champion;  The Messiah pins Justice Pain, to become the new CZW World Heavyweight Champion.

2007 – Mike Quackenbush defeats Tiger Mask IV, to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.

2007 – The Undertaker defends his World Heavyweight Championship against Batista, in a Steel Cage Match, on this evening’s SmackDown.  The match ends in a draw after both men touch the floor outside the cage, at the same time.  After the match Mark Henry comes out and attacks The Undertaker, leaving him lying in the middle of the ring.  Money in the Bank holder Edge seizes the opportunity and cashes in his guaranteed title match.  After two spears, Edge is able to pin Undertaker, to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

2008 – TNA Sacrifice is held at the Impact Zone in Orlando, in front of 900 fans.  The event featured a one-night, 8-team ‘Deuces Wild’ Tournament to crown new TNA Tag Team Champions.

– Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon) defeat James Storm & Sting, in a Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament Quarterfinal Match.
– Rhino & Christian Cage defeat Robert Roode & Booker T, in a Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament Quarterfinal Match.
– The Latin American Xchange (Homicide & Hernandez) defeat Matt Morgan & Kip James, in a Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament Quarterfinal Match.
– Super Eric & AJ Styles defeat Awesome Kong & B.G. James, in a Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament Quarterfinal Match.
– Kaz wins a 10-man X-Division TerrorDome Match, and earns a spot in the evening’s main event, to replace an injured Kurt Angle.  Also in the match were: Shark Boy, Chris Sabin, Consequences Creed, Alex Shelley, Jay Lethal, Curry Man, Sonjay Dutt, Johnny Devine, and Jimmy Rave.
– Team 3D defeat Christian Cage & Rhino, in a Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament Semifinal Match.
– The Latin American Xchange defeat AJ Styles & Super Eric, in a Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament Semifinal Match.
– Gail Kim wins a 10-woman TNA Knockouts’  Makeover Battle Royal, to become the #1 contender for the Women’s Knockout Championship.  Also in this match were Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Salinas, ODB, Traci Brooks, Jackie Moore, Rhaka Khan, Christy Hemme, and Roxxi Laveaux.
– The Latin American Xchange defeat Team 3D, in the final of the Deuces Wild Tournament, to win the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship.
– Samoa Joe defeats Scott Steiner and Kaz, in a Three Way Match, to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

2013 – Cheerleader Melissa defeats Ivelisse Velez, to win the Pro Wrestling Revolution Women’s Championship.  Elsewhere, A.R. Fox & Athena defeat Drew Gulak & Kimber Lee, to win the WSU Queen & King Tournament.

2015 – While the nature of his injuries was not revealed, Daniel Bryan announces that he had undergone an MRI, and would be out of action for an unknown period of time.  Bryan is forced to relinquish the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  Former CZW World Heavyweight Champion Nick Berk (37 years old);  7-time WCW/WWF/WWE Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman (43 years old);  AWA, CWA, & USWA Tag Team Champion Paul Diamond (56 years old);  one-time WWF Junior Heavyweight Champion Mark Rocco (66 years old);  current WWE Cruiserweight Lince Dorado (30 years old);  and former SHIMMER Tag Team Champion Daizee Haze (34 years old).

Today would’ve been the 57th birthday, for 3-time AJPW All Asia Tag Team Champion Hiromichi Fuyuki.