This Day In Wrestling History – May 17th

1958 – Juanito Diaz defeats Jesus Garcia, to win the Mexican National Lightweight Championship.

1963 – Bruno Sammartino defeats Buddy Rogers, to win the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship.  This begins a 2,803-day reign as World Champion for Sammartino, lasting until January 18, 1971.

1981 – Tommy Rich defeats Greg Valentine, in a tournament final, to win the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship.

1986 – Buddy Rose & Doug Somers defeat Scott Hall & Curt Hennig, to win the AWA World Tag Team Championship.  Elsewhere, Bruiser Brody defeats Rick Rude, via disqualification, but still wins the WCWA Television Championship.

1987 – The Lightning Express (Brad Armstrong & Tim Horner) defeat Sting & Rick Steiner, to win the UWF Tag Team Championship.

1990 – Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa vacate the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship;  Misawa had opted to focus on his singles career.

1992 – WCW WrestleWar: War Games is held in Jacksonville, FL in front of 6,000 fans.

Dark Match:
– Diamond Dallas Page & Tommy Rich defeat Firebreaker Chip & Bob Cook.
PPV:
– The Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin & Michael Hayes) defeat Terry Taylor & Greg Valentine, to win the WCW United States Tag Team Championship.
– Johnny B. Badd defeats Tracy Smothers.
– Scotty Flamingo defeats Marcus Alexander Bagwell.
– Rom Simmons defeats Mr. Hughes.  The match was scheduled to be Simmons & Junkyard Dog vs. Cactus Jack & Hughes, but Cactus Jack attacked Junkyard Dog before the match.
– The Super Invader (with Harley Race) defeats Todd Champion.
– Big Josh defeats Richard Morton.
– The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeat Tatsumi Fujinami & Takayuki Iizuka, to become the #1 contenders for the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
– Brian Pillman defeats Tom Zenk, to retain the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship.
– In a War Games Match, Sting’s Squadron (Sting, Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, & Nikita Koloff) defeat The Dangerous Alliance (Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, & Larry Zbyszko).

1993 – On Monday Night RAW, Marty Jannetty defeats Shawn Michaels, to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

1998 – WCW/nWo Slamboree is held in Worcester, Mass., in front of 11,592 fans.

– Fit Finlay defeats Chris Benoit, to retain the WCW World Television Championship.
– Lex Luger defeats Brian Adams (with Vincent).
– Ciclope wins a 15-Man Battle Royal, last eliminating Juventud Guerrera, to become the #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Championship.  Ciclope unmasked after the match, to reveal he was Dean Malenko in disguise.
– Dean Malenko defeats Chris Jericho, to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
– Diamond Dallas Page defeats Raven, in a Bowery Death Match.
– Eddy Guerrero (with Chavo Guerrero, Jr.) defeats Ultimo Dragon.
– Goldberg defeats Saturn, to retain the WCW United States Championship.
– Eric Bischoff defeats Vince McMahon, via countout.  Bischoff had issued an open challenge the previous Monday on WCW Nitro, and when McMahon failed to show up at Slamboree, Bischoff ordered the referee to count him out.
– Bret Hart defeats Randy Savage, via submission.  Roddy Piper served as special guest referee, and the following night on Nitro, reversed the decision, and awarded Savage the win via disqualification.
– Sting & The Giant defeat The Outsiders (Kevin Nash & Scott Hall) (with Dusty Rhodes), to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship.

1999 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (6.4 TV rating) beats WCW Monday Nitro (3.8 rating).

2007 – Kurt Angle is stripped of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship by Jim Cornette.  This comes after a double-fall during a Three-Way Match for the title (with Sting and Christian Cage), at the Sacrifice pay-per-view.  After being stripped of the NWA World Tag Team Championship, due to NWA and TNA ending their partnership, Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon) are awarded the new TNA World Tag Team Championship.

2008 – The Insurgency (Ali & Omar Akbar) defeat Los Locos (Raul & Ramon), to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship.

2009 – WWE Judgment Day is held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, in front of 14,822 fans.

Dark Match:
– Mickie James defeats Beth Phoenix (with Rosa Mendes).
PPV:
– Umaga defeats CM Punk.
– Christian defeats Jack Swagger, to retain the ECW Championship.
– John Morrison defeats Shelton Benjamin (with Charlie Haas).
– Rey Mysterio defeats Chris Jericho, to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
– Batista defeats WWE Champion Randy Orton via disqualification.  As a result, Orton retains the title
– John Cena defeats The Big Show.
– Edge defeats Jeff Hardy, to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

2012 – Brooke Hogan, daughter of Hulk Hogan, signs a contract with TNA Wrestling.

2014 – Adam Revolver defeats Melvin Maximus, to win the OVW Television Championship.

2014 – Ring of Honor & New Japan War of The Worlds internet pay-per-view is held live, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, in front of 3,000 fans.

Pre-Show:
– Caprice Coleman defeats Adam Page (with Jimmy Jacobs).
iPPV:
– In a Six Man Tag Team Match, Matt Taven, ACH, & Tommaso Ciampa defeat Takaaki Watanbe and Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov & Rocky Romero).
– The Decade (Roderick Strong & BJ Whitmer) defeat Gedo & Jado.
– Jay Lethal (with Truth Martini) defeats Kushida, to retain the ROH World Television Championship.
– Bullet Club (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) defeat The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay), to retain the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
– Shinsuke Nakamura defeats Kevin Steen
– Hiroshi Tanahashi defeats Mike Bennett (with Maria Kanellis)
– reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) defeat The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship.
– Adam Cole defeats Jushin Thunder Liger, to retain the ROH World Championship.
– In a Three-Way Match, AJ Styles defeats Michael Elgin and Kazuchika Okada (with Gedo), to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

2015 – WWE Payback is held in Baltimore in front of 10,000 fans.

Pre-Show Matches:
– R-Truth defeats Stardust.
– The Ascension (Viktor & Konnor) defeat The Meta Powers (Curtis Axel & Macho Mandow).

PPV:
– Sheamus defeats Dolph Ziggler.
– In a Two-Out-of-Three Falls Tag Team Match, The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E.) defeat Tyson Kidd & Cesaro, to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– Bray Wyatt defeats Ryback.
– John Cena defeats Rusev, in an ‘I Quit’ Match, to retain the WWE United States Championship.
– Naomi & Tamina defeat The Bella Twins (Nikki & Brie).
– Neville defeats King Barrett, via countout.
– In a Fatal Four-Way Match, Seth Rollins defeats Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, and Roman Reigns, to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  Former WCW Tag Team/Cruiserweight/Television Champion Alex Wright (42 years old);  former ECW manager & valet Lori ‘Peaches’ Fullington (50 years old);  indy wrestler Jeremy ‘Slim J’ Boyd (32 years old);  former AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion Ryuji Hijikata (39 years old);  2-time NXT Tag Team Champion Dash Wilder (30 years old);  and famed referees Earl & Dave Hebner (68 years old).

Today would’ve been the 85th birthday for NWA star Billy Red Lyons.