This Day In Wrestling History – May 21st
Happy birthday to Leva Bates!
1982 – Wahoo McDaniel defeats Sgt. Slaughter, to win the NWA United States Championship.
1984 – Kevin Von Erich defeats Killer Khan, via disqualification, but still wins the WCCW Television Championship. Even though the title could change hands through disqualification, Von Erich would vacate the title, not wanting to win the title in that manner.
1993 – Dan Kroffat defeats Masanobu Fuchi, to win the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Fuchi had held the title for 1,309 consecutive days, dating back to October 20, 1989.
1995 – WCW Slamboree is held in St Petersburg, FL in front of 7,000 fans. The event featured the final inductions to the WCW Hall of Fame. The Class of 1995 consisted of: Wahoo McDaniel, Angelo Poffo, Terry Funk, Antonio Inoki, Dusty Rhodes, Gordon Solie, and Big John Studd.
Matches airing on WCW Main Event:
– The Blue Bloods (Lord Steven Regal & Earl Robert Eaton) defeat Los Especialistas (Ricky Santana & Fidel Sierra)
– Steve Austin defeats Eddie Jackie.
– Sgt. Craig Pittman defeats Mark Starr.
– Meng defeats Brian Pillman, in a United States Championship Quarterfinal Match.
PPV:
– The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) defeat Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray), to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship.
– Kevin Sullivan defeats The Man With No Name.
– Wahoo McDaniel defeats Dick Murdoch.
– The Great Muta defeats Paul Orndorff, to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
– Arn Anderson defeats Alex Wright, to retain the WCW World Television Championship.
– Meng and Road Warrior Hawk fight to a double countout.
– Sting defeats Big Bubba Rogers, in a Lights Out Match
– Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage (with The Renegade & Jimmy Hart) defeat Ric Flair & Vader (with Arn Anderson).
1996 – Mascara Magica defeats El Felino, in the finals of a 16-man tournament, to win the CMLL World Welterweight Championship.
2000 – WWF Judgement Day is held in Louisville, KY in front of 16,827 fans.
Sunday Night Heat matches:
– The British Bulldog defeats Joey Abs.
– In a Mixed Tag Team Match, Essa Rios & Lita defeat Kaientai (Taka Michinoku & Funaki).
– The Godfather defeats D’Lo Brown.
PPV:
– In a Six Man Tag Team Match, Too Cool (Rikishi, Grand Master Sexay, & Scotty 2 Hotty) defeat Team ECK (Edge, Kurt Angle, & Christian).
– In a Triple Threat Match, Eddie Guerrero (with Chyna) defeats Perry Saturn, and Dean Malenko, to retain the WWF European Championship.
– Shane McMahon defeats The Big Show, in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.
– In a Submission Match, Chris Benoit defeats Chris Jericho, to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
– In a Tag Team Tables Match, D-Generation X (Road Dogg & X-Pac) defeat The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von).
– In an Iron Man Match, Triple H (with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) defeats The Rock, 6 falls to 5, to win the WWF Championship. Shawn Michaels served as special guest referee. The deciding fall came when The Undertaker (beginning his “American Badass” gimmick) returned after an eight-month absence, attacked Vince & Shane McMahon, and chokeslammed Triple H, which resulted in a disqualification for The Rock.
2001 – Two titles change hands on RAW. Big Show defeats Rhyno, to win the WWF Hardcore Championship. And the team of Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho defeat The Two-Man Power Trip (Triple H & Stone Cold Steve Austin), to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. This was the match where Triple H tore his left quadriceps muscle, after saving Austin from the Walls of Jericho submission. Despite the quad tear, Triple H still finished the match, even allowing Y2J to put him in the Walls of Jericho. Triple H would be out of action for the remainder of 2001, and would miss The Invasion.
2006 – WWE Judgement Day, a SmackDown-exclusive event, is held in Phoenix in front of 14,000 fans.
Dark Match:
– Matt Hardy defeats Simon Dean.
PPV:
– Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeat MNM (Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury) (with Melina), to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– Chris Benoit defeats Finlay, via submission.
– Jillian Hall defeated Melina.
– Gregory Helms defeats Super Crazy, to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
– Booker T (with Sharmell) defeats Bobby Lashley, to win the 2006 King Of The Ring Tournament.
– The Great Khali (with Daivari) defeats The Undertaker.
– Rey Mysterio defeats John Bradshaw Layfield, to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
2009 – Alex Koslov defeats Alan Stone and Xtreme Tiger, to become the inaugural AAA World Cruiserweight Champion.
2010 – The team of Mascara Dorada, La Sombra, & La Mascara defeat the team of Okumura, Hiroshi Tanahashi, & Taichi, to win the CMLL World Trios Championship.
2010 – After violating WWE’s Wellness Policy, and his refusal to attend a rehab facility, Carlito is released from his WWE contract.
2011 – In a Three-Way Match, Rudy Switchblade defeats Jamin Olivencia and Mohamad Ali Vaez, to win the OVW Television Championship.
2011 – TNA Wrestling releases Terry Taylor from his role as head of talent relations. Taylor is replaced by Bruce Prichard. Taylor would later refer to the release as a gift, as it allowed him time to spent with his wife prior to her passing, following a battle with cancer.
2011 – Sinclair Broadcasting announces its purchase of Ring of Honor, from Cary Silkin.
2015 – Akebono defeats Go Shiozaki, to win the AJPW Triple Crown Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Current CWL (United Kingdom) Heavyweight Champion Andy Boy Simmonz (33 years old); former NWA World Heavyweight Champion The Sheik (43 years old); 3-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Kota Ibushi (35 years old); WWE Hall of Famer Mr. T (65 years old); and former SHINE Tag Team Champion & WSU Spirt Champion Leva Bates (34 years old).
Today would’ve been the 50th birthday for former WCW/WWE World Champion Chris Benoit, and the 53rd birthday of Benoit’s wife Nancy (aka ‘Woman’ in WCW).
