This Day In Wrestling History – May 22nd
Happy birthday to Daniel Bryan!
1965 – Mad Dog Vachon defeats Mighty Igor Vodic, to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship.
1972 – Chief Jay Strongbow & Sonny King defeat King Curtis Iaukea & Mikel Scicluna, to win the WWWF World Tag Team Championship. Elsewhere, Bill Watts defeats Dale Lewis, to win the NWA (Tri-State) North American Heavyweight Championship.
1981 – Chavo Guerrero, Sr. defeats Gino Hernandez, to win the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship.
1985 – The Nightmare defeats Terry Taylor, to win the Mid-South Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship.
1989 – Lex Luger defeats Michael Hayes, to win the NWA United States Championship.
1992 – In a tournament final, Brian Lee defeats Paul Orndorff, to become the inaugural SMW Heavyweight Champion.
1994 – WCW Slamboree is held in Philadelphia, in front of 4,000 fans. The event featured inductions into the WCW Hall of Fame. Class of 1994 inductees were: The Assassin, Ole Anderson, Harley Race, Ernie Ladd, The Crusher, and Dick The Bruiser.
Dark Match:
– Pretty Wonderful (Paul Roma & Paul Orndorff) defeat Brian & Brad Armstrong.
PPV:
– Steve Austin defeats Johnny B. Badd, to retain the WCW United States Championship.
– Terry Funk and Tully Blanchard fight to a double disqualification.
– Larry Zbyszko defeats WCW World Television Champion Lord Steven Regal, in a non-title match.
– Dustin Rhodes defeats Bunkhouse Buck, in a Bullrope Match.
– Ric Flair defeats Barry Windham, to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
– In a Broad Street Bully Match, Kevin Sullivan & Cactus Jack (replacing Dave Sullivan) defeat The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags), to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Dave Schultz served as special guest referee.
– Sting defeats Vader to win the vacant WCW International World Heavyweight Championship. Vader replace Rick Rude, as Rude had suffered a career-ending back injury during an event in Japan.
1995 – At a house show in Quebec, Jeff Jarrett defeats Razor Ramon, to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
2000 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (7.1 TV rating) beats WCW Monday Nitro (3.0 rating). On Nitro, Daffney defeats Crowbar, to become the undisputed Cruiserweight Champion. Also, Ric Flair is stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship by Vince Russo. The title is awarded to Jeff Jarrett, however the title is stolen by Kevin Nash. The two face off in a No Holds Barred Match later in the show, which Jarrett wins and takes back the title.
2004 – TNA wrestler AJ Styles vacates the ROH Pure Championship. This comes after TNA ends its talent-sharing agreement with ROH, in the wake of the internet sting controversy surrounding ROH founder Rob Feinstein.
2004 – Masanobu Fuchi & Genichiro Tenryu defeat The Great Kosuke & Shiryu, to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship.
2005 – WWE Judgement Day, a SmackDown-exclusive pay-per-view, is held in Minneapolis in front of 12,000 fans.
Match airing on Sunday Night Heat:
– Nunzio defeats Akio.
PPV:
– MNM (Joey Mercury & Johnny Nitro) defeat Hardcore Holly & Charlie Haas, to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– Carlito (with Matt Morgan) defeats The Big Show.
– Paul London defeats Chavo Guerrero to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
– Booker T defeats Kurt Angle.
– Orlando Jordan defeats Heidenreich, to retain the WWE United States Championship.
– Rey Mysterio defeats Eddie Guerrero via disqualification.
– John Cena defeats John Bradshaw Layfield, in an ‘I Quit’ Match, to retain the WWE Championship.
2010 – One night before their Over the Limit pay-per-view, WWE runs a non-televised RAW/SmackDown Super Show at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. Over 10,000 fans were in attendance, including myself, my sister, and my brother-in-law. This was the first pro wrestling event I ever attended. Match results courtesy of Wrestling News Source:
– Evan Bourne defeats Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
*Mark Henry came to the ring and said that he was scheduled to compete tonight. But due to the injury he suffered at the hands of Batista, he would be unable to do so. This brought out The Miz, who told Henry that no one cared if he were to compete or not, then went on to say that he himself had a bad month due to losing the Unified Tag Team Championship to The Hart Dynasty, and the United States Championship to Bret “The Hitman” Hart. The Miz then went on to promote his upcoming Unified Tag Team Championship match against The Hart Dynasty at Over the Limit. Henry said one arm or not, he could still beat Miz, then proceeded to beat him down before leaving the ring.
– MVP defeats Cody Rhodes.
– In a special NXT Rookies Tag Team Match, Wade Barrett & David Otunga defeat Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel.
– Eve Torres defeats Maryse, to retain the Divas Championship. A major botch occurred during the match (I can’t remember the details). But luckily nobody was injured.
– Unified Tag Team Champions The Hart Dynasty defeat The Straight Edge Society (Luke Gallows and the mysterious masked man), to retain the titles. Before the match, Gallows said that CM Punk had refused to come to the show, because no one who lived in Cincinnati deserved to be “saved.” There was also action during the match between Natalya and Serena, as well as a confrontation between Serena and David Hart Smith. Natalya also slapped Gallows across the face as the referee was distracted.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre defeats Kofi Kingston to retain the title. McIntyre got the win after grabbing the middle rope while pinning Kofi. Best match of the night, in my opinion.
– Kane defeats World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger, via disqualification. I don’t recall hearing them, but apparently there were a few “boring” chants during the first part of the match, due to Swagger leaving the ring on a few occasions. Near the end of the match, Swagger also botched a move. Again, I don’t remember it. I think I was just awestruck by being at a WWE event, and seeing how packed the arena was for a Saturday “house show.”
– In the main event (a Tag Team Match), Randy Orton & WWE Champion John Cena defeat Batista and Sheamus. Massive pops for Orton and Cena during this match, and a lot of Cena fans in the stands, wearing the t-shirt Cena wore on TV at the time (the orange one).
2011 – WWE Over the Limit is held in Seattle in front of 7,500 fans.
Dark Match:
– Daniel Bryan defeats Drew McIntyre via submission.
PPV:
– R-Truth defeats Rey Mysterio.
– Ezekiel Jackson defeats Wade Barrett via disqualification; Barrett retains the Intercontinental Championship.
– Sin Cara defeats Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
– The Big Show & Kane defeat The New Nexus (CM Punk & Mason Ryan), to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– Brie Bella (with Nikki Bella) defeats Kelly Kelly, to retain the WWE Divas Championship.
– Randy Orton defeats Christian, to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
– Jerry Lawler defeats Michael Cole, in a ‘Kiss My Foot’ Match
– John Cena defeats The Miz (with Alex Riley), in an ‘I Quit’ Match, to retain the WWE Championship.
2016 – WWE Extreme Rules is held in Newark, NJ in front of 15,963 fans.
Pre-Show Match:
– Baron Corbin defeats Dolph Ziggler.
PPV:
– In a Tornado Tag Team Match, Gallows & Anderson defeat The Usos (Jimmy & Jey).
– Rusev defeats Kalisto, via submission, to win the WWE United States Championship.
– The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) defeat The Vaudevillains (Aiden English & Simon Gotch), to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– In a Fatal 4-Way Match, The Miz defeats Sami Zayn, Cesaro, and Kevin Owens, to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
– Dean Ambrose defeats Chris Jericho in an Asylum Match.
– In a Submission Match, Charlotte defeats Natalya, to retain the Divas Championship.
– In an Extreme Rules Match, Roman Reigns defeats AJ Styles, to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: 4-time WWE World Champion Daniel Bryan (36 years old); former WWF/WCW wrestler Scott Putski (51 years old); 2004 Tough Enough finalist Daniel Rodimer (39 years old); former TNA wrestler A-1 (40 years old); former TNA Knockouts Commissioner Traci Brooks (42 years old); and former AAA World Tag Team Champion & former WCW wrestler Halloween aka Ciclope (46 years old).
Today would’ve been the 55th birthday for WCW Tag Team & Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Pillman, the 90th birthday for NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion Don Curtis, and the 71st birthday for former NWA Light Heavyweight & Middleweight Champion El Solitario.
