This Day In Wrestling History – June 3rd
1965 – Billy Red Lyons & The Destroyer defeat Giant Baba & Toyonobori, to win the JWA All Asia Tag Team Championship.
1968 – Fritz Von Erich defeats The Spoiler, to win the NWA American Heavyweight Championship.
1971 – In a tournament final, Luke Graham & Tarzan Tyler defeat Dick the Bruiser & The Sheik, to become the inaugural WWWF World Tag Team Champions.
1973 – Dory Funk, Sr., a 14-time Tag Team Champion among various NWA territories, dies of a sudden heart attack at the age of 54.
1980 – Gino Hernandez defeats Mark Lewin, to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.
1991 – On a taping of World Wide Wrestling (airing June 29th), Steve Austin defeats Bobby Eaton, to win the WCW World Television Championship. At the same event, The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin, & Badstreet) defeat the team of Junkyard Dog, Tommy Rich, & Ricky Morton, to win the WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.
1996 – In the Monday Night Wars, WCW Monday Nitro (3.0 TV rating) beats WWF Monday Night RAW (2.3 rating).
2002 – On RAW, Bradshaw defeats Steven Richards, to win the WWE Hardcore Championship.
2006 – At Ring of Honor’s Destiny event, Shane Hagadorn defeats Derrick Dempsey, to win the ROH Top of the Class Trophy.
2007 – WWE One Night Stand is held in Jacksonville, FL in front of 7,000 fans. It’s the final pay-per-view appearance for Chris Benoit.
Dark Match:
– Santino Marella defeats Chris Masters.
PPV:
– Rob Van Dam defeats Randy Orton in a Stretcher Match.
– In a Six Man Tag Team Tables Match, CM Punk & The ECW Originals (Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman) defeat The New Breed (Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, & Matt Striker).
– In a Ladder Match, The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff) defeat The World’s Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin), to retain the World Tag Team Championship.
– Mark Henry defeats Kane, in a Lumberjack Match. The lumberjacks were: Chris Benoit, Kenny Dykstra, The Miz, Balls Mahoney, Santino Marella, Chris Masters, Val Venis, Stevie Richards, Johnny Nitro, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Carlito, and Kevin Thorn.
– In a Street Fight, Bobby Lashley defeats Vince McMahon (with Umaga & Shane McMahon), to win the ECW World Championship.
– Candice Michelle defeats Melina in a Pudding Match.
– In a Steel Cage Match, Edge defeats Batista, to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
– In a Falls Count Anywhere Match, John Cena defeats The Great Khali (with Ranjin Singh), to retain the WWE Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: 2-time Zero1 World Heavyweight Champion Ryoji Sai (37 years old); and Impact Wrestling’s Braxton Sutter (37 years old).
Today would’ve been the 112th birthday for 2-time AWA (Boston) World Heavyweight Champion Ed Don George.
