This Day In Wrestling History – July 23rd

1984 – MTV airs a live WWF special, The Brawl to End it All, from Madison Square Garden in New York City.  While eleven matches were on the card, only the main event (Wendi Richter vs The Fabulous Moolah for the Women’s Championship) was televised.  Richter defeats Moolah, to become the new WWF Women’s Champion.  The loss ends Moolah’s 28-year reign as NWA/WWF Women’s Champion, a span of 10,170 consecutive days.  The Brawl to End it All scores a 9.0 rating for MTV, making it the most-watched program in network history.

1989 – NWA’s Great American Bash is held in Baltimore, MD, in front of 14,500 fans.  This was the second of four consecutive Bash events held in Baltimore.  The 1989 event was promoted by WCW, under the NWA banner.

– In a Two-Ring King of the Hill Battle Royal, Dan Spivey and Sid Vicious defeat Bill Irwin, Terry Gordy, Eddie Gilbert, Steve Williams, Mike Rotunda, Ranger Ross, Brian Pillman, Ron Simmons, Scott Hall, Kevin Sullivan, Scott Steiner, and Rick Steiner.  Spivey and Vicious were supposed to face off in a regular singles match, to determine the true winner, but their manager Teddy Long opted to split the $50,000 prize between both Spivey and Vicious.
– Brian Pillman defeats Bill Irwin.
– The Skyscrapers (Sid Vicious & Dan Spivey) defeat The Dynamic Dudes (Shane Douglas & Johnny Ace).
– Jim Cornette defeats Paul E. Dangerously in a Tuxedo Match.
– The Steiner Brothers (Scott & Rick) (with Missy Hyatt) defeat The Varsity Club (Mike Rotunda & Kevin Sullivan).
– Sting (with Eddie Gilbert) defeats The Great Muta (with Gary Hart) to retain the NWA World Television Title.  But due to controversy in the match (both men had their shoulders up off the mat at the 2-count), the title is later vacated.
– Lex Luger defeats Ricky Steamboat, via disqualification, to retain the NWA United States Championship.
– In a War Games Match, The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal), The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane), and Steve Williams defeat The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin, Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy) and The Samoan Swat Team (Samu & Fatu).
– Ric Flair defeats Terry Funk, (with Gary Hart) to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

1995 – WWF In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks is held in Nashville, TN in front of 6,482 fans.  The day after the event, both Jeff Jarrett and The Roadie legitimately quit working for the WWF.

Dark Match:
– Skip (with Sunny) defeats Aldo Montoya.
PPV:
– The Roadie defeats The 1-2-3 Kid.
– Men On A Mission (Sir Mo & King Mabel) defeat Savio Vega & Razor Ramon.
– Bam Bam Bigelow defeats Henry Godwinn.
– Shawn Michaels defeats Jeff Jarrett (with The Roadie), to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
– Owen Hart & Yokozuna defeat The Allied Powers (Lex Luger & The British Bulldog), to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.
– In a Lumberjack Match, Diesel defeats Sycho Sid (with Ted DiBiase), to retain the WWF Championship.
Dark Main Events:
– Bret Hart defeats Jean-Pierre Lafitte.
– The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeats Kama (with Ted DiBiase), in a Casket Match.

1999 – NO FEAR (Takao Omori & Yoshihiro Takayama) defeat Johnny Ace & Bart Gunn, to win the AJPW World Tag Team Championship.

2000 – WWF’s third and final Fully Loaded pay-per-view is held in Dallas, in front of 16,504 fans.  In 2001, Fully Loaded was replaced on the PPV schedule with Invasion.

 – In a Six-Person Mixed Tag Team Match, The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff) and Lita defeat T&A (Test & Albert), and Trish Stratus.
– Tazz defeats Al Snow.
– Perry Saturn (with Terri) defeats Eddie Guerrero (with Chyna), to win the WWF European Championship.
– The APA (Bradshaw & Faarooq) defeat Edge & Christian via disqualification;  Edge & Christian retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.
– In a Steel Cage Match, Val Venis (with Trish Stratus) defeats Rikishi, to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
– The Undertaker defeats Kurt Angle.
– In a Last Man Standing Match, Triple H (with Stephanie McMahon–Helmsley) defeats Chris Jericho.
– The Rock defeats Chris Benoit (with Shane McMahon), to retain the WWF Championship.  The title could’ve changed hands on a disqualification, and Benoit had won the title on a DQ earlier in the match thanks to the referee thinking The Rock hit him with a steel chair;  it was actually McMahon who hit the referee.  The ref disqualified The Rock, but Commissioner Mick Foley came out and restarted the match.

2001 – On RAW IS WAR, Lance Storm defeats Albert, to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

2005 – BJ Whitmer & Jimmy Jacobs defeat The Carnage Crew (HC Loc & Tony Devito), to win the ROH Tag Team Championship.

2006 – WWE’s Great American Bash, a SmackDown-exclusive pay-per-view, is held in Indianapolis in front of 9,750 fans.

Dark Match:
– Funaki defeats Simon Dean.
PPV:
– Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeat The Pit Bulls (Kid Kash & Jamie Noble), to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– Finlay defeats William Regal, to retain the WWE United States Championship.
– Gregory Helms defeats Matt Hardy.
– The Undertaker defeats The Big Show, in a Punjabi Prison Match.
– In a Fatal 4-Way Bra & Panties Match, Ashley Massaro defeats Kristal Marshall, Michelle McCool, and Jillian Hall.
– Mr. Kennedy defeats Batista via disqualification.
– King Booker (with Queen Sharmell) defeats Rey Mysterio, to win the World Heavyweight Championship.  Mysterio loses due to Chavo Guerrero, Jr. coming to the ring, acting as if he would help Mysterio;  he would instead hit Mysterio with a steel chair, allowing Booker to win the title.

2010 – Randy Savage makes his final wrestling-related public appearance via video, when he announces his action figure will be included in the WWE action figure line, produced by Mattel.

2012 – WWE broadcasts its 1000th episode of RAW (aka RAW 1000).  Several legends made appearances on the show, including The Rock, Bret Hart, Roddy Piper, Jim Duggan, and D-Generation X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Road Dogg, & Billy Gunn).   It also saw a few more obscure, yet still noteworthy returns, including that of Sean Mooney (WWF interviewer / commentator from 1988-1993.  As for in-ring action, The Miz defeats Christian, to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.  John Cena cashes in his Money in the Bank Championship contract against CM Punk, for the WWE Championship.  Cena defeats Punk, but it was via disqualification, after interference from Big Show.  As titles can’t change hands via count-out or disqualification, CM Punk remains the WWE Champion.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  Former  TNA X Division Champion Sonny Siaki (43 years old);  and former WCWA World Heavyweight Champion Al Perez (57 years old).

Today would have been the 38th birthday for AAA Hall of Famer Perro Aguayo, Jr.