This Day In Wrestling History – July 24th

Happy birthday, Torrie!!

1956 – Jesse James defeats Frank Jares, to win the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship.

1967 – Bruno Sammartino & Spiros Arion defeat The Sicilians (Lou Albano & Tony Altimore), to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship.

1970 – Nick Bockwinkel defeats Paul DeMarco, to win the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship.

1980 – Reigning NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Les Thornton enters the World Wrestling Council, and is billed as the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Champion upon arrival.  The last person to win the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship was Dick Steinborn in 1975.  However there are no recorded title changes or vacancies, between Steinborn’s win, and the awarding of the title to Thornton.

1982 – Carlos Colon defeats Abdullah The Butcher, to win the WWC World Heavyweight Championship.  This was the first time the title ever changed hands, as Abdullah had been recognized as the champion, since entering the World Wrestling Council a month earlier.  At the same event, The Moondogs (Rex & Spot) defeat Invader I & Pierre Martel, to win the WWC World Tag Team Championship.

1983 – Magnum TA & Jim Duggan defeat Ted DiBiase & Mr. Olympia, to win the Mid-South Wrestling Tag Team Championship.

1987 – At a house show in Houston, Sensational Sherri defeats The Fabulous Moolah, to win the WWF Women’s Championship, ending Moolah’s title reign at 380 consecutive days.

1991 – Toshiaki Kawada & Mitsuharu Misawa defeat The Miracle Violence Connection (Steve Williams & Terry Gordy), to win the AJPW World Tag Team Championship.

1996 – Several title changes occurred on this date.  Jerry Lawler defeats Jeff Jarrett, to win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship for the 24th time.  At a house show in Cincinnati, The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeat Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray), to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship.  In Tokyo, Japan, Kenta Kobashi defeats Akira Taue, to win the AJPW Triple Crown Championship;  and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi defeats Masanobu Fuchi, to win the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship.

1999 – Two title changes occurred on this date.  Kurt Angle defeats J.R. Smooth, to win the Power Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship.  This was Angle’s first-ever championship as a professional wrestler.  And at a house show in his hometown of Toronto, Edge defeats Jeff Jarrett, to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

2000 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (6.2 TV rating) beats WCW Monday Nitro (2.8 rating).  On Nitro, in a Title vs Title Match, United States Champion Lance Storm defeats Big Vito, to win the WCW Hardcore Championship;  Storm would soon rename the title as the “Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title.”

2005 – WWE’s Great American Bash, a SmackDown-exclusive pay-per-view, is held in Buffalo, in front of 8,000 fans.

Airing on Sunday Night Heat:
– Paul London defeats Nunzio, to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
PPV:
– The Legion of Doom (Animal & Heidenreich) defeat MNM (Joey Mercury & Johnny Nitro), to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– Booker T (with Sharmell) defeats Christian.
– Orlando Jordan defeats Chris Benoit, to retain the WWE United States Championship.
– The Undertaker defeats Mohammad Hassan (with Daivari), to become the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.
– In a Six-Man Tag Team Match, The MexiCools (Juventud, Super Crazy, & Psicosis) defeat The Blue World Order (The Blue Meanie, Big Stevie Cool, & Hollywood Nova)
– Rey Mysterio defeats Eddie Guerrero.
– Melina defeats Torrie Wilson in a Bra & Panties Match;  Candice Michelle served as the special guest referee.
– JBL (with Orlando Jordan) defeats Batista via disqualification; as titles can’t change hands via disqualification, Batista retains the World Heavyweight Championship.

2007 – World Wrestling Entertainment signs Ted DiBiase, Jr. to a developmental deal and sends him to Florida Championship Wrestling (WWE’s training territory).

2008 – WNYW in New York City open their 10pm newscast with video footage, of an incident that saw former ECW World Champion The Sandman arrested during a birthday celebration for Captain Lou Albano.  In the video, an obviously inebriated Sandman is seen trying to give a speech for Lou Albano and even stepped atop a banquet table.  The video then shows footage of Sandman charging at someone as several others wrestlers, including Philadelphia indy wrestler Annihilation, and someone believed to be Pitbull Gary Wolfe, attempt to hold Sandman back.  One of the videos show someone brandishing a beer bottle, looking as if they were preparing to throw it.  Another clip shows a handcuffed Sandman on the floor surrounded by police officers.  Sandman’s bail was set at $10,000 after several days of incarceration

2013 – In a tournament final, Paige defeats Emma, to become the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion.

2015 – WWE terminates their contract with Hulk Hogan, after Hogan is caught on an adult tape using racial slurs.  One day earlier, WWE removed all references of Hogan from WWE.com, including Hogan merchandise from WWE Shop, his listing as a judge for Tough Enough, and his entry from the WWE Hall of Fame web page.  Pre-ordered Hogan downloadable content for WWE 2K15 was also removed.

2016 – Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato defeat Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto, to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship.

2016 – WWE Battleground is held in Washington, D.C., in front of 15,109 fans.  This was the final pay-per-view event before the new Brand Extension went into full effect.  Randy Orton made his first appearance in nine months (shoulder injury), as a guest on Chris Jericho’s “Highlight Reel.”

Pre-Show Match:
– Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) defeat The Usos (Jimmy & Jey).
PPV:
– Sasha Banks and her mystery partner, Bayley (making her main roster debut), defeat Charlotte & Dana Brooke, via submission;  Banks forced Charlotte to tap out to the Bank Statement.
– In a Six-Man Tag Team Match, The Wyatt Family (Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, & Erick Rowan) defeat The New Day (Big E., Kofi Kingston, & Xavier Woods).
– Rusev (with Lana) defeats Zack Ryder, via submission, to retain the WWE United States Championship.
– Sami Zayn defeats Kevin Owens.
– Natalya defeats Becky Lynch, via submission.
– The Intercontinental Championship Match between The Miz (with Maryse) and Darren Young (with Bob Backlund), ends in a double disqualification.  Miz retains the Intercontinental Championship.
– In a Six-Man Tag Team Match, John Cena, Enzo Amore, & Big Cass defeat The Club (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, & Karl Anderson).
– In a Triple Threat Match, Dean Ambrose defeats Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, to retain the WWE Championship.  As Ambrose had been drafted to SmackDown in the WWE Draft July 19th, the WWE Championship becomes exclusive to SmackDown Live, leaving Monday Night RAW without a World Champion.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  Former WCW & WWF/E manager & wrestler Torrie Wilson (42 years old);  current EVOLVE Champion Zack Sabre, Jr. (30 years old);  NXT wrestlers Angelo Dawkins (27 years old) & Tucker Knight (27 years old);  and Bash at the Beach ’98 participant & NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone (54 years old).

Today would’ve been the 66th birthday for NWA/WCCW wrestler Sweet Brown Sugar.