This Day In Wrestling History – August 5th

Happy anniversary to me.  One year ago today I began contributing to gerweck.net.  It started as just doing This Day in Wrestling History and has expanded to contributing news bits from WWE and GWF.

1958 – Bill Longson defeats Fritz Von Erich, to win the vacant NWA (Texas) Brass Knuckles Championship.

1965 – Dr. Bill Miller & Dan Miller defeat Gorilla Monsoon & Bill Watts, to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship.

1969 – Hiro Matsuda & The Missouri Mauler defeat Ciclon Negro & Jack Brisco, to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship.

1969 – In an NWA American Heavyweight Championship match in Dallas, defending champion Fritz Von Erich and opponent Johnny Valentine have their match interrupted by interference by Wahoo McDaniel.  As a result, Von Erich loses the title and the title is “held up” (vacated).  Von Erich would reclaim the Championship Title in a rematch against Valentine in October 1969.

1975 – ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham defeats Mad Dog Vachon to win the NWA (Texas) Brass Knuckles Championship.

1979 – El Halcon defeats The Spoiler, to win the NWA American Heavyweight Championship.

1985 – John Tatum defeats Shawn Cody, to win the vacant WCCW Television Championship.  The title became vacant after previous champion, Iceman Parsons did not show up for a title defense against Tatum.

1986 – Akira Maeda & Osamu Kido defeat Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami, to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

1988 – Iceman Parsons defeats Kerry Von Erich (subbing for his brother Kevin), to win the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.

1991 – On a taping of WCW Worldwide (airing August 24th), Big Josh, Dustin Rhodes. & Tom Zenk defeat The Fabulous Freebirds (Badstreet, Jimmy Garvin, & Michael Hayes) to win the WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.

1991 – Bill Dundee defeats Danny Davis, to win the USWA Junior Heavyweight Championship.

1993 – At the G1 Climax, The Jurassic Powers (Hercules Hernandez & Scott Norton) defeat The Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior) to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

1994 – Smoky Mountain Wrestling’s Night of Legends event is held in Knoxville, TN, in front of 5,000 fans.

– Chris Walker defeats Richard Slinger.
– Doug Furnas defeats Killer Kyle.
– Dick Slater & Bob Orton, Jr. defeat Ronnie Garvin & The Mongolian Stomper.
– The Rock n Roll Express (Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton) defeat Brian Lee & Chris Candido, to win the SMW Tag Team Championship.
– The Thrillseekers (Chris Jericho & Lance Storm) defeat The Heavenly Bodies (Dr. Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Ray), in a Tag Team Street Fight.
– Dirty White Boy defeats Terry Gordy, via disqualification, to retain the SMW Heavyweight Championship.
– Road Warrior Hawk, Bob Armstrong, & Tracy Smothers defeat Dory Funk, Jr., Bruiser Bedlam, & Terry Funk, in a Coward Waves The Flag Match.

1995 – ECW’s Wrestlepalooza is held at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, in front of 1,150 fans.

– JT Smith defeats Hack Meyers
– Val Puccio defeats Tony Stetson via disqualification.
– In an 8-Man Tag Team Match, Dudley Dudley, Raven, Big Dick Dudley, & Stevie Richards defeat The Pitbulls (#1 & #2), Cactus Jack, & Tommy Dreamer.
– In a Six-Man Tag Team Match, Dean Malenko, Cactus Jack, & 2 Cold Scorpio defeat Eddy Guerrero and The Steiner Brothers (Scott & Rick).
– Mikey Whipwreck defeats The Sandman in a Singapore Cane Match.
– The Gangstas (Mustafa Saed & New Jack) defeat The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge), in a Stretcher Match.

1996 – The Moondogs (Spot & Rover) defeat Brickhouse Brown & Reggie B. Fine, to win the USWA World Tag Team Championship.

1996 – In the tournament final, The Great Sasuke defeats Ultimo Dragon, to become the inaugural NJPW J-Crown Champion.

1996 – In the Monday Night Wars, WCW Monday Nitro (3.0 TV rating) beats WWF Monday Night RAW (2.8 rating).

2000 – Bull Pain defeats Mitch Paige, to win the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship for the 5th time.

2006 – Ring of Honor’s Fight of the Century event is held in Edison, NJ in front of 800 fans.

– Colt Cabana defeats Sal Rinauro (with The Embassy).
– Shane Hagadorn defeats Bobby Dempsey, to retain the ROH Top of the Class Trophy.
– In a Four-Corner Survival Match, Nigel McGuinness defeats Christopher Daniels, Jay Lethal, and Claudio Castagnoli.
– In an Ultimate Endurance Four-Way Tag Match, Roderick Strong & Austin Aries defeat The Irish Airborne (Jake & Dave Crist), The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay), and Jack Evans & Matt Sydal, to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship.
– BJ Whitmer & Homicide defeat Steve Corino & Adam Pearce, via disqualification.
– KENTA defeats Davey Richards.
– Bryan Danielson fought Samoa Joe to a 60-minute time limit draw, and retains the ROH World Championship.

2008 – Atlantis, Negro Casas, & Ultimo Guerrero defeat Hector Garza, El Hijo del Fantasma, & La Mascara, to win the CMLL World Trios Championship.

2010 – On Impact!, Taylor Wilde & Hamada defeat The Beautiful People (Velvet Sky & Lacey Von Erich), to win the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship.  On the same episode, Jerry Lynn returned to TNA after being released in 2007.  Lynn announced he would have one more match against Rob Van Dam, at the ECW Reunion show Hardcore Justice, on August 8th.  It was announced August 7th however, that Lynn would be unable to compete in the event due to a back injury.  RVD would face Sabu instead.

2011 – WWE releases a number of talents:  Melina, Vladimir Kozlov, Chris Masters, and David Hart Smith were let go.  Gail Kim, meanwhile, announces via Twitter, that she has quit WWE.  This comes four days after Kim eliminated herself from a #1 Contender’s Battle Royal for the Divas Championship.  She was instructed to eliminate herself within the first minute, but chose to do so as soon as the match began.  Kim was not officially released by WWE until September 30th.  She vows never to re-sign with WWE, feeling female talent was being held back.

2013 – On Monday Night RAW, Cody Rhodes returns the Money In the Bank briefcase to it’s rightful owner, Damien Sandow.  However Rhodes did not return the soaking-wet paper contract, for a World Heavyweight Championship match, that was inside the briefcase.  Rhodes had stolen the briefcase on the July 26th episode of SmackDown, and tossed it into the Gulf of Mexico.

2015 – There were two title changes on this evening’s Lucha Underground.  Fenix wins a 7-Way Match to become the inaugural Gift of the Gods Champion;  the match also included Aero Star, Bengala, Big Ryck, Jack Evans, King Cuerno, and Sexy Star.  Also, Mil Muertes defeats Prince Puma, to win the Lucha Underground Championship.  Both title changes had occurred four months earlier and were aired on tape delay.

2016 – Ryback announces on his Instagram account, that he and WWE had parted ways.  He’d be officially released on August 8th.  Ryback leaves after a contract dispute, frustrations over lack of equal pay for talent, and “creative frustration.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Current Heart of Shimmer Champion & Pro Wrestling Women’s Alliance Champion Shazza McKenzie (29 years old);  indy wrestler Alex Plexis (27 years old);  4-time Maryland Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Champion The Bruiser (41 years old);  tag team legend Stan Lane (64 years old);  one-time AWA World Tag Team Champion Pat Tanaka (56 years old);  former IWGP & AJPW Junior Heavyweight Champion Kendo Kashin (49 years old);  and current Pro Wrestling Zero1 NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Champion Ikuto Hidaka (45 years old).

Also, happy 70th birthday to Rick Derringer, best known for producing “Real American,” which would be Hulk Hogan’s entrance theme in WWF/E.

Today would’ve been the 102nd birthday for WWE Hall of Famer Mildred Burke.