This Day In Wrestling History – August 20th

1954 – In a two-out-of-three falls match against titleholder Mildred Burke, June Byers is awarded the NWA World Women’s Championship.  The match is stopped after the time limit of sixty minutes occurs in the middle of the second fall.  Since Byers won the first fall, she is declared the new champion.  Mildred Burke decides to go back to the World Women’s Wrestling Association, and she would continue to recognize herself as champion in that promotion.

1963 – The Crusher & Dick the Bruiser defeat The Kalmikoffs (Ivan & Karol), to win the AWA World Tag Team Championship.

1968 – Don Carson & The Red Shadow defeat Jackie Fargo & Lou Thesz, to win the Mid-Southern Tag Team Championship.  Also, The Spoiler defeats Grizzly Smith, to win the vacant NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.

1969 – Johnny Valentine defeats Jose Lothario, to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.

1976 – Seigfreid Steinke defeats Rocky Johnson,, to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.

1984 – The Nightmares (Danny Davis & Ken Wayne) defeat The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton), to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.

1987 – Kuniaki Kobayashi defeats Nobuhiko Takada, to win the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

1988 – Carlos Colon defeats Ron Starr, to win the WWC Television Championship.

1996 – On a taping of WCW Saturday Night, Lord Steven Regal defeats Lex Luger, to win the WCW World Television Championship (aired on August 31st).

2003 – In the first-ever Ultimate X Match, Michael Shane defeats Chris Sabin and Frankie Kazarian, to win the TNA X Division Championship.

2006 – WWE’s 19th annual SummerSlam is held in Boston, in front of 16,168 fans.

Dark Match:
– Carlito defeats Rob Conway.
SummerSlam:
– Chavo Guerrero defeats Rey Mysterio.
– In an Extreme Rules Match, The Big Show defeats Sabu, to retain the ECW World Championship.
– Hulk Hogan defeats Randy Orton.  This would be Hogan’s final match in WWE.
– Ric Flair defeated Mick Foley in an ‘I Quit’ Match.
– Batista defeats World Heavyweight Champion King Booker via disqualification;  Booker retains the title.
– D-Generation X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) defeat Vince & Shane McMahon.
– Edge (with Lita) defeats John Cena, to retain the WWE Championship.

2008 – Gail Kim leaves TNA Wrestling to join WWE.

2010 – Alberto Del Rio makes his television debut on WWE SmackDown.  He would compete in the main event, defeating Rey Mysterio via submission (cross armbreaker).  Ricardo Rodriguez also debuts, as Del Rio’s personal ring announcer.

2011 – Matt Hardy was arrested by a North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper, after having run his car off the road and striking a tree.  Hardy, who was alone at the time, was not injured.  The trooper arrested Hardy after “observing signs of impairment.”  TNA Wrestling releases Hardy the same day;  he was already under suspension for showing up late to live events, and for a video he had posted online that showed him using a Taser.

2014 – TNA airs Impact Wrestling: Hardcore Justice from the Grand Ballroom in New York.  This aired as Impact’s weekly episode, rather than as a pay-per-view like in past years.  Due to giving fans only a one-week notice that Impact Wrestling was moving from Thursdays to Wednesdays, Hardcore Justice suffered in the ratings.  The show averaged 852,000 viewers and a 0.65 TV rating.
– In a Stairway to Janice match, Bram defeats Abyss.
– Samoa Joe defeats Low Ki, to retain the TNA X Division Championship.
– Mr. Anderson defeats Samuel Shaw in an ‘I Quit’ Match.
– In a Last Knockout Standing Match, Gail Kim defeats Angelina Love, to retain the Knockouts Championship.
– With a future TNA World Heavyweight Championship match on the line, six men battle in a Six Sides of Steel Cage Match; Bobby Roode, Eric Young, Austin Aries, Magnus, James Storm, and Gunner.  The match ends in a split decision between Bobby Roode and Eric Young; both had climbed over the cage and hit the floor at the same time.  Roode would defeat Young in a #1 Contender match, two weeks later.

2016 – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II is held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, in front of 15,671 fans.  The event featured the NXT in-ring debuts of Bobby Roode and Ember Moon.

– Austin Aries defeats No Way Jose, via submission.
– Ember Moon defeats Billie Kay.
– Bobby Roode defeats Andrade Almas.
– The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) defeat DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa), to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship.
– Asuka defeats Bayley, to retain the NXT Women’s Championship.  This was Bayley’s final NXT match;  she would move to the main roster of Monday Night RAW two nights later.
– Shinsuke Nakamura defeats Samoa Joe, to win the NXT Championship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  former WWF wrestler Tori (53 years old);  SmackDown Live commentator Byron Saxton (36 years old);  NXT wrestler Nick Miller (32 years old, known as ‘Mikey Nicholls’ in Pro Wrestling NOAH);  indy wrestler Ashley Sixx (34 years old);  5-time AWA Southern Tag Team Champion Rip Morgan (60 years old);  and WrestleMania 33 guest ring announcer Al Roker (63 years old).