This Day In Wrestling History – September 23rd
1974 – Tex McKenzie & Johnny Valentine defeated The Blackjacks (Lanza & Mulligan), to win the NWA American Tag Team Championship.
1975 – Jose Lothario defeats Superstar Billy Graham, to win the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship.
1986 – Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami defeat Akira Maeda & Osamu Kido, to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
1992 – New Japan Pro Wrestling abandoned the WWF Martial Arts Heavyweight Title. The Great Muta would be the final champion, having beaten Riki Choshu for the belt on August 16, 1992 in Fukuoka, Japan. The belt was mostly held by Antonio Inoki in the 70s & 80s when he would wrestle in the United States. It often went years without being defended or referred to.
1996 – In the Monday Night Wars, WCW Monday Nitro (3.4 TV rating) beats WWF Monday Night RAW (2.0 rating). On Nitro, The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock) defeat Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray), to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Over on RAW, Marc Mero defeats Faarooq, to win the vacant WWF Intercontinental Championship.
1998 – Scott Norton defeats Yuji Nagata, to win the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
1999 – Keiji Mutoh & Scott Norton defeat Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi, to win the NJPW G1 Climax Tag League.
1999 – On SmackDown, The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg & Billy Gunn) defeat The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection (The Rock & Mankind), to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.
2000 – At a house show in Lubbock, TX, Lance Storm defeats Terry Funk, to win the WCW United States Championship.
2001 – WWF Unforgiven is held in Pittsburgh, PA in front of 13,855 fans.
– Billy Gunn defeats Tommy Dreamer.
– In a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Tag Team Match, The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von) defeat The Big Show & Spike Dudley, Lance Storm & The Hurricane, and The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff), to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.
– Perry Saturn defeats Raven (with Terri Runnels).
– Christian defeats Edge, to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
– The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker & Kane) defeat KroniK (Brian Adams & Bryan Clark), to retain the WCW Tag Team Championship. This was KroniK’s last match in the WWF; Adams & Clark opted to quit rather than accept a demotion to the Heartland Wrestling Association.
– Rob Van Dam defeats Chris Jericho, to retain the WWF Hardcore Championship.
– In a Handicap Match, The Rock defeats Booker T & Shane McMahon, to retain the WCW Championship.
– Rhyno defeats Tajiri (with Torrie Wilson), to win the WCW United States Championship.
– Kurt Angle defeats Stone Cold Steve Austin, via submission, to win the WWF Championship.
2002 – On RAW, Hurri-Kane (Kane & The Hurricane) defeat The Un-Americans (Lance Storm & Christian), to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.
2002 – Mitsuharu Misawa defeats Yoshihiro Takayama, to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Also, Jun Akiyama & Akitoshi Saito defeat Wild II (Takeshi Morishima & Takeshi Rikio), to win the GHC Tag Team Championship.
2009 – Akebono & Ryota Hama defeat Minoru Suzuki & Nosawa Rongai, to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship.
2010 – At a house show in New York City, Amazing Red defeats Jay Lethal, to win the TNA X Division Championship.
2011 – Katsuhiko Nakajima defeats Kotaro Suzuki, to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship.
2015 – Kenny Omega defeats Kushida, to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
2016 – Atsushi Kotege defeats Yoshinobu Kanemaru, to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: 8-time WWF/E World Tag Team Champion Matt Hardy (43 years old); former WWE & TNA wrestler Romeo Roselli (37 years old); current ECWA Heavyweight Champion Azrieal (36 years old); former AJPW wrestler Kurt Beyer (57 years old); 7-time GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Yoshinobu Kanemaru (41 years old); GFW’s Garza Jr. (25 years old); 2-time IWGP Tag Team Champion Osamu Nishimura (46 years old); and Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane (29 years old).
Today would have been the 100th birthday for Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer, El Santo.
