This Day In Wrestling History – October 26th

1982 – Jules & Chief Jay Strongbow defeat Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito, to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.

1986 – John Tatum & Jack Victory defeat The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton), to win the UWF Tag Team Championship.

1997 – WCW Halloween Havoc is held in Las Vegas, in front of 12,457 fans.

– Yuji Nagata (with Sonny Onoo) defeats Ultimo Dragon.
– Chris Jericho defeats Gedo.
– In a Title vs. Mask Match, Rey Mysterio, Jr. defeats Eddy Guerrero, to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
– Alex Wright (with Debra) defeats Steve McMichael.  Wright replaced Jeff Jarrett in this match;  Jarrett had recently left WCW after his contract expired and had moved on to the WWF.
– Jacqueline defeats Disco Inferno.
– United States Champion Curt Hennig defeats Ric Flair by disqualification, to retain the title.
– Lex Luger defeats Scott Hall (with Syxx).  Larry Zbyszko was the special guest referee.
– Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeats Diamond Dallas Page, in a Las Vegas Sudden Death Match.
– Roddy Piper defeats Hollywood Hogan in a Steel Cage Match.

1998 – In the Monday Night Wars, WCW Monday Nitro (5.1 TV rating) beats WWF RAW IS WAR (4.5 rating).  It was the final time Nitro beat RAW head-to-head in the ratings.  Nitro earned a high rating due in part, to airing the World Championship match from the previous night’s Halloween Havoc, between Goldberg & Diamond Dallas Page.  Most pay-per-view providers had cut the feed at 11pm ET, just as the match was starting.   Also happening on Nitro, DDP (who lost to Goldberg at Halloween Havoc) defeats Bret Hart, to win the WCW United States Championship.  And Rick Steiner chooses Kenny Kaos as his partner to hold the WCW Tag Team Titles.   Steiner & Buff Bagwell had defeated Scott Steiner & The Giant, to win the tag team titles one night earlier at Halloween Havoc.   However, Bagwell turned on Steiner during the match, allowing Steiner to pick a new partner.

2001 – World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) holds its first major event, titled ‘The Inception.’  The event, featuring a one-night tournament to crown their inaugural Heavyweight Champion, was held in Sydney, Australia in front of 8,500 fans.  This was the first of five pay-per-views produced by WWA.

– In a Ladder Match, Juventud Guerrera defeats Psicosis, to win the WWA International Cruiserweight Championship.  Guerrera also advances in the Heavyweight Championship Tournament.
– Road Dogg defeats Konnan in a Dog Collar Match, and advances in the Heavyweight Championship Tournament.
– Norman Smiley defeats Crowbar in a Hardcore Match.
– Buff Bagwell wins a Open Invitation Battle Royal to advance in the Heavyweight Championship Tournament.  Notable participants were announcers Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler & Jeremy Borash, two referees, a cameraman, and the ring announcer.
– Jeff Jarrett defeats Nathan Jones, in a Guitar on a Pole Match.  Jarrett advances in the Heavyweight Championship Tournament.
– In a Two-on-One Handicap Match, Road Dogg defeats The West Hollywood Blondes (Lenny Lane & Lodi), to win his semi-final match of the Heavyweight Championship Tournament.
– In the other semi-final match, Jeff Jarrett defeats Buff Bagwell, in a Tits, Whips, and Buff Match.
– Gangrel defeats Luna Vachon, in a Black Wedding Match.
– In a 4-Way Skin to Win Match, Adara James defeats Danny Dominion, Queen Bea, and Violet Terossi.
– In the main event, Jeff Jarrett defeats Road Dogg, in a Steel Cage Match, to become the inaugural WWA World Heavyweight Championship.

2002 – The NWA 54th Anniversary Show is held in Corpus Christi, Texas.  Thirteen matches were on the card;  the event took place over one day, while other Anniversary Shows were typically spread out over two days.

– Jacey North defeats Brother Love.
– Ryan Pisiak defeats Dagon Briggs, in a Hair vs. Hair Match.
– The East Coast Connection (Sick Dog & Joe Wolfen) defeat Rickey Murdock & Wolfen.
– Spyder defeats Paul Tracey, to retain the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship.
– Biggie Biggs defeats Preston Quinn, to retain the NWA Jersey Heavyweight Championship.
– In a Texas Death Match, J.P. Black, to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.
– Johnny Moss defeats Danny Garnell, to retain the NWA United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship.
– Char Starr defeats Madison, to win the NWA World Women’s Championship.
– Jorge Estrada defeats Paul Atlas, to win the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship.
– In a non-title match, Konnan defeats NWA Midwest Heavyweight Champion Danny Dominion.
– America’s Most Wanted (James Storm & Chris Harris) defeat AJ Styles & Rocky Reynolds, to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
– Ron Killings defeats Hotstuff Hernandez, to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

2002 – WWE Rebellion is held in Manchester, England in front of 13,416 fans.  This was the first pay-per-view promoted under the SmackDown brand.  It was also the final Rebellion event produced by WWF/E.

Dark Match:
– Bill DeMott defeats Shannon Moore.
Rebellion PPV:
– Booker T defeats Matt Hardy.
– In a Mixed Tag Team Match, Torrie Wilson & Billy Kidman defeat Dawn Marie & John Cena.
– Funaki defeats Crash Holly.
– In a Triple Threat Match, Jamie Noble (with Nidia) defeats Rey Mysterio and Tajiri, to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
– Reverend D-Von & Ron Simmons defeat Chuck Palumbo & Val Venis.
– Rikishi defeats Albert.
– Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle defeat Los Guerreros (Chavo & Eddie Guerrero), to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– In a Handicap Match, Brock Lesnar defeats Paul Heyman & Edge, to retain the WWE Championship.

2008 – WWE Cyber Sunday is held in Phoenix in front of 7,981 fans. To date this is the last Cyber Sunday / Taboo Tuesday event to be held.  Fans voted on certain aspects of the matches, with the results announced live on the show.

Exclusive WWE.com Match:
– Shelton Benjamin defeats R-Truth, to retain the WWE United States Championship.  Fans voted on Benjamin’s opponent, with Festus & MVP also receiving votes.
Cyber Sunday PPV:
– Rey Mysterio defeats Kane, in a fan-voted No Holds Barred Match.
– Matt Hardy defeats Evan Bourne, to retain the ECW Championship.  Bourne was voted by the fans over Mark Henry & Finlay.
– John Morrison & The Miz defeat Cryme Tyme (Shad Gaspard & JTG).  Fans voted for this match over both an inter-gender match, between William Regal & Layla, and Jamie Noble & Mickie James, and a World Tag Team Championship match between Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase and CM Punk & Kofi Kingston.
– The Honky Tonk Man defeats Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella (with Beth Phoenix), by disqualification;  Marella retains the title.  Honky Tonk Man was voted as Marella’s opponent over Roddy Piper & Goldust.
– The Undertaker defeats The Big Show, in a fan-voted Last Man Standing Match.
– Triple H defeats Jeff Hardy, to retain the WWE Championship.  Hardy was voted by the fans over Vladimir Kozlov, as Triple H’s opponent.
–Batista defeats Chris Jericho, to win the World Heavyweight Championship.  Fans voted Stone Cold Steve Austin to be the special guest referee.

2009 – NASCAR stars Joey Logano & Kyle Busch guest-host Monday Night RAW in Buffalo.

2012 – The Special Assault Team (Akitoshi Saito & Go Shiozaki) defeat No Mercy (Maybach Taniguchi & KENTA), to win the GHC Tag Team Championship.

2014 – WWE Hell in a Cell is held in Dallas, in front of 15,303 fans.

Pre-Show:
– Mark Henry defeats Bo Dallas.  The pre-show also included a special edition of Mizdow TV, hosted by Damien Mizdow, with The Miz as the special guest.
Hell in a Cell PPV:
– In a Two-Out-of-Three Falls Match, Dolph Ziggler defeats Cesaro (2-0), to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
– Nikki Bella defeats Brie Bella, which forces Brie to become Nikki’s assistant for 30 days;  Brie would’ve been fired had she refused.
– Gold & Stardust defeat The Usos (Jimmy & Jey), to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– In a Hell in a Cell Match, John Cena defeats Randy Orton, to become the  #1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
– Sheamus defeats The Miz (with Damien Mizdow), to retain the United States Championship.
– Rusev (with Lana) defeats Big Show, via submission.
– AJ Lee defeats Paige (with Alicia Fox), via submission.
– Seth Rollins (with Joey Mercury & Jamie Noble) defeats Dean Ambrose, in a Hell in a Cell Match.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  Former WWE Diva Rochelle Loewen (38 years old);  former WWF wrestler & 3-time USWA Tag Team Champion, Robert ‘The Kurrgan’ Maillet (48 years old);  former WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku (44 years old);  3-time AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Austin Idol (68 years old);  former WCW & ECW Tag Team Champion Kevin Sullivan (68 years old);  2-time SHIMMER Tag Team Champion Portia Perez (30 years old);  4-time NWA World Light Heavyweight Champion & 5-time World Middleweight Champion, El Satanico (58 years old);  former RAW guest host Jon Heder (40 years old);  and WWE Triple Crown Champion CM Punk (39 years old).

Today would’ve been the 53rd birthday for former pro wrestler & valet, Nicole Bass.  Today would’ve been the 79th birthday for NWA legend Ron Wright.  And oday would’ve also been the 64th birthday, for 3-time AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion & 4-time AWA Southern Tag Team Champion, Troy ‘The Dream Machine’ Graham.