This Day In Wrestling History – April 19th

Happy birthday, Maxine!

1980 – Ric Flair defeats Jimmy Snuka, to win the NWA (Mid-Atlantic) United States Championship.

1986 – The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal) win the inaugural Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, defeating Ronnie Garvin & Magnum T.A. in the tournament final.

1992 – WWF holds its second annual UK Rampage event in Sheffield, England, in front of 8,000 fans.

– Tatanka defeats Skinner.
– The Legion of Doom (Animal & Hawk) defeat Dino Bravo & Colonel Mustafa.
– Sid Justice (with Harvey Wippleman) defeats The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer), via countout.
– WWF Champion Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeats Shawn Michaels (with Sensational Sherri), to retain the title
– The Mountie (with Jimmy Hart) defeats Virgil.
– WWF Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart defeats Rick Martel, to retain the title.
– Jim Duggan defeats Repo Man via disqualification.
– The British Bulldog defeats WWF Tag Team Champion Irwin R. Schyster (with Jimmy Hart).

1993 – Sherri Martel defeats Miss Texas, to win the USWA Women’s Championship;  the decision was later reversed.

1997 – Jersey All Pro Wrestling is founded as the Northern States Wrestling Alliance.  The promotion changed to its current name three months later.  Elsewhere, The Truth Commission (Recon & The Interrogator) defeat The Shooting Stars (Jerry Faith & Troy Haste), to win the USWA World Tag Team Championship.

1997 – The AJPW Champion Carnival saw a 3-way tie for first place, between Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, and Mitsuharu Misawa.  In a one–night round robin playoff, Kawada is declared the winner.

1997 – Toshie Uematsu defeats Malia Hosaka, to become the inaugural WCW Women’s Cruiserweight Champion.

1998 – WCW Spring Stampede is held in Denver, CO in front of 7,428 fans.

– Goldberg defeats Saturn (with Kidman), to earn a United States Championship match the following night on Nitro, against Raven.
– Ultimo Dragon defeats Chavo Guerrero, Jr. (with Eddie Guerrero).
– Booker T defeats Chris Benoit, to retain the WCW Television Championship.
– Curt Hennig (with Rick Rude) defeats The British Bulldog (with Jim Neidhart).
– Chris Jericho defeats Prince Iaukea, to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
– In a Tag Team Match, Rick Steiner & Lex Luger defeat Buff Bagwell & Scott Steiner.
– Psychosis defeats La Parka.
– Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash defeat Roddy Piper & The Giant, in a Baseball Bat on a Pole Match.
– Raven defeats Diamond Dallas Page, in a Raven’s Rules Match, to win the WCW United States Championship.
– In a No Disqualification Match, Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeats Sting, to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

1999 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (6.1 TV rating) beats WCW Monday Nitro (4.1 rating).  On Nitro, Psychosis defeat Rey Misterio, Jr, Blitzkrieg, and Juventud Guerrera, in a Four-Way Match, to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

2001 – On SmackDown, Rhyno defeats Kane, to win the WWF Hardcore Championship.  Also, The Brothers of Destruction (Kane & The Undertaker) defeat Edge & Christian, to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.

2002 – At a house show in Uniondale, NY, the WWF Hardcore Title 24/7 Rule sees the belt pass from Bubba Ray Dudley to Goldust, to Raven, and back to Bubba Ray.

2002 – In a Three-Way Match, Colt Cabana defeats Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk, to win the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship.

2004 – On WWE RAW, Chris Benoit & Edge defeat Evolution (Ric Flair & Batista), to win the World Tag Team Championship.

2007 – Former WWE developmental territory Deep South Wrestling in Georgia suspends operations, shortly after WWE ended its relationship with the group.

2009 – TNA Lockdown is held at the Liacouras Center, on the campus of Temple University, in Philadelphia.  As with all Lockdown events of this time, all matches were held within a cage.  The event drew 4,500 fans.

Pre-Show:
– Eric Young defeats Danny Bonaduce (yes, The Partridge Family’s Danny Bonaduce).
PPV:
– In an Xscape Match, Suicide defeats Jay Lethal, Consequences Creed, Sheik Abdul Bashir, and Kiyoshi, to retain the TNA X Division Championship.
– ODB (with Cody Deaner) defeats Daffney, Madison Rayne, and Sojourner Bolt, to win the Queen of the Cage Match.
– In a Three-Way Tornado Tag Team Match, The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) defeat The LAX (Homicide & Hernandez), and No Limit (Naito & Yujiro), to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
– Matt Morgan defeats Abyss, in a Doomsday Chamber of Blood Match.
–In a Three-Way Match, Angelina Love (with Velvet Sky) defeats Awesome Kong (with Raisha Saeed), and Taylor Wilde, to win the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship.
– In a Title vs Title Match Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon) defeat Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm & Robert Roode), to retain the IWGP Tag Team Titles AND win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.  This was a Winner Take All Philadelphia Street Fight.
– In a Lethal Lockdown Match, Team Jarrett (Jeff Jarrett, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, & Christopher Daniels) defeats Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Scott Steiner, Booker T, & Kevin Nash) (with Sharmell).
– Mick Foley defeats Sting, to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

2010 – Monday Night RAW becomes Monday Night SmackDown, as the RAW roster is stuck in Belfast, Ireland after the volcanic eruptions in Iceland cause massive flight cancellations.  SmackDown stars filled in for the show, and Lilian Garcia filled in as ring announcer.  The only RAW stars in attendance were Triple H, Vladimir Kozlov, and Carlito.  This week’s RAW guest hosts were ‘MacGruber’ stars Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, and Will Forte.

In the second edition of the Monday Night Wars, WWE RAW (3.05 TV rating) beats a live edition of TNA Impact! (0.95 rating).  On Impact!, Rob Van Dam defeats A.J. Styles, to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

2014 – Pentagon Jr. & Sexy Star defeat Drago & Faby Apache, to win the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Indy wrestler Jonny Storm (41 years old);  former FCW Florida Tag Team Champion, Jake Carter (32 years old);  former WSU Champion Nikki Roxx aka “Roxxi” (39 years old);  2-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Samurai (52 years old);  and former WWE Diva Maxine (32 years old).

Today would’ve been the 84rd birthday for NWA legend Ox Baker.