This Day In Wrestling History – July 10th

Happy birthday to WWE Hall of Famer, Bobo Brazil. (Photo credit: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.)

1967 – The Sicilians (Lou Albano & Tony Altimore) defeat Arnold Skaaland & Chuck Richards, to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship.  Richards was subbing for Spiro Arion.

1985 – Dutch Mantel defeats The Snowman, to win the Mid-South Wrestling Television Championship.

1988 – NWA’s Great American Bash is held in Baltimore, MD, in front of 13,000 fans.  It marked the return to the original format of the Bash, after two years of tour-based events.  The 1988 event was the first to air on pay-per-view.

Dark Match:
– Rick Steiner & Dick Murdoch defeat Kendall Windham & Tim Horner;  this aired on NWA’s Main Event program on July 27, 1988.
PPV:
– Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (with J.J. Dillon) fought Sting & Nikita Koloff to a time-limit draw;  Anderson & Blanchard retain the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
– The Midnight Express (Stan Lane & Bobby Eaton) (with Jim Cornette) defeat The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton), to win the NWA United States Tag Team Championship.
– In a Ten-Man Tower of Doom Match, The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk), Ronnie Garvin, Steve Williams, and Jimmy Garvin defeat Mike Rotunda, Kevin Sullivan, The Russian Assassin, Ivan Koloff, and Al Perez.
– Barry Windham (with J.J. Dillon) defeats Dusty Rhodes, to retain the NWA United States Championship.
– Ric Flair (with J.J. Dillon) defeats Lex Luger, to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.  The match was stopped due to excessive bleeding from Luger.

1998 – WCW holds The L.A. Melee at the Great Western Forum, in Inglewood, CA, in front of 15,678 fans.  The event was also available over the internet as an audio pay-per-view, where fans could listen to live, streaming commentary.  The event was held two days before WCW’s annual Bash at the Beach.

– World Television Champion Booker T defeats Fit Finlay.
– Eddie Guerrero defeats Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
– In a Six-Man Tag Team Match, Juventud Guerrera, Psychosis, & Ciclope defeat Damien, Villano IV, & Villano V
– Ultimo Dragon defeats Dean Malenko, via count-out.
– Chris Jericho defeats Rey Mysterio, Jr. via disqualification, to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
– Konnan defeats Vincent, via submission.
– Kevin Nash & Lex Luger defeat Bret Hart & The Giant, via disqualification.
– Goldberg defeats Curt Hennig, to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
– Sting defeats Hollywood Hogan, in a Steel Cage Match.

2000 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (6.0 TV rating) beats WCW Monday Nitro (2.6 rating)

2004 – Sonjay Dutt defeats Roderick Strong, to win Combat Zone Wrestling’s Best of the Best Tournament.

2004 – In a Loser Leaves Town Steel Cage Match, Frankie Kazarian defeats Adam Pearce, to win the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Championship.

2004 – Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeats Jushin Thunder Liger, to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship.

2007 – The word “smackdown” is included in Webster’s Dictionary, defined as:

• The act of knocking down or bringing down an opponent.
• A contest in entertainment wrestling.
• A decisive defeat.
• A confrontation between rivals or competitors.

2008 – On Impact!, Taylor Wilde defeats Awesome Kong, to win Kong’s $25,000 Fan Challenge AND Kong’s TNA Women’s Knockouts Championship.

2010 – Acid-Fest: A Tribute to Trent Acid is held at the old ECW Arena in Philadelphia.  The event was co-promoted by Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) and Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW).  The show was held in honor of Trent Acid, who died of an accidental drug overdose at his home in Philadelphia, less than a month before.

– Helter Skelter (with Missy Hyatt) wins the Trent Acid Memorial Battle Royal, last eliminating Big Vito.
– The Softcore Connection (Nick Berk & Z-Barr) defeat Robby Mireno & Don Montoya (with Reckless Youth)
– In a Six-Person Tag Team Match, Acid’s Angels (Amy Lee, Missy Sampson, & Annie Social) defeat Alere Little Feather, Roxxie Cotton, and Detox.
– In a Four-Way Tag Team Scramble Elimination Match, The S.A.T. (Jose & Joel Maximo) defeat The Carnage Crew (HC Loc & Tony DeVito), Da Hit Squad (Monsta Mack & Mafia), and The H8 Club (Nick Cage & Nate Hatred).
– Homicide & B-Boy defeat Ruckus & Sonjay Dutt.
– Johnny Kashmere (with Matt Walsh & Donnie B.) defeats Devon Moore (with Annie Social).

2011 – TNA’s Destination X is held in Orlando, in front of 1,100 fans.  In a hark back to the early days of TNA, all matches were exclusively X Division matches.

– Kazarian defeats Samoa Joe.
– Douglas Williams (with Rob Terry & Magnus) defeats Mark Haskins, in an Open Challenge Match
– Shark Boy & Eric Young defeat Generation Me (Max & Jeremy Buck).
– In an Ultimate X Match, Alex Shelley defeats Amazing Red, Robbie E., and Shannon Moore.  Shelley becomes the #1 contender for the X Division Championship.
– Rob Van Dam defeats Jerry Lynn
– In the Four-Way X Division Showcase tournament final, Austin Aries defeats Jack Evans, Zema Ion, and Low Ki;  Aries’ victory earns him a contract with TNA Wrestling.
– Brian Kendrick defeats Abyss, to win the TNA X Division Championship.
– AJ Styles defeats Christopher Daniels.

2011 – Go Shiozaki defeats Takashi Sugiura, to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship.

2012 – The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King) are stripped of the ROH Tag Team Championship;  Ring of Honor severed ties with Kenny King, after a contract dispute.

2014 – On Impact Wrestling, Austin Aries defeats Sanada, to win the TNA X Division Championship for the 5th time.

2015 – At EVOLVE 45, Timothy Thatcher defeats Drew Galloway, to win both the EVOLVE Championship and the Dragon Gate USA ‘Open the Freedom Gate’ Championship.  Galloway had held both titles simultaneously.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  WWF’s longest-reigning Light Heavyweight Champion, Gillberg (59 years old);  2-time USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion, Billy Jack Haynes (65 years old);  CZW wrestler, Isiah Kassidy (21 years old);  indie wrestler, Ashton Vuitton (27 years old);  current Girl Fight Champion, Hudson Envy (28 years old);  and 2-time Wrestlepro Suicidal 6-Way Champion, The Drunken Swashbuckler (32 years old).

Today would’ve been the 52nd birthday for 4-time ECW World Tag Team Champion Johnny Grunge, and the 94th birthday for WWE Hall of Famer Bobo Brazil.