This Day In Wrestling History – February 4th
Happy birthday to Chris Sabin. (photo credit: Lee South/Impact Wrestling)
1965 – Gene Kiniski & Waldo Von Erich defeat Luke Graham & Dr. Jerry Graham, to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship.
1969 – Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki defeat Danny Hodge & Wilbur Snyder, to win the Japan Wrestling Association’s version, of the NWA International Tag Team Championship.
1984 – Angelo Mosca, Jr. defeats Ivan Koloff, to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship.
1986 – Gino Hernandez, one-half of the popular WCCW Tag Team ‘The Dynamic Duo,’ is found dead in his apartment in Highland Park, Texas. He had actually died 2-3 days earlier. Initially ruled a homicide, autopsy reports would confirm Hernandez died of a cocaine overdose. Gino Hernandez was 28 at the time of his death.
1987 – Long-time entertainer Liberace dies from pneumonia, at the age of 67. His ties to wrestling include being guest timekeeper for the main event of WrestleMania I in 1985, and appearing on Saturday Night Live the night before. The SNL episode was being hosted by Mr. T and Hulk Hogan.
1990 – Two-time World Heavyweight Champion, ‘Whipper’ Billy Watson, dies from heart failure, at the age of 74.
1995 – Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler defeats The Dirty White Boy, to win the Smoky Mountain Wrestling Heavyweight Championship.
1995 – In a Double Tables Match, Sabu & The Tazmaniac defeat The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock), to win the ECW World Tag Team Championship.
1996 – On this evening’s WCW Main Event, Konnan defeats One Man Gang, to win the United States Championship
2001 – At WOW Unleashed, Caged Heat (Delta Lotta Pain & Loca) defeat Harley’s Angels (Easy Ryder & Thug), to become the inaugural Women of Wrestling Tag Team Champions.
2001 – At a house show in Columbia, NC, K-Kwik pins Raven, to become the new WWF Hardcore Champion. With the 24/7 rule in effect, Crash Holly pins K-Kwik, to win the title. Crash Holly would later get pinned by Raven, who regains the title by the end of the night.
2002 – On RAW, Jazz defeats Trish Stratus, to win the WWF Women’s Championship.
2004 – On TNA’s weekly pay-per-view, AJ Styles & Abyss defeat The Red Shirt Security (Joe Legend & Kevin Northcutt), to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. This also marks the TNA debut of ‘The Lone Star’ Dustin Rhodes (aka ‘Goldust’ in WWE). His contract with WWE had expired in December 2003.
2004 – Zach Gowen, who became a professional wrestler despite using a prosthetic leg, is released from his WWE contract, allegedly due to attitude problems.
2008 – Bobby Lashley is released from his WWE contract. During his first stint in WWE, Lashley was a two-time ECW Champion and had one reign as United States Champion. Lashley returned to WWE in 2018. Also released from his contract on this date was Michael DePoli, aka Roadkill, for selling unauthorized WWE merchandise.
2013 – It is announced on Monday Night RAW, that Bruno Sammartino will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania Weekend.
2016 – Former ECW star Axl Rotten is found dead in a McDonald’s bathroom in Maryland. Axl had died at the age of 44 after a heroin overdose.
2017 – Space Monkey defeats The Whisper, to win the CHIKARA Young Lions Cup.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Former TNA and ROH World Tag Team Champion, Chris Sabin (38 years old); former Chikara Young Lions Cup Champion, Vin Gerard (34 years old); 2-time Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) Tag Team Champion, David E. Jones (37 years old); ROH & CMLL performer, Bryon ‘Big Daddy Yumyum’ Wilcott (39 years old); former English wrestler & promoter Stevie Knight (44 years old); AAA luchadora Star Fire (28 years old); and past RAW guest host, actor Rob Corddry (49 years old).
Today is also the 61st birthday for NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. Taylor wrestled and defeated, Bam Bam Bigelow, at WrestleMania XI.
