This Day in Wrestling History – August 4
1966 – Fritz Von Erich defeats Johnny Valentine, to win the NWA (Texas Version) United States Heavyweight Championship.
1969 – Exactly three years later, Fritz Von Erich defeats Johnny Valentine again, to win the re-named NWA American Heavyweight Championship; though re-named it continues the lineage of the NWA (Texas) United States Heavyweight Championship.
1977 – Dick Murdoch defeats Bill Watts, to win the Tri-State Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship.
1984 – The Super Medics (I & III) defeat The Invaders (I & III), to win the WWC World Tag Team Championship.
1989 – Scott Braddock & Cactus Jack defeat Jeff Jarrett & Matt Borne, to win the WCWA World Tag Team Championship. Braddock & Cactus Jack are the final champions, as the WCCW and CWA merge to form the USWA. Braddock & Cactus Jack are recognized as the inaugural USWA World Tag Team Champions.
1990 – Lance Idol & Rick Valentine defeat Super Medics I & III, to win the WWC World Tag Team Championship.
1995 – The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Ray & Tom Prichard) defeat The Thugs (Tony Anthony & Tracy Smothers), to win the SMW Tag Team Championship. They would be the final champions before the promotion closed in November 1995.
1996 – WCW’s Kollision in Korea (Collision in Korea on the VHS release) airs on PPV. The event was taped over two days (April 28-29, 1995) at May Day Stadium, in Pyongyang, North Korea. It was a joint promotion between WCW & NJPW and was the first major appearance of an American wrestling promotion in Korea. It also set the record for the largest attendance at a wrestling event, with 340,000 people attending over the two days.
– Wild Pegasus defeats 2 Cold Scorpio.
– Yuji Nagata defeats Tokimitsu Ishizawa.
– Masahiro Chono & Hiro Saito defeat El Samurai & Tadao Yasuda.
– Bull Nakano & Akira Hokuto defeated Manami Toyota & Mariko Yoshida
– Shinya Hashimoto fought Scott Norton to a time-limit draw, to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
– Road Warrior Hawk defeats Tadao Yasuda.
– The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeat Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki.
– Antonio Inoki defeats Ric Flair.
1997 – In the Monday Night Wars, WCW Monday Nitro (4.4 TV rating) beats WWF RAW IS WAR (2.7 rating). On Nitro, Lex Luger defeats Hollywood Hulk Hogan, to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
2000 – In the finals of a 16-Team Tournament, Los Guerreros del Infierno (Rey Bucanero & Ultimo Guerrero) defeat Mr. Niebla & Villano IV, to win the vacant CMLL World Tag Team Championship.
2002 – At a house show in Pittsburgh, Bradshaw defeats Tommy Dreamer, to win the WWE Hardcore Championship. With the 24/7 Rule in effect, Bradshaw would lose the title back to Dreamer, before the end of the night.
2005 – Ring of Honor’s Time to Man Up event is held in Lake Grove, NY in front of 700 fans.
– Bryan Danielson defeats Jack Evans.
– Matt Sydal & Christopher Daniels (with Allison Danger) defeat Irish Airborne (Dave & Jake Crist)
– Colt Cabana defeats Claudio Castagnoli.
– In an Ultimate Endurance Four-Way Tag Team Match, Austin Aries & Roderick Strong defeat The Embassy (Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro), The Rottweilers (Ricky Reyes & Homicide), and BJ Whitmer & Adam Pearce, to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship.
– Nigel McGuinness defeats Delirious, to retain the ROH Pure Championship.
– The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay) defeat Davey Richards & KENTA.
– Samoa Joe defeats AJ Styles.
2008 – On WWE RAW, Batista & John Cena defeat Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase, Jr., to win the World Tag Team Championship.
2011 – The Amazing Red announces on Twitter that he has left TNA Wrestling, citing that creative had no storyline for him.
2016 – On Impact Wrestling, James Storm defeats Eli Drake, to win the TNA King of the Mountain Championship.
2019 – HAYATA defeats Minoru Tanaka to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title.
2020 – Ken-o defeats Katsuhiko Nakajima to win the GHC National Title.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: UK wrestler Violet O’Hara (33 years old); 5-time TNA X Division Champion, 2-time ROH World Tag Team Champion and inaugural AEW Tag Team Champion Frankie Kazarian (45 years old); 4-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion & 2-time WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko (62 years old); current CMLL wrestler Acero (38 years old); and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Famer Kensuke Sasaki (56 years old).
Today would have been the 90th birthday for southern wrestling star Tiger Conway, Sr.
