Today In Wrestling History- April 3rd

Trivia

2012 – WWE dropped Randy Orton from “The Marine: Homefront”, which was slated to begin filming this June in Vancouver, British Columbia following complaints that Orton, who went AWOL from the Marines & was dishonorably discharged. He would later be replaced by The Miz

Events

In 2004, The East Coast Wrestling Association held its 8th-annual Super 8 Tournament at Saint Matthews Parish Hall in Wilmington, Delaware:

– Austin Aries defeated Shawn Daivari in a Super 8 Tournament 1st round match
– ECWA Heavyweight Champion Mike Kruel defeated Ricky Reyes in a Super 8 Tournament 1st round match to retain the title
– Christopher Daniels defeated Rocky Romero in a Super 8 Tournament 1st round match
– John Walters defeated Nicho el Milionario (Psicosis) in a Super 8 Tournament 1st round match
– Christopher Daniels defeated ECWA Heavyweight Champion Mike Kruel in a Super 8 Tournament semifinal match to win the title
– Austin Aries defeated John Walters in a Super 8 Tournament semifinal match
– Matt Striker and ECWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Ace Darling won a Tag Team Summit battle royal to earn an immediate ECWA Tag Team Title match
– ECWA Tag Team Champions The Valedictorians (Billy Bax & Rob Eckos) defeated Matt Striker & ECWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Ace Darling to retain the title
– ECWA Heavyweight Champion Christopher Daniels defeated Austin Aries to retain the title and win the Super 8 Tournament, and become the 1st two-time winner of the tournament

In 2005, WWE Wrestlemania 21 was held at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. It was dubbed “Wrestlemania Goes Hollywood.” With an attendance of 20,193:

Dark Match:
– Booker T won a 30-man interpromotional battle royal by last eliminating Chris Masters
PPV:
– Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Eddie Guerrero
– Edge wins the 1st ever Money In The Bank Ladder Match defeating Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Christian (with Tyson Tomko), & Kane
– The Undertaker defeated Randy Orton (with Bob Orton)
– Trish Stratus defeated Christy Hemme (with Lita) to retain the WWE Women’s Title
– Kurt Angle defeated Shawn Michaels in what was to be the Match Of The Year
– Akebono defeated The Big Show in a Sumo Match
– John Cena defeated JBL to win the WWE Title
– Batista defeated Triple H to win the World Heavyweight Title

In 2010, ROH The Big Bang PPV was held at the Grady Cole Center, in Charlotte, North Carolina. With an attendance of 800:

Dark Match:
– Grizzly Redwood & The Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lance Bravado) defeated Mr. Ernesto Osiris, KC McKnight, & Zack Sabre Jr.
PPV:
– Davey Richards defeated Kenny King (with Rhett Titus) in a Pick 6 Series Match
– Necro Butcher defeated Erick Stevens (with Ernesto Osiris & Prince Nana) in a Butcher’s Rules Match
– Cassandro el Exotico defeated Rhett Titus
– El Generico & Colt Cabana defeated Steve Corino & Kevin Steen via DQ
– The Kings Of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) defeated The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay) to win the ROH Tag Team Titles
– Tyler Black defeated Roderick Strong & Austin Aries in a Triple Threat Elimination Match to retain the ROH World Title
– Blue Demon Jr & Magno defeated Super Parka & Misterioso

In 2011, Wrestlemania XXVII was held at the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta, Georgia. The Rock made his 1st Wrestlemania appearance in 7 years, as the host. This was the 1st Mania to see both main champions retain their titles. With an attendance of 71,617:

Dark Match:
– Sheamus fought Daniel Bryan to a no-contest in a Lumberjack Match to retain the WWE United States Title
– The Great Khali won a 23-man battle royal. Last eliminating Sheamus
PPV:
– Edge (with Christian) defeated Alberto Del Rio (Brodus Clay & Ricardo Rodriguez) to retain the World Heavyweight Title
– Cody Rhodes defeated Rey Mysterio Jr.
– Kane, Santino Marella, The Big Show, & Kofi Kingston defeated The Corre (Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, Heath Slater, & Justin Gabriel) in a 8-man tag team match
– Randy Orton defeated CM Punk
– Michael Cole (Jack Swagger) defeated Jerry Lawler (with Jim Ross) via DQ with Steve Austin as special guest referee
– The Undertaker defeated Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match
– Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, Trish Stratus & John Morrison defeated Dolph Ziggler & LayCool (Layla & Michelle McCool) (with Vickie Guerrero)
– The Miz (with Alex Riley) defeated John Cena to retain the WWE Title. Originally, the match was a draw by double countout, but guest host The Rock ordered that the match be restarted under No-DQ Rules. The Rock took out Cena & Miz scored the pinfall to win

Title Changes

1903 – Tom Jenkins defeated Dan McLeod to win the American Heavyweight Title in Buffalo, New York

1908 – Frank Gotch defeated Georg Hackenschmidt to win the World Heavyweight Title

1933 – Steve Strelich defeated P.A. Mullikan to win the California Light Heavyweight Title in Pasadena, California

1954 – Mr. X (Percy Hall) defeated Willie Liebenberg to win the South African Heavyweight Title in Johannesburg, South Africa

1961 – Don Leo Jonathan defeated Dr. X (Bill Miller) to win the Omaha World Heavyweight Title in Omaha, Nebraska

1964 – The Destroyer & Art Michalik defeated Nick Bockwinkel & Nick Kozak to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title in Salem, Oregon

1965 – Huracán Ramírez defeated Rizado Ruiz to win the Mexican National Welterweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico

1965 – Red McKim defeated Treacherous Phillips to win the vacant TSW Missouri Junior Heavyweight Title

1967 – Rocky Johnson & Don Leo Jonathan defeated Chris & John Tolos to win the Vancouver NWA Canadian Tag Team Title in Vancouver, British Columbia

1969 – The Gladiator (Rick Hunter) defeated Boris Malenko to win the NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Title in Jacksonville, Florida

1975 – Lola Garcia & Rena Manani defeated Mariko Akagi & Jumbo Miyamoto to win the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Fukui, Japan

1976 – Dutch Savage defeated Jesse Ventura to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title in Portland, Oregon

1980 – Antonio Inoki defeated Stan Hansen to win the NWF Heavyweight Title in Tokyo, Japan

1983 – Dick Slater defeated Roddy Piper to win the NWA Television Title

1983 – Tiger Mask is forced to vacate the NWA Junior Heavyweight Title after suffering an injury

1993 – Miss Texas (Jacqueline) defeated Lauren Davenport to win the USWA Women’s Title in Memphis, Tennessee

1993 – Don Muraco defeated The Sandman to win the NWA-ECW Title. Also, The Suicide Blondes (Chris Candido, Johnny Hotbody & Chris Michaels) defeated Tony Stetson & Larry Winters to win the ECW Tag Team Titles. They are allowed to defend the titles under the Freebird Rule

1995 – on Raw, Alundra Blayze defeated Bull Nakano to win the WWF Women’s Title

1995 – Razor Ramon defeated Bill Dundee to win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title

1998 – The Brooklyn Brawler defeated Bobby Clancy to win the vacant Border City Wrestling Television Title in LaSalle, Ontario. The title was stripped from Gene Miller on June 21

2000 – on Raw, Eddie Guerrero defeated Chris Jericho to win the WWF European Title. Also, Crash Holly defeats Hardcore Holly to win the WWF Hardcore Title

2001 – on Smackdown, Triple H defeated Chris Jericho to win the WWF Intercontinental Title

2006 – on Raw, The Spirit Squad (represented by Mikey & Kenny) defeated The Big Show & Kane to win the World Tag Team Titles. The group chose to defend the belts under the Freebird Rule

2009 – Jerry Lynn defeated Nigel McGuinness to win the ROH World Title

Birthdays

Happy birthday to one-time AJPW All Asia Champion Tiger Jeet Singh (66), 3-time WCW United States Champion Lance Storm (45), & former WWE developmental talent Ryan Mitchell (28)

In Memoriam

Two year ago today, the wrestling world lost WWE Hall of Famer Chief Jay Strongbow at the age of 83. Strongbow’s career began in the late 1940′s under his real name, Joe Scarpa. The early part of hiscareer was spent in the Georgia and Florida territories, where he would eventually amass 10 championship reigns. By the 1970′s, he had adopted the moniker which made his name & was now working for the WWWF. After an initial strong singles run, Strongbow won the WWWF Tag Team Titles with Sonny King in 1972. He would win a second tag title reign in 1976, this time teaming with Billy White Wolf. In 1977, Strongbow left the promotion to compete for Ed Farhat’s Big Time Wrestling, but it didn’t last and he was back with the WWWF two years later. After a lengthy feud with Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine, Strongbow began teaming with on-screen brother Jules, with the pair winning two WWF Tag TeamChampionships before the team disbanded in 1983. Strongbow made a brief return to the territories, but decided to retire from active competition in 1985, shortly before his 57th birthday. He accepted a behind-the-scenes role with the WWF, but still made occasional on-screen appearances, most notably alongside Tatanka in 1994, which led to his Hall of Fame induction later that year. Strongbow left his position in the early 2000′s, though had been serving more of an ambassadorial role in his later years. Strongbow died in hospital after suffering a fall at his home.