Trivia
2007 – WWE released Daniel Rodimer, the former Tough Enough contestant the company signed after the reality show ended, yet never appeared on television
2010 – Former ECW star Balls Mahoney & The Outpatient (real name John Kissel) were both charged with disorderly conduct when police were called to a New Brunswick, New Jersey restaurant after a fight between the 2. Mahoney & the Outpatient both claimed to police that they were working the fight to build interest in an upcoming wrestling match, but after reviewing surveillance footage from the eatery’s security cameras, police still charged the pair. The police were called after 1 of the wrestlers apparently brandished a knife
2011 – Rey Mysterio was diagnosed with a torn ACL, & underwent surgery that kept him out for 6 months
Events
In 1999, WWF Summerslam was held at the Target Center, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With an attendance of 17,370:
– Jeff Jarrett defeated D’Lo Brown to win the WWF Intercontinental & European Titles
– The Acolytes (Bradshaw & Faarooq) won a Tag Team Turmoil Match to become the #1 contenders for the WWF Tag Titles (also in the match was: Crash & Hardcore Holly, Edge & Christian, The New Brood (Matt & Jeff Hardy) (with Gangrel), Droz & Prince Albert, and Viscera & Mideon)
– Al Snow defeated The Big Boss Man to win the WWF Hardcore Title
– Ivory defeated Tori to retain the WWF Women’s Title
– Ken Shamrock defeated Steve Blackman in a Lion’s Den Match
– Test defeated Shane McMahon in a Greenwich Street Fight
– The Unholy Alliance (The Undertaker & The Big Show) (with Paul Bearer) defeated X-Pac & Kane to win the WWF Tag Team Titles
– The Rock defeated “Mr. Ass” Billy Gunn in a Kiss My Ass Match
– Mankind defeated Steve Austin & Triple H (with Chyna) in a Triple Threat Match with Jesse Ventura as special guest referee to win the WWF Title
Title Changes
1982 – Wahoo McDaniel defeated Sgt. Slaughter to win the NWA United States Title in Charlotte, North Caroline
1992 – Mitsuharu Misawa defeated Stan Hansen to win the AJPW Triple Crown Title
1997 – Maunakea Mossman defeated Yoshinari Ogawa to win the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
2010 – Koji Kanemoto & Tiger Mask IV defeated Ricky Marvin & Taiji Ishimori to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
2011 – Air Boom (Evan Bourne & Kofi Kingston) defeated David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty to win the WWE Tag Team Titles
Birthdays
Happy birthday to WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering (61), 10-time WCW Tag Team Champion Stevie Ray (54), & WWE developmental talent Adrian Neville (28)
Also, today would have been the birthday of former WWF wrestler Dean ‘BattleKat’ Peters (56), one-time AWA & NWA World Champion Pat O’Connor (90), & former NWA President Sam Muchnick (109)
In Memoriam
On this day in 2000, the wrestling world lost 3-time WWWF Tag Team Champion ‘Professor’ Toru Tanaka aged 70. Tanaka was drafted into the US Army in 1955 & was honorably discharged 11 years later having risen the ranks to sergeant. After his discharge, he ran a judo & jujitsu academy before being offered a wrestling job in 1967. His initial exposure came in Australia’s WCW promotion, before taking a job with the WWWF. He became known as one of the 1st ‘evil foreigner’ gimmicks (despite hailing from Hawaii, he played a Japanese character) to appear on US shores and was a regular contender for the WWWF Title when it was held by faces. He also established himself as a force in the tag team division, teaming with Mr Fuji, Mitsu Arakawa & Gorilla Monsoon at various times during his run with the promotion. In the mid-70′s, Tanaka left the WWWF and began competing for NWA promotions across America. He returned briefly later in the decade, but left for good in 1978, & retired a year later to pursue a moderately successful film career. He died of heart failure & due to his history in the army, was given a full military funeral