Today In Wrestling History- August 31st

Trivia

1998 – WCW Nitro achieved it’s highest ever TV rating with a 6.0. Less than 2 months later, it would beat Raw in the ratings for the final time (Should be noted there was no WWF Monday Night Raw that night, due to the yearly preemption due to the US Open Tennis Tournament)

2008 – Shawn Michaels suffered a torn triceps during the Raw taping

2008 – Mick Foley was officially removed from the WWE roster as his contract expired on 9/1/08

2010 – Kaval (Low Ki) won WWE NXT Season 2

2012 – El Terrible won the CMLL Universal Championship Tournament, defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi in the final

Events

In 2002, All Japan Pro Wrestling held an untitled PPV in Tokyo, Japan:

– Abdullah The Butcher & Kendo Kashin defeated Yoji Anjoh & Mitsuya Nagai
– KroniK (Brian Adams & Bryan Clark) defeated Tomoaki Honma & Yuto Aijima
– Satoshi Kojima defeated Nobutaka Araya
– Bill Goldberg defeated Taiyo Kea
– Genichiro Tenryu, Steve Williams, Arashi, Koki Kitahara, & Masao Orihara defeated Keiji Mutoh, Hiroshi Hase, Jinsei Shinzaki, George Hines, & Kaz Hayashi in an Elimination Match with Tenryu & Williams surviving

In 2003, AAA Verano de Escandalo was held in Monterrey, Mexico. This was the 1st of 3 VdE events this year:

– Charly Manson, Hator, Mr. Aguila, & Juventud Guerrera defeated Electroshock, X-Fly, Silver Star, & Pimpinela Escarlata
– Latin Lover & La Parka defeated Cibernetico & Hector Garza
– El Brazo lost a Hair vs Hair Cage Match to Heavy Metal, Oscar Sevilla, Sangre Chicana, El Texano & El Zorro

In 2008, AJPW Pro Wrestling Love in Ryogoku Vol. 5 was held in Tokyo, Japan:

– Ryuji Hijikata defeated KAI to retain the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Taru & Togi Makabe
– Keiji Mutoh defeated Hirooki Goto to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title
– Suwama fought Taiyo Kea to a time-limit draw to retain the AJPW Triple Crown Title

Title Changes

1945 – Ted Cox defeats Buddy Rogers for the Texas Heavyweight Title in Houston, Texas

1950 – Don Eagle defeated Gorgeous George to win the Ohio AWA World Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio

1951 – Art Neilson & Jack Steel defeated Farmer Jones & Al Massey to win the Georgia NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Atlanta, Georgia

1968 – Jose Lothario & Joe Scarpa (Chief Jay Strongbow) defeated Boris Malenko & Johnny Valentine to win the Florida NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Tampa, Florida

1968 – Verne Gagne defeated Dr. X (Dick Beyer) to win the AWA World Title in Bloomington, Minnesota

1973 – Mr. Wrestling II defeated Bill Watts to win the vacant NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title in Atlanta, Georgia. Fred Blassie was the referee for the match

1979 – Ole Anderson & Ivan Koloff win their 5th NWA Georgia Tag Team Title in Atlanta, Georgia

1983 – Jumbo Tsuruta defeated Bruiser Brody to win the NWA International Heavyweight Title

1986 – Eddie Gilbert & Sting defeated The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) to win the vacant UWF Tag Team Titles

1987 – Jerry Lawler defeated Don Bass in a Hair vs. Title Steel Cage match to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee

1987 – Ted Arcidi won a Battle Royal to win the vacant WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title

1996 – Jamie Dundee defeated Wolfie D. to win the USWA Television Title

1997 – PG-13 (JC Ice & Wolfie D) defeated Steven Dunn & Flash Flanagan to win the USWA Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee. They were the last champions before the USWA closed

1997 – Kensuke Sasaki defeated Shinya Hashimoto to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title

2002 – El Dandy defeated Perro Aguayo, Jr. to win the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Title in Reynosa, Mexico

Birthdays

Happy birthday to former WWE & TNA World Champion Jeff Hardy (37), 2-time AJPW All Asia Tag Team Champion Animal Hamaguchi (67), former WWE wrestler John ‘Tank’ Toland (34), & current TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James (35)

Also, today would have been the birthday of 2-time NWA Television Champion Joe LeDuc (70)