Trivia
2012 – on WWE Raw, Abraham Washington made a crass joke referencing NBA player Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case in 2003 and 2004. As client Titus O’Neil tangled with Kofi Kingston in a singles match, A.W. yelled from ringside, “Titus O’Neil is like Kobe Bryant at a hotel in Colorado hotel room. He’s unstoppable!!” When Raw returned from commercial break following the bout, WWE apologized on-air via announcer Michael Cole and A.W. subsequently issued an apology via Twitter, noting that “there was no malicious intent behind the joke.” After Raw, WWE issued an official apology via TMZ.com stating that they had “taken appropriate action in the matter.”
This would eventually lead to A.W. being released by the company on August 10th, 2012
2014 – World Wrestling Entertainment announced the release of former announcer Ricardo Rodriguez
Events
In 1999 “Curtis Comes Home” a benefit card to raise money for Brian Hildebrand (referee Mark Curtis of SMW & WCW fame), who was battling stomach cancer, was held at the Ice Gardens in Rostraver, Pennsylvania. The card saw the participation of WCW, WWF, & ECW wrestlers, & raised $30,000 for Hildebrand, who continued to fight the disease until passing away on September 8, 1999:
– Julio Sanchez defeated Frank Parker
– Dominic DeNucci (who trained Hildebrand, Shane Douglas, & Mick Foley) defeated Lord Zoltan
– Dick Flanagan defeated Preston Steele
– Eddie Guerrero defeated Billy Kidman & Shark Boy in a 3-way match
– The Public Enemy defeated Bo James & Roger Anderson
– D’Lo Brown vs. Al Snow ended up with referee Mick Foley getting involved, & actually pinning Brown
– Cody Michaels (with Jim Cornette) defeated Hugh Morrus
– Chris Jericho defeated Terry Taylor
– Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, & Shane Douglas (the original ECW Triple Threat) defeated Tim Horner, Tracy Smothers, & Chris Candido, (with Tammy Lynn Sytch)
In 2000, New Japan Pro Wrestling held an untitled PPV in Yokohama, Japan:
– Junji Hirata defeated Kenzo Suzuki
– Takashi Iizuka defeated Shinjiro Ohtani
– Yuji Nagata & Kensuke Sasaki defeated Yutaka Yoshie & Manabu Nakanishi
– Riki Choshu defeated Atsushi Onita via TKO in a No-Rope Explosive Barbed Wire Death Match
In 2005, CZW Tournament of Death IV was held in New Castle, Delaware:
1st Round Tournament Matches:
– JC Bailey defeated Sexxxy Eddy in a Barbed Wire Madness Match
– Toby Klein defeated Mad Man Pondo in a Light Tube Ropes & Light Tube Corners Match
– Brain Damage defeated Beef Wellighton in a 2/3 Ultraviolent Tables Match
– Necro Butcher defeated Ian Rotten in a Home Run Derby Deathmatch
–Nick Gage defeated Nate Webb in a Ladders & Lighttubes Match
– Zandig defeated Robbie Mireno & Eddie Kingston in a Fans Bring The Weapons Match
Non-tournament Ultraviolent Student Battle Royal:
– WHACKS won the Ultraviolent Student Battle Royal defeating Shawne, DJ Hyde, Danny Havoc, Blood, Ravage, Shawn Bishop, Andy Summer, Haratic, Rick Feinburg, & Hellaware Assassin
Semi–Final Round Matches:
– Necro Butcher defeated Brain Damage in a Fans Bring The Weapons Match
– Zandig defeated Toby Klein in a 2 Out of 3 Light Tube Log Cabins Match
– Nick Gage defeated JC Bailey in a Panes Of Glass Match
Tournament of Death Finals:
– Necro Butcher defeated Zandig & Nick Gage in a Ultraviolent Boxes, Barbed Wire Canvas, Light Tubes, Squared Circle Of Fear, & Whatever Is Left Elimination Death Match (with Gypsy Joe as the special guest referee). As a result of the win, Butcher was awarded the CZW Ultraviolent Underground Title
Title Changes
1960 – Gory Guerrero (father of Eddie, Hector, Mando, & Chavo Classic) defeated Rey Mendoza to win the EMLL-based NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico
1968 – Kintaro Ohki & Michiaki Yoshimura defeated Klondike Bill & Skull Murphy to win the JWA All Asia Tag Team Titles
1977 – Gorilla Monsoon defeated Hartford Love to win the WWC North American Heavyweight Title in San Juan, Puerto Rico
1985 – Stan Hansen defeated Giant Baba to win the Pacific Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Title in Fukuoka, Japan
1987 – Mighty Inoue & Takashi Ishikawa defeated Masanobu Kurisu & Isamu Teranishi in the final of a tournament to win the vacant AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
2001 – on Raw, Booker T defeated Kurt Angle to win the WCW World Title. Also, X-Pac defeated Billy Kidman to unify the WWF Light Heavyweight Title & the WCW Cruiserweight Title
Birthdays
Happy birthday to retired Zero1 women’s wrestler Yuhi (19)