Today In Wrestling History- June 19th

Trivia

1948 – The current National Wrestling Alliance was formed as promoters Sam Muchnick (St. Louis), Fred Kohler (Chicago), Wally Karbo (Minneapolis), & others joined with president Pinkie George (who had promoted under the NWA name since 1946)

1986 – Antonio Inoki wins the NJPW IWGP League, defeating Dick Murdoch in the final

2000 – The Monday Night War continued: WWF Monday Night Raw defeated WCW Monday Night Raw: 5.8 to 2.7 in the ratings

2005 – Tiger Mask IV won the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Tournament, defeating Gedo in the final

2009 – WWE released former Women’s champion Candice Michelle, & 2nd generation star Sim “Deuce” Snuka, & Joseph Canterburry

Events

In 1994, WWF King of the Ring was held at the Baltimore Arena, in Baltimore, Maryland. With an attendance of 12,000:

Dark Match:
– Thurman “Spark” Plugg defeated Kwang (Savio Vega) (with Harvey Wippleman)
PPV:
– Razor Ramon defeated Bam Bam Bigelow in a King of the Ring Quarter-Final Match
– Irwin R. Schyster defeated Mabel (with Oscar) in a King of the Ring Quarter-Final Match
– Owen Hart defeated Tatanka in a King of the Ring Quarter-Final Match
– The 1-2-3 Kid defeated Jeff Jarrett in a King of the Ring Quarter-Final Match
– Diesel (Shawn Michaels) defeated Bret Hart (with Jim Neidhart) via DQ (Hart retains the WWF Title)
– Razor Ramon defeated Irwin R. Schyster (with Ted Dibiase) in a King of the Ring Semi-Final Match
– Owen Hart defeated The 1–2–3 Kid in a King of the Ring Semi-Final Match
– The Headshrinkers (Samu & Fatu) (with Capt. Lou Albano & Afa) defeated Crush & Yokozuna (with Mr. Fuji) to retain the WWF Tag Team Titles
– Owen Hart won the King of the Ring Tournament, defeating Razor Ramon in the final
– Roddy Piper defeated Jerry Lawler

In 2002, NWA-TNA held it’s 1st ever event at the Von Braun Center, in Huntsville, Alabama. This was also their 1st weekly ppv:

Dark Matches:
– Cheex defeated Frank Parker
– Apolo defeated David Young
PPV:
– The Flying Elvis’ (Jimmy Yang, Sonny Siaki, & Jorge Estrada) defeated AJ Styles, Low Ki, & Jerry Lynn in a 6-man tag team match
– Teo defeated Hollywood
*Don West & Ed Ferrara introduced the participants for next week’s Miss TNA Lingerie Battle Royal: Taylor Vaughn, Alexis Laree (Mickie James), Miss Sasha, Tyler, Joanie, Francine, Elektra, Erin, & Shannon (Daffney)
– The Johnsons (Rod & Richard(Shane Twins) (with Montimer Plumtree) defeated James Storm & Psicosis
– The Dupps (Bo & Stan (Trevor Murdoch) (with Fluff) defeated Christian York & Joey Mercury
*Toby Keith was introduced and performed “Courtesy Of The Red, White and Blue,” but was interrupted by Jeff Jarrett, who was making his way to the ring as the #1 entrant in The Gauntlet For The Gold
– Ken Shamrock & Malice defeated Konnan, Brian Christopher, Buff Bagwell, Bruce, Devon Storm, Chris Harris, Del Rios, Jeff Jarrett (Eliminated by Toby Keith), Rick Steiner, K-Krush (Ron Killings), Norman Smiley, Justice (Abyss), Lash LeRoux, Scott Hall, Slash, The Vampire Warrior (Gangrel), Gran Apolo, & Steve Corino in The Gauntlet For The Gold Match
– Ken Shamrock defeated Malice (with James Mitchell) to win the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Title. With Ricky Steamboat as the special guest referee

In 2005, TNA Slammiversary, held at the Impact Zone, in Orlando, Florida. With an attendance of 775. This marked the 3-year anniversary of TNA Wrestling. It also saw the TNA debut of Samoa Joe:

Pre-Show:
– Simon Diamond & Trytan defeated Sonny Siaki & Apolo
PPV:
– Shark Boy defeated Delirious, Amazing Red, Zach Gowen, Elix Skipper, & Jerrelle Clark in a X-Division 6-Way Match
– Shocker defeated Alex Shelley
– Ron Killings defeated The Outlaw (Billy Gunn)
– The Naturals (Chase Stevens & Andy Douglas) defeated Team Canada (Eric Young & Petey Williams) (with A-1 & Coach D’Amore) to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– Samoa Joe defeated Sonjay Dutt
– Bobby Roode (with Coach D’Amore) defeated Lance Hoyt
– America’s Most Wanted (James Storm & Chris Harris) defeated 3Live Kru (BG James & Konnan) (with Ron Killings)
– Christopher Daniels defeated Chris Sabin (with Trinity), & Michael Shane (with Traci) in a 3-Way Elimination Match to retain the TNA X-Division Title
– Raven defeated AJ Styles, Monty Brown, Abyss & Sean Waltman in a King of the Mountain Match to win the NWA World Title

In 2010, ROH Death Before Dishonor VIII was held at the Ted Reeve Arena, in Toronto, Canada, making it the 1st ROH PPV to be held outside the US:

Dark Matches:
– The Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lance Bravado) defeated Mike Sydal & Sebastian Suave
– Grizzly Redwood & Bobby Dempsey defeated Rip Impact & Mr. Ernesto Osiris
iPPV:
– Kevin Steen defeated El Generico
– The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King) defeated Cheech & Cloudy
– Delirious defeated Austin Aries via DQ
– Roderick Strong (with Truth Martini) defeated Steve Corino, Eddie Edwards, Colt Cabana, Shawn Daivari, & Tyson Dux in a Toronto Gauntlet Match
– Christopher Daniels (2) defeated Kenny Omega in a Pick 6 Series Match
– The Kings Of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli & Chris Hero) (with Shane Hagadorn) defeated The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay) to retain the ROH Tag Team Titles
– Tyler Black defeated Davey Richards to retain the ROH World Title

Also in 2010, NJPW Dominion was held in Osaka, Japan:

– Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Daniel Puder
– Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson) defeated Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue and Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito in a 3-Way Elimination Match to win the IWGP Tag Team Titles
– Prince Devitt defeated Naomichi Marufuji to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title
– Hiroshi Tanahashi defeats Toru Yano in a Hair vs Hair Match
– Togi Makabe defeats Go Shiozaki to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title

In 2011, WWE Capitol Punishment was held at the Verizon Center, in Washington DC. With an attendance of 9,850. This event was originally billed as a continuation of the Fatal Four Way series, but was later renamed:

Dark Match:
– Vladimir Kozlov & Santino Marella defeated Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel
PPV:
– Dolph Ziggler (with Vickie Guerrero) defeated Kofi Kingston to win the WWE United States Title
– Alex Riley defeated The Miz
– Alberto Del Rio defeated The Big Show
– Ezekiel Jackson defeated Wade Barrett to win the WWE Intercontinental Title
– CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio Jr.
– Randy Orton defeated Christian to retain the World Heavyweight Title
– Evan Bourne defeated Jack Swagger
– John Cena defeated R-Truth to retain the WWE Title

Also in 2011, AJPW Pro Wrestling Love in Ryogoku Vol. 12 was held in Tokyo, Japan:

– KAI defeats Shuji Kondo to win the vacant AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– Seiya Sanada & Manabu Soya defeat Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
– The Great Muta & KENSO defeat Akebono & Ryota Hama to win the vacant AJPW Tag Team Titles
– Suwama defeats Yuji Nagata to retain the AJPW Triple Crown Title

Title Changes

1939 – Leroy McGuirk defeated John Swenski to win the World Junior Heavyweight Title

1978 – Dusty Rhodes defeated The Spoiler to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title in West Palm Beach, Florida

1979 – Pat Patterson defeated Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Heavyweight Title in Allentown, Pennsylvania

1983 – Buck Zumhofe defeated Mike Graham to win the AWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Hamburg, Minnesota

1983 – Mr. Wrestling II defeated Larry Zbyszko to win the NWA National Heavyweight Title

1992 – The CMLL World Middleweight Title is vacated after Blue Panther leaves the promotion for AAA

1993 – The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeated Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase & Irwin R Schyster) to win the WWF Tag Team Titles

1996 – Wolfie D defeated Brickhouse Brown to win the USWA Television Title

1999 – Cassidy O’Reilly won a Royal Rumble ladder match for the vacant NWA Southern Television Title in Grenada, Mississippi

2000 – on Raw, Gerald Brisco defeated Crash Holly to win the WWF Hardcore Title, but would lose it to Pat Patterson before the end of the show

2001 – The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von) defeated Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho to win the WWF Tag Team Titles

2002 – AJ Styles defeated Low Ki, Jerry Lynn, & Psicosis in a Four Way Double Elimination Match to become the first TNA X-Division Champion

2004 – The X-Foundation (Joey Ryan & Scott Lost) defeated Super Dragon & Excalibur to win the PWG Tag Team Championship in Santa Ana, California

2005 – Shuji Kondo & Brother Yasshi defeated Tomoaki Honma & Katsuhiko Nakajima to win the vacant AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles

2006 – Senshi defeated Sonjay Dutt & Samoa Joe in a 3-Way Dance to win the TNA X-Division Title

2007 – Samoa Joe defeated Jay Lethal to win the TNA X-Division Title

Birthdays

Happy birthday to former TNA wrestler Tyson Dux (36), & ECW founder Tod Gordon (59)

Also, today would have been the birthday of WCW and NWA Hall of Famer Wahoo McDaniel (76)

In Memoriam

On this day in 1997, the wrestling world lost one-time WWWF Champion Stan Stasiak aged 60. Stasiak, who took his ring name from a 1920′s wrestler, debuted in Quebec in 1958, & soon established himself in several NWA territories, winning championships in Vancouver, Calgary, Oregon and Australia before the 60′s were out. Stasiak began competing for the WWWF in the following decade, winning their Heavyweight Title in 1973. Unusually, Stasiak was not informed in advance that he would be winning the title, rather, he was approached by a road agent on the day of the match who detailed the finish. He would drop the title to Bruno Sammartino just 9 days later. He would continue to wrestle for the WWWF for much of the decade, but would only receive 1 further title opportunity, losing to Billy Graham in 1977. He would see out the rest of his career in NWA territories on the west coast, retiring to become a mall security guard in 1984. He died peacefully of heart failure