Today In Wrestling History- June 23rd

Trivia

1997 – The Monday Night War continued: WCW Monday Nitro defeated WWF Monday Night Raw: 3.3 to 2.4 in the ratings

2010 – WWE released Angela Fong, who appeared as ring announcer Savannah.  In WWE developmental, she was considered to have been very athletically gifted but was only used as an announcer on the main roster

Events

In 1984, World Class Championship Wrestling held a 14-man tournament in San Antonio, Texas for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title, which was left vacant with the death of David Von Erich on February 10:

First round:
– José Lothario defeated WCCW American Tag Team Champion Bill Irwin
– WCCW American Heavyweight Champion Gino Hernandez defeated George Weingroff
– Terry Gordy defeated Black Gordman
– Kerry Von Erich defeated Johnny Mantell
– Jules Strongbow defeated John Tatum
– Buck Zumhofe defeated Michael Hayes
– Kevin Von Erich defeated Killer Khan
Quarterfinals:
– WCCW American Heavyweight Champion Gino Hernandez defeated José Lothario
– Kerry Von Erich defeated Terry Gordy
– Jules Strongbow defeated Buck Zumhofe
– NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair defeated Kevin Von Erich
Semifinals:
– Kerry Von Erich defeated WCCW American Heavyweight Champion Gino Hernandez. Despite winning the match, Kerry was injured. This allowed Hernandez to advance
– Ric Flair defeated Jules Strongbow
Finals:
– WCCW American Heavyweight Champion Gino Hernandez defeated NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair to win the vacant WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title

In 1994, WCW Clash of the Champions XXVII was held at the North Charleston Coliseum, in Charleston, North Carolina:

– Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan defeated The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) to retain the WCW World Tag Team Titles
– The Guardian Angel defeated Tex Slazenger
– Steven Regal defeated Larry Zbyszko to win the WCW Television Title
– Johnny B. Badd defeated Steve Austin via DQ (Austin retains the WCW United States Title)
– Ric Flair defeated Sting to unify the WCW World Title & the WCW International World Title. The Big Gold Belt is now referred to as the WCW World Title & would remain the major title in the promotion until its end in 2001

In 1996, WWF King of the Ring, held at the MECCA Arena, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With an attendance of 8,762. It was the 1st KoTR not to feature the quarter final matches. It was also the event that featured the famed ‘Austin 3:16 speech’, leading to the creation of the Stone Cold Steve Austin character:

Dark Match:
– Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Aldo Montoya (Justin Credible)
Free For All:
– The Bodydonnas (Skip & Zip) (with Cloudy) defeated The New Rockers (Marty Jannetty & Leif Cassidy (Al Snow)
PPV:
– Steve Austin defeated Marc Mero (with Sable) in a King of The Ring Tournament Semi-Final Match
– Jake Roberts defeated Vader (with Jim Cornette) via DQ in a King of The Ring Tournament Semi-Final Match
– The Smoking Gunns (Billy & Bart) (with Sunny) defeated The Godwinns (Henry & Phineas) (with Hillbilly Jim) to retain the WWF Tag Team Titles
– The Ultimate Warrior defeated Jerry Lawler
– Mankind defeated The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) via TKO (Taker passed out while in the Mandible Claw)
– Ahmed Johnson defeated Goldust (with Marlena) to win the WWF Intercontinental Title
– Steve Austin wins the King of the Ring Tournament, defeating Jake Roberts in the final
– Shawn Michaels (with Jose Lothario) defeated The British Bulldog (with Diana Smith & Jim Cornette) to retain the WWF Title. With Mr. Perfect as special guest enforcer

In 2002, WWE King of the Ring was held at the Nationwide Arena, in Columbus, Ohio. With an attendance of 14,200. This would be the final KoTR to be held as a PPV event:

Sunday Night Heat:
– 
The Hardy Boyz (Jeff & Matt) defeated Stevie Richards & Raven
PPV:
– Rob Van Dam defeated Chris Jericho in a King of The Ring Tournament Semi-Final Match
– Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) defeated Test in a King of The Ring Tournament Semi-Final Match
– Jamie Noble (with Nidia) defeated The Hurricane to win the WWE Cruiserweight Title
– Ric Flair defeated Eddie Guerrero
– Molly Holly defeated Trish Stratus to win the WWE Women’s Title
– Kurt Angle defeated Hulk Hogan
– Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) defeated Rob Van Dam to win the King of the Ring Tournament (to become the #1 contender for the WWE Undisputed Title at Summer Slam)
– The Undertaker defeated Triple H to retain the WWE Undisputed Title

In 2007, ROH Driven was held in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. This was the promotion’s 2nd PPV event, airing in September:

Dark Match:
– Alex Payne & Ernie Osiris defeated Dingo & Mitch Franklin
PPV:
– The No Remorse Corps (Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, & Rocky Romero) defeated Delirious, & The Resilience (Erick Stevens & Matt Cross)
– Claudio Castagnoli defeated Matt Sydal
– Naomichi Marufuji defeated BJ Whitmer
– The Briscoe Brothers (Jay & Mark) defeated Kevin Steen & El Generico to retain the ROH Tag Team Titles
– Takeshi Morishima defeated Jimmy Rave to retain the ROH World Title
– Bryan Danielson defeated Nigel McGuinness. This match was not held live at the show, but was included in the PPV broadcast
Dark Matches:
– The Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew (Rain & Lacey) (with Jimmy Jacobs) defeated MsChif & Daizee Haze
– Nigel McGuinness defeated Chris Hero (with Bobby Dempsey, Larry Sweeney, & Tank Toland)
– Kenta defeated Bryan Danielson
– Takeshi Morishima defeated Adam Pearce (with Shane Hagadorn) to retain the ROH World Title

In 2008, the WWE Draft Lottery was held at the AT&T Center, in San Antonio, Texas. The Supplemental Draft was held live on WWE Fan Nation website on Wednesday June 25th:

– Rey Mysterio Jr. was drafted to Raw
– Jeff Hardy was drafted to Smackdown
– CM Punk was drafted to Raw
– United States Champion Matt Hardy was drafted to ECW (The title became property of ECW)
– Jim Ross was drafted to Smackdown
– Michael Cole was drafted to Raw
– Batista was drafted to Raw
– Umaga was drafted to Smackdown
– ECW World Champion Kane was drafted to Raw (The title became property of Raw)
– Mr. Kennedy was drafted to Smackdown
– WWE Champion Triple H was drafted to Smackdown (The title became property of Smackdown)

Title Changes

1944 – Firpo Segra defeated Doc Macias to win the Mexican National Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico

1959 – Bobby Jones defeated George Eakin to win the Madison Wrestling Club Heavyweight Title in Winnipeg, Manitoba

1961 – Waldo Von Erich defeated Pepper Gomez to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title

1964 – Pampero Firpo defeated Nick Bockwinkel to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title in Eugene, Oregon

1970 – Nick Bockwinkel defeated Joe Scarpa to win the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title in Macon, Georgia

1972 – Billy Red Lyons defeated The Spoiler to win the WCCW American Heavyweight Title

1978 – Tony Atlas & Thunderbolt Patterson defeated Ole Anderson & Ivan Koloff to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title in Atlanta, Georgia

1980 – Mr. Hito & Mr. Sakurada defeated Jose Lothario & Tiger Conway Jr to win the WCCW American Tag Team Titles

1982 – Ted DiBiase defeated Junkyard Dog to win the MSW North American Title

1987 – The Sheepherders (Luke Williams & Butch Miller) defeated Mike Graham & Steve Keirn to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Title in Tampa, Florida

1989 – The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller & Brian Lee) defeated Jeff Jarrett & Mil Mascaras to win the WCCW World Tag Team Titles

1989 – Tom Prichard defeated Wendell Cooley to win the Continental Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Title in Knoxville, Tennessee

1990 – Dave Finlay & Marty Jones defeated Tony St. Clair & Miles Zrno to win the Catch Wrestling Association World Tag Team Title in Graz, Austria

1992 – The Super Destroyers (AJ Petrucci & Doug Stahl) win a tournament to become the 1st ever ECW Tag Team Champions

1995 – Apolo Dantes defeated Silver King to win the CMLL World Heavyweight Title

1995 – Scott D’Amore defeated Bruiser Bedlam to win the Border City Wrestling Can-Am Heavyweight Title in LaSalle, Ontario

2000 – Dakota defeated Brianna Starr & Alben Thunder to become the 1st NWA Mid-South Women’s Champion in a three-way match in Dyersburg, Tennessee

2002 – Bam Bam Bambi defeated Madison to win the NWA Canadian Women’s Title in St. Boniface, Manitoba

2006  – 2 Cold Scorpio defeated Trent Acid to win the Pro Wrestling Unplugged Heavyweight Title in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2007 – Mr. Prime Time defeated Psicosis in a best-of-three falls match 2-1, to win the All Pro Wrestling Worldwide Internet Title in Bakersfield, California (I was at this show in person)

Birthdays

As far as I’m aware, there are no significant birthdays today

In Memoriam

On this day in 2006, the wrestling world lost one half of the 1st WWWF Tag Team Champions ‘Crazy’ Luke Graham at the age of 66. His early career saw him compete alongside kayfabe brother Jerry. The pair began wrestling for the WWWF in 1964 and held their United States Tag Titles for a little over 8 months. He left the area around a year later to compete for WWA in Los Angeles before a brief and uneventful run in the AWA. He returned to the WWWF in 1971, appearing as one half of the inaugural WWWF World Tag Team Champions alongside Tarzan Tyler, though who they defeated for the titles (assuming they defeated anyone) is unclear. They lost the titles 6 months later and he dropped out of the company once more. Spells in several NWA territories preceded his retirement in the late 1980′s, after which he left the wrestling business, only to return in 2001, promoting Galaxy Championship Wrestling alongside his son. Graham’s health began to fail going into the mid-2000′s & he had a pacemaker installed shortly before his death of congestive heart failure

Secondly, Canadian indy star & ECW part-timer Shayne “Biff Wellington” Bower died aged 42. Wellington also trained at the Hart Dungeon, but credited Hiroshi Hase & Mr Hito as his primary trainers. He debuted in Stampede in 1986 and competed regularly for the promotion until it closed in 1989. He then plied his trade on the Canadian indies, whilst also appearing in Japan & one-off appearances for WCW & WWF. In 1995, he debuted for ECW, but wouldn’t make an impact in the promotion before an eye injury suffered in a match with Taz forced his in-ring retirement. He would later compete for several of his local independents, but was never the same wrestler. His health began to fail in the mid-2000′s, & he eventually passed of a heart attack, having suffered a series of strokes across the previous year. Eerily, he & Benoit regularly wrestled as tag team partners early in their careers, winning the Stampede Tag Team Titles together on one occasion