Today In Wrestling History- March 27th

Trivia

2008- WWE superstar Highlander Robbie McCallister was shown on camera in the crowd live on TNA Impact

Events 

In 1988, WWF Wrestlemania IV was held at Trump Plaza,  in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event featured a one-night, 14-man tournament for the vacant WWF Title:

– Bad News Brown won a 20 Man Battle Royal by last eliminating Bret Hart
– Ted Dibiase (with Virgil & Andre The Giant) defeated Jim Duggan in a 1st Round Tournament Match
– Don Muraco (with Superstar Billy Graham) defeated Dino Bravo (with Frenchy Martin) via DQ in a 1st Round Tournament Match
– Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Ricky Steamboat (with Little Dragon (his son dressed like a dragon)) in a 1st Round Tournament Match
– Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated Butch Reed (with Slick) in a 1st Round Tournament Match
– One Man Gang (with Slick) defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (with Oliver Humperdink) via countout in a 1st Round Tournament Match
– Rick Rude (with Bobby Heenan) & Jake Roberts fought to a time limit draw in a 1st Round Tournament Match
– The Ultimate Warrior defeated Hercules (with Bobby Heenan) (this was Warrior’s PPV debut)
– Hulk Hogan fought Andre The Giant (with Ted Dibiase & Virgil) to a Double DQ in a Quarter-final tournament match
– Ted Dibiase defeated Don Muraco (with Superstar Billy Graham) in a Quarter-final tournament match
– Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart) in a Quarter-final tournament match
– Brutus Beefcake defeated The Honky Tonk Man (with Jimmy Hart & Peggy Sue) via DQ (HTM retains the WWF Intercontinental Title)
– The Islanders (Tama & Haku) & Bobby Heenan defeated The Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & The Dynamite Kid) & Koko B. Ware in a 6-Man tag team match
– Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated One Man Gang (with Slick) via DQ in the lone tournament semi-final (Ted DiBiase received a bye to the final after the Hogan-Andre quarter final finished as a double DQ)
– Demolition (Ax & Smash) (with Mr. Fuji) defeated Strike Force (Rick Martel & Tito Santana) to win the WWF Tag Team Titles
– Randy Savage (with Hulk Hogan & Miss Elizabeth) defeated Ted DiBiase (with Virgil & Andre The Giant) in the tournament final to win the vacant WWF Title

Also in 1988, the 1st NWA Clash of the Champions event was held at the Greensboro Coliseum, in Greensboro, North Carolina. The event was purposely held on this day in an attempt to draw fans away from the WWF & Wrestlemania. It drew an impressive 5.8 rating on TBS:

– Mike Rotunda defeated Jimmy Garvin (with Precious) in a College Rules Match to retain the NWA Television Title
– The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) (with Jim Cornette) defeated The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) via DQ to retain the NWA United States Tag Team Titles
– Dusty Rhodes & The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal) (with Paul Ellering) defeated Ivan Koloff & The Powers Of Pain (The Warlord & The Barbarian) in a Barbed Wire Match
– Lex Luger & Barry Windham defeated Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (with JJ Dillion) to win the NWA World Tag Team Titles
– Ric Flair fought Sting to a time limit draw to retain the NWA World Title (JJ Dillion was suspended above the ring in a cage during this match)

In 1991, the WWF taped “Wrestling Challenge” at the Lawlor Convention Center, in Reno, Nevada:

– Jake Roberts defeated Barry O.
– The Berzerker defeated Randy Taylor
– Bret Hart defeated The Genius
– Tugboat defeated Jim Kolhep
– The Big Bossman defeated Matthew Burn
– Mr. Perfect defeated Jerry Stevens

In 2010, the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony was held at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. I was at this event in person. The Class of 2010 were:

– Ted DiBiase (inducted by his sons Ted Jr. & Brett Dibiase)
– Antonio Inoki (inducted by Stan Hansen)
– Wendi Richter (inducted by Roddy Piper)
– Maurice ‘Mad Dog’ Vachon (inducted by Pat Patterson)
– Gorgeous George (inducted by his ex-wife Betty Wagner)
– Stu Hart (Inducted by his son Bret & the rest of the Hart children)
– Bob Uecker (inducted by Dick Ebersol)

Title Changes

1939 – John Swenski defeated Bob Kenaston to win the World Junior Heavyweight Title

1944 – Gray Mask defeated Gorilla Ramos to win the World Light Heavyweight Title in Hollywood, California

1967 – Fritz von Erich defeated Brute Bernard to win the WCCW American Heavyweight Title

1970 – Bill Ross defeated Jim Breaks to win the European Lightweight Title in Stirling, England

1971 – Stan Stasiak defeated Dutch Savage to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title

1982 – Invader I defeated Bobby Jaggers to win the WWC North American Heavyweight Title in Bayamón, Puerto Rico

1983 – Roddy Piper defeated Dick Slater to win the NWA Television Title

1988 – Bruiser Brody defeated Jumbo Tsuruta to win the NWA International Heavyweight Title

1992 – Eddie Gilbert defeated The Dark Patriot (Doug Gilbert) to win the Global Wrestling Federation North American Heavyweight Title in Dallas, Texas

1995 – Miss Texas (Jacqueline Moore) defeated Sweet Georgia Brown to win the USWA Women’s Titles in Memphis, Tennessee

2004 – After losing the title the previous day, Takeshi Morishima defeated Rick Steiner to win the  World League Wrestling Heavyweight Title in Bolivar, Missouri

2005 – Ricky Banderas defeated Kasey James to win the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Title in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico

Birthdays

Happy birthday to 3-time WWE Tag Team Champion Charlie Haas(42), New Japan regular Hideo Saito (32), TNA ring girl SoCal Val (28), & Japanese superstar Kenta Kobashi (47)