Trivia
2008 – The WWE Cruiserweight Title is officially retired, having not appeared on WWE programming for close to 6 months
2010 – During an appearance on The Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning show, Hulk Hogan was talking about TNA Impact’s move to Monday nights & revealed that the company had signed Rob Van Dam
Events
In 1974, The WWWF held an event at Madison Square Garden, in New York City, New York:
– Donna Christianello & The Fabulous Moolah defeated Dardi Dahl & Peggy Patterson
– Mr. Fuji defeated Johnny Rodz
– Prof. Tanaka defeated Jose Gonzalez
– Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Lou Albano via DQ
– WWWF World Tag Team Champions Tony Garea & Dean Ho defeated Larry Hennig & Stan Stasiak
– Pedro Morales defeated Otto Von Heller.
– After 53 minutes in the ring, WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino & Nikolai Volkoff fought to MSG’s 11pm curfew draw. Sammartino retained the title
In 2000, ECW held an event at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event featured Rob Van Dam’s forfeiture of the ECW World Television Title, after holding the title for 23 months, due to a broken ankle. RVD’s reign was the longest for any title in ECW history. A tournament would be held to fill the vacancy, and began that night:
– The Impact Players (Justin Credible & Lance Storm) defeated Gedo & Jado
– Little Guido defeated Kid Kash
– Danny Doring & Roadkill defeated The Pitbulls (#1 & #2)
– Rhino defeated Spike Dudley in an ECW World Television Title Tournament 1st round match. This match aired on the March 10 edition of ECW on TNN
– Super Crazy defeated C.W. Anderson
– Balls Mahoney, Chris Chetti & Nova defeated Da Baldies (Angel, DeVito, & Vic Grimes)
– Raven & ECW World Heavyweight Champion Mike Awesome defeated ECW World Tag Team Champions Tommy Dreamer & Masato Tanaka to win the title. This match aired on the March 10 edition of ECW on TNN
– The Sandman defeated Yoshihiro Tajiri
In 2006, One Pro Wrestling held its first event, All Or Nothing: Night One, at the Doncaster Dome in Doncaster, England, featuring a tournament to crown the first 1PW World Heavyweight Champion:
– Abyss defeated Darren Burridge in a 1PW World Heavyweight Title Tournament first round match
– Christopher Daniels defeated Jerry Lynn in a 1PW World Heavyweight Title Tournament first round match
– Southern Comfort (Chris Hamrick & Tracy Smothers) defeated Colt Cabana & Spud, Jody Fleisch & Jonny Storm & The Rottweilers (Homicide & Rocky Romero) in a four-way match
– Samoa Joe defeated Austin Aries in a 1PW World Heavyweight Title Tournament first round match
– A.J. Styles defeated Sterling James Keenan in a 1PW World Heavyweight Title Tournament first round match
– Abyss defeated Christopher Daniels in a 1PW World Heavyweight Title Tournament semifinal match
– A.J. Styles defeated Samoa Joe in a 1PW World Heavyweight Title Tournament semifinal match
– Christian Cage defeated Rhino
– Abyss defeated A.J. Styles in the tournament final to become the first 1PW World Heavyweight Champion
n 2012, ROH 10th Anniversary Show was held in New York City
– The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King) defeat Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin)
– Jay Lethal fought Tommaso Ciampa to a time-limit draw to retain the ROH Television Title
– The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay) defeat The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) to retain the ROH Tag Team Titles
– Kevin Steen defeats Jimmy Jacobs in a No Holds Barred Match
– Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole defeat Davey Richards & Kyle O’Reilly
Title Changes
1943 – Jules Larance defeated Billy Thorn to win the Midwest Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio
1949 – Gorgeous George defeated Walter Palmer to win the Illinois version of the World Heavyweight Title in Chicago, Illinois
1962 – Don Leo Jonathan defeated Killer Kowalski in a tournament final to become the 1st American Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion in Denver, Colorado
1970 – Bing Ki Lee & Pedro Morales defeated Johnny Barend & Ripper Collins to win the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Title in Honolulu, Hawaii
1977 – The Islanders (Afa & Sika) defeated Bobby & Ricky Fields for the NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Title in Dothan, Alabama
1983 – Kevin von Erich defeated Terry Gordy to win the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
1984 – Wahoo McDaniel & Mark Youngblood defeated Don Kernodle & Bob Orton, Jr. to win the NWA World Tag Team Title in Charlotte, North Carolina
1986 – Tully Blanchard defeated Dusty Rhodes to win the NWA National Heavyweight Title in Spartanburg, South Carolina
1987 – The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) defeated Al Madril & Brian Adias to win the WCCW World Tag Team Titles
1991 – Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Big Van Vader to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title
1992 – Akira Taue & Jumbo Tsuruta defeated The Miracle Violence Connection (Steve Williams & Terry Gordy) to win the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Titles
1995 – Stan Hansen defeated Toshiaki Kawada to win the AJPW Triple Crown Title
1996 – Jerry Lawler defeated Mabel in the final of a tournament to win the vacant USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title
2000 – Mike Awesome & Raven defeated Tommy Dreamer & Masato Tanaka to win the ECW Tag Team Titles
2000 – IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion 2 Tuff Tony defeated Mad Man Pondo & IWA Mid-South Hardcore Champion Delilah Starr in a three-way match in Charlestown, Indiana, to unify both titles
2005 – Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue defeated Gedo & Jado to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
Birthdays
Happy birthday to former WCW Cruiserweight, Hardcore and Tag Team Champion Devon Storm/Crowbar (40), current WWE referee Scott Armstrong (55), OVW owner Danny Davis (62) and 2-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion Sarah ‘Sarita’ Stock (35)
In Memoriam
On this day in 2010, the wrestling world lost WCW Hall of Famer Angelo Poffo aged 84. Poffo began wrestling in Illinois in the late-40′s both under his real name and as The Masked Miser. By the 60′s, he was competing for championships across America, finding most success in Illinois, Michigan and Texas. In the 70′s, Poffo began to take on more of a behind-the-scenes role. He bought into Emile Dupre’s Atlantic Grand Prix promotion as well as running International Championship Wrestling in Kentucky. He wrestled his retirement match in 1991, and aside from a brief role as his son Randy Savage’s manager in WCW, he left the wrestling business, becoming a PE teacher. Interestingly, while serving in the Navy, Poffo set a world record for sit-ups, completing over 6000 in 4 hours.