Today In Wrestling History- May 1st

Trivia

1980 – Jumbo Tsuruta won the AJPW Champion’s Carnival, defeating Dick Slater in the final after both men tied on 19 points

1990 – Paul Heyman returned to the NWA as Paul E. Dangerously during a TV taping in Rainesville, AL, kicking off his 2nd & most successful run with the promotion

2006 – WWE signed a deal to hold the 1st house show for the newly relaunched ECW brand at the former ECW Arena.  It would be the only show the new brand would hold there

2006 – WWE Raw was highlighted by a “shoot style” promo from Joey Styles in which he, in storyline, quit the company.  This was done are part of the push by WWE to launch an ECW brand

2007 -WWE’s website announced this evening that Tough Enough 3 champion Matt Cappotelli underwent surgery in Boston, MA to remove a malignant brain tumor, with the surgery being deemed “successful.”  Cappotelli would never return to the ring following surgery

2008 – TNA released former Knockouts champion Roxxi.   Roxxi and Rhaka Khan had been serving a 60 days suspension following a backstage issue that became physical several weeks back at an Impact taping. In the midst of the suspension, the decision was made not to bring her back

2012 – Anarquia of Mexican America was released by TNA

Events

In 1987, WWF ran Pittsburgh, PA at the Civic Arena:

– Outback Jack defeated Steve Lombardi
– Ron Bass defeated Lanny Poffo
– Jacques & Raymond Rougeau defeated The New Dream Team (Greg Valentine & Dino Bravo)
– The Honky Tonk Man defeated Pedro Morales
– The Can-Am Connection (Tom Zenk & Rick Martel) defeated Don Muraco & Bob Orton Jr.
– Jim Duggan defeated The Iron Sheik
– Koko B. Ware defeated Danny Davis
– WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Kamala via DQ

In 1999, ECW held a live event at the Expo Sports Center, in Cocoa Beach, FL:

– Super Crazy defeated Mosco de la Merced
– Spike Dudley won a battle royal
– Steve Corino defeated Nova
– Yoshihiro Tajiri defeated Little Guido
– Balls Mahoney defeated Rod Price
– ECW World Tag Team Champions The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray & D-Von) defeated Danny Doring & Roadkill
– ECW World TV Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Spike Dudley
– Tommy Dreamer, Jerry Lynn, & Francine defeated Justin Credible, Lance Storm, & Dawn Marie

In 2005, WWE Backlash was a Raw-exclusive event held at the Verizon Wireless Arena, in Manchester, New Hampshire. With an attendance of 14,000:

Sunday Night Heat:
– Tyson Tomko defeated Val Venis
PPV:
– Shelton Benjamin defeated Chris Jericho to retain the WWE Intercontinental Title
– The Hurricane & Rosey won a Tag Team Turmoil Match to win the World Tag Team Titles. The tag teams in the match were: WWE Tag Team Champions William Regal & Tajiri, Maven & Simon Dean, The Heart Throbs (Antonio & Romeo), and La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier)
– Edge defeated Chris Benoit in a Last Man Standing Match
– Kane (with Lita) defeated Viscera (with Trish Stratus)
– Hulk Hogan & Shawn Michaels defeated Muhammad Hassan & Daivari
– Batista defeated Triple H (with Ric Flair) to retain the World Heavyweight Title

In 2011, WWE Extreme Rules was held at the St. Pete Times Forum, in Tampa, Florida. With an attendance of 10,000. Following this event, John Cena addressed the live audience to announce the death of Osama Bin Laden:

Dark Match:
– Sin Cara defeated Tyson Kidd
PPV:
– Randy Orton defeated CM Punk in a Last Man Standing Match. The New Nexus was banned from ringside
– Kofi Kingston defeated Sheamus in a Tables Match to win the WWE United States Title
– Michael Cole & Jack Swagger defeated Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler in a Country Whipping Match
– Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Cody Rhodes in a Falls Count Anywhere Match
– Layla defeated Michelle McCool in a No-DQ Loser Leaves WWE Match
– Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio (with Brodus Clay & Ricardo Rodriguez) in a Ladder Match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Title
– Kane & The Big Show defeated The Corre (Wade Barrett & Ezekiel Jackson) in a Lumberjack Match to retain the WWE Tag Team Titles
– John Cena defeated The Miz & John Morrison in a Triple Threat Cage Match to win the WWE Title

Title Changes

1964Killer Kowalski defeated WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino via DQ in Waterbury, CT

1965 – WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Waldo Von Erich in Patterson, NJ

1981 – Gene & Ole Anderson defeated Paul Jones & Masked Superstar to win the NWA World Tag Team Title in Richmond, Virginia

1981 – Harley Race defeated Tommy Rich to win the NWA World Title

1981 – Super Destroyer defeated Jim Garvin to win the MSW Louisiana Title

1981 – Mike George defeated Bob Sweetan to win the TSW Tri-States Title

1981 – Bob Backlund defended the WWF title against NWF World champion Antonio Inoki at El Toreo De Cuatro Caminos.  The two fought to a draw in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match in, Mexico City, Mexico

1984 – During a broadcast of World Championship Wrestling, Tully Blanchard defeated Mark Youngblood to win the NWA Television Title.  During Blanchard’s reign, the belt was renamed the “NWA World Television Title”

1993 – Brian Christopher defeated Jeff Jarrett to win the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee

1994 – Shinya Hashimoto defeated Tatsumi Fujinami to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title

1994 – Rick Rude defeated Sting to win the WCW International World Title, but suffers a back injury in the match which would prove to be career-ending

1995 – Jerry Lawler defeated Razor Ramon to win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title. On the same show, PG-12 defeated Brickhouse Brown & The Gambler for the USWA Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee

1998 – Toshiaki Kawada defeated Mitsuharu Misawa to win the AJPW Triple Crown Title

1998 – Booker T defeated Chris Benoit to win the WCW Television Title

2002 – The 24/7 Rule on the WWF Hardcore Title sees the belt pass from Steven Richards to Tommy Dreamer, to Goldust & back to Richards

Birthdays

Happy birthday to 2-time PWG World Champion Human Tornado (31), former WCW & WWE wrestler Dave Taylor (57), former NWA Hawaii star Neff Maivia (86) and the first AAA Reina de Reinas Xochitl Hamada (44)

In Memoriam

On this day in 2003, the wrestling world lost former WWF & WCW valet Miss Elizabeth aged 42. Liz began her stint in the wrestling industry working as a ring girl and valet in Angelo Poffo’s ICW promotion. It was here that she met Randy Savage, who she would marry in 1984. The following year, Savage introduced Liz as his manager in the WWF, with her first major angle coming in 1986, when George ‘The Animal’ Steele developed a crush on her, leading to a jealous reaction from Savage. The next year, she was instrumental in the formation of The Mega Powers, running backstage to ask Hulk Hogan for help when The Honky Tonk Man & The Hart Foundation attacked Savage. 1988 saw Elizabeth at the peak of her popularity; she repeatedly accompanied both Hogan & Savage to ringside, though would ultimately become the the catalyst in the breakup of their relationship. In a match against The Twin Towers, Akeem threw Savage against Elizabeth, knocking her unconscious. Hogan, concerned for her safety, carried her to the backstage area, leaving Savage to take a beating in the ring. Upon regaining consciousness, Elizabeth told Hogan to return to the ring, but he was met with an angry Savage, who slapped Hogan & abandoned him to wrestle the match alone. Elizabeth found herself torn between the warring duo and stood in a neutral corner in their match at WrestleMania V, following which Savage replaced her with Sensational Sherri. Elizabeth appeared sporadically across the next few years, but would reunite with Savage at WrestleMania VII, defending her man from Sherri. This led to Liz and Savage’s famous on-screen wedding at SummerSlam 1991, which led to two further feuds with Jake Roberts and Ric Flair, before Liz left the WWF in 1992, divorcing Savage shortly after. She worked for ESPN as a commentator on speedboat racing, before reappearing in WCW, where she served as valet to Savage, Flair, the nWo, Eric Bischoff, &  Lex Luger at different times, before being released in 2000. Following her WCW departure, Liz stayed out of the wrestling business, working the front desk at Lex Luger & Sting’s gym. She was advertised for the 2002 WWA shows, even accompanying Luger on the tour, but didn’t make an on-camera appearance. Less than 6 months later, Liz was found dead at Luger’s house of an overdose of drugs & alcohol. It was Luger himself who made the 911 call, which was later played on an episode of WWE Confidential