Wrestling History

July 3rd – On This Day In Wrestling History

July 3rd - On This Day In Wrestling History

1991 – Day One of the WCW Great American Bash Tour was held in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and featured the announcement that Ric Flair had been stripped of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship due to ‘contractual disputes.’ On the show itself Steve Austin retained the WCW World Television Title against Bobby Eaton, and in the main event El Gigante, Lex Luger, Sting, and The Yellow Dog defeated Barry Windham, Kevin Sullivan, Nikita Koloff, and One Man Gang in a WarGames match.

1992 – CMLL Super Viernes was in Mexico City, Mexico, and the CMLL Middleweight Title changed hands when El Dandy beat Negro Casas in a 2 Out OF 3 Falls match.

1994 – SMW Summer Blast ’94 tool place at the Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta, Georgia. In the opening match New Jack and Sheik Mustafa defeated Lee Thomas and Scott Studd to win the NGWA Tag Team Titles.

1994 – At a taping of WWF Superstars in Ocean City, Maryland, Bret Hart defeated Bob Backlund to retain the WWF Championship. After the match Backlund shook Hart’s hand before ‘snapping’ and slapping him before locking in the Crossface Chickenwing, turning heel in the process. Backlund ended the segment by staring insanely at his hands.

2001 – At a taping of WWF Smackdown! in Tacoma, Washington, Billy Kidman defeated Shane Helms to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, making it the first WCW title to change hands in a WWF ring.

2002 – The NWA:TNA Weekly PPV was held at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, and on the show AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn defeated the Rainbow Express (Bruce and Lenny Lane) to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship titles.

2006 – Day Six of AJPW Crossover was held in Tokyo, Japan. In the main event Taiyo Kea pinned Satoshi Kojima to win the AJPW Triple Crown Championship.

2006 – On an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Edge outlasted both Rob Van Dam and John Cena in a Triple-Threat No Disqualification match to win the WWE Championship. It was the first time the main title had changed hands on Raw in almost five years, the last time was when ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin defeated Kurt Angle for the title in October 2001. Going in to the match Van Dam was a double champion as he held the ECW title too, but the night before the show himself and Sabu has been stopped for speeding and the police found a LOT of illicit substances in the vehicle. Van Dam would lose the ECW Championship to The Big Show the next night and would be suspended for a month.

2008 – A title changed hands twice in Louisville, Kentucky at the OVW weekly show. Firstly Josie defeated Serena to win the OVW Women’s Title and then in the main event Serena beat Josie to take it back.

2012 – WWE Super Smackdown Live! – The Great American Bash took place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. On the show:

  • Layla and The Great Khali defeated Aksana and Antonio Cesaro in a Mixed Tag Team match.
  • Cody Rhodes defeated Christian in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.
  • Also in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, Dolph Ziggler defeated Alex Riley.
  • Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, and Santino Marella defeated Hunico, Camacho, and Drew McIntyre.
  • Ryback defeated Curt Hawkins, with Santino getting the pin on Hunico.
  • Zack Ryder eliminated Kan to win a 20-man Battle Royal match to win the General Manager role for the following week’s Smackdown. Other wrestlers in the match were Alberto Del Rio, Brodus Clay, C. M. Punk, Christian, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Ezekiel Jackson, Heath Slater, Jack Swagger, John Cena, Justin Gabriel, Kofi Kingston, Santino Marella, Tensai, The Big Show, and The Great Khali.

2013 The OVW Television Title was won by Dylan Bostic in Louisville, Kentucky, when he defeated Randy Royal by pinfall on the weekly taping show.

2015 In the main event of ‘FIP: Declaration of Independence’ in Ybor City, Florida, Caleb Konley defeated Rich Swann to become the FIP World Heavyweight Champion.

2016 – Day Six of NJPW Kizuna Road was held in Iwate, Japan. On the show Matt Sydal, Ricochet, and Satoshi Kojima beat the team of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) to win the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Titles.

2018 – Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) reunited to beat Jimmy and Jey Uso in the main event of SmackDown in Omaha, Nebraska.

Notable Wrestling Birthdays:

  • Johnny Swinger (1975)
  • Vladimir Kozlov (1972)
  • Shinya Hashimoto (1965)