Wrestling History

July 8th – On This Day In Wrestling History

July 8th - On This Day In Wrestling History

1985 – The first ever WWF King of the Ring took place at the Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. In front of 23,000 fans Don Murraco defeated The Iron Sheik in the final of the tournament to be crowned the King of the Ring.

1996 – In the opening match of WCW Monday Nitro at the Disney MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida, Rey Mysterio defeated Dean Malenko to become the WCW Cruiserweight Champion.

2002 – On the weekly episode of WWE Monday Night Raw in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kevin Nash tore his quad in a 10-Person Tag Team match in his first match back since sustaining a torn bicep earlier in the year. Also on the show Jeff Hardy defeated William Regal to win the WWE European Championship, and (in what has gone down in wrestling history as one of the worst matches in WWE) Bradshaw and Trish Stratus beat Christopher Nowinski and Jackie Gayda in a Mixed Tag Team match.

2005 – At the IWA-MS/NWA No Limits Muscatine Show in Iowa, Ryan Boz defeated Abyss and Tyler Black in a Three Way Table, Ladders, and Chairs match to win the NWA Iowa Heavyweight Title.

2006 – CZW A Prelude to Violence took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the opening match of the show Sexxxy Eddie became the new CZW Jr. Heavyweight Championship after beating Niles Young.

2006 – Day Five of NJPW Circuit ’06 Turbulence was held at Twin Messe Shizuoka in Shizuoka, Japan. In the main event of the show Gedo and Jado defeated El Samurai and Ryusuke Taguchi to take the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship belts.

2008 The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title changed hands at NJPW New Japan Trill in Tokyo, Japan, when Tiger Mask IV defeated Prince Devitt.

2012 – TNA Destination X was held at the Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida, in front of 1,200 fans. The X Division Championship Tournament was won by Zema Ion after he outlasted Mason Andrews, Kenny King, and Sonjay Dutt in an Ultimate X match to become the new champion, and then in the main event Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship after cashing in his X-Division title to gain the title shot.

2013 – The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan) made their WWE main roster debut by attacking Kane on Raw.

2015 – At the weekly OVW TV Taping in Louisville, Kentucky, Adam Wylde and Robbie Walker defeated Big Jon and Eric Locker to become the OVW Southern Tag Team Champions.

2015 – In the main event of CZW Dojo Wars in Blackwood, New Jersey, Joe Gacy beat Frankie Pickard to take the CZW Wired TV Title.

2017 – SHIMMER Volume 93 was held at the Eagles Club in Berwyn, Illinois. Shazza McKenzie became the new Heart Of SHIMMER Champion after defeating Nicole Savoy.

2017 – In the main event of CZW EVILution, held at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey, Shane Strickland outlasted Davey Richards, Joe Gacy, and Lio Rush in a Four-Way match to become the CZW Championship
DEFY 8XGP World Champion.

2017 – At CHIKARA The Lodger in Gibsonville, North Carolina, Solo Darling and Travis Huckabee won the CHIKARA Campeonatos De Parejas titles in a Best Two out of Three Falls match against Cornelius Crummels and Sonny De Farge, but then lost them to El Hijo Del Ice Cream and Ice Cream Jr, also in a Best Two out of Three Falls match.

2017 – Anthony Henry and James Drake won the EVOLVE Tag Team Titles at EVOLVE #88 in Charlotte, North Carolina, when they beat Chris Dickinson and Jaka.

Notable Wrestling Birthdays:

  • Joe Nelson/Kid Lykos II (2002)
  • Marcel Barthel (1990)
  • Luke Hawx (1981)
  • Hikaru Sato (1980)