Wrestling History

June 20th – On This Day In Wrestling History

June 20th - On This Day In Wrestling History

1987 – In the final of the NWA/UWF Western States Heritage Title Tournament in Houston, Texas, Barry Windham defeated Black Bart by pinfall to become the first ever NWA Western States Heritage Champion. The belt wouldn’t be around for long, it would be retired in December 1988.

1992 – WCW Beach Blast was held at the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama, in front of around 5,000 fans.

  • Scotty Flamingo defeated Brian Pillman following a second rope Knee Drop to win the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship.
  • Ron Simmons defeated ‘The Taylor Made Man’ Terry Taylor after a Powerslam to get the pin.
  • Greg Valentine defeated Marcus Bagwell by submission.
  • WCW Heavyweight Champion Sting defeated Cactus Jack in a Non-Title Falls Count Anywhere on the Gulf Coast match.
  • Ricky Steamboat defeated Rick Rude 4-3 in a 30-minute Iron Man Challenge.
  • Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, and Nikita Koloff defeated The Dangerous Alliance (Arn Anderson, Steve Austin, and Bobby Eaton) by disqualification.
  • Missy Hyatt defeated Madusa in a bikini contest after Missy, who’s bikini was stolen, used Jesse Ventura’s bandanna to make herself a bikini.
  • The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) fought The Miracle Violence Connection (Terry Gordy and Steve Williams) to a 30-minute time-limit draw to retain the WCW World Tag Team Championship Titles

1997 – At the ECW Waltham Show in Waltham, Massachusetts, The Dudley Boyz (Buh-Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) defeated The Eliminators (Perry Saturn and John Kronus) to win the ECW World Tag Team belts.

2000 -WWF Smackdown! was taped in Memphis, Tennessee. Rikishi defeated Chris Benoit to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship, and would hold the title for just two weeks.

2003 – MLW Hybrid Hell was held at the War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mike Awesome defeated Satoshi Kojima to win the MLW World Heavyweight Title but then Awesome lost it to Steve Corino in the very next match.

2004 – At AAA TripleMania XII in Mexico, Mr. Aguila beat El Zorro to win the UWA World Lightheavyweight Title.

2005 – WWE Monday Night Raw was in Phoenix, Arizona. Carlito became the new WWE Intercontinental Champion after defeating Shelton Benjamin. Also on the show Edge and Lita attempt to get married but, as often happens in weddings, Kane emerges from under the ring and Tombstones the minister as Edge and Lita run away.

2008 – 1PW The Underground X is held at the Granby in Edlington, England. Kris Travis and Martin Kirby outlast Brett Valentine and Nick Elite, and Dragon Aisu and Jon Cameron in a Triple-Threat Tag Team Elimination match to win the 1PW Tag Team Titles.

2008 – At Night One of IWA-MS King of the Deathmatch in Sellersburg, Indiana, Dingo defeated Chuck Taylor to become the IWA:MS Heavyweight Champion.

2009 – Kaiju Big Battel All Out War 2: The Search for the Golden Treasure is held at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the opening match Dusto Bunny and Jeremiah The Giant Pink Teddy Bear beat The Grudyin and Tucor for the Kaiju Double Danger Tandem Titles.

2009 – In the main event of NJPW Dominion 6.20 in Osaka, Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi becomes the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion after defeating Manabu Nakanishi.

2010 – WWE Fatal 4-Way is held at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, in front of around 10,000 fans. On the PPV:

  • After interference from Matt Hardy, Kofi Kingston pinned Drew McIntyre to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
  • Alicia Fox defeated Eve, Gail Kim, and Maryse in a Fatal 4-Way match to win the WWE Divas Championship.
  • Evan Bourne defeated Chris Jericho after Bourne hit an Air Bourne on Jericho’s back and pinned him for the win.
  • Rey Mysterio defeated Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk in a Fatal 4-Way match to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Following interference from Kane, Mysterio got the pin on Swagger.
  • The Miz defeated R-Truth to retain the WWE United States Championship.
  • The Hart Dynasty (Tyson Kidd, David Hart Smith and Natalya) defeated The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) and Tamina. Natalya pinned Tamina after a Nattie-By-Nature.
  • Sheamus defeated John Cena, Edge, and Randy Orton in a Fatal 4-Way match to win the WWE Championship after the rookies from the Nexus interrupted the match and attacked Cena, then Edge, giving Sheamus the chance to get the pin on Cena.

2011 – Kelly Kelly defeated Brie Bella on WWE Monday Night Raw to win the WWE Diva’s Championship. Later in the show, C.M. Punk won a Number One Contender’s match and then announced that his contract with WWE ends at the Money in the Bank PPV the following month, and he intends to leave the company as WWE Champion.

2013 – On a taping of NXT in Winter Park, Florida, Paige defeated Emma in a tournament final to become the first NXT Women’s Title. At the same taping Adrian Neville and Corey Graves become the new NXT Tag Team Champions when they beat Erick Rowan and Luke Harper.

2013 – At a TNA IMPACT! taping in Peoria, Illinois, Suicide defeated Chris Sabin and Kenny King in a Triple-Threat match for the TNA X-Division Title. Later in the show Suicide would reveal himself to be Austin Aries, who announced he would be trading in his X Division Championship for a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match at Destination X.

2014 – At a TNA IMPACT! taping in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Austin Aries beat Sanada to win the TNA X-Division Title. Also at the taping Gail Kim defeated Angelina Love to win the TNA Knockouts Championship.

2015 – wXw More Than Wrestling Tour: Finale – Shortcut To The Top was in Oberhausen, Germany. Mike Schwarz and Toby Blunt became the new wXw World Tag Team Champions when they beat Lucas Di Leo and Peter Fischer.

2017 – Day Six of AJPW Dynamite Series was in Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan. In the main event of the show Atsushi Aoki and Hikaru Sato defeated Atsushi Onita and Masanobu Fuchi to win the All Asia Tag Team Titles.

2019 – At IWA-MS This Is Us in Jeffersonville, Indiana, Kongo Kong defeated Larry D for the IWA:MS Heavyweight Title, then in the main event Kevin Giza beat Aaron Williams in a Opportunity In A Box Match for the IWA:MS Junior Heavyweight Championship.

Notable Wrestling Birthdays:

  • Mecha Wolf 450 (1987)
  • Jessicka Havok (1986)
  • J.R. Kratos (1982)
  • Koko B. Ware (1957)
  • Umanosuke Ueda (1940)