This Day in Wrestling History (June 26)

Welcome to the latest edition of This Day in Wrestling History!  It's been a while, but that's because we use a calendar based on Steiner math...

(photo via ugo.com)

22 years ago today, The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeat Big, Bad & Dangerous (Vader & Bam Bam Bigelow) to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Also, El Samurai defeats Jushin Liger to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

(photo via slam.canoe.ca)

22 years ago today, the wrestling world lost a legend: the first WWWF Champion Buddy Rogers passes away at age 71. Rogers began wrestling at his local YMCA at age 9 and became a regular champion in several sports in Camden YMCA competitions. He joined the circus as a wrestler aged 17 before joining the promotion owned by Ray & Frank Hanley. His early career took him from his native New Jersey to Houston (where he gained the Buddy Rogers moniker) and from there to Columbus (where he became known as ‘The Nature Boy').

The dawn of the television era saw him competing for Sam Muchnick in St Louis, where he and Lou Thesz were billed as the top two competitors. In 1961, he defeated Pat O'Connor to win the NWA World Title and set a North American wrestling attendance record that would be unbeaten until 1984. However, controversy soon ignited. Rogers was seen to favour northeastern promoters over other territories and despite being the national champion, rarely competed in the south.

The situation came to a head in 1963. Rogers was to lose the NWA World Title to Lou Thesz, but the northeastern promoters were not happy about the decision, as Thesz was not a popular wrestler in their territories. Soon after the match, Vince McMahon and Toots Mondt seceded from the NWA to form the WWWF and announced Rogers as their champion. However, Rogers suffered a mild-heart attack shortly after his crowning, and was forced to drop the title to Bruno Sammartino.

With his health failing, he made only bit-part appearances until he broke his hip in a WWF match in 1978, forcing his total retirement. He remained an active figure behind the scenes in several promotions until the 1990′s, when his health took a turn for the worse. It was a series of strokes that ultimately claimed his life.

(photo via whatistheexcel.com)

15 years ago today was ECW's fifth Hostile City Showdown from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• Rhino pinned Christopher Daniels.
• Spike Dudley pinned Rhino.
• Skull von Crush pinned Lance Diamond.
• Danny Doring and Roadkill beat Nova and Chris Chetti when Roadkill pinned Nova.
• El Mosco pinned Kid Kash.
• Little Guido pinned Super Crazy.
• Taz defeated Yoshihiro Tajiri by submission to retain the ECW World Heavyweight Title.
• Rob Van Dam pinned Balls Mahoney to retain the ECW World Television Title.
• The Impact Players (Justin Credible and Lance Storm) defeated Sabu and Jerry Lynn in a Death match when Storm pinned Lynn.

(photo via wwe.com)

13 years ago today, at a Smackdown taping in Madison Square Garden in New York City, Albert defeats Kane in a no-disqualification match to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

11 years ago today, Rowdy Roddy Piper was released from the WWE following comments he made on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel regarding professional wrestling deaths. WWE issued the following statement in regard to Piper's release:

"Since March 31, 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ("WWE") and Roderick Toombs, p/k/a "Roddy Piper", have attempted to negotiate the terms of an arrangement for Roddy to appear on WWE programming through August of this year. The parties have been unable to reach a mutually acceptable agreement.

On Tuesday, June 24, Piper appeared on an HBO program and revealed disturbing facts about his own personal drug use. Piper stated that he used drugs for many years while working in professional wrestling and that he does not like the person that he becomes when he actively performs as a professional wrestler.

In view of WWE's inability to reach agreement on a contract and to assist Piper from engaging in any self destructive behavior, the WWE is ending any further discussion with Piper regarding a contract. The WWE sincerely hopes for Piper and his family that Roddy can find happiness."

Less than two years later, Piper would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and has made occasional appearances for the company since.

9 years ago today was WWE Vengeance (WWE Network link) from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 9.850 were in attendance with 420,000 homes purchasing the event on PPV. The RAW-exclusive PPV was during a brief period in which both world titles were on the same show (Batista would be moved to Smackdown less than a week after the event).

• Carlito defeats Shelton Benjamin to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
• Victoria defeats Christy Hemme.
• Kane defeats Edge.
• Shawn Michaels defeats Kurt Angle
• John Cena defeats Christian & Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat Match to retain the WWE Championship.
• Batista defeats Triple H in a Hell In A Cell Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

(photo via www.czwrestling.com)

4 years ago today, Scotty Vortex defeated JC Bailey in a "Tables, Ladders, Light Tubes, and Anything Else Still in the Back" Match to win CZW Tournament of Death IX (WARNING: video is NSFW) at the Markland Farmlands (aka the "Ultraviolent Underground" in Townsend, Delaware. Bailey won a barbed wire and log cabin lighttubes match against Big Japan's Abdullah Kobayashi and Havok in a lighttube bundles and structures match in earlier rounds. The show opened with a ten-bell salute for the late Michael Verdi (aka Trent Acid), who died a few days prior to the show. Future WWE developmental talent Sami Callahan (aka Solomon Crowe) and Drake Younger competed in non-tournament matches on the show.

(photo via media.gfl.tv)

In 2011, ROH Best in the World was held in Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

• Homicide defeats Rhino in a No Holds Barred Match
• El Generico defeats Christopher Daniels to win the ROH Television Championship.
• Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin) defeat The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay), The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King) and The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) in a Four-Way Elimination Match to retain the ROH Tag Team Championship.
• Davey Richards defeats Eddie Edwards to win the ROH World Championship.