This Day in Wrestling History (July 29)

My apologies for getting this out a little late. I'm still mourning the loss of the streak. Why, WWE? WHY?

37 years ago today, Ric Flair defeats Bobo Brazil to win the NWA United States Championship.

23 years ago today, Bobby Heenan announces during a WWF TV taping that Ric Flair was coming to the WWF. Heenan was carrying the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (the Big Gold belt). Also during the TV taping, Hulk Hogan successfully defended the WWF title twice, a pinfall win over The Undertaker via rollup, and a disqualification win against Sgt. Slaughter when the rest of his Triangle of Terror interfered.

18 years ago, WCW presented Nitro from the Disney/MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida.

• Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated Mike Enos.
• Sting, Randy Savage, and Lex Luger versus The Horsemen (Ric Flair, Chris Benoit, and Steve McMichael) went to a no contest. The story was after the match: Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, 2/3 of the New World Order, wreaked havoc backstage, taking out Arn Anderson, Marcus Bagwell, Scotty Riggs, and most notably, Rey Mysterio Jr. when he leaped off a trailer into the waiting arms of Nash, who then threw him head first to a trailer like a lawn dart. Savage jumped on a top of the getaway limo just as Hall and Nash were escaping. Unfortunately for the live crowd, they missed most of the chaos, and very audible chants of "boring" rang through the crowd. Even nearby residents were confused, as allegedly cops were called to sort the whole thing out. Also of note, the very first nWo Paid Announcement comes on this episode.
• The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeated High Voltage (Rage & Kaos). The American Males were the original opponents for the Steiners.
• Eddie Guerrero defeated Big Bubba. Rey Mysterio was the original opponent for Guerrero.
• The Giant defeated Greg Valentine. Arn Anderson was the original opponent for the Giant, making the subs for the evening a perfect 0-3.

12 years ago today, on an episode of RAW from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, two championships change hands. First, Chris Benoit defeats Rob Van Dam to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Second the WWF Hardcore Championship changes hands three times in less than a minute: Jeff Hardy defeated Bradshaw to win the WWE Hardcore Championship, who then loses the belt to Johnny Stamboli, who then loses the belt to Tommy Dreamer. In the main event, WWE Undisputed Champion The Rock defeated Ric Flair in their first ever televised singles meeting.

8 years ago today behind the Break Away Tavern in Smyrna, Delaware, Nick Gage defeated Brain Damage, Drake Younger, and JC Bailey in a four-way elimination light tubes/panes of glass/fans bring the weapons deathmatch to win CZW's Tournament of Death V. Other participants included Brandon Prophet, Andy Summer, Lobo, Necro Butcher, Toby Klein, Danny Havoc, DJ Hyde, and Zandig.

Today is Scott Steiner's 52^nd birthday. To say Steiner is well accomplished in his amateur and pro career would be an understatement: three-times Big 10 runner-up, 1986 All-American, NWA United States Champion, 6-time WCW tag team champion, twice WCW television champion, twice WCW United States Champion, and the next-to-last WCW world heavyweight champion before the buyout. He's also a TNA tag team champion and twice WWF tag team champion. Earlier this month, he was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.

I could show you a highlight video of his more awesome, less crazy days. Or his more crazy days as Big Poppa Pump. But you want the Steiner Math promo. So here you go.

Today would have been the 81^st birthday of "Captain"Louis Vincent Albano. For more than 40 years, Albano managed 15 different tag teams and four singles competitors to championship gold in the WWF, including the British Bulldogs, the Blackjacks, the US Express, the Headshrinkers, and the Wild Samoans. He was also instrumental in the Rock ‘n Wrestling Connection era when he played Cyndi Lauper's dad in the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video. In the late 1980s, he was Mario on the Super Mario Brothers Super Show. The WWF Hall of Fame class of 1996 member died from a massive heart attack in October 2009 at age 76 in Westchester County, New York. Above is his official WWE tribute video from shortly after his death.