This Day in Wrestling History (February 27)

42 years ago today in Japan, Giant Baba finishes 8-0-2 in a round robin tournament to become the first All Japan Pro Wrestling's Pacific Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Championship. Other participants in the tournament were Abdullah the Butcher, Bobo Brazil, Dick Beyer (aka The Destroyer), Terry Funk, Don Leo Jonathan, Pat O'Connor, Bruno Sammartino, and Wilbur Snyder. In 1989, the PWF Heavyweight title is unified with the NWA International Heavyweight Championship and the NWA United National Heavyweight Championship to create All Japan's Triple Crown.

16 years ago today in Wilmington, Delaware, Steve Bradley defeated Christopher Daniels to win the third Super 8 Tournament. Other participants included Ace Darling, Jeff Peterson, Matt Hardy, Christian York, Devon Storm, and Jeff Hardy.

15 years ago today, WWF presented No Way Out (WWE Network link) from the Harford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut. 12,551 were in attendance, with 480,000 homes watching on PPV.

• In a Sunday Night Heat preshow match, Headbanger Mosh defeated Essa Rios by disqualification in a WWF Light Heavyweight Championship match.
• In a Sunday Night Heat preshow match, Ivory and Mideon defeated Jacqueline and Funaki Mixed tag team match.
• Kurt Angle defeated Chris Jericho to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
• The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) defeated The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.
• Mark Henry defeated Viscera.
• Edge and Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff).
• Tazz defeated The Big Boss Man by disqualification.
• X-Pac defeated Kane in a No Holds Barred match.
• Too Cool (Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty, and Grand Master Sexay) defeated The Radicalz (Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn).
• The Big Show defeated The Rock to earn a WWF Championship match at Wrestlemania 2000.
• Triple H defeated Cactus Jack in a Hell in a Cell match to win the WWF Championship. With the loss, Cactus Jack was forced to retire. The retirement wouldn't stick, as he was brought back under his real name, Mick Foley, by Linda McMahon three weeks later to be a part of the main event of Wrestlemania 2000.

9 years ago today at a RAW/Smackdown Supershow taping in Washington, DC, Randy Orton defeated Super Crazy. In an interesting bit of trivia, Orton came out to "This Fire Burns" by Killswitch Engage to promote WWE's new album Wreckless Intent. Orton would go back to Mercy Drive's "Burn In My Light" a week later, but the theme would not be retired to the dustbin of history: just four months later, the theme was given to CM Punk.

1 year ago today, WWE presented NXT ArRival (WWE Network link) from Full Sail Live in Orlando, Florida. The show is noted for being the first live special on WWE Network.

• In a dark match, Mason Ryan defeated Sylvester Lefort.
• Cesaro defeated Sami Zayn.
• Mojo Rawley defeated CJ Parker.
• The Ascension (Konnor & Viktor) defeated Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay & Scotty 2 Hotty).
• Paige defeated Emma to retain the NXT Women's Championship.
• Tyler Breeze versus Xavier Woods ended in a no contest.
• Adrian Neville defeated Bo Dallas in a ladder match to win the NXT Championship.