This Day in Wrestling History (March 27)

27 years ago today, WWF presented Wrestlemania IV (WWE Network link) from the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Actually, it was held in Atlantic City Convention Hall (today known as Boardwalk Hall), but as part of the deal to host Wrestlemania, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino got hosting name rights. 18,165 were in attendance, with 485,000 homes watching on PPV. The show's hook was a one-night tournament to crown an undisputed WWF Champion. This comes off the events of the first episode of The Main Event where Andre the Giant controversially won the WWF title, followed immediately by Andre controversially selling said title to Ted DiBiase. Despite DiBiase appearing on the next few house shows with the title, his reign was stricken from the record books, the title made vacant, and a tournament commissioned to crown a champion. Also, to settle matters between Andre and Hogan, they were not only given a first round bye, but each other as second round opponents, almost ensuring the winner of their match would win the title. This was the first time in the 25-year history of the WWF Championship the title was vacated (officially; it was unofficially vacated in 1979 after Antonio Inoki refused the title following a match in Japan that ended controversially).

Star ratings are from Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer as recorded in the Internet Wrestling Database. All star ratings are out of five.

• Bad News Brown last eliminated Bret Hart to win a 20-man over-the-top-rope battle royal. Other participants were Boris Zhukov, Brian Blair, Danny Davis, George Steele, Harley Race, Hillbilly Jim, Jacques Rougeau, Jim Brunzell, Jim Neidhart, Jim Powers, Junkyard Dog, Ken Patera, Nikolai Volkoff, Paul Roma, Raymond Rougeau, Ron Bass, Sam Houston, and Sika. (-0.5/5)

First Round

• Ted DiBiase defeated Jim Duggan. (1.25)
• Don Muraco defeated Dino Bravo by disqualification. (0.5)
• Greg Valentine defeated Ricky Steamboat. (2.25)
• Randy Savage defeated Butch Reed. (1)
• One Man Gang defeated Bam Bam Bigelow by countout. (0)
• Rick Rude and Jake Roberts went to a 15-minute time limit draw, eliminating both men. (-2)

• In a non-tournament match, The Ultimate Warrior defeated Hercules. (-1.5)

Quarterfinals

• Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant fought to a double disqualification, eliminating both men. (0.25)
• Ted DiBiase defeated Don Muraco. (1.25)
• Randy Savage defeated Greg Valentine. (2.25)
• One Man Gang got a bye to the semifinals with Rude and Roberts eliminated.

• Brutus Beefcake defeated The Honky Tonk Man by disqualification in a WWF Intercontinental Championship match. (0)
• The Islanders (Haku and Tama) and Bobby Heenan defeated The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) and Koko B. Ware. (1.25)

Semifinals

• Randy Savage defeated One Man Gang by disqualification. The win made Savage the first man (and to this day, still the only man) to win three matches or more in a single Wrestlemania. (0.5)
• Ted Dibiase got a bye into the finals with Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant eliminated.

• Demolition (Ax and Smash) defeated Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana) win the WWF Tag Team Championship. (2.5)

Final

• Randy Savage defeated Ted DiBiase to win the vacated WWF Championship. (2.25)

27 years ago today, NWA presented Clash of the Champions (WWE Network link) from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The show was a direct response to the WWF virtually shutting NWA out of PPV the previous November with Survivor Series by putting on a PPV-caliber show of their own, which would essentially be the hook of the Clash of the Champions series.

• Mike Rotunda defeated Jimmy Garvin in a "college rules" match to retain the NWA World Television Championship.
• The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) defeated The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) by disqualification to retain the NWA United States Tag Team Championship.
• Dusty Rhodes & The Road Warriors (Road Warrior Animal & Road Warrior Hawk) defeated Ivan Koloff & The Powers Of Pain (The Barbarian & The Warlord) in a barbed wire six-man tag team match.
• Barry Windham & Lex Luger defeated Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
• Ric Flair and Sting fought to a 45-minute time limit draw for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. JJ Dillon was suspended in a cage above the ring. Ringside judges Gary Juster, Sandy Scott, and Patty Mullen could not come to a decision on the winner.

27 years ago today in Tokyo, Japan, Bruiser Brody defeated Jumbo Tsuruta to win the NWA International Heavyweight Championship. It would be Brody's final major championship before his death four months later.

15 years ago today on Nitro from South Padre Island, Texas, The Wall defeated Hulk Hogan via disqualification. This was the last Nitro match before the return of Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo and a hard reboot of WCW storylines. The Nitro the next week (April 3) would be a clip show.

TNA Impact Live 27.03.2008 part 1 by tnawweppv

7 years ago today, TNA presented their first-ever live episode of Impact from the Impact Zone at Universal Orlando. In a not-so-humorous side nugget, WWE's Derek Graham-Couch, (aka Robbie McAllister) was shown on camera in the audience. Reportedly, a WWE official called Derek and ordered him to leave. Derek lost his Wrestlemania bonus ($5,000), and would be released four months later.

• In a dark match, Curry Man, Eric Young & Shark Boy defeated The Rock 'n Rave Infection (Jimmy Rave & Lance Hoyt) & Rellik.
• Johnny Devine defeated Alex Shelley in a Lockdown X-Scape qualifying match.
• Latin American Exchange (Hernandez & Homicide) & Salinas defeated Petey Williams, Rhaka Khan & Scott Steiner.
• Booker T defeated Robert Roode in a first blood match.
• Awesome Kong defeated ODB to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship.
• Team Cage (Christian Cage, Kevin Nash, Rhino & Sting) defeated Team Tomko (AJ Styles, Brother Devon, Brother Ray & Tomko).

5 years ago today, WWE held their 2010 Hall of Fame Ceremony from the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. The 2010 class:

• Ted DiBiase, inducted by his sons Ted, Jr. and Brett
• Antonio Inoki, inducted by Stan Hansen
• Wendi Richter, inducted by Roddy Piper
• Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon, inducted by Pat Patterson
• Gorgeous George, inducted by his ex-wife Betty Wagner
• Stu Hart, inducted by the Hart family
• Bob Uecker, inducted by Dick Ebersol

4 years ago today, SHIMMER Women Athletes presented Volume 39 from the Eagles Club in Berwyn, Illinois.

• In a dark match, Jett Riley & Rhia O'Riley defeat Brittany Force & December
• Kellie Skater defeated Courtney Rush
• LuFisto defeated Sassy Stephie
• Rachel Summerlyn defeated Mena Libra
• The Seven Star Sisters (Hiroyo Matsumoto & Misaki Ohata) defeat Pretty Bitchin (Ariel & Nikki Roxx) to retain the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship.
• Mercedes Martinez defeated Britani Knight.
• Daizee Haze & Tomoka Nakagawa defeat Jamilia Craft & Mia Yim
• Singles Match: Jessica James defeated Athena
• Singles Match: MsChif defeated Saraya Knight
• Singles Match: Serena defeated Portia Perez by disqualification.
• Nicole Matthews defeated Jessie McKay 2-1 in a best of three falls match.
• Ayako Hamada & Cheerleader Melissa defeat Madison Eagles & Sara Del Rey.

On the same day, they taped Volume 40.

• In a dark match, Jett Riley & Rhia O'Riley defeat Brittany Force & December.
• Kellie Skater defeated Taylor Made.
• Rachel Summerlyn defeated Jessie Brooks.
• Mercedes Martinez defeated Christina Von Eerie.
• MsChif defeated Melanie Cruise.
• Jessie McKay defeated Athena.
• The Knight Dynasty (Britani Knight & Saraya Knight) (w/ Rebecca Knox) defeat Regeneration X (Allison Danger & Leva Bates).
• Sara Del Rey defeated Jessica James.
• Serena defeated Cheerleader Melissa and LuFisto and Portia Perez.
• Ayumi Kurihara defeated Nicole Matthews.
• Daizee Haze & Tomoka Nakagawa defeat The Seven Star Sisters (Hiroyo Matsumoto & Misaki Ohata) to win the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship.
• Madison Eagles defeated Hamada to retain the SHIMMER Championship.

3 years ago today, Legacy Talent, the agency representing RIc Flair, confirms via press release that he will attend the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. Flair at the time was a contracted member of the TNA roster. Flair would be inducted as a member of the Four Horsemen, making him the first man to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame more than once.