This Day in Wrestling History (April 15)

Just a reminder: today's tax day in the States. So unless you want this guy at your door, pay your fair share. (photo via wwe.com)

24 years ago today, WWF tapes the 29^th episode of Saturday Night's Main Event (WWE Network link) from the Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. The episode, airing 12 days later, would be the last Saturday Night's Main Event before moving to FOX in 1992, where just two episodes aired. Following this, the series did not air at all until the short-lived reboot in 2006.

• The Ultimate Warrior defeated Sgt. Slaughter by disqualification.
• The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) defeated The Bushwhackers (Luke and Butch) to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.
• Ted DiBiase and Bret Hart fought to a double countout.
• The Mountie defeated Tito Santana.
• Mr. Perfect last eliminated Greg Valentine to win a 20-man battle royal. Other participants were The Barbarian, The Big Boss Man, Jim Duggan, Earthquake, Haku, Hercules, Hulk Hogan, The Orient Express (Kato and Tanaka), Jake Roberts, The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty), Paul Roma, The British Bulldog, Jimmy Snuka, Tugboat, The Texas Tornado, and The Warlord.

20 years ago today, ECW presented Hostile City Showdown from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• Mikey Whipwreck defeated Stevie Richards.
• Tsubo Genjin defeated Tony Stetson.
• Axl Rotten defeated Ian Rotten in a barbed wire baseball bat match.
• Raven and Tommy Dreamer fought to a no contest.
• Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko fought to a 30-minute time limit draw for the ECW World Television Championship.
• The Sandman defeated Shane Douglas to win the ECW Heavyweight Championship. Near the end of the match, Woman turned on Douglas and hit Douglas' leg with Sandman's cane, causing Sandman to fall on top of Douglas with the crossface chicken wing locked in. Post-match, Douglas put on a Monday Night RAW shirt and left through the crowd. Indeed, this was foreshadowing, as Douglas soon headed for a second run in the WWF.
• The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock) defeated The Pitbulls (Pitbull 1 & Pitbull 2) to retain the ECW Tag Team Championship.
• 911 defeated Ron Simmons.
• Cactus Jack defeated Terry Funk.

19 years ago today, Brian Pillman was severely injured in an single car accident in Kentucky. The accident occurred while Pillman was asleep on the road when he hit a tree trunk and flipped his Hummer H1. The injury puts him in a coma for a week and shatters his ankle. Doctors would fuse the ankle to a fixed position, forcing Pillman to trade in his high-flying moveset for a more grounded one. Despite the injury, Pillman signs with the WWF two months later. It's a historic signing, as Pillman is the first man to sign a guaranteed deal with the company.

19 years ago today on Monday Nitro (WWE Network link), WCW World Television Champion Lex Luger and Sting (together the WCW World Tag Team Champions) defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair and The Giant by disqualification. Although all three championships were on the line, no titles changed hands with the result.

14 years ago today, Mitsuhara Misawa defeated Yoshihiro Takayama to become Pro Wrestling NOAH's first GHC Heavyweight Champion.

13 years ago today on RAW from College Station, Texas, Raven defeated Bubba Ray Dudley to win the WWF Hardcore Championship... only to lose it to Tommy Dreamer... only to lose it to Steven Richards... only to lose it to Bubba Ray Dudley.

9 years ago today in San Francisco, California, MsChif defeated Mercedes Martinez to win the fourth annual All Pro Wrestling ChickFight tournament. Other participants were Candice LaRae, Lacey, Hailey Hatred, Rain, Cheerleader Melissa, and Carla.

8 years ago today, TNA presented Lockdown from the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri. The show's hook was that every match was contested in a steel cage.

• Chris Sabin defeated Alex Shelley, Jay Lethal, Shark Boy, and Sonjay Dutt in an elimination match to retain the TNA X-Division Championship.
  • Chris Sabin eliminated Shark Boy.
  • Chris Sabin eliminated Sonjay Dutt.
  • Jay Lethal eliminated Alex Shelley.
  • Crhis Sabin eliminated Jay Lethal.
• Robert Roode) defeated Petey Williams.
• Gail Kim defeated Jackie Moore.
• Senshi defeated Austin Starr. Bob Backlund was the special referee.
• James Storm defeated Chris Harris in a blindfold match.
• Christopher Daniels defeated Jerry Lynn.
• Team 3D (Brother Devon & Brother Ray) defeated The Latin American Exchange (Hernandez & Homicide) in an electrified steel cage match to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
• Team Angle (Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Rhino, Samoa Joe & Sting) defeated Team Cage (Abyss, AJ Styles, Christian Cage, Scott Steiner & Tomko) in a Lethal Lockdown match. Harley Race was the special enforcer. Sting scored the winning fall in the match; as a result, he earned a NWA World Heavyweight Championship match at Sacrifice.

7 years ago today, WWE banned all non-company photographers from shooting ringside at televised events. This move was made to make the home viewing experience more friendly and less distracting. Non-company photographers can still shoot non-televised events.

3 years ago today, TNA presented Lockdown from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. As with all Lockdown events, every match took place in a steel cage.

• Team Garett Bischoff (AJ Styles, Austin Aries, Garett Bischoff, Mr. Anderson & Rob Van Dam) defeated Team Eric Bischoff (Bully Ray, Christopher Daniels, Eric Bischoff, Gunner & Kazarian) in a Lethal Lockdown match. With the loss, Eric Bischoff was banished from TNA.
• Magnus & Samoa Joe defeated Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
• Devon defeated Robbie E to retain the TNA Television Championship.
• Gail Kim defeated Velvet Sky to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship.
• Crimson defeated Matt Morgan.
• Jeff Hardy defeated Kurt Angle.
• Eric Young & ODB defeated Rosita & Sarita to retain the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship.
• Bobby Roode defeated James Storm to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Happy 37th birthday to Daniel Healy Solwold, Jr., but wrestling fans know him better as Austin Aries. Aries is a TNA triple crown champion (world, tag team, X Division), a two-time ROH World Champion (the only one in company history until last September), and an ROH world tag team champion. Recently, Aries met with WWE to discuss coming to their company, but after failing to agree to terms on a yearly salary, he remains with TNA, where he has been since 2011.