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23 years ago today, WWF taped Survivor Series Showdown ‘93 from Farrell Hall in Delhi, New York.
Airing November 21, the event served as a preshow of sorts to that Wednesday’s Survivor Series. The second half of the show was taped in Delhi, NY, while the first half was taped two days prior at Fernwood Resort in Bushkill, Pennsylvania.
The show’s hook was Yokozuna and Bret Hart’s first singles bout against each other since Wrestlemania IX.
- Doink defeats Bastion Booger.
- Crush defeats Virgil.
- Irwin R. Schyster defeats Marty Jannetty.
- Yokozuna defeated Bret Hart by disqualification to retain the WWF Championship.
23 years ago, WCW presented Clash of the Champions XXV (WWE Network link) from the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.
- Rick Rude and Road Warrior Hawk went to a double countout in a WCW International World Heavyweight Championship match.
- The Shockmaster defeated The Equalizer.
- Lord Steven Regal defeated Johnny B. Badd to retain the WCW World Television Championship.
- Steve Austin defeated Flyin' Brian.
- Dustin Rhodes defeated Paul Orndorff to retain the WCW United States Championship.
- The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) defeated Davey Boy Smith & Sting.
- Ric Flair defeated Big Van Vader by disqualification in a WCW World Heavyweight Championship match.
19 years ago today on Nitro from Memphis, Tennessee (WWE Network link), Eddie Guerrero defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr. to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
8 years ago today at an Impact taping at Universal Orlando, Eric Young defeated Sheik Abdul Bashir to win the TNA X Division Championship.
The decision would be overturned the next week due to the actions of referee Shane Sewell in the match and the title returned to Bashir. Young's X Division title win is not recognized by TNA.
8 years ago today on RAW from London, England (WWE Network link), William Regal defeated Santino Marella to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
7 years ago today, James Gibson announces his retirement from wrestling after a 14-year career.
Gibson, aka Jamie Noble, severely injured his back in a match with Sheamus just eight days prior; the injury combined with multiple nagging injuries over his career led to his decision to retire.
Though his WWE success was limited (his only championship with the company was the cruiserweight title in 2002), Gibson is best known as the man who defeated CM Punk for the ROH World Championship in 2005 as Punk was heading to WWE. Gibson would lose that championship just five weeks later to Bryan Danielson.
Gibson, who took on a producer and road agent role following his retirement, occasionally wrestled on the house show circuit. He had a recurring role on WWE programming in 2014 and 2015 as one-half of J&J Security with Joey Mercury.
6 years ago today, Kevin Nash re-signs with TNA.
Nash had not appeared on TNA programming since the Impact following Bound for Glory due to a contractual dispute. Amazingly, Nash would never again reappear for the company. On the Friday before the 2011 Royal Rumble, Nash backed out of the deal and got his unconditional release from the company, opening the door for him to rejoin WWE. What led to Nash leaving TNA in the rear view mirror? Nash explained in a February 2011 interview with Monday Night Mayhem:
“The angle was Kurt (Angle) was beating Jeff (Jarrett). Fortune came down, put the boots to Kurt, and got heat on them. Abyss came down and had a 2x4 basically nailed to his spinal cord, which maybe just seemed a little strange for me that that would at least be attempted murder. If Abyss was not paralyzed from the neck down the next week, it would kind of seem like a foolish thing to do. Flair screamed back up, and Kurt made a comeback on the entire Fortune group and basically cleared the ring. What reason was I coming in for? If Kurt can beat them on his own, I definitely don't need to come in there."
Nash went on to say that after watching that episode, he and his wife decided it was in his best to not come back. He then put in a call to WWE’s executive vice-president of talent relations John Laurinaitis, and the rest is history.
Nash along with Booker T was to be a part of a rebirth of the Main Event Mafia to combat Hulk Hogan’s Immortal faction.
5 years ago today, the WWE Network logo was revealed.
Originally set to launch in 2012, WWE Network doesn’t launch until February 2014. The Network logo would be adopted as the company’s main logo later in the year.
1 year ago today, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announces on Instagram he’s going to be a father for a second time. The announcement via The Rock’s Instagram:
I was raised by and live with amazing and strong women, so the universe felt we needed one more... IT'S A BABY GIRL!! THANK YOU guys so much for the awesome support and love you've sent @laurenhashianofficial and myself from around the world. We're so grateful for this blessing and thrilled to share the news with y'all. #BringOnMoreEstrogenInOurHome #MeAndPuppyHobbsAreTheOnlyDudes #Proud2xPapaBear #JustOverHereMakingBabiesAndStuff
Johnson and girlfriend Lauren Hashian met on the set of The Game Plan back in 2006. Hashian gave birth to a baby girl, Jasmine, in December 2015.
The best of cSs on this day:
2015: WWE Raw ratings (Nov. 9, 2015): Viewers for tape-delayed show down again (Not even a world title tournament and the Brothers of Destruction can keep RAW’s viewership numbers from sagging to near-record lows)
2014: If it works on the internet, it should sell PPVs, right? Grumpy Cat to host Survivor Series go-home episode of WWE Raw (WWE announces Internet sensation Grumpy Cat will guest host the RAWbefore Survivor Series)
2013: Random thoughts on Triple H's Thy Kingdom Come DVD (cSs’ Keith Harris reviews the Triple H doc Thy Kingdom Come)
2012: Jim Ross confirmed as announcer next week for Jerry Lawler's return to Raw (Two months after Lawler’s near fatal heart attack, Ross tweets that he will join his longtime broadcast partner in the booth for his return show)
2011: Is CM Punk helping or hurting pro wrestling? WWE 'Reality Era' not all it's cracked up to be (cSs boss Geno Mrosko pokes holes in WWE’s ‘reality era’)