:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49735757/This_Date-in-History-Timeline.0.png)
20 years ago today, Antonio Inoki presented the World Wrestling Peace Festival from the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. 5,964 were in attendance for the event. This was considered disappointing as they booked a 17,000 seat arena.
This was the first show Inoki produced in the United States. At the end of the show, he was presented a Pro Wrestling Illustrated Lifetime Achievement Award by the magazine's senior editor, Bill Apter. Representatives from New Japan Pro Wrestling, WCW, AAA, EMLL, AJW, Michinoku Pro, UWF-I, and Pancrase competed on the show.
- Craig Pittman (WCW) defeated KGB (AAA) by submission.
- Jim Neidhart defeated Bobby Bradley, Jr.
- Lady Apache (CMLL) and Akira Hokuto defeated Bull Nakano and Neftali (AAA).
- In a WCW match, Chris Benoit defeated Alex Wright.
- In a AAA match, NWA World Middleweight Champion Ultimo Dragon and Rey Misterio, Jr. defeated Heavy Metal and Mexican National Welterweight Champion Psicosis.
- Lex Luger (WCW) defeated Masa Saito (NJPW).
- In a CMLL match, NWA World Welterweight Champion Negro Casas defeated Mexican National Middleweight Champion El Hijo del Santo.
- In a CMLL match, CMLL World Tag Team Champion Atlantis, Dos Caras and Héctor Garza defeated Gran Markus, Jr., Silver King and CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion Dr. Wagner, Jr.
- In a NJPW match, Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Black Cat.
- In a AAA match, Perro Aguayo and La Parka defeated Cibernético and Mexican National Heavyweight Champion Pierroth, Jr.
- AAA Americas, IWAS World and WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Konnan (AAA/WCW) defeated Bam Bam Bigelow and Chris Jericho (WCW) in a triangle match.
- Jushin Liger (NJPW) defeated The Great Sasuke (Michinoku Pro).
- In a WCW match, WCW World Heavyweight Champion The Giant defeated WCW World Tag Team Champion Sting in a non-title match.
- Antonio Inoki and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dan Severn defeated Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Oleg Taktarov by submission.
20 years ago today in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Shane Douglas in separate matches defeated El Puerto Ricano, Don E. Allen, Devon Storm, and Mikey Whipwreck (all in a row) to retain the ECW World Television Championship...only to lose said championship to Pitbull #2.
9 years ago today, SHIMMER Women Athletes presented Volume 11 from the Berwyn Eagles Club in Berwyn, Illinois. The taping, along with Volume 12 the next night, was to determine the first ever SHIMMER Champion.
- First round:
- Malia Hosaka defeated Allison Danger.
- Daizee Haze defeated Portia Perez.
- Sara Del Rey defeated Cindy Rogers.
- Alicia defeated Ariel.
- MsChif (with Daffney) defeated Lexie Fyfe.
- Sarah Stock defeated Cheerleader Melissa.
- Lacey defeated Eden Black.
- Nikki Roxx defeated Rain.
- Quarterfinals:
- Daizee Haze defeated Malia Hosaka.
- Sara Del Rey defeated Alicia.
- Sarah Stock defeated MsChif (with Daffney).
- Lacey defeated Nikki Roxx.
8 years ago today, ECW presented One Night Stand (WWE Network link) from the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California. 9,961 were in attendance, with 194,000 homes watching on PPV.
- Jeff Hardy defeated Umaga in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
- The Big Show defeated CM Punk, John Morrison, Chavo Guererro, and Tommy Dreamer in a Singapore Cane Match to earn an ECW Championship match at Night of Champions.
- John Cena defeated John Bradshaw Layfield in a first blood match.
- Beth Phoenix defeated Melina in an "I Quit" match.
- Batista defeated Shawn Michaels in a stretcher match.
- Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match to retain the WWE Championship.
- Edge defeated The Undertaker in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. With the loss, Undertaker was forced to leave WWE. This, of course, would not stick, as he would return about two months later.
7 years ago today on RAW from Birmingham, Alabama, Kofi Kingston defeated MVP to win the WWE United States Championship.
6 years ago today, Wade Barrett wins the first season of NXT. With the win, he earns a WWE Championship match at a future PPV. David Otunga finishes second, and Justin Gabriel finishes third.
2 years ago today, WWE presented Payback (WWE Network link) from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
- In a preshow hair versus mask match, El Torito defeated Hornswoggle.
- Sheamus defeated Cesaro to retain the WWE United States Championship.
- RybAxel (Curtis Axel & Ryback) defeated Cody Rhodes & Goldust.
- Rusev defeated Big E via submission.
- Bo Dallas and Kofi Kingston fought to a no contest.
- Bad News Barrett defeated Rob Van Dam to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
- John Cena defeated Bray Wyatt in a last man standing match.
- Paige defeated Alicia Fox to retain the WWE Divas Championship.
- The Shield (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins) defeated Evolution (Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton) 3-0 in a no holds barred elimination tag team match.
- Seth Rollins eliminated Batista.
- Dean Ambrose eliminated Randy Orton.
- Roman Reigns eliminated Triple H.
It's a happy 39th birthday for James Allen Cox, best known to wrestling fans as "The Cowboy" James Storm.
Storm, one of just two men on the roster who was there since TNA's inception in 2002 before his departure last summer (Abyss is the other), Storm is a seven-time TNA world tag team champion (five of them with Bobby Roode as one-half of Beer Money) and seven-time NWA world tag team champion (six of them with Chris Harris as one-half of America's Most Wanted). In October 2011, Storm won his first, and to date only, TNA World Heavyweight Championship. After making two appearances for NXT late last year, Storm returned to TNA on a fully guaranteed contract.