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33 years ago today in St. Louis, Missouri, Harley Race defeated Ric Flair to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for a record seventh time.
21 years ago today, AAA presented TripleMania III-A from Orizaba, Mexico. This was the first of a three-show TripleMania series.
- Martha Villalobos, La Nazi and Neftali defeated La Sirenita, Irma Gonzales and Irma Aguilar in a lucha libre rules match.
- Los Misioneros del Muerte (El Signo, Negro Navarro and Misionero) defeated El Torero, El Mexicano and Dragón de Oro in a lucha libre rules match.
- Los Villaños (Villaño I, Villaño III and Villaño IV) defeated Los Payasos (Coco Rojo, Coco Verde and Coco Amarillo) 2-0 in a best of three falls lucha libre rules match.
- All three Villaños pinned Coco Rojo and Coco Verde.
- Los Payasos were disqualified.
- Super Caló and Winners went to a draw with Marabunta and Ángel Mortal in a Relevos Suicidas tag team match. Marabunta pinned Super Caló at the same time as Winners pinned Ángel Mortal. As a result the two people taking the pinfall would face off in a mask vs. mask match.
- Super Calo pinned Ángel Mortal in a in a mask vs. mask match.
- Konnan, Perro Aguayo, La Parka and Octagón defeated Cien Caras, Máscara Año 200, Pentagón and Jerry Estrada in an atomicos match.
- Payasito Rojo was the last man in the cage in a minis cage match. Other participants included Bandita, Espectrito I, Espectrito II, Jerrito Estrada, Fuercita Guerrera, Mascarita Sagrada, Mini Calo, Octagóncito, La Parkita, Payasito Azul, Super Muñequito, and Torerito. Because Payasito Rojo was the last man in, he was forced to unmask.
Nash was last seen in the WWF as "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel. To say that he had a pretty fruitful three years there would be an understatement: on his debut night, he helped Shawn Michaels regain the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Within 18 months, Nash would hold every championship possible in the WWF, capping it off with a record-breaking eight-second win over Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship two days after the 1994 Survivor Series. Nash would go on to hold that championship for 358 days, the longest title reign in the company in the 1990s.
17 years ago today on Thunder from Syracuse, New York, Perry Saturn and Chris Benoit defeated Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship.
14 years ago today, Stone Cold Steve Austin walked out of a RAW taping in Atlanta and flew back to San Antonio with his wife Debra.
Austin, originally scheduled to face Brock Lesnar on the show, made the call on the morning of the show to walk out after being contacted by WWE management about booking plans. Austin said him losing to Lesnar with no prior buildup didn't make sense from a business standpoint.
Austin's walkout caused a MAJOR rewrite to the show since the focus was on Ric Flair becoming Austin's personal assistant for a month. The biggest change involves Vince McMahon inexplicably regaining 100% control of WWE from Flair after winning a no holds barred match in the show's main event. As it turned out, it was Austin's second walkout without WWE's permission or notice in three months, and Austin would be fired just three days later. The full results from that tumultuous RAW (WWE Network link):
- The nWo (Booker T, Big Show, and X-Pac) defeated Shawn Stasiak, Spike Dudley, and Tommy Dreamer.
- William Regal defeated Bradshaw to retain the WWE European Championship.
- Molly Holly defeated Trish Stratus.
- Rob Van Dam defeated Eddie Guerrero in a King of the Ring qualifying match.
- Brock Lesnar defeated Bubba Ray Dudley in a King of the Ring qualifying match.
- Vince McMahon defeated Ric Flair in a no holds barred match to become 100% owner of the WWE.
11 years ago today, the other ECW reunion show took place. Hardcore Homecoming was an independent event put together by former ECW world champion Shane Douglas, wrestler-turned-promoter Mark Keenan (aka Cody Michaels), and TNA jack-of-all-trades Jeremy Borash (Keenan and Douglas would reunite a few years later to form Extreme Reunion, later Extreme Rising).
In an interesting side nugget, Terry Funk turned down a lucrative offer to work One Night Stand to work this event, citing he couldn't give his best effort for two high-profile matches that weekend. The event was released on DVD with a companion documentary on ECW, Forever Hardcore.
- Chris Chetti & Mikey Whipwreck defeated CW Anderson & Simon Diamond.
- Tracy Smothers defeated The Blue Meanie.
- 2 Cold Scorpio defeated Kid Kash.
- Bad Breed (Axl Rotten & Ian Rotten) versus John Kronus & New Jack ended in a no contest.
- Jerry Lynn defeated Justin Credible.
- Raven defeated The Sandman.
- Sabu defeated Shane Douglas and Terry Funk in a no-ropes barbed wire three-way dance.
8 years ago today, Taryn Terrell, a finalist in the 2007 WWE Diva Search, made her WWE television debut as the assistant to ECW general manager Teddy Long.
4 years ago today, TNA presented Slammiversary from College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The event is noted for three things: it was the largest attendance for a TNA show ever (at the time), Sting being inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame, and former WWE and NWA world champion Christian making a cameo appearance.
- Austin Aries defeated Samoa Joe to retain the TNA X Division Championship.
- Hernandez defeated Kid Kash.
- Devon & Garett Bischoff defeated Robbie E & Robbie T.
- Mr. Anderson defeated Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy in a triple threat match to become the #1 contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
- James Storm defeated Crimson in an Open Challenge. After over 15 months, this was Crimson's first loss in a TNA ring.
- Brooke Tessmacher defeated Gail Kim to win the TNA Knockouts Championship.
- Joseph Park defeated Bully Ray in an anything goes match.
- A.J Styles & Kurt Angle defeated Christopher Daniels & Kazarian to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
- Bobby Roode defeated Sting to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.