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33 years ago today in Tokyo, Japan, Jumbo Tsuruta defeated Nick Bockwinkel to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. Terry Funk was the special referee.
29 years ago today in Memphis, Tennessee, the Midnight Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) defeated the Rock ‘n Roll Express (Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton) to win the vacated AWA World Tag Team Championship.
The titles were held up following a controversial bout between the two teams on February 15. The vacancy is not recognized by AWA nor WWE, essentially making this match a successful title defense for the Rockers.
29 years ago today in New York City, Don Muraco and The Ultimate Warrior defeated King Kong Bundy and Butch Reed. Of note, this was part of the first WWF event in Madison Square Garden to have protective mats on the floor.
24 years ago today on Monday Night RAW from New York City (WWE Network link), Hulk Hogan returns for the first time since his disqualification victory over Sid Justice at Wrestlemania VIII.
Shortly after the event, physician Dr. George Zahorian was accused of selling performance-enhancing drugs to many members of the WWF roster, including Hogan. Hogan denied the allegations on The Arsenio Hall Show. With the heat on Hogan and the WWF, Hogan took a leave of absence from the company.
The noticeably smaller Hogan forms an alliance with longtime BFF Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, calling themselves The Mega-Maniacs, with Jimmy Hart as their manager.
- Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Scott Taylor.
- Tatanka and The Nasty Boys defeated Shawn Michaels and The Beverly Brothers.
- Crush defeated Terry Taylor.
- The Undertaker defeated Skinner. The match ended after the show went off the air.
20 years ago today, ECW presented CyberSlam '97 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This was actually the second half of a two-day event, with the first taking place a day earlier at the Lost Battalion Hall in Queens, New York. Results from both days are presented here. Portions of the February 22 show aired on the February 26 and March 4 episodes of Hardcore TV (WWE Network links).
February 21:
- Balls Mahoney defeated Chris Chetti.
- Brian Lee and Chris Candido defeated The Pitbulls (Pitbull #1 and Pitbull #2).
- Buh Buh Ray Dudley defeated Spike Dudley.
- The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer defeated Raven and Stevie Richards.
- The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa) defeated Axl Rotten and D-Von Dudley.
- Taz defeated Little Guido.
- The Eliminators (Perry Saturn and John Kronus) defeated Sabu and Rob Van Dam to retain the ECW World Tag Team Championship.
February 22:
- The Eliminators (John Kronus & Perry Saturn) defeated Rob Van Dam & Sabu in a ladder match to retain the ECW World Tag Team Championship.
- Chris Chetti defeated Little Guido.
- Stevie Richards defeated Balls Mahoney.
- Axl Rotten defeated Spike Dudley.
- The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley) defeated The Gangstas (Mustafa & New Jack).
- Taz defeated Tracy Smothers.
- Brian Lee & Raven and Terry Funk & Tommy Dreamer fought to a no contest.
- Sabu defeated Chris Candido.
19 years ago today, WCW presented Superbrawl VIII (WWE Network link) from the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California. 12,620 were in attendance, with 415,000 homes watching on PPV. That's up from 275,000 homes for Superbrawl VII.
The show's hook was the crowning of a WCW world champion after the title had been vacated for the six weeks following two controversial bouts between Sting and Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
Match ratings are from Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer as recorded in the Internet Wrestling Database. Ratings are out of a possible five stars.
- In a preshow dark match, Último Dragón defeated Shiryu.
- Booker T defeated Rick Martel to win the WCW World Television Championship. (2.75/5)
- Booker T defeated Saturn to retain the WCW World Television Championship. (1.25)
- Disco Inferno defeated La Parka. (2.25)
- Goldberg defeated Brad Armstrong. (1)
- Chris Jericho defeated Juventud Guerrera in a title versus mask match via submission to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. With the loss, Guerrera was forced to unmask. (3.75)
- The British Bulldog defeated Steve McMichael. (0)
- Diamond Dallas Page defeated Chris Benoit to retain the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. (3.25)
- Lex Luger defeated Randy Savage by submission. (0.75)
- The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) defeated The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Late in the match, Scott turned on his brother Rick, opening the door for Hall to hit the Outsider's Edge and win the titles. (1.25)
- Sting defeated Hollywood Hogan to win the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. (0.5)
17 years ago today at a Smackdown taping in Nashville, Tennessee (WWE Network link), Crash Holly defeated Test to win the WWF Hardcore Championship.
Following the match, Crash declared that he would defend the title 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as long as there's a referee present. Though Holly probably meant it in jest, the WWF roster took that comment to heart, forcing Holly to defend the title day and night as long as there was a referee present.
The title would be defended almost continuously (save for a few 24-hour moratoriums, usually on the day of a PPV) over the next two years, changing hands 225 times before Rob Van Dam unified it with the European Championship in August 2002.
The Hardcore Championship would be the inspiration for Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) Pro’s Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship. The title, born on June 29, 2000, has changed hands over 1,200 times, and has been won by men, women, animals, and inanimate objects. A monkey, a cat, a dog, three different ladders, a poster, a stuffed doll, a bus, an entire wrestling audience, and even the belt itself have had title reigns.
8 years ago today, Sean Penn wins Best Lead Actor at the 81st Academy Awards for his role as Harvey Milk in Milk.
Other nominees included Richard Jenkins for The Visitor, Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon, Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler. Marisa Tomei was also nominated from The Wrestler for Best Supporting Actress, but Penelope Cruz would home the award for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
7 years ago today, WWE announces former women's champion Wendi Richter would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Her appearance at the ceremony would be the first for the company since she abruptly left in November 1985 following a pay dispute.
That evening on RAW from Indianapolis, Indiana (WWE Network link), Maryse defeated Gail Kim in a tournament final to win the vacated WWE Divas Championship.
The title was vacated a month prior when Melina went down with a torn ACL. With the win, Maryse became the first woman to win the title more than once. Maryse’s second run doesn’t last nearly as long as her first: just seven weeks later, Eve Torres defeats her for the title.
2 years ago today, WWE presented Fastlane (WWE Network link) from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.
- The Authority (Seth Rollins, The Big Show, and Kane) defeated Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback. (2.75/5)
- Goldust defeated Stardust. (1.5)
- Tyson Kidd & Cesaro defeated The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. (3.25)
- Nikki Bella defeated Paige to retain the WWE Divas Championship. (0.75)
- Bad News Barrett defeated Dean Ambrose by disqualification to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. (1.25)
- Rusev defeated John Cena by submission to retain the WWE United States Championship. (3.5)
- Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan to earn a WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania 31. (4.5)
1 year ago today on RAW from Detroit, Michigan (WWE Network link), Shane McMahon returned to WWE.
Last seen on WWE programming in May 2009, Shane shockingly announced his resignation from the company that October, ending his 20-year association with the family business when the resignation went into effect at the start of 2010. The move reportedly drove a wedge between Shane and his father Vince.
In August 2010, McMahon became the CEO of YOU on Demand, China’s first video-on-demand and PPV service in China. He stepped down from his post in 2013, but remains with the company as Vice-Chairman of the Board.
In his first act back, Shane interrupted the “Vincent J. McMahon Legacy Award of Excellence” award ceremony, as Shane’s sister Stephanie was presented with the award. Shane also announced that he wanted control of Monday Night RAW. Vince agreed to give him said control—on the condition that Shane has one match: a Hell in a Cell match with the Undertaker at Wrestlemania.
The best of cSs on this day:
2016: Shane McMahon to face the Undertaker at WrestleMania in Hell in a Cell (Undertaker finally gets his Wrestlemania opponent: the returning Shane McMahon)
2015: WWE Fast Lane 2015 results: Roman Reigns beats Daniel Bryan, will face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 (Roman Reigns gets his first Wrestlemania main event with a win over Daniel Bryan)
2014: Hi, My Name is: JTG (Cagesiders weigh in on a man who inexplicably remained employed with WWE four years after his tag partner was fired)
2013: Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger personally address Glenn Beck in this awesome video (Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger, Tea Partiers on TV, go ALL THE WAY IN on political commentator Glenn Beck—and invite him to RAW)
2012: WWE bound and determined for John Cena to get cheers at WrestleMania 28 (Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer says WWE is in a desperate effort to get the majority of the Wrestlemania crowd to cheer for John Cena)
2011: Videos of The Undertaker & Triple H's 2011 return to Raw, John Cena's rap dissing The Rock, and Jim Duggan's Hall Of Fame announcement and career match (Videos aplenty from a very eventful RAW; most of them aren’t up now, so here’s The Undertaker’s return, John Cena rapping, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s Hall of Fame announcement).
2010: Maybe it's time Ric Flair stopped getting married (Ric Flair’s fourth wife, Jacqueline Beems, arrested on domestic violence charges per The New York Post and TMZ; details of arrest and police report here)