Our condolences to the family, friends, and fans of “The Outlaw” Ron Bass. He died Tuesday at age 68.
26 years ago today on WCW Power Hour from Montgomery, Alabama, The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeated The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin) to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
The Steiners actually won the titles on February 18, but it didn't air until this day. This causes a major rift in the space-time continuum. At the time of the title win, The Freebirds (Hayes & Garvin) were the recognized tag team champions, but lost them at the tapings, then won the titles from Doom on PPV at Wrestlewar six days later. Translation: the Freebirds lost the titles before they actually won them, meaning they have a title reign of minus six days. No, seriously.
As for the Steiners, they would be stripped of the titles on July 20 when Scott suffers a shoulder injury. The vacancy would not be filled until Clash of the Champions XVI: Fall Brawl ‘91 on September 5.
21 years ago today, ECW presented Big Ass Extreme Bash Night 2 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It's noted for being the final appearance for Mick "Cactus Jack" Foley before leaving for the WWF. Portions of the event aired on the March 19 and March 26 editions of ECW Hardcore TV (WWE Network links).
- JT Smith defeated Axl Rotten.
- Bad Crew versus El Puerto Ricano & Damien Stone fought to a no contest.
- The Eliminators defeated Buh Buh Ray Dudley & Hack Myers to retain the ECW World Tag Team Championship.
- Chris Jericho defeated Taz via disqualification. Taz had beaten Jericho, but the decision was reversed when he refused to release the Tazmission.
- Rey Misterio Jr. defeated Juventud Guerrera 2-1 in a best of three falls match. Post-match, Misterio powerbombed Guerrera through a table. It turned out to be the final ECW match for both men before leaving for WCW.
- Cactus Jack defeated Mikey Whipwreck with a piledriver on a chair. Post-match, he said his final words, then danced off with Stevie Richards and The Blue Meanie. Mick Foley, the man behind Cactus Jack, has been on record saying that this is his personal favorite moment in his wrestling career.
- The Pitbulls versus The Bruise Brothers fought to a no contest.
- Sabu defeated Big Titan.
- Raven defeated Shane Douglas to retain the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.
- The Gangstas defeated The Sandman & 2 Cold Scorpio and The Headhunters in a three way dance.
16 years ago today, ECW officially cancels Living Dangerously 2001 just two days before the show was set to take place.
With no television to promote it, no venue booked for the show, and no tickets to sell, the decision came as no surprise. Some cable outlets offered refunds for PPV orders, while others replayed Guilty as Charged.
The cancellation, combined with ECW owner Paul Heyman appearing on WWF programming a few days prior, and ECW not running a show since January 13, signaled the end of ECW. It becomes official when HHG Corporation, the parent company of ECW, files for bankruptcy a month later.
15 years ago today in Tokyo, Japan, Dan Severn defeated Shinya Hashimoto to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
He would be the last NWA champion of the pre-TNA era; the title would be vacated three months later after Severn failed to defend the title for TNA.
11 years ago today, WWE releases their entire Smackdown Juniors division (Mascarita Sagrada, Tsuki, Pequeno Violencia, Octagoncito, Piratita Morgan, and Super Porky).
9 years ago today, TNA presented Destination X from the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia.
Match ratings are provided by Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer as recorded in the Internet Wrestling Database. Ratings are out of a possible five stars.
- In a dark match, Roxxi Laveaux defeated Angelina Love.
- The Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) defeated The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) and The Rock 'n Rave Infection (Lance Hoyt and Jimmy Rave) in a three-way match to become number one contender to the TNA World Tag Team Championship. (3.5/5)
- Jay Lethal defeated Petey Williams to retain the TNA X Division Championship. (3.25)
- Kaz and Eric Young defeated Black Reign and Rellik. (2.75)
- Awesome Kong defeated Gail Kim and ODB in a three-way match to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship. (3.5)
- Curry Man and Shark Boy defeated Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) in a Fish Market Street Fight. (3)
- Robert Roode defeated Booker T in a "Stand By Your Man" strap match. (1.75)
- Rhino defeated James Storm in a Elevation X match. (0)
- Samoa Joe, Kevin Nash, and Christian Cage defeated The Angle Alliance (Kurt Angle, A.J. Styles, and Tomko). (2.5)
8 years ago today on RAW from Jacksonville, Florida (WWE Network link), John "Bradshaw" Layfield defeated CM Punk to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
The win made JBL the tenth Grand Slam champion in WWE history, joining (in order) Shawn Michaels in 1997, Triple H, Kane, Chris Jericho (all in 2001), Kurt Angle (2002—he was the first to do it under the original and current formats), Eddie Guerrero (2004), Edge, Rob Van Dam, and Booker T (all in 2006), and Jeff Hardy (2008).
Since JBL’s win, just four other men have become Grand Slam champions: Christian in 2011, Big Show and The Miz in 2012, and Daniel Bryan in 2015. In January 2017, Chris Jericho completed the current version of the Grand Slam (WWE world or universal title, tag team title, Intercontinental title, and United States title).
Jericho is also unique in being the only man to win every championship possible under the original Grand Slam format (WWF/E Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, both versions of the WWE Tag Team Championship, Intercontinental, European, and Hardcore).
As for JBL, it would be his last championship. 27 days later at Wrestlemania 25, Rey Mysterio defeated JBL in just 21 seconds to claim the title. Post-match, JBL quit. In reality, he was retiring from wrestling.
5 years ago today, Jerry Lynn announces that he intends to retire at the end of the year. He would not actually retire until the following March to coincide with the 25th anniversary of his professional wrestling debut.
3 years ago today, TNA presented Lockdown from the BankUnited Center in Miami, Florida. In a throwback to Lockdown's past, every match on the show was contested in a steel cage.
Of note, Kurt Angle was to face Ethan Carter III on the show, but Angle was pulled from the show just two days prior to undergo surgery on a torn MCL.
- Team Wrestle-1 (The Great Muta, Sanada, and Yasu) defeated Team TNA (Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) and Chris Sabin). (3.25/5)
- Samuel Shaw defeated Mr. Anderson. The match could only be won by escaping the cage. (1.25)
- Tigre Uno defeated Manik. This was Tigre Uno's TNA debut. (2.5)
- Gunner defeated James Storm in a last man standing rules steel cage match. (3.25)
- Madison Rayne defeated Gail Kim to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship. (3)
- Magnus defeated Samoa Joe by knockout to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. The match could only be won by submission or knockout. (2)
- Team MVP (MVP, The Wolves (Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards) and Willow) defeated Team Dixie (Bobby Roode, The BroMans (Robbie E and Jessie Godderz) and Austin Aries) in a Lethal Lockdown match. With MVP's team winning, he got 100% control of TNA. The same would have been true for Dixie Carter had her team won the match, as well as Robert Roode getting a minority stake in the company. Bully Ray was the special referee. (2.5)
2 years ago today, WWE announces via press release that superfan Connor Michalek would posthumously receive the Warrior Award at Wrestlemania 31. The press release in part:
Connor Michalek, a Pittsburgh native and passionate WWE fan who passed away last year from cancer, will be the first-ever recipient of the Warrior Award, which will be presented each year at the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
The Warrior Award will be given to someone who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of WWE Hall of Famer, The Ultimate Warrior. This year, the award will be presented by The Ultimate Warrior's widow, Dana Warrior, and WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan to Steve Michalek, Connor's father.
It’s a happy 38th birthday for Melina Perez.
The Los Angeles-area born and raised Perez (born in High Desert, CA, raised in Los Angeles) first broke into the entertainment business as a beauty pageant contestant, winning several competitions, including Miss Hawaiian Tropic Anaheim and Ms. California Belleza Latina.
In 2000, Perez began training at Jesse Hernandez’s School of Hard Knocks and made her professional wrestling debut in April 2002. Later that year, she tried out for the third season of WWE reality competition series Tough Enough. She was cut just before landing on the final roster, but was encouraged by Al Snow to pursue a wrestling career.
Perez would take the advice, signing with WWE just over a year later in March 2004. She appeared for WWE’s then-developmental property Ohio Valley Wrestling, where she would most famously manage Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury. The trio, dubbed MNM, would carry over to the main roster when Melina was called up in April 2005 (she actually made a couple cameo appearances on RAW in late 2004). Nitro and Mercury would win the WWE Tag Team Championship three times in 2005, with the last of their reigns extending into 2006.
After the group’s initial split in May 2006, Melina would manage Johnny Nitro to two reigns as WWE Intercontinental Champion. Melina, known for her split entrances and “primal screams”, did well for herself in singles too: she would win the WWE Women’s Championship three times and the Divas title twice (her second Divas title win in August 2010 made her the first woman to hold both the Divas and Women’s Championships more than once).
After being released from WWE in August 2011, Melina’s mostly been on the independent circuit, wrestling and managing for Women Superstars Uncensored, Family Wrestling Entertainment, North East Wrestling, and World Wrestling Council. She left the business for three years, but returned to the independent circuit in 2015, appearing for Maryland Championship Wrestling, World Wonder Ring Stardom, and Lucha Underground.
She officially returned to the ring for English-based promotion Southside Wrestling Entertainment in June 2016; four months later, she defeated Kay Lee Ray for the SWE Women’s Championship. In November, she added the Maryland Championship Wrestling Women’s Championship.
Perez, who can speak both English and Spanish fluently, was ranked as the #3 women’s wrestler in the world by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2009 in their annual PWI Female 50. Perez is also the first woman to be inducted into the Empire Wrestling Federation’s Hall of Fame.
The best of cSs on this day:
2016: Buy the very first Cageside Seats shirt! (Cageside Seats has a shirt! It’s sold out though, but you can buy this one for $9… as long as your size is XL or less)
2015: Rey Mysterio makes a surprise appearance for Tommy Dreamer, but still might be headed for a legal showdown with WWE (Rey Mysterio appears at House of Hardcore VIII; Wrestling Observer says he may have to fight for the rights to use his name in wrestling-related matters)
2014: Ranking WrestleMania main events worst to best, #28: Yokozuna vs. Bret Hart (BIGPALE looks back at the Wrestlemania IX main event)
2013: WrestleMania 29: Ryback vs. Mark Henry looking likely (Ryback and Mark Henry projected for a collision at Wrestlemania)
2012: Former TNA star and Ring of Honor champion Nigel McGuiness looks to fans to help fund documentary (Nigel McGuinness turns to Kickstarter to fund a documentary based on his final days as a wrestler; the documentary would get its funding: The Last of McGuinness—here’s the trailer)
2011: Video - TNA "star" Brian Kendrick turns up on The Price Is Right (Brian Kendrick—THE BRIAN KENDRICK—is a contestant on The Price is Right; no, seriously; TNA didn’t promote it for some reason)
2010: Detailed Monday Night Wars Vol. 2, Week 1 Ratings (David Bixenspan breaks down the RAW and Impact ratings for March 8)