This Day in Wrestling History (Apr. 4): Yokozuna Wins—Then Loses—The WWF Championship

32 years ago today in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Jack and Jerry Brisco defeated Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship.

24 years ago today, WWF presented Wrestlemania IX (WWE Network link) from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. 16,891 were in attendance, with 430,000 homes watching on PPV. That's up from 390,000 for Wrestlemania VIII.

This was the first Wrestlemania to take place in an outdoor venue, which in reality was a constructed outdoor stadium made just for the event. The show is noted for the debut of Jim Ross, who came over after a buyout of his WCW deal. He would remain with the company for most of the next 20 years.

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 dark match, Tito Santana defeated Papa Shango.
• Tatanka defeated Shawn Michaels by countout in a WWF Intercontinental Championship match. (3.5/5)
• The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) defeated The Headshrinkers (Fatu and Samu). (2.5)
• Doink the Clown defeated Crush. (1.5)
• Razor Ramon defeated Bob Backlund. This was Backlund's first televised pinfall loss. Seriously. (-1)
• Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) defeated The Mega-Maniacs (Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake) by disqualification to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship. (2)
• Lex Luger defeated Mr. Perfect. (1.25)
• The Undertaker defeated Giant Gonzales by disqualification. (1.25)
• Yokozuna defeated Bret Hart to win the WWF Championship. Post-match, Hulk Hogan came out to dispute the decision. Mr. Fuji on behalf of Yokozuna challenge Hogan to a WWF title match. (3)
• Hulk Hogan defeated Yokozuna in just 22 seconds to win the WWF Championship. This would be the fastest championship win in Wrestlemania history until Kane disposed of Chavo Guerrero in ten seconds for the ECW Championship at Wrestlemania XXIV. (0)

23 years ago today in Hiroshima, Japan, Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Shinya Hashimoto to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for a record fifth time.

He would add to his record by winning it again in 1998. The record stood 2014 when Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated AJ Styles to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for a seventh time.

19 years ago today in Buffalo, New York, Rob Van Dam defeated Bam Bam Bigelow to win the ECW World Television Championship. He would hold the championship for an even 700 days before being forced to vacate it due to injury in March 2000.

17 years ago today, Shawn Michaels comes out of retirement and defeats Venom to win the Texas Wrestling Alliance Championship in a street fight. Michaels immediately vacates the title and re-retires. He unretires again when he returns to WWE in 2002, then retired again in 2010.

6 years ago today Ring of Honor airs the final episode of ROH on HDNet. In the featured bout, Davey Richards and The Briscoes (Mark & Jay) defeat Roderick Strong and The Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castignoli & Chris Hero).

6 years ago today, WWE signs Jonathan Good, aka Jon Moxley of Dragon Gate USA and CZW fame. Good today is known as Dean Ambrose.

6 years ago today on RAW from Atlanta, Georgia (WWE Network link), The Rock and John Cena agree to a match at Wrestlemania XXVIII.

It's believed to be the first time in company history a match has been confirmed a full year in advance. Their meeting—the first of two as it turned out— at Wrestlemania XXVIII, which would be the most-bought PPV in WWE history.

On the same show, Sin Cara makes his WWE debut, running in following Sheamus defeating Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE United States Championship.

Also on the undercard, John Morrison and Trish Stratus defeated Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero. For Stratus, it is to date her last match.

3 years ago today, Ring of Honor presented Supercard of Honor VIII from the John A. Alario Sr. Center in Westwego, Louisiana.

• In a preshow dark match, Luke Hawx defeated Corey Hollis, Mike Posey, and The Romantic Touch in a four-way match.
• Roderick Strong defeated Cedric Alexander.
• The Decade (BJ Whitmer & Jimmy Jacobs) & Adam Page defeat Adrenaline RUSH (ACH & Tadarius Thomas) & Andrew Everett.
• RD Evans defeated Silas Young by disqualification.
• Michael Bennett defeated Mark Briscoe in a no disqualification match.
• reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeated Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov & Rocky Romero) and War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe) in a three-team match.
• Jay Lethal defeated Tommaso Ciampa 2-0 in a best of three falls match to win the ROH World Televeision Championship.
• Michael Elgin defeated Kevin Steen to become the #1 contender for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
• Adam Cole defeated Jay Briscoe in Ladder War V to become the undisputed ROH World Champion.

1 year ago today on RAW from Dallas, Texas (WWE Network link), The Miz defeated Zack Ryder to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

The bout is noted for the return of Maryse Ouelett, who had last been on WWE programming in August 2011, two months before her release. Maryse married The Miz, real name Mike Mizanin, in February 2014.

Elsewhere on the show:

• The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E) defeated The League of Nations (Sheamus & King Barrett) to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. Post-match, Barrett was physically—and quite literally—kicked out of the League of Nations. It would turn out to be King Barrett’s final appearance. He would ask for and was granted his release just over a month later.
• Sasha Banks defeated Summer Rae by submission in just 99 seconds.
• Apollo Crews defeated Tyler Breeze. This was Apollo’s WWE main roster debut.
• Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler fought to a double countout.
• The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von) defeated The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) in a tables match.
• AJ Styles defeated Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, and Cesaro to become the #1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.