This Day in Wrestling History (Apr. 8): Dolph Ziggler Wins the World Heavyweight Championship

27 years ago today, the American Wrestling Association presented Superclash IV from the St. Paul Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. About 2,000 fans were in attendance for the event.

Surprisingly, no footage of the event exists, as no television cameras were present for the event. In addition, The Junkyard Dog, who was scheduled to wrestle Col. DeBeers, was injured the night before the event.

This was the last major event for the AWA, as the company was facing hard times financially and critically; the company stopped producing television that summer, and would fold the next year after filing for bankruptcy.

• Jake Milliman defeated Todd Becker.
• The Texas Hangmen (Killer & Psycho) defeated Brad Rhenigans and DJ Peterson.
• Baron Von Raschke defeated Col. DeBeers by countout.
• Tully Blanchard defeated Tommy Jammer.
• John Nord defeated Kokina Maximus.
• Larry Zbyszko defeated Mr. Saito to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. Nick Bockwinkel was the special referee.
• The Trooper & Paul Diamond defeated The Destruction Crew (Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom).

22 years ago today in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Eddie Guerrero defeated 2 Cold Scorpio to win the ECW World Television Championship.

In the show’s main event, Public Enemy (Flyboy Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge) defeated Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko and Rick Steiner & The Tazmaniac in a three-way dance to win the ECW World Tag Team Championship.

21 years ago today, WWF Monday Night RAW (WWE Network link) begins airing at 8:57pm in an effort to get a jump on their rival program, WCW Monday Nitro. This week, however, it ran unopposed.

In one of the bouts (taped April 1), Vader defeated Yokozuna via referee stoppage when Vader gave Yokozuna a Vader Bomb on one of his legs. Unable to walk out on his own power, the 600-plus pounder had to be carried from the ring via a forklift. It would be Yokozuna’s final TV appearance until In Your House 8: Beware of Dog over a month later.

In the show's main event, Shawn Michaels defeated Jerry "The King" Lawler to retain the WWF Championship.

15 years ago today on RAW from Phoenix, Arizona (WWE Network link), Spike Dudley defeated William Regal in just three seconds to win the WWF European Championship.

In the show’s main event, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Scott Hall in a Wrestlemania X8 rematch. This was Austin’s first bout since that Wrestlemania (Austin walked out of the company before a RAW taping the next night and was suspended from the following week’s taping).

14 years ago today at a Smackdown taping in Chicago, Illinois (WWE Network link), Rowdy Roddy Piper made his first appearance on WWE television since his Wrestlemania XII match against Goldust.

In the first "Piper's Pit" since Wrestlemania V, Vince McMahon was his guest, but Rikishi interrupted the proceedings. He tried to hit Piper with a coconut as payback for what he did to Jimmy Snuka in 1984, but was attacked by Sean O'Haire, then Piper hit Rikishi with the coconut.

4 years ago today on RAW from East Rutherford, New Jersey (WWE Network link), Wade Barrett defeated The Miz to regain the WWE intercontinental Championship. This came just one day after The Miz defeated Barrett for the title during the Wrestlemania 29 preshow.

It wasn't the only title change on the show: after Alberto Del Rio defeated Jack Swagger by submission to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, Dolph Ziggler cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated Del Rio to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

4 years ago today, WWE signs Irish wrestler Rebecca Quin to a developmental deal. After spending two years in their developmental program as Becky Lynch, she joined the main roster under the same name in July 2015.

The best of cSs on this day:

2016: Hulk Hogan the latest legend to call for Roman Reigns to be a bad guy (Hulk Hogan in an interview with SI.com says Roman Reigns should go heel if the people want it)

2015: Hulk Hogan wants a world title or retirement match at WrestleMania 32 (Hulk Hogan in an interview with SportingNews.com says he wants a world title or retirement bout at AT&T Stadium for Wrestlemania 32—he gets neither)

2014: Ultimate Warrior dead at age 54 just days after WWE Hall of Fame induction (Just three days after his WWE Hall of Fame induction, Ultimate Warrior is dead at age 54)

2013: Report: Panic backstage at Monday Night Raw with The Rock gone and planned angles being nixed (Mass hysteria as The Rock goes AWOL just hours before the post-Wrestlemania RAW—turned out Rock suffered a torn abdominal muscle during his bout with John Cena)

2012: TNA news: Sting vs Robert Roode at Victory Road bombs on PPV (Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter says just 7,000 homes bout Victory Road)

2011: UFC's Chael Sonnen sentenced in money laundering case (Chael Sonnen gets two years probation and $10,000 fine, loses realtor’s license for role in mortgage fraud ring)

2010: Speaking of WWE's shady callous nature, Lance Cade has been fired after successfully completing rehab (Lance Cade’s release from WWE just months removed from rehab raises eyebrows)