This Day In Wrestling History – June 2nd

Jun 2, 2015 - by staff

Trivia

1983 – Hulk Hogan won the NJPW IWGP League, defeating Antonio Inoki in the final

1989 – The WWF-produced film ‘No Holds Barred’ starring Hulk Hogan is released. The movie was a critical, & commercial flop, only just breaking even when distribution fees are factored in

1997 – The Monday Night Wars Continued: with WCW Monday Nitro defeating WWF Monday Night Raw: 3.3 to 2.5 in the ratings

Events

In 2008, WWE Monday Night Raw was broadcast live from Rabobank Arena, here in Bakersfield, Ca. I attended this event live in person. Interesting note, I coined the term Air Hardy this night. I had a sign with “I Fly Air Hardy,” & live on the air, Jerry Lawler on commentary remarked shortly after my sign was shown “1 of our fan’s signs says it best, Fly Air Hardy!” In the following weeks, numerous AIR HARDY signs would pop up around the country, but I was the original:

Dark Matches:
Ron Killings defeated Robbie McAllister
– Super Crazy defeated Joey Ryan
– Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Snitsky & Charlie Haas
Raw:
– Mr. Kennedy defeated Umaga via countout
– Carlito & Santino Marella defeated World Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes in a non title match
– Chris Jericho defeated John Bradshaw Layfield via DQ to retain the WWE Intercontinental Title
– Katie Lea Burchill & Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James & Melina
– Lance Cade defeated Trevor Murdoch
– John Cena defeated Jeff Hardy to become the #1 contender to the WWE Title
Dark Main Event:
Triple H & John Cena defeated Umaga & JBL

In 2013, TNA Slammiversary XI was held live on ppv at the Agganis Arena, in Boston, Massachusetts. With an attendance of 3,800:

– Chris Sabin defeated Kenny King, & Suicide in an Ultimate X Match to win the TNA X-Division Title
– Jeff Hardy, Magnus, & Samoa Joe defeated Aces & Aces (Garrett Bischoff, Wes Brisco, & Mr. Anderson) in a 6-man tag team match
– Jay Bradley defeated Samuel Shaw for a spot in the 2013 Bound For Glory Series
– Devon (with Knux) defeated Joseph Park via countout to retain the TNA Television Title
– Abyss defeated Devon (with Knux) to win the TNA Television Title
– James Storm & Gunner defeated TNA World Tag Team Champions Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Hernandez, Bobby Roode & Austin Aries, & Bad Influence (Kazarian & Christopher Daniels) to win the TNA World Tag Team Titles in a 4-way Elimination Tag Team Match
– Taryn Terrell defeated Gail Kim in a Last Knockout Standing Match
– Kurt Angle defeated AJ Styles
– Bully Ray defeated Sting to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Title. As per pre-match stipulations, b/c Sting lost he can never challenge for the TNA World Title ever again

Title Changes

1960 – Dan Miller & Frank Valois defeated Rikidozan & Michiaki Yoshimura to win the vacant JWA All Asia Tag Team Titles

1962 – Dick the Bruiser defeated Wilbur Snyder to win the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title in Detroit, Michigan

1979 – Dennis Condrey defeated Ron Garfield to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title in Chattanooga, Tennessee

1979 – The WCCW American Heavyweight Title is awarded to The Spoiler after Wahoo McDaniel is forced to vacate it through injury

1980 – Matt Borne & Buzz Sawyer defeated Jimmy Snuka & The Iron Sheik in a tournament final to win the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title in Greenville, South Carolina

1980 – Dennis Condrey defeated Gorgeous George Jr. to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title in Chattanooga, Tennessee

1980 – Ken Lucas & Ricky Morton defeated Gypsy Joe & Skull Murphy to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee

1983 – Harley Race defeated Dewey Robertson to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title in Kansas City, Missouri. The title would be vacated eight days later when Race defeated Ric Flair to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title in St. Louis

1983 – Tiger Mask defeated Kuniaki Kobayashi to win the vacant NWA Junior Heavyweight Title

1987 – The Honky Tonk Man defeated Ricky Steamboat to win the WWF Intercontinental Title

1993 – The Eagle & The Patriot defeated Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Kenta Kobashi to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles

2001 – Fidel Sierra defeated Invader I to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title in Morovis, Puerto Rico

2002 – The WWF Hardcore Title 24/7 Rule sees the belt pass from Steven Richards to Tommy Dreamer, to Raven, & back to Richards

2004 – Jeff Jarrett defeated AJ Styles, Raven, & Chris Harris in a King Of The Mountain Match to win the NWA World Title

Birthdays

Happy birthday to 2-time WCW World Champion Lex Luger (56), the 1st TNA Grand Slam Champion AJ Styles (37), one-time TNA Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky (34), & former TNA wrestler/manager Desire (39)

In Memoriam

The wrestling world has lost 3 personalities on this day:

Firstly, in 1998, WWE Hall of Famer The Junkyard Dog died aged just 45. He began his career in Jerry Jarrett’s Tennessee promotion, before moving to Jarrett’s rival Nick Gulas’ company, then to Stampede in Canada before finally settling in Mid-South, where Bill Watts would give him the Junkyard Dog gimmick. He won a total of 15 championships in Mid-South, as well as contesting now legendary feuds with The Freebirds, Ted DiBiase & Butch Reed. In late-1984, JYD moved to the WWF, where he became a hugely popular fan favorite. He was one of the 1st to interact with youngsters at ringside, often inviting them into the ring to dance with him, much like Brodus Clay does today. In November 1985, he won the WWF’s Wrestling Classic tournament, the promotion’s first PPV event (WrestleMania I in March was aired on closed-circuit television). JYD’s popularity quickly waned, & he left the WWF in 1988, returning to the NWA territories, including a brief run in WCW. His last major appearance came barely a month before his death, being honored on ECW’s Wrestlepalooza as a ‘hardcore legend’. JYD died in a single-car road accident after apparently falling asleep at the wheel. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004

Secondly, in 2003, fellow WWE Hall of Famer ‘Classy’ Freddie Blassie died at the age of 85. Blassie dabbled in the wrestling industry in the pre-war years, but it was only in the 1950′s when his career began to flourish. In that decade, he competed primarily in Georgia, amassing 23 title reigns during his time in the promotion, including one NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title. In 1960, he left Georgia to compete in Los Angeles for WWA. Blassie became so hated in the territory that uniformed police officers often had to accompany him to and from the ring. In one notable incident, Blassie was forced to abandon a match when a fan threw acid on his back. Stints in Japan and the WWF preceded a return to WWA, where he would retire in 1974, due to a state law that prevented anyone over 55 years old from holding a wrestling license. He returned to the WWF, becoming a renowned manager, a position that he held until his full retirement in 1986. Despite retiring, Blassie would continue to make sporadic appearances on WWF programming right up to his death, with his last appearance coming just three weeks before he died. Blassie appeared alongside Steve Austin, & The Dudley Boyz, performing Bubba Ray’s signature catchphrase ‘D-Von! Get the tables!’. Blassie died of combined heart and kidney failure

Finally, in 2007, famed Oregon promoter Sandy Barr died aged 69. He began his career as a wrestler, but soon decided that he preferred non-active roles and initially performed as a referee for Don Owen’s PNW promotion before assuming control of the company in 1992. The Dynamite Kid paid tribute to Barr as a promoter, saying that ‘the only time he made any money was when the big names came in once a year he would be so excited about making all this money that when he’d paid the big names, he gave the rest to the wrestlers who were there every week’. Barr also gained a reputation as a trainer, with wrestlers such as Matt Borne, Velvet McIntyre, & his sons Art & Jesse among his students. Barr died of a heart attack at his flea market, having wrestled his final match just days earlier. His son Josh took over the Portland promotion, but folded, & liquidated it upon it’s license expiring later in the year

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