This Day In Wrestling History – August 2nd
1962 – Almost a year before their WWWF World Heavyweight Championship match, Bruno Sammartino defeats Buddy Rogers, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. However, Sammartino refuses to accept the championship since Rogers was injured. Rogers’ title reign continues, and Sammartino’s win over Rogers is not recognized by the NWA.
1977 – In Tokyo, Japan, Antonio Inoki defeats kickboxer Eddie Everett, in the 5th round, via knockout, in a Wrestler vs. Kickboxer Match.
1985 – Harley Race defeats Jerry Blackwell, to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship. This marked the record setting 7th and final Missouri Title run for Race. The belt would be vacated when Jim Crockett Promotions purchased the St. Louis Wrestling Club in February 1986
1986 – Steve Regal defeats Denny Brown, to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.
1991 – Takako Inoue & Mariko Yoshida defeat Esther & Cynthia Moreno to win the All Japan Women’s Tag Team Championship.
1992 – On a taping of WCW Main Event (airing on TV August 16th), Ron Simmons defeats Big Van Vader, to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Simmons is recognized by WWE as becoming the first African-American to win a professional wrestling World Championship.
1993 – Luna Vachon defeats Miss Texas, to win the USWA Women’s Championship.
1996 – Guerrero de la Muerte defeats Mascara Magica, to win the CMLL World Welterweight Championship.
1998 – The first episode of WWF Sunday Night Heat airs on the USA Network.
1998 – Shinya Hashimoto wins the NJPW G1 Climax Tournament, defeating Kazuo Yamazaki in the final.
1998 – ECW Heat Wave is held in Dayton, OH in front of 4,400 fans. This was the fifth Heat Wave event, but the first to air on PPV.
Dark Match:
– The Hardcore Chair Swingin’ Freaks (Balls Mahoney & Axl Rotten) defeat The F.B.I. (Little Guido & Tracy Smothers).
PPV:
– Justin Credible (with Nicole Bass, Jason, & Chastity) defeats Jerry Lynn.
– Chris Candido (with Tammy Lynn Sytch) defeats Lance Storm.
– Masato Tanaka defeats Mike Awesome.
– Sabu & Rob Van Dam defeat Hayabusa & Jinsei Shinzaki, to retain the ECW World Tag Team Championship.
– In a Falls Count Anywhere Match, Taz defeats Bam Bam Bigelow, to retain the FTW Heavyweight Championship.
– In a Six-Man Street Fight, Tommy Dreamer, Spike Dudley, & The Sandman defeat The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray, D-Von, & Big Dick).
1999 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (5.9 TV rating) defeats WCW Monday Nitro (3.1 rating). It a Title vs Title Match on RAW, European Champion D’Lo Brown defeats Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett; Brown becomes WWF’s first Eurocontinental Champion.
2003 – Chris Draven defeats Rocky Reynolds, to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Elsewhere, Danny Daniels defeats Chris Hero, to win the IWA–Mid South Heavyweight Championship.
2005 – On WWE Velocity, Nunzio defeats Paul London, to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
2007 – Jimmy Rave, who was under contract to Ring of Honor, parts ways with both ROH and its sister promotion, Full Impact Pro.
2008 – Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor VI is held at the Hammerstein Ballroom, in New York.
– The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay) defeat The Vulture Squad (Jigsaw & Ruckus).
– Chris Hero defeats Delirious.
– Eddie Edwards defeats Roderick Strong.
– Brent Albright defeats Adam Pearce, via submission, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
– In a Three-Way Match, Austin Aries defeats Necro Butcher and Jimmy Jacobs.
– Naomichi Marufuji defeats Go Shiozaki
– El Generico & Kevin Steen defeat The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley).
– In a Four-Way Elimination Match, Nigel McGuinness defeats Bryan Danielson, Tyler Black, and Claudio Castagnoli, to win the ROH World Championship.
2014 – On the weekly West Coast Wrestling Connection TV show (WCWC on PDX-TV), The Amerikan Guns (Ethan HD & Mike Santiago), defeat Caleb Konley & Mikey O’Shea, to win the WCWC Tag Team Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Former WWE Tag Team Champion David Hart-Smith (32 years old); former GHC & IWGP Tag Team Champion Takashi Iizuka (51 years old); and 2-time CMLL World Tag Team Champion El Hijo del Santo (54 years old).
Today would have been the 79th birthday for former Mexican National Champion Angel Blanco.
