This Day In Wrestling History – February 20th

1964 – In the Japan Wrestling Association (All Japan Pro Wrestling’s predecessor), Michiaki Yoshimura & Toyonobori defeat Prince Curtis Iaukea & Don Manoukian, to win the vacant Asia Tag Team Championship.

1978 – At a house show in New York City, Bob Backlund defeats Superstar Billy Graham, to win the WWWF Heavyweight Championship. This begins Backlund’s 2,135-day reign as champion, not ending until December 26, 1983.

1984 – Kelly Kiniski defeats Iceman Parsons, to win the WCCW Television Championship.

1986 – Incumbent WCCW American Heavyweight Champion Rick Rude is announced as the first WCWA World Heavyweight Champion, as the promotion secedes from the NWA.

1988 – Scott Levy, better known later as Raven, makes his pro wrestling debut against Jimmy Jack Funk.

1989 – NWA / WCW Chi-Town Rumble is held in Chicago in front of 8,000 fans.

– Michael Hayes defeats Russian Assassin #1.
– Sting defeats Butch Reed.
– In a Loser Leaves NWA match, Jim Cornette and The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) defeat Paul E. Dangerously and The Original Midnight Express (Jack Victory & Randy Rose).
– Mike Rotunda defeats Rick Steiner, to win the NWA World Television Championship.
– Lex Luger defeats Barry Windham, to win the NWA United States Championship.
– The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk) defeat The Varsity Club (Kevin Sullivan & Steve Williams), to retain the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
– Ricky Steamboat defeats Ric Flair, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

1993 – The Nightstalker defeats Tracy Smothers, to win the SMW ‘Beat the Champ’ Television Championship.

1994 – WCW SuperBrawl IV is held in Albany, Georgia in front of 7,600 fans.

– Harlem Heat (Kole & Kane) defeat Thunder & Lighting.
– Jim Steele defeats The Equalizer.
– Terry Taylor defeats Diamond Dallas Page.
– Johnny B. Badd defeats Jimmy Garvin.
– Lord Steven Regal defeats Arn Anderson, to retain the WCW World Television Championship.
– Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne defeat tag team champions The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) via disqualification; The Nasty Boys retain the WCW World Tag Team Championship.
– In a Thundercage Match, Sting, Brian Pillman, & Dustin Rhodes defeat Steve Austin, Rick Rude, & Paul Orndorff.
– In another Thundercage Match, Ric Flair defeats Vader via submission, to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The Boss served as special guest referee.

1996 – The Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue) defeat Gary Albright & Stan Hansen, to win the AJPW World Tag Team Championship.

2000 – Steve Williams & Vader defeat Jun Akiyama & Kenta Kobashi, to win the AJPW World Tag Team Championship.

2000 – WCW SuperBrawl 2000 is held in San Francisco in front of 8,569 fans.  Legendary singer-songwriter James Brown made a surprise appearance, performing with Ernest Miller during Miller’s skit with The Maestro.

– The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Iaukea defeats Lash LeRoux, to win the vacant WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
– Brian Knobbs defeats Bam Bam Bigelow, to win the WCW Hardcore Championship.
– 3 Count (Evan Karagias, Shannon Moore, & Shane Helms) defeat Norman Smiley in a Handicap Match.
– The Wall defeats The Demon.
– Tank Abbott defeats Big Al, in a Leather Jacket on a Pole Match.
– Big T. defeats Booker.
– Billy Kidman defeats Vampiro.
– In a Sicilian Stretcher Match, The Mamalukes (Big Vito & Johnny the Bull) defeat David Flair & Crowbar, to retain the WCW World Tag Team Championship.
– Ric Flair defeats Terry Funk, in a Texas Death Match.
– Hulk Hogan defeats The Total Package.
– In a Three-Way Dance, Sid Vicious defeats Scott Hall and Jeff Jarrett, to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

2005 – In a Title vs Title Match, Satoshi Kojima defeats Hiroyoshi Tenzan, to retain the AJPW Triple Crown Championship, AND win Tenzan’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

2005 – WWE No Way Out (a SmackDown exclusive pay-per-view) is held in Pittsburgh in front of 9,500 fans.

Sunday Night Heat:
– Hardcore Holly & Charlie Haas defeat Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree.
PPV:
– Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio defeat The Basham Brothers (Doug & Danny), to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– Booker T defeats Heidenreich via disqualification.
– In the Cruiserweight Open, Chavo Guerrero, Jr. defeats Funaki, Akio, Paul London, Shannon Moore, and Spike Dudley, to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
– The Undertaker defeats Luther Reigns.
– John Cena defeats Kurt Angle, to become #1 contender for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21.
– Joy Giovanni wins the 2005 Rookie Diva of the Year Competition, earning 65 percent of the fans’ online votes during the No Way Out pay-per-view.
– In a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match, JBL defeats Big Show by escaping the cage, to retain the WWE Championship.

2006 – On RAW, Shelton Benjamin defeats Ric Flair, to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.  It is also announced that Eddie Guerrero would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame posthumously, during WrestleMania weekend.

2009 – Colt Cabana is released by WWE.  This comes on the same day his final match airs on the evening’s SmackDown, a loss to Umaga (taped three days earlier).

2011 – WWE Elimination Chamber is held in Oakland, CA in front of 11,500 fans.

Dark Match:
– Daniel Bryan defeats Ted DiBiase, via submission, to retain the WWE United States Championship.
PPV:
– Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) defeats Kofi Kingston via submission.
– In the evening’s first Elimination Chamber match, Edge defeats Big Show, Kane, Rey Mysterio, Wade Barrett, and Drew McIntyre, to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
– The Corre (Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel) defeat Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov, to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– The Miz (with Alex Riley) defeats Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, to retain the WWE Championship.
– In the evening’s second Elimination Chamber match, John Cena defeats CM Punk, R-Truth, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and John Morrison, to earn a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XXVII.

2016 – Day two of the NJPW / ROH co-produced Honor Rising: Japan 2016 is held in Tokyo, Japan, in front of 1,718 fans.  The team of Kenny Omega, along with Matt & Nick Jackson defeat Toru Yano and Jay & Mark Briscoe, to win the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship.  In the main event, Jay Lethal defeats Tomoaki Honma, to retain the ROH World Championship.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer Gail Kim (42 years old); NJPW founder & WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki (76 years old); 4-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Gedo (50 years old); former BCW Can-Am Tag Team Champion, Phil Atlas (34 years old); 3-time AAA Reina de Reinas Champion, Tiffany (46 years old); and UCW-Zero wrestler Marti Daniels (31 years old).

Today would’ve been the 98th birthday for WWE Hall of Famer and inaugural WWWF Heavyweight Champion, Buddy Rogers.