February 5th
On this day in history in ....
1913 - Mike Yokel defeats Henry Gehring to win the World Middleweight Title in Salt Lake City, Utah.
1937 - Ray Steele defeats Everett Marshall by reverse decision for the Ohio Midwest Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio.
1950 - Sandor Szabo defeats Hans Schnabel for the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Title in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1952 - Al Mills wins the Calgary NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title for the fourth time, from Sky-Hi Lee in Edmonton, Alberta, ending Lee's second reign.
1953 - Takashi Ishikawa is born in Yamagata, Japan.
1959 - George and Sandy Scott defeat Maurice and Paul Vachon to win the vacant Stampede International Tag Team Title in Regina, Saskatchewan.
1963 - Rip Hawk and Rock Hunter defeat Bull Curry and Lucas Pertano for the Texas NWA World Tag Team Title in Houston, Texas.
1963 - Don and Luke Fields win their second Mid-America NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Nashville, Tennessee, ending the fourth reign of The Medics (Tony Gonzales and Donald Lortie).
1965 - The Mysterios Medics win the Georgia NWA Southern Tag Team Title for the second time, by defeating Tony Marino and Joe Scarpa (Chief Jay Strongbow) in a tournament final for the vacant title in Atlanta, Georgia.
1971 - Georgia Championship Wrestling held a 14-man tournament for the vacant NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title in Atlanta, Georgia. The results were:
First round:
- Bob Griffin defeated Skandor Akbar.
- Kubla Kahn defeated Tom DeLynch.
- Dick Steinborn defeated Bobo Brazil.
- Assassin #2 defeated Gene DuBois.
- Jim Wilson defeated Mr. Ito.
- Luke Graham defeated Silento Rodriguez.
Second round:
- Nick Bockwinkel defeated Bob Griffin.
- Dick Steinborn defeated Kubla Khan.
- Assassin #2 defeated Jim Wilson.
- El Mongol defeated Luke Graham.
Semifinals:
- Nick Bockwinkel defeated Dick Steinborn.
- El Mongol defeated Assassin #2.
Finals:
- El Mongol defeated Nick Bockwinkel to win the vacant NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title, beginning his seventh reign.
1972 - Ernie Ladd defeats Bulldog Brower to become the first Buffalo/Ohio NWA North American Heavyweight Champion in Akron, Ohio. The title would later be known as the National Wrestling Federation North American Heavyweight Title.
1974 - The Mysterious Medic defeats Duke Miller to win the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title in Mobile, Alabama, to begin his third reign.
1975 - Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta defeat Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk for the NWA International Tag Team Title in San Antonio, Texas, ending the Funks' third reign.
1975 - Luke Graham defeats Don Kent to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title in Nashville, Tennessee, ending Kent's second reign.
1976 - Strong Kobayashi and Seiji Sakaguchi defeat Voodoo Mulumba and Tiger Jeet Singh for the vacant National Wrestling Federation North American Tag Team Title in Sapporo, Japan.
1977 - Mike Dallas defeats Harold Kalevoris in Melbourne, Australia to win the Australian Light Heavyweight Title.
1978 - Ron Bass and Dr. Hiro Ota defeated Chavo and Hector Guerrero for the NWA Americas Tag Team Title.
1980 - Lucy Kayama and Nancy Kumi defeat The Black Pair (Yumi Ikeshita and Mami Kumano) to win the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Osaka, Japan.
1984 - Rodolfo Guzman Huerta, far better known as El Santo (the saint) or El Santo Enmascarado de Plata (the silver-masked saint), dies of a heart attack at age 66. Santo is a legend in Mexico, not only as a wrestler, but as a television and film star as well. Santo wrestled nearly 50 years, and won the World Middleweight and Mexican National Welterweight, Middleweight, Tag Team and Light Heavyweight titles. Santo is typical listed among wrestlers who were never publicly unmasked, but he actually quickly revealed his face about a week before his death on a Mexican morning talk show. He was buried in his trademark silver mask.
1986 - Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki Yatsu win the NWA International Tag Team Title from Genichiro Tenryu and Jumbo Tsuruta in Sapporo, Japan.
1987 - Genichiro Tenryu and Jumbo Tsuruta defeat Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki Yatsu for the NWA International Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan, to begin their second reign.
1987 - Tarzan Goto and Akio Sato defeat Badd Company (Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka) in Memphis, Tennessee to win the Continental Wrestling Association International Tag Team Title for the fourth time, ending Badd Company's second reign.
1988 - The WWF held the first of five editions of The Main Event, which aired live on NBC from Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, earning a 15.2 rating. It was the first time professional wrestling aired on prime-time network television since 1955. The show featured the highly-anticipated WWF Title match between champion Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. The results were:
Dark matches:
- Demolition (Ax and Smash) defeated Billy Jack Haynes and Ken Patera.
- Jake Roberts defeated King Harley Race.
- Ron Bass defeated Koko B. Ware.
- The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) defeated The Islanders (Haku and Tama).
- Jim Duggan defeated One Man Gang by disqualification.
- Don Muraco defeated Butch Reed.
- Ultimate Warrior defeated Sika.
Televised matches:
- Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated WWF Intercontinental Champion The Honky Tonk Man (with Jimmy Hart and Peggy Sue) by countout, after Honky Tonk Man hit one of the ringposts. Honky Tonk Man retained the title. After the match, Savage fought off Honky and Jimmy Hart and broke Honky's guitar.
- Andre the Giant (with Ted DiBiase and Virgil) pinned WWF Champion Hulk Hogan to win the title, ending Hogan's four-year long reign atop the WWF mountain. Hogan's shoulder clearly came up before the three-count, but the referee counted it anyway. DiBiase, according to the storyline, had paid for the referee to get cosmetic surgery to make him look like referee Dave Hebner, and paid off the new referee to take Dave's place. This was, of course, the officiating debut of Dave Hebner's twin brother Earl. Andre said that he was surrendering the title to Ted DiBiase, then gave him the belt. Dave Hebner ran to the ring and attacked the imposter referee as DiBiase put the belt on left the ring with Virgil. Hogan then threw Earl over the top rope onto DiBiase and Virgil. DiBiase actually was announced as champion at events on February 6 in Boston and Philadelphia and February 8 in Los Angeles, before an announcement by WWF President Jack Tunney aired on the February 13 edition of WWF Superstars, stating the title was vacant and a tournament would be held at WrestleMania IV to fill the vacancy. This marked the first (official) time that the WWF World Title was vacated in its then 25-year history. The title had actually been vacant on three separate occasions in 1979 and 1982, which WWE doesn't officially recognize.
- WWF Tag Team Champions Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana) defeated The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) to retain the title. Only the beginning of the match was televised due to time constraints.
1991 - Steve Grey defeats Jim Breaks in Croydon, England for the European Lightweight Title. This began Grey's third reign and ended Breaks' 16th reign.
1991 - Lasser defeats El Khalifa in a tournament final in Puebla, Mexico to win the vacant Universal Wrestling Association World Lightweight Title. The title was vacated by El Hijo del Santo in January when he chose to wrestle exclusively as a welterweight.
1993 - Hiroshi Itakura defeats Masayoshi Motegi to win the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Title in Tokyo, Japan.
1993 - Stevie Ray defeats Rod Price for the Global Wrestling Federation North American Heavyweight Title in Dallas, Texas.
1993 - Lucifer (Tim Burke) defeats Max Thrasher in Gaithersburg, Maryland to win the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Title.
1994 - ECW held The Night the Line was Crossed at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, featuring the famous "three-way dance" for the ECW Title. The results were:
- 911 pinned Chad Austin.
- Mr. Hughes pinned Sal Bellomo.
- In a Double Dog Collar match, Tommy Cairo and The Sandman beat Pitbull #1 and Rockin' Rebel, when Cairo pinned Pitbull #1.
- In a No Rules match, The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge) defeated The Bruise Brothers (Ron and Don Harris), when Public Enemy pinned both Bruise Brothers.
- Jimmy Snuka pinned Tommy Dreamer.
- The Sheik and Pat Tanaka defeated ECW Tag Team Champions Kevin Sullivan and The Tazmaniac, when Tanaka pinned Tazmaniac.
- J.T. Smith pinned Mike Awesome.
- In a three-way dance, ECW Heavyweight Champion Terry Funk, ECW Television Champion Sabu and Shane Douglas fought to a 60-minute draw. Funk retained his title.
1995 - Tony Arce, Rocco Valente and Vulcano defeat Los Payasos for the Mexican National Trios Title in Tonala, Mexico, ending their second reign.
1996 - In this week of the Monday Night War, WCW Monday Nitro narrowly defeated WWF Monday Night Raw, 2.9 to 2.7 in the ratings.
WCW Monday Nitro was live from Jenkins Arena in Lakeland, Florida. The results were:
- Konnan defeated Devon Storm.
- Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater defeated The Barrio Brothers.
- WCW World Television Champion Johnny B. Badd defeated Diamond Dallas Page.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage defeated Chris Benoit by disqualification.
- Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman defeated Hugh Morrus and Kevin Sullivan by disqualification.
- Ric Flair defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions Lex Luger and Sting defeated The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal).
WWF Monday Night RAW was taped on January 22 at the Stockton Civic Autitorium in Stockton, California. The results:
- Diesel and Shawn Michaels defeated The British Bulldog and Yokozuna (with Jim Cornette) by countout, after Yokozuna was knocked out of the ring by Michaels' Sweet Chin Music. Owen Hart came out and tried to help Bulldog revive Yoko and get him back in the ring but failed. Cornette berated Yoko after the match with Yoko finally turning on the three, clearing the ring.
- The 1-2-3 Kid (with Ted DiBiase) pinned Hakushi with a butterfly suplex off the top.
- WWF Champion Bret Hart fought The Undertaker to a no-contest to retain the title, when Diesel, who was on commentary, and while the referee was knocked out, got up and threw Bret into the ringpost before powerbombing him twice.
1996 - Hiroshi Itakura defeats Takashi Okano to win the WWA International Light Heavyweight Title in Chiba, Japan.
1998 - Bobby Collins and Brian Jewel defeat Caveman Broda and Iron Man for the Canadian Wrestling Federation Tag Team Title.
1999 - Negro Casas and El Hijo del Santo defeat Bestia Salvaje and Scorpio, Jr. by disqualification to win the CMLL World Tag Team Title in Mexico City, Mexico. They immediately gave the title up as they wanted to win cleanly. Salvaje and Scorpio won a rematch on February 26.
1999 - Khris Germany defeats Jimmy James in North Richland Hills, Texas to win the vacant NWA Texas Heavyweight Title.
Source PWinsider.com