This Day In History - 6th Oct
On this day in history in ....
1971 - Marie Vagnone & Jane Sherill defeat Jumbo Miyamoto & Aiko Kyo to win back the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Niigata, Japan, only one day after losing the belts.
1975 - Dusty Rhodes defeats Bob Roop to begin his second reign as NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion in Tampa.
1982 - Kevin Sullivan defeats Barry Windham in a tournament final for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title in Tampa. The belt had been vacated on August 23, 1982 following a controversial match between champion B. Brian Blair and Bruiser Brody where Brody was declared the winner, but the decision was then reversed.
1985 - World Class Championship Wrestling held it's second "Cotton Bowl Extravaganza" at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, drawing over 25,000 fans. Here are the results of the show:
- Killer Tim Brooks defeated Steve Casey.
- Kelly Kiniski defeated Tommy Montana.
- The Fantastics defeated John Tatum & Dave Peterson.
- The Great Kabuki defeated Mark Lewin by disqualification.
- Texas Heavyweight Champion Brian Adidas defeated Jack Victory.
- Iceman King Parsons defeated The One Man Gang in the third round of a Taped Fist match via knockout.
- In a No DQ, "Hair vs. Hair" match, Kerry & Kevin Von Erich defeated Chris Adams & Gino Hernandez.
1990 - Tony Anthony & Doug Gilbert defeat Jeff Jarrett & Jeff Gaylord for the USWA World Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Jarrett & Gaylord's second title reign. However, on the same show, Jeff Jarrett defeats Dick Slater to win the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title.
1997 - The Monday Night Wars continued, with WCW Monday Nitro getting a 3.9 victory over WWF Monday Night Raw's 3.0. Nitro featured Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero defeating Ultimo Dragon and United States Champion Curt Hennig defeating Chris Benoit, while Raw saw Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeat World Champion Bret Hart via countout and Intercontinental Champion Owen Hart defeat Hawk. However, while Nitro had the larger audience, Raw definitely left a more lasting impression due to two very different, yet very controversial, segments.
One day after Brian Pillman was found dead in a hotel room, Vince McMahon conducted a live interview with Melanie Pillman, Brian's widow, via satellite from her home on Raw. An obviously devastated Melanie made comments about other wrestlers seeing her husband's death as a "wake up call", as it was believed at the time (before autopsy reports were completed) that prescription drug abuse was possibly the cause of his death. McMahon at one point asked Melanie how she was going to provide for her children, and when she was unable to answer, it made an already uncomfortable segment seem downright cruel. WWF was universally blasted for the segment, in particular the way it was hyped for the duration of the show and saved for one of the final segments. However, both WWE and Melanie have defended the segments.
The other segment saw Jim Cornette, appearing out of character, blasting WCW and Eric Bischoff in an interview. This unprecedented "shoot" on the competition was born out of an appearance Cornette had made on WWF.com's audio show in which he blasted WCW. The decision was made to have Cornette state his opinions again for a larger audience, on Raw. Here is a full transcript of Cornette's promo, which became the talk of wrestling for some time afterwards, and resulted in Cornette later making a second, similar appearance during an edition of Raw:
"This is Jim Cornette, and the views that I'm about to express are not necessarily those of anybody else but me. But they ought to be. And as a matter of fact, they probably are.
You know, a lot of things in the wrestling world make me cranky these days. Especially the way some talent is treated and some talent is looked at, by not only the promoters, but some wrestling fans as well.
For example, a man like Arn Anderson, who just had to retire from this sport, after giving it his entire life, because of some injury he suffered. A guy like "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, who in my opinion, is one of the greatest talents in the history of this business. Guys like Mankind, Cactus Jack, Dude Love, whatever you want to call him. Great talents in the WWF or WCW.
But who gets a lot of the attention, from the wrestling fans especially? Guys like the NWO, the New World Order. You know, all the fans think these guys are so cool and so 'sweet', and so funny. Well, as far as I'm concerned, the NWO is like a bunch of guys meeting out in the backyard in a clubhouse in a tree. They're guys who, all they have to do, they've got the easiest job in the world, all they have to do is go out there and be themselves. Childish, obnoxious, adolescent guys with a case of severe arrested emotional development, and a fixation on trying to act macho.
You've got a guy like Kevin Nash, 40 years old, trying to act like a teenager. Far as I'm concerned, the biggest "no talent" in the business. He's got six moves, no mobility, and enough timing to cover up for some of it. But what he does is he goes around and manipulates. Kevin Nash had a multi-million dollar promotional company, the WWF, push him to the moon to make him a star, and what does he do? He leaves, after he gives his word he's staying, so by the way, he's a liar too, he leaves and he goes to WCW for a big contract. Why? More on that later.
You've got a guy like Scott Hall, who's a good wrestler, but good is about it. He's the best of the bunch. But he had the same million dollar promotional company make him a star, after being in the business 10 years without putting three asses in a seat. And what does he do? He goes to WCW for a big contract. Why? More on that later.
And then you've got a guy, Syxx, 1-2-3 Kid, his name's Sean Waltman. Whatever you want to call him. As far as I'm concerned, the only reason he's employed is because the other guys think he's funny when he gets drunk and throws up on himself. He has the distinction, in case you haven't noticed, of being the only guy since this wrestling war got started, that was released from a valid contract for one company to go to the other side, which shows you how valuable he is.
You know why they're all employed? Why they're all in the spot they are today? Because of Eric Bischoff. The boss of WCW, not the NWO. Look at the credits on the PPV, if you can get one for free. The idiot's name is on it. He's the boss of WCW. He works for Ted Turner, and he throws a billionaire's money around, just like water, so he can have guys that he likes to hang out with.
Because, even more than being a mark, yeah, for his own face and his own voice, Eric Bischoff is a guy who's a big fan of hanging around studly guys with long hair and beards, that smoke cigars, and ride Harley's, so that some of that can rub off on his little pansy-ass frame. So he takes that billionaire's money, and he throws that around like water to buy guys that he can hang around, to prove that his "johnson" is bigger than everybody else's.
And that's the sole reason the NWO guys are employed.
I think, me personally, that it's about time that the wrestling fans and the promoters, all of them in this business, start recognizing guys like "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, like Arn Anderson, like Cactus Jack. Guys who bust their ass, who work hard, and have ability and talent to get where they are. Instead of a bunch of guys that get to their spot by hanging around with the boss and sucking-up.
I'm Jim Cornette, and that's my opinion."
Note: It should be pointed out that in several interviews since then, Cornette has stated that he apologizes for the comments he made about Waltman. However, he has made no apologies or retractions for anything else he said in the interview.
PWInsider.com
