This Day In History - May 21st
May 21st
On this day in history in ....
1952 - Lou Thesz defeats Baron Michele Leone in Los Angeles to merge the California-version of the World Title with the National Wrestling Alliance and National Wrestling Association World Titles. Those three title wins, along with a non-title win over American Wrestling Association champion Gorgeous George, makes Lou Thesz the undisputed World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. The title would remain undisputed for five years, until a Thesz-Edouard Carpentier match ends in controversy, splintering the titles again.
1982 - Wahoo McDaniel defeats Sgt. Slaughter for the United States Heavyweight Title in Richmond, Virginia, beginning his second title reign.
1986 - The White Ninja (Keiji Mutoh) defeats Kendall Windham for the Florida Heavyweight Title in Tampa. This would mark the first North American championship for Mutoh, however, he would later have to return the belt to Windham when replays showed that Mutoh used an illegal karate thrust to win the title.
1995 - WCW Slamboree took place in St. Petersburg, Florida at the Bayfront Center. Here are the results:
In matches shown on TBS' The Main Event:
- Steven Regal & Bobby Eaton defeated Ricky Santana & Fidel Sierra.
- Steve Austin defeated Eddie Jackie.
- Craig Pittman defeated Mark Starr via submission.
- Meng defeated Brian Pillman.
In matches aired on the PPV:
- The Nasty Boys defeated Harlem Heat to win the WCW World Tag Team Title when Sags pinned Booker T with a top rope elbow after a Knobbs powerslam.
- Kevin Sullivan defeated The Man With No Name (Brutus Beefcake) then ran off into the crowd after a mysterious voice (King Curtis) called out his name.
- Wahoo McDaniel defeated Dick Murdoch in a Legends match with a flying chop. This bout was aired in black and white during the broadcast to give it a "Legends" feel.
- IWGP Champion The Great Muta defeated Paul Orndorff with a moonsault.
- WCW Television Champion Arn Anderson defeated Alex Wright with a DDT.
- Meng vs. Road Warrior Hawk ended in a double countout.
- The WCW Hall Of Fame inductions were held, hosted by Gordon Solie. Angelo Poffo, Antonio Inoki, Terry Funk, Wahoo McDaniel, John Studd (posthumously) and Dusty Rhodes were all inducted. Rhodes and Gene Okerlund then surprised Solie by revealing that he was also being inducted into the Hall Of Fame.
- Sting defeated Big Bubba Rogers with a Scorpion Deathlock.
- Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage defeated Ric Flair & Vader. After the match, the heels attacked Hogan, Savage and Angelo Poffo, with Flair putting Angelo in the figure four.
2001 - On May 21st, during a tag team match that saw Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho defeat Steve Austin & Triple H for the WWF World Tag Team Title, Triple H tore his quadriceps muscle in the leg. It was a freak injury, occurring during the course of the match. He gutted it out for the rest of the bout (which aired live on Raw), then was sent to the hospital for an MRI. He was told he would be out up to five months and had surgery performed in Birmingham, Alabama, three days later by Dr. James Andrews. He would suffer a similar injury in 2006.
2007 - Team 3D officially opened their new wrestling school, "The Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling" in Kissimmee, Florida, right outside of Orlando.
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