This day in history - 16th March

March 16th

On this day in history in ....

1960 - Joe McCarthy defeats Mario Galento in Mobile, Alabama to win the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title, ending Galento's third reign as champion.

1973 - Gene Kiniski defeats Terry Funk in St. Louis, Missouri to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Title.

1992 - The top two titles in the USWA changed hands on a show in Memphis, Tennessee. Kamala defeated Koko B. Ware to win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title for a fourth time, while Jimmy Valiant defeated Dr. Death (not Steve Williams) for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title, ending Death's reign after only six days.

1996 - D'Lo Brown defeats Bobby Blaze to win the Heartland Wrestling Association Heavyweight Title in Lima, Ohio, starting his second reign as champion.

1997 - WCW held their "Uncensored" Pay-per-view in South Carolina at the North Charleston Coliseum. Here are the results:
- In a dark match, Ice Train defeated Mad Maxx.
- Dean Malenko defeated Eddie Guerrero to win the WCW United States Title when Syxx came to ringside to try and steal the U.S. Title belt, distracting Guerrero, who had Malenko in a Texas Cloverleaf. Malenko picked up Syxx' video camera and hit Guerrero with it for the pin.
- Ultimo Dragon defeated Psicosis with a Tiger Suplex.
- Diamond Dallas Page came out for an interview, but was interrupted by Randy Savage and Elizabeth. Kimberly Page came out crying, with "NWO" spray painted on her, and Savage attacked Page, laying him out.
- Glacier defeated Mortis with a cryonic kick. After the match, Mortis removed his mask, revealing him to be Bryan Clarke, and laid out Glacier.
- Buff Bagwell defeated Scotty Riggs in a strap match by touching all four corners after throwing Riggs from the ring. Bagwell choked Scotty with the strap after the match.
- Harlem Heat defeated The Public Enemy in a Texas Tornado match when Booker T pinned Rocco Rock with the Harlem Hangover after Steve McMichael interfered and hit Rocco with a metal briefcase.
- WCW Television Champion Prince Iaukea defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. The match ended in a time limit draw, but they requested more time. Mysterio went for a rana, but Iaukea rolled through it into a sunset flip to pin Mysterio.
- Team NWO (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Scott Hall & Kevin Nash) defeated Team Piper (Roddy Piper, Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael & Jeff Jarrett) and Team WCW (Lex Luger, The Giant & Scott Steiner). Rick Steiner was supposed to be on Team WCW, but was attacked and unable to participate. The rules of the match were that wrestlers would enter the ring in intervals (ala a Royal Rumble), and would be eliminated by pinfall, submission or being thrown over the top rope to the floor. Here are the eliminations:
- Scott Hall ducked a charging Giant, who went over the top rope to the floor to be eliminated.
- Kevin Nash clotheslined Jeff Jarrett over the top rope to eliminate him.
- Scott Hall backdropped Steve McMichael over the top rope to eliminate him.
- Scott Hall threw Scott Steiner over the top rope to eliminate him.
- Hulk Hogan threw Roddy Piper over the top rope, with the help of Dennis Rodman, to eliminate him.
- Scott Hall and Kevin Nash threw Chris Benoit over the top rope eliminating him, and ending Team Piper's chances of winning.
- Lex Luger made Randy Savage submit to the Torture Rack to eliminate him.
- Lex Luger threw Kevin Nash over the top rope to eliminate him.
- Lex Luger made Scott Hall submit to the Torture Rack to eliminate him.
- Hulk Hogan pinned Lex Luger after Randy Savage blinded him with spray paint. After the match, Sting repelled into the ring to beat up the NWO.

2003 - Justin Credible defeats Steve Corino in Queens, New York to win the Premier Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Title for the second time, ending Corino's fourth reign as champion.

2004 - During an edition of Smackdown from Boston, Massachusetts, Rey Mysterio earned a World Title bout by winning a gauntlet match. Shelton Benjamin defeated Charlie Haas and Billy Gunn in back-to-back matches, but lost to Mysterio, who went on to beat the Big Show via countout (due to John Cena attacking Show) and earned the title shot at Eddie Guerrero, who beat Rey with a small package after Rey attempted a springboard legdrop.