On this day in history in ....

1963 - WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Hans Mortier in the main event of a WWWF card in New Haven, CT.

1965 - WWWF ran Trenton, NJ at Moose Hall headlined by Gorilla Monsoon & Bill Watts defeating WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino & Argentina Apollo.

1966 - WWWF ran Hershey, PA with the following results:

-Arnold Skaaland defeated Ronnie Etchison.
-Vittorio Apollo defeated Frank Hickey.
-Baron Mikel Scicluna defeated Chief Big Heart.
-Bobo Brazil fought Bill Miller to a double disqualification.
-WWWF U.S. Tag Team Champions Johnny Valentine & Antonio Pugliese defeated the Beast & Smasher Sloan.
-WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Curtis Iaukea.

1971 - WWF ran New York City at Madison Square Garden featuring the following results:

-Sonny Boy Hayes & the Tahiti Kid defeated Sky Low Low & Little Brutus in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match at 15:59, 2-0; fall #2: Hayes & Kid won when their opponents were disqualified for illegal double teaming
-In his MSG debut, Jimmy Valiant defeated Vincente Pometti at 12:28 via submission with a backbreaker.

-Manuel Soto defeated Juan Caruso at 11:32.
-Beautiful Bobby defeated Mike Pappas at 5:26.
-Bob Roop defeated Akim Manuka at 5:24.
-Eddie Graham fought Chief Jay Strongbow to a 20-minute draw.
-Luke Graham defeated Gorilla Monsoon via count-out at 7:56.
-WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales pinned Tarzan Tyler at 14:12.

1972 - WWWF ran White Plains, NY with the following results:

-Tony Constilles fought the Blue Demon to a draw.
-Victor Rivera defeated Smasher Sloan.
-Baron Mikel Scicluna defeated Chuck Richards.
-WWWF Tag Team Champion Sonny King defeated Jimmy Valiant.
-WWWF Tag Team Champion Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Prof. Toru Tanaka via disqualification.
-WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales defeated King Curtis.

1973 - Harley Race defeats Dory Funk, Jr. for the NWA World Heavyweight Title in Kansas City, Missouri. Race scored the pin in the third fall with a vertical suplex, to win the title for the first time in his career. Race would go on to become an eight-time NWA World Champion.

1976 - Ric Flair defeats Wahoo McDaniel for the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title in Charlotte, North Carolina. If Flair had lost, he would have had his head shaved.

1976 - WWWF ran North Dartmouth, MA with the following results:

-Johnny Rivera defeated Gene Dundee,
-Baron Mikel Scicluna defeated Sylvano Sousa,
-Kevin Sullivan defeated Tony Altimore.
-Billy White Wolf defeated Crusher Blackwell.
-Stan Hansen defeated Ivan Putski via disqualification.

1976 - WWWF ran Landover, MD at the Capital Centre, headlined by Gorilla Monsoon (substituting for WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino) defeating Superstar Billy Graham via countout. This match was deemed Graham's last shot at the title before Monsoon filled in for Sammartino.

1978 - WWWF ran Waterville, ME at the Armory, featured 1,200 fans with the following results:
-Johnny Tzansis defeated Strong Kobayashi via disqualification.
-Johnny Rodz fought Tank Adams to a draw.
-The Golden Terror fought Jim Ray to a 20-minute time-limit draw.
-Superstar Billy Graham pinned Larry Zbyszko (substituting for Dusty Rhodes) at 11:51.
-Peter Maivia pinned Butcher Vachon at 6:07.
-Spiros Arion defeated Haystacks Calhoun via count-out at 12:35.

1979 - WWF ran Worcester, MA, featuring:

-Johnny Rivera defeated Mr. X.
-Hussein Arab (the future Iron Sheik) defeated SD Jones.
-Tito Santana defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna.
-Steve Travis defeated Jerry Valiant via countout.
-WWF North American Champion Ted Dibiase defeated Johnny Valiant via disqualification.
-Dominic DeNucci defeated Johnny Rodz.
-WWF World Champion Bob Backlund defeated Jimmy Valiant.

1980 - New Japan Pro Wrestling ran Morioka, Japan, featuring:

-George Takano pinned Hiroyuki Saito.
-Makoto Arakawa pinned Kuniaki Kobayashi.
-Kantaro Hoshino pinned Kengo Kimura.
-Tito Santana & Chavo Guerrero defeated Williem Ruska & Osamu Kido when Guerrero pinned Kido
Stan Hansen pinned Ryuma Go.
-WWF World Champion Bob Backlund defeated Riki Choshu in a non-title match via submission with an ankle lock.
-Tatsumi Fujinami & Strong Kobayashi defeated Hulk Hogan & Bad News Allen in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match, 2-0; fall #1 - Fujinami & Kobayashi won via disqualification; fall #2 - Fujinami pinned Allen
-Antonio Inoki fought Seiji Sakaguchi to a double count-out.

1980 - WWF ran Fall River, MA in the following results:

-Baron Mikel Scicluna defeated Pete Doherty.
-Johnny Rodz defeated Sylvano Sousa.
-Bobby Duncum defeated Dominic Denucci.
-Tor Kamata defeated Frank Savage.
-WWF Intercontinental champion Ken Patera fought Ivan Putski to a double disqualification.
-Rick McGraw pinned Jose Estrada.



1983 - Dory Funk Jr. & Jake Roberts defeated Mike Rotundo & SD Jones in Columbia, SC on a Jim Crockett Promotions event.



1983 - JCP ran Raleigh, NC at the Dorton Arena, featuring:

-Masa Fuchi & Ricky Harris defeated Glen Lane & Abe Jacobs.
-Vinnie Valentino defeated Bill White.
-Rene Goulet defeated Ken Hall.
-Rick McCord defeated Gene Anderson.
-The One Man Gang defeated Jos LeDuc.
-Jack & Jerry Brisco defeated NWA World Tag Team Champions Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood via disqualification.



1984 - Ric Flair defeats Kerry Von Erich for the NWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Title, ending Von Erich's reign after only 18 days. Flair pinned Von Erich by reversing a rollup for the pin in Yokosuka, Japan in the third fall of their title match on an All Japan Pro Wrestling show. Fritz Von Erich would later appear on World Class television and claim that his son was ripped off by a "sumo referee" that didn't understand pro wrestling rules. The referee for the match was All Japan's Joe Higuchi, who was never a sumo referee.



1984 - Jim Crockett Promotions ran Norfolk, VA with the following results:

-Vinnie Valentino defeated Doug Vines.
-Johnny Weaver defeated Jeff Sword.
-The Junkyard Dog defeated the Great Kabuki.
-Assassin #1 defeated Angelo Mosca Sr..
-NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard defeated Mark Youngblood.
-NWA US Champion Ricky Steamboat defeated Dick Slater.
-Dusty Rhodes & Wahoo McDaniel defeated NWA World Tag Team Champions Ivan Koloff & Don Kernodle via disqualification.



1984 - Jim Crockett Promoters ran Sumter, SC, featuring:

-Keith Larson defeated Kurt Von Hess.
-Brian Adidas defeated Paul Kelly.
-Angelo Mosca Sr. fought the Outlaw to a draw.
-Pez Whatley & Rufus R. Jones defeated Ernie Ladd & Jesse Barr.
-Jimmy Valiant defeated Adrian Street.



1984 - WWF ran Columbus, OH with the following results:

-SD Jones defeated Tiger Chung Lee.
-Greg Valentine defeated Salvatore Bellomo.
-Tony Garea defeated Pat Patterson.
-Ivan Putski defeated Mr. Fuji.
-Roddy Piper defeated B. Brian Blair.
-WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana defeated Paul Orndorff via countout.

WWF champion Hulk Hogan defeated the Iron Shiek via countout.



1984 - WWF ran Struthers, OH at The Fieldhouse, drawing 3,000 fans with the following results:
-Terry Daniels pinned Rene Goulet.
-Bobo Brazil pinned Jose Gonzalez after the Coco Butt.
-Rocky Johnson defeated Sika via disqualification.
-Jimmy Snuka pinned Afa.
-Bob Backlund pinned Samula.
-Sgt. Slaughter pinned David Schultz when Jimmy Snuka counted the pinfall on Schultz after the referee was knocked out.



1985 - Jim Crockett Promotions ran Richmond, VA at the Coliseum with the following results:

-Denny Brown defeated John Tatum.
-Buddy Landell defeated Keith Larsen.
-National Tag Team Champions Ole & Arn Anderson defeated Manny Fernandez & Sam Houston.
-NWA U.S. Champion Magnum TA defeated NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard.
-Dusty Rhodes & Jimmy Valiant defeated Superstar Billy Graham & the Barbarian.



1985 - Oprah Winfrey, yes that Oprah, made an appearance at a WWF event in Chicago, IL. The three top matches aired on "AM Chicago" on 5/27/85 with Winfrey doing commentary and also interviewing Hulk Hogan and Don Muraco, The results of the show saw:

-Bret Hart defeated SD Jones
-Ken Patera defeated George Wells
-The Spoiler defeated Rick McGraw
-Jesse Ventura defeated Ivan Putski via count-out after the two brawled on the floor.

-Tito Santana & the Junkyard Dog defeated WWF Intercontinental champion Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake when JYD pinned Valentine with a powerslam.
-WWF champion Hulk Hogan pinned Don Muraco with a roll up after Muraco accidentally collided with Mr. Fuji on the ring apron. After the bout, Hogan chased off both Muraco and Fuji before celebrating with Oprah.



1985 - New Japan ran Kobe, Japan, drawing 8,160 fans with the following results:
-King Kong Bundy & the Masked Superstar defeated Shunji Takano & Seiji Sakaguchi.
-Iron Mike Sharpe defeated WWF Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiro Saito via disqualification.
-The Cobra & Kantaro Hoshino defeated El Canek & Enrique Vera.
-Pedro Morales fought Strong Machine #1 to a double countout.
-Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura defeated International Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch via count-out 18:27 to win the titles.
-Andre the Giant fought Antonio Inoki to a double countout.



1985 - WWF ran Detroit, MI at the Cobo Arena, featuring:

-Matt Borne defeated Muhammad Saad.
-Barry O defeated Bubba Hawkins.
-George Steele defeated Swede Hanson.
-Bob Orton defeated Tony Garea.
-Jim Neidhart defeated Steve King.
-WWF Tag Team Champions Nikolai Volkoff & the Iron Sheik defeated Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo via disqualification.



1986 - WWF ran Pittsburgh, PA at the Civic Arena, drawing 11,382 featuring the following results:
-Scott McGhee fought Rene Goulet to a draw.
-Dan Spivey pinned Paul Christy.
-Hercules pinned Lanny Poffo.
-Nikolai Volkoff pinned Cpl. Kirchner.
-Big John Studd pinned Tony Atlas (substituting for Ted Arcidi).
-WWF Tag Team Champions British BulldogsDavey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid defeated The Hart Foundation, Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart when Dynamite pinned Bret.
-WWF Intercontinetal Champion Randy Savage pinned Tito Santana.
-WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan defeated King Kong Bundy via disqualification when Bobby Heenan interfered after Hogan hit the legdrop.



1986 - WWF ran Phoenix, AZ at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, featuring the following results:

-Bob Orton Jr. defeated George Wells.
-The Moondogs defeated King Tonga & Reggie Parks.
-The Junkyard Dog defeated Dory Funk Jr..
-George Steele defeated the Iron Sheik.
-Paul Orndorff defeated Don Muraco via disqualification.
-Ricky Steamboat defeated Jake Roberts.



1986 - WWF ran a card in Boston, MA at the Boston Garden, broadcast by NESN, featuring the following results:

-David Sammartino pinned Tiger Chung Lee at 12:27 with a small package.

-Iron Mike Sharpe pinned Tony Garea at 11:35 after Garea hit the corner face-first.
-Jim Neidhart pinned Lanny Poffo at 5:29 with a fistdrop from the middle turnbuckle.

-Bret Hart pinned Sivi Afi at 10:20 when the momentum of a flying bodypress by Afi put Hart on top.
-King Kong Bundy (with Bobby Heenan) pinned Tony Atlas at 6:18 with an elbow drop after the Avalanche in the corner.
-Hercules pinned Scott McGhee at 8:05 with a backbreaker.
-Cpl. Kirchner pinned Nikolai Volkoff at 7:26 after reversing a powerslam attempt into a cradle.

-Pedro Morales, WWF Tag Team Champion Davey Boy Smith, & Dan Spivey defeated Greg Valentine, Brutus Beefcake, & Johnny V at 11:20 when Spivey pinned Johnny V following a backbreaker from Morales.
-WWF Intercontinental champion Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated WWF champion Hulk Hogan via countout at 13:58 after coming off the top to the floor and hitting the champion with his own title belt after referee Danny Davis had been knocked down by Hogan.



1987 - Jim Crockett Promotions debuted at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois, drawing 9,000 fans (a sellout) with the following results:

-Tim Horner fought Eddie Gilbert to a draw.
-Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts defeated Sting & Rick Steiner.
-Terry Taylor fought Chris Adams to a no contest.
-The Rock N' Roll Express, Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson defeated NWA U.S. Tag Team Champions Midnight Express, Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane in a non-title Best 2 out of 3 falls match.
-Michael Hayes defeated Big Bubba via disqualification.
-Manny Fernandez & Vladimir Pietrov defeated Barry Windham & Brad Armstrong.
-NWA U.S. Champion Nikita Koloff defeated Ivan Koloff in a chain match.
-Dusty Rhodes & the Road Warriors defeated NWA World Champion Ric Flair, NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard, & Lex Luger.



1987 - Jim Crockett Promotions ran Roanoke, VA a the Civic Center, featuring:

-The New Breed, Chris Champion & Sean Royal defeated Jimmy Valiant & Lazortron.
-NWA TV Champion Tully Blanchard defeated Bob Armstrong.
-NWA U.S. Champion Nikita Koloff defeated Ivan Koloff in a Russian chain match.
-The Road Warriors defeated NWA World Champion Ric Flair & Lex Luger via disqualification.



1987 - WWF ran Columbus, OH at the Ohio Center, featuring the following results:

-Outback Jack defeated Steve Lombardi.
-Ron Bass defeated SD Jones.
-The Islanders defeated Don Muraco & Bob Orton.
-Rick Martel & Tom Zenk defeated Kamala & Sika.
-Brutus Beefcake defeated Johnny Valiant.
-WWF Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation, Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart defeated The British Bulldogs, Davey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid in a steel cage match.



1987 - WWF ran Brooklyn, NY, drawing 800 featuring:

-The Young Stallions, Paul Roma & Jim Powers defeated the Shadows.
-Tito Santana defeated Butch Reed
-Ken Patera & Jim Duggan defeated Nikolai Volkoff & the Iron Sheik.



1988 - Jim Crockett Promotions ran Hillsville, VA, drawing 800 fans featuring:

-Kendall Windham pinned Tony Suber.
-Rip Morgan defeated Rocky King.
-The Sheepherders defeated George South & Gary Royal.
-Al Perez pinned Chris Champion.
-Lex Luger & Nikita Koloff defeated NWA World Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard in a non-title match.
-Jimmy Garvin defeated NWA World TV Champion Mike Rotundo via disqualification.



1990 - NWA ran St. Louis, MO at the Kiel Auditorium, drawing 2,324 with the following results:
-Bob Orton pinned Dutch Mantel.
-Johnny Ace pinned Fatu.
-Norman pinned Cactus Jack.
-The Road Warriors defeated NWA U.S. Tag Team Champions Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane when Paul Ellering pinned Jim Cornette.
-Rick & Scott Steiner defeated NWA World Tag Team Champions Doom via disqualification.
-The Junkyard Dog pinned NWA World Champion Ric Flair in a non-title steel cage match.



1991 - The Diamond Studd, Scott Hall, made his debut on WCW Television, pinning Tommy Angel.



1991 - WCW ran Omaha, NE, drawing 400 fans with the following results:
-Black Blood pinned Sam Houston
-The One Man Gang pinned Big Josh
-Ricky Morton & Dustin Rhodes defeated Black Bart & Moondog Rex
-Fantasia (a masked Brad Armstrong), WCW U.S. Tag Team Champions Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin defeated Tommy Rich, Tracy -Smothers, & Steve Armstrong
-Ron Simmons defeated Stan Hansen via disqualification
-WCW U.S. Champion Lex Luger pinned Nikita Koloff
-El Gigante defeated WCW World Champion Ric Flair via disqualification when the One Man Gang interfered



1991 - WCW ran Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri at the Nutter Fieldhouse, featuring:

-Steve Ray defeated TC Carter.
-WCW World TV Champion Bobby Eaton defeated Terrance Taylor.
-WCW World Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Arn Anderson & the Angel of Death.
-Sting defeated Barry Windham via disqualification.



1991 - WWF ran Vancouver, British Columbia with the following results:

-Greg Valentine defeated Demolition Crush.
-The Big Bossman defeated the Mountie.
-Bret Hart defeated the Barbarian.
-Power & Glory, Paul Roma & Hercules defeated the Bushwhackers.
-Road Warrior Animal defeated WWF Tag Team Champion Jerry Saggs.
-IRS defeated Jimmy Snuka.
-Kerry Von Erich fought the Warlord to a double countout.
-The Ultimate Warrior defeated the Undertaker via disqualification.



1992- WCW ran Gainesville, GA at the Civic Center featuring:

-Johnny B. Badd pinned Joey Maggs.
-The Junkyard Dog & Big Josh defeated Diamond Dallas Page & Richard Morton.

-Dustin Rhodes pinned Greg Valentine.
-Terry Taylor pinned Tom Zenk.
-WCW World Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Larry Zbyszko & Tracy Smothers.
-WCW Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Pillman pinned Scotty Flamingo (the future Raven).
-WCW World Champion Sting & Nikita Koloff defeated Steve Austin & the Super Invader.



1995 - WCW ran The Center Stage Theatre for a WCW Saturday Night taping featuring:
-Johnny B. Badd defeated the Terrorist (David Cannell).
-Diamond Dallas Page defeated Todd Morton.
-WCW World Tag Team Champions Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan defeated Paul Orndorff & Paul Roma when Orndorff was pinned after Roma accidentally hit a splash on his partner.
-Terry Taylor defeated Tex Slazenger.
-Dustin Rhodes defeated Harlem Heat Kole (with Harlem Heat Kane) after Kane's interference backfired; after the bout, Arn Anderson made the save for Rhdoes against Harlem Heat.



1997 - WWF ran Dayton, OH at the Nutter Center featuring the following results before 3,012 fans with the following results:
-Leif Cassidy (Al Snow) pinned Bob Holly with a move that started as a powerbomb but turned into an over-the-head throw
-Rockabilly pinned Jesse Jammes with a DDT.
-Farooq pinned Ahmed Johnson after Savio Vega interfered and repeatedly hit Ahmed with a steel chair
.-Crush (with D-Lo Brown) pinned Flash Funk with the heart punch.
-Rocky Maivia pinned Savio Vega with a school boy after Vega ran into Crush on the apron.
-Blackjack Windham & Blackjack Bradshaw defeated Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon when Barry Windham scored the pin with a small package after the Blackjacks switched places.
-Mankind defeated Phinneas Godwinn (with Henry Godwinn) with the Mandible Claw.
-Hunter Hearst Helmsley pinned Goldust after Chyna swept Goldust's legs out as he attempted a suplex into the ring, and held the legs down as Helmsley scored the win.
-Steve Austin & Ahmed Johnson defeated The WWF Tag Team Champions, WWF Intercontinental champion Owen Hart & WWF European champion Davey Boy Smith via disqualification when Brian Pillman interfered.



1997 - WCW ran Louisville, KY at the Broadbent Arena featuring the following:

-WCW U.S. Champion Dean Malenko defeated Alex Wright.
-Buff Bagwell defeatred Scotty Riggs.
-Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Public Enemy.
-WCW U.S. Champion Dean Malenko fought Rey Mysterio Jr. to a draw.
-Diamond Dallas Page defeated Mortis.
-The Giant defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions Kevin Nash & Scott Hall via disqualification in a handicap match.



1997 - ECW ran Monaca, PA at the Golden Dome, drawing 1,926 fans featuring:

-The Pitbulls defeated The FBI Little Guido & Tracy Smothers.
-Chris Chetti fought Danny Morrison (the future Danny Doring) to a no contest.
-Chris Candido defeated Wolfie D.
-D-Von & Big Dick Dudley defeated Spike Dudley & Mikey Whipwreck when Whipwreck was pinned.
-The Sandman defeated Balls Mahoney.
-New Jack defeated Axl Rotten.
-Tommy Dreamer defeated Louie Spicolli.
-ECW World Champion Terry Funk defeated Stevie Richards.
-ECW World TV Champion Shane Douglas defeated Raven.
-ECW Tag Team Champions The Eliminators, Perry Saturn & John Kronus defeated Big Dick & D-Von Dudley in a weapons match.



1998 - WWF ran Halifax, Nova Scotia at the Forum, drawing 5,128 fans with the following results:
-The Headbangers defeated Mark Henry & Kama.
-WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku pinned Brian Christopher.
-Jeff Jarrett pinned Steve Blackman after Tennessee Lee prevented a superplex and held Blackman's legs down during the cover.
-Bradshaw pinned Marc Mero with the Clothesline from Hell.
-WWF European Champion Triple H pinned Owen Hart after Chyna interfered and hit a low blow as Hart had the champion in the Sharpshooter.
-Kurrgan defeated D-Lo Brown with the claw.
-Skull & 8-Ball defeated the Quebecars with a backdrop / neckbreaker combo.
-WWF champion Steve Austin, Farooq, & The Undertaker defeated Kane & WWF Tag Team Champions the Road Dogg & Billy Gunn after Austin hit the Stunner on Road Dogg; Dude Love was the guest time keeper.



1999 - One day after his passing, WWF held a Tribute Show to the late Owen Hart live on Raw at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The broadcast featured Mark Henry, Paul Bearer, Triple H, Chyna, Shane McMahon, Earl Hebner, Gerald Brisco, Goldust, the Road Dogg, Bradshaw, Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett, Debra, and Test giving their memories of Hart, as well as the following results:
-Jeff Jarrett (with Debra) defeated Test via submission with the Sharpshooter at 2:40 after hitting a Russian legsweep after Test became distracted by Debra on the ring apron; prior to the contest, Jarrett cut an in-ring promo on Owen.
-WWF Tag Team Champions X-Pac & Kane defeated Edge & Gangrel (with Christian) when X-Pac pinned Gangrel at 4:02 after being thrown on top of his opponent by Kane after Kane hit a chokeslam.
-Matt & Jeff Hardy (with Michael Hayes) defeated TAKA Michinoku & Sho Funaki when Matt pinned Funaki with the Twist of Fate at 3:19.
-Ken Shamrock defeated Hardcore Holly via submission with an arm bar into the ankle lock at 1:47.
-Mankind defeated Billy Gunn via count-out at around 3:05 by applying the Mandible Claw on the apron, while Gunn attempted to use a steel chair.

-D-Lo Brown & Mark Henry (with Ivory) defeated the Acolytes at 4:01 when D-Lo pinned Bradshaw with a roll up after Bradshaw accidentally kicked Farooq in the face.
-The Road Dogg fought WWF Intercontinental champion the Godfather to a no contest when both men agreed they'd rather get high and tell some Owen Hart stories than fight each other.
-Triple H (with Chyna) pinned WWF Hardcore Champion Al Snow in a non-title match at 3:41 with the Pedigree.

-The Big Show pinned Goldust (with the Blue Meanie) at 1:02 after hitting a chokeslam on both Goldust and Meanie
-The Rock pinned Val Venis with the Rock Bottom and The People's Elbow combo at the 56 second mark.

-The show ended with Steve Austin coming to the ring and toasting Owen's memory.



Prior to the live broadcast, WWF taped the following matches:



Dark:

Kurt Angle defeated Nick Dinsmore (the future Eugene)
Papi Chulo (the future Essa Rios) defeated Super Loco (aka Super Crazy)


Shotgun Saturday Night:
-Meat defeated the Blue Meanie.
-Christian defeated Doug Basham.
-Viscera & Mideon defeated Brian Christopher & Scott Taylor
.

Super Astros:
-Max Mini defeated Mini Nova.
-Taka Michinoku, Sho Funaki, & Tiger Mask defeated Papi Chulo, Apolo Dantes, & Super Loco



2001 - Triple H underwent surgery with Dr. James Andrews to repair his torn quadriceps, which was injured in a tag team match with Steve Austin against Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho three days earlier. The surgery would be successful, and after a long period of rehab, Triple H returned to the ring ten months later. He would suffer a similar injury again in 2006.



2001 - The Parents Television Council, which had aggressively promoted against the WWF, and Smackdown in particular, for what they felt was inappropriate programming, was pushed one step closer towards having to apologize for their actions. The WWF brought a lawsuit against the company and a U.S. District Court Judge rejected an attempt to dismiss the case by the PTC. The WWF would go on to win the case, and the PTC would be forced to issue a public apology to the wrestling organization.



The following is the press release from the WWF from 2001:



Judge Rejects Parents Television Council Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit



STAMFORD, Conn., May 24, 2001 : A federal judge today rejected a motion by the Parents Television Council to dismiss a lawsuit brought against the PTC and others by World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWF).



U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin in New York concluded that there was a sound legal basis for the WWFE suit and that it should go forward. "Assuming, as I must, that the allegations of the Amended Complaint are true for purposes of this motion, I conclude that WWFE has stated claims upon which relief can be granted," wrote Judge Chin. WWFE sued the PTC in November 2000, charging PTC founder L. Brent Bozell III and others with, among other things, defamation, tortious interference with business relations and copyright infringement. As part of these activities, the PTC claimed that "WWF Smackdown!" could be linked to the deaths of four children, and that more than 30 to 40 advertisers had withdrawn their advertising from WWF SmackDown! The suit says the defendants made such false claims to WWFE advertisers in order to damage the company and, at the same time, raise money for themselves and promote their organization.


Judge Chin wrote that the PTC and the other defendants may not make false and defamatory statements under cover of the First Amendment. "The First Amendment does not protect statements that are false and defamatory, even if they are made in the context of a public debate about issues of general concern," he wrote. Judge Chin's ruling on the motion is available through the court and WWFE's corporate website, wwfecorpbiz.com.



World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and Toronto. Additional information on the company can be found at wwf.com and wwfecorpbiz.com.



2002 - WWE Raw ran Duluth, MN at the DECC with the following results:

-Jackie defeated Crash Holly.
-WWE Hardcore Champion Steven Richards pinned Tommy Dreamer.
-Brock Lesnar defeated Bubba Ray Dudley.
-X-Pac defeated Matt Hardy.
-Bradshaw defeated Booker T.
-Shawn Stasiak & D-Lo Brown defeated Justin Credible & Goldust.
-WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus defeated Molly Holly.
-WWE European Champion William Regal defeated Spike Dudley.
-WWE Intercontinental Champion Eddie Guerrero defeated Rob Van Dam.



2003 - WWE Raw ran Baton Rouge, LA at the Riverside Centroplex with the following results:

-Rodney Mack & Christopher Nowinski defeated Lance Cade & John Heidenreich when Cade submitted to Mack's Black Out.
-Goldust pinned Mark Jintrak with a powerslam.
-Lance Storm pinned Steve Williams with the superkick.
-Bubba Ray, D-Von, & Spike Dudley defeated Rico, Rosey, & Jamal in a tables match when Rico suffered a 3D through a table after Rosey and Jamal deserted their partner.
-WWE Intercontinental champion Christian pinned Val Venis with the Unprettier.
-WWE Women's Champion Jazz defeated Trish Stratus, Molly Holly, and Victoria in an elimination match; Jazz pinned Molly; Trish pinned Victoria with the bulldog; Jazz defeated Trish after Victoria interfered; after the bout, Maven made the save for Trish against Victoria and Richards.
-WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Rob Van Dam & Kane defeated Sylvian Grenier & Rene Dupree when RVD pinned Rene following a Kane chokeslam and RVD Five Star Frog Splash combo.
-WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Scott Steiner with a low blow and the Pedigree.



2003 - WWE Smackdown ran Ft. Myers, FL at the Teco Arena with the following results:
-Rikishi, Spanky, & Bill DeMott defeated Nunzio, Chuck Palumbo, & Johnny Stamboli when Rikishi blocked a sunset flip by Nunzio and hit a sit-down splash.
-Crash Holly pinned Orlando Jordon with a roll up and using the ropes for leverage.
-Albert & Kanyon defeated Doug Basham & Danny Holle when Albert pinned Holle with the backbreaker.
-Rhyno pinned Sean O'Haire with the Gore after O'Haire hit the corner.
-WWE Cruiserweight Champion Matt Hardy fought Rey Mysterio Jr. and Jamie Noble to a no contest when -Shannon Moore and Crash Holly attacked Mysterio as he made his way to the ring; DeMott, Spanky, and Rikishi made the save.
-WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions Eddie Guerrero & Tajiri defeated Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas via disqualification when Eddie pretended he had been hit by one of the title belts by Haas as the referee came to.
-Chris Benoit defeated John Cena via submission with the Crippler Crossface after avoiding the FU
-Torrie Wilson pinned Nidia with a roll up; Sho Funaki was the special referee for the bout.
-WWE champion Brock Lesnar pinned the Big Show with the F5 after avoiding the chokeslam.



2004 - WWE Smackdown ran LaCrosse, WI - Center with the following results:

-Hardcore Holly & Billy Gunn defeated Nunzio & Johnny Stamboli.
-Mark Jindrak defeated Orlando Jordan.
-WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero Sr. defeated Shannon Moore and Spike Dudley.
-WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions Rico & Charlie Haas defeated the Dudley Boyz
-WWE World Champion Eddie Guerrero defeated John Bradshaw Layfield.
-Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Rene Dupree.
-Torrie Wilson defeated Dawn Marie in a bikini contest.
-WWE U.S. Champion John Cena defeated Booker T.



2004 - WWE ran Raw in Rockford, IL at the MetroCentre. Tim Whitehead filed the following TV Report:



The 5/24 edition of RAW IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL aired live from Rockford. It was a basic, good episode this week which laid further groundwork for the Bad Blood PPV in June.



They opened with footage from last week's Battle Royal, where "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels caused Triple H to lose to Kane. This earned Kane the World Title shot against Chris Benoit at Bad Blood.



Backstage, HHH was shown taping his fists. He was fuming over HBK's actions last week and demanded that Eric Bischoff reinstate HBK so he could get revenge on him. Bischoff had anticipated that HHH would want that, and said he had already lifted HBK's suspension. HHH was glad to hear that, and was even happier to learn that HBK was going to be there for RAW. HHH vowed that HBK won't make it to Bad Blood. He pledged to beat the living hell out of HBK as soon as he arrived, and then to drag his carcass to the ring and finish him off in front of the whole world. HHH then turned to his Evolution allies and demanded to know how they let HBK eliminate him last week. Shouldn't he have asked that question to Bischoff? I mean, shouldn't the Boss of RAW have provided better security? Anyway, Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Batista began mumbling various excuses. The best one was Orton's claim that he had been out late the night before. HHH told them they had better show more unity this week. Flair left to go to the ring for his scheduled match, and Orton & Batista started to go with him. On his way out, Orton encouraged HHH to kick HBK's ass if he happened to show up while they all three were down at the ring. That statement caused HHH to worry that HBK might indeed show up while he was all alone, so he had Batista stay with him.



Edge defeated Flair in 5:16. Flair strutted. Whoooo! He chopped Edge, but Edge came back with a backdrop and sent Flair out to the floor. Edge tossed Flair back in. Orton distracted Edge, allowing Flair to rake his eyes. Flair used fists and chops and hit his classic kneedrop. Edge lariated and backdropped Flair again. Flair took a painful looking flip bump into the corner. Flair went to the top but was caught with a stiff blow when he came off. Edge scored a two count which looked more like a three, as it didn't appear that Flair kicked out in time. Orton interfered to give Flair the advantage again. This brought out Shelton Benjamin, who attacked Orton on the floor. Benjamin punched Orton out. Without Orton's help, Flair got speared and pinned, adding Edge to the long list of up-and-comers he's generously put over.



HHH & Batista went outside the arena to watch for HBK. An arena employee was sitting out there in a chair. Batista ran the poor guy off so HHH could have his seat.



Vince McMahon did a promo surrounded by pretty girls. It's good to be king. He announced a new RAW Diva Search contest. Ten finalists will be selected from a plethora of young lady applicants. They will then appear on RAW and the fans will vote one off each week, like on American Idol and other shows of that type. The winning babe gets $250,000 and a one year WWE contract. Vince opened a briefcase to reveal all the cash and the girls surrounding him all grew very excited, to say the least. From the description, it sounds more like they're looking for pulchritude here rather than wrestling ability. A quarter of a million dollars worth of pulchritude, to be exact.



Todd Grisham was camped outside Lita's locker room. After footage aired showing Lita saying "yes" to Kane last week, Grisham announced his intention to ask Lita what it was that she said "yes" to. Before he could go in the locker room, Matt Hardy arrived. And before Matt could go in, Lita herself arrived. Seems she wasn't even in the locker room. Matt told her he'd been trying to find her all week, but that she wasn't at her house, didn't answer the phone, etc. He said he'd been worried sick over her. Lita said she'd just needed some time to think about things, and that she realized she loved Matt a lot. She gave him a passionate kiss and, well, basically promised to go further. She went into her locker room to get her bags. There was a cameraman conveniently waiting inside. Lita got her bags together but was confronted by Kane, who caressed her hair. Lita told him, "I thought you said it's over." Kane just smirked and agreed that it's over (whatever "it" is), though he said it in a sarcastic manner, which means "it" isn't over. Lita left the room and met up with Matt outside. The two of them headed off together, with Matt being totally clueless about her confrontation with Kane, as Lita never mentioned it to him. The mystery continues, though it was surely implied that Lita spent the last week getting to know Kane rather intimately.



HHH & Batista saw a car pull up. In the dusk, they could see that the driver was a male with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. That was enough for them to assume he was HBK. They dragged the guy out of the car and gave him a beating before realizing the car's occupant was Steven Richards. HHH was frustrated, so much so that he beat Richards up a little more.



Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler reported that Fabulous Moolah & Mae Young will be appearing on the Jay Leno show. Let's just hope they aren't announced as two of the Diva search finalists.



La Resistance defeated Hurricane & Rosey in 4:06. Rosey went wild at first and cleaned house. Hurricane legdropped Rob Conway. Sylvan Grenier caused Hurricane to take a hard bump out. Hurricane came back with an enzuigiri on Conway. Rosey did a series of surprisingly athletic moves, as he was really working hard in there. Hurricane hit a high crossbody on Conway. But when Hurricane missed on the shining wizard, Conway cheap shotted him and he staggered back into a roll-up by Grenier. Short, but all action.



HHH was walking around outside, with Batista apparently patrolling elsewhere. HBK appeared out of nowhere and attacked HHH. They bumped over a car hood, brawling and throwing fists like crazy. A ton of refs and road agents showed up. It took a struggle to finally separate the two rivals.



Chris Jericho hosted the Highlight Reel. He proudly took credit for injuring Christian in their cage match a couple of weeks ago. He said CLB now stands for "crushed lower back". He brought out Orton as his guest. Lawler began gushing about Orton's good looks again. Jericho put Orton over as being the longest reigning IC champ in seven years, and listed HBK, Mick Foley, Sgt. Slaughter, Harley Race, and even Stone Cold Steve Austin as legends put down by Orton. Maybe in rewritten WWE history, Austin's reign as RAW sheriff never occurred and Orton's final pin over Team Austin at Survivor Series counts as Stone Cold's WWE swan song. Anyway, Jericho demanded to know why Orton, a man who brags of being a legend killer, has refused Shelton Benjamin's IC Title challenge. He wanted to know if Orton is afraid of Benjamin. Orton smirked that he isn't scared, and that Benjamin simply isn't worthy of a title shot. Jericho started to respond, but Orton tried to talk over him. Jericho grabbed his mic back and said he's the host, and called Orton an "ass clown" for trying to cut him off. Jericho then reminded Orton that Benjamin beat HHH twice. They kept arguing until finally Orton said he might be forced to add the first ever Undisputed WWE World Champion (i.e., Jericho) to the list of legends he's destroyed. He slapped Jericho in the face. Jericho came back with an enzuigiri. Batista ran in to help Orton, but Benjamin arrived to even the odds. Orton & Batista were retreating up the ramp when Bischoff arrived. He said he had enough on his hands trying to control HHH and HBK without having to worry about other brawls breaking out. So he ordered the four to settle their problems in an official match, to start as soon as the Highlight Reel set could be dismantled, which meant after a commercial break.



Jericho & Benjamin defeated Orton & Batista in 16:25. Jericho dominated Orton with standard moves. Benjamin tagged in, prompting Orton to immediately tag out. Benjamin put some wrestling moves on Batista, but Batista overpowered him and beat him down. With Benjamin down, Orton suddenly wanted to tag in. He put the boots to Benjamin. Benjamin managed to surprise Orton with a neckbreaker. Jericho tagged in and hit Orton with some shoulderblocks. He also hit a springboard dropkick on Batista. Orton evaded a lionsault from Jericho, but Y2J still managed to hook the walls on Orton. Batista made the save. Jericho hit a springboard plancha on both foes as the show headed into another commercial break. The live action returned as they started hour two. During the break, Trish Stratus had come out, distracting Jericho and causing him to get beaten down by Batista. Trish went over the the broadcast desk to presumably do color commentary, but she was pretty bad at it. Too bad they don't have verbal implants. Orton tagged in and worked Jericho over. Lawler noted that the fans weren't chanting "Randy sucks", just moments before they started chanting that. Jericho did the babyface comeback, dropkicking Batista and laying Orton out. Benjamin caught Batista with a flying shoulderblock and a spin kick. Jericho dropkicked Batista back into a sunset flip from Benjamin for a near fall. Batista scored two on Benjamin with a spinebuster. They all traded some fast near falls and saves. The finish saw Jericho block the RKO, allowing Benjamin to powerslam Orton and score the pin. This wasn't Evolution's night. Good match with hot near falls at the end. Afterward, Trish distracted Jericho as he was leaving up the ramp. Tyson Tomko attacked Jericho, beating him up and powerbombing him through the broadcast desk.



After the break, they replayed Tomko putting Jericho through the desk. Jericho did a full neck brace and stretcher job, and was later reported to have been hospitalized. A decent angle to put Tomko over as a monster.



Kane came out to the ring. He said he envies Chris Benoit for being the World Champion and also for being able to lead a normal life. He said his world is one of shadows and darkness and that he lives in nightmares. Maybe he didn't get Lita to put out after all. He concluded the brief promo by promising to win the World Title at Bad Blood, saying he always gets what he wants. Okay, maybe he did get Lita to be horizontally accessible (to steal a phrase from JR).



HBK was in Bischoff's office. He wanted to know if Bischoff had approved the match he requested for Bad Blood. Bischoff said yes, but HBK was adamant, demanding to know if it was the exact match he asked for. Bischoff again said yes. HHH then charged through the door and attacked HBK, knocking Bischoff down as well. They once again brawled all over, pretty much destroying Bischoff's office before being subdued by a full herd of refs and agents. Bischoff was furious.



Victoria defeated Molly Holly in a non-title match in 4:20. Victoria came out to new music and danced to it on the ramp top. Molly, wearing a brunette wig this week, was accompanied by Gail Kim. Victoria started off strong. Gail caused her to bump out, with Molly then ramming Victoria into the security barrier. Molly scored twos after a suplex and a roll-up. Victoria fought back, but Gail's distractions put Molly back in command. In the end, Victoria won with the widow's peak. Gail attacked Victoria afterward, but Victoria gave her the widow's peak as well. Standard women's match.



Smackdown Rebound focused on the continuing Eddie Guerrero saga.



Bischoff was still fuming in his trashed office. He told Johnny Nitro that he doesn't give a damn if HHH and HBK destroy one another, but that they showed no respect for his authority when they busted his office up. He said a mass force is needed to control those two, and sent Nitro out to recruit just such a force.



Nitro managed to gather a good portion of the RAW roster together, including World Champion Benoit. Damn, Nitro must actually have a brain, or something close to it. Bischoff lectured them, telling them RAW is their show. You know Bischoff needs help when he tells the wrestlers that RAW belongs to them. He encouraged them to protect their show by stopping HHH and HBK. As an added incentive, Bischoff vowed to fire them all if they didn't get the two troublemakers under control. Yeah, I can just picture Bischoff firing like 18 guys, including some top stars and the reigning World Champ.



Highlights aired of Rock's appearance last week where he put Eugene over. Since this was Rock, this segment lasted longer than most repeats.



Grisham tried to interview Eugene, who was scheduled to be in a tag match with William Regal as his partner. Grisham told Eugene his encounter with Jonathan Coachman last week could have been a disaster but, thanks to Rock, it turned into a classic RAW moment. Eugene just kept running around, stopping just long enough to do Rock's "if you smell" catch phrase. Regal spoke up, indicating he was happy to be tagging with Eugene. But Nitro arrived to rain on the parade. He informed Regal that he wasn't cleared to wrestle. Regal said Eugene can't be expected to go out there alone against two opponents, who in this case were Garrison Cade & Coach. Make that one-and-a-half opponents. Nitro said Eugene had three minutes to find a substitute partner or he'd have to fight in a handicap match. Obviously, Bischoff set this match up with the intention of pulling Regal out at the last second. Eugene was scared, but Regal did his best to encourage him to stand tall like a real man. Regal has clearly become a Eugene ally.



Eugene & Chris Benoit defeated Cade & Coach in 4:43. Eugene came to the ring alone, looking terrified. Cade & Coach smirked. But they stopped smirking when Benoit came out, volunteering to be Eugene's partner. Eugene was delighted, and began running around the ring with Benoit's two title belts. Coach tripped him, but he got back up and outmaneuvered both Coach & Cade. Benoit tagged in and chopped Cade. Cade somehow managed to beat Benoit down, which prompted Coach to suddenly decide to tag in. Naturally, Benoit revived and chopped the hell out of Coach. Cade came back in, but Eugene gave him the airplane spin and slammed him. Benoit gave Coach the three German suplex routine and then hurled Cade out to the floor. Benoit gave Coach the diving headbutt. The crowd chanted for Eugene, who also gave Coach a diving headbutt (though he almost fell off the ropes and had to be held in place by Benoit) before scoring the pin. Good stuff!



HHH was in the Evolution locker room, still fuming about HBK. And he ended up fuming even more, as HBK charged in and attacked him, triggering yet another pull-apart brawl with all the refs and agents separating them.



HHH went down to the ring. He grabbed a mic and demanded that HBK come out so they could settle things once and for all. HBK immediately charged in and the brawl was on. Naturally, Flair ran in to help HHH, but HBK flattened him with the sweet chin music. So in came Orton & Batista, followed by Benoit & Edge. Those four ended up brawling out on the floor as HHH and HBK continued fighting in the ring. Flair was still down. Bischoff came out on the ramp top and began sending wrestlers in to break things up. Basically, it was most of the lower and mid-card guys, like Rhyno. Try as they might, they couldn't separate the two enemies. Bischoff kept sending more wrestlers in. HHH ended up being dragged out on the floor, where HBK hit him with a plancha. Finally, some refs ran in and HBK and HHH were finally pulled apart. This all just lasted a couple of minutes but it was heated, for sure. Bischoff was enraged at all the brawls that had disrupted his show. He announced that HHH and HBK would have to fight one another at Bad Blood in the Hell in the Cell, which was exactly the match HBK had earlier demanded. HBK smiled, but HHH didn't seem to like this very much. And I might add that reader Rob Wingrove was right in his prediction of this match! The show left the air with HHH and HBK both breaking free and fighting again, as all the guys desperately tried to break them back up.



RHETORICAL QUESTIONS:



Why did the refs seem to have more success pulling HHH and HBK apart than the much larger wrestlers did?



Doesn't this Diva search set up some potential clothes-ripping catfights?



Wasn't it amazing how suddenly that large group of refs & agents materialized when HHH and HBK first fought outside?



Why didn't Bischoff just have security eject both HHH and HBK from the arena?



How were Flair & Orton & Batista supposed to stop HBK from running in last week when they had already been eliminated from the battle royal?



If the Jericho & Benjamin vs. Orton & Batista match was scheduled by Bischoff right there on the spot, what was the planned event for the start of the second hour?



2005 - Former Major League Wresting owner and promoter Court Bauer signed on to the creative team for World Wrestling Entertainment. Court Bauer was working on the Smackdown side of the writing team when he initially signed with the company. Bauer ran and booked MLW from June 2002 until February 2004, with TV running regularly on The Sunshine Network and a crew featuring Terry Funk, Sabu, Steve Corino, CW Anderson, Steve Williams, Satoshi Kojima, Masato Tanaka, Teddy Hart and others.



2005 - WWE ran Milwaukee, WI at the Bradley Center for a Smackdown taping with the following results:



Dark:

Scotty 2 Hotty pinned CM Punk with the Worm



Velocity:
-Doug & Danny Basham defeated Sho Funaki & Nunzio at 4:54.

-Booker T (with Sharmell) pinned Quinson Valentino with the scissors kick at 2:12.

-Billy Kidman pinned Nunzio.

-WWE U.S. Champion Orlando Jordan pinned Mark Jindrak with the Flatliner at 6:15.



Smackdown:

-Hardcore Holly & Charlie Haas defeated WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions MNM via disqualification at 12:11 when Nitro hit Holly over the head with a steel chair to prevent the pinfall after Holly hit the Alabama Slam on Mercury.

-The Big Show pinned Carlito Caribbean Cool with the chokeslam at 3:24.

-Kurt Angle Invitational: Kurt Angle defeated Robert ? via submission with the ankle lock at 1:17 after hitting the Olympic Slam. Angle announced he was bringing a team of volunteers to ECW One Night Stand to stop the PPV.

-Kurt Angle won a 22-man battle royal at 26:05 by last eliminating Rey Mysterio Jr. with the Olympic Slam after landing a low blow as Mysterio attempted a springboard into the ring. Due to pre-match stipulations, ngle earned the right to wrestle anyone on the roster the following week; after the bout, Angle said he wanted a match with Booker T's wife Sharmell,



2007 - The Condemned, WWE Film's heavily-hyped movie starring Steve Austin, ended it's major release run in North America after four weekends, the shortest run of any WWE Films project. See No Evil, starring Kane, ran for seven weekends in theatres, while The Marine starring John Cena ran for 12 weekends. At the time of it being pulled from North American theatres (except some secondary markets), the film had grossed $7,364,342 domestically, and $121,316 in foreign markets for a total of $7,485,658. In the end, the film would pull in $7,371,706 in North America, and $1,015,149 in foreign markets for a total of $8,386,855, a major disappointment.



2007 - Vince McMahon was awarded an honorary doctorate by Sacred Heart University today at this link. McMahon told The Greenwich Post, "It is a privilege to receive this recognition from such a distinguished institution and, like most people who receive honorary degrees, I certainly don't feel worthy. Nonetheless, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to speak to a graduating class, entertain them with some of my life experiences and leave them with one message: don't be afraid of failure."



2008 - Former ECW champ Bobby Lashley made his first appearance inside a wrestling ring since being granted his release from World Wrestling Entertainment for Booker T's PWA in Pasadena, Texas. Lashley, who had publicly spoken of a future in MMA but not ruled out doing professional wrestling, defeated Jared Steele. Lashley was said to have worked hard, working a physical style, as opposed to a "safer" one.



2008 - In what turned out to be an extremely embarrassing situation for the Hogan family, TMZ.com posted audio of a conversation between Hulk and Nick Hogan (who was currently incarcerated) where Nick claims that the victim in his August 2007 car crash John Graziano, was a "negative person" in response to Hulk saying that God laid some "heavy s**t"on him because of things that he was "into". The conversation also features Nick talking about being anxious to start a reality series which would follow him as he exits prison. Hogan tells him that if he wants to make the most money, Nick needs to do the series with Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey. The outrage over the conversation being made public led to Hogan trying to explain the context of the conversation on a number of talk shows.