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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: RAW SAYS GOODBYE TO USA, HARDY VS. EDGE IN A CAGE, THE PUBLIC ENEMY DEBUT IN ECW, CACTUS JACK'S LAST WCW MATCH AND MORE

By Buck Woodward on 2008-09-18 08:00:00
September 18th

On this day in history in ...

1950 - The Green Hornet defeats Danny Dusek in Tampa, Florida for the Southern Heavyweight Title, ending Dusek's second reign.

1956 - Gene Kelly (Kiniski) & Len Crosby defeat Ray Gunkel & Herb Freeman in Dallas, Texas for the NWA Texas Tag Team Title.

1956 - The Fabulous Moolah won a tournament in Baltimore, Maryland by defeating Judy Grable in the finals. As a result, when June Byers retired, Moolah was awarded the Women's World Title.

1961 - Dick Hutton & Sam Steamboat win a tournament for the NWA Texas Tag Team Title in Fort Worth, Texas. The belts had been vacated by champions Angelo Poffo & Bronco Lubich the month before.

1972 - Masked Lee & Sylvia Hackney defeat Jumbo Miyamoto & Aiko Kyo for the WWWA World Tag Teal Title in Muroran, Japan. Lee would have a career total of 12 reigns with the tag straps with various partners. For Miyamoto & Kyo, this was the end of the third of their six reigns with the belts (Miyamoto would hold the belts with other partners as well).

1980 - Andre The Giant defeats Hulk Hogan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1982 - WWF World Champion Bob Backlund pins Jimmy Snuka at the Philadelphia Spectrum in Pennsylvania.  After the match, Backlund offered his hand to Snuka, and shockingly, Snuka shook it.  This was the beginning of Snuka's babyface turn which would result in him feuding with former manager Captain Lou Albano. 

1990 - At a WWF television taping in Toledo, Ohio, during an edition of The Brother Love Show, Rick Martel sprayed Jake Roberts with "Arrogance" cologne, blinding Roberts for several weeks and eventually setting up the Wrestlemania VII "blindfold" match between the two.  Also at the taping, the October 13th edition of Saturday Night's Main Event was taped, featuring the following matches: 
- The Ultimate Warrior & The Legion Of Doom defeated Demolition.
- Randy Savage defeated
Dusty Rhodes via countout.
- Hulk Hogan & Tugboat defeated Greg Valentine & Honky Tonk Man via DQ. 
- Sgt. Slaughter defeated Koko B. Ware.
- Intercontinental Champion Kerry Von Erich defeated Haku.

1993 - Mima Shimoda defeated Bat Yoshinaga in a tournament final to win the All Japan Singles Title in Omiya, Japan. The belt had been vacated when a leg injury forced champion Debbie Malenko to retire.

1993 - ECW held their "UltraClash" card in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the ECW Arena. Here are the results:
- In their ECW debut, Public Enemy (Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge) defeated Jason Knight & Ian Rotten when Rock pinned Ian.
- Pennsylvania State Champion Tony Stetson defeated Tommy Cairo.
- Super Destroyer #1 defeated Super Destroyer #2 in a mask vs. mask match.
- The Dark Patriot defeated JT Smith in a Scaffold match.
- Terry Funk & Stan Hansen defeated
Kevin Sullivan & Abdullah the Butcher via DQ in a Bunkhouse match when Eddie Gilbert interfered.
- Tigra won a battle royal that included Don E. Allen, Angel, manager Hunter Q. Robbins III, Sherri Martel and television announcer Jay Sulli.
- Sal Bellomo defeated Richard Michaels in a strap match.
- ECW Champion Shane Douglas defeated The Sandman.
- The Headhunters defeated Miguel Perez Jr. & Crash The Terminator in a baseball bat match.

1994 - WCW held their Fall Brawl Pay-per-view event in Roanoke, Virginia. Here are the results:
- In a dark match, Brad & Brian Armstrong defeated Steve Keirn & Bobby Eaton.
- Johnny B. Badd defeated Steven Regal to win the WCW Television Title.
- Kevin Sullivan defeated Cactus Jack in a Loser Leaves WCW match. This would be the end of Cactus Jack's career in WCW.
- Due to injury (the back injury that resulted in his retirement), Ricky Steamboat was forced to forfeit the U.S. Heavyweight Title. It was awarded to his scheduled opponent for the evening, Steve Austin. However, Hacksaw Jim Duggan came out, challenged Austin, and won the U.S. Title in less than a minute.
- NWA World Tag Team Champions Paul Roma &
Paul Orndorff defeated The Patriot & Marcus Bagwell.
- Vader defeated Sting and The Guardian Angel (Big Bossman) in an elimination match. Vader eliminated Angel at the seven minute mark, then the match went on for another twenty minutes before Vader pinned Sting.
- Dusty Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes & The Nasty Boys defeated Terry Funk, Arn Anderson, Bunkhouse Buck & Robert Parker in a War Games match.

1995 - The Monday Night Wars continued, with WWF's Raw earning a 2.7 rating for a show featuring The 1-2-3 Kid defeating Razor Ramon, Kama & Tatanka defeating Bob Holly & Savio Vega, and Yokozuna & Owen Hart defeating Men On A Mission. Nitro, meanwhile, did a 1.9 rating for a show featuring The American Males defeating Harlem Heat for the WCW World Tag Team Title, Paul Orndorff defeating Johnny B. Badd and Ric Flair defeating Brian Pillman.

1997 - Salvatore Sincere defeats Tracey Smothers in Louisville, Kentucky to win the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title.

1999 - Wifebeater defeated Nick Gage to win the CZW World Heavyweight Title in Mantua, New Jersey, starting the first of his three title reigns.

1999 - Vic Grimes defeated Steve Bradley in Memphis, Tennessee to win the Memphis Power Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Title.

2000 - The final edition of Raw on USA Network (until 2005) took place at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, headlined by The Undertaker defeating WWF World Champion The Rock in a non-title match. The show would earn a 5.7 rating. 

2002 - At the weekly NWA:TNA Pay-per-view event in Nashville, Tennessee, America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) won a Tag Team Gauntlet Battle Royal to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. When the match came down to the last two teams, AMW and Brian Lee & Ron Harris, it became a regular tag team match, which AMW won when Chris Harris pinned Lee.

2005 - WWE held their Unforgiven Pay-per-view in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, highlighted by Ric Flair defeating Carlito for the Intercontinental Title, a steel cage match between Matt Hardy and Edge, and a main event of John Cena vs. Kurt Angle.  For the original PPV coverage of that event, check out Page 2!


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