On this day in pro wrestling history: Hogan twice doesn’t win AWA title, Backlund vs. Graham cage match

by Brian Hoops

1967 – John & Chris Tolos defeated Don Leo Jonathan & Rocky Johnson to
win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Title.

1969 – At Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas; Dick Murdoch defeated the
Viking in a 2 out of 3 falls match.

1978 – WWWF ran at Madison Square Garden in New York City, on the card
WWWF World Champion Bob Backlund defeated Superstar Graham in a steel
cage match and WWWF Tag Team Champions Dino Bravo & Dominic DeNucci
defeated Stan Stasiak & Johnny Rodz.

1982 – AWA President Stanley Blackburn announced that a April 18 Hulk
Hogan AWA World title win over Nick Bockwinkel in St. Paul, Minnesota
would be removed from the record books.

1983 – At the AWA Super Sunday event in St. Paul, Minnesota; AWA World
Champion Nick Bockwinkel defeated
Hulk Hogan by DQ and Verne Gagne & Mad Dog Vachon beat Jerry Blackwell &
Sheik Adnan.

1985 – In a double main event in Winnipeg, AWA World Champion Rick
Martel defeated Mr. Saito and
in a steel cage match; Greg Gagne, Jim Brunzell and Jerry Blackwell defeated
The Road Warriors and Paul Ellering.

1989 – Big Van Vader defeated Shinya Hashimoto to win the IWGP Title
tournament with Lou Thesz as the special referee at the Tokyo Dome.
Also, Shota Chochyashvili defeated Antonio Inoki to win the New Japan
Martial Arts Title.  This was the first pro wrestling show ever at the Tokyo Dome.

1994 – At a WCW television taping at Center Stage Theatre in
Atlanta, Georgia, Ric Flair defeated Ricky Steamboat to win back the WCW
World Title, which had been held up since the Spring Stampede Pay-per-view.

2001 – Steve Corino defeated Mike Rapada to win the NWA title.

2004 – Colt Cabana & CM Punk defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe to win the Ring
Of Honor Tag Team Title in Chicago, Illinois.