On this day in pro wrestling history: Stecher wins world title, Lawler vs. Owen Hart for unified title, Santo vs. Sasuke, Steiners vs. Gordy & Doc

By Brian Hoops

> 1915 – Joe Stecher defeated Charlie Cutler for the World Heavyweight
> Title in Omaha, Nebraska.
>
> 1940 – In Des Moines, Iowa; World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown beat Karol Zbyszko
>
> 1956 – Kay Bell defeated Buddy Rogers to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight
> Title in Houston, Texas
>
> 1962 – Buddy Rogers and Johnny Barend defeated Johnny Valentine and Bob
> Ellis for the Northeast version of the NWA United States Tag Team Title
> (which would soon become the WWWF United States Tag Team Title) in
> Washington, DC.
>
> 1962 – Hans Schmidt defeated Pat O’Connor in Greensboro, North Carolina
> to win the NWA United States Heavyweight Title.
>
> 1968 – Ramon and Alberto Torres defeated El Mongol and Tarzan Tyler in a
> one-night tournament final in Atlanta, Georgia to become the first NWA
> Georgia Tag Team Champions.
>
> 1969 – In Chicago; AWA Tag Team Champions Dick the Bruiser & the Crusher no contest Chain Gang Frank Dillinger & Jack Dillinger,
> Bill Watts beat Larry Hennig and Wilbur Snyder beat Angelo Poffo
>
> 1969 – Johnny Walker and Bearcat Brown defeated The Great Mephisto and
> Dante to become NWA World Tag Team Champions (Mid-America version) in
> Chattanooga, Tennessee
>
> 1971 – Steven Little Bear and Dean Higuchi defeated The Skull Brothers
> in Vancouver, British Columbia, to win the Vancouver version of the NWA
> Canadian Tag Team Title
>
> 1971 – At John O’Donnell Stadium in Davenport, Iowa; AWA Tag Team Champions Red Bastien & Hercules Cortez beat Larry Hennig & Lars Anderson, Bull Bullinski beat Joe Turco and Billy Robinson beat Big K
>
> 1972 – Hiro Matsuda and Tim Woods defeated The Zodiac (Bob Orton) and
> Taurus (Dennis Hall) for the NWA Florida Tag Team Title in Miami, Florida.
>
> 1973 – In Kansas City, Kansas; In an Elimination Match: Togo the Great & Tokyo Joe & Jim Dalton & Percy Pringle (Paul Bearer) vs. Jim Brunzell & Steve Bolus & Rufus R. Jones & Mike George, Roger Kirby & Lord Alfred Hayes vs. Danny Little Bear & Hillbilly Vic
> and Bob Brown vs. Bob Geigel.
>
> 1973 – In Winnipeg before 4,832 fans; The Crusher & Wahoo McDaniel beat AWA Tag Team Champions Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens for the belts (decision later overturned), Superstar Billy Graham beat Billy Robinson dq and Larry Heiniemi beat Ken Patera
>
> 1974 – Buddy Colt defeated Mr. Wrestling II to win the NWA Georgia
> Heavyweight Title in Atlanta, Georgia,
>
> 1975 – The Sheik defeated Bobo Brazil in Detroit, Michigan for the
> Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title
>
> 1982 – Kevin and Kerry Von Erich defeated King Kong Bundy and Bugsy
> McGraw to win the World Class American Tag Team Title in Fort Worth, Texas.
>
> 1982 – Stan Lane and Ron Bass defeated The Midnight Express (Dennis
> Condrey and Norvell Austin) for the AWA Southern Tag Team Title in
> Memphis, Tennessee
>
> 1985 – Iceman Parsons defeated Chris Adams for the World Class American
> Heavyweight Title in Dallas, Texas
>
> 1985 – Scott Armstrong defeated Bill Ash to win the Southeast version of
> the NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title in Montgomery, Alabama
>
> 1985 – Al Madril and Chavo Guerrero defeated American Force (Paul
> Diamond and Nick Kiniski) for the Texas All-Star Wrestling Texas Tag
> Team Title in San Antonio, Texas.
>
> 1992 – At the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia; Brad Armstrong pinned Scotty
> Flamingo  (Raven) to win the WCW Light Heavyweight Title. Also, Terry
> Gordy and Steve Williams defeated The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott)
> to win the WCW World Tag Team Title
>
> 1992 – Canek defeated Dos Caras for the UWA World Heavyweight Title in
> Naucalpan, Mexico
>
> 1993 – Jerry Lawler defeated Owen Hart to win the USWA Unified World
> Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee. Also, CW Bergstrom & Melvin
> Penrod Jr. defeated USWA Tag Team Champions New Jack & Home Boy to win
> the titles.
>
> 1994 – Chris Candido defeated Scott Studd to win the vacant SMW
> Television Title in Warrensville, North Carolina.
>
> 1996 – Mexico National Middleweight Champion El Hijo del Santo defeated
> The Great Sasuke to win CMLL’s annual Gran Prix Tournament in Mexico
> City, Mexico.
>
> 1998 – Magnum Tokyo defeated El Hijo del Gladiador in Naucalpan, Mexico,
> to win the IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Title.
>
> 2000 – Val Venis defeated Rikishi at a SmackDown! taping in Fort
> Lauderdale, Florida to win the WWF Intercontinental Title