On this day in pro wrestling history (August 13): Bob Backlund vs. Superstar Graham cage match, Ricky Steamboat vs Paul Orndorff, AJ Styles vs. RVD
By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com
1944 – Lou Thesz defeated Ernie Dusek to win the Texas Heavyweight Champion in Houston, Texas.
1949 – Dave Levin defeated George Bollas in Toledo, Ohio for the Jack Pfeffer-promoted World Heavyweight Title
1951 – Frenchy Roy defeated Dale Haddock in Oregon to win the Pacific Coast Junior Heavyweight Title.
1960 – Ilio DiPaolo and Whipper Billy Watson defeated Doc and Mike Gallagher in Toronto, Ontario to win the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Title
1970 – Bill Dromo and Alberto Torres defeated Buddy Colt and Karl Von Stroheim in Macon, Georgia for the NWA Macon Tag Team Title; In Kansas City; in an Elimination Match; The Viking & Steve Bolus & Dale Mann defeated Roger Kirby & Boris Kosloff & Oki Shikina and Danny Little Bear & Rufus R. Jones defeated Baron Von Raschke & Harley Race via DQ in three falls
1971 – Rip Tyler defeated Ken Lucas in the finals of a 17-man tag team match in Mobile, Alabama to win the vacant City of Mobile Heavyweight Title.
1973 – In Davenport, Iowa at John O’Donnell Stadium; AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Nick Bockwinkel, Superstar Billy Graham & Ivan Koloff beat Wahoo McDaniel & Billy Red Cloud, Billy Robinson beat Ray Stevens, Reggie Parks drew Geoff Portz and Greg Gagne beat Vic Rossitani
1976 – Dick Slater defeated the Spoiler in Atlanta, Georgia to win the Georgia Heavyweight Title.
1977 – In Omaha, Nebraska; AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel went to a time limit, 60 minute draw with Billy Robinson, Greg Gagne beat Bobby Heenan, The Crusher ddq Super Destroyer, Angelo Mosca beat Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund drew Roger Kirby. Attendance 5,683
1978 – In Toronto, Ontario, Canada at Maple Leaf Gardens; in a Cage match; WWWF Champion Bob Backlund beat Superstar Billy Graham, AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens by countout, Gorilla Monsoon beat Dominic Denucci, Waldo Von Erich beat Steve Bolus, Super Destroyer beat Verne Gagne, The Wildman drew Nick DeCarlo and Billy Red Lyons & Dewey Robertson beat Mad Dog Vachon & Chris Tolos by dq; Mil Máscaras defeated The Destroyer in Kagoshima, Japan to win the AJPW PWF United States Heavyweight Title; The Mongolian Stomper defeated Robert Fuller to win the NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Title in Knoxville, Tennessee
1981 – In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura, Brad Rheingans beat Jerry Blackwell, Sheik Adnan beat Tito Santana, Billy Robinson beat Ray Stevens, Handicap Match, Hulk Hogan beat Dave Muir & Dave Kochen & Fred Peloquin and Evan Johnson drew Ed Boulder. Attendance was 3,700
1982 – Mike Sharpe defeated Killer Khan for the Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Title in Shreveport, Louisiana
1984 – Tom Prichard and Brett Sawyer won the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title in Portland, Oregon, by defeating Mr. Ebony (Tom Jones) and Mike Miller.
1988 – Leo Burke defeated Rip Rogers for the Grand Prix Wrestling International Heavyweight Title in Halifax, Nova Scotia
1989 – Sumo Hara (Tatsumi Kitahara) and Benkei (Kensuke) Sasaki defeatedBob and Kerry Brown for the Stampede International Tag Team Title in Calgary, Alberta; Eric Embry defeated P.Y. Chu-Hi in Dallas, Texas to win the USWA Texas Heavyweight Title.
1993 – Arn Anderson and Paul Roma defeated NWA and WCW World Tag Team Champions Steve Austin and Lord Steven Regal (subbing for the injured Brian Pillman), with Sir William (Bill Dundee) to win the titles in Daytona Beach,
Florida. Also, Ricky Steamboat pinned WCW World Television Champion Paul Orndorff to win the title and Big Van Vader pinned Davey Boy Smith to retain the WCW World Title.
1994 – Super Vader defeated Nobuhiko Takada by knockout in the finals of the Best of the World Tournament in Tokyo, Japan to win the UWFI Heavyweight Title.
1998 – The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) defeat Jimmy Cicero and Julio Sanchez in a tournament final in Baltimore, Maryland to become the first Maryland Championship Wrestling Tag Team Champions.
2011 – Mexican America defeated Beer Money to win the TNA World Tag Team Title, and AJ Styles defeated Rob Van Dam by dq during an edition of Impact in Orlando, FL