On this day in pro wrestling history (August 23): HHH downs Mankind to win WWF title, CM Punk wins WWE World title in TLC match
By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com
1929 – Dick Shikat defeated Jim Londos in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to win the National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title.
1941 – Frank Sexton defeated Bill Longson for the Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title in San Francisco, California
1944 – Yvon Robért defeated Frank Sexton to win the Montreal Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Title in Montreal, Quebec; Sandor Szabo defeated Dean Detton for the Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title
1955 – Minneapolis, Minneapolis at the City Auditorium; Bronko Nagurski & Ilio DiPaolo beat Ike Eakins & Kinji Shibuya by dq, Adrian Baillargeon beat Johnny Moochy, Johnny Kostas beat Stan Kowalski and Red Bastien drew Oni Wiki Wiki. Attendance was 5,087.
1956 – Don McIntyre & Red McIntyre defeated Eddie Gossett (Eddie Graham) & Art Nelson to win the Georgia Tag Team Title in Augusta, Georgia.
1958 – Gene Dubuque and Mike Valentino defeated Ramon Torres and Dick Warren for the San Francisco NWA World Tag Team Title in Sacramento, California
1961 – Whipper Billy Watson defeated Gene Kiniski in Vancouver, British Columbia to win the Vancouver NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship; Dick Dunn defeated Dr. Jerry Graham for the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title in Mobile, Alabama.
1963 – Bearcat Wright defeated Fred Blassie by countout in Los Angeles, California to win the World Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Title.
1968 – In a match for the Georgia Heavyweight Title, The Professional (Doug Gilbert) defeated Tarzan Tyler to win the title in Atlanta, Georgia.
1972 – In Winter Haven, Florida; Eddie Graham & Mike Graham beat Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens, Bob Orton Sr drew Hiro Matsuda, Mike George beat Taurus and George McCreary beat Bob Orton Jr (sub Dick Slater).
1973 – Ken Lucas defeated Rocket Monroe for the NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Title in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; In Kansas City; Jim Brunzell vs. Bob Orton, Tokyo Joe vs. Hillbilly Vic, Togo the Great vs. Jay French, Lord Alfred Hayes & Roger Kirby vs. Bob Ellis & Danny Little Bear and Bob Brown vs. Man Mountain Mike
1974 – In a No Disqualification match for the Georgia Heavyweight Title versus the Mask of Mr. Wrestling #2, Mr. Wrestling #2 defeated Buddy Colt to win the title in Atlanta, Georgia.
1975 – The Invaders defeated Moondog Mayne and Pat Patterson for the San Francisco NWA World Tag Team Title in San Francisco, California
1977 – The Medics won the Tri-State NWA United States Tag Team Title in Shreveport, Louisiana by defeating Porkchop Cash and Mike George; Tampa, Florida at the Fort Hesterly Armory; Jerry Brisco and Steve Keirn defeated Tony Marino and Buddy Roberts, NWA Florida Television Champion Pedro Morales defeated Pat Patterson to retain the title, NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion Dusty Rhodes defeated Buddy Wolff to retain the title, WWWF Heavyweight Champion Superstar Billy Graham defeated Rocky Johnson to retain the title and Don Muraco defeated NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff by disqualification to retain the title.
1978 – Honolulu, Hawaii at Blaisdell Center Arena; In a non title match; Andre The Giant beat AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel, Hawaiian Title Match Don Muraco drew Tor Kamata, Mike Cunningham & John Tolos & Steve Strong beat Mr. Fuji & Prof Tanaka & Karl Von Steiger, Mr. Fuji beat Missing Link Pampero Firpo, Reno Tuufuli ddq John Studd and Bill Francis beat Randy Morse
1979 – Baron Von Raschke and Paul Jones defeated Blackjack Mulligan and Ric Flair to win the NWA World Tag Team Title.
1980 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dino Bravo no contest Nick Bockwinkel, AWA Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura beat Mad Dog Vachon & Angelo Mosca dq, In a Weasel Suit match, Greg Gagne beat Bobby Heenan, In a Handicap Match, John Studd beat Kenny Jay & Juan Valez and Tito Santana beat Chris Markoff
1980 – Wahoo McDaniel defeated Tully Blanchard in San Antonio, Texas to win the Southwest Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title
1982 – Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood defeated Don Kernoodle and Jim Nelson to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team title in Toronto, Ontario.
1986 – Dump Matsumoto and Bull Nakano defeated The Crush Gals (Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo) in Kawasaki, Japan to win the WWWA World Tag Team Title. At the same event, Yukari Oomori defeats Devil Masami for the WWWA World Singles Title.
1987 – Marietta, Georgia; Bruiser Brody ddq Abdullah The Butcher, Original Midnight Express Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose beat Wahoo McDaniel & Jerry Blackwell dq, Jon Michael & Steve Lawler won a tag team Battle Royal, in an Elimination Match, Jon Michaels & Mr Wrestling II & Grizzly Boone beat Ken Timbs & Luke Graham & The Nightmare, Mr Olympia beat Tony Anthony dq, Kevin Blackwell beat Nick Busick dq, The Bullet beat Mike Golden, AWA Champion Curt Hennig dcor Jerry Lawler, Mr USA (Jerry Oates under a mask) drew Mighty Igor.
1991 – The Patriot defeated Al Perez to become the first GWF North American Heavyweight Champion in Dallas, Texas.
1993 – Jeff Jarrett defeated USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion The Vampire Warrior (Gangrel) to win the title in Memphis, Tennessee. Also, Miss Texas (Jacqueline) defeated USWA Women’s Champion Luna Vachon to win the title
1999 – The West Texas Rednecks (Barry and Kendall Windham) defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) to win the title in Las Vegas, Nevada and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan fought Sting to a no-contest to retain the title.
1999 – Triple H pinned WWF Champion Mankind after the Pedgree to win the title in Ames, Iowa.
2009 – At SummerSlam; WWE Champion Randy Orton defeated John Cena to retain the title and CM Punk defeated Jeff Hardy to win the World Title in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match.