On this day in pro wrestling history (July 16): Dusty Rhodes vs. Ernie Ladd, Reed vs. JYD, Bash in Huntington Beach
By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com
1933 – In Waterloo, Iowa; Homer (Bearcat) Wright beat Sid Nabors
1937 – In Kansas City; Lou Thesz drew George Zaharias and Jim Henry beat Gene Bowman.
1964 – In Kansas City, Kansas; The Lawman defeated Bulldog Plechas, Bob Geigel defeated Rocky Hamilton and Pat O’Connor defeated Otto Von Krupp in three falls
1966 – In Milwaukee, Wisconsin; AWA Champion Mad Dog Vachon beat Dick The Bruiser dq, The Crusher beat The Alaskan, Wilbur Snyder & Doug Gilbert beat Moose Cholak & Chris Markoff and Ernie Ladd beat Johnny Kace
1975 – In Davenport, Iowa at John O’Donnell Stadium; AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Nick Bockwinkel, Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell & Billy Robinson beat Mitsu Arakawa & Kim Duk & Buddy Wolff, Baron Von Raschke beat Larry Hennig dq and Bull Bullinski beat Paul Perschmann
1976 – In Denver, Colorado; In a Lumberjack match, Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke beat Larry Hennig & Jos Leduc, Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum, Peter Maivia beat Frank Hill and in a Judo Jacket Match, Peter Maivia beat Kim Duk.
1977 – Ernie Ladd beat Dusty Rhodes to win the Florida heavyweight title in Tallahassee, Florida.
1978 – In Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Superstar Billy Graham beat WWWF Champion Bob Backlund by countout, AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Angelo Mosca, AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens by countout and Super Destroyer & Lord Alfred Hayes drew Billy Red Lyons & Dewey Robertson.
1981 – In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel went to a 60 minute draw with Jim Brunzell, Jerry Blackwell & Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura beat the Crusher & Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke, Sheik Adnan beat Tito Santana by countout, Greg Gagne beat Puppy Dog Peloquin and Brad Rheingans beat Laurent Soucie. Attendance was 5,292
1982 – In Calgary, Alberta, Canada; In a Non-title match, David Shults beat AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel, In a Non-Title match, Great Gama beat Mid Heavyweight Champion Davey Boy Smith, Danny Davis & Ken Wayne beat Bruce Hart & Keith Hart by dq and Bad News Allen beat Duke Kono
1983 – Butch Reed defeated Junkyard Dog for the Mid South North American Heavyweight Title in New Orleans, Louisiana; in San Francisco, CA; AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Wahoo McDaniel by dq, Mad Dog Vachon beat Jerry Blackwell by dq and Jim Brunzell & Greg Gagne & Rick Martel beat Ken Patera & Bobby Heenan & Jerry Blackwell
1994 – Sid Vicious defeated Jerry Lawler by forfeit for the USWA Unified Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee
1995 – At the Bash at the Beach PPV in Huntington Beach, California; WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Big Van Vader in a steel cage match, WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat defeated The Nasty Boys and Bobby Eaton & Steven Regal in a Triangle match, Randy Savage defeated Ric Flair in a Lifeguard Lumberjack match and United States Champion Sting defeated Meng.