May is pretty much here ALREADY? I feel like it was just January! Oh, hello, my name is Andy and this is my chance to educate you on wrestling's storied past. That's right, it's "This Week in Wrestling (History)."

You'll notice I wrote a "People's Column" this week. I felt like I needed to give a helping hand. Check it out.

Check out a young, rookie, just-started website, why don't you? TheWrestlingCritics.com is starting up this week and also will get (a slightly different version of) "This Week in Wrestling." You'll notice a few other [slash] columnists have agreed to write for them as well.

BRAVES UPDATE: We're 13-6 and tied with the 14-7 Mets (UGH) for first in the NL East. For the week ahead, we had the last two games against the Dodgers in Atlanta today and tomorrow. Then, the Braves fly off to the west coast for those games that I absolutely despise because they start at 10:05 p.m. and if I want to watch them, I don't make it to bed until 1 a.m. Anyway, there's three against the Padres and then the first two of three against those Dodgers.

1999 - On THE GREATEST NIGHT IN THE HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING!!!!!!, Sting won his sixth world title by beating DDP on Nitro. DDP won the belt back 90 minutes later in a fourway match also involving Kevin Nash and Greenberg. One that same exciting Nitro, Ron Misterio, Jr., regained the Cruiserweight belt, winning it from Psicosis. Meanwhile on the USA Network, Shane O'Mac fired The Rock from The Corporation.

1998 - The WWf had their "IYH: Unforgiven" PPV L-I-V-E. The big match was Dude Love defeating WWF champ Steve Austin by DQ. Sable (who?) lost one of those evening gown matches she didn't want to participate in to Luna. Also on the card: Ken Shamrock, Steve Blackman, and Faarooq (which would be one awesome team today if you throw in Bradshaw to make it four) d. Rocky Maivia, D'Lo Brown, and Mark Henry (or, if you prefer, "The Nation") ... European champ Hunter Hearst-Helmsley d. Owen Hart ... NWA tag champs The New Midnight Express d. The Rock 'n Roll Express ... World tag champs the New Age Outlaws d. LOD 2000 (WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?) ... The Undertaker d. Kane in the first-ever inferno match.

1995 - Bob "Spark Plugg" Holly won the WWF I-C belt from Jeff Jarrett... or did he? The two had a match that ended controversially somehow in Moline, IN, and the title was held up. Jarrett regained the belt in a rematch later in the evening but probably aired on a totally different show. I want to say that at least of the two matches was on the "Action Zone", but maybe not.

1994 - The Headbangers - Samu and Fatu, at the time - won the WWF World tag team titles from the Quebecers (who had one of the coolest entrance themes in history) in Burlington, Vermont. This was probably televised on something or other, but I again couldn't tell you what. Monday Night Raw? Superstars?

1992 - Johnny Hot Body became the second ECW heavyweight champ in two days - and ever - by winning the belt from Jimmy Snuka in Philly. Yes, the kings of hardcore brought the title in.

1976 - Bruno Sammartino suffered a broken neck at the hands of Stan Hansen at MSG in NYC.

Birthdays - It's Kane's birthday. I don't know if lighting candles is such a good idea, though. I know it's lame... there's just so little jokes I can make here in his case!

1998 - Raw and Nitro were both broadcast live from the Norfolk, VA, area. Raw set what was then an all-time rating high with a 5.7 as DX invaded the Scope and WCW. "Let our people go!"

1997 - Jerry Lawler won his last USWA heavyweight belt - his 27th - from King Reginald in Memphis.

1992 - "Stunning" Steve Austin lost the WCW TV title in a best-of-three-falls match to a future Stalker, Barry Windham, in Atlanta.

1990 - The Great Muta and Masa Chono (of the nWo - but not then) won the IWGP International tag belts from Masa Saito and Shinya Hashimoto in Tokyo.

1987 - Jerry Lawler lost a hair vs hair cage match for the Southern title in Memphis to Auston Idol. Lawler lost his hair (I can't imagine a bald King... and I don't think I want to) and the Mid-South Coliseum crowd nearly rioted.

1984 - Chief Wahoo McDaniel & Mark Youngblood won the NWA World tag titles from Jack & Jerry Brisco in Richmond.

1981 - Harley Race lost the NWA World title to Tommy Rich in Gainesville, GA.

1997 - In Omaha, the late, great Owen Hart won the WWF I-C title from Rocky Maivia. I guess this would've been on Raw since SmackDown! and HeAT weren't 'round yet.

1996 - "WWF In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies" was broadcast live on PPV. The main event saw those good friends turned better enemies get into a brawl, with WWF Champ Shawn Michaels successfully defending his belt in an anything goes match against Diesel in Big D's last WWF PPV match. Mad Dog Vachon's fake leg was ripped off by Diesel, which was probably hilarious in a sick kind of way. Hey, I would've laughed... as long as Mad Dog knew it was going to happen. Big D's pal Razor lost his last WWF PPV match, too, losing to the man they call Vader. Also on the card: Marc Mero d. 1-2-3 Kid ... Owen Hart & British Bulldog d. Ahmed Johnson, his gut, & Jake Roberts ... Ulllllltimate Warrior d. I-C champ Goldust by countout ... World tag champs the Bodydonnas d. The Godwinns. In matches not televised: Savio Vega d. Steve Austin (the odds of that happening today: 1 in 1,000,000,000,000) ... Hunter Hearst-Helmsley d. Marc Mero ... The Undertaker d. Mankind.

1995 - "Classy" Freddie Blassie suffered a heart attack and had to have triple-bypass heart surgery on May 3rd. He made a full recovery. I kinda wish the WWF would have another "Raw Bowl"... that was a pretty cool concept.

1990 - We've gotta love the USWA Law... um, heavyweight belt. This time, Jerry Lawler lost it to Jimmy Valiant.

1980 - Toru Tanaka lost the World Class Texas American belt to Kevin Von Erich.

1999 - UPN airs a special broadcast entitled "WWF SmackDown!" The show, then a one-time only special, brought in a nice 5.8 rating, beating the 8 p.m. programming of ABC (pre-Millionaire, so what was it... "Dharma & Greg" or "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" - which is the funniest show on TV) and The WB.

1996 - Shinya Hashimoto won the IWGP heavyweight belt from Nobuhiko Takada in Tokyo. I would try for some kind of joke, but I know absolutely nothing about either guy. On that same card (I guess), The Great Sasuke won the IWGP junior heavyweight belt in the finals of the J-Crown tournament against Ultimo Dragon.

1994 - Charles Austin, who was a jobber who ended up paralyzed after a failed "Rocker Dropper" in a 1990 match against The Rockers, was awarded $26.7-million in a lawsuit against the WWF.

1991 - Norio Honoga won the vacant IWGP junior heavyweight belt in a tournament final against Jushin Liger in Tokyo.

1985 - Mr. Ego, the orange goblin, whatever you want to call him, Hulk Hogan, appeared on the cover of "Sports Illustrated." The magazine was the year's second best seller, behind the swimsuit issue. So if they put Hogan in a bikini, would that have been the best seller? Hey, "SI", if you wanna sell some magazines... put The Rock on your cover. You'll be selling out all over the country. Just ask "TV Guide."

Birthdays - Former Horseman Paul Roma has one today.

1998 - Chris Benoit won the WCW TV title from Booker T in Augusta, GA. Of course, this was never recognized by WCW on TV.

1983 - Greg "The Hammer" Valentine won the NWA U.S. belt from Roddy Piper.

1977 - Baltimore saw Superstar Graham win the WWF World title from Bruno Sammartino.

1998 - Booker T won the WCW TV title from Chris Benoit in Greensville, SC. Of course, this was never recognized by WCW on TV. Meanwhile over on another continent, Toshiaka Kawada won the All-Japan Triple Crown from Mitsuharu Misawa.

1995 - Say hello to "The King"... Jerry Lawler won the USWA heavyweight belt from Razor Ramon, who was apparently making a stop between WWF stops. This was USWA heavyweight belt number 21 for Lawler.

1981 - Richmond saw the NWA World tag team titles switch hands from Paul Jones & Masked Superstar to Gene & Ole Anderson.

Birthdays - It's Booker's birthday. I'm not sure if he was ever awarded his "T" back.

1999 - The Giant Baba Memorial Show is held in the Tokyo Dome. A match on the card had Mitsuhara Misawa winning his fifth All-Japan Triple Crown from the man they call Vader.

1998 - Chris Benoit won the WCW TV title from Booker T in North Charleston, SC. Of course, this was never recognized by WCW on TV. (Don't worry, the TV belt will continue to play hot potato for two more days next week!)

1996 - Dean Malenko became the first American to win the WCW Cruiserweight belt, winning it from Shinjiro Otani on "Worldwide" (or "Pro"... one of the syndicated shows that nobody watches).

1994 - In something that never should've happened (kinda like Moolah winning the Women's belt from Ivory... didn't that very match pretty much kill off the WWF Women's division AGAIN?), Larry Zbyszko won the WCW TV belt from Lord Steven Regal in a match on "Saturday Night" (I think). Don't worry, Larry came back to battle with Eric Bischoff later and with our luck, he'll be in the ring on Nitro again with the Old Blood anytime now. Right next to Paul Orndorff. And some old woman to counteract the WWF's Moolah and Mae.

1987 - Curt Hennig won the AWA World title from Nick Bockwinkel... didn't he? He did, but he wasn't award the belt until May 13th (that must've sucked) when the "AWA review board" (kinda like the "WCW executive committee" - does anyone know anybody who was on that besides Jo Jo Dillon?) determined through video replay that Larry Zbyszko hadn't interfered. If you ask me, it took HHH five minutes to use video to determine that Earl Hebner made a fast count... what took the AWA review board three weeks?

1982 - Buzz Sawyer won the Georgia National title from Tommy Rich in Atlanta. Something confuses me here... some of the Georgia National title changes happened outside of Georgia... what kind of sense does that make? Kinda like the TV title changing hands off TV or the European title changing hands outside of Europe... oh well.

1969 - Johnny Valentine won the World Class Texas American title from Fritz Von Erich.

Birthdays - It's the People's Birthday today. That's right, it's The Rock's birthday. Poontang pancakes with candles on top... can you smell it?

Way back when I wrote the column involving the history of the original WrestleMania, Max Chittiser checked in with a few corrections. Not all of the title matches involved title changes, as Greg Valentine didn't lose his I-C belt to JYD. Also, the first WM match was actually Tito Santana defeating The Executioner, unlike whatever I said. Thanks Max!

Mr. T checked in, not with a correction, but a general smart remark by saying that my line "Mr. T & Hogan (I pity the fool... and you can quote me on that)" was a FELONIOUS ripoff of his catchphrase and I should be expecting a Bronco Buster from Mini-Me. I'll pass on that Bronco Buster, but you guys should go check out T's latest column. He also says my workrate is lousy (it's true, it's true) because I haven't written a People's Column in forever. I wrote one this week, OK? Let's see, my workrate is now on the level of... um... somebody.

Patrick Barker is a good guy... he wrote in just to say that he appreciates my dedication and perserverence, as writing columns to little reaction is hard (you got that right). He also says he wrote me even though I probably get lots of feedback... well, I've gotten as much feedback since I started writing since CRZ did for the first five minutes after he posted this week's Raw and Nitro recaps, probably. I get very little feedback, which isn't all that cool, but I still enjoy writing this.

"Plunk" and "OgreManPSX" both wrote in on the topic of Bret Hart on "The Simpsons." You know, I think I've had most of my feedback circling around "The Simpsons." The general consensus from the two is that Bret briefly appeared - in a more generic-looking role - in the episode where he tried to buy Mr. Burns' mansion as Lisa and Monty were teaming up to regain control of the plant. Bret only appeared for a minute, and it was apparently cut out for syndication. Hey Bret... you've been screwed AGAIN.