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Andy Moseley

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THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING - 6.21.00 to 6.27.00

HEY! Remember me? It's been a while! I don't really have an excuse for disappearing for a month. Actually, I do... I lost all desire to write about wrestling. And last week my computer screwed up. Now I'm back, ready for history, and ready to roar!

Today's soundtrack for me typing this column is matchbox twenty's "Mad Season." Buy it. It rocks.

I am once again ON for going to this year's "Bash at the Beach." So far, the lineup has Hogan vs Jarrett, Nash vs Greenberg, a threeway tag match, and something else forgettable. Does anyone think Hogan WON'T win the World title?

For anyone keeping up with former heavyweight champions of the world, David Arquette won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award. Yay.

Wait... the WCW World title hasn't changed hands in almost TWO WHOLE WEEKS, has it? Jeff Jarrett might be the longest reigning champ of 2000!

On to the history!



6.21:

Nada... the first two days of this week absolutely suck.



6.22:

Nothing... what is with this week? I take three weeks off and I come back to this?



6.23:

1996 - This year's "King of the Ring" (live from Milwaukee) did some serious star-making. For the first time, only semifinal and final matches were broadcast on PPV. In those semifinal bouts, Steve Austin pinned Marc Mero and Jake Roberts beat Vader by DQ. Then, in the finals, Austin totally thrashed "The Snake" to win the King of the Ring. After that, as you probably know, the whole "Austin 3:16" deal was born. The only title change on the card was Ahmed "Gut" Johnson winning the I-C belt from Goldust. Also on the card: The Bodydonnas d. The New Rockers ... World tag champs The Smokin' Gunns d. The Godwinns ... The Ullllllllltimate Warrior d. Jerry Lawler ... Mankind d. The Undertaker ... World champ Shawn Michaels d. British Bulldog.

1992 - The Super Destroyers were lucky enough to become the first ECW World tag champs, as they beat the Night Breed in a tournament final. I couldn't tell you who was on either team, but I can tell you that back then ECW stood for Eastern Championship Wrestling.



6.24:

1996 - The fine folks of Charlotte were fortunate enough to see Harlem Heat 1996 win the World tag team belts from Sting & Lex Luger. And YES, I get a USWA heavyweight title change! Today, Jerry Lawler won it back from Jeff Jarrett. For those keeping track, this was The King's 23rd USWA heavyweight belt.

1995 - The fine folks of Orlando were fortunate enough to see Harlem Heat 1995 win the World tag belts from the Nasty Boys. Meanwhile in WWF land, the WWF Hall of Fame welcomed new inductees The Grand Wizard, the Fabulous Moolah, Antonino Rocca, Ivan Putski, George "The Animal" Steele, Pedro Morales and Ernie Ladd. By the way, when do we get some new inductees?

1994 - Charleston, SC, was the lucky home of WCW's 26th "Clash of the Champions." The big thing was the big unification match for the WCW World and International belts, which Ric Flair won over Sting. If I remember correctly, Flair was originally World champ and Sting was International, but since I said that it was probably the other way around. The other title change on the card was a real man's man, Lord Steven Regal, winning the TV belt back (thankfully) from Larry Zbyszko. Also on the card: World tag champs Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan d. The Nasty Boys ... Johnny B. Badd (he's a baaaad man) d. U.S. champ Steve Austin by DQ.

1988 - Shiro Koshinaka won the IWGP junior heavyweight belt from the late, great Owen Hart in Osaka, Japan.



6.25:

1995 - The WWF was nice enough to give us the '95 "King of the Ring" live from Philly. It definitely wasn't a bright spot for the WWF, but what can you say? Back when being King of the Ring actually made your career (compared to Ken Shamrock and Billy Gunn winning... did anybody care?), the WWF usually tried to make a star. This time around, they failed miserably... KING MABEL, ladies and gentlemen. His royalness won the tournament after defeating Undertaker in the opening round, receiving a bye in round two, and defeating Savio Vega in the finals. Other first round matches had Savio defeating Yokozuna (Savio earlier had beaten Irwin R. Schyster in a qualifying match to fill the injured Razor Ramon's spot), The Roadie pinning Bob Holly, and Shawn Michaels and Kama going to a time-limit draw. The other second rounder saw Savio pinning the Roadie. Also on the card: Bret Hart d. Jerry Lawler in a "kiss-my-foot" match ... Diesel & Bam Bam Bigelow d. Psycho Sid & Tatanka.

1989 - Boxer Leon Spinks loses to Greg Wojokowski (who?) in a boxer vs wrestler bout in Toledo, OH.

1976 - The famous supercard at Shea Stadium (home of the - UGH - Mets) in Flushing, New York was held. I could make some kind of connection between the Mets and Flushing, but I won't this time. Anyway, the card featured not only WWF World champ Bruno Sammartino successfully defending his belt against Stan Hansen, but also two wrestler vs boxer matches. In the unfriendly confines of Shea, Andre the Giant beat Chuck Wepner by countout in round three. In the battle broadcast via closed-circuit from Tokyo, Antonio Inoki and Muhammad Ali went to a 15-round draw. Also on the card: Jose Gonzalez and Kevin Sullivan went to a 20-minute draw ... Ivan Putski d. Baron Mikel Scicluna ... Chief Jay Strongbow & Billy White Wolf d. WWF World tag champs The Executioners by DQ.

1934 - WAY back when, Jim Londos won the NWA World belt from Jim Browning.



6.26:

1992 - "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers died in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, just days after suffering two strokes.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, Rick & Scott Steiner won the IWGP International tag titles from the man they call Big Van Vader & Bam Bam Bigelow. I'm ready for another hardcore match between Bam Bam and his t-shirt. Also on that card, El Samurai won the IWGP junior heavyweight gold from Jushin Liger.

1983 - Minneapolis saw Crusher Blackwell & Ken Patera win the AWA World tag belts from Jumpin' Jim Brunzell & Greg Gagne.

1978 - The Yukon Lumberjacks won the WWF World tag belts from Dominic DeNucci & Dino Bravo.



6.27:

1999 - Last year's rendition of the "KOTR" was broadcast in technicolor from Greensboro, NC. The actual tournament saw quarterfinal victories for X-Pac (over Hardcore Holly), Billy Gunn (over Ken Shamrock), Kane (over The Big Show), and Road Dogg (over Chyna). Then in the semifinals, we had Billy beating Kane and X-Pac beating Road Dogg. This lead to the whole DX vs DX finals, won by Gunn. Yay. Also on the card: The Hardys d. Edge & Christian ... World champ The Undertaker d. The Rock ... Vincent K. & Shane O' Mac d. Steve Austin in a handicap ladder match, with Stone Cold having to give up his spot as WWF CEO (which is now Linda, if you haven't gotten the hint lately).

Meanwhile over in Shizuoka, Japan, the team of Tatsutoshi Gato & Michiyoshi Ohara won the IWGP International tag titles from Shiro Koshinaka & Kensuke Sasaki.

1998 - Rob Van Dam & Sabu won the ECW tag belts from Chris Candido & Lance Storm. Hey... they're both in WCW. And is Sabu coming to WCW or not?

1991 - Former WWF ringside physician Dr. George T. Zahorian is convited on 12 of 14 counts of selling anabolic steroids to four pro wrestlers and a weightlifter and is sentenced to three years in prison.

1972 - Professor Tanaka & Mr. Fuji (one of my all-time favorite managers - and I mean that) won the WWWF World tag belts from Chief Jay Strongbow & Sonny King in Philly.

1935 - Danno O'Mahony won the NWA World title from Jim Londos in Boston.



Next week (6.28 to Independance Day): One "Great American Bash", one "King of the Ring" with a certain Hell in a Cell match, and a whole lot more! See you then!

Andy Moseley
Jerichoholic
[slash] wrestling

Feel free to send me some e-mail... I'll answer, I promise!
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