This Day in History: October 21st By: RingInsider.com on 10/21/04
October 21st
On this day in history in ....
1971 - Dick Murdoch & Bobby Duncum defeat The Australians (Larry O'Day & Ron Miller) in Tampa, Florida to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Title.
1972 - All Japan Pro Wrestling holds it's first ever show at Machida City Gym in Tokyo, Japan. The show is headlined by a two out of three fall tag team match, with Bruno Sammartino & Terry Funk defeating Giant Baba & Thunder Sugiyama. Funk pinned Sugiyama to win the first fall, Sugiyama pinned Funk to win the second, and Baba & Sugiyama were counted out in the final fall.
1974 - Ernie Ladd defeats Carlos Colon in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the WWC North American Heavyweight Title.
1976 - Akihisa Takachiho & Samson Kutsuwada defeat Jerry & Ted Oates to win the All Japan All-Asian Tag Team Title in Gifu, Japan. This was the fourth anniversary of the very first All Japan show.
1979 - Manny Fernandez defeats Terry Funk in Orlando, Florida to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title.
1985 - All Japan Pro Wrestling holds it's 13th Anniversary show at Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The main event sees NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs. AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel end in a double countout after over a half hour of action. Other notable matches: Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu defeated the Road Warriors via DQ. ... Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu defeated Mil Mascaras & Art Cruz. ... Tiger Mask (Misawa), Terry & Dory Funk defeated Chavo Guerrero, Terry Gordy & Billy Robinson. ... Killer Khan defeated The Great Kabuki via DQ.
1985 - Phil Hickerson defeats Mongolian Stomper in Memphis, Tennessee to win the AWA International Heavyweight Title for the third time.
1986 - All Japan Pro Wrestling holds it's 14th Anniversary show at Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The show is headlined by PWF World Heavyweight Champion Riki Choshu defeating Terry Funk via submission and Jumbo Tsuruta defeating Stan Hansen for the NWA International Heavyweight Title. Also on the card, Giant Baba & Genichiro Tenryu defeat The Road Warriors via DQ.
1992 - All Japan Pro Wrestling holds it's 20th Anniversary show at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan. In the main event, Triple Crown Champion Mitsuharu Misawa defeats Toshiaki Kawada. Also on the show, Jumbo Tsuruta, Andre The Giant & Terry Gordy defeat Giant Baba, Stan Hansen & Dory Funk Jr. when Tsuruta pins Funk.
1996 - Bret Hart, ending months of rumors and speculation, signs a 20-year contract with the World Wrestling Federation, turning down a lucrative offer from WCW. As part of the agreement, which will see Hart become a part of the WWF office following his in-ring career, Bret is allowed to go into the ring during a live edition of Raw and discuss his decision. Hart does not blast WCW (as some within WWF were hoping), but does reveal that he is staying with the WWF. One year later, Vince McMahon would be asking Bret to drop the WWF Title to Shawn Michaels at the Survivor Series, beginning the most famous story in wrestling history, the Montreal Screwjob.
1997 - All Japan Pro Wrestling holds it's 25th Anniversary show at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan. In the main event, Triple Crown Champion Mitsuharu Misawa defeats Kenta Kobashi. Other notable results from the show: Toshiaki Kawada defeats Yoshihiro Takayama. ... Akira Taue defeats Johnny Ace. ... Giant Baba, Stan Hansen & Jumbo Tsuruta defeat Kamala II, Tamon Honda & Masa Fuchi.
2003 - Doug & Danny Basham defeat Eddie & Chavo Guerrero for the WWE Tag Team Title in Albany, New York, ending the second and final reign for the uncle-nephew tandem of the Guerreros.
