On this day in pro wrestling history (May 16): Verne Gagne wins AWA title, Stomper wins NA title, Baba vs. Tsuruta, US tag tourney finals, Jerry Lawler vs. Dundee

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By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com


1952 – Roger Mackay defeated The Masked Marvel (Buddy Knox) for the Pacific Coast Junior Heavyweight Title in Tacoma, Washington.

1963 – Brute Bernard and Skull Murphy defeated Buddy Austin and The Great Scott in Washington, DC to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Title; Bull Curry defeated Jack Dalton in Houston, Texas for the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Title

1964 – Verne Gagne won the AWA World Heavyweight Title in Omaha, Nebraska by defeating Mad Dog Vachon.

1967 – Togo Shikuma and Chati Yokouchi defeated Jack Brisco and Gorgeous George, Jr. to win the Tri-State NWA United States Tag Team Title in Little Rock, Arkansas; Boris Malenko defeated Wahoo McDaniel for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title in Tampa, Florida.

1969 – Archie Gouldie (The Mongolian Stomper) defeated Angelo Mosca for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title in Calgary, Alberta; The Professional (Doug Gilbert) defeated El Mongol to win the vacant NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title in Atlanta, Georgia

1970 – The Claw defeated Moondog Mayne for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title

1972 – Paul Jones defeated Jack Brisco to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title in Tampa, Florida

1973 – Johnny Powers defeated Eric the Animal to win the NWF North American Heavyweight Title in Buffalo, New York; In Honolulu, Hawaii; Wahoo McDaniel beat Billy Graham in an Indian Death Match and North American Champion Dusty Rhodes beat Billy Robinson via DQ.

1975 – Antonio Inoki defeated Killer Karl Krupp by submission to win the annual NJPW World League tournament.

1977 – Giant Baba defeated Jumbo Tsuruta to win the annual AJPW Champion’s Carnival tournament.

1980 – Al Madril and Tom Prichard defeated Jack Evans and Pampero Firpo to win the NWA Americas Tag Team Title; In St. Louis, Missouri; WWF World Champion Bob Backlund defeated Roger Kirby and Missouri State Champion Ken Patera defeated Kevin Von Erich.

1981 – Eddie Gilbert and Ricky Morton defeated The Akbar Army (Jerry Brown and Ron McFarlane) for the NWA Tri-State Tag Team Title in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kim Song defeated Tommy Gilbert for the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Title in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1983 – In Memphis, Tennessee, Bobby Eaton and Duke Myers defeated The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn and Stan Lane) for the AWA Southern Tag Team Title. At the same event, Ken Patera won the CWA/AWA International Heavyweight Title from Jerry Lawler, and Bill Dundee won the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title from Dutch Mantell.

1984 – Wojo Yawrenko defeated Al Tomko to win the Vancouver NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title in Abbotsford, British Columbia

1987 – The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) defeated Ronnie Garvin and Barry Windham in the finals of a six-team tournament for the NWA United States Tag Team Title in Atlanta, Georgia

1988 – In Memphis, Tennessee; AWA Champion Jerry Lawler beat Bill Dundee; Robert Fuller beat Jeff Jarrett and CWA Champion Max Pain beat Curt Hennig via DQ.

1991 – Villano III defeated El Signo for the UWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico. At the same event, Los Cowboys (Silver King and El Texano) won a tournament to become the first UWA World Tag Team Champions.

1992 – In Charleston, SC; Ricky Steamboat & Nikita Koloff defeated WCW US Champion Rick Rude & Steve Austin and WCW World Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko in a steel cage match.

1998 – In Anaheim, California; The Undertaker defeated Kane in a lights out match, WWF Tag Team Champions the Road Dogg & Billy Gunn defeated LOD 2000 and WWF World Champion Steve Austin pinned WWF Intercontinental Champion the Rock with Dude Love as special referee.

2010 – At the TNA Sacrifice PPV; Doug Williams defeated Frankie Kazarian to win the X Division Title.