Today in Wrestling History July 18th

1980 - Verne Gagne defeats Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World Heavyweight Title for his tenth, and final, time in Chicago, Illinois. Gagne would retire ten months later, still the champion.



1989 - Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard defeat Demolition for the WWF World Tag Team Title in Worcester, Massachusetts, ending the first title reign for Ax & Smash. This win made Anderson & Blanchard the first duo to have held both the NWA and WWF World Tag Titles.

1993 - At Beach Blast, Ric Flair defeats Barry Windham for the NWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Title in Biloxi, Mississippi. This marked Flair's tenth and final run with the NWA World Title (this was actually the revived NWA World Title, which some title histories don't count as a "World" Title). WCW would withdraw from the NWA during Flair's reign, and the title would become known as the "WCW International World Title".
Here are the full results from the Pay-per-view, which was held at the Gulf Coast Coliseum:
- WCW Television Champion Paul Orndorff defeated Ron Simmons via disqualification when Simmons threw Orndorff over the top rope.
- 2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Bagwell defeated Tex Slashinger & Shanghai Pierce when Scorpio pinned Pierce after a 450 splash.
- Steven Regal defeated Erik Watts when Bill Dundee hit Watts with an umbrella, allowing Regal to roll him up for the pin.
- Johnny B. Badd defeated Maxx Payne with a flying bodypress.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions Brian Pillman & Steve Austin defeated Paul Roma & Arn Anderson when Austin pinned Roma after Pillman ran in and reversed a rollup Roma had on Austin.

- Dustin Rhodes vs. Rick Rude in an Ironman match for the held-up U.S. Title ended in a 30-minute draw with each wrestler only having one fall. Rude pinned Rhodes at the 13 minute mark, then Rhodes pinned Rude to tie it up with three minutes left. Rude continuously kicked out of Rhodes' moves until the time ran out.
- Ric Flair defeated Barry Windham to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title when Windham was pinned in a figure four while reaching for the ropes.
- Sting & Davey Boy Smith defeated Big Van Vader & Sid Vicious when Smith pinned Vader with a crucifix. This match featured the "memorable" vignettes leading up to it that included Vader & Sid hiring a midget to blow up a boat that Sting & Smith were on. No, I'm not kidding.




1999 - Balls Mahoney & Spike Dudley defeat The Dudley Boyz for the ECW World Tag Team Championship in Dayton, Ohio, ending Buh-Buh Ray & D-Von's sixth title reign.