Today In Pro Wrestling History: September 21st

An interesting list of events for today! We’ve got some staples like WWE and New Japan, but we also have a first time promotion to the list. Sukeban! A Joshi Girl Gang style promotion, so think HUSTLE and Makai but with school girl street gangs.

• WWF SmackDown (1999)

There’s a few things of note for this show. Chris Jericho and Ken Shamrock had a First Blood match, Jericho came out in full Buffalo Sabers hockey gear to protect himself. But after repeated stick strikes to the ribs, Jericho then hit a splash, so in less than 3 minutes Ken Shamrock started coughing up blood. Since blood was technically visible, Jericho was awarded the win and that was Shamrock’s last WWF match. There was also a tag title change when the Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection dropped the belts to The New Age Outlaws. However, we’re overlooking the main sticking point of the whole show. In an effort to screw Triple H, Vince told him he had to win 3 out of 5 gimmick matches against his Unforgiven opponents, or he’d be removed from the Six Pack Challenge. He would have to face, Big Show in a Chokeslam Challenge match, Kane in an Inferno Match, The Undertaker in a casket match, Mankind in a Boiler Room Brawl, and The Rock in a Brahma Bull Rope match. Trips overcame the odds only losing the Casket & Chokeslam match, but finding ways to win the other three, and keep his place in the title match at Unforgiven.

• NJPW Destruction in Kobe (2014)

This is an event remembered mostly for redeeming Katsuyori Shibata in the eyes of the fans and prove why Nakamura, Tanahashi and Shibata were the New Three Musketeers. First off, Nakamura had to regain his IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Bad Luck Fale. It was a shock upset at Dominion, thanks to all the Bullet Club interference. Nakamura fended off the interreference and reclaimed the white belt that he elevated to main title heights. It should be noted that the IC was run was not only Fale’s first NJPW title of his career but also his only singles title so far. Now the redemption for Shibata was what sticks with most people. In the early ’00s NJPW was recovering from Inoki-ism and a heavy down period because of the MMA push that ruined the established Puroresu talent. So NJPW named Shibata, Nakamura and Tanahashi as their Three New Musketeers, to pull them out of the darkness and re-establish NJPW. Shibata however, crumbled under the pressure. In 2005 he left New Japan to freelance, then in 2007 he left wrestling all together to try MMA. After a miserable 4-11-1 record, he returned to wrestling in 2011, returning to NJPW in 2012. The fans hated him. He was seen as a coward who didn’t want to put in the work, ran when times got tough and only came back because Nakamura and Tanahashi did their jobs and he sucked at MMA. Shibata endured 2 years of disdain before this match with Tanahashi. Tanahashi resented him for the abandonment and what followed was a stiff match, with real feelings of hurt and betrayal. Tanahashi won the match after consecutive High Fly Flows. But the moment that shattered the contempt, was after Shibata was able to get up, he stood there, offered his hand to Tanahashi and thanked him for saving the company. Tanahashi was legitimately overwhelmed and embraced his friend, breaking down, crying and getting this weight of hatred off of him in a very cathartic moment.

• WWE Night of Champions (2014)

Not even coming close to the emotional weight of the last event, this still has fun wrestling moments. Like Stardust and Goldust defeating The Usos for the WWE Tag Team titles. AJ Lee tying the Divas title reign record when she forced Paige to tap out and win her third Divas title. Sheamus and Cesaro had a banger for the United States Championship. And the main event was an overbooked cluster, but between Seth Rollins costing John Cena title by forcing a DQ, just to try and pick the bones of Brock Lesnar, but Cena stopped Rollins Cash-In, just for Dean Ambrose to return via taxi to sprint down and start beating on Seth Rollins as the fans cheered.

• Sukeban World Premiere (2023)

As I mentioned in the intro, this is a combination of Avant-Garde Theater and hard hitting Joshi puroresu. To the shock of some, it began in New York City, but given The Village, Broadway, Alphabet City, you can’t really be too surprised. This utilizes heavy Japanese cultural influence for makeup and costuming to reignite the “feminist” wave of the 1960s & 1970s in Japan. Bull Nakano is the on screen commissioner for the company and the artist Marc Newsom used her as the inspiration for their World Title design, the perfect woman for a street tough gang motif. Arisa Nakajima, Unagi Sayaka, Anou Saori, Sareee, Risa Sera and Konami are some of the larger names associated with the promotion. This began something unique, and if you want an education in Japanese culture and joshi wrestling, this crosses the genres beautifully.

• CZW Tournament Of Death 21 (2024)

Now even though I don’t love death match wrestling, I’ve found quite a few to highlight during these articles and this is an unforgettable night. It shattered a major gender barrier in a notoriously brutal genre of sports entertainment. Mickie Knuckles made history by becoming the first female wrestler to win the entire tournament, a poetic victory considering she was also the first woman to ever compete in it sixteen years prior. What made her win even more legendary was her pure grit, as she fought through the final rounds with a dislocated shoulder and a popped rib. Fans will always remember the chaotic visual of a spray-painted car being flipped completely upside down with Knuckles trapped inside, as well as the explosive finale where she plummeted off a high scaffold to secure the historic win.

From Attitude Era shenanigans, years of bottled feelings coming to a head in the middle of a ring, the debut of a unique promotion blending theater, culture and violence, and Mickie Knuckles getting a well deserved honor…I’d say it’s a pretty good day. I definitely didn’t think we’d get New Three Musketeer History, Bull Nakano, Triple H and Mickie Knuckles to share an article short of a fever dream or tragedy. Surprising variety always entertains me.