This Day in Wrestling History (Apr. 29): Be A Star

20 years ago today, New Japan Pro Wrestling presented Battle Formation '96 from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The culimination of the New Japan-UWF storyline (the storyline that was the basis of the nWo) occurred at this show and it drew over 65,000 people, one of the largest gates in New Japan Pro Wrestling history.

• Yuji Nagata & Tokimitsu Ishizawa defeated Shinjiro Ohtani & Koji Kanemoto .
• Riki Choshu, Takashi Iizuka, Osamu Nishimura & Satoshi Kojima defeated Shiro Koshinaka, Kuniaki Kobayashi, Tatsutoshi Goto & Akira Nogami.
• Great Sasuke defeated Jushin Liger to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
• Randy Savage defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan.
• Masahiro Chono defeated Lex Luger.
• The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal) & Power Warrior (Kensuke Sasaki) defeated Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner & Scott Norton.
• The Great Muta defeated Jinsei Shinzaki.
• Genichiro Tenryu defeated Tatsumi Fujinami.
• Shinya Hashimoto defeated Nobuhiko Takada via submission to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

18 years ago, the Heartland Wrestling Association presented the first Brian Pillman Memorial Show from Norwood Middle School in Norwood, Ohio. Hosted by the WWF's Steve Austin and Sunny, there were also auctions and signings to help raise money for the family of the late Brian Pillman, who died in October 1997 just hours before a PPV.

• Nick Dinsmore defeated Trailer Park Trash.
• Reno Riggins & Steve Dunn defeated Brian Taylor & The Bounty Hunter.
• Flash Flanagan defeated Bull Pain.
• Chip Fairway & Shark Boy defeated Sean Casey & Terik The Great.
• Al Snow defeated Chris Candido.
• Chris Benoit defeated Chris Jericho.

16 years ago today, Sabu defeated The Messiah to win the vacated XPW Heavyweight Championship. Chris Candido, the previous champion, vacated the title when he went to WCW.

15 years ago today, WWF presented Backlash (WWE Network link) from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. 15,592 were in attendance, with 375,000 homes watching on PPV. Impressive number? Yes, but it's a huge dropoff;Backlash 2000 got 675,000 home buys.

• In a Sunday Night Heat preshow match, Jerry Lynn defeated Crash Holly to win the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship.
• In a Sunday Night Heat preshow match, Lita defeated Molly Holly.
• X-Factor (X-Pac, Justin Credible and Albert) defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray, D-Von and Spike).
• Rhyno defeated Raven to retain the WWF Hardcore Championship.
• William Regal defeated Chris Jericho in a Duchess of Queensbury Rules match.
• Chris Benoit defeated Kurt Angle 4-3 in overtime in a 30-minute Ultimate Submission match.
• Shane McMahon defeated The Big Show in a Last Man Standing match.
• Matt Hardy defeated Christian and Eddie Guerrero in a triple threat match to retain the WWF European Championship.
• The Two Man Power Trip (WWF Champion Steve Austin and WWF Intercontinental Champion Triple H) defeated The Undertaker and Kane to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. All championships were on the line in the match.

14 years ago today on RAW from Buffalo, New York (WWE Network link), Steven Richards defeated Bubba Ray Dudley to win the WWF Hardcore Championship.

10 years ago today, World Wrestling Legends aired its only PPV event, 6:05-The Reunion, from the Hard Rock Café in Orlando, Florida. The event was named for the famous time of WCW Saturday Night on TBS from 1972 to 2000. The show was taped on March 5.

• Hacksaw Duggan defeated Nikolai Volkoff.
• Rick Steiner defeated Virgil.
• Koko B. Ware defeated Disco Inferno.
• Jimmy Snuka defeated Greg Valentine via disqualification.
• Vampiro defeated Eddie Colon.
• Jake Roberts defeated Kamala via disqualification.
• Mike Graham and Dory Funk Jr. defetaed Tully Blanchard and David Flair.
• Diamond Dallas Page pinned Kanyon.
• Bob, Brad and Scott Armstrong defeated the Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey, & Stan Lane).
• Scott Steiner defeated Buff Bagwell.
• In a post-show dark match, Johnny B. Badd & Russ Rollins beat The Blue Meanie & Norman Smiley.

9 years ago today, WWE presented Backlash (WWE Network link) from the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 14,500 were in attendance, with 194,000 homes watching on PPV. That's down from 220,000 for the 2006 event.

• In a preshow dark match, Carlito defeated Johnny Nitro.
• The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch to retain the World Tag Team Championship.
• Melina defeated Mickie James to retain the WWE Women's Championship.
• Chris Benoit defeated Montel Vontavious Porter to retain the WWE United States Championship.
• Team McMahon (Umaga, Vince McMahon, and Shane McMahon) defeated Bobby Lashley in a handicap match. As a result of Vince McMahon getting the fall, he won the ECW Championship.
• The Undertaker fought Batista to a draw in a last man standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship.
• John Cena defeated Edge, Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels in a fatal four way match to retain the WWE Championship.

5 years ago today, WWE Studios releases That's What I Am starring Ed Harris, Molly Parker, and Amy Madigan. WWE's Randy Orton has a small role in the film, and Greg Kinnear has an uncredited role. The film makes just $6,400 in a limited and small release, but performs terribly on the DVD market.

5 years ago today, Nicholas Wilson, best known to Combat Zone Wrestling fans as Nick Gage, is sentenced to five years in prison a month after pleading guilty to one second-degree count of robbery. He was also ordered to pay over $3,000 in restitution to the PNC Bank he robbed in Collingswood, New Jersey and the teller involved in the robbery.

Wilson, addicted to painkillers at the time of the robbery, spoke of his addiction at the sentence hearing and in an interview after he was taken into custody. Wilson was released on parole on March 31, 2015 and returned to the ring for Jersey Championship Wrestling just a month later. Gage would be arrested again in September for a parole violation. He could be released as late as March 2018.

5 years ago today, WWE launches its much-maligned "Be A STAR" anti-bullying campaign. WWE via the press release:

STAMFORD, Conn., April 29, 2011 - The Creative Coalition and WWE (NYSE:WWE), announced today the launch of "be a STAR," a multi-platform, nationwide anti-bullying alliance, in conjunction with the National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA HIN), GLAAD, True Educator Inc., Ad Council, Island Def Jam Music Group, Close Up Foundation and others.

The mission of "be a STAR" —which stands for ‘Show Tolerance And Respect'—is to ensure a positive and equitable social environment for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation through grassroots efforts beginning with education and awareness. "be a STAR" will promote positive methods of social interaction and encourage people to treat others as equals and with respect because everyone is a star in their own right.

For its first initiative, the alliance will unveil a free anti-bullying curricula created by NEA HIN that will debut at an inaugural event this evening at The Washington Club in Washington, DC. The teacher's aide aligns with national education standards to complement curriculums, and consists of nine lesson plans that teachers can access at www.beaSTARalliance.org. The lessons will focus on bullying, cyber-bullying, and equality and utilize an interdisciplinary teaching model across Social Studies, Language Arts and Health.

The teaching aide complements the new WWE Studios and Samuel Goldwyn Films "That's What I Am" starring Ed Harris, Chase Ellison, WWE Superstar Randy Orton® and Amy Madigan. The new release is an anti-bullying, coming of age story that was a Centerpiece film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and accepted at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

"Every seven minutes a child is bullied. It's time to stop that clock. We're proud to be an architect with WWE of ‘be a STAR'. The Creative Coalition's role is to employ the arts as a powerful resource in the "toolbox" to combat the bullying epidemic. We hope to use the unique platforms of the entertainment industry to encourage and reach children across the country to stand up to bullying," said CEO of The Creative Coalition Robin Bronk.

"WWE is honored and thrilled to partner with The Creative Coalition, the National Education Association Health Information Network and our other partners, in an effort to change the way people interact and treat others," said Stephanie McMahon, Executive Vice President, Creative Development and Operations, WWE. "Through the joint efforts of the ‘be a STAR Alliance' organizations, we hope to reach millions encouraging them to stop bullying and ‘be a STAR.'"

"Bullying is unacceptable, but even more important - it is preventable. This film reminds us of what we can accomplish when students and adults stand up to bullying, said Jerry Newberry, NEA HIN's Executive Director. "We are thrilled to be involved with the ‘be a STAR' Alliance's efforts and to work with organizations that share our vision for preventing bullying."

4 years ago today, WWE presented Extreme Rules (WWE Network link) from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. 14,817 were in attendance, with 263,000 homes watching on PPV. That's up from 209,000 homes for the 2011 edition. It featured Brock Lesnar's first WWE match since leaving the company following Wrestlemania XX.

• In a preshow match, Santino Marella defeated The Miz to retain the WWE United States Championship.
• Randy Orton defeated Kane in a falls count anywhere mathc.
• Brodus Clay defeated Dolph Ziggler.
• Cody Rhodes defeated Big Show in a tables match to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
• Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan 2-1 in a best of three falls match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
• Ryback defeated Aaron Relic & Jay Hatton in a 2 on 1 handicap match.
• CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho in a Chicago Street Fight to retain the WWE Championship.
• Layla defeated Nikki Bella to win the WWE Divas Championship.
• John Cena defeated Brock Lesnar in a Extreme Rules match.