On this day in pro wrestling history (August 17): Brock Lesnar wins WWE title at SummerSlam, Nikita Koloff vs. Magnum T.A. best of 7 series concludes

By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

1927 – Bert Willard defeated Jack Reynolds for the World Welterweight Title in Columbus, Ohio.

1944 – Kansas City, Kansas; Orville Brown beat Les Wolfe in 2 of 3 falls; Jimmy Coffield and Jack Hader drew, Earl Wampler beat Larry Tilliman and Harold “Sonny” Myers beat Sergeant Harry Cohen

1951 – Duke Keomuka defeated Ray Gunkel in Houston, Texas for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title.

1953 – Baron Michele Leone defeated Danny McShain in Memphis, Tennessee to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title.

1955 – Yvon Robért defeated Don Leo Jonathan in Montreal, Quebec for the Montreal Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Title

1956 – Don and Red McIntyre defeated Eddie Gossett (Eddie Graham) and Art Neilson to win the Georgia NWA World Tag Team Title in Atlanta, Georgia; Gene Kelly (Kiniski) defeated Pepper Gomez to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title in Houston, Texas

1962 – The Alaskan (Jay York) and Tarzan Tyler defeated Jerry and Nick Kozak in Houston, Texas to win the Texas NWA World Tag Team Title.

1965 – In Davenport, Iowa; AWA Champion Mad Dog Vachon beat The Crusher dq, Larry Hennig & Chris Markoff & Harley Race beat Rene Goulet & Danny Hodge & Tex McKenzie, Danny Hodge beat Chris Markoff and Larry Hennig beat Rene Goulet

1967 – In Kansas City, Kansas; Pat O’Connor fought Earl Maynard to a 30 minute draw, The Viking defeated The Hangman via DQ and  Bob Brown & Bob Geigel defeated The Mongolian Stomper & Ron Reed via DQ in three falls

1968 – Dr. X (Dick Beyer) defeated Verne Gagne to the AWA World Heavyweight Title at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Also on the card, Larry Hennig & Harley Race beat Crusher & Lord Littlebrook, Wilbur Snyder beat Dutch Savage, Cowboy Lang & Wee Willie Wilson beat Little Bruiser & The Mighty Atom, Chris Markoff drew Luke Brown and Frankie Laine beat Roberto Pico; The Mighty Yankees (Frank Morrell and Eddie Sullivan) defeated Dennis Hall and Ken Lucas in Chattanooga, Tennessee to win the Mid-America NWA World Tag Team Title.

1972 – In Kansas City, Kansas; Steve Bolus defeated Billy Howard, Omar Atlas defeated Bobby Whitlock, Steve Bolus & Les Thornton & Danny Little Bear defeated Juan Sebastian & Billy Howard & Yasu Fuji, Roger Kirby & Black Angus (w/ Percival A. Friend) defeated The Stomper & Rufus R. Jones in three falls and World Heavyweight Champion Dory Funk, Jr. fought Harley Race to a double-DQ in three falls; In Jacksonville, Florida in a Lights Out Match; Buddy Colt beat Eddie Graham, Florida Champion Paul Jones beat Bob Roop,
In a match for the Florida Tag Title, Mr Wrestling Tim Woods & Jack Brisco beat Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens

1973 – Dick Dunn defeated Eddie Sullivan in Dothan, Alabama to win the NWA Alabama Heavyweight Title.

1978 – Steve Rickard defeated Toru Tanaka for the New Zealand NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Title in Auckland, New Zealand; In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens, Super Destroyer Mark II beat Rufus R. Jones dq, Larry Hennig beat Blackjack Lanza and Bob Orton Jr. drew Billy Robinson

1979 – At the Omni in Atlanta; Tony Atlas won a 16-man battle royal to earn an NWA World Heavyweight Title match in the main event. Also on the card, Ole Anderson and Ivan Koloff defeated Dusty Rhodes and Bill Watts in a Double Bunkhouse match and Wahoo McDaniel defeated NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion The Masked Superstar (with Bobby Heenan) in a Blindfold match to win the title. However, after the match, the blindfolds were removed, it was revealed that Tommy Rich had beaten Superstar for McDaniel, and the title was vacated. In the main event, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race defeated Tony Atlas to retain the title.

1980 – In St Paul, Minnesota in a Lights Out Match; The Crusher beat Jerry Blackwell, Greg Gagne beat Bobby Heenan, AWA Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura beat Mad Dog Vachon & Super Destroyer Mark II dq, Dino Bravo no contest John Studd, Joyce Grable beat Judy Martin, Tito Santana beat Buck Zumhofe and Steve Olsonoski beat Chris Markoff

1985 – Eric Embry defeated Super Medico I for the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title in Bayamón, Puerto Rico; In Landover, Maryland; AWA Champion Rick Martel beat Larry Zbyszko

1986 – Nikita Koloff defeated Magnum T.A. in the seventh match of a best-of-seven series in Charlotte, North Carolina to claim the vacant NWA United States Heavyweight Title.

1987 – Nikita Koloff defeated Tully Blanchard to win the NWA World Television Title in Fayetteville, North Carolina; George Barnes defeated Bill Dundee for the CWA International Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee

1990 – The Thundercats (Leono, Panthro and Tigro) defeated Los Arqueros del Espacio (El Arquero, Danny Boy and Lasser) in Mexico City, Mexico to win the Mexican National Trios Title.

1991 – Billy Jack Haynes defeated Steve Doll in a full-nelson challenge in Portland, Oregon for the vacant NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title; Combat Toyoda defeated Megumi Kudo in Tosu, Japan to win the WWA World Women’s Champion.

1992 – Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett defeated The Moondogs (Cujo and Spot) in Memphis, Tennessee to win the USWA Tag Team Title.

1997 – In Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Shane Douglas (with Francine) defeated Terry Funk and ECW World Heavyweight Champion Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) and in a Three-Way Dance to win the title and the Dudleys won the ECW Tag Team Title by forfeit from the Gangstas.

1999 – In Louisville, Kentucky; OVW Southern Tag Team Champions Jason Lee and Rip Rogers defeated The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton) by disqualification to retain the title and Rob Conway defeated OVW Heavyweight Champion The Damaja to win the title.

2003 – Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Jun Akiyama in Tokyo, Japan to win the NJPW G1 Climax tournament.

2007 – El Dandy and Rey Misterio, Sr. defeated The Punisher and Super Parka to win the vacant WWA World Tag Team Title in Tijuana, Mexico.

2008 – At SummerSlam in Indianapolis, Indiana; Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix defeated Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston & Women’s Champion Mickie James to win the titles; Batista defeated John Cena and the Undertaker defeated Edge in a Hell in a Cell match.

2014 – At SummerSlam in Los Angeles, California; Dolph Ziggler defeated the Miz to win the Intercontinental Title, Paige defeated AJ Lee to win the Divas Title and Brock Lesnar defeated John Cena to win the WWE World Title.