On August 14, 1999, one of the cornerstone shows of professional wrestling has its first episode tapes at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City to mark This Day in Wrestling History.
This is a memorable episode for a couple of reasons. First, Smackdown’s actual pilot episode was taped four months prior, but this one is credited at the debut episode after it aired two days after its recording.
A second and more important/macabre reason, depending on one’s point of view, is this was the first WWE event to be held in Kansas City since Owen Hart’s fatal accident at Over the Edge three months before.
It was welcomed by wrestling fans as it was another show during the Monday Night Wars that really helped us scratch our wrestling itch. As a result, it tallied roughly nine million viewers.
An auspicious start
While the card itself wasn’t the most impressive, it had some excellent moments like the Big Bossman’s feud with Al Snow for the Hardcore Championship.
But the biggest moment came when Triple H defeated The Rock to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Hunter had some help in the form of the Special Guest Referee, Shawn Michaels, who nailed the Rock with Sweet Chin Music as the Rock attempted the People’s Elbow.
This would also mark Michaels final WWE appearance until May of 2000.
More than those moments was the beginning of a show that would last for 20 plus years and is currently WWE’s best show as it’s stacked with talent and some interesting storylines more often than not.
The memories
Over the years, Smackdown has seen its share of great moments from the Rock and Undertaker to AJ Styles and now Roman Reigns.
The show has remained second to Raw in the WWE’s lineup as it was a complimentary show before the brand split following the WWE purchasing WCW and ECW.
It’s one of those things that we may not have ever seen had it not been for the pressure WCW applied during the Monday Night Wars.
The WWE has had many shows over the years that didn’t last more than a couple of years because they served a purpose or filled a niche, but Smackdown showed it had a staying power and continues to do so to this day.
This Day in Wrestling History not only gave us the start of something fun and special, but an event that’s continuing to entertain us to this day.
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