Today in Pro Wrestling History (August 26): The Debut of Smackdown

Today in Pro Wrestling History: On August 26th, 1999,The inaugural episode of Smackdown featured a series of matches at the Kemper Arena.

Today in Pro Wrestling History (August 26): The Debut of Smackdown

Our wrestling history is gold, and so are readers like you!
If the following story adds to your collection of wrestling knowledge, you can say thanks:
Tip jar (PayPal) Browse our merch at our brand-new shop (launched Feb. 2026)!

The matches included the following:

  • Dark match: Kurt Angle defeated The California Kid
  • Dark match: Edge (w/ Christian) defeated Matt Hardy (w/ Jeff Hardy)
  • Dark match: D-Lo Brown defeated Hardcore Holly (w/ Crash Holly) by DQ
  • Dark match: Val Venis defeated Mark Henry
  • Dark match: Gangrel defeated Chaz (w/ Marianna)
  • Mr. A** defeated Jeff Jarrett (w/ Miss Kitty and Debra)
  • The Unholy Alliance (The Undertaker and The Big Show) (c) (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated Kane & X-Pac & The APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq) in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship
  • Big Bossman defeated Al Snow (c) to win the WWF Hardcore Championship
  • Road Dogg defeated Chris Jericho by DQ
  • Shane McMahon defeated Mankind
  • Tori defeated Ivory in an Evening Gown Match
  • Triple H (c) (w/ Chyna) defeated The Rock to retain the WWF Championship (w/ Shawn Michaels and Shane McMahon as the special guest referees)

Here’s a another great Smackdown story: Monday Night SmackDown! How a Volcano Forced Big Changes

https://youtu.be/vneQz-ayA6s

Can’t get enough pro wrestling history in your life? Sign up to unlock ten pro wrestling stories curated uniquely for YOU, plus subscriber-exclusive content. A special gift from us awaits after signing up!

Want More? Choose another story!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, and Flipboard!

Our wrestling history is gold, and so are readers like you!
If this story added to your collection of wrestling knowledge, you can say thanks:
Tip jar (PayPal) Browse our merch at our brand-new shop (launched February 2026)!

Pro Wrestling Stories is committed to accurate, unbiased wrestling content rigorously fact-checked and verified by our team of researchers and editors. Any inaccuracies are quickly corrected, with updates timestamped in the article's byline header.
Got a correction, tip, or story idea for Pro Wrestling Stories? Contact us! Learn about our editorial standards here. Ever wanted to learn more about the people behind Pro Wrestling Stories? Meet our authors! Want to write for us? Learn how to join the team.

PWSTees Ad

Quick Tip for Facebook Readers
Many of our readers find us through our Facebook page. Meta's built in browser (which opens by default on mobile) can occasionally freeze mid article, a known issue unrelated to our site. For uninterrupted reading: tap the three dots in the top right corner then select 'Open in external browser'. That usually resolves the glitch. Thanks for your support and we want your wrestling stories to stay as smooth as a top rope hurricanrana!

ProWrestlingStories.com participates in affiliate marketing programs. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we may earn commissions at no extra cost to our readers. This supports our mission to deliver free content for you to enjoy!

Be sure to follow Pro Wrestling Stories on Twitter @pws_official and Facebook @prowrestlingstories to keep up with the latest!