PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

 
 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: TIGER MASK VS. DYNAMITE KID, THE RAW BOWL, HOGAN VS. FLAIR AND MORE

By Buck Woodward & Ryan Martinez on 2008-01-01 13:24:24
January 1st

On this day in history in .... 

1931 - Joe Banaski defeats Nick Bozinis to become the first Midwest Wrestling Association World Light Heavyweight Champion in Columbus, Ohio.

1943 - Billy Thom defeats Martino Angelo for the MWA World Junior Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio. This ended Angelo's second reign and began Thom's second.

1946 - Larry Tillman defeats Marshall Estep for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title.

1949 - Dizzy Davis wins his second NWA Texas Heavyweight Title, ending the second reign of Antonino Rocca in Waco, Texas.

1949 - Johnny Demchuk defeats Tommy Martindale to win the MWA World Junior Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio, beginning his sixth reign.

1954 - El Santo defeats Sugi Sito to win the NWA World Middleweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico, ending Sito's second reign.

1959 - Billy Wicks wins his third NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title in Mobile, Alabama, defeating Lee Fields, just one week after Fields defeated Wicks for the title.

1961 - Sputnik and Rocket Monroe defeat Duke Keomuka and Maurice Vachon for the NWA Texas Tag Team Title in Fort Worth, Texas.

1962 - Larry Chene defeats Jim Bernard to win the Wolverine Wrestling Michigan Heavyweight Title in Saginaw, Michigan.

1963 - Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff defeat Mr. High and Mr. Low (Doug Gilbert and Dick Steinborn) for the AWA World Tag Team Title in St. Paul, Minnesota.

1963 - Art and Stan Neilson defeat Karl and Kurt Von Brauner to win the American Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title, beginning their fourth reign.

1965 - Mr. Fujiwara and Curtis Iaukea defeat Lord James Blears and Neff Maivia for the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Title in Honolulu, Hawaii, ending Blears and Maivia's fourth reign.

1970 - Dick Murdoch defeats Don Slatton to win the NWA Southwest Heavyweight Title in Amarillo, Texas.

1970 - Stan Pulaski defeats Tarzan Tyler in Omaha, Nebraska for the AWA Midwest Heavyweight Title, beginning his second reign.

1970 - Bulldog Brower defeats Johnny Powers to win the National Wrestling Federation North American Heavyweight Title in Cleveland, Ohio.

1971 - Bob Geigel defeats Roger Kirby for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title in St. Joseph, Missouri, ending Kirby's second reign and beginning Geigel's fifth.

1975 - Rocket Monroe and Randy Tyler defeat Jackie Fargo and George Gulas to win the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Title in Nashville, Tennessee, ending Fargo and Gulas' second reign.

1977 - The WWWF runs an event at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results:
- Doug Gilbert and Pete Sanchez fought to a draw.
- Johnny Rodz defeated Ted Adams.
- Larry Zbyzsko defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna.
- Manuel Soto defeated Rocky Tamayo.
- Bruiser Brody defeated Special Delivery Jones.
- Stan Stasiak defeated Mark Tendler.
- André the Giant and Gorilla Monsoon defeated The Executioners in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match.
- WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Nikolai Volkoff.

1978 - Blackjack Mulligan defeats Ricky Steamboat for the NWA United States Heavyweight Title in Greensboro, North Carolina, beginning his fourth reign.

1979 - Jack and Jerry Brisco defeat Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk in Atlanta, Georgia for the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title.

1980 - Ricky and Robert Gibson defeat The Assassins (Jody Hamilton and Tom Renesto) to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning the Gibsons' second reign and ending The Assassins' second reign.

1982 - The Sam Muchnick Retirement Show is held at the Checkerdome in St. Louis, Missouri, in front of 19,821 fans. The results:
- NWA Central States Tag Team Champion Bob Brown and Jerry Brown fought to a draw.
- NWA World Women's Tag Team Champions Joyce Grable and Wendi Richter defeated Early Dawn and Sandy Partlow.
- Pat O'Connor defeated Bob Sweetan by sleeper hold.
- Jerry Blackwell defeated Ox Baker and Bruce Reed in a handicap match.
- Rufus R. Jones & NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Champion David Von Erich and Harley Race & NWA United States Heavyweight Champion Greg Valentine fought to a double disqualification.
- Dick the Bruiser defeated NWA Missouri Heavyweight Champion Ken Patera to win the title for the third time, ending Patera's second reign.
- NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair defeated Dusty Rhodes in a Two out of Three Falls match, two falls to one, to retain the title.

1982 - Tiger Mask defeats The Dynamite Kid to win the vacant WWF Junior Heavyweight Title in Tokyo, Japan. Tatsumi Fujinami, who held the title for nearly three years, vacated the title the previous month upon his move to New Japan Pro Wrestling's heavyweight division.

1982 - Dick the Bruiser defeats Ken Patera in St. Louis, Missouri,

1983 - The (Cuban) Assassin (David Sierra) and Rip Oliver defeat Billy Jack (Haynes) and Stan Stasiak for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title in Portland, Oregon, beginning their second reign.

1983 - Tully Blanchard defeats Bob Sweetan in the finals of a 16-man tournament to win the Southwest Championship Wrestling Southwest Heavyweight title in San Antonio, Texas.

1983 - Norman Frederick Charles wins a tournament final to win the vacant Southeastern version of the NWA United States Junior Heavyweight title. The previous champion, Wayne Ferris (The Honky Tonk Man) was stripped of the title in December 1982 for failing to make the weight limit.

1984 - Negro Casas defeats Black Terry to win the UWA World Lightweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.

1984 - Lanny Poffo defeats Paul Christy for the International Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Title in Springfield, Illinois. He would be the final champion before ICW closed.

1985 - Jay and Mark Youngblood defeat Krusher Khrushchev and Jim Neidhart to win the Florida version of the NWA United States Tag Team Title in Tampa, Florida.

1986 - Dick Slater defeats Butch Reed for the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Title in Tulsa, Oklahoma, ending Reed's second reign. At the same event, Jake Roberts defeats Dick Slater in a tournament final to win the vacant Mid-South Television Title. The title was vacated when Butch Reed won the very title he lost to Dick Slater, on October 14.

1988 - Masahiro Chono defeats Mike George to become the final NWA Central States Television Champion, ending George's second reign.

1989 - Juicio defeats El Corallilo to win the Mexican National Featherweight Title in San Lorenzo, Mexico.

1991 - Villanos I, IV and V win their third UWA World Trios Title, defeating Los Brazos (El Brazo, Brazo de Oro and Brazo de Plata) in Naucalpan, Mexico. This ended Los Brazos' third reign.

1993 - El Signo defeats Villano III for the WWF World Light Heavyweight Title in Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico, ending Villano III's sixth reign.

1994 - Villano V defeats Silver King to win the UWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico, ending Silver King's second reign.

1995 - Tyrone Knox defeated Scotty McKeever in a tournament final in Charlotte, North Carolina to win the Pro Wrestling Federation Intercontinental Title, which would be renamed during his reign as the PWF Eastern States Heavyweight Title.

1996 - While still in its opening months, the Monday Night wars continued.

The WWF's "Raw Bowl" show (taped two weeks earlier) in Newark, Delaware got a 2.6 rating, winning the night by a point. The show was football themed, with the college football bowl season in full swing, complete with the canvas made to look like a football field. The four tag teams in the "Raw Bowl" match wore football jerseys as well. The show's results were:
- In the Raw Bowl elimination match, In white, WWF Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns (Billy (#38) and Bart (#45) defeated Sycho Sid (#00) and The 1-2-3 Kid (#1-2-3) in black, WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon (#4, for his fourth IC title reign) and Savio Vega (#'Uno') in yellow, and in red Owen Hart (#1) and Yokozuna (#641, his weight). After the match, The Brooklyn Brawler presented the Gunns with the "prestigious" (Steve) Lombardi Trophy. The Brawler was attacked by the Gunns, Ahmed Johnson, Marty Jannetty, Hakushi and Savio Vega for his efforts.
- The Hunter Hearst Helmsley-Henry Godwinn Hog Pen Match from December 17's In Your House event was replayed in full.
- Diesel pinned King Mabel in eight seconds after a big boot.

WCW Monday Nitro at Atlanta, Georgia's Omni came up just short, scoring a 2.5 rating. Its results:
In dark matches:
- Bobby Walker defeated Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker.
- Joey Maggs defeated Disco Inferno.
- WCW Television Champion Johnny B. Badd defeated Diamond Dallas Page.
In television matches:
- Randy Savage pinned Arn Anderson.
- Lord Steven Regal pinned Chris Benoit.
- Lex Luger and Sting defeated The Super Assassins (Barbarian and The Warlord) when both made their opponent submit with the Scorpion Deathlock and Torture Rack.
- Hulk Hogan defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair by disqualification when Arn Anderson hit Hogan with brass knuckles.

1996 - Sweet Brown Sugar defeats The Equalizer for the PWF Eastern States Heavyweight Title in Hamlet, North Carolina. At the same event, Terry Austin defeats Russian Assassin II to win the PWF Heavyweight Title, ending the Assassin's second reign.

1997 - Brian Christopher wins his 23rd USWA Heavyweight Title, defeating Wolfie D in Memphis, Tennessee.

1999 - In Dyersburg, Tennessee, Mr. Showtime defeats Johnny Gunn and Franklin Ray in a three-way match to become the first Warriors of Wrestling Federation Junior Heavyweight Champion. The WOWF would become a National Wrestling Alliance member on July 30, NWA Mid-South.

2000 - The Rebellion (Kurt Reigns and Tejas) defeats The Sterling Studs (Trint Atkins and Mike Fox) for the NWA Texas Tag Team Title in North Richland Hills, Texas.

2001 - The NWA Mid-Atlantic Hardcore Title changes hands twice in Washington, North Carolina. Andrue Bane wins the title from Madd Maxx, then Lodi defeats Bane.

2001 - Air Paris defeats Eddie Golden to win the NWA Wildside Television Title in Cornelia, Georgia, ending Golden's third reign. A.J. Styles then won the title from Paris, beginning his own third reign.

2003 - Reigning NWA Florida Junior Heavyweight Champion Naphtali becomes the first NWA Florida X Division Champion, when he is awarded the title.

2005 - Místico defeats Averno for the NWA World Middleweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.

2005 - The New York Connection (Glenn Gilberti and Johnny Swinger) defeats John Bogie and Elix Skipper to win the Georgia Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title in Columbus, Georgia.

2005 - Iceberg and Tank defeat Mike Adriyan and Azriael for the NWA Wildside Tag Team Title in Cornelia, Georgia. At the same event, Todd Sexton defeats Jeremy V. to win the NWA Wildside Television Title, ending Jeremy V.'s second reign.

2005 - J.T. Hogg defeats The Juggulator to win the NWA Tri-State Heavyweight Title in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

2006 - John Bogie and Erik Watts defeat Chris Stevens and David Young in a tournament final for the vacant Great (formerly Georgia) Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title in Columbus, Georgia.

2006 - Hator defeats El Zorro to win the UWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Monterrey, Mexico, ending Zorro's fourth reign.

2006 - Jay Jaillet wins a 20-man Whaling City Rumble to become the first Top Rope Productions Heavyweight Champion.

2006 - Shawn Spears defeats Reggie Marley for the Pure Wrestling Association Championship in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. At the same show, Phil Latio and Pantalone win a triple threat match to become the inaugural PWA Tag Team Champions and the 21st Century Fox defeats Cherry Bomb to become the inaugural PWA Elite Women's Champion.  Thanks to Devin Cutting for sending that along.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!