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On this day in history in ....
1939 - Dean Detton defeats Oki Shikina in Honolulu, Hawaii to win the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Title.
1963 - Lou Thesz defeats Buddy Rogers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title for the third time. However, Northeast promoters refuse to recognize the title change since it was a one-fall match, and break away from the National Wrestling Alliance to form a new organization, the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later WWF, now known as WWE). As an interesting aside, Thesz beat Rogers in a three falls rematch on February 7, 1963 in Toronto, a result often forgotten.
The real reason for the split was because Northeast promoters Toots Mondt and Vince McMahon Sr. controlled Buddy Rogers' bookings, and wanted to keep Rogers (and the title) in the Northeast. The other NWA members were not pleased with the situation, and this led to the split. Rogers dropped the NWA Title to Thesz (and got back his deposit on the belt), and the Northeast promoters used the one-fall match as the reason for the split from the NWA. To clear up a common misconception, Rogers was not immediately named WWWF World Champion. He would not be declared champion until April 1963, having won a fictional tournament in Rio De Janeiro. Rogers would then drop the title a month later to Bruno Sammartino in less than a minute.
1966 - The WWWF ran at Madison Square Garden in New York City with World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeating Baron Mikel Scicluna via DQ when Scicluna threw Bruno on top of the referee during a pinfall attempt. Also on the show, Bobo Brazil & Johnny Valentine defeated U.S. Tag Team Champions Dan & Bill Miller via referee's decision when the match was stopped due to the curfew at the Garden.
1973 - Jacques Rougeau defeats Waldo Von Erich in a tournament final to win the National Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Title in Buffalo, New York. Former NWF Champion Johnny Valentine had vacated the title.
1984 - Two historic events took place at a WWF television taping in Allentown Pennsylvania. During the taping of one show, The Iron Sheik defeated Steve Lombardi. As he was exiting the ring, Sgt. Slaughter, at the time a heel, was coming out for his match with John Callahan (which he won). The two started to argue, and referees separated them. At the taping for the next episode, the two had another run-in, this time ending with Slaughter getting on the microphone and making a speech about his love for America before challenging the Sheik to a match. This started Slaughter's celebrated babyface turn. Also on the show, Roddy Piper, who had been managing and doing Piper's Pits, wrestled his first televised match for the WWF, teaming with David Schultz to defeat John Callahan & Frankie Williams.
1988 - Jim Crockett Promotions holds their second ever Pay-per-view, The Bunkhouse Stampede, live from Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Much like their first PPV, Starrcade '87, there were several factors working against the show. The WWF once again provided competition, although not with a PPV event at the same time (cable companies refused to allow WWF and the NWA to have head-to-head PPV events again after the Starrcade-Survivor Series fiasco in November). Instead, WWF offered the first Royal Rumble on USA Network, opposite the PPV. Also, Jim Crockett Promotions held the event outside of their usual strongholds in the South, infuriating fans that were already insulted by Starrcade being held in Chicago the previous year. On top of that, a ticketing snafu resulted in many tickets being printed with incorrect start times. A majority of fans walked into the building during the semifinal match on the show, and the entire card was under two hours long, annoying the live audience.
Here are the results of the show:
- In a dark match (that was carried on many cable systems anyway, as cameras were rolling), Sting & Jimmy Garvin defeated The Sheepherders via DQ. (After this match, opening graphics for the show were aired)
- NWA World Television Champion Nikita Koloff vs. Bobby Eaton ended in a 20-minute draw, with Koloff hitting the Russian sickle as the time expired.
- Larry Zbyszko defeated Barry Windham to win the UWF Western States Title after hitting Windham with Baby Doll's shoe.
- Road Warrior Hawk defeated NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair via DQ after Flair hit Hawk with a chair.
- Dusty Rhodes won the Bunkhouse Stampede (steel cage battle royal), last eliminating the Barbarian with a bionic elbow as they fought on the top of the cage. Other participants: Lex Luger, Road Warrior Animal, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Ivan Koloff, and The Warlord.
1988 - In direct competition to the NWA Bunkhouse Stampede Pay-per-view, the WWF presented the first ever Royal Rumble, aired live on USA Network, from Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The show featured the contract signing for Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant on NBC on February 5th. Here are the results:
- Ricky Steamboat defeated Rick Rude via DQ when Rude pulled the referee in front of Steamboat's flying bodypress.
- The Jumping Bomb Angels (Yamazaki & Tateno) defeated Lelani Kai & Judy Martin in a two out of three falls match to win the WWF Women's World Tag Team Title.
- Hacksaw Jim Duggan won the Royal Rumble, last eliminating the One Man Gang. Others in the match were: Bret Hart, Tito Santana, Ron Bass, B. Brian Blair, Dino Bravo, Jim Brunzell, Danny Davis, Hillbilly Jim, Sam Houston, Junkyard Dog, Don Muraco, Jim Neidhart, Harley Race, Butch Reed, Jake Roberts, Nikolai Volkoff, Ultimate Warrior and Boris Zuhkov.
- The Islanders (Haku & Tama) defeated The Young Stallions (Paul Roma & Jim Powers) in two straight falls of a three falls match. They won the first fall via countout when Paul Roma was thrown out of the ring and injured his knee. Roma submitted in the second fall to a half crab by Haku.
1992 - Eddie Gilbert defeats Terry Simms to become a two-time Global Wrestling Federation World Television Champion in Dallas, Texas. The belt had been held up following a controversial match between Gilbert and Simms on January 17th.
1993 - The Royal Rumble was held in Sacramento, California at the Arco Arena. Here are the results:
- In a dark match, Doink The Clown defeated Jim Powers.
- Rick & Scott Steiner defeated The Beverly Brothers when Scott pinned Blake with a Frankensteiner.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Marty Jannetty with a superkick after Sensational Sherri hit him with a shoe while going after Michaels.
- Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Big Bossman with a headbutt off the top rope.
- WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bret Hart defeated Razor Ramon with the Sharpshooter.
- Yokozuna won the Royal Rumble, last eliminating Randy Savage, to earn a World Title match at Wrestlemania. Bob Backlund was the Ironman of the match, lasting over 50 minutes. Also in the match: The Berserker, Carlos Colon, Ted DiBiase, Damien Demento, Earthquake, Fatu, Ric Flair, Owen Hart, Curt Hennig, Jerry Lawler, Rick Martel, Max Moon, The Nasty Boys, Repoman, Samu, Tito Santana, Irwin R. Schyster, Papa Shango, Skinner, Tatanka, Red Rooster, Genichiro Tenryu, Typhoon, The Undertaker, Virgil, and Koko B. Ware.
1996 - Stan Hansen & Gary Albright defeated Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue in Matsumoto, Japan to win the All Japan World Tag Team Title, ending Kawada & Taue's second title reign.
1998 - WCW held their Souled Out Pay-per-view at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Here are the results:
- Juventud Guerrera, Super Calo, Lizmark Jr. & Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated La Parka, Psicosis, Silver King & El Dandy when Guerrero pinned Psicosis with a tornado DDT.
- Chris Benoit defeated Raven in a No DQ match with the Crippler Crossface.
- Chris Jericho defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr. via submission with the Liontamer to win the WCW Cruiserweight Title.
- WCW Television Champion Booker T defeated Rick Martel after the Harlem Hangover.
- Larry Zbyszko defeated Scott Hall via DQ when Louie Spicolli interfered.
- Ray Traylor, Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Konnan, Scott Norton & Buff Bagwell when Scott pinned Konnan after a Steiner Screwdriver.
- Kevin Nash defeated The Giant with a powerbomb. Nash lost control of the powerbomb, and it was feared that Giant might have been seriously injured.
- Bret Hart defeated Ric Flair via submission with a Sharpshooter.
- Lex Luger defeated Randy Savage via submission with a backbreaker.
1999 - The Royal Rumble was held in Anaheim, California at Arrowhead Pond. Here are the results:
In matches that aired on Heat:
- Christian defeated Jeff Hardy.
- Hardcore Holly & 2 Cold Scorpio defeated Scott Taylor & Brian Christopher.
- Mankind defeated Mabel.
PPV matches:
- Big Bossman defeated Jesse Jammes with a sidewalk slam.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Ken Shamrock defeated Billy Gunn via submission with an ankle lock.
- WWF European Champion X-Pac defeated Gangrel with an X-Factor.
- WWF Women's Champion Sable defeated Luna Vachon in a Strap match when a "fan" attacked Luna, allowing Sable to touch all four corners.
- The Rock defeated Mankind in an I Quit match to win the WWF World Heavyweight Title. Rock actually won when a tape recording of Mankind saying "I Quit" was played. This was the match where Rock gave Mick Foley several brutal chairshots with Foley's children in attendance, immortalized in the film "Beyond The Mat".
- Vince McMahon won the Royal Rumble. Also in the match were: Steve Austin, Big Bossman, Steve Blackman, Blue Meanie, D'Lo Brown, Chyna, Droz, Edge, Gangrel, Gillberg, Godfather, Goldust, Golga, Billy Gunn, Owen Hart, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Mark Henry, Jesse Jammes, Jeff Jarrett, Kane, Kurrgan, Mabel, Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock, Tiger Ali Singh, Al Snow, Test, Val Venis, and X-Pac. McMahon and Austin started the match, then fought to the back, where Austin was attacked in a bathroom. Austin would return to the match and clear out everyone that remained, except McMahon, who hadn't been eliminated. They went at it, but the Rock interfered, allowing McMahon to get the win.
2004 - Jack Tunney, the figurehead WWF President during the 1980's wrestling boom and into the 1990's, passes away at the age of 68.
2005 - The Governor of Oklahoma declared it "Jim Ross Day", as Raw was being held in Oklahoma City that night. During an in-ring celebration with Stacy Keibler and Danny Hodge, Ric Flair & Triple H interrupted Ross' speech. Flair gave Ross a low blow and he and Triple H attacked Hodge until Randy Orton made the save.
2006 - WWE taped Smackdown at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, South Carolina, headlined by World Champion Kurt Angle defeated WWE Tag Team Champions MNM in a handicap match when Angle forced Joey Mercury to submit to an ankle lock. Also, Chris Benoit defeated Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred, Falls Count Anywhere match with the Crippler Crossface.
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