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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: EDGE WINS THE WORLD TITLE, STEVE AUSTIN MAKES HIS FIRST RAW APPEARANCE AND MORE

January 8th

On this day in history in ....

1917 - Wladek Zbyszko defeats B.F. Roller for the American Heavyweight Title in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Charlie Cutler had been recognized as champion in 1914 and began claiming the World Heavyweight Title in 1915, leaving the American title vacant.

1925 - Wayne Munn ends Ed "Strangler" Lewis' fourth reign as World Heavyweight Champion in Kansas City, Missouri.

1946 - Jim Casey defeats Dean Detton to win his second San Francisco NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title in San Francisco, California, ending Detton's eighth reign.

1947 - Brian Wickens, better known as Bushwhacker Luke, is born in Auckland, New Zealand.

1951 - Bert Ruby defeats Jan Gotch for the Wolverine Wrestling Michigan Junior Heavyweight Title in Saginaw, Michigan, beginning his second reign.

1957 - Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff defeat Fritz Von Erich and Karl Von Schober in a tournament final to become the first Minneapolis NWA World Tag Team Champions in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The title would go on to become the AWA World Tag Team Title in 1960, when Verne Gagne left the NWA and founded the promotion.

1958 - Yvon Robert defeats Mario Galento to win the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title in Mobile, Alabama

1960 - Pete Managoff defeats Nick Kozak for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title in Houston, Texas.

1962 - Len Rossi wins the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title for the second time, defeating Don Greene in Memphis, Tennessee.

1965 - Pepper Martin defeats Pat Patterson for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title, ending Patterson's second reign and beginning his third. Patterson defeated Martin for the title five days earlier.

1966 - Tim Woods defeats Mad Dog Vachon in Omaha, Nebraska to win the AWA World Heavyweight Title, or so he thought. Six days later, AWA President Stanley Blackburn declared the match a no contest after reviewing footage of the match, and returned the title to Vachon. Woods had his feet on the ropes during the pinfall. Vachon defeated Woods that same day for the title.

1968 - Keiko "Bull" Nakano is born in Kawaguchi, Japan.

1971 - Karl and Kurt Von Steiger defeat Tony Borne and Moondog Mayne for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title. This ended Borne and Mayne's 10th reign and began the Von Steigers' sixth reign.

1972 - Albert Wall defeats George Gordienko in Hanley, England to win the British Empire Heavyweight Title.

1977 - Danny Giamondo is born in Lodi, New Jersey.

1978 - Leo Burke defeats Don Gagne (Frenchy Martin) for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title in Edmonton, Alberta.

1983 - The WWF holds an event at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
The results:
- Salvatore Bellomo defeated Charlie Fulton.
- Tony Garea defeated Pete Sanchez.
- Special Delivery Jones defeated Johnny Rodz.
- Curt Hennig (subbing for Victor Rivera) and Eddie Gilbert fought to a draw.
- Superstar Billy Graham defeated Pat Patterson.
- Rocky Johnson defeated Buddy Rose by forfeit.
- Jimmy Snuka defeated Ray Stevens.
- WWF Tag Team Champions Chief Jay and Jules Strongbow defeated The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) by forfeit to retain the title. This match was scheduled for two out of three falls.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Pedro Morales defeated Mr. Fuji to retain the title.
- Don Muraco defeated WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund. This match was advertised as for the title, but there was no title change.

1983 - Moose Morowski and Al Tomko defeat Dean Ho and Moondog Moretti for the Vancouver NWA International Tag Team Title in Cloverdale, British Columbia. They were stripped of the title on January 25.

1983 - Kaoru Matsumoto defeats Lioness Asuka to win the AJW Singles Title in Kumaya, Japan.

1984 - Don Kernodle and Bob Orton, Jr. defeat Dory Funk, Jr. and Jimmy Valiant for the vacant Mid-Atlantic NWA World Tag Team title in Charlotte, North Carolina. The title was vacated when Ricky Steamboat, who held the title with Jay Youngblood, announced his retirement on Christmas, ending their fifth reign.

1984 - Chigusa Nagayo wins her second AJW Junior Title in Tokyo, defeating Noriyo Tateno.

1984 - Rayo de Jalisco, Jr. defeats Pirata Morgan to win the Mexican National Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.

1990 - Jerry Lawler defeats King Cobra for the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning his fourth reign.

1993 - The WWF runs a show at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results:
- Virgil defeated The Brooklyn Brawler.
- The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) defeated The Executioners (subbing for Double Trouble).
- Tatanka pinned Damien Demento.
- Bob Backlund pinned The Berzerker.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Marty Jannetty to retain the title.
- The Headshrinkers (Samu and Fatu) defeated High Energy (Owen Hart and Koko B. Ware).
- The Undertaker pinned Papa Shango (subbing for Nailz).
- WWF World Champion Bret Hart pinned Ric Flair to retain the title.

1993 - Espectrito I defeats Mascarita Sagrada to win the Mexican National Mini-Estrella Title in Queretaro, Mexico.

1994 - Far 2 Wild (Chris Michaels and Todd Morton) defeat PG-13 (JC Ice and Wolfie D) for the held up USWA Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee. The title was held up after a match between the two teams on January 3 in Memphis. This began Far 2 Wild's second reign.

1995 - Arn Anderson defeats Johnny B. Badd to win the WCW World Television Title for the fourth time in Atlanta, Georgia during a live edition of "The Main Event".

1995 - Tatsutoshi Goto, Shiro Koshinaka and Michiyoshi Ohara defeat Hiromichi Fuyuki, Gedo and Jado to win the Pro Wrestling WAR Six-Man Tag Team Title in Nagano, Japan, ending Fuyuki, Gedo and Jado's second reign.

1995 - Hikari Fukuoka and Mayumi Ozaki defeat Etsuko Mita and Mima Shimoda for the Japanese Women's Pro Wrestling Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan.

1996 - The Monday Night War continued. WWF Monday Night RAW 3.0 rating defeated WCW Monday Nitro's 2.8 rating.

Nitro was live in Charleston, South Carolina and featured Eric Bischoff giving away the results of the pre-taped RAW show, as well as criticizing the WWF raising their pay-per-view prices by five dollars.
The results:
- Chris Benoit pinned Alex Wright with a dragon suplex.
- Eddie Guerrero pinned Lord Steven Regal with a backslide.
- Sting defeated Diamond Dallas Page by submission with the Scorpion Deathlock.
- Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, when Hogan pinned Anderson after the legdrop. The Giant came out and chokeslammed both Hogan and Savage after the match.

Monday Night RAW was taped on December 18 in Newark, Delaware at the Bob Carpenter Center. The show featured the television debut of Steve Austin as The Ringmaster, being presented the Million Dollar Championship by Ted DiBiase. This edition of RAW also featured a full replay of the bloody Bret Hart-British Bulldog WWF World Title match at In Your House on December 17. The match results:
- Jeff Jarrett defeated Hakushi by submission with the Figure-Four Leglock.
- Ahmed Johnson pinned Jeff Brettler with the Pearl River Plunge.
- Goldust pinned Aldo Montoya after the Curtain Call.

1998 - WCW holds "Thunder" at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. At this show, WCW Executive Committee Chairman J.J. Dillon vacated the WCW World Title due to controversial finishes in matches between Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Sting for the title on December 28 at Starrcade and December 29's Nitro. The results:
- Randy Savage defeated Chris Adams.
- Rick Martel defeated Louie Spicolli.
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Hajime Ohara.
- Ric Flair defeated Chris Jericho.
- The Giant defeated Meng.
- Goldberg defeated Steve McMichael.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) defeated Buff Bagwell and Konnan.
- Ray Traylor defeated Scott Hall.
- Juventud Guerrera defeated WCW Cruiserweight Champion Ultimo Dragon to win the title, ending Dragon's second reign.
- Lex Luger defeated Scott Norton.
- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page defeated Kevin Nash by disqualification.

1998 - Iron Man defeats Bobby Collins for the Canadian Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Title, ending Collins' second reign.

2000 - Ray Gonzalez defeats Carlos Colón to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. This began Gonzalez's 10th reign and ended Colón's 25th.

2001 - The Monday Night War continued in its final months. WWF RAW is WAR's 4.8 rating more than doubled WCW Monday Nitro's 2.1 rating, its second-lowest in nine months (1.8 on April 3 and December 11, 2000).

WWF RAW is WAR was live at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California.
The results:
In matches taped for the following weekend's "Jakked":
- Crash Holly defeated Essa Rios.
- K-Kwik defeated Donovan Morgan.
- Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty) defeated Boyce La Grande and Robert Thompson.
In RAW matches:
- Chris Jericho and The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy) defeated The Radicalz (WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn), when Jericho pinned Benoit with a roll-up out of the Crippler Crossface.
- Billy Gunn pinned Val Venis with the One and Only in a lumberjack match.
- The Rock and referees Jack Doan and Teddy Long defeated Kane and Rikishi in a handicap match by disqualification.
- WWF Hardcore Champion Raven defeated Steve Blackman to retain the title after interference from Hardcore Holly, after a brawl to the back, Raven jumped into a waiting car and left with his title.
- Albert and Trish Stratus defeated Test in a handicap match, when Albert pinned Test after William Regal interfered.
- Steve Austin and WWF Champion Kurt Angle fought to a no contest when Triple H pulled referee Earl Hebner from the ring while Austin had Angle pinned after a Stone Cold Stunner.

WCW held a live Nitro, and taped the January 10 edition of Thunder at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. They were the go-home shows for the following Sunday's "Sin" pay-per-view. The results were:
In Monday Nitro matches:
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero, Jr. defeated Shannon Moore.
- Ron Harris defeated Ernest Miller.
- Billy Kidman defeated Lance Storm.
- Sid Vicious defeated Shane Douglas.
- Goldberg and Sarge defeated Kronik (Brian Adams and Bryan Clark)
- WCW World Tag Team Champions The Insiders (Diamond Dallas Page and Kevin Nash) were co-winners in a last man standing match also featuring Meng, Mike Sanders, Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarrett fought to a no contest. 
In Thunder matches:
- Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire defeated Big Vito and Kwee Wee.
- Team Canada (Elix Skipper and Lance Storm) defeated The Filthy Animals (Billy Kidman and Rey Misterio, Jr.).
- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Hugh Morrus and WCW World Tag Team Champions The Insiders (Diamond Dallas Page and Kevin Nash) defeated Shane Douglas, Mark Jindrak and Shawn Stasiak.
- Meng defeated Don Harris.
- Kronik (Brian Adams and Bryan Clark) defeated Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger by disqualification.
- Sid Vicious defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner by disqualification.

2002 - The WWF taped the January 10 edition of SmackDown! and January 14 edition of Sunday Night Heat at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results:
In dark matches:
- Brock Lesnar pinned Randy Orton after a powerslam.
- Ron Waterman defeated Rico Constantino by submission with a torture rack.
In Sunday Night Heat matches:
- Albert and Scotty 2 Hotty defeated Crash Holly and Funaki, when Scotty pinned Holly after the Worm.
- Billy Gunn pinned Tajiri after the Fameasser.
- The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) defeated Perry Saturn and Sgt. Slaughter by disqualification when Slaughter used his belt.
In SmackDown! matches:
- WWF Tag Team Champion Spike Dudley and Tazz defeated The Un-Americans (Christian and Lance Storm), when Tazz made Christian submit with the Tazzmission.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Edge pinned Big Bossman after the Edgecutioner.
- The Rock and Rob Van Dam defeated Undisputed WWF Champion Chris Jericho and Test, when The Rock made Jericho submit with the Sharpshooter.
- Jazz and Terri defeated WWF Women's Champion Trish Stratus and Jacqueline. This match did not air.
- Rikishi and Booker T fought to a no contest when Booker T vomited on the announce table after Rikishi's Stinkface.
- Steve Austin and Kurt Angle fought to a no contest when Kane interfered and chokeslammed both men.

2002 - CIMA, Big Fuji and TARU defeat Darkness Dragon, Maasaki Mochizuki and Susumu Mochizuki for the UWA World Trios Title in Tokyo, Japan.

2003 - TNA holds its 26th weekly pay-per-view at the TNA Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee. The show featured Jeff Jarrett taking on all three members of Triple X in succession. The results were:
- CM Punk pinned Colt Cabana in a dark match.
- A.J. Styles pinned Adam Jacobs in a dark match.
- Tony Mamaluke and David Young defeated Kid Kash and EZ Money, when Young pinned Money.
- TNA X Division Champion Sonny Siaki pinned Jason Cross.
- Ron Killings and Jerry Lynn defeated B.G. James and Don Harris by disqualification.
- America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) defeat The New Church (Brian Lee and Slash), when Storm pinned Slash, to win their second NWA World Tag Team Title.
- Curt Hennig defeated David Flair in an axe-handle on a pole match.
- Jeff Jarrett pinned Christopher Daniels.
- Jeff Jarrett pinned Elix Skipper.
- Jeff Jarrett defeated Low Ki by disqualification.

2003 - B-Boy and Funky Billy Kim defeat The Ballard Brothers (Shane and Shannon Ballard) for the UPW Tag Team Title in Santa Ana, California, ending the Ballards' fifth reign.

2005 - Jimmy Jacobs defeats Ryan Boz to win the NWA Iowa Heavyweight Title in Muscatine, Iowa.

2005 - The CyberSpace Wrestling Federation renames itself as NWA Cyberspace after joining the National Wrestling Alliance, and a title changes hands in Wayne, New Jersey. Sonjay Dutt defeats Grim Reefer by forfeit to win the NWA Cyberspace Cruiser-X Title.

2005 - L.A. Player defeats Mike Woods in Columbia, Tennessee for the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title, ending Woods' fourth reign.

2005 - Handsome Johnny and Psycho defeat Billy Bax and Rob Eckos in a ladder match in Lowell, Massachusetts for the Chaotic Wrestling Tag Team Title, beginning their second reign.

2005 - Devin Devine defeats Brandon K. to win the NWA Pro Wrestling eXpress Heavyweight Title in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, ending Brandon's third reign and beginning his own second.

2005 - Jesse Ortega defeats Mikael Yamaha for the Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic Television Title in Burlington, North Carolina, ending Yamaha's second reign.

2006 - WWE holds the second-annual "New Year's Revolution" pay-per-view at Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York.  The original report from the show is on Page 2! 

2006 - Corvo Bianco defeats Psycho Mike for the Italian Championship Wrestling Interregional Heavyweight Title in San Giorgio Canavese, Italy.

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