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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: MONDAY NIGHT RAW DEBUTS, FLAIR BECOMES THE FIRST WCW CHAMPION, STEEL CAGE IN TORONTO AND MORE

1901 - Tom Jenkins defeats Dan McLeod in Cleveland, Ohio to win the American Heavyweight Title.

1954 - Wilbur Snyder defeats Mr. Moto for the NWA Beat the Champ International Television Title in Hollywood, California.

1954 - Don McIntyre defeats Ray Villmer in Augusta, Georgia to win the Georgia NWA Southern Heavyweight Title, ending Villmer's second reign and beginning McIntyre's ninth.

1954 - Ivan and Soldat Gorky defeat Carl Engstrom and David Jonnes for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title.

1957 - Buddy Rogers defeats Johnny Barend to win the NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Title in Akron, Ohio, beginning his seventh reign.

1957 - Jerry Graham defeats Chief Big Heart in Atlanta, Georgia to win the Georgia NWA Southern Heavyweight Title, beginning his second reign.

1962 - Bob Ellis and Johnny Valentine defeat The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) to win the Northeast NWA United States Tag Team Title, ending the Kangaroos' third reign.

1963 - Rip Hawk defeats El Medico II in Houston, Texas for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title.

1963 - Jack Curtis, Jr. and Jan Madrid defeat Bad Boy and Billy Hines to win the Gulf Coast NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Dothan, Alabama, ending the Hines' fourth reign.

1965 - Don Leo Jonathan and Gene Kiniski defeat The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) for the Vancouver NWA Canadian Tag Team Title in Vancouver, British Columbia.

1966 - German-Canadian wrestler Martin Hutzler dies at age 42, from complications of diabetes and throat cancer.

1966 - Mario Milano and Len Rossi win their second Mid-America NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Nashville, Tennessee. They won a three-team tournament, defeating the Mysterious Medics and Kanji (Antonio) Inoki & Hiro Matsuda.

1968 - Ron Etchison and Klondike Bill defeat Bob Brown and Bob Geigel for the Central States NWA North American Tag Team Title in Kansas City, Kansas, ending Brown and Geigel's third reign.

1974 - Mr. Wrestling II defeats Ron Fuller in Atlanta, Georgia to win the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title for the third time.

1975 - Dick Steinborn wins his second WWC World Junior Heavyweight Title by defeating Carlos Colón in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

1979 - One day after losing the title, Dale Valentine defeats Tully Blanchard to win the Southwest Championship Wrestling Southwest Television Title, this began and ended both's second reigns.

1979 - Ron Bass defeats Ray Candy to win the NWA Arkansas Heavyweight Title in Little Rock, Arkansas.

1980 - Mr. Hito and Mr. Sakurada defeat El Halcón and José Lothario for the World Class American Tag Team Title in Houston, Texas.

1981 - Bruiser Brody and Kerry Von Erich win their second World Class American Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas, defeating Gino Hernandez and Gary Young. The title was vacated in May when Brody left the area.

1981 - Centurion Negro defeats Jungle Negra for the UWA World Middleweight Title in Monterrey, Mexico.

1984 - Mike Davis and Mike Rotundo defeat Ron Bass and The One Man Gang for the Florida NWA United States Tag Team Title in Tampa, Florida.

1985 - The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton) defeat The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) to win the World Class American Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas.

1985 - Ole Anderson and Thunderbolt Patterson defeat The Long Riders (Bill and Scott Irwin) for the NWA National Tag Team Title in Columbus, Ohio.

1986 - The WWF held an event at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- Danny Spivey defeated Ron Shaw.
- Hercules defeated Special Delivery Jones.
- King Tonga defeated Tiger Chung Lee.
- Jim Neidhart and B. Brian Blair fought to a time-limit draw.
- Adrian Adonis pinned Tony Atlas.
- WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and André the Giant defeated King Kong Bundy, Big John Studd and Bobby Heenan in a handicap match, when André pinned Heenan.
- Bret Hart pinned Ivan Putski with his feet on the ropes.
- Ricky Steamboat pinned Don Muraco in a no-disqualification, no-countout, judo jacket match.
- The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine by disqualification.

1986 - Sam Houston defeats Krusher Khrushchev to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title in Atlanta, Georgia.

1987 - The WWF held an event at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. Most of the matches from the event aired on the January 26, February 23 and May 4 editions of Prime Time Wrestling. The results were:
- Jose Rivera pinned Terry Gibbs.
- Don Muraco and Koko B. Ware fought to a 20-minute time-limit draw
- Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine defeats Mike Rotundo and Danny Spivey, when Valentine hit Spivey with a double axehandle while Spivey had Beefcake covered, with Beefcake the getting the pin.
- George Steele defeated Johnny V (subbing for The Honky Tonk Man, who was at ringside with his arm in a cast and sling) by disqualification when Honky hit Steele with the cast and choked him with the sling.
- Dino Bravo pinned Scott McGhee.
- Jake Roberts and King Kong Bundy fought to a double countout.
- Paul Roma pinned Barry O.
- The Junkyard Dog (subbing for The Dynamite Kid) and WWF Tag Team Champion Davey Boy Smith defeated The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart), when JYD pinned Bret.
- WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Kamala in a steel cage match.

1987 - Jeff Jarrett and Billy Travis defeat The Rock 'n' Roll RPM's (Mike Davis and Tommy Lane) for the AWA Southern Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning their second reign.

1988 - Jonathan Boyd defeats Ranger Ross to win the NWA Alabama Heavyweight Title in Birmingham, Alabama.

1991 - WCW runs an event at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, before 5,000 fans. The low turnout was in part due to a winter storm in the area. The results:
- WCW World Television Champion Z-Man (Tom Zenk) pinned The Black Angel after a missile dropkick, to retain the title.
- Brad Armstrong pinned The Cuban Assassin after a side Russian legsweep.
- Michael Wallstreet pinned Terry Taylor while using the ropes.
- Sid Vicious pinned Brian Pillman after a powerbomb.
- El Gigante, Ricky Morton and Tommy Rich defeated Bobby Eaton, Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes, when Gigante pinned Garvin. Garvin and Hayes turned on Eaton after the match.
- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger (with Lawrence Taylor) defeated Curtis Hughes (with Paul E. Dangerously) in a Football Challenge match.
- WCW United States Tag Team Champions The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) defeated The Master Blasters (Blade and Steel (Kevin Nash)), when Scott pinned Blade after the Frankensteiner.
- Ric Flair pinned NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sting to win the title, and become the first WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Flair would be fired by the company on July 1, resulting in his eventual debut in the WWF, with the title belt in tow.
- Arn Anderson and Barry Windham defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions Doom (Butch Reed and Ron Simmons) in a non-title steel cage match, when Windham pinned Simmons.

1992 - The WWF held an event at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- Chris Walker pinned the Brooklyn Brawler.
- Hercules pinned Jim Powers.
- Repo Man pinned Virgil.
- Sgt. Slaughter pinned Colonel Mustafa.
- Ted DiBiase and Tito Santana fought to a draw.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart and WWF Tag Team Champions The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) defeated The Mountie and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon), when Hart pinned The Mountie.
- Hulk Hogan defeated Ric Flair by countout.

1993 - The premiere edition of WWF Monday Night RAW came live from the Manhattan Center in New York City, New York. Vince McMahon, Randy Savage and Don Imus radio sidekick Rob Bartlett were on commentary, with Sean Mooney reporting from outside on West 34th Street. Segments throughout the show featured Bobby Heenan, who had been replaced with Bartlett, trying to get in the building. Heenan posed as Bartlett's aunt, and as his uncle, both times being busted by Mooney. Heenan was finally let in at the end of the show. Results from the show:
- Yokozuna pinned Koko B. Ware with the Banzai Drop.
- The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) defeated The Executioners, when Rick got the pin after their double-team top-rope bulldog.
- Vince McMahon interviewed Razor Ramon about his upcoming WWF Title match with Bret Hart at the Royal Rumble.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Max Moon after a back suplex to retain the title. During the match, Rob Bartlett and Vince McMahon did a skit where Bartlett played Mike Tyson calling in from prison watching the show. A funny moment was when Bartlett, as Tyson, said that Don King was trying to get his sentence reduced from six years to 72 months.
- The Undertaker pinned Damien Demento with the Tombstone piledriver.
- The show ended with a rundown of next week's card, and Vince McMahon interviewing Doink the Clown, who was warned by Crush not to make the children in the crowd cry. Doink shot Crush with a watergun, and was chased around the ring by Crush to close the show.

1993 - In a match taped for the January 16 edition of WCW Saturday Night, Dustin Rhodes defeated NWA and WCW World Tag Team Champion Ricky Steamboat by countout, after Barry Windham DDT'd Steamboat on the floor. As a result, Rhodes won the vacant NWA and WCW United States Heavyweight Titles, which were vacated when Rick Rude was injured in December.

1993 - Brian Christopher wins his seventh USWA Heavyweight Title, ending Jeff Jarrett's sixth reign in Memphis, Tennessee. At the same show, The Moondogs (Spike and Spot) defeated Ron and Don Harris for the USWA Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning their fourth reign.

1996 - Hiromi Yagi defeats Candy Okutsu for the JWP Junior Title in Fukuoka, Japan. Yagi had defeated Okutsu on December 6 in Nagoya for the title, but she vacated it the next day, not wanting to win it due to an injury to her opponent.

1997 - ECW holds House Party '97 at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- Chris Candido pinned Louie Spicolli.
- Mikey Whipwreck pinned Spike Dudley.
- ECW World Tag Team Champions The Eliminators (Saturn and Kronus) defeated Axl Rotten and D-Von Dudley to retain the title.
- The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustapha Saed) defeated Ricky Morton and Tommy Rich, when New Jack pinned Rich.
- Tommy Rich pinned Ricky Morton.
- Mike Awesome pinned Balls Mahoney.
- Buh Buh Ray Dudley and Pitbull #2 fought to a no contest.
- Brian Lee pinned Terry Funk.
- Pitbull #1 defeated ECW World Television Champion Shane Douglas by countout.

1998 - Doug Basham and Flash Flanagan defeat David C. and Jason Lee for the OVW Southern Tag Team Title in Jeffersonville, Indiana, ending David and Lee's second reign.

1998 - Lioness Asuka wins her second JDStar TWWF World Women's Title in Tokyo, Japan, defeating Jaguar Yokota.

1999 - The Monday Night War continued, with WWF RAW is WAR's 5.5 rating defeating WCW Monday Nitro, which got a 5.0 rating.

The WWF's event was at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. The results:
- Kit Carson defeated Chris Young in a dark match.
In matches taped for the January 23 edition of Shotgun Saturday Night:
- The Disciples of Apocalypse (8-Ball and Skull) defeated The Oddities (Golga and Kurrgan) and Too Much (Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor) in a triple threat elimination match.
- The Godfather defeated Khris Germany.
- Gangrel defeated Goldust.
In matches for the live RAW is WAR:
- Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett defeated The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) to become #1 contenders for the WWF Tag Team Title.
- Luna Vachon pinned WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Gillberg.
- WWF European Champion X-Pac pinned Al Snow after Goldust hit Snow with Head.
- Kane defeated WWF Champion Mankind by disqualification, when The Rock came in and hit Kane with a chair before also hitting Mankind.
- Triple H defeated Edge.
- Chyna won the "Corporate Royal Rumble" match, last eliminating Vince McMahon, while McMahon was distracted by Steve Austin. As a result, Chyna earned the #30 entry spot in January 24's Royal Rumble match.
In matches taped for the January 31 Super Astros:
- Apolo Dantes, El Merenguero and Rey Ortiz defeated Negro Casas, Armando Fernandez and Miguel Perez.
- El Hijo del Santo defeated Papi Chulo.

WCW Monday Nitro was live from the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. Its results were:
- Ernest Miller pinned Perry Saturn.
- Rey Misterio, Jr. and Kaz Hayashi fought to a no contest.
- Booker T pinned Lenny Lane.
- WCW World Television Champion Scott Steiner defeated Diamond Dallas Page.
- Scott Hall pinned Bam Bam Bigelow.
- Ric Flair defeated Curt Hennig.
- Kevin Nash pinned The Giant.

2000 - WCW tapes the January 12 edition of Thunder at the Louis J. Tullio Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. The results:
- Vampiro pinned WCW World Tag Team Champion Crowbar.
- Brian Knobbs pinned WCW Hardcore Champion Norman Smiley to win the title.
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Madusa defeated Oklahoma in an Evening Gown match.
- Booker T defeated Midnight and Stevie Ray in a three-way match.
- Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Chris Kanyon in a Champagne Bottle on a Pole match.
- Kevin Nash and WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett defeated Chris Benoit and Sid Vicious.

2000 - In Cornelia, Georgia, Bad Attitude (Rick Michaels and David Young) win the NWA Wildside Tag Team Title from The Underdogs (Big Eddie Cool and Mark E. Mark). Also, Terry Knight defeats Romeo Bliss to win the NWA Wildside United States Heavyweight Title, ending Bliss' second reign.

2000 - Rudy Boy Gonzalez defeats Spanky to win the Texas Wrestling Alliance Television Title in San Antonio, Texas, beginning his second reign.

2000 - The Rebel wins his second AWA Supreme Heavyweight Title, by forfeit, over Eric Draven in Madison, Indiana.

2001 - Eric Bischoff and Fusient Media Ventures announced their intent to acquire World Championship Wrestling from AOL-Time Warner.

2002 - Balls Mahoney defeats Xavier in Queens, New York for the United States Extreme Wrestling Heavyweight Title, beginning his third reign.

2002 - The Prodigy defeats Rich Myers to become the first Phoenix Championship Wrestling Television Champion in Toms River, New Jersey.

2002 - Cru Jones defeats Jeremy V. for the NWA Wildside Beat the Champ Title in Cornelia, Georgia.

2003 - In Clarksville, Indiana, Nate Webb defeats Shark Boy to win his second IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Title.

2003 - Ring of Honor holds "Revenge of the Prophecy" in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The results:
- Chad Collyer defeated Matt Stryker.
- Super Hentai defeated Mega.
- CM Punk defeated Michael Shane.
- Konnan and Devine Storm (Chris Divine and Quiet Storm) defeated Ghost Shadow and The S.A.T. (Joél and José Maximo).
- Da Hit Squad (Mafia and Monsta Mack) defeated The Carnage Crew (Tony DeVito and H.C. Loc) in a Weapons match.
- Special K (Angel Dust, Deranged, Hydro, Slugger and Yeyo) defeated The Ring Crew Express (Dunn and Marcos) and The Outcast Killaz (Diablo Santiago and Oman Turtoga) in a Tag Team Scramble match.
- Paul London defeated Colt Cabana, Homicide and B.J. Whitmer in a four-way match.
- Samoa Joe defeated Bryan Danielson.
- Low Ki and A.J. Styles defeated ROH Tag Team Champion Christopher Daniels and ROH Heavyweight Champion Xavier in a No Holds Barred match.

2003 - Fidel Sierra defeats El Nene for the held-up WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title in Morovis, Puerto Rico. The title was held up after a match between them five days earlier in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

2003 - Ricky Murdock defeats Hotstuff Hernandez in Greenville, Mississippi to win the NWA National Heavyweight Title.

2003 - Two Chaotic Wrestling titles change hands in North Andover, Massachusetts. Billy Kryptonite ends Dukes Dalton's second reign as CW New England Heavyweight Champion, and Attrition (Angers and Studd) defeat Frankie Armadillo and Arch Kincaid (subbing for an injured Adam Booker) to win the CW Tag Team Title.

2004 - Three titles switch at a Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation event in Northpoint, Maryland. The Bruiser and Suicide defeated The Ghetto Mafia (2-Dope and Sideswype) for the MEWF Tag Team Title, they then lost the title to Chad Bowman and Dino Divine. Andrew Ryker wins the MEWF Cruiserweight Title from Reckless Youth, and Romeo Valentine defeat champion Bob Starr and Buzz Stryker in a three-way match to win the MEWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title, ending Starr's fifth reign.

2004 - T.J. Richter defeats champion Paul Hudson, Jason Blade and Mike Paiva in a four-way match for the Premier Wrestling Federation Northeast Junior Heavyweight Title in North Providence, Rhode Island.

2005 - WWE tapes the January 13 SmackDown! and January 15 Velocity shows in Tampa, Florida at the St. Pete Times Forum. The results:
- The Shane Twins (Mike and Todd Shane) defeated Steve Madison and Shannon Moore in a dark match.
In Velocity matches:
- Hardcore Holly pinned Spike Dudley after the Alabamaslam.
- Scotty 2 Hotty pinned Chet Jablonski after the Worm.
- Akio pinned Paul London after a corkscrew moonsault.
- Charlie Haas pinned René Duprée after an exploder suplex.
In SmackDown! matches:
- The Basham Brothers (Doug & Danny Basham) defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam, Booker T & Eddie Guerrero and Mark Jindrak & Luther Reigns in a fatal four-way elimination match to win the title.
- Kurt Angle defeated Roderick Strong by submission with the ankle lock in a three-minute invitational match.
- WWE United States Champion John Cena pinned Kenzo Suzuki after the FU.
- In a match made in the opening segment of the show, Amy Weber defeated Joy Giovanni by forfeit, when Joy didn't show up for the match. Moments later it was revealed that she was missing.
- WWE Cruiserweight Champion Funaki pined Nunzio after a top rope jumping DDT.
- JBL was being presented with the Man of the Year award by the Florida Agricultural Group. Kurt Angle interrupted the presentation, and accused JBL of kidnapping Joy Giovanni. Angle opened the trunk of JBL's limo and found Joy tied up and gagged. After this, Big Show came out and took out the Cabinet. However, Kurt Angle revealed that he was behind the whole thing.
- In a dark match after the taping, The Undertaker defeated WWE Champion JBL and Orlando Jordan in a handicap casket match.

2005 - Chad Collyer defeats Brian Beech to win the Heartland Wrestling Association Television Title in Cincinnati, Ohio.

2007 - Samoa Joe defeats Eddie Osbourne for the Pure Wrestling Association Championship in Cambridge, Ontario. However, a few weeks later, Joe is stripped of the title due to a contractual error.

Thanks to Devin Cutting for his help with the above.

You can write Ryan Martinez at freshprinceofatlanta@gmail.com.

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