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January 22nd
On this day in history in ....
1941 - Ben Pilar defeats Tetsuo Higami for the Hawaii Junior Heavyweight Title in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1945 - Danny McShain wins his fourth World Light Heavyweight Title in Hollywood, California, defeating Dick Trout.
1947 - Bob Cummings defeats Johnny Demchuk for the Midwest Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio. This began and ended both men's second reign.
1953 - Johnny Baldo wins the Wisconsin Junior Heavyweight Title from Al Williams in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to begin his second reign.
1954 - Tully Blanchard is born in San Antonio, Texas.
1959 - Reggie and Stan Lisowski defeat Herb and Seymour Freeman for the Minneapolis NWA World Tag Team Title in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to begin their second reign.
1960 - Lee Henning defeats Bob Ellis in St. Joseph, Missouri to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title.
1962 - Gene Kiniski and Killer Kowalski defeat Roy McClarty and Whipper Billy Watson in Vancouver, British Columbia for the Vancouver NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Title.
1963 - Stan Mykietowich defeats Bob Brown to win the Madison Wrestling Club Heavyweight Title in Winnipeg, Manitoba, ending Brown's seventh reign.
1964 - The Destroyer and Art Michalik defeat Luther Lindsay and Shag Thomas for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title in Salem, Oregon, ending and beginning each team's third reign.
1968 - The WWF held an event at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The results were:
- Ricky Sexton defeated Mario Froteroli.
- Victor Rivera defeated Wes Hutchings.
- Bull Ramos defeated Smasher Sloan.
- Miguel Perez defeated Angelo Savoldi (subbing for Virgil the Kentucky Butcher).
- Earl Maynard defeated Guillotine Gordon.
- Edouard Carpentier and Dominic DeNucci defeated Luke Graham and Baron Mikel Scicluna.
- Antonio Pugliese defeated Prof. Tanaka by disqualification.
- Hans Mortier defeated WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino by disqualification.
1969 - The Medics (Billy Garrett and Jim Starr) defeat Louie Tillet and Tarzan Tyler to win the Florida NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Tampa, Florida.
1970 - The Spoilers defeat Ron and Don Wright in Chattanooga, Tennessee for the NWA Tennessee Tag Team Title, ending the Wrights' second reign.
1972 - The WWF held an event at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The results:
- Prof. Tanaka defeats Manuel Soto.
- Victor Rivera defeated Stan Stasiak.
- Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Jimmy Valiant.
- World Women's Champion The Fabulous Moolah defeated Vickie Williams.
- WWWF World Tag Team Champions Karl Gotch and Rene Goulet defeated The Rugged Russians.
- WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales vs. Fred Blassie ended in a no contest.
1973 - The Brute and Mike Webster defeat Dutch Savage and Steven Little Bear for the Vancouver NWA Canadian Tag Team Title in New Westminster, British Columbia, ending Savage and Steven's fourth reign.
1974 - Gunga Din and Kubla Khan defeat Norvell Austin and Rocket Monroe to win the Gulf Coast NWA United States Tag Team Title in Mobile, Alabama, beginning their second reign.
1975 - Dick Murdoch defeats Blackjack Mulligan to win the Amarillo NWA International Heavyweight Title in Lubbock, Texas, to begin his second reign.
1976 - Duke Miller wins his second NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Title in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, defeating Eddie Sullivan in a tournament final. The title had been vacated by Bob Kelly on December 18, when he left the territory and ended his 16th reign.
1979 - The WWWF holds an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results were:
- WWWF Junior Heavyweight Champion Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Johnny Rodz.
- Roddy Piper defeated Frankie Williams.
- Suzette Ferrera and NWA World Women's Champion The Fabulous Moolah defeated Joyce Grable and Wenonah Little Heart.
- Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna (subbing for Stan Stasiak).
- Dusty Rhodes defeated Lumberjack Pierre.
- WWWF World Tag Team Champions Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko defeated Victor Rivera and Stan Stasiak (subing for Spiros Arion).
- Ivan Koloff defeated Ivan Putski by countout.
- WWWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund defeated Peter Maivia in a steel cage match.
1979 - Pierre and Rick Martel become the WWC North American Tag Team Champions, after Pierre's previous championship partner, Jean Martel, left the promotion.
1981 - Jumbo Tsuruta wins his fourth NWA United National Heavyweight Title, defeating Abdullah the Butcher in Nirasaki, Japan.
1981 - Bobby Eaton defeats Steve O for the NWA National Television Title in Atlanta, Georgia.
1982 - The Masked Superstar and Super Destroyer (Scott Irwin) defeat Bob and Brad Armstrong for the NWA National Tag Team Title in Columbus, Georgia.
1983 - The WWF holds an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results:
- Johnny Rodz pinned Pete Sanchez with a small package.
- Special Delivery Jones pinned Baron Mikel Scicluna after a headbutt.
- Superstar Billy Graham pinned Swede Hanson, after hitting him in the throat with a foreign object that Graham had hidden in his boot.
- Don Muraco pinned WWF Intercontinental Champion Pedro Morales, after Morales' injured knee gave out while he was attempting a slam and Muraco fell on top, to win the title. This ended Morales' second reign and began Muraco's second.
- The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) defeated Tony Garea and Eddie Gilbert, when Sika pinned Garea after Afa connected with a flying axehandle to the back as Garea had Sika in an abdominal stretch.
- Ray Stevens pinned WWF Tag Team Champion Jules Strongbow after a piledriver.
- WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund pinned Big John Studd, by backdropping out of an overhead backbreaker after kicking off the top turnbuckle and landing on top, to retain the title.
- Curt Hennig pinned Jose Luis Rivera after a missile dropkick.
- Jimmy Snuka pinned Buddy Rose after the Superfly splash.
- Salvatore Bellomo pinned Charlie Fulton with a high crossbody.
- Rocky Johnson pinned Mr. Fuji with a small package.
1983 - Pequeo Solin defeats El Dandy to win the Mexican National Featherweight Title in Queretaro, Mexico.
1984 - Angelo Mosca defeats Sgt. Slaughter in Toronto, Ontario for the Toronto NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title, beginning his fifth reign.
1984 - Kendo Nagasaki (Kazuo Sakurada) defeats Mike Rotundo to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title in Orlando, Florida.
1993 - Alex Porteau wins his second GWF Light Heavywieght Title in Dallas, Texas, defeating Mike Dahl.
1994 - The WWF holds the seventh-annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view event at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The event got a 0.9 buyrate. The results were:
- In a dark match, The Brooklyn Brawler pinned Jim Powers after a swinging neckbreaker.
- Tatanka pinned Bam Bam Bigelow after a high cross body off the top rope. This match was originally to be Tatanka against Ludvig Borga, however Borga suffered a serious ankle injury during a January 17 match against Rick Steiner at Madison Square Garden. The injury was mentioned later, during the Royal Rumble match.
- WWF Tag Team Champions The Quebecers (Jacques and Pierre) defeated Bret and Owen Hart to retain the title. Referee Tim White stopped the match after he considered Bret unable to continue due to a (kayfabe) left knee injury suffered during the match. Owen helped his brother to his feet before kicking him in his injured knee before leaving the ring. As Bret was wheeled out of the arena on a stretcher, Todd Pettengill caught up with Owen backstage and asked him why he did what he did. Owen's answer was simply that Bret was too selfish, and didn't tag Owen into the match when Bret was hurt.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon pinned Irwin R. Schyster after the Razor's Edge to retain the title. I.R.S. had won the match earlier, after he pinned Razor after Shawn Michaels hit Razor with his fake Intercontinental title belt while referee Joey Marella was knocked out. After I.R.S. pinned Ramon, referee Earl Hebner came to the ring and informed Marella about what had happened, and the match was restarted.
- WWF Champion Yokozuna defeated The Undertaker in a Casket match to retain the title. Yokozuna won after The Undertaker was locked inside the casket, after being attacked by him along with Crush, The Great Kabuki, Tenryu, Bam Bam Bigelow, Adam Bomb, Jeff Jarrett, The Headshrinkers and Diesel. After they all started to push the casket up the aisleway, Undertaker's gong sounded, smoke began to pour from under the casket, and the arena went dark. Undertaker appeared on the video screen over the entrance, lying in a casket, and proclaimed he "will not rest in peace" and that soon everyone "will witness the rebirth of The Undertaker". The casket on-screen exploded, with The Undertaker ascending through the screen and up into the air, out of sight. The "Undertaker" that ascended was Marty Jannetty. Taker would not be seen again until SummerSlam in August.
- Bret Hart (#27) and Lex Luger (#23) co-won the Royal Rumble match, after both men went over the top rope at the same time, with replay unable to determine who just went out first. This would ultimately result in both men receiving WWF Title shots at WrestleMania X. At 30 minutes and 12 seconds, Bam Bam Bigelow (#15) lasted the longest in the match. Mabel (#16) had the most eliminations with seven.
1994 - Bruiser Brian defeats Colonel DeBeers for the Championship Wrestling USA Television Title in Portland, Oregon, ending DeBeers' third reign.
1995 - The "Mountain from Stone Mountain", Jerry Blackwell dies of complications from pneumonia at age 55. Blackwell was a top star in the AWA, having feuds with Bruiser Brody and Michael Hayes. Blackwell won titles in the AWA, Memphis, Alabama and St. Louis.
1995 - The WWF holds the eighth-annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view event at the USF Sundome in Tampa, Florida. The event earned a 1.0 buyrate. The results:
- In a dark match, Buck Quartermaine defeated The Brooklyn Brawler.
- Jeff Jarrett pinned WWF Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon with a roll-up to win the title. Jarrett had originally won the match by countout, after Razor was injured by The Roadie on the floor, but Jarrett goaded Razor to restart the match. This ended Razor Ramon's second reign.
- The Undertaker pinned Irwin R. Schyster after a chokeslam. After the match, King Kong Bundy came out and beat down Undertaker while I.R.S. ran off with Paul Bearer's urn.
- WWF Champion Diesel and Bret Hart fought to a draw, after continued interference from Owen Hart and Bob Backlund, who came out to attack Bret while Shawn Michaels, Jeff Jarrett, and The Roadie came out to attack Diesel.
- In a tournament final, Bob Holly and The 1-2-3 Kid defeated Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka, when The Kid pinned Bigelow after Tatanka accidentally caused Bigelow to fall from the top rope, to win the vacant WWF Tag Team Title. After the match, Bigelow saw Lawrence Taylor sitting at ringside laughing at him. Bigelow shoved him to the floor. This, of course, planted the seeds for their match at WrestleMania XI.
- Shawn Michaels won the Royal Rumble match, last eliminating The British Bulldog. Michaels and Bulldog were the first two to enter the match and the last two remaining. Bulldog threw Michaels over the top rope and thought he had won the match. However, referees noted that only one of Michaels' feet touched the floor making him still legal in the match. Michaels then re-entered the ring and eliminated the Bulldog, who was standing on the second rope in celebration. Pamela Anderson was on hand for the event and was featured in various backstage segments as well as in escorting the winner of the Rumble out of the arena. Both Shawn Michaels and The British Bulldog, obviously, were in the ring the longest, for 38 minutes and 39 seconds.
1996 - This week of the Monday Night War was a close one, with WWF Monday Night RAW narrowly defeating WCW Monday Nitro, 2.9 to 2.7 in the ratings.
WWF Monday Night RAW was live from the Civic Autitorium in Stockton, California. The results:
- Vader pinned Savio Vega after the Vaderbomb. After the match, Vader continued to assault Vega and a number of referees until WWF President Gorilla Monsoon came to the ring and indefinitely suspended Vader for his actions. Upon hearing this, Vader attacked Monsoon from behind and Vaderbombed him, putting Monsoon out until WrestleMania XII.
- Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Razor Ramon by countout.
- WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust by submission with the Sharpshooter. This was Goldust's first televised loss.
WCW Monday Nitro was live from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The results were:
In dark matches:
- The Giant defeated WCW World Television Champion Johnny B. Badd in a non-title match.
- Alex Wright defeated Disco Inferno.
- The Blue Bloods (Earl Robert Eaton and Lord Steven Regal) defeated Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater.
In televised matches:
- Eddie Guerrero defeated Chris Benoit by disqualification.
- Randy Savage pinned WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair to win the title. This began Savage's second reign and ended Flair's fourth.
- Brian Pillman pinned Dean Malenko.
- Lex Luger and Sting defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray), when Luger got the pin after using a roll of quarters as a weapon, to win the title, ending Harlem Heat's fourth reign.
- Hulk Hogan pinned WCW United States Heavyweight Champion One Man Gang in a non-title match.
1996 - Kyoko and Takako Inoue defeat Akira Hokuto and Mima Shimoda for the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan, beginning their third reign.
1999 - Toshiaki Kawada wins his third AJPW Triple Crown Title in Tokyo, Japan, ending Mitsuharu Misawa's fourth reign. Kawada vacated the title one week later, due to a broken arm suffered during the match with Misawa.
1999 - The New Moondogs (Chomps and Manson) defeat The Glamour Order of Discipline (Johnny Canuck and Michelle Starr) for the ECCW Tag Team Title in Nanaimo, British Columbia. This began and ended both team's second reign.
1999 - Cedric of Hollywood defeats Super T for the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Title in North Richland Hills, Texas.
2000 - Luminous Warrior ends Derek Stone's second reign as World League Wrestling Heavyweight Champion in California, Missouri.
2001 - In this week in the Monday Night War, WWF RAW is WAR's 5.6 rating went unopposed, as WCW Monday Nitro did not air. RAW was live from the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana. The coming weekend's edition of Jakked was also taped. The results:
Jakked:
- Perry Saturn defeated Chris Nelson.
- Essa Rios defeated Scoot Andrews.
- Taka Michinoku defeated Vito DeNucci.
- Hardcore Holly defeated Mike Sullivan.
RAW is WAR:
- Test pinned WWF European Champion William Regal, after a big boot and elbow off the top rope, to win the title. This ended Regal's second reign.
- The Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq) defeated The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff), when Faarooq pinned Jeff after the Dominator.
- The Rock and WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho defeated Big Show and Chris Benoit, when Rock pinned Benoit after the Rock Bottom.
- WWF Women's Champion Ivory pinned Molly Holly to retain the title, after Steven Richards pushed Holly off the top rope.
- Kane defeated Rikishi by disqualification when Haku interfered.
- Lo Down (D'Lo Brown and Chaz) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von), after Bubba Ray hit D'Lo with one of the title belts. After the match, the Dudleys 3D'd Tiger Ali Singh through a table.
- Al Snow pinned WWF Hardcore Champion Raven, after a shot with a steel pipe, to win the title, beginning his fourth reign.
- Raven pinned WWF Hardcore Champion Al Snow, after a masked woman in a black bodysuit (Tori) knocked Snow out and put Raven on top for the cover, to win the title, beginning his second reign.
- Triple H and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley defeated WWF Champion Kurt Angle and Trish Stratus, when Stephanie pinned Trish after Triple H hit the Pedigree.
2002 - The original "Man of a Thousand Holds" Al Costello passes away due to pneumonia and heart problems at age 80. Costello was one-half of the successful Fabulous Kangaroos tag team with Roy Heffernan, which won titles worldwide. Although billed from Australia (Heffernan actually was Australian), Costello was actually Italian, born Giacomo Costa in Lingua Salina, Italy in 1919. The Kangaroos became the first tag team to be inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.
2003 - TNA held its 28th weekly pay-per-view event at the TNA Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee. The results were:
In dark matches:
- Rick Santel pinned Matt Stryker.
- Agents Steele and Madison defeated Roderick and Sedrick Strong.
- Kid Kash pinned Xavier.
In pay-per-view matches:
- The Amazing Red and The S.A.T. (Jose and Joel Maximo) defeated Shark Boy, Jimmy Yang and Shark Boy, when Red pinned Yang.
- Ashley Hudson pinned Jorge Estrada.
- A.J. Styles pinned Larry Zbyszko.
- David Flair and Mike Sanders defeated Ron Killings and Jerry Lynn, when Sanders pinned Lynn.
- Triple X (Low Ki and Elix Skipper) defeated NWA World Tag Team Champions America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm), when Low Ki pinned Harris, to win the title. This ended AMW's second reign.
- TNA X Division Champion Sonny Siaki defeated Athena and Chris Vaughn in a three-way match, by pinning Vaughn, to retain the title.
- NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett defeated B.G. James, Don Harris and Christopher Daniels in a Gauntlet match to retain the title.
2005 - Diabalico and Rico Suave defeat Hurrican Castillo and Chicky Starr for the WWC World Tag Team Title in Caguas, Puerto Rico, ending Castillo and Starr's second reign.
2005 - Buff Bagwell and Dusty Rhodes defeat Rikki Nelson and Terry Taylor to win the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title in Seoul, South Korea.
2006 - Shinjiro Otani defeats Steve Corino in Tokyo, Japan for the AWA World Heavyweight Title.
2006 - Jun Akiyama defeats Akira Taue to win his second NOAH GHC Heavyweight Title in Tokyo, Japan.
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