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January 26th

On this day in history in ....

1979 - Seiji Sakaguchi defeats Johnny Powers in Okayama, Japan to win the NWF North American Heavyweight Title, ending Powers sixth, and final, reign with the belt.

1980 - Mr. Fuji defeated Invader I in Bayamon, Puerto Rico to win the WWC North American Heavyweight Title, ending Invader's second reign.

1985 - WWF ran three separate house shows in one night, which wasn't unusual for this period in the business.  What was unusual was that WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan didn't headline, or even appear, on any of the show.  One event in Vancouver, British Columbia was headlined by Andre The Giant & Blackjack Mulligan vs. Big John Studd & Ken Patera, a second event in Cincinnati, Ohio was headlined by Junkyard Dog & Ivan Putski defeating Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff, and a third event in Canton, Ohio was headlined by Tito Santana defeating Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine by countout.

1987 - At a WWF television taping in Tampa, Florida at the Sundome, The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart) defeat The British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid & Davey Boy Smith) to win the WWF World Tag Team Championship. Manager Jimmy Hart knocked out Dynamite (who was injured and couldn't wrestle) with his megaphone before the match, and heel referee Danny Davis paid no attention to the Hart Foundation illegally double teaming Smith before counting the pin following a Hart Attack. This ended the Bulldogs' only WWF World Tag Team Title run, and was Bret Hart's first WWF championship of any kind.

During the same taping, three editions of Piper's Pit were taped. In the first, Andre The Giant turned heel, revealing Bobby Heenan to be his new manager, and challenged Hulk Hogan to a title match, tearing off Hogan's shirt and crucifix. In the second edition, Hogan accepted Andre's challenge, setting up the main event to Wrestlemania III. In the third edition, Roddy Piper revealed that he would retire following his match with Adrian Adonis at Wrestlemania III.

Also, in a lesser remembered moment, Outback Jack, WWF's "Crocodile Dundee"-like character made his WWF television debut, defeating Steve Lombardi with the Boomerang clothesline.

1996 - Konnan defeated Pierroth Jr. in Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico to become the first International Wrestling All Stars World Heavyweight Champion. He would also be the last champion, as the title was later abandoned.

1996 - WWF ran at Madison Square Garden with the following results: 
- Tatanka & Isaac Yankem defeated Bob Holly & Fatu.
- Duke Drose defeated 1-2-3 Kid.
- Owen Hart defeated Hakushi.
- Ahmed Johnson defeated Jeff Jarrett.
- Steve Austin, in his Madison Square Garden debut, defeated Henry Godwinn. 
- The Undertaker defeated Yokozuna. 
- WWF World Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns defeated The Bodydonnas.
- Savio Vega defeated Intercontinental Champion Goldust via countout when Goldust walked out after Savio scored a near fall with a spin kick. Savio had dominated the match to that point.
- Shawn Michaels defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
- WWF World Champion Bret Hart defeated Diesel in a steel cage match after the Undertaker interfered, costing Diesel the match as revenge on Diesel costing Undertaker his Royal Rumble match with Hart. 

1999 - Prior to an edition of Raw in Tucson, Arizona, WWF filmed an Empty Arena match in which Mankind pinned The Rock with a wooden palette on a forklift to win the WWF World Heavyweight Title.  The match was aired on January 31st as a "Halftime Heat" special, set up to air during halftime of the Superbowl. 

2001 - Chad Collyer defeats Race Steele for the Heartland Wrestling Association Heavyweight Title in Rising Sun, Indiana.

2003 - Jushin Liger & Koji Kanemoto defeat Pro Wrestling Noah's Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru to win back New Japan's IWGP World Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title in Kobe, Japan.

2004 - During an edition of Raw from Hershey, Pennsylvania, Chris Benoit switched brands from Smackdown, using the fact that he won the Royal Rumble and had earned a Wrestlemania main event title bout to challenge for the World Title on the Raw brand.