This Day In History - January 3rd
January 3rd
On this day in history in ....
1957 - Stan Mykietowich and Ted Stefanyk defeat Frenchy Champagne and John DePaulo for the Madison Wrestling Club Tag Team Title in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
1957 - Dizzy Davis defeats Jim Wright to become the first to hold the Amarillo version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Title in Amarillo, Texas.
1964 - The Destroyer defeats Mad Dog Vachon in Portland, Oregon to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title, ending Vachon's fourth reign.
1965 - Pat Patterson defeats Pepper Martin for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title, beginning his second reign and ending Martin's second.
1965 - Johnny Valentine defeats The Sheik in Toronto, Ontario to win the Toronto version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title for the seventh time.
1977 - Bruiser Brody defeats Fritz Von Erich to win the World Class American Heavyweight Title in Atlanta, Georgia, ending Von Erich's 13th reign, which lasted only four days.
1977 - Dutch Mantel and David Schultz defeat Danny Little Bear and Chief Thundercloud for the Mid-America version of the NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Memphis, Tennessee.
1978 - Randy Savage defeats Don Kent for the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title in Birmingham, Alabama, ending Kent's fourth reign.
1980 - Jimmy Valiant wins his third AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Jackson, Tennessee, ending the 15th reign of Jerry Lawler.
1981 - The WWF ran a show at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. The results:
- Yoshiaki Yatsu (advertised to be Bulldog Brower) and Johnny Rodz fought to a draw.
- Larry Sharpe defeated Ron Shaw.
- Special Delivery Jones defeated Jose Estrada.
- Killer Khan defeated Dominic DeNucci.
- Tony Atlas defeated The Hangman.
- Tony Atlas defeated Ernie Ladd by countout.
- The Moondogs (King and Rex) defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Tony Garea and Rick Martel by disqualification.
- Bulldog Brower (advertised to be Larry Sharpe) defeated Rick McGraw.
- Sgt. Slaughter defeated WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund by disqualification.
1983 - The Great Kabuki defeats Al Madril in Fort Worth, Texas to win the World Class Television Title.
1983 - Tully Blanchard defeats Bob Sweetan in a tournament final in San Antonio, Texas for the vacant Southwest Championship Wrestling Southwest Heavyweight Title, beginning his seventh reign. Dick Slater, the previous champion, left the area in December, leaving the title vacant and ending his own second reign.
1986 - The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts) defeat Brian Adias and Kerry and Kevin Von Erich in Dallas, Texas, to win the World Class Six-Man Tag Team Title for the fifth time.
1987 - The ninth edition of the WWF's "Saturday Night's Main Event" airs on NBC, earning a 10.6 rating. The show was taped on December 14 in Hartford, Connecticut at the Hartford Civic Center. The results:
- WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Paul Orndorff in a steel cage match by escaping over the top of the cage after hitting the legdrop on Orndorff and sending Orndorff's manager, Bobby Heenan face-first into the cage. Earlier, both men escaped over the top of the cage simultaneously, causing the match to restart.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage pinned George Steele after hitting him with the ring bell. Ricky Steamboat came to ringside in support of Steele during the match, with Steele carrying Miss Elizabeth from ringside minutes later. Steamboat saved Steele as Savage was about to hit Steele in the throat with the bell off the top rope.
- The Junkyard Dog defeated "King" Harley Race by disqualification when Bobby Heenan ran and and attacked JYD after he had put on Race's crown and robe. JYD then fought off both Heenan and Race, accidentally headbutting referee Danny Davis in the process, when Race moved out of the way.
- Adrian Adonis defeated Roddy Piper by countout after spraying him in the eyes with perfume.
- Blackjack Mulligan pinned Jimmy Jack Funk after a flying back elbow.
1987 - The WWF ran an event at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, with the matches airing live on the New England Sports Network, as well as on the January 14, 19 and February 13 editions of Prime Time Wrestling. The results:
- Dan Spivey pinned Jimmy Jack Funk with a reverse roll-up.
- Don Muraco pinned Lanny Poffo with a powerslam.
- Greg Valentine pinned Dick Slater after sending Slater into the corner.
- Tama pinned Scott McGhee with a flying bodypress.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage defeated Bruno Sammartino by countout after hitting him with a chair on the floor.
- Sika pinned Corporal Kirchner after a diving headbutt.
- Mike Rotundo pinned Pete Doherty after an airplane spin.
- Blackjack Mulligan pinned Brutus Beefcake after a flying back elbow.
- Hillbilly Jim defeated Jim Neidhart by disqualification after Neidhart shoved the referee down twice.
- Blackjack Mulligan won a 20-man Bunkhouse Battle Royal, last eliminating King Kong Bundy.
1987 - Masanobu Fuchi defeats Kuniaki Kobayashi for the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Title in Tokyo, Japan.
1987 - Bill Dundee defeats Sam Houston to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title in Topeka, Kansas.
1988 - Moondog Spot defeats Tom Prichard for the NWA Alabama Heavyweight Title in Montgomery, Alabama.
1993 - The Tazmaniac defeats Flex Wheeler in a tournament final to become the first Century Wrestling Alliance Light Heavyweight Champion in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The CWA would later be known as NWA New England from 1998 through 2007, before reverting its the original name.
1996 - Doug Gilbert and Tommy Rich win their fourth USWA Tag Team Title, defeating Jesse James Armstrong and Tracy Smothers in Memphis, Tennessee.
1997 - Danny Christian and Johnny Thunder defeat Butch Black (subbing for Steve Flynn) and Justin St. John to win the Southern States Wrestling Tag Team Title in Fall Branch, Tennessee.
1998 - Michael Modest defeats Donovan Morgan for the All Pro Wrestling Universal Heavyweight Title in Hayward, California, beginning his second reign.
1998 - Christian York defeats Joey Matthews to win the NWA 2000 Light Heavyweight Title in Raeford, North Carolina. At the same event, Lance Diamond defeats Jimmy Cicero to win the NWA 2000 Heavyweight Title.
1999 - Rip Rogers defeats Doug Basham for the OVW Heavyweight Title in Louisville, Kentucky, ending Basham's second reign and beginning Rogers' third.
2000 - The Monday Night War entered its final full year, with RAW is WAR defeating Monday Nitro solidly, 6.4 to 3.3.
WWF RAW is WAR took place at the brand-new (it opened three days earlier) AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida. That night's RAW featured D-Generation X's "epic" Mankind-bashing film entitled "Have a Bad Day". The show also featured Triple H winning his second WWF Title, defeating Big Show. That night's RAW also featured Stephanie McMahon declaring Chris Jericho and Chyna co-Intercontinental Champions, after their double-pin on the previous week's SmackDown!.
WCW Monday Nitro came from Greenville, South Carolina's BI-LO Center, and featured a Lethal Lottery Tournament for the vacant WCW World Tag Team Title, which had been stripped from Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, due to Scott Hall not appearing, in reality, he had knee surgery. The tournament featured some quite odd pairings (as Lethal Lotteries often did) such as Norman Smiley and Asya, Lash LeRoux and Midnight, and Buff Bagwell and Vampiro. David Flair and Crowbar defeated Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner in the finals to win the title, after referee Arn Anderson hit Kevin Nash with a crowbar, put Flair on top of Nash, and counted the pin.
2001 - B.J. Payne defeats Flash Flanagan for control of their OVW Southern Tag Team Title in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Payne would select Damian as his new partner.
2002 - Super Delfin wins his third Osaka Pro Wrestling Singles Title by defeating Gamma in Osaka, Japan. Also, Daioh QUALLT and M-G-MA win the OPW Tag Team Title from Azteca and Miracleman.
2003 - The Heartbreakers (John Cesar and Larry Valentine) defeat Superfly P and Robbie Ruffin to win the United States Wrestling Organization Tag Team Title in Madison, Tennessee.
2004 - In Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Abdullah the Butcher wins his fifth WWC Universal Heavyweight Title, ending the 10th reign of Carly Colón. Also, José Rivera, Jr. defeats Eddie Colón for the vacant WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title, beginning his sixth reign.
2004 - Hoss defeats Nigel McGuinness to win the Heartland Wrestling Asssociation Heavyweight Title in Batavia, Ohio.
2004 - In McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Devin Divine defeats NWA East Three Rivers Champion Daron Smythe and NWA East Heavyweight Champion Justin Idol in a three-way double-title match. The match stipulated that if a champion is defeated, they lose their title. Divine pinned Smythe, beginning Divine's second reign with the NWA East Three Rivers Title.
2004 - Rikki Nelson defeats Chris Hamrick for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Junior Heavyweight Title in Guangzhou, China.
2004 - Cru Jones defeats Acid to win the NWA Revolution Heavyweight Title in La Salle, Illinois, ending Acid's second reign.
2004 - Three Alabama Pro Wrestling titles change hands in Sylacauga, Alabama. Whiplash defeats Dilemma, Goth and Twist in a four-way match to win the vacant APW Junior Heavyweight Title, beginning his second reign. Major Havoc and Krazy Kat defeat champions Baine and Youngblood and The Motor City Clique in a three-way match for the APW Tag Team Title, ending Baine and Youngblood's second reign, and El Santanico defeats Death Row, who laid down for Satanico, to win the vacant APW Heavyweight Title. APW became NWA Xtreme in April.
2004 - Saki Maemura defeats Hikaru for the AJW Singles Title in Tokyo, Japan.
2005 - Kumiko Maekawa defeats Ayako Hamada to win the vacant WWWA World Singles Title in Tokyo, Japan. Previous champion, Nanae Takahashi, vacated the title on December 29 due to injury. Maekawa would be the last official champion, as All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling closed in April 2005. Takahashi would defend the title in her retirement match on March 26, 2006, before officially retiring it.
2007 - Eddie Kraven defeats El Aero Fuego (Seth Skyfire) for the OVW Television Title in Louisville, Kentucky, ending Skyfire's second reign.
2007 - Chris Stevens defeats Bobby Sanford to win the Great Championship Wrestling Columbus Heavyweight Title in Phenix City, Alabama, beginning his third reign.
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