This Day In History - January 26th
January 27th
On this day in history in ....
1904 - Frank Gotch defeats Tom Jenkins in Bellingham, Washington to win the American Heavyweight Title, ending Jenkins' second reign.
1916 - Joe Stecher defeats The Masked Marvel to retain the World Heavyweight Title in two straight falls at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The Masked Marvel unmasked as Mort Henderson.
1936 - George Dussette defeats The Great Mephisto to win the Midwest Wrestling Association World Light Heavyweight Title in Detroit, Michigan.
1945 - Bert Assirati defeat Michael O'Leary for the British Heavyweight Title in Manchester, England.
1947 - Danny McShain wins his eighth World Light Heavyweight Title in Hollywood, California, ending Martino Angelo's second reign.
1954 - Oyama Kato defeated Frankie Talaber in Mansfield, Ohio to win the Midwest Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Title, ending Talaber's ninth reign.
1960 - Hard Boiled Haggerty and Bill Savage defeat Lord James Blears and Jerry Gordet for the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Title in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1960 - Bobby and Don Fields defeat The Corsicans (Jean and Joe) in Mobile, Alabama to win the Gulf Coast NWA Southern Tag Team Title, beginning their second reign.
1965 - Fred Blassie and Tarzan Tyler defeat Eddie Graham and Sam Steamboat to win the Florida NWA World Tag Team Title in Jacksonville, Florida, ending Graham and Steamboat's second reign.
1967 - Paul Jones and Pepper Martin defeat Tony Borne and Moondog Mayne for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title.
1969 - The WWWF holds an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The results:
- The Jamaica Kid and Joey Russell defeated Billy the Kid and Cowboy Bradley in a two-out-of-three falls match.
- Lou Albano defeated Ron Sanders.
- Tony Altimore defeated Bob Harmon.
- Johnny Rodz defeated Carlos Colón.
- Bull Ramos defeated Louis Cerdan.
- Spiros Arion and Baron Mikel Scicluna fought to a draw.
- Haystacks Calhoun defeated The Sheik by disqualification, after The Sheik took a camera away from a ringside photographer and smashed it on the mat. While Sheik was leaving the arena a small riot broke out in the crowd, with an elderly woman getting trampled in the process. This resulted in The Sheik being banned from Madison Square Garden.
- Killer Kowalski and Gorilla Monsoon defeated Victor Rivera and WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino in three falls in a two-out-of-three falls match.
1972 - Omar Atlas and Danny Little Bear defeat Yasu Fuji and Chati Yokouchi to win the Central States NWA North American Tag Team Title in Kansas City, Kansas.
1972 - Boris Malenko wins the NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Title for the seventh time, defeating Bobby Duncum in Tampa, Florida, ending his second reign.
1973 - The Sheik defeats Bobo Brazil for the Detroit NWA United States Heavyweight Title in Detroit, Michigan, to begin his fourth reign and end Brazil's sixth.
1976 - Rufus R. Jones and Wahoo McDaniel defeat Gene and Ole Anderson in Columbia, South Carolina for the Mid-Atlantic NWA World Tag Team Title.
1976 - Bob Orton, Jr. and Bob Roop defeat Eddie and Mike Graham to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Title in Tampa, Florida.
1980 - Bobby Eaton and George Gulas defeat The Blond Bombers (Larry Latham and Wayne Farris) to win the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Title in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1981 - Roddy Piper defeats Ric Flair for the NWA United States Heavyweight Title in Raleigh, North Carolina, ending Flair's fifth reign. As a result, Piper's NWA Television Title was vacated. Piper held that title since defeating The Masked Superstar in Richmond, Virginia on November 1.
1984 - Mocho Cota defeats Americo Rocca for the NWA World Welterweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico, ending Rocca's second reign.
1985 - The WWF held an event at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. The results were:
- Moondog Rex defeated Rick McGraw.
- George Wells defeated René Goulet.
- Jim Neidhart defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- Angelo Mosca, Jr. defeated Nick DeCarlo.
- WWF Tag Team Champion Barry Windham defeated The Iron Sheik.
- Nikolai Volkoff defeated WWF Tag Team Champion Mike Rotundo.
- The Spoiler defeated Bret Hart.
- Tony Atlas and Jimmy Snuka vs. Bob Orton, Jr. and Roddy Piper ended in a double-countout.
1985 - Eddie Gilbert defeats Jerry Lawler to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Lawler's 31st reign.
1986 - The WWF holds an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York with a sellout crowd of 20,225 fans. The results were:
- Danny Spivey pinned René Goulet after a bulldog.
- Iron Mike Sharpe vs. George Wells ended in a draw.
- Ted Arcidi defeated Tiger Chung Lee by submission with a bearhug.
- Paul Orndorff defeated Big John Studd (with Bobby Heenan) by disqualification, when Heenan interfered as Orndorff attempted to bodyslam Studd.
- Terry Funk (with Jimmy Hart) pinned Scott McGhee after blocking a top rope attack by lifting his knees. Funk branded McGhee after the match.
- Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) defeated WWF Champion Hulk Hogan by countout after Hogan hit one of the ringpost shoulder-first, when Elizabeth kept blocking Hogan from ramming Savage into the post. Hogan locked Savage in a bearhug after the match, with other wrestlers and officials having to break it up.
- Pedro Morales pinned Moondog Spot with a reverse roll-up.
- Sivi Afi pinned Ron Shaw with a flying bodypress.
- Adrian Adonis defeated The Junkyard Dog by disqualification.
- George Steele defeated Barry O by submission with a flying hammerlock.
- WWF Tag Team Champions Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine (with Johnny V) defeated The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid (with Lou Albano)), when Beefcake pinned Dynamite after Johnny V interfered and reversed Dynamite's pin attempt, putting Beefcake on top for the cover.
1986 - Al Madril and Magnificent Zulu defeat American Force (Paul Diamond and Shawn Michaels) for the Texas All-Star Wrestling Texas Tag Team Title in San Antonio, Texas, ending American Force's second reign. The same day, in a fictitious title change, Austin Idol defeats Big Bubba (Fred Ottman) to win the TASW USA Heavyweight Title in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Ottman had actually left Texas All-Star for Florida.
1987 - The Midnight Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels) defeat Buddy Rose and Doug Somers in St. Paul, Minnesota to win the AWA World Tag Team Title.
1987 - El Symbolo defeats Solar II for the vacant Mexican National Welterweight Title. Fuerza Guerrera had vacated the title in August 1986 when he left CMLL.
1990 - The WWF's 25th edition of Saturday Night's Main Event airs on NBC, earning an 11.1 rating. The show was taped January 3 in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the UTC Arena. The results:
- Randy Savage (with Sensational Sherri) pinned Jim Duggan, after Sensational Sherri grabbed Duggan's leg during a suplex into the ring.
- WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and WWF Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior defeated The Genius and Mr. Perfect, when Hogan pinned Genius after the Legdrop, following Warrior's press slam. After the match, the Warrior accidentally clotheslined Hogan after Hogan grabbed him from behind as Warrior was fighting off Perfect and The Genius, with them having a shoving match as a result.
- Jake Roberts defeated Greg Valentine by disqualification after Ted DiBiase interfered.
- Dusty Rhodes (with Sapphire) and Rick Rude (Bobby Heenan) fought to a double-countout. Both managers had been ejected from ringside during the match, with Sapphire returning to a ringside seat after buying a ticket.
- Dino Bravo (with Earthquake) pinned Ronnie Garvin, when Bravo reversed a top-rope crossbody into a pin. Earthquake attacked Garvin after the match, with Garvin being taken from the ring on a stretcher.
1990 - Eddie Watts defeats Super Medico I for the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Title in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
1990 - The Southern Rockers (Steve Doll and Rex King) win their fourth NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title in Portland, Oregon, defeating Brian Adams and The Grappler.
1991 - The Universal Wrestling Association holds its 16th Anniversary Show at El Toreo in Naucalpan, Mexico. The results:
- Fantasma and Los Cowboys (Silver King and El Texano) defeated Black Power, Khaos and Scorpio.
- El Engendro, Baby Face and El Signo defeated UWA World Trios Champions Los Villanos (I, IV and V) in two straight falls in a two-out-of-three falls match.
- UWA World Welterweight Champion El Hijo del Santo, Enrique Vera and WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Villano III defeated Negro Casas, Fishman, and Killer.
- UWA World Heavyweight Champion Canek, Dos Caras and Mil Máscaras defeated The Wild Samoans (Samu, Fatu and Kokina (Yokozuna))
1992 - The WWF tapes the 30th edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, which aired on February 8 on FOX, at the Municipal Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas. The results:
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Roddy Piper pinned The Mountie to retain the title, after using Mountie's shockstick on him. The Mountie had tried to shock Piper with it, but couldn't because Piper had a rubber vest on under his T-shirt. Before the match, it was announced that Bret Hart would face the Intercontinental Champion for the title at WrestleMania VIII on April 5.
- Hulk Hogan (with Brutus Beefcake) and Sid Justice defeated The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) and WWF Champion Ric Flair (with Mr. Perfect) by disqualification), when Flair pushed the referee down as Hogan was being double teamed, moments after Justice walked out on his partner.
- Jim Duggan and Sgt. Slaughter defeated The Beverly Brothers (Beau and Blake (with The Genius)), when Duggan pinned Blake after a running clothesline after Slaughter hit Blake with The Genius' scroll.
- Randy Savage pinned Jake Roberts after the flying elbowdrop.
1993 - The legendary André the Giant passes away from congestive heart failure, due to a tumor on his pituitary gland causing it to produce excess growth hormone, a condition known as acromegaly. André died in his sleep in a Paris, France hotel room, where he was in town for his father's funeral. He was born André René Roussimoff in Coulmmiers, France on May 19, 1946, and was trained by former World Heavyweight Champion Édouard Carpentier in the late 1960s. André made his WWWF debut on October 24, 1972 in White Plains, New York, teaming with WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales against WWWF Tag Team Champions Prof. Tanaka and Mr. Fuji. He also won the WWF World Title in 1988 in a controversial match which ended with André giving the title to Ted DiBiase, which was later disallowed. André's last match in the WWF came on April 13, 1990 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, before 53,742 fans. The event was called the Wrestling Summit, and featured wrestlers from the WWF as well as All Japan and New Japan Pro Wrestling. André teamed with Giant Baba to defeat WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition (Ax and Smash) in a non-title match, when Andre pinned Smash with an elbowdrop. Posthumously, André the Giant was the first wrestler inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame in 1993.
1994 - WCW holds Clash of the Champions XXVI at the Centroplex in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The live show got a 3.5 rating on TBS. The results:
- Marcus Bagwell and 2 Cold Scorpio defeated Pretty Wonderful (Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma), when Bagwell pinned Roma.
- Ron Simmons pinned Ice Train.
- Brian Pillman pinned Robert Parker in a "loser wears a chicken suit" match.
- Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) in a non-title match, when Cactus pinned Knobbs.
- WCW World Television Champion Lord Steven Regal fought Dustin Rhodes to a 15-minute time-limit draw to retain the title.
- Sting and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair defeated Rick Rude and Vader in an elimination match. Flair and Vader were both counted out, and Sting pinned Rude to win.
1996 - ECW held an event at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- Hack Myers defeated Mr. Hughes.
- Judge Dread defeated The Blue Meanie.
- Buh Buh Ray and Dances with Dudley defeted Axl Rotten and J.T. Smith.
- The Headhunters defeated The Bad Crew.
- ECW World Television Champion 2 Cold Scorpio defeted El Puerto Ricano to retain the title.
- The Gangstas (Mustapha Saed and New Jack) defeated The Pitbulls.
- Sabu defeated Rob Van Dam by disqualfiication.
- ECW World Tag Team Champions Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck defeated Shane Douglas and Tommy Dreamer to retain the title.
- Raven defeated ECW World Heavyweight Champion The Sandman to win the title, ending Sandman's third reign.
1996 - Inferno and Michelle Starr defeat The Billionaire Boys' Club (Johnny Canuck and Mike Starr) for the West Coast Championship Wrestling International Tag Team Title in Cloverdale, British Columbia.
1997 - In this week of the Monday Night War, WCW Monday Nitro's 3.6 rating defeated WWF Monday Night RAW's 2.2 rating.
WWF Monday Night RAW was taped on January 20 in Beaumont, Texas at the Beaumont Civic Center. The results were:
- Crush pinned Ahmed Johnson.
- WWF Tag Team Champion Davey Boy Smith defeated Doug Furnas.
- The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) defeated Mankind and Vader by countout.
WCW Monday Nitro was live from Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa. The results:
- The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) defeated The Faces of Fear (The Barbarian and Meng).
- The Giant defeated Roadblock.
- Jeff Jarrett defeated WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Eddy Guerrero by disqualification.
- Ultimo Dragon defeated Billy Pearl.
- Lex Luger defeated Ron Powers.
- Arn Anderson and Steve McMichael defeated The Amazing French Canadians (Jacques Rougeau and Carl Oulette).
- WCW World Tag Team Champions The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) defeated Ace Darling and Devon Storm.
- Kevin Sullivan defeated Joe Gomez.
- Dean Malenko defeated Jerry Flynn.
- Hugh Morrus defeated Chris Benoit.
- The Giant defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan by disqualification.
1998 - The Tennessee Volunteers (Steven Dunn and Reno Riggins) defeat Shane Eden and The Thrillbilly for the Music City Wrestling Southern Tag Team Title in Nashville, Tennessee.
1999 - The masked Borkcin Brothers defeat David C. and Damaja to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Title in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The team unmasked after the match as The Lords of the Ring (Rob Conway and Nick Dinsmore). This began their seventh reign.
1999 - Julie Starr wins her second British Women's Title in Norwich, England, defeating Sweet Saraya.
2000 - Bad Boy Basil defeats J.D. Dempsey in a tournament final in Santa Ana, California to win the vacant UPW Heavyweight Title. The title had been stripped from Mike Bell on January 9.
2001 - The WWF holds an event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York with 19,448 fans attending. The results were:
- Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty) defeated The Right to Censor (Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather).
- WWF Women's Champion Ivory defeated Molly Holly, after Steven Richards interfered.
- WWF Hardcore Champion Raven pinned Steve Blackman after a DDT on a chair.
- Billy Gunn defeated Steven Richards.
- WWF Tag Team Champions The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) defeated The Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq) and The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) in an elimination match.
- WWF Champion Kurt Angle pinned WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho.
- Perry Saturn pinned K-Kwik.
- Hardcore Holly defeated Albert.
- WWF European Champion Test pinned Christian.
- Steve Austin, Kane, The Rock and The Undertaker defeated Chris Benoit, Haku, Rikishi and Triple H, when Rock pinned Benoit.
2001 - Carlos Colón defeats The One Man Gang for the WWC Hardcore Title in Carolina, Puerto Rico, beginning his second reign.
2001 - Big Dick Dudley defeats Chris Candido and Sabu in a three-way match for the vacant NWA Jersey Hardcore Title in Toms River, New Jersey. Crowbar had vacated the title in November.
2001 - RodRageous (Rodney of the Mean Street Posse) defeats Bulldog Raines in Memphis, Tennessee to win the Power Pro Wrestling Television Title.
2001 - Powerhouse Hughes defeats Pittsburgh Wrestling League Triple Jeopardy Champion Super Mantis and Pro Wrestling eXpress Television Champion Scott Venom in a three-way match in McKeesport, Pennsylvania to win both titles. At the same show, Homicide defeats Guido Corleone for the PWX Heavyweight Title.
2003 - The WWE held a live RAW at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, which earned a 4.1 rating on SpikeTV. The February 2 edition of Sunday Night Heat was taped as well. The results:
Dark matches:
- Johnny Stamboli pinned Chad Collyer after a powerslam.
- Sean O'Haire pinned Michael Shane after a crucifix powerbomb.
Sunday Night Heat:
- Goldust pinned Steven Richards after a powerslam.
- 3-Minute Warning (Rosey and Jamal) defeated Ken Anderson and Andy Sealo, when Jamal got the pin after a Samoan drop.
- Christian pinned Maven after the Unprettier.
- Spike Dudley pinned Rico with a roll-up.
RAW:
- Booker T pinned Jeff Hardy with a sunset flip.
- D'Lo Brown (with Theodore Long) pinned The Hurricane with the Sky High.
- WWE Women's Champion Victoria (with Steven Richards) pinned Trish Stratus on the floor in a Chicago Street Fight, after Richards prevented Trish's bulldog off the apron by pushing her off and into the ring barrier. After the match, Jazz made her return, running to the ring and attacking Trish.
- World Tag Team Champions William Regal and Lance Storm defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) in a Tables match, after 3-Minute Warning, Rico and Spike Dudley all interfered. Regal and Storm won the match after 3-Minute Warning powerbombed Bubba Ray Dudley through a table.
- Fresh off their Tough Enough III victories which occurred the previous Thursday night, Matt Cappotelli and John Hennigan fought to a no contest when Christopher Nowinski came out and threw Al Snow, who was at ringside and ran down Cappotelli and Hennigan on the mic before Tommy Dreamer chased Nowinski out of the ring with his Singapore cane, but then laid out Cappotelli and Hennigan with it.
- Batista and World Heavyweight Champion Triple H (with Ric Flair and Randy Orton) defeated Kane and Rob Van Dam, when Batista pinned RVD with the Batista Bomb. Kane had ran out of the arena after being unmasked.
2006 - Ring of Honor holds "Tag Wars 2006" at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton, Ohio. The event featured the 2006 Trios Tournament. The results were:
- Shane Hagadorn defeated Rhett Titus.
- Lotus defeated Crazy J.
- Smash Bradley, Marco Cordova and Jayson Reign defeated The Dempsey Brothers and Pelle Primeau.
- In a Trios Tournament semifinal match, Jimmy Yang and Generation Next (Jack Evans and Matt Sydal) defeat Adam Pearce and Lacey's Angels (B.J. Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs (with Lacey)).
- In a Trios Tournament semifinal match, The Embassy (Abyss, Alex Shelley and Jimmy Rave (with Prince Nana)) defeat Jay Furt, Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke.
- Claudio Castagnoli defeated Chad Collyer. During the match, CZW wrestlers Chris Hero and Necro Butcher appeared in the audience and began to heckle the wrestlers.
- Ace Steel vs. Sterling James Keenan ended in a no contest after Steel stopped wrestling after the continuous heckling from Hero and Necro. He got on the microphone and began to yell at the two, telling Hero he wasn't good enough to wrestle in ROH and saying Necro Butcher was nothing but a "garbage wrestler". Hero and Necro jumped over the guard, resulting in a massive brawl as the ROH locker room emptied and dragged them from the arena. During the melee backstage, ROH Commissioner Jim Cornette got one of his teeth knocked out by an unknown assailant. Cornette went to the ring and cut a heated promo on Combat Zone Wrestling, saying it was full of nothing but garbage wrestlers, and challenged CZW to a fight at the ECW Arena on March 11.
- ROH Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness defeated Delirious.
- Low Ki defeated Christopher Daniels (with Allison Danger).
- In the Trios Tournament finals, The Embassy (Abyss, Alex Shelley and Jimmy Rave (with Prince Nana)) defeated Jimmy Yang and Generation Next (Jack Evans and Matt Sydal) to win the tournament.
- ROH Tag Team Champions Austin Aries and Roderick Strong defeated Jay Lethal and ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson to retain the title.
2006 - Mammoth Sasaki and Shadow WX defeat Abdullah Kobayashi and Daisuke Sekimoto to win the Big Japan Pro Wrestling Tag Team Title in Kawasaki, Japan.
2006 - Sweet Daddy Devastation defeats Juggernaut in Vancouver, British Columbia for the ECCW Heavyweight Title, ending Juggernaut's sixth reign.
2007 - MsChif defeats Christie Ricci for the NWA World Women's Title in Lebanon, Tennessee. At the same show, Motley and 187 defeat Will Owens and Nick Roberts to win the NWA Top Rope Southern Tag Team Title, and Doug Harrison defeats Jason James for the NWA Top Rope Junior Heavyweight Title.
2007 - Hiram Tua wins his second IWA Hardcore Title in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, ending Angel's fourth reign.
2007 - Danny Eckos and Sean Royal defeat Billy Bax and Rob Eckos for the ECWA Tag Team Title in Newark, Delaware, ending Bax and Eckos' second reign.
2007 - The Latin Tornado wins his third House of Pain Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Title in Hagerstown, Maryland, defeating Professor Egon Ecton.
2007 - Bobby Bonecrusher defeats Blade Walker in Orlando, Florida to win the NWA South Atlantic Heavyweight Title.
2007 - The Texas Outlaw defeated Eric Shred for the New World Wrestling United States Title in Worcester, Massachusetts.
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