This Day In Wrestling History – January 8th
1984 – Don Kernodle & Bob Orton, Jr. defeat Jimmy Valiant & Dory Funk, Jr., to win the vacant NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship.
1984 – Rayo de Jalisco, Jr. defeats Pirata Morgan, to win the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship.
1990 – Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler defeats King Cobra, to win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship for the 4th time.
1994 – In Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Chris Candido defeats Tracy Smothers, to win the SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship.
1995 – On this evening’s Main Event, Arn Anderson defeats Johnny B. Badd, to win the WCW World Television Championship.
1996 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF Monday Night RAW (3.0 TV rating) edges out WCW Monday Nitro (2.8 rating).
1998 – Cashing in on the popularity of Monday Nitro, WCW debuts a new program, Thunder. This new program would be taped on Tuesdays and air Thursdays on TBS. In the series premiere, Juventud Guerrera defeats Ultimo Dragon, to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. And Sting is stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship, due to the controversy surrounding the finish of his title match at Starrcade on 12/28/97 (guest referee Bret Hart re-starting that match, after Nick Patrick made a fast-count that would’ve made Hollywood Hogan the winner).
2001 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (4.8 TV rating) easily beats WCW Monday Nitro (2.1 rating). RAW in San Jose drew 13,769 fans, more than triple the attendance for Nitro in St. Paul, Minnesota (4,500 fans).
2003 – On TNA’s weekly pay-per-view, America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) defeat The Disciples of the New Church (Brian Lee & Slash), to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
2003 – ‘Hotshot’ Danny Duggan, at age 15, makes his pro wrestling debut in Winnipeg, Manitoba, competing in River City Wrestling. No relation to ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan.
2006 – WWE New Year’s Revolution is held in Albany, New York in front of 11,000 fans.
Sunday Night Heat:
– Chavo Guerrero, Jr. defeats Snitsky.
PPV:
– Ric Flair defeats Edge via disqualification, to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
– Trish Stratus defeats Mickie James, to retain the WWE Women’s Championship.
– Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler defeats Gregory Helms.
– Triple H defeats Big Show.
– Shelton Benjamin defeats Viscera.
– Ashley Massaro defeats Candice Michelle, Maria, Victoria, and Torrie Wilson, in a Bra & Panties Gauntlet Match.
– In an Elimination Chamber Match, John Cena defeats Carlito, Chris Masters, Kane, Kurt Angle, and Shawn Michaels, to retain the WWE Championship.
– Edge cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase, and after two spears to a bloodied Cena, gets the pinfall to become the new WWE Champion.
2009 – On Impact!, Lethal Consequences (Jay Lethal & Consequences Creed) defeat Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm & Robert Roode), to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship. Lethal had opted to cash in his ‘Feast or Fired’ briefcase, with contained an opportunity at the Tag Team Championship, and picked Creed to be his partner.
2010 – Former IWGP Tag Team Champion Tony Halme dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Halme had just turned 47 years old. Along with competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Halme also competed in the WWF from 1993-94 under the name Ludvig Borga.
2012 – TNA Genesis is held at the Impact Zone in Orlando, with 1,100 fans in attendance.
– In a Four Corners Elimination Match, Austin Aries defeats Zema Ion, Kid Kash, and Jesse Sorensen, to retain the X Division Championship.
– Devon defeats D’Angelo Dinero.
– Gunner defeats Rob Van Dam.
– Gail Kim defeats Mickie James via disqualification, to retain the Knockouts Championship.
– Abyss defeats Bully Ray in a Monster’s Ball Match.
– Crimson & Matt Morgan defeat Magnus & Samoa Joe, to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
– Kurt Angle defeats James Storm.
– Jeff Hardy defeats Robert Roode via disqualification, to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: former WWE & Impact wrestler Chris Masters/Chris Adonis (36 years old); former AAA World Trios Champion Ricky Marvin (39 years old); indie wrestler Danny Inferno (42 years old); NJPW’s Bad Luck Fale (37 years old); former WWF & CMLL Women’s Champion Bull Nakano (51 years old); former World Wrestling Association (WWA) Junior Light Heavyweight Champion & Tag Team Champion, Rey Misterio, Sr. (61 years old); former CMLL World Light Heavyweight, Tag Team, & Trios Champion, La Mascara (37 years old); and WWE Hall of Famer ‘Bushwhacker’ Luke Williams (72 years old).
Today would’ve been the 71st birthday for NWA legend, ‘Hangman’ Bobby Jaggers.
