January 11th – On This Day In Wrestling History
Our full On This Day In Wrestling History section can be found here.
1991 – Ric Flair defeated Sting to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With the win, Flair also became the first-ever WCW World Heavyweight Champion. He held the title until he left WCW in July that year.
1993 – The very first Monday Night Raw took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan and would go on to become the world’s longest-running episodic TV series. Yokozuna defeated Koko B Ware in the very first Raw match before Shawn Michaels retained his Intercontinental Championship against Max Moon. The Steiner Brothers made short work of The Executioners, and The Undertaker defeated Damien Demento in the first Raw main event.
1995 – At the WWF Action Zone tapings from South Padre Island in Texas, Lex Luger and Tatanka wrestled to a double count out, and Diesel retained the WWF Championship against Owen Hart.
1997 – The All-Star Café in New York City hosted an edition of WWF Shotgun Saturday Night where Diesel (portrayed by Glen Jacobs who would find better success as Kane later that year) defeated Marc Mero. Faarooq defeated Savio Vega, Rocky Maivia defeated Razor Ramon (portrayed by Rick Bognar) and The Headbangers were defeated by Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon.
1997 – A solid card was presented from Philadelphia for ECW’s House Party. In the opening match The Sandman defeated Raven, and Brian Lee (The Fake Undertaker & Chainz from the Disciples of Apocalypse) beat the legendary Terry Funk. Mike Awesome was victorious over Balls Mahoney, John Kronus & Perry Saturn retained the ECW Tag Team Titles against Axl Rotten & D-Von Dudley, and Pitbull #1 was victorious over ECW World Television Champion Shane Douglas in the main event.
1999 – Ric Flair was in charge of the proceedings on WCW Monday Nitro from Knoxville where he defeated Curt Henning during the show. Also, Scott Steiner defeated Diamond Dallas Page, Scott Hall beat Bam Bam Bigelow, and Kevin Nash defeated The Giant in the main event.
1999 – On Raw from Houston, the new WWF Champion Mankind’s celebrations were interrupted by The Rock who challenged Mankind to a rematch at the Royal Rumble. Mankind was also ordered to defend the title on this edition of Raw against Kane. In the main event, Chyna won the “Corporate Royal Rumble” which entitled her to enter the upcoming Royal Rumble in Anaheim in the prestigious number 30 spot.
2000 – At the stacked SmackDown taping from Chicago, The New Age Outlaws defeated Bradshaw and Faarooq in individual no disqualification handicap matches. Rikishi and Too Cool were victorious against Al Snow, Crash and Hardcore Holly, D-Lo Brown & The Godfather beat The Headbangers, and Kane defeated Chris Jericho. In the main event, Triple H & X-Pac picked up a win over The Big Show and The Rock.
2000 – Brian Knobbs defeated Norman Smiley for the WCW Hardcore Title at the WCW Thunder taping in Erie, Pennsylvania. Booker T picked up a win in a triple-threat elimination match against Midnight and Stevie Ray, Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Kanyon in a “Champagne On A Pole” match, and in the main event Jeff Jarrett & Kevin Nash defeated the team of Chris Benoit and Sid Vicious.
2003 – AJ Styles and Low Ki defeated Christopher Daniels and Xavier by submission in the main event no holds barred tag team match at ROH Revenge On The Prophecy from West Mifflin in Pennsylvania.
2005 – At the SmackDown taping in Tampa, Doug & Danny Basham won the WWE Tag Team Titles in a fatal four-way elimination tag match against Booker T & Eddie Guerreo, Luther Reigns & Mark Jindrak, and Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam who were defending the titles.
2009 – At TNA Genesis from Charlotte in North Carolina, Kurt Angle pinned Jeff Jarrett in a No Disqualification match, and Alex Shelley pinned Chris Sabin to win the TNA X-Division Title. Also, Beer Money (James Storm & Robert Roode) won the TNA World Tag Team Titles in a triple-threat match against Abyss & Matt Morgan, and the defending champions Consequences Creed & Jay Lethal. Sting retained the TNA World Heavyweight Title against Rhyno, and in the main event AJ Styles, Brother Devon & Mick Foley beat Booker T, Kip James and Scott Steiner in a six-man hardcore tag team match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf8TVRzwJz4
2010 – In the main event on WWE Monday Night Raw from Minneapolis, D-Generation X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) defeated the team of Chris Jericho and special guest host, Mike Tyson. After the match, Tyson knocked Jericho out cold. Also, Randy Orton picked up a win over John Cena and Kofi Kingston in a triple-threat match.
2016 – Roman Reigns was victorious in a One vs All Handicap tag match on WWE Monday Night Raw from New Orleans.
2019 – At RevPro’s New Year’s Resolution in Guildford, Will Ospreay retained the NEVER Openweight Championship against Chris Brookes, and the RevPro British Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr defeated Shigehiro Irie in the main event.
2020 – PCO and Rush fought to a no contest for the ROH World Heavyweight Title in the main event at ROH Saturday Night At Center Stage in Atlanta.
2021 – On an episode of Monday Night Raw, the battle between Triple H and Randy Orton continued. As ‘The Game’ went to make his way to the ring where Orton was waiting, the lights went out and Alexa Bliss appeared in the ring, and went on to throw a fireball in to the face of ‘The Viper’.
Notable Wresting Birthdays:
- Abdullah The Butcher (1941)
- Mick McManus (1920)