This Day In Wrestling History – January 20th

Jan 20, 2019 - by Bill Fenbers

1978Carlos Jose Estrada defeats Tony Garea, to win the reactivated WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship.

1980Raul Mata defeats Alfonso Dantes, to win the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship.

1989Joe Malenko defeats Masanobu Fuchi, to win the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship.  This ends Fuchi’s title reign at 748 days, dating back to January 3rd, 1987.

1989Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler is stripped of the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, after the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) ends its relationship with the AWA.

1996Pierroth Jr. defeats La Parka, to win the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship.

1997Mitsuharu Misawa defeats Kenta Kobashi, to win the AJPW Triple Crown Championship.

1997 – In the Monday Night Wars, WCW Monday Nitro (3.7 TV rating) defeats WWF Monday Night RAW (2.2 rating).

1998 – WWF Hall of Famer Bobo Brazil passes away at the age of 73, after suffering a series of strokes.

2000Chris Michaels defeats Sean Casey, to win the OVW Light Heavyweight Championship.

2002 – WWF’s 15th annual Royal Rumble is held in Atlanta, in front of 16,106 fans.

Spike Dudley & Tazz defeat The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von) (with Stacy Kiebler), to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.
William Regal defeats Edge, to win the Intercontinental Championship.
Trish Stratus defeats Jazz, to retain the WWE Women’s Championship.  Jacqueline served as special guest referee.
Ric Flair defeats Mr. McMahon in a Street Fight.
Chris Jericho defeats The Rock, to retain the Undisputed WWF Championship.
Triple H (entrant #22) wins the 30-man Royal Rumble match, to earn a shot at the Undisputed WWF Championship, at WrestleMania X8.

2003 – On RAW, The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von) defeat Lance Storm & William Regal, to win the World Tag Team Championship.

2007Super Delfin defeats Hajime Ohara, to win the NWA World Welterweight Championship.

2013La Sombra defeats Dragon Rojo, Jr., to win the NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship.

2014Batista makes his WWE return on this evening’s Monday Night RAW after almost a four year absence.

2018 Jon Davis defeats Kory Chavis, to win the Don Curtis Memorial Cup.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:  former WCW United States Tag Team Champion, Firebreaker Chip (56 years old); former ROH World Tag Team Champion, Tony DeVito (47 years old); former WWE Diva Joy Giovanni (41 years old); and former WWE, NWA, GHC, & IWGP tag team champion, Karl Anderson (39 years old).

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