This Day In Wrestling History – February 1st

Feb 2, 2020 - by Bill Fenbers

Happy birthday to Rowdy Ronda!

1963 – NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz ends Killer Kowalski’s claim to the title, by defeating him in Houston, Texas. Kowalski was indeed recognized as champion in Texas, but not by the NWA. Kowalski had defeated Buddy Rogers in a three fall match on November 21 in Montreal, Quebec after only one fall, due to Rogers suffering a broken ankle. Thesz had defeated Rogers, who was still NWA champion, on January 24 in Toronto, Ontario, in the match which led to the founding of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). The win over Kowalski gives Thesz universal recognition as NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

1972King Curtis Iaukea & Mikel Scicluna defeat Karl Gotch & Rene Goulet, to win the WWWF World Tag Team Championship.

1980Tatsumi Fujinami defeats Steve Keirn, to win the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship.

1981El Supremo defeats Franco Columbo, to win the Mexican National Welterweight Championship.

1988Max Pain & Gary Young defeat Manny Fernandez & Jeff Jarrett, to become the inaugural CWA Tag Team Champions.

1992Ron Garvin defeats Carlos Colon, to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship.

1993The Moondogs (Splat & Spot) defeat The Harris Brothers (Ron & Don), to win the USWA World Tag Team Championship.

1997 – ECW Crossing the Line Again is held at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, in front of 1,400 fans. The event was not a pay-per-view but several matches would air on the February 6th episode of Hardcore TV. The event was also released on VHS & DVD in 2002. The event is notable for the debut of Lance Storm in ECW, along with the creation of The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray & D-Von).
– The show opens with ECW owner Paul Heyman announcing, in front of the entire ECW roster, that the promotion’s first-ever pay-per-view would be held April 13th. Heyman also announces that the pay-per-view, to be titled Barely Legal, would have a main event of Sabu vs. Taz.
Louie Spicolli defeats Mike Awesome; this match is actually not featured in the VHS or DVD of this event.
Lance Storm defeats Balls Mahoney.
Big Stevie Cool defeats Ricky Morton.
‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams defeats Axl Rotten.
Raven defeats ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams, to retain the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. It’s Dr. Death’s first loss in the United States since March 26, 1987 – a span of almost ten years.
The Sandman defeats D-Von Dudley.
The Eliminators (Perry Saturn & John Kronus) defeat Rob Van Dam & Sabu, to retain the ECW World Tag Team Championship.
Terry Funk defeats Tommy Rich, via submission.
– In a Six-Man Tag Team Match, Tommy Dreamer and The Pitbulls (#1 & #2) defeat The Triple Threat (Chris Candido, Brian Lee, & Shane Douglas).

1999 – In the Monday Night Wars, WWF RAW IS WAR (5.7 TV rating) beats WCW Monday Nitro (4.7 rating).

2004Minoru Suzuki & Yoshihiro Takayama defeat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Osamu Nishimura, win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

2004Lady Apache defeats Tiffany, to win the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship.

2008Averno & Mephisto defeat Atlantis & Ultimo Guerrero, to win the CMLL World Tag Team Championship.

2010William Shatner is the guest host of this evening’s Monday Night RAW in Nashville. During the show it is announced that Antonio Inoki would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

2010Jack Brisco, a 2008 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee, dies at the age of 68, after complications from open heart surgery.

2018 – On Impact!, Austin Aries defeats Eli Drake, to win the Impact World Championship.

2020Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) defeat FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

(A BELATED) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Former RAW Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey (33 years old); AAA wrestler, Black Mamba (36 years old); one-half of The Midnight Express, Dennis Condrey (68 years old); 2-time NWA Texas Heavyweight & 2-time Texas Tag Team Champion, Dory Dixon (85 years old); and 3-time OVW Light Heavyweight Champion, Sean Casey (48 years old).

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