This Day in Wrestling History (January 11)

24 years ago today in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Ric Flair defeated Sting to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He also is recognized as the first WCW World Heavyweight Champion. WWE does not recognize his first WCW world title run as one of his world titles; that run is recognized as an NWA world title run that extended to the birth of the WCW world title. Flair remains the champion until he leaves WCW in July.

22 years ago today, WWF presents the first episode of Monday Night RAW from the Manhattan Center in New York City.

• Yokozuna defeated Koko B. Ware.
• The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeated The Executioners (Duane Gill & Barry Hardy).
• Shawn Michaels defeated Max Moon to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
• The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated Damien Demento.

22 years ago today at a WCW Saturday Night taping in Atlanta, Georgia, Dustin Rhodes defeated Ricky Steamboat by countout to win the vacated NWA/WCW United States Championship. The bout was originally commissioned to determine the #1 contender for the title, but when Rick Rude was forced to vacate the title due to injury, the match was made for the title instead.

18 years ago today, ECW presented House Party '97 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• The Sandman defeated Raven.
• Chris Candido defeated Louie Spicolli.
• Mikey Whipwreck defeated Spike Dudley.
• The Eliminators (John Kronus & Perry Saturn) defeated Axl Rotten & D-Von Dudley to retain the ECW World Tag Team Championship.
• The Gangstas (Mustafa & New Jack) defeated Ricky Morton & Tommy Rich.
• Tommy Rich defeated Ricky Morton.
• Mike Awesome defeated Balls Mahoney.
• Buh Buh Ray Dudley versus Pitbull #2 went to a no contest.
• Brian Lee defeated Terry Funk.
• Pitbull #1 defeated Shane Douglas by countout in a ECW World Television Championship match.

16 years ago today on RAW is WAR from Houston, Texas, Chyna last eliminates Vince McMahon to win the "Corporate Royal Rumble". The win gives Chyna the #30 entry into the Royal Rumble match later in the month and makes her the first woman to compete in the annual battle royal. Chyna wasn't the only woman to win a match against a man on that show: Luna Vachon defeated WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Gillberg in a non-title match.

15 years ago today at a Thunder taping in Erie, Pennsylvania, Brian Knobbs defeated Norman Smiley to win the WCW Hardcore Championship.

14 years ago today, Eric Bischoff and Fusient Media Ventures announced their intent to acquire World Championship Wrestling from AOL-Time Warner. The attempt ultimately proves unsuccessful when two months later, Turner Networks announced that they were pulling all wrestling programming off the network. That opened the door for the WWF to buy WCW just a few days after the announcement of WCW's cancellation.

10 years ago today at a Smackdown taping in Tampa, Florida, The Basham Brothers defeated Rey Mysterio & Rob Van Dam, Booker T & Eddie Guerrero, and Mark Jindrak & Luther Reigns in a four-team elimination match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.

6 years ago today, TNA presented Genesis from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

• Eric Young & Latin American Exchange (Hernandez & Homicide) defeated Jimmy Rave, Kiyoshi & Sonjay Dutt 3-2 in a six-man tag team elimination match.
  • Sonjay Dutt eliminated Eric Young.
  • Jimmy Rave eliminated Homicide.
  • Hernandez eliminated Kiyoshi.
  • Hernandez eliminated Sonjay Dutt.
  • Hernandez eliminated Jimmy Rave.
• Alex Shelley defeated Chris Sabin to become the new TNA X-Division Champion.
• Shane Sewell defeated Abdul Bashir.
• Beer Money Inc. (James Storm & Robert Roode) defeated Lethal Consequences (Consequences Creed & Jay Lethal) and Abyss & Matt Morgan in a triple threat match to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
• ODB, Roxxi & Taylor Wilde defeated The Kongtourage (Raisha Saeed, Rhaka Khan & Sojournor Bolt). With ODB getting the deciding fall, she became the #1 contender to the TNA Knockouts Championship.
• Kurt Angle defeated Jeff Jarrett in a no disqualification match.
• Sting defeated Rhino to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
• The Front Line (AJ Styles, Brother Devon & Mick Foley) defeated Cute Kip & The Main Event Mafia (Booker T & Scott Steiner) in a hardcore tag team match. The match was originally ruled a double countout, but it was restarted under hardcore rules.

4 years ago today, TNA announces Jesse Neal signed a three-year deal with the company. He would last less than one before being released when Neal turned down going to Ohio Valley Wrestling.

4 years ago today, PWInsider reports that Ring of Honor would end its ROH on HDNet show following the contract's expiration in April. There were discussions of some ROH events airing live on the network, but it would not come to pass. A few months later, Sinclair Broadcasting would not only take over their TV; they would buy the company.

2 years ago today, PWInsider reports that Mick Foley would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE themselves would confirm it later in the day.