This Day in Wrestling History (January 23)

21 years and a day ago today, WWF presented Royal Rumble (WWE Network link) from the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. About 14,500 were in attendance, with 200,000 homes watching on PPV. That's down a third from the 1993 edition (300,000 homes). Of note, this is the last Royal Rumble event to happen on a Saturday night.

• Tatanka defeated Bam Bam Bigelow. Ludvig Borga was the original opponent for Tatanka, but he suffered an ankle injury a few days before the Rumble event.
• The Quebecers (Jacques & Pierre) defeated Bret Hart & Owen Hart to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship. Post-match, Owen kicked an injured Bret after he berated him for not getting a tag.
• Razor Ramon defeated Irwin R. Schyster to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
• Yokozuna defeated The Undertaker in a Casket match to retain the WWF Championship. The match was essentially a write-off for The Undertaker, as he would not wrestle again until Summerslam.
• Bret Hart and Lex Luger co-won the Royal Rumble match, last eliminating each other.

1994 Royal Rumble Results

20 years and a day ago today, WWF presented Royal Rumble (WWE Network link) from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. About 10,000 were in attendance, with 225,000 homes watching on PPV. That's up slightly from 200,000 homes the previous year. Of note, for the first and only time in Royal Rumble history, new entrants came in at one-minute intervals.

• In a preshow match, Buck Quartermaine defeated The Brooklyn Brawler.
• Jeff Jarrett defeated Razor Ramon to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
• The Undertaker defeated Irwin R. Schyster.
• Diesel and Bret Hart went to a draw for the WWF Championship.
• Bob Holly and The 1-2-3 Kid defeated Tatanka and Bam Bam Bigelow to win the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship.
• Shawn Michaels last eliminated British Bulldog to win the Royal Rumble match.

1995 Royal Rumble Results

19 years and a day ago today on RAW from Stockton, California, Bret Hart defeated Goldust by submission. It is the first televised loss for Goldust since debuting last spring. On the same show, Vader (making his RAW debut) attacked WWF President Gorilla Monsoon after defeating Savio Vega. It is the first time on WWF programming that an on-screen authority figure was assaulted during a WWF broadcast.

Nitro '96 - Harlem Heat vs. Sting & Lex Luger by WCWRULES4LYF

19 years and a day ago today on Nitro from Las Vegas, Nevada, Lex Luger and Sting defeated Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship. On the same show, Randy Savage defeated Ric Flair to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

14 years and a day ago today on RAW is WAR from Lafayette, Louisiana, Test defeated William Regal to win the WWF European Championship. On the same show, Al Snow defeated Raven to win the WWF Hardcore Championship, only to lose it moments later back to Raven.

12 years and a day ago today at an NWA-TNA weekly PPV taping in Nashville, Tennessee, Triple X (Low Ki & Elix Skipper) defeated America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship.

Chavo Guerrero vs Cm punk(ECW championship match) by arash0007

7 years and a day ago today at an ECW taping, Chavo Guerrero defeated CM Punk to win the ECW Championship.

5 years ago and a day today, Melissa Anderson, known in TNA as Alissa Flash and Raisha Saeed, and best known as Cheerleader Melissa on the independent circuit, leaves the company after failing to come to terms on a new contract.

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31 years ago today in New York City, Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik to win the WWF Championship. Hogan would go on to hold the WWF Championship for the next four years, during which the WWF rose to worldwide prominence and into mainstream acceptance.

For the rest of this day in history (which I gave ya'll a day early), click right on over here.