This Day in Wrestling History (January 24)

52 years ago today in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Lou Thesz defeated Buddy Rogers to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. However, Northeastern wrestling promoters refused to recognize the title change since it occurred in a one fall match (title matches back then were best of three falls). This, combined with the in-fighting between Toots Mondt and Vince McMahon Sr. and the NWA over Buddy's bookings, led to the split that would create the World Wide Wrestling Federation (today known as World Wrestling Entertainment). The two fought again on February 7 in Toronto, with Thesz winning 2-1 in a best of three falls match. In April, Rogers would be recognized as the first WWWF Champion, but would lose the title in less than a minute a month later to Bruno Sammartino.

34 years ago today, wrestling legend Orville Brown passes away in Lee's Summit, Missouri. He was 72. Born March 10, 1908 in Sharon, Kansas, he spent most of his childhood working on a farm before going to school in Kiowa, Kansas. Financial constraints limited him to just one year of schooling.

After being noticed by former manager Ernest Brown (no relation), Orville trained with Ernest at the local high school in Kiowa. Following training, Brown would go on a 71-match unbeaten streak and would eventually find himself on their weekly bouts in the Wichita area.

Upon the recommendation of wrestler Abe Coleman, Brown hooked up with St. Louis promoter Tom Packs and quickly impressed fans. He would win the Kansas-based Midwest Wrestling Association world heavyweight championships eleven times from 1940 to 1948, and found himself in main event bouts against former world champions in Jim Londos and Ed "Strangler" Lewis.

In 1948, Orville Brown would be recognized by the newly formed National Wrestling Alliance as their first World Heavyweight Champion. He began the process of unifying the various world titles, including one version held by Frank Sexton in March 1949. However, severe injuries from a car accident in November 1949 forced Brown to retire from the ring, just days before he was to wrestle a unification match with Lou Thesz. Thesz would be awarded the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Brown would promote wrestling in Kansas City full-time for the next decade, retiring in 1958. Brown married a farmer's daughter, Grace in 1926. The couple were married until his death in 1981. They had one son, Richard, who also became a wrestler.

27 years ago today, NWA in association with Jim Crockett Promotions presented Bunkhouse Stampede (WWE Network link) from the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. About 6,000 were in attendance, with 200,000 homes watching on PPV. The show's hook was a Bunkhouse Stampede caged battle royal, where participants were eliminated either by being thrown out of the cage through the door or over the top of the cage and onto the floor.

Once again, Jim Crockett Promotions looked to take it to the WWF, but stumbled. This time around, much of it was their own doing: many of the tickets printed the incorrect start time, leading many of those in attendance to walk in the building during the second-to-last match of the show (which was less than two hours), they infuriated their fans by putting on a PPV away from their Southern base for the second straight event (Starrcade the previous November was in Chicago), and the WWF happened to (for the second straight event) put on a competing show: the Royal Rumble on the USA Network (the WWF could not put it on PPV following the Survivor Series/Starrcade controversy).

• In a dark match, Sting and Jimmy Garvin defeated The Sheepherders (Butch Miller and Luke Williams) by disqualification.
• Nikita Koloff fought Bobby Eaton fought to a 20-minute time-limit draw for the NWA World Television Championship.
• Larry Zbyszko defeated Barry Windham to win the UWF Western States Championship.
• Road Warrior Hawk) defeated Ric Flair by disqualification in a NWA World Heavyweight Championship match.
• Dusty Rhodes defeated Arn Anderson, The Barbarian, Tully Blanchard, Ivan Koloff, Lex Luger, Road Warrior Animal, and The Warlord in a Steel Cage Bunkhouse Stampede match. The win gave Rhodes four straight wins in the Bunkhouse Stampede match. There were only four Bunkhouse Stampede bouts ever.

27 years ago today, WWF presented Royal Rumblee from the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The show's hook was not the Royal Rumble match or the two best-of-three falls tag title matches, but a contract signing for the rematch for the WWF Championship between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant for The Main Event on February 5. Also of note, Dino Bravo (with help from Jesse Ventura) broke the world bench press record of 715 pounds. At the time of its original airing, the Royal Rumble event was the most watched wrestling show in cable history.

• Ricky Steamboat defeated Rick Rude by disqualification.
• The Jumping Bomb Angels (Itsuki Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno) defeated The Glamour Girls (Judy Martin & Leilani Kai) 2-1 in a best of three falls match to win the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship.
  • Martin pinned Yamazaki.
  • Yamazaki pinned Kai.
  • Tateno pinned Martin.
• Jim Duggan last eliminated One Man Gang to win the Royal Rumble match.
• The Islanders (Haku & Tama) defeated The Young Stallions (Jim Powers & Paul Roma) 2-0 in a best of three falls match to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship.
  • Roma was counted out.
  • Haku defeated Roma by submission.

Draw	Entrant	Order	Eliminated by	Time	Eliminations
1	Bret Hart	8	Muraco	25:42	1
2	Tito Santana	2	Hart and Neidhart	10:41	0
3	Butch Reed	1	Roberts	03:18	0
4	Jim Neidhart	6	Hillbilly Jim	19:06	1
5	Jake Roberts	10	One Man Gang	21:52	2
6	Harley Race	4	Muraco	10:03	0
7	Jim Brunzell	5	Volkoff	12:06	1
8	Sam Houston	7	Bass	14:39	0
9	Danny Davis	13	Duggan	17:51	0
10	Boris Zhukov	3	Roberts and Brunzell	02:33	0
11	Don Muraco	17	Bravo and One Man Gang	16:16	3
12	Nikolai Volkoff	11	Duggan	11:40	1
13	Jim Duggan	-	Winner	14:43	3
14	Ron Bass	16	Muraco	10:14	2
15	B. Brian Blair	9	One Man Gang	05:50	0
16	Hillbilly Jim	12	One Man Gang	05:55	1
17	Dino Bravo	18	One Man Gang	08:12	2
18	The Ultimate Warrior	14	Bravo and One Man Gang	03:51	0
19	One Man Gang	19	Duggan	06:50	6
20	Junkyard Dog	15	Bass	02:08	0

22 years ago today, WWF presented Royal Rumble from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. About 16,000 were in attendance, with 300,000 homes watching on PPV.

Draw	Entrant	Order	Eliminated by	Time	Eliminations
1	Ric Flair	4	Perfect	18:38	1
2	Bob Backlund	28	Yokozuna	1:01:10	2
3	Papa Shango	1	Flair	00:28	0
4	Ted DiBiase	13	Undertaker	24:55	4
5	Brian Knobbs	2	DiBiase	02:58	0
6	Virgil	7	Berzerker	17:08	0
7	Jerry Lawler	6	Perfect	14:35	1
8	Max Moon	3	Lawler	01:56	0
9	Genichiro Tenryu	10	Undertaker	13:17	0
10	Mr. Perfect	8	DiBiase and Ware	09:15	3
11	Skinner	5	Perfect	03:05	0
12	Koko B. Ware	11	DiBiase	08:31	1
13	Samu	9	Undertaker	04:49	0
14	The Berzerker	14	Undertaker	05:21	1
15	The Undertaker	15	Giant González	04:14	4
16	Terry Taylor	12	DiBiase	00:24	0
17	Damien Demento	17	Colón	12:27	0
18	Irwin R. Schyster	19	Earthquake	16:00	0
19	Tatanka	20	Yokozuna	17:34	0
20	Jerry Sags	24	Hart	21:50	0
21	Typhoon	16	Earthquake	05:12	0
22	Fatu	18	Backlund	06:32	0
23	Earthquake	22	Yokozuna	11:00	2
24	Carlos Colón	21	Yokozuna	07:25	1
25	Tito Santana	23	Yokozuna	11:01	0
26	Rick Martel	27	Backlund	11:23	0
27	Yokozuna	-	Winner	14:53	7
28	Owen Hart	25	Yokozuna	05:39	1
29	Repo Man	26	Savage	03:33	0
30	Randy Savage	29	Yokozuna	09:01	1

Notes:

• Backlund's 61 minute, 10 second run is still the longest by a non-Royal Rumble winner.
• Giant Gonzalez made his WWF debut during the Royal Rumble match.
• Starting with this Rumble match, the winner would be guaranteed a WWF Championship match at Wrestlemania.

17 years ago today, WCW presented Souled Out (WWE Network link) from the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. 5,486 were in attendance, with 380,000 homes watching on PPV. That's more than double the 1997 edition (170,000 homes), but it's just over half of what they did last month (700,000 home buys for Starrcade).

• Chavo Guerrero Jr., Juventud Guerrera, Lizmark Jr. & Super Calo defeated El Dandy, La Parka, Psychosis & Silver King.
• Chris Benoit defeated Raven in a no disqualification match.
• Chris Jericho vs. Rey Misterio, Jr. to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
• Booker T defeated Rick Martel to retain the WCW World Television Championship.
• Larry Zbyszko defeated Scott Hall.
• Ray Traylor and the Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) defeated Buff Bagwell, Konnan & Scott Norton.
• Kevin Nash defeated The Giant.
• Bret Hart defeated Ric Flair.
• Lex Luger defeated Randy Savage.

16 years ago today, WWF presented Royal Rumble: No Chance in Hell (WWE Network link) from the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. 14,816 were in attendance, with 650,000 homes watching on PPV. That's nearly double the 1998 edition (351,000 homes). A portion of the event would be immortalized in the Barry Blaustein documentary Beyond the Mat.

• In a preshow dark match, Christian defeated Jeff Hardy.
• In a Sunday Night Heat match, Bob Holly & Scorpio defeated Too Much (Brian Christopher & Scott Taylor).
• Mankind defeated Mabel. This was Mabel's first bout in the WWF since 1995.
• The Big Bossman defeated the Road Dogg.
• Ken Shamrock defeated Billy Gunn to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
• X-Pac defeated Gangrel to retain the WWF European Championship.
• Sable defeated Luna in a Strap match to retain the WWF Women's Championship.
• The Rock defeated Mankind (c) in a "I Quit" match to win the WWF Championship.
• Mr. McMahon last eliminated Steve Austin to win the Royal Rumble match. The next night, McMahon gave up his right to the WWF Championship match at Wrestlemania, and commissioner Shawn Michaels awarded it to runner-up Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin himself would give up that right in exchange for one match with McMahon. The match, taking place a few weeks later at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, was won by Austin.

1999 Royal Rumble Results

Draw	Entrant	Order	Eliminated by	Time	Eliminations
1	Steve Austin	29	McMahon	56:38	8
2	Mr. McMahon	-	Winner	56:38	1
3	Golga	1	Austin	00:15	0
4	Droz	7	Mabel	12:30	0
5	Edge	8	Road Dogg	11:51	1
6	Gillberg	2	Edge	00:07	0
7	Steve Blackman	4	Mabel and Singh	07:22	0
8	Dan Severn	3	Mabel	05:43	0
9	Tiger Ali Singh	5	Mabel	04:02	1
10	The Blue Meanie	6	Mabel	02:59	0
11	Mabel	9	Mideon,Faarooq andBradshaw	01:26	5
12	Road Dogg	12	Kane	10:41	3
13	Gangrel	10	Road Dogg	00:26	0
14	Kurrgan	13	Kane	06:54	0
15	Al Snow	11	Road Dogg	00:47	0
16	Goldust	15	Kane	04:02	0
17	The Godfather	14	Kane	01:40	0
18	Kane	16	Himself	00:53	4
19	Ken Shamrock	17	Austin	04:50	0
20	Billy Gunn	18	Austin	07:05	0
21	Test	19	Austin	12:48	0
22	Big Boss Man	28	Austin	18:53	2
23	Triple H	25	Austin	14:19	2
24	Val Venis	24	Triple H	12:41	0
25	X-Pac	20	Boss Man	05:44	0
26	Mark Henry	22	Chyna	07:57	0
27	Jeff Jarrett	21	Triple H	03:39	0
28	D'Lo Brown	27	Boss Man	09:11	0
29	Owen Hart	26	Austin	06:31	0
30	Chyna	23	Austin	00:35	1

Notes:

• Though McMahon and Austin lasted the entire duration of the Rumble, neither man was around for more than half of the match. Austin while chasing McMahon was ambushed by the Corporation and would be taken to a hospital, but Austin drove himself back. McMahon in the mean time, sat on commentary for part of the Rumble match.
• Chyna became the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble match. Later in the year, she would be the only woman to enter the King of the Ring tournament.

15 years ago today on Nitro from Los Angeles, California, Sid Vicious defeated Kevin Nash to win the vacated WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The title was vacated when champion Chris Benoit left for the WWF.

11 years ago today, John Tunney, Jr., best known to wrestling fans as figurehead WWF President Jack Tunney, died of a heart attack in his sleep in his home in Watertown, Ontario, Canada. He was 68. Born in 1935 in Toronto, Tunney came from a line of wrestling promoters: his father John Sr. and his uncle Frank had a hand in promoting wrestling in the Toronto area along with Toots Mondt and Jack Corcoran starting in 1930. Jack would join the family business in 1952 and had a hand in promoting many of Toronto's biggest bouts, including a 1963 bout between Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers that led directly to the split between the NWA and Northeast-based World Wide Wrestling Federation.

In May 1983, following the death of Frank Tunney, Jack and Frank's son Eddie would take over Maple Leaf Wrestling. However, an uneasy alliance between the NWA and Maple Leaf Wrestling shattered, and he and Eddie would sell controlling interest to the WWF just a year later, making Toronto one of the first international strongholds for the fledgling WWF. Just as the expansion forced out smaller promoters in the United States, the WWF's Canadian expansion forced its competitors to fold, including Stampede Wrestling, Grand Prix, and Big Time Wrestling. Tunney for his efforts was made president of Titan Sports Canada and would serve as the chief WWF promoter for Canadian tours. His crowning achievement was getting Wrestlemania VI to Toronto's Skydome, attended by over 67,000 fans.

Tunney was best known as the on-screen authority figure for WWF televised events, replacing longtime New Japan Pro Wrestling booker Hisashi Shinma. Much like WWE general managers of the modern era, Tunney would arbiter disputes between wresters and announce major decisions and events. Tunney would appear somewhat regularly during the height of the Hulkamania era, but made occasional appearances through 1994. His last significant appearance was the 1994 Royal Rumble event where he declared both Lex Luger and Bret Hart the winners of the Royal Rumble match.

Tunney would be forced out of the WWF in July 1995 after Vince McMahon decided to run Toronto area shows without his involvement going forward. Allegedly, around this time, Tunney was using WWF funds to pay off his mounting gambling debts, possibly in part brought on by his alcohol addiction. He would retire and disappear from pro wrestling altogether. Two months later, the WWF held the last ever wrestling show in Maple Leaf Gardens, since Jack held the rights to wrestling events in the building. Maple Leaf Gardens would close for good in 1999.

No mention of Tunney's death was made on WWE programming, and no one from WWE attended Tunney's funeral.