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This Week In Wrestling History (Season 4 Episode 1: 1/1 – 1/7)

Jan 3, 2026

This Week In Wrestling History is back for an all-new season for 2026 with history covered up to and including 2025!

Enjoy this episode (Season 4 Episode 1) covering the week of 1/1 thru 1/7. Running Time: 5 Hours 16 Minutes.

This Week In Wrestling History (TWIWH) hosted by Don Tony debuted in 2018 for two seasons. Due to demand for new episodes, it returned in 2025 and is now in its Fourth Season for 2026!

Hundreds of hours of original wrestling clips & stories. Enjoy this deep dive into pro wrestling's awesome history. You won't find history shows like this anywhere but here!

SYNOPSIS: SEASON 4 EPISODE 1 (1/1 - 1/7)
RUNNING TIME: 5 HOURS 16 MINUTES

  • Stan Hansen makes his pro wrestling debut
  • Looking back at the Sam Muchnick Retirement Show featuring Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Harley Race, Greg Valentine and many others
  • Prime Time Wrestling debuts on USA Network
  • Looking back at WCW/NJPW Supershow II (1992) and Supershow III (1993).
  • In between his WWF exit and WCW debut, Hulk Hogan competes in Japan
  • Macho Man Randy Savage makes WCW in ring debut
  • Looking back at ECW House Party '96 featuring: Public Enemy leave ECW for WCW.. Sandman vs Konnan.. Dean Douglas is dead.. Stevie Richards' breakout match.. Rey Mysterio plays 'chicken'.. Beulah pregnant (audio).. Rob Van Dam' ECW debut match and more
  • Riki Choshu wrestles five retirement matches in one night!
  • Audio: Thirty minutes of soap opera saga that led up to the infamous WCW 'Finger poke Of Doom'.
  • Audio: Tony Schiavone spoils Mick Foley's WWF Championship win during WCW Monday Nitro
  • Audio: Looking back at the night Mankind def The Rock to win the WWF Championship
  • Audio: Road Dogg vs Al Snow battle for the Hardcore Title in the snow
  • In between his WCW exit and WWF debut, Chris Benoit wrestled in Japan as Wild Pegasus
  • Looking back at Wrestling World 2000, 2004, 2005
  • Audio: Stephanie McMahon declares Chris Jericho and Chyna co-IC Champions. A three-week title reign WWE does not recognize.
  • D-Generation X mocks Mankind with 'Have A Bad Day'.
  • 'The Triple H Show' in full force. Triple H appears on Raw ten different times in the same night.
  • Looking back at the final ECW televised event: Guilty As Charged '01.
  • One of the loudest crowd 'pops' in WWF/WWE history: Triple H returns to RAW at Madison Square Garden after career-threatening quadriceps injury
  • Audio: Al Wilson and Dawn Marie get married on Smackdown in their underwear
  • Audio: Kenzo Suzuki challenges John Cena to a Battle Rap
  • Looking back at the night Brock Lesnar fought Shinsuke Nakamura in Japan
  • Audio: Mike Tenay announces TNA signing of STING and his debut would happen at TNA Final Resolution PPV
  • WWE releases Juventud Guerrera
  • Looking back at TNA Final Resolution 2007
  • Looking back at WWE New Year's Revolution 2007
  • Audio: John Cena battles Kevin Federline in a No-Disqualification Match on WWE RAW with an outcome no one asked for
  • WWE signs Natalya Neidhart
  • Looking back at Wrestle Kingdom 2007-2025 events
  • Looking back at the night TNA Impact Live and WWE Monday Night RAW went head to head (January 4, 2010)
  • Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and others make TNA Impact debuts
  • Awful timing: Jeff Hardy indicted on drug trafficking charges the same day he makes his TNA return
  • Bret Hart returns to WWE RAW after a twelve-year absence
  • Audio: Chris Jericho returns to WWE RAW after a 16-month absence and trolls the fans in grand style
  • Audio: Warrior slams Nash. Nash challenges Warrior to MMA fight. Warrior responds
  • John Cena replaces Fred Flinstone on boxes of Fruity Pebbles breakfast cereal
  • WWE releases Kaitlyn
  • Audio: WWE special 'Old School Raw' episode highlighted by the return of Jake The Snake Roberts
  • Audio: Interesting look back at a 2014 Paul Heyman / Brock Lesnar promo
  • TNA debuts on Destination America channel
  • Audio: The Authority 'fire' Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback during 'John Cena Appreciation Night', and the fans could care less
  • AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Shinsuke Nakamura set to leave NJPW for WWE
  • TNA debuts on Pop TV channel
  • WWE tapes pilot episode of 'WWE Kids', which never makes it to TV, WWE Network nor any other streaming platforms
  • Audio: Royal Rumble contract signing between AJ Styles and John Cena
  • The Elite: Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page and Young Bucks reveal the creation of All Elite Wrestling
  • Looking back at TNA Impact Wrestling: Homecoming 2019
  • New Day with Big E, dressed as Baby New Year, ring in the New Year on RAW
  • Jushin Thunder Liger retires from pro wrestling
  • Undisputed Era racks up the trophies at 2020 NXT Year End Awards
  • Audio: Jon Moxley returns to AEW after previously losing AEW World Championship to Kenny Omega 
  • Looking back at NXT: New Year's Evil 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
  • Looking back at WWE: Day One 2022, 2024
  • Audio: Sasha Banks makes her debut as Mercedes Mone at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17
  • Andrade El Idolo exits AEW and has a parting message to Tony Khan and staff
  • Audio: The Rock Wants To Sit At The Head Of The Table: The Rock makes surprise appearance at WWE Day 1 and directly calls out Roman Reigns
  • Looking back at NOAH: The New Year 2025 event featuring current WWE superstars Shinsuke Nakamura and Omos
  • Adam Copeland gets a new nickname in AEW: COPE
  • Looking back at NXT Year End Awards Winners for 2024
  • New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) leaves AXS TV after a ten-year run for The Roku Channel
  • Audio: The Rock's memorable appearance and UNCENSORED promo from NXT: New Year's Evil
  • Looking back at WWE RAW debut show on Netflix including an incredible ratings note about the debut show and how far ratings declined thru 2025
  • Audio: Hulk Hogan is booed out of the building during WWE RAW debut on Netflix. This would end up being Hulk's final appearance ever on WWE television
  • Audio: Pat McAfee airs parody video mocking Hulk Hogan less than one day after RAW debut disaster on Netflix
  • And so much more!

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