2010 in professional wrestling

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2010 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

Contents

List of notable promotions

These promotions held notable events in 2010.

Promotion NameAbbreviationNotes
Combat Zone Wrestling CZW
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre CMLL
Jersey All Pro Wrestling JAPW
Juggalo Championship Wrestling JCW
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide AAAThe "AAA" abbreviation has been used since the mid-1990s and had previously stood for the promotion's original name Asistencia Asesoría y Administración.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling NJPW
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla PWG
Ring of Honor ROH
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling TNA
Westside Xtreme Wrestling wXw
World Wrestling Council WWC
World Wrestling Entertainment WWEWWE divided its roster into three storyline divisions, Raw, SmackDown, and ECW, referred to as brands, where wrestlers exclusively performed on their respective weekly television programs until February, when ECW was disbanded, leaving only Raw and SmackDown.

Calendar of notable shows

January

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventNotes
4 NJPW Wrestle Kingdom IV Tokyo Shinsuke Nakamura (c) defeated Yoshihiro Takayama in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
3 WWC Euphoria San Juan, Puerto Rico El Sensacional Carlitos pinned Hiram Tua
17 TNA Genesis Orlando AJ Styles (c) defeated Kurt Angle in a Singles match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship This event was Ken Anderson (now under ring name Mr. Anderson) and Brian Kendrick's debut in TNA.
31 WWE:
Royal Rumble Atlanta Edge won the 30-man Royal Rumble match by last eliminating John Cena to earn a world championship match at WrestleMania XXVI Edge chose to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Final WWE PPV to feature the ECW brand, as well as the ECW Championship, as the brand was disbanded on February 16, and the title was deactivated along with it.
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

February

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain Event
14 TNA Against All Odds Orlando D'Angelo Dinero defeated Mr. Anderson in Finals of the 8 Card Stud Tournament
21 WWE:
Elimination Chamber St. Louis Chris Jericho defeated The Undertaker (c), John Morrison, R-Truth, CM Punk, and Rey Mysterio in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

March

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventNotes
12 AAA Rey de Reyes Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico Rey de Reyes final three-way elimination match
13 wXw The Vision [1] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thumbtack Jack defeats Drake Younger in a Pain In The Glass Match.First show in the United States.
21 TNA Destination X Orlando AJ Styles (c) fought Abyss to a no-contest for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
28 WWE:
WrestleMania XXVI Glendale The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels in No Disqualification Streak vs. Career matchThis was Shawn Michaels's last match in his wrestling career until he had one further match at Crown Jewel 2018.
Last WrestleMania to feature the Money in the Bank ladder match due to the establishment of an annual pay-per-view based on the match.
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

April

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventNotes
3 ROH ROH The Big Bang! Charlotte Blue Demon, Jr. and Magno defeated Super Parka and Misterioso in a Tag team match
16 CMLL 54. Aniversario de Arena México Mexico City, Mexico El Felino defeated Místico
18 TNA Lockdown Saint Charles Team Hogan (Abyss, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Jarrett, Jeff Hardy, and D'Angelo Dinero) defeated Team Flair (Sting, James Storm, Robert Roode, Desmond Wolfe, and Samoa Joe)
Lethal Lockdown match. Had Team Flair won, Hulk Hogan would have left the company.
25 WWE:
Extreme Rules Baltimore John Cena (c) defeated Batista in Last Man Standing match to retain the WWE Championship This was Triple H's last appearance as full-time wrestler
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

May

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventNotes
3 NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Fukuoka, Japan Togi Makabe defeated Shinsuke Nakamura (c) in a Singles match to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
16 TNA Sacrifice Orlando Rob Van Dam (c) defeated AJ Styles in a Singles match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
23 WWE:
Over the Limit Detroit John Cena (c) defeated Batista in an "I Quit" match to retain the WWE Championship This was Batista's last match in WWE until 2014
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

June

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain Event
6 AAA Triplemanía XVIII Mexico City, Mexico L.A. Park defeated La Parka in a Singles match for the rights to the name "La Parka"
6 CMLL Sin Salida Mexico City, Mexico Máximo defeated Taichi in a Lucha de Apuestas, hair vs. hair match
13 TNA Slammiversary Orlando Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Sting in a Singles match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
19 NJPW Dominion Osaka Togi Makabe (c) defeated Go Shiozaki in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
19 ROH Death Before Dishonor Toronto Tyler Black (c) defeated Davey Richards in a Singles match to retain the ROH World Championship
20 WWE:
Fatal 4-Way Uniondale Sheamus defeated John Cena (c), Randy Orton, and Edge in a Fatal 4-Way match to win the WWE Championship
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

July

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain Event
10 CZW/JAPW Acid-Fest: A Tribute to Trent Acid South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Johnny Kashmere (with Matt Walsh and Donnie B) defeated Devon Moore (with Annie Social)
11 TNA Victory Road Orlando Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson and Abyss in a Fatal 4-Way match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
11 WWC 37th WWC Aniversario Bayamon, Puerto Rico Carlito defeated Orlando Colon by countout; Booker T vs. Carlito saw no winner as the official referee was knocked out; Banderas defeated Carlito after he revealed himself as the third opponent
12 CMLL Promociones Gutiérrez 1st Anniversary Show Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico Místico defeated El Oriental in a Lucha de Apuestas, mask vs. mask match
18 CMLL Infierno en el Ring Mexico City, Mexico 12-man Infierno en el Ring, Lucha de Apuestas mask vs. mask Steel cage match
18 WWE:
Money in the Bank Kansas City Sheamus (c) defeated John Cena in a Steel Cage match to retain the WWE Championship
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

August

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain Event
8 TNA Hardcore Justice Orlando Rob Van Dam defeated Sabu in a Hardcore Rules match
12 TNA The Whole F'n Show Orlando Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Abyss in a Stairway to Janice Ladder match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship with Eric Bischoff as the guest referee
14 AAA Verano de Escándalo Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico El Mesías defeated Dr. Wagner Jr. (c) in a Domo De La Muerte cage match for the AAA Mega Championship
6–15 NJPW G1 Climax final Tokyo Satoshi Kojima defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in the G1 Climax tournament
15 JCW Bloodymania IV Cave-In-Rock, Illinois Corporal Robinson (c) (with Terry Funk) defeated Mike Knox (with Scott D'Amore) and Raven (with Todd Bridges)
15 WWE:
SummerSlam Los Angeles Team WWE (John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Edge, Chris Jericho, Bret Hart, R-Truth and John Morrison) defeated The Nexus (Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, David Otunga, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver and Darren Young) in a 7-on-7 Elimination tag team match
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

September

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventNotes
4–5 PWG Battle of Los Angeles Reseda, California Joey Ryan defeated Chris Hero in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament
5 TNA No Surrender Orlando Mr. Anderson defeated D'Angelo Dinero in Semi-Finals of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
11 ROH Glory By Honor New York City Roderick Strong defeated Tyler Black (c) No Disqualification match to win the ROH World Championship This was Tyler Black's last match in ROH before signing with WWE.
19 WWE:
Night of Champions Rosemont Randy Orton defeated Sheamus (c), Wade Barrett, John Cena, Edge, and Chris Jericho in a Six-Pack Challenge to win the WWE Championship Last event of Women's Championship
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

October

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventNotes
1 AAA Héroes Inmortales IV Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico Legado AAA (Dark Cuervo, Dark Ozz, Heavy Metal and La Parka) defeated La Sociedad (Electroshock, El Zorro, Hernandez and L.A. Park)
3 CMLL CMLL 77th Anniversary Show Mexico City, Mexico 14-man elimination steel cage match
3 WWE:
Hell in a Cell Dallas Kane (c) defeated The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
10 TNA Bound for Glory Daytona Beach Jeff Hardy defeated Mr. Anderson and Kurt Angle in a Three-way match to win the vacant TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Since Angle lost, he had to retire.
11 NJPW Destruction Tokyo Satoshi Kojima defeated Togi Makabe (c) in a Singles match to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
15 CMLL CMLL Entre el Cielo y el Infierno Mexico City Charly Manson defeated Negro Casas
24 WWE:
Bragging Rights Minneapolis Wade Barrett defeated Randy Orton (c) by disqualification in a Singles match for the WWE Championship
Had Barrett lost, John Cena would have been fired.
Team SmackDown won for the second time in a row in a 14-man elimination tag team match
This was The Undertaker's last appearance as a full-time wrestler
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

November

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain Event
7 TNA Turning Point Orlando Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Matt Morgan in a Single match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
21 WWE:
Survivor Series Miami Randy Orton (c) defeated Wade Barrett in a Singles match to retain the WWE Championship with John Cena as special guest referee

Since Orton won, Cena was fired. Had Barrett won, Cena would be free from Nexus

(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

December

DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain Event
3 CMLL Sin Piedad Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico Rey Bucanero defeated Mr. Águila in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas, hair vs. hair match
5 AAA Guerra de Titanes Guadalajara, Jalisco Six-man tag team steel cage Lucha de Apuestas, hair-vs.-mask match
5 TNA Final Resolution Orlando Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Matt Morgan in a No Disqualification match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship with Mr. Anderson as special guest referee
11 WWE:
Tribute to the Troops Fort Hood, Texas John Cena, Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton defeated Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett and The Miz (with Alex Riley)
18 ROH Final Battle New York City El Generico defeated Kevin Steen in an Unsanctioned Fight Without Honor for El Generico's mask vs. Kevin Steen leaving ROH
19 WWE:
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Houston John Cena defeated Wade Barrett in a Chairs match
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

Accomplishments and tournaments

AAA

AccomplishmentWinnerDate wonNotes
Rey de Reyes Chessman March 12

DDT

AccomplishmentWinnerDate wonNotes
Young Drama Cup Soma Takao November 28

Ring of Honor

AccomplishmentWinnerDate wonNotes
ROH World Television Championship Tournament Eddie Edwards March 5

TNA

AccomplishmentWinnerDate wonNotes
8 Card Stud Tournament D'Angelo Dinero April 18
TNA Tag Team Championship Series Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode)July 11
TNA World Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tournament Desmond Wolfe and Magnus July 27
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Jeff Hardy October 10
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament The Beautiful People (Angelina Love and Velvet Sky)December 23

WWE

AccomplishmentWinnerDate wonNotes
ECW Homecoming Tournament Ezekiel Jackson January 12Last eliminated Kane to win the battle royal, which was the final of the tournament to earn an ECW Championship match at the Royal Rumble. Jackson, however, was unsuccessful in winning the title from Christian at the event.
Royal Rumble Edge January 31Winner received their choice of a championship match for either Raw's WWE Championship, SmackDown's World Heavyweight Championship, or the ECW Championship at WrestleMania XXVI; Edge last eliminated John Cena to win and chose to challenge for his own brand's World Heavyweight Championship, but was unsuccessful against Chris Jericho at the event.
WWE Divas Championship Tournament Maryse February 22Defeated Gail Kim in the tournament final to win the vacant WWE Divas Championship; previous champion Melina vacated the title after suffering a legitimate injury.
Money in the Bank ladder match Jack Swagger March 28This was the final Money in the Bank ladder match to happen at WrestleMania, with all future matches held at the annual namesake pay-per-view.
Swagger from Raw defeated Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Evan Bourne, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy, Montel Vontavious Porter, and Shelton Benjamin to win a world championship match contract; Swagger cashed in and won SmackDown's World Heavyweight Championship from Chris Jericho on the April 2 episode of SmackDown and was in turn transferred to SmackDown.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament Kofi Kingston May 14Defeated Christian in the tournament final to win the vacant Intercontinental Championship after previous champion Drew McIntyre had been (kayfabe) fired by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long; however, the decision was overturned by Mr. McMahon. Kingston subsequently faced and defeated McIntyre for the title at Over the Limit.
NXT season 1 Wade Barrett June 10Defeated David Otunga in the final to win a WWE contract and a championship match, which he invoked for the WWE Championship at Night of Champions, but was unsuccessful in the six-pack challenge, though did eliminate champion John Cena from the match.
Money in the Bank ladder match
(SmackDown)
Kane July 18Defeated Big Show, Christian, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Kofi Kingston, and Matt Hardy to win a World Heavyweight Championship match contract; later that same night, Kane cashed in the contract and won the title from Rey Mysterio, who had just won the title from Jack Swagger.
Money in the Bank ladder match
(Raw)
The Miz Defeated Chris Jericho, Edge, Evan Bourne, John Morrison, Mark Henry, Randy Orton, and Ted DiBiase to win a WWE Championship match contract. Miz cashed in his contract and won the title from Orton on the November 22 episode of Raw after Orton had just retained the title over Wade Barrett.
NXT season 2 Kaval August 31Defeated Michael McGillicutty and Alex Riley in the final to win a WWE contract and a championship match, which he invoked for the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series, but was unsuccessful against Dolph Ziggler at the event.
King of the Ring Sheamus November 29Defeated John Morrison in the tournament final to win and be crowned King of the Ring. Sheamus subsequently changed his ring name to King Sheamus.
NXT season 3 Kaitlyn November 30Defeated Naomi in the final to win a WWE contract.

WWE Hall of Fame

CategoryInducteeInducted by
Individual Ted DiBiase Ted DiBiase Jr. and Brett DiBiase
Antonio Inoki Stan Hansen
Wendi Richter Roddy Piper
Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon Pat Patterson
Gorgeous George Dick Beyer
Stu Hart Bret Hart
Celebrity Bob Uecker Dick Ebersol

Slammy Awards

Poll [2] [3] Winner [2] [3] [4]
Best Performance By a Winged SpecimenRaw Chicken
Best Use of Exercise Equipment Rosa Mendes uses a Shake-Weight
Most Menacing Haircut Tyler Reks
Best Family Values Kane beats up Jack Swagger, Sr.
Superstar/Diva Most in Need of Make-up Sheamus
Cole in Your Stocking Daniel Bryan beats up Michael Cole on NXT
Outstanding Achievement of Baby Oil Application Cody Rhodes
Frequent Tweeter Award Goldust
Best WWE.com Exclusive TV Show NXT
Most Annoying Catchphrase Zack Ryder for "Woo Woo Woo You Know It."
Shocker of the YearThe debut of The Nexus
Despicable Me Award CM Punk sings "Happy Birthday" to Rey Mysterio's daughter
Guest Star Shining Moment of the Year Pee-wee Herman vs. The Miz
Holy %&@*# Move of the Year John Cena sends Batista through the stage with an Attitude Adjustment
WWE Universe Fan Reaction of the Year"Angry Miz Girl" Cayley
"Oh Snap" Meltdown of the Year Edge destroys the Raw GM's computer
Knucklehead Moment of the YearLay-Cool (Layla El and Michelle McCool) gets beaten by Mae Young
"And I Quote ..." Line of the YearMichael Cole
WWE Diva of the Year Michelle McCool
WWE Moment of the Year The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in Michaels' final match
Superstar of the Year John Cena

Awards and honors

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

CategoryWinner
PWI Wrestler of the Year Randy Orton
PWI Tag Team of the Year The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)
PWI Match of the Year The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XXVI)
PWI Feud of the Year The Nexus vs. WWE
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year Randy Orton
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year The Nexus
PWI Comeback of the Year Rob Van Dam
PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year D'Angelo Dinero
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year Shawn Michaels
PWI Rookie of the Year David Otunga
PWI Woman of the Year Michelle McCool
PWI Lifetime Achievement Killer Kowalski

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame

Inductee
Chris Jericho
Rey Mysterio, Jr.
Wladek Zbyszko

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

CategoryWinner
Wrestler of the Year John Cena
Most Outstanding Daniel Bryan
Feud of the Year El Generico vs. Kevin Steen
Tag Team of the Year The Kings of Wrestling
(Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli)
Most Improved Sheamus

Title changes

AAA

AAA Mega Championship
Incoming champion – El Mesias
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
March 12 Electroshock Rey de Reyes Three-way match, also involving Mr. Anderson.
June 6 Dr. Wagner, Jr. Triplemania XVIII
December 5 El Zorro Guerra de Titanes
AAA World Mini-Estrella Championship
Incoming champion – Mini Abismo Negro
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
June 6 Octagoncito Triplemanía XVIII
AAA World Cruiserweight Championship
Incoming champion – Xtreme Tiger
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
June 6 Jack Evans Triplemanía XVIII
AAA World Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – La Hermandad 187 (Joe Líder and Nicho el Millonario)
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
March 19 La Legión Extranjera
(Taiji Ishimori and Takeshi Morishima)
AAA Sin Límite TV Taping
May 23 Atsushi Aoki and Go Shiozaki NOAH Navigation With Breeze – Day 1
June 6Los Maniacos
(Silver King and Último Gladiador)
NOAH Navigation With Breeze – Day 1
AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Aero Star and Faby Apache
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
July 2 La Legión Extranjera
(Alex Koslov and Christina Von Eerie)
AAA Television Taping
October 1 Faby Apache and Pimpinela Escarlata Héroes Inmortales IV

NJPW

IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Shinsuke Nakamura
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
May 3 Togi Makabe Wrestling Dontaku
October 11 Satoshi Kojima Destruction '10
Incoming champions – Team 3D (Brother Devon and Brother Ray)
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 4 No Limit
(Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi)
Wrestle Kingdom IV This was a three-way hardcore match, which also included Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson).
May 3 Seigigun
(Wataru Inoue and Yuji Nagata)
Wrestling Dontaku This was a three-way match, which also included Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson).
June 19 Bad Intentions
(Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson)
Dominion 6.19 This was a three-way elimination match, which also included No Limit (Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi).
Incoming champion – Tiger Mask
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 4 Naomichi Marufuji Wrestle Kingdom IV
June 19 Prince Devitt Dominion 6.19
Incoming champions – Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi)
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
April 21 Vacated Title held up after the championship was not defended for 30 days.
May 8 El Samurai and Koji Kanemoto Super J Tag Tournament 1stDefeated Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) in the finals of an eight-team tournament to win the vacant title.
July 19 Apollo 55
(Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi)
Circuit2010 New Japan Soul

ROH

Incoming champion – Austin Aries
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
February 13 Tyler Black 8th Anniversary Show
September 11 Roderick Strong Glory By Honor IX
(Title created)
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
March 5 Eddie Edwards Ring of Honor Wrestling
December 10 Christopher Daniels Ring of Honor Wrestling
Incoming champions – The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe)
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
April 3 The Kings of Wrestling
(Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli)
The Big Bang!

TNA

TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – A.J. Styles
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
April 19 Rob Van Dam Impact!
August 10
(aired August 19)
Vacated The title was vacated due to Rob Van Dam suffering a storyline injury.
October 10 Jeff Hardy Bound for Glory Hardy defeated Kurt Angle and Mr. Anderson in a three-way tournament final to win the vacant title. Per the pre-match stipulation, Angle (in storyline) was forced to retire
TNA X Division Championship
Incoming champion – Amazing Red
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 19 Douglas Williams Impact!
April 18 Vacated Lockdown
April 18 Kazarian Lockdown
May 16 Douglas Williams Sacrifice
September 6 Jay Lethal Impact!
September 25 Amazing Red Live event
November 7 Robbie E Turning Point
December 7 Jay Lethal Impact!
TNA World Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – The British Invasion (Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams)
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 17 Hernandez and Matt Morgan Genesis
April 5 Matt Morgan Impact!
May 4 The Band
(Eric Young, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall)
Impact!
June 14 Vacated Impact!
July 11 The Motor City Machine Guns
(Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)
Victory Road
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Sarita and Taylor Wilde
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 4 Awesome Kong and Hamada Impact!
March 8 Vacated Impact!
March 8 The Beautiful People
(Lacey Von Erich, Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky)
Impact!
August 5 Hamada and Taylor Wilde Impact!
December 9 Vacated Impact!
TNA Women's Knockout Championship
Incoming champion – Tara
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 4 ODB Impact!
January 17 Tara Genesis
April 5 Angelina Love Impact!
April 18 Madison Rayne Lockdown
July 11 Angelina Love Victory Road
July 13 Madison Rayne Impact!
August 9 Angelina Love Impact!: The Whole F'n Show
October 10 Tara Bound for Glory
October 11 Madison Rayne Impact!
TNA Television Championship
Incoming champion – Douglas Williams
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 27 Rob Terry Live event
July 13 A.J. Styles Impact!
December 5 Douglas Williams Final Resolution

WWE

 Raw
 SmackDown
 ECW

Raw and SmackDown each had a world championship, a secondary championship, and a women's championship, while the male tag team championship was shared across all the brands. ECW only had a world championship.

Incoming champion – Sheamus
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
February 21 John Cena Elimination Chamber Elimination Chamber match, also involving Triple H, Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase, and Kofi Kingston.
Batista Mr. McMahon granted SmackDown wrestler Batista a championship match with John Cena after Cena won the Elimination Chamber match. Batista then transferred to the Raw roster after winning the title.
March 28 John Cena WrestleMania XXVI
June 20 Sheamus Fatal 4-Way Fatal four-way match, also involving Edge and Randy Orton.
September 19 Randy Orton Night of Champions Six-Pack Elimination Challenge, also involving Edge, John Cena, Chris Jericho, and Wade Barrett.
November 22 The Miz Monday Night Raw Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after Randy Orton had successfully defended the WWE Championship against Wade Barrett.
Incoming champion – The Undertaker
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
February 21 Chris Jericho Elimination Chamber Elimination Chamber match, also involving John Morrison, R-Truth, CM Punk, and Rey Mysterio.
March 30
(aired April 2)
Jack Swagger SmackDown Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Jack Swagger transferred from Raw to SmackDown upon winning the title.
June 20 Rey Mysterio Fatal 4-Way Fatal four-way match, also involving Big Show and CM Punk. The championship was referred to as the "World Championship" due to Mysterio not being a heavyweight.
July 18 Kane Money in the Bank Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract that he had won earlier that same night.
December 19 Edge TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, also involving Alberto Del Rio and Rey Mysterio.
Incoming champion – Christian
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
February 16 Ezekiel Jackson ECW Extreme rules match
RetiredFinal broadcast of ECW. The title was retired due to the ECW brand being discontinued.
Incoming champion – The Miz
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
May 17 Bret Hart Monday Night Raw No disqualification, no countout match
May 24 Vacated Monday Night Raw Vacated when Bret Hart became the Raw General Manager.
R-Truth Defeated The Miz to win the vacant title.
June 14 The Miz Monday Night Raw Fatal four-way match, also involving John Morrison and Zack Ryder
September 19 Daniel Bryan Night of Champions
Incoming champion – Drew McIntyre
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
May 23 Kofi Kingston Over the Limit
July 28
(aired August 6)
Dolph Ziggler SmackDown
Incoming champion – Melina
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 4 Vacated Monday Night Raw Vacated the title after Melina sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
February 22 Maryse Monday Night Raw Defeated Gail Kim in a tournament final to win the vacant title.
April 12 Eve Torres Monday Night Raw
June 20 Alicia Fox Fatal 4-Way Fatal four-way match, also involving Gail Kim and Maryse. Fox pinned Maryse to win the championship.
August 15 Melina SummerSlam
September 19 Michelle McCool Night of Champions Lumberjill match where the WWE Women's Championship was unified with the Divas Championship. The title was briefly referred to as the "Unified Divas Championship", keeping the lineage of the Divas Championship whilst the Women's Championship was retired. Layla was unofficially the co-champion during this reign; she defended the championship in McCool's place on some occasions.
After unification with the WWE Women's Championship, the WWE Divas Championship was no longer brand exclusive.
November 21 Natalya Survivor Series Handicap match, also involving Layla as Michelle McCool's tag team partner.
Incoming champion – Michelle McCool
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
January 31 Mickie James Royal Rumble
February 23
(aired February 26)
Michelle McCool SmackDown Vickie Guerrero served as the special guest referee.
April 25 Beth Phoenix Extreme Rules Extreme Makeover match
May 11
(aired May 14)
Layla SmackDown LayCool (Michelle McCool and Layla) defeated Beth Phoenix in a Texas Tornado Handicap match when Layla pinned Phoenix. Michelle McCool was unofficially the co-champion during this reign; she defended the championship in Layla's place on some occasions, but was not officially recognized as the title holder.
September 19Retired Night of Champions Retired after Michelle McCool, who had been unofficially co-reigning with Layla, defeated Melina to unify the Women's Championship and WWE Divas Championship.
Unified WWE Tag Team Championship 1
(World Tag Team Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship)
Incoming champions – D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels)
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
February 8 ShoMiz
(Big Show and The Miz)
Monday Night Raw Triple threat elimination match, also involving The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows).
April 26 The Hart Dynasty
(David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd)
Monday Night Raw
On August 16, the World Tag Team Championship was decommissioned in favor of continuing the WWE Tag Team Championship's lineage, which dropped the "unified" moniker.
September 19 Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre Night of Champions Tag Team Turmoil, also involving The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso), Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov, and Evan Bourne and Mark Henry.
October 24 The Nexus
(John Cena and David Otunga)
Bragging Rights
October 25 The Nexus
(Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel)
Monday Night Raw Wade Barrett kept the title within Nexus, but took out John Cena by ordering David Otunga to lie down purposely for a pinfall.
December 6 Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov Monday Night Raw Fatal four-way tag team elimination match, also involving The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso) and Mark Henry and Yoshi Tatsu.

1 ^ Both titles were independently active, but were collectively defended on any brand as the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship.

(Title reactivated but not officially sanctioned)
DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)
April 5 Ted DiBiase, Jr. Monday Night Raw Was given the championship by his father, Ted DiBiase
November 15Retired Monday Night Raw Title returned to his father, Ted DiBiase

Debuts

Roman Reigns Roman Reigns in Lafayette.jpg
Roman Reigns

Retirements

Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels WM24 shot.jpg
Shawn Michaels

Deaths

Lance Cade Lance Cade cropped.jpg
Lance Cade

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Benoit</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1967–2007)

Christopher Michael Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in the United States of America, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in Japan, and Stampede Wrestling in his native Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE No Mercy</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series

WWE No Mercy, also known as NXT No Mercy beginning in 2023, is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The first No Mercy was held on May 16, 1999, in Manchester, England, and was the only No Mercy event produced in the United Kingdom. A second No Mercy was then held in October that year in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Beginning with this second event, No Mercy became the annual October pay-per-view (PPV) until 2008. The event was then discontinued and replaced by Hell in a Cell in 2009. After eight years, No Mercy was reinstated in October 2016. However, No Mercy was again discontinued after the September 2017 event, as WWE reduced the amount of yearly PPVs held after they had ended the production of brand-exclusive PPVs following WrestleMania 34 in 2018. In 2023, WWE again revived the event, this time for its developmental brand, NXT, in September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE brand extension</span> Professional wrestling roster division in WWE

The brand extension, also referred to as the brand split, is the separation of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE's roster of wrestlers into distinct divisions, or "brands". The promotion's wrestlers are assigned to a brand via the annual WWE Draft and exclusively perform on that brand's weekly television show, with some exceptions. Throughout its history, WWE has utilized the brand extension twice. The first brand split occurred from 2002 to 2011, while the ongoing second began in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Kelly</span> American professional wrestler

Barbara Blank Coba, known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American professional wrestler and model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Survivor Series (2006)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2006 Survivor Series was the 20th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on November 26, 2006, at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first Survivor Series to include the ECW brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 25</span> 2009 World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

WrestleMania 25 was the 25th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on April 5, 2009, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. It was the second WrestleMania held in Houston; the first was WrestleMania X-Seven at the Reliant Astrodome, which was held in April 2001. It was also the last WrestleMania to feature the ECW brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vengeance: Night of Champions</span> 2007 World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

Vengeance: Night of Champions was the seventh annual Vengeance as well as the inaugural Night of Champions professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on June 24, 2007, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. It was the final Vengeance event until 2011, as Night of Champions continued in its place. Per the theme of the event, every match on the card was contested for one of WWE's nine then-active championships; only one person won a championship and the others were retained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 SummerSlam was the 21st annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on August 17, 2008, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the first PPV of the PG Era, although nobody noticed it at the time because there were still two Ruthless Aggression rivalries still going on, one of which ended at this event. The transition into the PG Era was more noticeable on the next episode of Monday Night Raw. It was also the first SummerSlam PPV broadcast in high definition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Night Stand (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 One Night Stand was the fourth annual and final One Night Stand professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on June 1, 2008, at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California. One Night Stand was discontinued and replaced by the similarly hardcore-themed Extreme Rules in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unforgiven (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 Unforgiven was the 11th annual and final Unforgiven professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on September 7, 2008, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2009, Unforgiven was replaced by Breaking Point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Way Out (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 No Way Out was the 10th No Way Out professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on February 17, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backlash (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 Backlash was the 10th Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on April 27, 2008, at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The concept of the pay-per-view was based around the backlash from WrestleMania XXIV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night of Champions (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 Night of Champions was the second annual Night of Champions professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on June 29, 2008, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. While it was the second Night of Champions event, it was the first to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name as the first event was a cross-promotional event with Vengeance called Vengeance: Night of Champions; Night of Champions subsequently replaced Vengeance. As per the theme of the event, every match on the card was contested for one of WWE's eight then-active championships; three were won and five were retained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and 19th Great American Bash event overall. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on July 20, 2008, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. It was the final Great American Bash PPV to be held under the full name of "The Great American Bash", as in 2009, the event's title was truncated to The Bash. It was the final PPV of the Ruthless Aggression Era, as WWE programming became PG two days after the event. As such, it was also the final WWE PPV to have a TV Parental Guidelines rating of TV-14 until The Horror Show at Extreme Rules in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2009)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2009 Royal Rumble was the 22nd annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on January 25, 2009, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2009 event, the winner received their choice to challenge for either Raw's World Heavyweight Championship, SmackDown's WWE Championship, or the ECW Championship at WrestleMania 25.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Way Out (2009)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2009 No Way Out was the 11th No Way Out professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on February 15, 2009, at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It was the final No Way Out held until 2012 as No Way Out's February slot would end up being replaced by Elimination Chamber in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Morrison and the Miz</span> Professional wrestling tag team

John Morrison and The Miz were an American professional wrestling tag team in WWE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hell in a Cell (2009)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2009 Hell in a Cell was the inaugural Hell in a Cell professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on October 4, 2009, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It replaced the previously annual October PPV, No Mercy. This was the only Hell in a Cell event to feature the ECW brand, as it was disbanded in February 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bragging Rights (2009)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2009 Bragging Rights was the inaugural Bragging Rights professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on October 25, 2009, at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was the final WWE pay-per-view event held there before being replaced by the new Consol Energy Center, renamed to the PPG Paints Arena, in 2010. Bragging Rights replaced WWE's previously annual event, Cyber Sunday. Six matches were featured on the card.

2007 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling championship.

References

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  3. 1 2 "Supplemental Slammy winners". World Wrestling Entertainment. December 13, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
  4. "WWE News: Full list of 2010 Slammy Awards – 12 announced on Raw, 10 announced on WWE's website". Pro Wrestling Torch. December 13, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
  5. Michaels, Shawn; Feigenbaum, Aaron (2005). Heartbreak & Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story. New York, New York: WWE Books (Pocket Books). p. 57. ISBN   978-0-7434-9380-2.
  6. "Kanyon profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  7. "Jorge 'Giant' Gonzalez, Former WWF Wrestler, Dead At 44". 27 September 2010 via Huff Post.