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2012 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.
These promotions held notable events in 2012.
Promotion Name | Abbreviation | Notes |
---|---|---|
All Japan Pro Wrestling | AJPW | |
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | CMLL | |
Juggalo Championship Wrestling | JCW | |
LN Promotions | LN | |
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide | AAA | The "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 | |
Pro Wrestling Noah | NOAH | |
Ring of Honor | ROH | |
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | TNA | |
World Wrestling Council | WWC | |
WWE | — | WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment, which is still the legal name, but the company ceased using the full name in April 2011, with the WWE abbreviation becoming an orphaned initialism. NXT became WWE's developmental territory in June, replacing Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), which ceased operations. |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | NJPW | Wrestle Kingdom VI | Tokyo | Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Minoru Suzuki in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
6/7/8 | WWC | Euphoria | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Various | |
8 | TNA | Genesis | Orlando, Florida | Jeff Hardy defeated Bobby Roode (c) by disqualification in a singles match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
29 | WWE | Royal Rumble | St. Louis, Missouri | Sheamus won the 30-man Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Chris Jericho to earn a world championship match at WrestleMania XXVIII [1] | Sheamus chose to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship. This was Chris Jericho's first match in WWE since 2010 |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 | LN | A Nightmare To Remember II | Villa Rica, Georgia | Kyle Matthews defeated Jimmy Rave | |
12 | NJPW | The New Beginning | Osaka | Kazuchika Okada defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) in a Singles match to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
12 | TNA | Against All Odds | Orlando, Florida | Bobby Roode (c) defeated Bully Ray, James Storm, and Jeff Hardy in a Four-Way match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship with Sting as the Special Guest Ringside Enforcer | |
19 | AJPW NJPW NOAH | All Together: Mōikkai, Hitotsu ni Narō ze | Sendai | Hiroshi Tanahashi, Suwama and Takeshi Morishima defeated Go Shiozaki, Seiya Sanada and Tetsuya Naito in a Six-man Tag team match | |
19 | WWE | Elimination Chamber | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | John Cena defeated Kane in an Ambulance match [2] | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | ROH | 10th Anniversary Show: Young Wolves Rising | New York City, New York | Adam Cole and Eddie Edwards defeated Team Ambition (Davey Richards and Kyle O'Reilly) in a Tag team match | |
12 | AAA | Rey de Reyes | Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico | Rey de Reyes final four-way elimination match | |
18 | TNA | Victory Road | Orlando, Florida | Bobby Roode defeated Sting in a No Holds Barred match | |
25 | Progress | Progress Chapter One: In The Beginning | London, England | Nathan Cruz defeated El Ligero, Marty Scurll and Mike Mason to become the inaugural Progress World Champion | |
30–31 | ROH | Showdown in the Sun | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Davey Richards (c) defeated Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong in a three-way elimination match for the ROH World Championship (Day 1) Davey Richards (c) defeated Michael Elgin in a Singles match for the ROH World Championship (Day 2) | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | WWE | WrestleMania XXVIII | Miami Gardens, Florida | The Rock defeated John Cena in a singles match [3] | This was The Rock's first WrestleMania match since WrestleMania XX in 2004 |
15 | TNA | Lockdown | Nashville, Tennessee | Bobby Roode (c) defeated James Storm in a Steel cage match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
29 | WWE | Extreme Rules | Rosemont, Illinois | John Cena defeated Brock Lesnar in an Extreme Rules match [4] | This was Brock Lesnar's first match in WWE since 2004 |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | NJPW | Wrestling Dontaku | Fukuoka | Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Hirooki Goto in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
12 | ROH | Border Wars | Toronto, Ontario | Kevin Steen defeated Davey Richards (c) in a Singles match for the ROH World Championship | |
13 | TNA | Sacrifice | Orlando, Florida | Bobby Roode (c) defeated Rob Van Dam in a Ladder match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
20 | WWE | Over the Limit | Raleigh, North Carolina | John Laurinaitis defeated John Cena in a No Disqualification match Had Cena won, Laurinaitis would have been fired, and anyone who interfered would have been fired. [5] | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | TNA | Slammiversary | Arlington, Texas | Bobby Roode (c) defeated Sting in a Singles match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
16 | NJPW | Dominion | Osaka | Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Kazuchika Okada (c) in a Singles match to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
17 | WWE | No Way Out | East Rutherford, New Jersey | John Cena defeated Big Show in a steel cage match. Since Cena won, John Laurinaitis was fired, Had Show won, Cena would have been fired. | |
24 | Progress | Progress Chapter Two: The March Of Progress | London, England | Nathan Cruz (c) defeated Marty Scurll score (2-1) in a Best two out of three falls match to retain the PROGRESS World Championship | |
ROH | Best in the World | New York, New York | Kevin Steen (c) defeated Davey Richards in the Anything Goes match for the ROH World Championship | ||
29 | CMLL | Infierno en el Ring | Mexico City, Mexico | 10-woman Infierno en el Ring, Lucha de Apuestas Hair vs. Hair Steel cage match | |
30 | WWC | 39th WWC Aniversario | Bayamon, Puerto Rico | The Invaders defeated Mr. X & Masked Man | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | WWE | SuperSmackDown LIVE: The Great American Bash | Corpus Christi, Texas | Zack Ryder won by last eliminating Kane in a 20-Man Battle Royal to determine the guest General Manager for next week's SmackDown . | |
8 | TNA | Destination X | Orlando, Florida | Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode (c) in a Singles match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
15 | WWE | Money in the Bank | Phoenix, Arizona | John Cena defeated Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, and The Miz in a Money in the Bank ladder match for a WWE Championship match contract | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | AAA | Triplemanía XX | Mexico City, Mexico | Dr. Wagner Jr. (with El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Silver King) defeated Máscara Año 2000 Jr. (with Máscara Año 2000) | |
11 | ROH | Boiling Point | Providence, Rhode Island | Kevin Steen (c) defeated Eddie Kingston in an Anything Goes match for the ROH World Championship | |
1-11 | NJPW | G1 Climax final | Tokyo | Kazuchika Okada defeated Karl Anderson in a G1 Climax tournament | |
12 | JCW | Bloodymania 6 | Cave-In-Rock, Illinois | 2 Tuff Tony (c) defeated Kongo Kong for the JCW World Heavyweight Championship | |
12 | TNA | Hardcore Justice | Orlando, Florida | Austin Aries (c) defeated Bobby Roode in a Last Chance match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
19 | WWE | SummerSlam | Los Angeles, California | Brock Lesnar defeated Triple H in a No Disqualification match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-2 | PWG | Battle of Los Angeles | Reseda, California | Adam Cole defeated Michael Elgin in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament | |
9 | TNA | No Surrender | Orlando, Florida | Jeff Hardy defeated Bully Ray in the final of the 2012 Bound for Glory Series | |
14 | CMLL | CMLL 79th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Rush defeated El Terrible in a two-out-of three-falls Lucha de Apuestas, Hair vs. Hair match | |
15 | ROH | Death Before Dishonor | Chicago Ridge, Illinois | Kevin Steen (c) defeated Rhino in a No Disqualification match for the ROH World Championship | |
16 | WWE | Night of Champions | Boston, Massachusetts | CM Punk (c) vs John Cena for the WWE Championship ended in a draw | |
23 | NJPW | Destruction | Kobe | Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Naomichi Marufuji in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
30 | Progress | Progress Chapter Three: Fifty Shades Of Pain | London, England | Dave Mastiff and Greg Burridge defeated El Ligero and Nathan Cruz | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | AAA | Heroes Inmortales | San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí | Jack Evans and La Secta Bizarra Cibernetica (Cibernético, Dark Cuervo and Dark Ozz) defeated Los Perros del Mal (Halloween, El Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Psicosis and Teddy Hart) | |
8 | NJPW | King of Pro-Wrestling | Tokyo | Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Minoru Suzuki in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
13 | ROH | Glory By Honor | Mississauga, Ontario | Kevin Steen (c) defeated Michael Elgin in a Singles match for the ROH World Championship | |
14 | TNA | Bound for Glory | Phoenix, Arizona | Jeff Hardy defeated Austin Aries (c) in a Singles match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
28 | WWE | Hell in a Cell | Atlanta, Georgia | CM Punk (c) defeated Ryback in a Hell in a Cell match to retain the WWE Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 | NJPW | Power Struggle | Osaka | Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Yujiro Takahashi in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
11 | TNA | Turning Point | Orlando, Florida | Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Austin Aries in a Ladder match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
18 | WWE | Survivor Series | Indianapolis, Indiana | CM Punk (c) defeated John Cena and Ryback in a Triple threat match to retain the WWE Championship | This event was notable for the onscreen debut of The Shield |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | WWE | Tribute to the Troops | Norfolk, Virginia | John Cena defeated Antonio Cesaro in a Singles match | |
9 | TNA | Final Resolution | Orlando, Florida | Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Bobby Roode in a Singles match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
14 | CMLL | Sin Piedad | Mexico City, Mexico | La Sombra (with Rush) defeated Tama Tonga (with El Terrible) in a Singles match for the 2012 La Copa Junior Tournament Final | |
16 | WWE | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | Brooklyn, New York | Dolph Ziggler (contract holder) defeated John Cena in a Ladder match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank contract | This marked The Shield's in-ring debut |
16 | ROH | Final Battle 2012: Doomsday | New York, New York | Kevin Steen (c) defeated El Generico in the Ladder War IV for the ROH World Championship | This was El Generico's last match in ROH before signing with the WWE as the new ring name Sami Zayn on NXT |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Rey de Reyes | El Hijo del Perro Aguayo | March 18 |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Tag League the Best 2012 | Ran Yu-Yu and Toshie Uematsu | April 8 |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Rise and Prove Tournament | TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) | February 17 | |
March Mayhem Tournament | Tommaso Ciampa | March 13 | |
ROH World Tag Team Championship Tournament | S.C.U.M. (Jimmy Jacobs and Steve Corino) | September 15 |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Wild Card Tournament | Magnus and Samoa Joe | January 8 | |
TNA X Division Championship Tournament | Zema Ion | July 8 | |
Turkey Bowl | Eric Young | November 22 |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Royal Rumble | Sheamus | January 29 | Winner received their choice of a championship match for either the WWE Championship or World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXVIII; Sheamus last eliminated Chris Jericho to win and chose to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, which he subsequently won from Daniel Bryan. |
Money in the Bank ladder match | Dolph Ziggler | July 15 | Defeated Damien Sandow, Tyson Kidd, Christian, Santino Marella, Tensai, Cody Rhodes, and Sin Cara to win a World Heavyweight Championship match contract. Ziggler cashed in the contract on the April 8, 2013 episode of Raw and won the title from Alberto Del Rio. |
Money in the Bank ladder match | John Cena | Defeated Kane, Chris Jericho, Big Show, and The Miz to win a WWE Championship match contract. Cena cashed in the contract on the July 23 episode of Raw but won the match against champion CM Punk by disqualification thanks to interference from Big Show, thus Cena did not win the title. | |
Gold Rush Tournament | Seth Rollins | July 26 (aired August 29) | Defeated Jinder Mahal in the tournament final to win the inaugural NXT Championship. |
WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's Tournament | Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) | October 22 | Defeated Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara in the tournament final to win a WWE Tag Team Championship match at Hell in a Cell, but were unsuccessful in winning the title from Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane). |
AAA Mega Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Jeff Jarrett | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 18 | El Mesias | Rey de Reyes | ||
December 2 | El Texano Jr. | Guerra de Titanes |
AAA Latin American Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – L.A. Park | ||||
No title changes |
AAA World Mini-Estrella Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Mini Psicosis | ||||
No title changes |
AAA World Cruiserweight Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Jack Evans | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 19 | Juventud Guerrera | Noche de Campeones | ||
December 2 | Daga | Guerra de Titanes |
AAA Reina de Reinas Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Sexy Star | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
No title changes |
AAA World Tag Team Championship | ||||
Incoming champions – La Legión Extranjera (Abyss and Chessman) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
October 7 | Joe Líder and Vampiro | Héroes Inmortales |
AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship | ||||
Incoming champions – La Sociedad (Alan Stone and Jennifer Blake) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
October 7 | Halloween and Mari Apache | Héroes Inmortales |
AAA World Trios Championship | ||||
Incoming champions – Los Perros del Mal (Damián 666, Halloween and X-Fly) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 11 | Los Psycho Circus (Monster Clown, Murder Clown and Psycho Clown) | Sin Límite | ||
May 19 | El Consejo (Máscara Año 2000 Jr., El Texano Jr. and Toscano) | Noche de Campeones |
IWGP Heavyweight Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Hiroshi Tanahashi | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 12 | Kazuchika Okada | The New Beginning | ||
June 16 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Dominion 6.16 |
IWGP Intercontinental Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Masato Tanaka | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 12 | Hirooki Goto | The New Beginning | ||
July 22 | Shinsuke Nakamura | Kizuna Road |
Incoming champions – Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 4 | Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) | Wrestle Kingdom VI | ||
May 3 | Chaos (Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano) | Wrestling Dontaku | ||
June 20 | Vacated | – | Iizuka and Yano were stripped of the titles after a title match between them and Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) on June 16 ended in a no contest. | |
July 22 | Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) | Kizuna Road | Defeated Chaos (Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano) to win the vacant title. | |
October 8 | K.E.S. (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) | King of Pro-Wrestling |
Incoming champion – Prince Devitt | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 3 | Low Ki | Wrestling Dontaku | ||
July 29 | Kota Ibushi | Last Rebellion | ||
October 8 | Low Ki | King of Pro-Wrestling | ||
November 11 | Prince Devitt | Power Struggle |
Incoming champions – No Remorse Corps (Davey Richards and Rocky Romero) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 4 | Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) | Wrestle Kingdom VI | ||
February 12 | No Remorse Corps (Davey Richards and Rocky Romero) | The New Beginning | ||
May 2 | Vacated | – | Title held up after Davey Richards was unable to attend Wrestling Dontaku 2012 due to travel issues. | |
June 16 | Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask | Dominion 6.16 | Liger and Tiger Mask defeated Suzuki-gun (Taichi and Taka Michinoku) to win the vacant title. | |
July 22 | Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero) | Kizuna Road | ||
November 11 | Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) | Power Struggle |
(Title created) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
November 19 | Masato Tanaka | Shodai NEVER Musabetsu Kyu Oza Kettei Tournament Final | Tanaka defeated Karl Anderson in the finals of a sixteen-man tournament to become the inaugural champion. |
Incoming champion – Davey Richards | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 12 | Kevin Steen | Border Wars |
Incoming champion – Jay Lethal | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 31 | Roderick Strong | Showdown in the Sun | ||
June 29 | Adam Cole | Ring of Honor Wrestling |
Incoming champions – The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 12 | Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) | Border Wars | ||
June 24 | The All Night Express (Rhett Titus and Kenny King) | Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis | ||
July 10 | Vacated | N/A | ||
September 15 | S.C.U.M. (Jimmy Jacobs and Steve Corino) | Death Before Dishonor X: State of Emergency | ||
December 16 | The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe) | Final Battle 2012: Doomsday |
TNA World Heavyweight Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Bobby Roode | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
July 8 | Austin Aries | Destination X | Aries voluntarily vacated the TNA X Division Championship in exchange for a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match at the event. | |
October 14 | Jeff Hardy | Bound for Glory |
TNA X Division Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Austin Aries | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
July 8 | Vacated | Destination X | Austin Aries voluntarily vacated the TNA X Division Championship in exchange for a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match at the event. | |
Zema Ion | Ultimate X match for the vacant title, also involving Kenny King, Mason Andrews, and Sonjay Dutt. | |||
October 14 | Rob Van Dam | Bound for Glory |
TNA World Tag Team Championship | ||||
Incoming champions – Crimson and Matt Morgan | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 12 | Magnus and Samoa Joe | Against All Odds | ||
May 13 | The World Tag Team Champions of the World (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) | Sacrifice | ||
June 10 | A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle | Slammiversary X | ||
June 28 | The World Tag Team Champions of the World (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) | Impact Wrestling | ||
October 14 | Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez | Bound for Glory |
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship | ||||
Incoming champions – Gail Kim and Madison Rayne | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 8 | Eric Young and ODB | Impact Wrestling |
TNA Knockouts Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Gail Kim | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 10 | Miss Tessmacher | Slammiversary | ||
August 12 | Madison Rayne | Hardcore Justice | ||
August 16 | Miss Tessmacher | Impact Wrestling | ||
October 14 | Tara | Bound for Glory | ||
TNA Television Championship | ||||
Incoming champion – Robbie E | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 18 | Devon | Victory Road | ||
September 26 | Vacated | N/A | ||
September 27 | Samoa Joe | Impact Wrestling | ||
December 6 | Devon | Impact Wrestling |
Incoming champion – CM Punk | ||||
No title changes |
Incoming champion – Daniel Bryan | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 1 | Sheamus | WrestleMania XXVIII | ||
October 28 | Big Show | Hell in a Cell | ||
Incoming champion – Cody Rhodes | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 1 | Big Show | WrestleMania XXVIII | ||
April 29 | Cody Rhodes | Extreme Rules | Tables match | |
May 20 | Christian | Over the Limit | ||
July 23 | The Miz | Raw 1000 | ||
October 16 (aired October 17) | Kofi Kingston | Main Event | ||
December 29 (aired December 31) | Wade Barrett | Monday Night Raw | ||
Incoming champion – Zack Ryder | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 16 | Jack Swagger | Monday Night Raw | ||
March 5 | Santino Marella | Monday Night Raw | ||
August 19 | Antonio Cesaro | SummerSlam Pre-Show | ||
Incoming champion – Beth Phoenix | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 23 | Nikki Bella | Monday Night Raw | Lumberjill match | |
April 29 | Layla | Extreme Rules | Layla pinned Brie Bella to win the title from Nikki Bella after the twins switched places during the match while the referee was distracted. | |
September 16 | Eve Torres | Night of Champions | ||
Incoming champions – Air Boom (Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 15 | Primo & Epico | House show | ||
April 30 | Kofi Kingston and R-Truth | Monday Night Raw | ||
September 16 | Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) | Night of Champions | ||
(Title created) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
July 26 (aired August 29) | Seth Rollins | NXT | Defeated Jinder Mahal in the tournament final to become the inaugural champion. | |
December 6 (aired January 9, 2013) | Big E Langston | NXT | No-disqualification match. | |
Inductee |
---|
Octagón |
Perro Aguayo |
Inductee |
---|
Sting |
Inductee |
---|
Mick McManus |
Alfonso Morales |
John Cena |
Hans Schmidt |
Lou Albano |
Gus Sonnenberg |
Category | Inductee | Inducted by |
---|---|---|
Individual | Mil Máscaras | Alberto Del Rio |
Edge | Christian | |
Ron Simmons | John "Bradshaw" Layfield | |
Yokozuna | Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso | |
Group | The Four Horsemen | Dusty Rhodes |
Celebrity | Mike Tyson | D-Generation X ( Shawn Michaels and Triple H) |
Poll | Winner |
---|---|
Feat of Strength of the Year | Sheamus delivers White Noise to Big Show |
Best Dancer of the Year | Brodus Clay |
Top Social Media Ambassador | Charlie Sheen |
Tweet of the Year | "Goat face is a horrible insult. My face is practically perfect in every way. In fact, from now on I demand to be called Beautiful Bryan." – Daniel Bryan |
Insult of the Year | John Cena to Dolph Ziggler & Vickie Guerrero: "You're the exact opposite. One enjoys eating a lot of nuts and the other is still trying to find his." |
Facial Hair of the Year | Daniel Bryan |
Betrayal of the Year | Big Show knocks out John Cena at Over the Limit |
Crowd Chant of the Year | "Feed Me More!" |
WWE.com Exclusive Video of the Year | Jerry Lawler speaks to WWE.com about his miraculous return |
Upset of the Year | Daniel Bryan defeats Mark Henry and Big Show at Royal Rumble |
Diva of the Year | AJ Lee |
"Tell Me I Didn't Just See That" Moment of the Year | Kofi Kingston handstands during the Royal Rumble match to avoid elimination at Royal Rumble |
Comeback of the Year | Jerry Lawler |
Kiss of the Year | AJ Lee and John Cena |
Superstar of the Year | John Cena |
LOL! Moment of the Year | The Rock throws John Cena's things into the Boston Harbor |
#Trending Now of the Year | Ryback's #FeedMeMore |
Newcomer of the Year | Ryback |
Match of the Year | Hell in a Cell match: The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania XXVIII |
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Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle royal in which the participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time. After the inaugural 1988 event aired as a television special on the USA Network, the Royal Rumble has been broadcast via pay-per-view since the 1989 event and livestreaming since the 2015 event. From 1988 until 2024, it was held in late January, but will be held in early February in 2025. It is one of WWE's five biggest events of the year, along with WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, referred to as the "Big Five".
WrestleMania XXIV was the 24th 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 March 30, 2008, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida. It was also the second WrestleMania to be held outdoors. American socialite Kim Kardashian served as the hostess of the event.
The 1992 Royal Rumble was the fifth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on January 19, 1992, at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York. It centered on the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle royal in which participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time.
The 2005 Survivor Series was the 19th 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 and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took place on November 27, 2005, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan and consisted of six professional wrestling matches. This is the third event to take place in Detroit since the events in 1991 and 1999.
Rated-RKO was a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) consisting of Edge and Randy Orton, with Lita as their manager for a short while. The team's name was created by combining Edge's nickname, "The Rated-R Superstar", with Orton's initials, RKO, which is also the name of his finishing move.
The 2008 Royal Rumble was the 21st 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 27, 2008, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The event was also the first WWE pay-per-view broadcast in high definition. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2008 event, the winner received their choice to challenge for either Raw's WWE Championship, SmackDown's World Heavyweight Championship, or the ECW Championship at WrestleMania XXIV.
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the floor. The match is typically the main event of WWE's January pay-per-view and livestreaming event known as the Royal Rumble. The winner of the event is the last wrestler remaining after all others have been eliminated. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin holds the record for most victories at three, achieved in 1997, 1998, and 2001, while Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, Brock Lesnar, and Cody Rhodes have all won the match twice, with Hogan, Michaels, Austin, and Rhodes the only four to win back-to-back matches.
The 2007 New Year's Revolution was the third annual New Year's Revolution professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw brand division. It took place on January 7, 2007, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The New Year's Revolution PPV was discontinued after this 2007 event due to the reduction in the number of PPVs per year following WWE's discontinuation of brand-exclusive PPVs after WrestleMania 23 in April. In January 2020, WWE revived the event's name for a series of WWE Live shows called the New Year's Revolution Tour, and then revived it again for a special episode of SmackDown in January 2024.
The 2006 Backlash was the eighth Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw brand division. The event took place on April 30, 2006, at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. It was the last Backlash event to be Raw-exclusive as following WrestleMania 23 the following year, brand-exclusive PPVs were discontinued. The concept of the pay-per-view was based around the backlash from WrestleMania 22.
The 2006 New Year's Revolution was the second annual New Year's Revolution professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw brand division. It took place on January 8, 2006, at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York.
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.
Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair. She is currently out of action due to a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus.
The 2017 Royal Rumble was the 30th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on January 29, 2017, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This was the second Royal Rumble to be held at this venue after the 1997 event, and the fourth to be held in the state of Texas, after the 1989, 1997, and 2007 events.
2013 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.
The 2018 Fastlane was the fourth Fastlane professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wresters from the promotion's SmackDown brand division. The event took place on March 11, 2018, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The 2018 event was the final SmackDown-exclusive pay-per-view and subsequently the final brand-exclusive pay-per-view under the second brand split as following WrestleMania 34 in April, WWE discontinued brand-exclusive PPVs.