List of years in professional wrestling
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1979 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

List of notable promotions

Only one promotion held notable shows in 1979.

Promotion Name Abbreviation
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling AJW
Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre EMLL

Calendar of notable shows

Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
January 28 UWA 4th Anniversary Show Naucalpan Dr. Wagner beat Angel Blanco in a "Lucha de Apuestas" "Mask vs. Hair" match
February 27 AJW All Japan Women's at Nippon Budokan Tokyo Jackie Sato defeated Maki Ueda in a battle between former partners where the loser must retire.
March 25 MLW AWA/WWF Title Unification Toronto, Ontario WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund fought AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel to a double count-out
May 18 CWA Night of Champions Knoxville, Tennessee Harley Race (c) defeated Ron Fuller to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
April 6 AJPW Champion Carnival Tokyo, Japan Abdullah the Butcher defeated Jumbo Tsuruta
April 21 EMLL 23. Aniversario de Arena México Mexico City, Mexico Alfonso Dantés defeated Pak Choo (c) in a singles match for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship[1]
June 7 NJPW MSG League Tokyo, Japan Antonio Inoki defeated Stan Hansen
July 8 NWA Battle of the Nature Boys Greensboro, North Carolina NWA United States Champion Ric Flair defeated Buddy Rogers
September 21 EMLL EMLL 46th Anniversary Show Mexico City, Mexico Gran Cochisse defeated Américo Rocca in a Lucha de Apuestas hair vs. hair match[2][3]
December 7 EMLL Juico Final Mexico City, Mexico El Faraón and Águila India defeated Sangre Chicana and Tony Salazar in a Lucha de Apuestas, hair vs hair match[4]
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

Notable events

Accomplishments and tournaments

AJW

Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
Rookie of the Year Decision Tournament Ayumi Hori (Jumbo Hori)

JCP

Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
NWA United States Championship Tournament Jimmy Snuka September 1

Awards and honors

1979 PWI Wrestler of the Year, Harley Race

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Main article: List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards
Category Winner
PWI Wrestler of the Year Harley Race
PWI Tag Team of the Year Ivan Putski and Tito Santana
PWI Match of the Year Harley Race vs. Dusty Rhodes
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year Dusty Rhodes
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year Greg Valentine
PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year Tommy Rich
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year Chief Jay Strongbow
PWI Rookie of the Year Sweet Brown Sugar
PWI Manager of the Year Arnold Skaaland

Championship changes

EMLL

NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
incoming champion – Pak Choo[1]
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 30, Alfonso Dantés EMLL show [1]
NWA World Middleweight Championship
Incoming champion – Tony Salazar
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
February 3 Ringo Mendoza EMLL show
September 9 Satoru Sayama EMLL show
NWA World Welterweight Championship
Incoming champion – Mano Negra
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 30 Americo Rocca EMLL show
Mexican National Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – TNT
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
February 4 Gran Markus EMLL show
December 23 El Halcon EMLL show
Mexican National Middleweight Championship
Incoming champion – Vacant
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
June 8 Cachorro Mendoza EMLL show
October 19 El Satanico EMLL show
Mexican National Lightweight Championship
Incoming champion – Tailsman[5]
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 8 Rodolfo Ruiz EMLL show [5]
Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Dos Caras
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 8 Astro Rey EMLL show
November 11 Dr. Wagner EMLL show
November 30 Enrique Vera EMLL show
Mexican National Welterweight Championship
Incoming champion – Lizmark
No title changes[1]
Mexican National Women's Championship
Incoming champion – Uncertain
No title changes[1]

NWA

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Harley Race
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
August 21 Dusty Rhodes House show
August 26 Harley Race House show
October 31 Giant Baba House show
November 7 Harley Race House show

Births

Debuts

Deaths

Retirements

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2006). "Mexico: EMLL NWA World Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 389. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  2. ^ "46th Anniversary Show". Pro Wrestling History. August 21, 1979. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  3. ^ "Historia de Los Aniversarios del CMLL". The Gladiatores Magazine (in Spanish). September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  4. ^ "EMLL Super Viernes". Wrestling Data. December 7, 1979. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Lightweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. p. 393. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  6. ^ "Women's Wrestler Profiles: Sarah Stock". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
  7. ^ "Women's Wrestler Profiles: Melina Perez". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  8. ^ Milner, John; Kamchen, Richard (2005-12-04). "Samoa Joe". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2008-10-17.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ Chris Richards, "Peter Rosenberg: From Montgomery County to top of the hip-hop heap," The Washington Post, May 31, 2013.
  10. ^ Leggett, Steve. "Mickie James". Rovi. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2016 – via Billboard. Additional January 6, 2017.
  11. ^ "The Ballad of Mickie James". Richmond Magazine. Virginia. December 23, 2010. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2010. Born at Richmond Memorial Hospital in 1979....
  12. ^ "Featured Content on Myspace". Myspace. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  13. ^ "Internet Wrestling Database: Search: bobby fish". www.profightdb.com. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  14. ^ "Eric Young Online World of Wrestling". Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  15. ^ "Eric Young « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  16. ^ "Luke Harper". Florida Championship Wrestling. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  17. ^ "Luke Harper". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  18. ^ "Chris Hero". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
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