1988 in professional wrestling Professional wrestling-related events during the year of 1988
Overview of the events of 1988 in professional wrestling
List of years in professional wrestling
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1988 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling .
These promotions held notable events in 1988.
Calendar of notable shows
Date
Promotion(s)
Event
Location
Main Event
January 24
JCP
Bunkhouse Stampede
Uniondale, New York
Dusty Rhodes defeated Arn Anderson , The Barbarian , Ivan Koloff , Lex Luger , Road Warrior Animal , Tully Blanchard and The Warlord in a steel cage Bunkhouse Stampede [ 1]
WWF
Royal Rumble
Hamilton, Ontario
Jim Duggan won the Royal Rumble by last eliminating One Man Gang [ 2]
February 21
AJW
The War Dream II
Kawasaki , Japan
Dump Matsumoto and Yukari Omori retire. The show featured Matsumoto facing partner Bull Nakano , Yukari Omori facing Lioness Asuka and a special exhibition match where long-time rivals Chigusa Nagayo and Matsumoto teamed up against Asuka and Omori.[ 3] [ 4]
March 7
WWF
Saturday Night's Main Event
Nashville, Tennessee
Hulk Hogan vs. Harley Race
March 27
WWF
WrestleMania IV
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Randy Savage defeated Ted DiBiase in a tournament final for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship [ 5]
JCP
Clash of the Champions I
Greensboro, North Carolina
Ric Flair (c) wrestled Sting to a time-limit draw in a singles match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship [ 6]
April 22
WWF
Saturday Night's Main Event
Springfield, Massachusetts
Randy Savage vs. One Man Gang for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
April 22 April 23
JCP
3rd Annual Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
Greenville, South Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina
Sting and Lex Luger defeated Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard in a tournament final[ 7] [page needed ]
May 8
WCCW
5th Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions
Irving, Texas
Kerry Von Erich defeated Iceman Parsons (c) (( in a singles match for the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship [ 8]
June 12
NJPW
G1 Climax
Tokyo, Japan
Antonio Inoki defeated Masa Saito
June 28
AJW
Japan Grand Prix
Tokyo, Japan
Chigusa Nagayo defeated Dump Matsumoto
July 10
JCP
The Great American Bash
Baltimore, Maryland
Ric Flair (c) defeated Lex Luger in a singles match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship [ 7] [page needed ]
July 30
JCP AWA WCCW
Second Annual Eddie Graham Memorial Show
Tampa, Florida
Kerry Von Erich (C - WCCW) defeated Jerry Lawler (C - AWA) in a singles match; AWA World Heavyweight Championship vs. WCCW World Heavyweight Championship [ 9]
August 29
AJPW
Bruiser Brody Memorial Show
Tokyo, Japan
Genichiro Tenryu and Ashura Hara defeated Jumbo Tsuruta and Yoshiaki Yatsu in a tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship [ 10]
WWF
SummerSlam
New York City , New York
The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage ) defeated The Mega Bucks (André the Giant and Ted DiBiase ) in a tag team match with Jesse Ventura as the special guest referee [ 11]
September 10
WWC
WWC 15th Aniversario
Bayamón , Puerto Rico
Huracan Castillo and Miguel Pérez Jr. defeated Bobby Jaggers and Dan Kroffat in a "Hair vs. hair" tag team match
September 30
EMLL
EMLL 55th Anniversary Show
Mexico City, Mexico
Máscara Año 2000 defeated Mogur in a Lucha de Apuestas mask vs. mask match[ 12]
October 11
AJW
Tag League the Best
Tokyo, Japan
The Crush Gals (Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka ) defeated Bull Nakano and Condor Saito
October 15
WCCW
5th Cotton Bowl Extravaganza
Dallas, Texas
Kerry Von Erich (c - WCWA) defeated Jerry Lawler (c - AWA) in a Texas Death match for the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship [ 13] [ 14]
October 16
WWF
King of the Ring
Providence, Rhode Island
Ted DiBiase defeated Randy Savage by count-out in a King of the Ring tournament final match[ 15]
October 25
Saturday Night's Main Event
Baltimore, Maryland
Hulk Hogan vs. King Haku
November 16
Saturday Night's Main Event
Sacramento, California
Randy Savage (c) vs. Andre the Giant for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
November 24
Survivor Series
Richfield Township, Ohio
Hercules , Hillbilly Jim , Koko B. Ware , Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage defeated Akeem , Big Boss Man , Haku , The Red Rooster and Ted DiBiase in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series match [ 16]
December 7
NJPW
Japan Cup Tag League
Tokyo, Japan
Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura defeated Antonio Inoki and Dick Murdoch
WWF
Saturday Night's Main Event
Tampa, Florida
Hulk Hogan vs. Akeem
December 13
AWA
SuperClash III
Chicago, Illinois
Jerry Lawler (AWA) defeated Kerry Von Erich (WCWA) due to referee stoppage in a Title Unification match ; AWA World Heavyweight Championship vs. WCWA World Heavyweight Championship [ 17] [ 18]
December 26
WCW
Starrcade
Norfolk, Virginia
Ric Flair (c) defeated Lex Luger in a singles match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship [ 19]
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)
Notable events
Tournaments and accomplishments
AJW
JCP
WWF
Awards and honors
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Title changes
WWF
Date
Winner
Event/Show
Note(s)
No title changes
Births
Debuts
Debut date
Uncertain debut date
Retirements
Deaths
March 14 - Saul Weingeroff , 72
March 30 - Stu Gibson , 62
April 30 - Man Mountain Mike , 47
April 30 - Tiger Joe Tomasso , 65/66
May 15 - Fred Atkins , 77/78
June 15 - Mike Clancy , 63
July 4 - Adrian Adonis ,[ 31] 33
July 4 - Dave McKigney , 56
July 17 - Bruiser Brody ,[ 32] 42
September 6 - Leroy Brown , 37
September 9 - Leroy McGuirk , 77
November 26 - Baron Michele Leone , 79
November 30 - Ricky Lawless , 28
December 12 - Larry Moquin , 65
December 21 - Dave Ruhl , 68
See also
References
^ Hoops, Brian (January 24, 2020). "Pro wrestling history (01/24): WWF Royal Rumble 1999" . Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Retrieved January 25, 2020 .
^ "Royal Rumble 1988" . Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2009-11-30 .
^ AJW War Dream 2 , Cagematch.net, retrieved 12 April 2023
^ THE WAR DREAM II Dump Matsumoto, Yukari Omori Retirement Match 2/25/88 Kawasaki Shi Taiikukan , quebrada.net, retrieved 12 April 2023
^ "WrestleMania IV results" . Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments. Retrieved May 31, 2008 .
^ "Clash of Champions Results (I)" .
^ a b c Cawthon, Graham; Cornette, Jim (2013-12-25). Sawyer, Grant (ed.). The History of Professional Wrestling: Jim Crockett Promotions & the NWA World Title 1983-1988 (1 ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 9781494803476 .
^ "Historical Cards: Parade of Champions 5 (May 8, 1988. Irving, Texas)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanac and book of facts . Kappa Publications. p. 173. 2007 Edition.
^ "Eddie Graham Memorial Show" . Florida Championship Wrestling/Professional Wrestling Federation Cards . ProWrestlingHistory.com.
^ "Budokan Hall 8/88" . All Japan Budokan Hall Shows . ProWrestlingHistory.com.
^ "SummerSlam 1988" . Pro Wrestling History. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2010 .
^ "55th Anniversary Show" . Pro Wrestling History. September 30, 1988. Retrieved September 27, 2012 .
^ "5th Cotton Bowl Extravaganza" . Pro Wrestling History. October 15, 1988. Retrieved April 10, 2015 .
^ "Historical Cards: 5th Cotton Bowl Extravaganza (October 15, 1988. Dallas, Texas)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts . Kappa Publications. p. 172. 2007 Edition.
^ "King of the Ring 88 - Providence, RI - Civic Center - October 16, 1988 (6,700)" . The History of WWE . Retrieved October 8, 2019 .
^ "Survivor Series 1988 official results" . WWE . Retrieved June 10, 2008 .
^ "Historical Cards". 2007 Wrestling Almanac and Book of Facts . Kappa Publications. p. 159. 2007 Edition.
^ "SuperClash III" . Pro Wrestling History. December 13, 1988. Retrieved April 4, 2015 .
^ Adamson, Matt (2008-02-06). "Going Old School: Starrcade '88" . 411mania. Retrieved 2008-06-05 .
^ "Bunkhouse Stampedes" . Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved June 17, 2015 .
^ "Evie" . Online World of Wrestling . Archived from the original on 2017-09-08. Retrieved 2017-12-27 .
^ "Athena: Profile & Match Listing" . The Internet Wrestling Database . Retrieved September 24, 2015 .
^ 〜ピープルズ・チャンプ〜 宝城カイリ . World Wonder Ring Stardom (in Japanese). May 22, 2014. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
^ 宝城カイリ . Horipro (in Japanese). Retrieved June 3, 2016 .
^ 【各界の著名人&関係者に直撃!】『Super J-Cup』優勝予想大アンケート!(スターダム編)【SJ16】 . New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). August 9, 2016. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016 .
^ "Buddy Murphy" . Wrestling Data .
^ "Cathy Kelley's IMDB Page" . IMDB. Retrieved 12 August 2013 .
^ "Jason Jordan" . The Internet Wrestling Database . Retrieved August 19, 2015 .
^ マスカラ・ドラダ . New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2015 .
^ "Dana Brooke: Profile & Match Listing" . The Internet Wrestling Database . Retrieved March 12, 2015 .
^ "Adrian Adonis profile" . Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-12 .
^ Atlas, Tony. ATLAS Too Much ... Too Soon . Crowbar Press. (p.197-205) ISBN 978-0-9844090-2-0