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 NameAbbreviationAJWAJPWEMLLCWAMLWNWA
Calendar of notable shows DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventJanuary 28UWA4th Anniversary ShowNaucalpanDr. Wagner beat Angel Blanco in a "Lucha de Apuestas" "Mask vs. Hair" matchFebruary 27AJWAll Japan Women's at Nippon BudokanTokyoJackie Sato defeated Maki Ueda in a battle between former partners where the loser must retire.March 25MLWAWA/WWF Title UnificationToronto, OntarioWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund fought AWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Bockwinkel to a double count-outMay 18CWANight of ChampionsKnoxville, TennesseeHarley Race (c) defeated Ron Fuller to retain the NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipApril 6AJPWChampion CarnivalTokyo, JapanAbdullah the Butcher defeated Jumbo TsurutaApril 21EMLL23. Aniversario de Arena MéxicoMexico City, MexicoAlfonso Dantés defeated Pak Choo (c) in a singles match for the NWA World Light Heavyweight ChampionshipJune 7NJPWMSG LeagueTokyo, JapanAntonio Inoki defeated Stan HansenJuly 8NWABattle of the Nature BoysGreensboro, North CarolinaNWA United States Champion Ric Flair defeated Buddy RogersSeptember 21EMLLEMLL 46th Anniversary ShowMexico City, MexicoGran Cochisse defeated Américo Rocca in a Lucha de Apuestas hair vs. hair matchDecember 7EMLLJuico FinalMexico City, MexicoEl Faraón and Águila India defeated Sangre Chicana and Tony Salazar in a Lucha de Apuestas, hair vs hair match(c) – denotes defending champion(s)
Notable events In March, the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) was renamed to World Wrestling Federation (WWF). On March 6 at a taping for WWWF Championship Wrestling, The Valiant Brothers beat Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko to become the new WWWF Tag Team Championship. June 6 - Verne Gagne and Butcher Vachon beat Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens to become the AWA Tag Team Champions. On October 22 at New York's Madison Square Garden Ivan Putski and Tito Santana beat The Valiant Brothers to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.
Accomplishments and tournaments AJW AccomplishmentWinnerDate wonNotesRookie of the Year Decision TournamentAyumi Hori (Jumbo Hori)
JCP AccomplishmentWinnerDate wonNotesNWA United States Championship TournamentJimmy SnukaSeptember 1
Awards and honors
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
CategoryWinnerPWI Wrestler of the YearHarley RacePWI Tag Team of the YearIvan Putski and Tito SantanaPWI Match of the YearHarley Race vs. Dusty RhodesPWI Most Popular Wrestler of the YearDusty RhodesPWI Most Hated Wrestler of the YearGreg ValentinePWI Most Improved Wrestler of the YearTommy RichPWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the YearChief Jay StrongbowPWI Rookie of the YearSweet Brown SugarPWI Manager of the YearArnold Skaaland
Championship changes EMLL DateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)April 30Alfonso DantésEMLL show
Incoming champion – Tony SalazarDateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)February 3Ringo MendozaEMLL showSeptember 9Satoru SayamaEMLL show
Incoming champion – Mano NegraDateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)April 20Americo RoccaEMLL show
Incoming champion – TNTDateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)February 4Gran MarkusEMLL showDecember 23El HalconEMLL show
Incoming champion – Sangre ChicanaDateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)MarchVacantEMLL showJune 8Cachorro MendozaEMLL showOctober 19El SatanicoEMLL show
Incoming champion – TailsmanDateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)April 8Rodolfo RuizEMLL show
Incoming champion – Dos CarasDateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)April 8Astro ReyEMLL showNovember 11Dr. WagnerEMLL showNovember 30Enrique VeraEMLL show
Incoming champion – Americo RoccaDateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)April 18LizmarkLive event
Incoming champion – Uncertain No title changes
NWA Incoming champion – Harley RaceDateWinnerEvent/ShowNote(s)August 21Dusty RhodesHouse showAugust 26Harley RaceHouse showOctober 31Giant BabaHouse showNovember 7Harley RaceHouse show
Births January 17 - Chase Stevens February 21 – Carly Colón March 4 – Sarah Stock March 6 – David Flair March 9 – Melina March 12 – Nidia Guenard March 17 – Samoa Joe March 23 - Ray Gordy March 28 - Goldy Locks April 19 – Nicole Raczynski April 25 - Belladonna (d. 2019) April 29 - Vladimir Kozlov May 3 - Monsta Mack May 4 - Ryan Shamrock May 11 - Air Paris May 26 – Ashley Massaro (d. 2019) May 29 – Brian Kendrick June 19 - Billy Reil (d. 2024) June 25 - Hirooki Goto July 18 – Joey Mercury July 19 – Pólvora July 20 - Adam Rose July 23 Peter RosenbergChris Richards, "Peter Rosenberg: From Montgomery County to top of the hip-hop heap," The Washington Post, May 31, 2013. Perro Aguayo Jr. (d. 2015) July 27 – Shannon Moore July 31 - R. J. Brewer August 9 - Silas Young August 10 - Kongo Kong August 31 – Mickie James Additional January 6, 2017. September 5 - Slyck Wagner Brown September 6 – Low Ki September 26 - Naomichi Marufuji October 1 – Curtis Axel October 3 – John Morrison October 8 – Paul Burchill October 14 – Stacy Keibler October 19 – Mari Apache October 25 – Rosa Mendes October 27 – Bobby Fish November 2 – Cliff Compton November 5 - Jackson Andrews November 7 - Joey Ryan November 12 - Matt Cappotelli (d. 2018) November 17 Katsuyori Shibata Meiko Satomura November 21 - Ryota Hama December 3 – Seth Petruzelli December 10 - Matt Bentley December 15 – Eric Young December 16: Luke Harper/Brodie Lee (d. 2020) Murat Bosporus December 18 - Eric Escobar December 24 – Chris Hero December 26 - Hiroshi Nagao December 29 - Justin Roberts
Debuts Uncertain debut date Barry Windham Jim Duggan Wendi Richter Tom Prichard March 5 - Shiro Koshinaka September 9 - Martha Villalobos September 17 - Apollo Sugawara
Deaths April 26 – Fuzzy Cupid, 50 June 30 – Chris Taylor, 29 July 14 - Billy McCrary, 32 July 22 - Tony Galento, 69 October 11 - Lou Bastien, 63
Retirements Spiros Arion (1961 - 1979) Boris Malenko (1955 - 1979)
References