1983 in professional wrestling
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1983 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.
List of notable promotions[]
These promotions held notable shows in 1983.
| Promotion Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| American Wrestling Association | AWA |
| Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | EMLL |
| Jim Crockett Promotions | JCP |
| World Wrestling Council | WWC |
Calendar of notable shows[]
| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 22 | EMLL | 27. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | Super Halcón (c) defeated Pirata Morgan in a best two-out-of-three falls match for the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship[1] |
| April 24 | AWA | AWA Super Sunday | St. Paul, Minnesota | Nick Bockwinkel (c) defeated Hulk Hogan by reverse decision disqualification in a singles match for the AWA World Heavyweight Title with Lord James Blears as special guest referee |
| September 17 | WWC | WWC 10th Aniversario | San Juan, Puerto Rico | André the Giant defeated Abdullah the Butcher via countout |
| September 23 | EMLL | EMLL 50th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Sangre Chicana defeated MS-1 in a Lucha de Apuestas Hair vs. Hair match[2] |
| November 24 | JCP | Starrcade | Greensboro, North Carolina | Ric Flair defeated Harley Race (c) in a steel cage match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with Gene Kiniski as special guest referee[3] |
| December 9 | EMLL | Juicio Final | Mexico City, Mexico | Rayo de Jalisco Jr. defeated El Egipico in a Lucha de Apuestas, mask vs. mask match[4] |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) | ||||
Notable events[]
- March 10–11 The WWF holds its first ever live events outside the Northeast in San Diego and Los Angeles, California
- The WWF now fully owned by Vince McMahon seceded from the National Wrestling Alliance at the annual NWA Convention.
- September 4 - WWF All-American Wrestling debut on the USA Network
- November 15 - Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson made WWF history as they became the first African-Americans to win the WWF Tag Team Championship in a no-disqualification match against The Wild Samoans on WWE Championship Wrestling.
- December 26 - Iron Sheik managed by "Classy" Freddie Blassie defeated WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund ending Backlund's nearly 5 year run when his manager Arnold Skaaland threw in his towel in New York, NY
Awards and honors[]
Pro Wrestling Illustrated[]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| PWI Wrestler of the Year | Harley Race |
| PWI Tag Team of the Year | The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) |
| PWI Match of the Year | Ric Flair vs. Harley Race |
| PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year | Jimmy Snuka |
| PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year | Greg Valentine |
| PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year | Brett Wayne Sawyer |
| PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year | Hulk Hogan |
| PWI Rookie of the Year | Angelo Mosca, Jr. |
| PWI Manager of the Year | James J. Dillon |
| PWI Editor's Award | The Grand Wizard |
Wrestling Observer Newsletter[]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Wrestler of the Year | Ric Flair |
| Feud of the Year | The Freebirds vs. The Von Erichs |
| Tag Team of the Year | Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood |
| Most Improved | Curt Hennig |
| Best on Interviews | Roddy Piper |
Births[]
- January 8 – Chris Masters
- January 21 – Maryse Ouellet[5]
- January 30 – Rockstar Spud[6]
- February 10 – Taiji Ishimori
- February 21 – Wes Brisco
- March 18 – Ethan Carter III
- March 28 – Evan Bourne
- March 30 – Zach Gowen
- May 23 – Alex Shelley
- July 15 – Heath Slater[7]
- July 26 – Roderick Strong[8]
- August 23 – J.C. Bailey (died in 2010)
- August 24 – Tino Sabbatelli
- September 6 – Sam Roberts
- September 6 – Braun Strowman[9]
- September 16 – Jennifer Blake
- October 1 – Robbie E
- October 16 – Kenny Omega
- October 19 – Robert Evans[10]
- October 22 – Taya Valkyrie
- November 2 – Darren Young
- November 11 – Kristal Marshall
- November 21 – Nikki Bella[11]
- November 21 – Brie Bella[11]
- November 28 – Summer Rae
- November 29 - Rosemary
- December 15 – Rene Dupree
- December 16 - Kris Travis (died in 2016)
- December 22 – Luke Gallows[12]
Debuts[]
- Uncertain debut date
- Scott Armstrong
- Paul Diamond
- Darren Matthews
- Jushin Liger
- Rick Steiner
- Ben Bassarab
- March 5 - Cueball Carmichael
- June 6 - Road Warrior Hawk
- June 24 - Mick Foley
Retirements[]
- Dean Ho (1962 - 1983)
- Mikel Scicluna (1953 - 1983)
Deaths[]
February 7 - Miguel Ángel Delgado, 35
- May 10 - Frank Tunney - promoter of Maple Leaf Wrestling., 70
- May 25 - Johnny Rougeau, 53
- October 12 - Ernie Roth, known by his ring name The Grand Wizard.,[13] 57
See also[]
- List of WCW pay-per-view events
References[]
- ^ Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 390–391. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "50th Anniversary Show". Pro Wrestling History. September 23, 1983. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ "Flair defeats Race for wrestling title". Greensboro Daily News. 1983-11-25. p. D3. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
A sellout crowd of 15,447 was on hand for the night's competition.
- ^ "EMLL Super Viernes – Juicio Final 1983". Wrestling Data. December 9, 1983. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ Kamchen, Richard. "Maryse Ouellet". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- ^ "Spud". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
- ^ "Heath Slater". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ "Roderick Strong". Retrieved May 30, 2007.
- ^ "Braun Strowman". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- ^ ""The Essence of Excellence" Robert Evans". Anarchy Championship Wrestling. Blogger. July 1, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ a b "The Bella Twins". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
- ^ 『ワールドタッグ』出場チーム決定!! 内藤＆ソンブラ! コンウェイ＆ダンも参戦! アンダーソンは"新顔"ドク・ギャローズとタッグ結成!! (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. November 11, 2013. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
- ^ Slagle, Steve. "The Grand Wizard". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
Categories:
- 1983 in professional wrestling
- 1983-related lists