1988_in_professional_wrestling

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1988 in professional wrestling

Professional wrestling-related events during the year of 1988

1988 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

Quick Facts List of years in professional wrestling ...

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Hoops, Brian (January 24, 2020). "Pro wrestling history (01/24): WWF Royal Rumble 1999". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 25, 2020.

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"Royal Rumble 1988". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2009-11-30.

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AJW War Dream 2, Cagematch.net, retrieved 12 April 2023

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THE WAR DREAM II Dump Matsumoto, Yukari Omori Retirement Match 2/25/88 Kawasaki Shi Taiikukan, quebrada.net, retrieved 12 April 2023

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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.

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"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.

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"Eddie Graham Memorial Show". Florida Championship Wrestling/Professional Wrestling Federation Cards. ProWrestlingHistory.com.

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"Budokan Hall 8/88". All Japan Budokan Hall Shows. ProWrestlingHistory.com.

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"SummerSlam 1988". Pro Wrestling History. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2010.

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"55th Anniversary Show". Pro Wrestling History. September 30, 1988. Retrieved September 27, 2012.

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"5th Cotton Bowl Extravaganza". Pro Wrestling History. October 15, 1988. Retrieved April 10, 2015.

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"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.

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"Survivor Series 1988 official results". WWE. Retrieved June 10, 2008.

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"SuperClash III". Pro Wrestling History. December 13, 1988. Retrieved April 4, 2015.

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Adamson, Matt (2008-02-06). "Going Old School: Starrcade '88". 411mania. Retrieved 2008-06-05.

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"Evie". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08. Retrieved 2017-12-27.

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宝城カイリ. Horipro (in Japanese). Retrieved June 3, 2016.

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Promotion Name	Abbreviation	Notes
All Japan Pro Wrestling	AJPW
American Wrestling Association	AWA
Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre	EMLL
Jim Crockett Promotions	JCP	In November, Turner Broadcasting System bought JCP and rebranded it as World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
World Class Championship Wrestling	WCCW
World Wrestling Council	WWC
World Wrestling Federation	WWF

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]
January 24	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]
March 27	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]
August 29	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
December 7	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)

Accomplishment	Winner	Date won
Japan Grand Prix 1988	Bull Nakano	June 26
Rookie of the Year Decision Tournament	Sachiko Nakamura
Tag League The Best 1988	Hisako Uno and Mika Suzuki	October 10

Accomplishment	Winner	Date won
Bunkhouse Stampede	Dusty Rhodes^[20]^[7]^{[page needed]}	January 24
Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament	Lex Luger and Sting	April 23
NWA United States Tag Team Championship Tournament	The Fantastics(Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers)	April 26

Accomplishment	Winner	Date won
Royal Rumble	Jim Duggan	January 24
WWF World Heavyweight Championship Tournament	Randy Savage	March 27
King of the Ring	Ted DiBiase	October 16

1988_in_professional_wrestling

1988 in professional wrestling

List of notable promotions

Calendar of notable shows

Notable events

Tournaments and accomplishments

AJW

JCP

WWF

Awards and honors

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Title changes

WWF

Births

Debuts

Debut date

Uncertain debut date

Retirements

Deaths

See also

References

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Category	Winner
PWI Wrestler of the Year	Randy Savage
PWI Tag Team of the Year	The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal)
PWI Match of the Year	Hulk Hogan vs. André the Giant (The Main Event I)
PWI Feud of the Year	Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year	Randy Savage
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year	André the Giant
PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year	Sting
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year	Jerry Lawler
PWI Rookie of the Year	Madusa Miceli
PWI Lifetime Achievement	Bruiser Brody, Adrian Adonis
PWI Editor's Award	J. J. Dillon

Category	Winner
Wrestler of the Year	Akira Maeda
Most Outstanding	Tatsumi Fujinami
Feud of the Year	The Fantastics vs. The Midnight Express
Tag Team of the Year	The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane)
Most Improved	Sting
Best on Interviews	Jim Cornette

Date	Winner	Event/Show	Note(s)
WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Hulk Hogan
February 5	Andre the Giant	The Main Event I	After the controversial finish, Andre "sold' his title to Ted Dibiase
February 5	Vacant	The Main Event I	As a result of that moment see above Jack Tunney declared the title vacant.
March 27	Randy Savage	WrestleMania IV	It was a 14-man tournament to decide the undisputed WWE Champion.

Date	Winner	Event/Show	Note(s)
WWF Intercontinental Championship
Incoming champion – The Honky Tonk Man
August 29	The Ultimate Warrior	SummerSlam	The Ultimate Warrior was a last minute replacement for Brutus Beefcake who was originally the no. 1 contender for the title.

Date	Winner	Event/Show	Note(s)
WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Antonio Inoki
No title changes

Date	Winner	Event/Show
WWF Women's Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – The Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai and Judy Martin)
January 24	The Jumping Bomb Angels (Noriyo Tateno and Itzuki Yamazaki)	Royal Rumble
June 8	The Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai and Judy Martin)	Live event

Date	Winner	Event/Show
WWF Women's Championship
Incoming champion – Sensational Sherri
October 7	Rockin' Robin	Prime Time Wrestling

Date	Winner	Event/Show
WWF Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana)
March 27	Demolition (Ax and Smash)	WrestleMania IV