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+... |
1997 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.
These promotions held notable events in 1997.
Promotion Name | Abbreviation | Notes |
---|---|---|
Catch Wrestling Association | CWA | |
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | CMLL | |
Extreme Championship Wrestling | ECW | |
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling | FMW | |
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide | AAA | The "AAA" abbreviation has been used since the mid-1990s and had previously stood for the promotion's original name Asistencia Asesoría y Administración. |
New Japan Pro-Wrestling | NJPW | |
World Championship Wrestling | WCW | |
World Wrestling Council | WWC | |
World Wrestling Federation | WWF |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 4 | NJPW | Wrestling World | Tokyo, Japan | Shinya Hashimoto (c) defeated Riki Choshu in a Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
January 11 | ECW | House Party | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Pitbull #1 defeated Shane Douglas (c) (with Francine) by count out in a Singles match | |
January 19 | WWF | Royal Rumble | San Antonio, Texas, United States | Shawn Michaels (with José Lothario) defeated Sycho Sid (c) in a Singles match for the WWF Championship [1] | |
January 25 |
WCW: |
Souled Out | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | Hollywood Hogan ( nWo) (c) fought The Giant (WCW) to a no contest in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship | |
January 31 | ECW | Winter Blowout | Lake Grove, New York, United States | The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer defeated Raven and Stevie Richards in a tag team match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 15 | ECW | Hostile City Showdown | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Raven (c) defeated Stevie Richards and Tommy Dreamer by pinfall in a Three way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
March 16 | WCW | Uncensored | North Charleston, South Carolina, United States | Team nWo ( Hollywood Hogan, Randy Savage, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) (with Dennis Rodman) defeated Team Piper ( Roddy Piper, Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael and Jeff Jarrett) and Team WCW ( Lex Luger, The Giant and Scott Steiner) in a Triangle Elimination match | |
March 21 | CMLL | Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth | Mexico City, Mexico | Silver King defeated La Fiera in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas, Hair vs. Hair match | |
March 23 | WWF | WrestleMania 13 | Rosemont, Illinois, United States | The Undertaker defeated Sycho Sid (c) in a No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 4 | CMLL | International Gran Prix | Mexico City, Mexico | Steele defeated Rayo de Jalisco Jr. in a 1997 International Gran Prix final match | |
April 6 | WCW | Spring Stampede | Tupelo, Mississippi, United States | Diamond Dallas Page (with Kimberly Page) defeated Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) in a No Disqualification match | |
April 12 | N/A | Second Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Show | Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States | Goldust defeated Derrick Domino in a Singles match | |
April 13 | ECW | Barely Legal | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Terry Funk defeated Raven (c) in a Singles match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
April 18 | CMLL | 41. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | Steele defeated Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (c) in a Best two-out-of-three falls match for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship | |
April 20 | WWF | In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker | Rochester, New York, United States | Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Bret Hart by disqualification in a Singles match to determine the #1 contender to the WWF Championship | |
April 29 | FMW | FMW 8th Anniversary Show | Yokohama, Japan | Megumi Kudo defeated Shark Tsuchiya (c) in a No Rope 200 Volt Double Hell Double Barbed Wire Barricade Double Landmine Crushed Glass Electrical Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the FMW Independent and WWA World Women's Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 8 | FMW | Japanese Survival | Tokyo, Japan | Hido, The Great Nita and WING Kanemura vs. Fuyuki-gun ( Gedo, Jado and Kodo Fuyuki) | |
May 10 | ECW | Chapter 2 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Terry Funk (c) defeated Raven, The Sandman, and Stevie Richards by pinfall in a Four way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
May 11 | WWF | In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell | Richmond, Virginia, United States | The Undertaker (c) defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Singles match for the WWF Championship [3] | |
May 17 | ECW | The Buffalo Invasion | Buffalo, New York, United States | Terry Funk (c) defeated Raven (with Chastity and Lupus), the Sandman, and Stevie Richards by pinfall in a Four way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
May 18 | WCW | Slamboree | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and Kevin Greene defeated The nWo ( Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Syxx) in a Six-man tag team match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 5 | CWA | Euro Catch Festival | Graz, Austria | Rambo (c) defeated Duke Droese in a Singles match for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship | |
July 6 | WWF | In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | The Hart Foundation ( Bret Hart, Brian Pillman, The British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart) defeated Ken Shamrock, Goldust, The Legion of Doom ( Animal and Hawk) and Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Ten-man tag team match | |
July 13 | WCW | Bash at the Beach | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States | Lex Luger and The Giant defeated Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman (with Randy Savage) by submission in a tag team match [4] | |
July 19 | ECW | Heat Wave | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Jerry Lawler, Rob Van Dam, and Sabu wrestled Rick Rude, The Sandman, and Tommy Dreamer to a no contest in a Steel cage match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 2 | FMW | Shiodome Legend | Tokyo, Japan | W*ING Kanemura defeated Masato Tanaka in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the right to face Atsushi Onita at Fall Spectacular | |
August 3 | WWF | SummerSlam | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | Bret Hart defeated The Undertaker (c) in a Singles match for the WWF Championship with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee | |
August 9 | ECW | Born to be Wired | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) defeated Terry Funk (c) by pinfall in a Barbed wire match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
August 9 | WCW | Road Wild | Sturgis, South Dakota, United States | Hollywood Hogan defeated Lex Luger (c) in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship [5] | |
August 15 | WWC | WWC 24th Aniversario | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Ray Gonzales (WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion) defeated Tom Brandi in a Singles match | |
August 17 | ECW | Hardcore Heaven | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | Shane Douglas (with Francine) defeated Sabu (c) (with Bill Alfonso) and Terry Funk in a Three-way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 7 | WWF | Ground Zero: In Your House | Louisville, Kentucky, United States | Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ended in a no contest in a Singles match [6] | |
September 11 | ECW | WrestleFest: 50 Years of Funk | Amarillo, Texas, United States | Bret Hart (with Bruce Hart) defeated Terry Funk (with Dory Funk Jr.) in a No Disqualification match | |
September 14 | AAA | Verano de Escándalo | Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico | Perro Aguayo, Perro Aguayo Jr. and Heavy Metal defeated Sangre Chicano, El Picudo and El Cobarde II in a Steel Cage Elimination Match, Lucha de Apuestas; as the last man in the cage, Cobarde II had his head shaved after the match. | |
September 14 | WCW | Fall Brawl | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States | The nWo ( Buff Bagwell, Kevin Nash, Syxx and Konnan) defeated The Four Horsemen ( Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael, Ric Flair and Curt Hennig) in a WarGames match | |
September 19 | CMLL | CMLL 64th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Hijo del Santo defeated Negro Casas in a Lucha de Apuestas mask vs. hair match | |
September 20 | ECW | As Good as It Gets | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | The Gangstanators ( John Kronus and New Jack) defeated the Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) (c) (with Big Dick Dudley, Joel Gertner, and Sign Guy Dudley) by pinfall in a Tag team match for the ECW World Tag Team Championship | |
September 20 | WWF | WWF One Night Only | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | Shawn Michaels (with Chyna, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and Rick Rude) defeated The British Bulldog (c) in a Singles match for the WWF European Championship [7] | |
September 28 | FMW | Fall Spectacular | Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan | Atsushi Onita defeated W*ING Kanemura in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Steel Cage Time Bomb Death Match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 5 | WWF | Badd Blood: In Your House | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Shawn Michaels defeated The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match to determine the #1 contender to the WWF Championship at Survivor Series | |
October 12 | N/A | Second Annual Ikki Kajiwara Memorial Show | Tokyo, Japan | Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Super Tiger (Tiger Mask I) fought to a no-contest in a Singles match with Antonio Inoki as special guest referee | |
October 26 | WCW | Halloween Havoc | Paradise, Nevada, United States | Roddy Piper defeated Hollywood Hogan by submission in a Steel cage match | |
October 30 | N/A | First Annual Plum Mariko Memorial Show | Tokyo, Japan | Cutie Suzuki and Dynamite Kansai defeated Mayumi Ozaki in a handicap match | |
October 31 | ECW | Fright Fight | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | The Gangstanators ( John Kronus and New Jack) defeated Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney and The Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) in a Tag Team Three Way Elimination Match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 8 | ECW | Ultimate Jeopardy | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Taz and Tommy Dreamer (with Beulah McGillicutty) defeated Rob Van Dam and Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) by pinfall in a tag team match | |
November 9 | WWF | Survivor Series | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Shawn Michaels "defeated" Bret Hart (c) by submission in a Singles match for the WWF Championship | |
November 23 | WCW | World War 3 | Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States | Scott Hall won by last eliminating The Giant in a 60-man World War 3 match for a future WCW World Heavyweight Championship match | |
November 30 | ECW | November to Remember | Monaca, Pennsylvania, United States | Shane Douglas (with Francine) defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (c) in a Singles match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 6 | ECW | Better Than Ever | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Rob Van Dam and Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) defeated Taz and Tommy Dreamer (with Beulah McGillicutty) by pinfall in a tag team match | |
December 7 | WWF | D-Generation X: In Your House | Springfield, Massachusetts, United States | Ken Shamrock defeated Shawn Michaels (c) (with Chyna and Triple H) by disqualification in a Singles match for the WWF Championship [8] [9] | |
December 13 | AAA | Guerra de Titanes | Madero, Mexico | Perro Aguayo Jr. defeated Picudo, match also included Heavy Metal and Sangre Chicana in a Steel cage Lucha de Apuestas "hair vs. hair" match | |
December 28 | WCW | Starrcade | Washington, D.C., United States | Sting defeated Hollywood Hogan (c) by submission in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship [10] | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Tournaments | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Rey de Reyes | Octagón | February 21 |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Japan Grand Prix 1997 | Kaoru Ito | August 10 | |
Tag League The Best 1997 | Kaoru Ito and Yumiko Hotta | December 21 |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Champion Carnival 1997 | Toshiaki Kawada | April 19 | |
World's Strongest Determination League 1997 | Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue | December 5 |
Tournaments | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship Tournament | Toshie Uematsu | April 7 | |
World War 3 | Scott Hall | November 23 |
Tournaments | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Royal Rumble | Stone Cold Steve Austin | January 19 | |
WWF European Championship Tournament | The British Bulldog | February 26 | |
Kuwait Cup | Tiger Ali Singh | April 13 | |
King of the Ring | Hunter Hearst Helmsley | June 8 | |
WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Dude Love | July 14 | |
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament | Taka Michinoku | December 7 |
Poll | Winner [11] [12] [13] | |
---|---|---|
New Sensation | Rocky Maivia | |
Best Dressed | Sable | |
Best Tattoo | The Undertaker | |
Match of the Year | Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII | |
Best Hair | Hunter Hearst Helmsley | |
Loose Screw | Mankind | |
Best Bow Tie | Owen Hart | |
Best Entrance Music | The Undertaker | |
Best Finisher | Shawn Michaels – Sweet Chin Music | |
Best Couple | Goldust and Marlena | |
Freedom of Speech | Stone Cold Steve Austin | |
Star of the Highest Magnitude | The Undertaker | |
Lifetime Achievement Award | Arnold Skaaland | |
Miss Slammy | Sable |
Inductee |
---|
Édouard Carpentier |
El Hijo del Santo |
Toshiaki Kawada |
Jimmy Lennon |
William Muldoon |
ECW World Heavyweight Championship | ||||
Incoming champion –
Raven
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 13 | Terry Funk | Barely Legal | ||
August 9 | Sabu | Born to be Wired | ||
August 17 | Shane Douglas | Hardcore Heaven | ||
October 16 | Bam Bam Bigelow | Live event | ||
November 30 | Shane Douglas | November to Remember |
Incoming champion –
Shane Douglas
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 7 | Taz | Wrestlepalooza |
Incoming champions – The Eliminators ( Kronus and Saturn) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 15 |
The Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) |
Hostile City Showdown | ||
April 13 |
The Eliminators ( Kronus and Saturn) |
Barely Legal | ||
June 20 |
The Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) |
Hardcore TV #218 | ||
July 19 |
The Gangstas ( Mustapha Saed and New Jack) |
Heat Wave (1997)/Hardcore TV #222 | ||
August 17 |
The Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) |
Hardcore Heaven | ||
September 20 |
The Gangstanators ( Kronus and New Jack) |
As Good as it Gets | ||
October 18 |
The Full Blooded Italians ( Little Guido and Tracy Smothers) |
Hardcore TV #236 | ||
December 5 |
The Can-Am Express ( Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon) |
Live event | ||
December 6 | Chris Candido and Lance Storm | Better than Ever |
FMW Double Championship | ||||
Incoming champion –
The Gladiator
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
September 28 | Masato Tanaka | Fall Spectacular |
FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship | ||||
Incoming champions –
The Headhunters (A and B)
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 25 |
W*ING Alliance ( W*ING Kanemura and Hido) |
Fighting Creation Tour | ||
August 21 | Funk Masters of Wrestling ( Mr. Gannosuke and Hisakatsu Oya) |
Super Dynamism Tour | ||
October 19 |
ZEN ( Atsushi Onita and Yukihiro Kanemura) |
Power Splash Tour | ||
November | Vacant | N/A | ||
November 28 |
ZEN/Team No Respect ( Mr. Gannosuke and Yukihiro Kanemura) |
Scramble Survivor Tour |
FMW Women's Championship | ||||
Incoming champion –
Megumi Kudo
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 21 | Shark Tsuchiya | Winning Road tour | ||
April 29 | Megumi Kudo | 8th Anniversary Show | ||
June 13 | Vacant | King of Fight tour | ||
September 28 | Shark Tsuchiya | Fall Spectacular | ||
September 28 | Retired | N/A |
FMW Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship | ||||
Incoming champion –
Taka Michinoku
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 29 | El Satánico | House show | ||
August 25 | Taka Michinoku | House show | ||
December 18 | Vacant | N/A |
FMW World Street Fight 6-Man Tag Team Championship | ||||
Incoming champions – Funk Masters of Wrestling ( Hisakatsu Oya, Headhunter A and Headhunter B) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 21 |
Fuyuki-Gun ( Kodo Fuyuki, Jado and Gedo) |
FMW | ||
July 8 | Vacant | N/A | ||
August 5 | Funk Masters of Wrestling ( The Gladiator, Hisakatsu Oya and Mr. Gannosuke) |
FMW | ||
August 31 | Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka and Koji Nakagawa | FMW | ||
October 14 |
ZEN ( Atsushi Onita, Tetsuhiro Kuroda and Hido) |
FMW | ||
December 20 | Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka and Hisakatsu Oya | Super Extreme Wrestling War tour |
Incoming champion – Shinya Hashimoto | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
August 31 | Kensuke Sasaki | Final Power Hall in Yokohama |
Incoming champions – Cho-Ten ( Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 4 | Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami | Wrestling World 1997 | ||
April 12 | Kensuke Sasaki and Riki Choshu | Battle Formation 1997 | ||
May 3 | The Bull Powers ( Manabu Nakanishi and Satoshi Kojima) |
Strong Style Evolution in Osaka Dome | ||
August 10 | Kazuo Yamazaki and Kensuke Sasaki | The Four Heaven in Nagoya Dome | ||
October 19 | Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono | nWo Typhoon 1997 |
Incoming champion – Último Dragón | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 4 | Jushin Thunder Liger | Wrestling World 1997 | ||
July 6 | El Samurai | Live event | ||
August 10 | Shinjiro Otani | The Four Heaven in Nagoya Dome |
Incoming champion –
Hollywood Hogan
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
August 4 | Lex Luger | Nitro | ||
August 9 | Hollywood Hogan | Road Wild | ||
December 28 | Sting | Starrcade |
Incoming champion –
Ultimate Dragon
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 21 | Dean Malenko | Clash of the Champions XXXIV | ||
February 23 | Syxx | SuperBrawl VII | ||
June 28 | Chris Jericho | Saturday Nitro | ||
July 28 | Alex Wright | Nitro | ||
August 12 | Chris Jericho | Saturday Night | ||
September 14 | Eddie Guerrero | Fall Brawl | ||
October 26 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Halloween Havoc | ||
November 10 | Eddie Guerrero | Nitro | ||
December 29 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro |
Incoming champion –
Eddie Guerrero
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 16 | Dean Malenko | Uncensored | ||
June 9 | Jeff Jarrett | Nitro | ||
August 21 | Steve McMichael | Clash of the Champions XXXV | ||
September 15 | Curt Hennig | Nitro | ||
December 28 | Diamond Dallas Page | Starrcade |
Incoming champion –
Akira Hokuto
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 15 | Vacant | N/A | ||
September 20 | Devil Masami | N/A | ||
September 20 | Retired | N/A |
(Title created)
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 7 | Toshie Uematsu | WCW Main Event | ||
July 19 | Yoshiko Tamura | The Dream & Future ~ 2nd Jr. All Stars | ||
September 20 | Sugar Sato | GAEA Double Destiny |
Incoming champion –
Lord Steven Regal
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 17 | Prince Iaukea | Nitro | ||
April 7 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro | ||
May 18 | Lord Steven Regal | Slamboree | ||
July 22 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro | ||
August 21 | Alex Wright | Clash of the Champions XXXV | ||
September 22 | Disco Inferno | Nitro | ||
November 3 | Perry Saturn | Nitro | ||
December 8 | Disco Inferno | Nitro | ||
December 29 | Booker T | Nitro |
Incoming champions – The Outsiders ( Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 25 |
The Steiner Brothers ( Rick and Scott Steiner) |
Souled Out | ||
January 27 |
The Outsiders ( Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) |
Nitro | ||
February 23 | Lex Luger and The Giant | SuperBrawl VII | ||
February 24 |
The Outsiders ( Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) |
Nitro | ||
October 13 |
The Steiner Brothers ( Rick and Scott Steiner) |
Nitro |
Incoming champion –
Sycho Sid
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 19 | Shawn Michaels | Royal Rumble | ||
February 13 | Vacant | Raw | Forfeited the title due to a knee injury | |
February 16 | Bret Hart | In Your House 13: Final Four | This was a four-way elimination match for the vacant title also involving Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Vader. | |
February 17 | Sycho Sid | Raw | ||
March 23 | The Undertaker | WrestleMania 13 | ||
August 3 | Bret Hart | SummerSlam | Shawn Michaels was the guest referee. | |
November 9 | Shawn Michaels | Survivor Series | Montreal screwjob |
Incoming champion –
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 13 | Rocky Maivia | Raw | ||
April 28 | Owen Hart | Raw Is War | ||
August 3 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | SummerSlam | ||
September 8 | Vacant | Raw Is War | Vacated due to a neck injury that Stone Cold Steve Austin suffered in winning the title | |
October 5 | Owen Hart | Badd Blood: In Your House | Defeated Faarooq in a tournament final | |
November 9 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | Survivor Series | ||
December 8 | The Rock | Raw Is War | Austin handed the championship belt to The Rock, who was formerly known as Rocky Maivia |
(Title created) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 26 | The British Bulldog | Raw | Aired on tape delay on March 3. Defeated Owen Hart in a tournament final to become first champion | |
September 20 | Shawn Michaels | WWF One Night Only | ||
December 11 | Triple H | Raw Is War | Aired on tape delay on December 22. |
Incoming champion – N/A
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 7 | Taka Michinoku | D-Generation X: In Your House | The title was previously defended in Universal Wrestling Association (1981–1995) and Michinoku Pro Wrestling (1995–1997) in a partnership with the WWF, but the title was returned exclusively to the WWF in 1997. Michinoku defeated Brian Christopher in a tournament final to become recognized as the first WWF Light Heavyweight Champion under WWF's banner; they do not recognize any previous champions. |
Incoming champions –
Owen Hart and the British Bulldog
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 26 | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels | Raw Is War | ||
July 14 | Vacant | Raw Is War | Vacated after Shawn Michaels got into a backstage fight with Bret Hart. | |
July 14 | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Dude Love | Raw Is War | ||
September 7 | Vacant | Ground Zero: In Your House | Vacated after Stone Cold Steve Austin sustained an injury. | |
September 7 |
The Headbangers ( Mosh and Thrasher) |
Ground Zero: In Your House | Won in four way elimination match involving The Legion of Doom, Owen Hart and the British Bulldog and The Godwinns | |
October 5 |
The Godwinns ( Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) |
Badd Blood: In Your House | ||
October 7 |
The Legion of Doom ( Animal and Hawk) |
Raw Is War | Aired on tape delay on October 13. | |
November 24 |
The New Age Outlaws ( Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) |
Raw Is War |
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1997 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.
These promotions held notable events in 1997.
Promotion Name | Abbreviation | Notes |
---|---|---|
Catch Wrestling Association | CWA | |
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | CMLL | |
Extreme Championship Wrestling | ECW | |
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling | FMW | |
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide | AAA | The "AAA" abbreviation has been used since the mid-1990s and had previously stood for the promotion's original name Asistencia Asesoría y Administración. |
New Japan Pro-Wrestling | NJPW | |
World Championship Wrestling | WCW | |
World Wrestling Council | WWC | |
World Wrestling Federation | WWF |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 4 | NJPW | Wrestling World | Tokyo, Japan | Shinya Hashimoto (c) defeated Riki Choshu in a Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
January 11 | ECW | House Party | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Pitbull #1 defeated Shane Douglas (c) (with Francine) by count out in a Singles match | |
January 19 | WWF | Royal Rumble | San Antonio, Texas, United States | Shawn Michaels (with José Lothario) defeated Sycho Sid (c) in a Singles match for the WWF Championship [1] | |
January 25 |
WCW: |
Souled Out | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | Hollywood Hogan ( nWo) (c) fought The Giant (WCW) to a no contest in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship | |
January 31 | ECW | Winter Blowout | Lake Grove, New York, United States | The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer defeated Raven and Stevie Richards in a tag team match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 15 | ECW | Hostile City Showdown | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Raven (c) defeated Stevie Richards and Tommy Dreamer by pinfall in a Three way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
March 16 | WCW | Uncensored | North Charleston, South Carolina, United States | Team nWo ( Hollywood Hogan, Randy Savage, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) (with Dennis Rodman) defeated Team Piper ( Roddy Piper, Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael and Jeff Jarrett) and Team WCW ( Lex Luger, The Giant and Scott Steiner) in a Triangle Elimination match | |
March 21 | CMLL | Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth | Mexico City, Mexico | Silver King defeated La Fiera in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas, Hair vs. Hair match | |
March 23 | WWF | WrestleMania 13 | Rosemont, Illinois, United States | The Undertaker defeated Sycho Sid (c) in a No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 4 | CMLL | International Gran Prix | Mexico City, Mexico | Steele defeated Rayo de Jalisco Jr. in a 1997 International Gran Prix final match | |
April 6 | WCW | Spring Stampede | Tupelo, Mississippi, United States | Diamond Dallas Page (with Kimberly Page) defeated Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) in a No Disqualification match | |
April 12 | N/A | Second Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Show | Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States | Goldust defeated Derrick Domino in a Singles match | |
April 13 | ECW | Barely Legal | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Terry Funk defeated Raven (c) in a Singles match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
April 18 | CMLL | 41. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | Steele defeated Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (c) in a Best two-out-of-three falls match for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship | |
April 20 | WWF | In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker | Rochester, New York, United States | Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Bret Hart by disqualification in a Singles match to determine the #1 contender to the WWF Championship | |
April 29 | FMW | FMW 8th Anniversary Show | Yokohama, Japan | Megumi Kudo defeated Shark Tsuchiya (c) in a No Rope 200 Volt Double Hell Double Barbed Wire Barricade Double Landmine Crushed Glass Electrical Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the FMW Independent and WWA World Women's Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 8 | FMW | Japanese Survival | Tokyo, Japan | Hido, The Great Nita and WING Kanemura vs. Fuyuki-gun ( Gedo, Jado and Kodo Fuyuki) | |
May 10 | ECW | Chapter 2 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Terry Funk (c) defeated Raven, The Sandman, and Stevie Richards by pinfall in a Four way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
May 11 | WWF | In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell | Richmond, Virginia, United States | The Undertaker (c) defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Singles match for the WWF Championship [3] | |
May 17 | ECW | The Buffalo Invasion | Buffalo, New York, United States | Terry Funk (c) defeated Raven (with Chastity and Lupus), the Sandman, and Stevie Richards by pinfall in a Four way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
May 18 | WCW | Slamboree | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and Kevin Greene defeated The nWo ( Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Syxx) in a Six-man tag team match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 5 | CWA | Euro Catch Festival | Graz, Austria | Rambo (c) defeated Duke Droese in a Singles match for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship | |
July 6 | WWF | In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | The Hart Foundation ( Bret Hart, Brian Pillman, The British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart) defeated Ken Shamrock, Goldust, The Legion of Doom ( Animal and Hawk) and Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Ten-man tag team match | |
July 13 | WCW | Bash at the Beach | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States | Lex Luger and The Giant defeated Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman (with Randy Savage) by submission in a tag team match [4] | |
July 19 | ECW | Heat Wave | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Jerry Lawler, Rob Van Dam, and Sabu wrestled Rick Rude, The Sandman, and Tommy Dreamer to a no contest in a Steel cage match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 2 | FMW | Shiodome Legend | Tokyo, Japan | W*ING Kanemura defeated Masato Tanaka in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the right to face Atsushi Onita at Fall Spectacular | |
August 3 | WWF | SummerSlam | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | Bret Hart defeated The Undertaker (c) in a Singles match for the WWF Championship with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee | |
August 9 | ECW | Born to be Wired | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) defeated Terry Funk (c) by pinfall in a Barbed wire match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
August 9 | WCW | Road Wild | Sturgis, South Dakota, United States | Hollywood Hogan defeated Lex Luger (c) in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship [5] | |
August 15 | WWC | WWC 24th Aniversario | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Ray Gonzales (WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion) defeated Tom Brandi in a Singles match | |
August 17 | ECW | Hardcore Heaven | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | Shane Douglas (with Francine) defeated Sabu (c) (with Bill Alfonso) and Terry Funk in a Three-way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 7 | WWF | Ground Zero: In Your House | Louisville, Kentucky, United States | Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ended in a no contest in a Singles match [6] | |
September 11 | ECW | WrestleFest: 50 Years of Funk | Amarillo, Texas, United States | Bret Hart (with Bruce Hart) defeated Terry Funk (with Dory Funk Jr.) in a No Disqualification match | |
September 14 | AAA | Verano de Escándalo | Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico | Perro Aguayo, Perro Aguayo Jr. and Heavy Metal defeated Sangre Chicano, El Picudo and El Cobarde II in a Steel Cage Elimination Match, Lucha de Apuestas; as the last man in the cage, Cobarde II had his head shaved after the match. | |
September 14 | WCW | Fall Brawl | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States | The nWo ( Buff Bagwell, Kevin Nash, Syxx and Konnan) defeated The Four Horsemen ( Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael, Ric Flair and Curt Hennig) in a WarGames match | |
September 19 | CMLL | CMLL 64th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Hijo del Santo defeated Negro Casas in a Lucha de Apuestas mask vs. hair match | |
September 20 | ECW | As Good as It Gets | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | The Gangstanators ( John Kronus and New Jack) defeated the Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) (c) (with Big Dick Dudley, Joel Gertner, and Sign Guy Dudley) by pinfall in a Tag team match for the ECW World Tag Team Championship | |
September 20 | WWF | WWF One Night Only | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | Shawn Michaels (with Chyna, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and Rick Rude) defeated The British Bulldog (c) in a Singles match for the WWF European Championship [7] | |
September 28 | FMW | Fall Spectacular | Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan | Atsushi Onita defeated W*ING Kanemura in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Steel Cage Time Bomb Death Match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 5 | WWF | Badd Blood: In Your House | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Shawn Michaels defeated The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match to determine the #1 contender to the WWF Championship at Survivor Series | |
October 12 | N/A | Second Annual Ikki Kajiwara Memorial Show | Tokyo, Japan | Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Super Tiger (Tiger Mask I) fought to a no-contest in a Singles match with Antonio Inoki as special guest referee | |
October 26 | WCW | Halloween Havoc | Paradise, Nevada, United States | Roddy Piper defeated Hollywood Hogan by submission in a Steel cage match | |
October 30 | N/A | First Annual Plum Mariko Memorial Show | Tokyo, Japan | Cutie Suzuki and Dynamite Kansai defeated Mayumi Ozaki in a handicap match | |
October 31 | ECW | Fright Fight | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | The Gangstanators ( John Kronus and New Jack) defeated Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney and The Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) in a Tag Team Three Way Elimination Match | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 8 | ECW | Ultimate Jeopardy | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Taz and Tommy Dreamer (with Beulah McGillicutty) defeated Rob Van Dam and Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) by pinfall in a tag team match | |
November 9 | WWF | Survivor Series | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Shawn Michaels "defeated" Bret Hart (c) by submission in a Singles match for the WWF Championship | |
November 23 | WCW | World War 3 | Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States | Scott Hall won by last eliminating The Giant in a 60-man World War 3 match for a future WCW World Heavyweight Championship match | |
November 30 | ECW | November to Remember | Monaca, Pennsylvania, United States | Shane Douglas (with Francine) defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (c) in a Singles match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 6 | ECW | Better Than Ever | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Rob Van Dam and Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) defeated Taz and Tommy Dreamer (with Beulah McGillicutty) by pinfall in a tag team match | |
December 7 | WWF | D-Generation X: In Your House | Springfield, Massachusetts, United States | Ken Shamrock defeated Shawn Michaels (c) (with Chyna and Triple H) by disqualification in a Singles match for the WWF Championship [8] [9] | |
December 13 | AAA | Guerra de Titanes | Madero, Mexico | Perro Aguayo Jr. defeated Picudo, match also included Heavy Metal and Sangre Chicana in a Steel cage Lucha de Apuestas "hair vs. hair" match | |
December 28 | WCW | Starrcade | Washington, D.C., United States | Sting defeated Hollywood Hogan (c) by submission in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship [10] | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Tournaments | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Rey de Reyes | Octagón | February 21 |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Japan Grand Prix 1997 | Kaoru Ito | August 10 | |
Tag League The Best 1997 | Kaoru Ito and Yumiko Hotta | December 21 |
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Champion Carnival 1997 | Toshiaki Kawada | April 19 | |
World's Strongest Determination League 1997 | Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue | December 5 |
Tournaments | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship Tournament | Toshie Uematsu | April 7 | |
World War 3 | Scott Hall | November 23 |
Tournaments | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Royal Rumble | Stone Cold Steve Austin | January 19 | |
WWF European Championship Tournament | The British Bulldog | February 26 | |
Kuwait Cup | Tiger Ali Singh | April 13 | |
King of the Ring | Hunter Hearst Helmsley | June 8 | |
WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Dude Love | July 14 | |
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament | Taka Michinoku | December 7 |
Poll | Winner [11] [12] [13] | |
---|---|---|
New Sensation | Rocky Maivia | |
Best Dressed | Sable | |
Best Tattoo | The Undertaker | |
Match of the Year | Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII | |
Best Hair | Hunter Hearst Helmsley | |
Loose Screw | Mankind | |
Best Bow Tie | Owen Hart | |
Best Entrance Music | The Undertaker | |
Best Finisher | Shawn Michaels – Sweet Chin Music | |
Best Couple | Goldust and Marlena | |
Freedom of Speech | Stone Cold Steve Austin | |
Star of the Highest Magnitude | The Undertaker | |
Lifetime Achievement Award | Arnold Skaaland | |
Miss Slammy | Sable |
Inductee |
---|
Édouard Carpentier |
El Hijo del Santo |
Toshiaki Kawada |
Jimmy Lennon |
William Muldoon |
ECW World Heavyweight Championship | ||||
Incoming champion –
Raven
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 13 | Terry Funk | Barely Legal | ||
August 9 | Sabu | Born to be Wired | ||
August 17 | Shane Douglas | Hardcore Heaven | ||
October 16 | Bam Bam Bigelow | Live event | ||
November 30 | Shane Douglas | November to Remember |
Incoming champion –
Shane Douglas
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 7 | Taz | Wrestlepalooza |
Incoming champions – The Eliminators ( Kronus and Saturn) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 15 |
The Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) |
Hostile City Showdown | ||
April 13 |
The Eliminators ( Kronus and Saturn) |
Barely Legal | ||
June 20 |
The Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) |
Hardcore TV #218 | ||
July 19 |
The Gangstas ( Mustapha Saed and New Jack) |
Heat Wave (1997)/Hardcore TV #222 | ||
August 17 |
The Dudley Boyz ( Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) |
Hardcore Heaven | ||
September 20 |
The Gangstanators ( Kronus and New Jack) |
As Good as it Gets | ||
October 18 |
The Full Blooded Italians ( Little Guido and Tracy Smothers) |
Hardcore TV #236 | ||
December 5 |
The Can-Am Express ( Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon) |
Live event | ||
December 6 | Chris Candido and Lance Storm | Better than Ever |
FMW Double Championship | ||||
Incoming champion –
The Gladiator
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
September 28 | Masato Tanaka | Fall Spectacular |
FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship | ||||
Incoming champions –
The Headhunters (A and B)
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 25 |
W*ING Alliance ( W*ING Kanemura and Hido) |
Fighting Creation Tour | ||
August 21 | Funk Masters of Wrestling ( Mr. Gannosuke and Hisakatsu Oya) |
Super Dynamism Tour | ||
October 19 |
ZEN ( Atsushi Onita and Yukihiro Kanemura) |
Power Splash Tour | ||
November | Vacant | N/A | ||
November 28 |
ZEN/Team No Respect ( Mr. Gannosuke and Yukihiro Kanemura) |
Scramble Survivor Tour |
FMW Women's Championship | ||||
Incoming champion –
Megumi Kudo
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 21 | Shark Tsuchiya | Winning Road tour | ||
April 29 | Megumi Kudo | 8th Anniversary Show | ||
June 13 | Vacant | King of Fight tour | ||
September 28 | Shark Tsuchiya | Fall Spectacular | ||
September 28 | Retired | N/A |
FMW Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship | ||||
Incoming champion –
Taka Michinoku
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 29 | El Satánico | House show | ||
August 25 | Taka Michinoku | House show | ||
December 18 | Vacant | N/A |
FMW World Street Fight 6-Man Tag Team Championship | ||||
Incoming champions – Funk Masters of Wrestling ( Hisakatsu Oya, Headhunter A and Headhunter B) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 21 |
Fuyuki-Gun ( Kodo Fuyuki, Jado and Gedo) |
FMW | ||
July 8 | Vacant | N/A | ||
August 5 | Funk Masters of Wrestling ( The Gladiator, Hisakatsu Oya and Mr. Gannosuke) |
FMW | ||
August 31 | Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka and Koji Nakagawa | FMW | ||
October 14 |
ZEN ( Atsushi Onita, Tetsuhiro Kuroda and Hido) |
FMW | ||
December 20 | Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka and Hisakatsu Oya | Super Extreme Wrestling War tour |
Incoming champion – Shinya Hashimoto | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
August 31 | Kensuke Sasaki | Final Power Hall in Yokohama |
Incoming champions – Cho-Ten ( Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 4 | Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami | Wrestling World 1997 | ||
April 12 | Kensuke Sasaki and Riki Choshu | Battle Formation 1997 | ||
May 3 | The Bull Powers ( Manabu Nakanishi and Satoshi Kojima) |
Strong Style Evolution in Osaka Dome | ||
August 10 | Kazuo Yamazaki and Kensuke Sasaki | The Four Heaven in Nagoya Dome | ||
October 19 | Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono | nWo Typhoon 1997 |
Incoming champion – Último Dragón | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 4 | Jushin Thunder Liger | Wrestling World 1997 | ||
July 6 | El Samurai | Live event | ||
August 10 | Shinjiro Otani | The Four Heaven in Nagoya Dome |
Incoming champion –
Hollywood Hogan
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
August 4 | Lex Luger | Nitro | ||
August 9 | Hollywood Hogan | Road Wild | ||
December 28 | Sting | Starrcade |
Incoming champion –
Ultimate Dragon
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 21 | Dean Malenko | Clash of the Champions XXXIV | ||
February 23 | Syxx | SuperBrawl VII | ||
June 28 | Chris Jericho | Saturday Nitro | ||
July 28 | Alex Wright | Nitro | ||
August 12 | Chris Jericho | Saturday Night | ||
September 14 | Eddie Guerrero | Fall Brawl | ||
October 26 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Halloween Havoc | ||
November 10 | Eddie Guerrero | Nitro | ||
December 29 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro |
Incoming champion –
Eddie Guerrero
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 16 | Dean Malenko | Uncensored | ||
June 9 | Jeff Jarrett | Nitro | ||
August 21 | Steve McMichael | Clash of the Champions XXXV | ||
September 15 | Curt Hennig | Nitro | ||
December 28 | Diamond Dallas Page | Starrcade |
Incoming champion –
Akira Hokuto
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 15 | Vacant | N/A | ||
September 20 | Devil Masami | N/A | ||
September 20 | Retired | N/A |
(Title created)
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 7 | Toshie Uematsu | WCW Main Event | ||
July 19 | Yoshiko Tamura | The Dream & Future ~ 2nd Jr. All Stars | ||
September 20 | Sugar Sato | GAEA Double Destiny |
Incoming champion –
Lord Steven Regal
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 17 | Prince Iaukea | Nitro | ||
April 7 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro | ||
May 18 | Lord Steven Regal | Slamboree | ||
July 22 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro | ||
August 21 | Alex Wright | Clash of the Champions XXXV | ||
September 22 | Disco Inferno | Nitro | ||
November 3 | Perry Saturn | Nitro | ||
December 8 | Disco Inferno | Nitro | ||
December 29 | Booker T | Nitro |
Incoming champions – The Outsiders ( Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 25 |
The Steiner Brothers ( Rick and Scott Steiner) |
Souled Out | ||
January 27 |
The Outsiders ( Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) |
Nitro | ||
February 23 | Lex Luger and The Giant | SuperBrawl VII | ||
February 24 |
The Outsiders ( Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) |
Nitro | ||
October 13 |
The Steiner Brothers ( Rick and Scott Steiner) |
Nitro |
Incoming champion –
Sycho Sid
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 19 | Shawn Michaels | Royal Rumble | ||
February 13 | Vacant | Raw | Forfeited the title due to a knee injury | |
February 16 | Bret Hart | In Your House 13: Final Four | This was a four-way elimination match for the vacant title also involving Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Vader. | |
February 17 | Sycho Sid | Raw | ||
March 23 | The Undertaker | WrestleMania 13 | ||
August 3 | Bret Hart | SummerSlam | Shawn Michaels was the guest referee. | |
November 9 | Shawn Michaels | Survivor Series | Montreal screwjob |
Incoming champion –
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 13 | Rocky Maivia | Raw | ||
April 28 | Owen Hart | Raw Is War | ||
August 3 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | SummerSlam | ||
September 8 | Vacant | Raw Is War | Vacated due to a neck injury that Stone Cold Steve Austin suffered in winning the title | |
October 5 | Owen Hart | Badd Blood: In Your House | Defeated Faarooq in a tournament final | |
November 9 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | Survivor Series | ||
December 8 | The Rock | Raw Is War | Austin handed the championship belt to The Rock, who was formerly known as Rocky Maivia |
(Title created) | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 26 | The British Bulldog | Raw | Aired on tape delay on March 3. Defeated Owen Hart in a tournament final to become first champion | |
September 20 | Shawn Michaels | WWF One Night Only | ||
December 11 | Triple H | Raw Is War | Aired on tape delay on December 22. |
Incoming champion – N/A
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 7 | Taka Michinoku | D-Generation X: In Your House | The title was previously defended in Universal Wrestling Association (1981–1995) and Michinoku Pro Wrestling (1995–1997) in a partnership with the WWF, but the title was returned exclusively to the WWF in 1997. Michinoku defeated Brian Christopher in a tournament final to become recognized as the first WWF Light Heavyweight Champion under WWF's banner; they do not recognize any previous champions. |
Incoming champions –
Owen Hart and the British Bulldog
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 26 | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels | Raw Is War | ||
July 14 | Vacant | Raw Is War | Vacated after Shawn Michaels got into a backstage fight with Bret Hart. | |
July 14 | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Dude Love | Raw Is War | ||
September 7 | Vacant | Ground Zero: In Your House | Vacated after Stone Cold Steve Austin sustained an injury. | |
September 7 |
The Headbangers ( Mosh and Thrasher) |
Ground Zero: In Your House | Won in four way elimination match involving The Legion of Doom, Owen Hart and the British Bulldog and The Godwinns | |
October 5 |
The Godwinns ( Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) |
Badd Blood: In Your House | ||
October 7 |
The Legion of Doom ( Animal and Hawk) |
Raw Is War | Aired on tape delay on October 13. | |
November 24 |
The New Age Outlaws ( Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) |
Raw Is War |
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