1982 in professional wrestling

Professional wrestling-related events during the year of 1982

Overview of the events of 1982 in professional wrestling

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1982 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

## List of notable promotions

[edit]

These promotions held notable shows in 1982.

Promotion Name  | Abbreviation  | Notes

|
|

Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | EMLL  |
Universal Wrestling Association | UWA  |
World Class Championship Wrestling | WCCW  | Previously known as Big Time Wrestling (BTW).

## Calendar of notable shows

[edit]

Date  | Promotion(s)  | Event  | Location  | Main Event

|
|
|
|

February 14  | UWA | UWA 7th Anniversary Show | Naucalpan, Mexico | Abdullah the Butcher and Perro Aguayo defeated Antonio Inoki and Tatsumi Fujinami in a Tag team match[1]
March 15  | WCCW | Wrestling Star Wars | Ft. Worth, Texas | Kevin and Kerry Von Erich fought to a double disqualification against Gary Hart and King Kong Bundy in a "Texas Death" steel cage match[2]
April 1  | NJPW | MSG League | Tokyo, Japan | André the Giant defeated Killer Khan
April 2  | EMLL | 26\. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | Máscara Año 2000 defeated David Morgan (c) in a best two-out-of-three falls match for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship[3]
June 4  | WCCW | Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show | Irving, Texas | Fritz Von Erich defeated King Kong Bundy (c) in a Falls count anywhere match for the NWA American Heavyweight Championship[4][5]
July 4  | JCP | NWA/WWF World Title Unification  | Atlanta, Georgia | NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair fought WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund to a double count-out
August 15  | WCCW | Wrestling Star Wars | Ft. Worth, Texas | Ric Flair (c) and Kerry Von Erich wrestled to a draw at one win a piece before being double disqualified in the third fall in a Best two-out-of-three falls match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship[6][7]
September 17  | EMLL | EMLL 49th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Perro Aguayo defeated Tony Salazar in a best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas hair vs. hair match[8]
December 10  | Juicio Final | El Satánico defeated Sangre Chicana in a Lucha de Apuestas, hair vs. hair match[9]
NJPW | MSG Tag League | Tokyo, Japan | Hulk Hogan and Antonio Inoki defeated Killer Khan and Tiger Toguchi
December 22  | UWA | Arena Naucalpan 5th Anniversary Show | Naucalpan, State of Mexico | Los Misioneros de la Muerte (El Signo, Negro Navarro and El Texano) defeated Los Villanos (Villano I, Villano II and Villano III) in a Best two-out-of-three-falls six-man tag team match[10]
December 25  | WCCW | Christmas Star Wars | Dallas, Texas | Ric Flair (c) defeated Kerry Von Erich in a no disqualification Steel Cage match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship[11][12]
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

## Notable events

[edit]

* Wrestling's MAIN EVENT magazine hit the newsstands with its first issue
* June 28 \- At New York's Madison Square Garden with Ivan Putski as a guest referee, Jules Strongbow and Chief Jay Strongbow bested Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito to become the New WWF Tag Team Champions. Later the title would be vacant due to a controversial pinfall in which Mr. Fuji's foot was on the ropes.
* July 13 \- On WWF Championship Wrestling, Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito beat the Strongbow Brothers (Jules and Chief Jay) to win the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship.
* October 9 \- Nick Bockwinkel pinned Otto Wanz in Chicago, Illinois to become the new AWA World Heavyweight Championship.
* October 26 \- The Strongbow Brothers regained the WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito.

## Accomplishments and tournaments

[edit]

### AJPW

[edit]

Accomplishment  | Winner  | Date won  | Notes

|
|
|

Champion's Carnival | Giant Baba | April 18  |

### NJPW

[edit]

Accomplishment  | Winner  | Date won  | Notes

|
|
|

G1 Climax | Andre the Giant | June 4  | defeated Killer Khan in the finals

## Awards and honors

[edit]

### Pro Wrestling Illustrated

[edit]

Main article: List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards

Category  | Winner

|

PWI Wrestler of the Year | Bob Backlund
PWI Tag Team of the Year | Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell
PWI Match of the Year | Bob Backlund vs. Jimmy Snuka
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year | André the Giant
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year | Ted DiBiase
PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year | Barry Windham
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year | Roddy Piper
PWI Rookie of the Year | Brad Armstrong
PWI Editor's Award | Lou Thesz
PWI Manager of the Year | J. J. Dillon

### Wrestling Observer Newsletter

[edit]

Main article: List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

Category  | Winner

|

Wrestler of the Year | Ric Flair
Feud of the Year | Ted DiBiase vs. Junkyard Dog
Tag Team of the Year | Stan Hansen and Ole Anderson
Most Improved | Jim Duggan
Best on Interviews | Roddy Piper

## Births

[edit]

* Date of birth uncertain:
* Vordell Walker
* January 8 - Bad Luck Fale
* January 13
* Jason Ayers
* Mason Ryan
* January 25 - Z-Barr (d. 2020)
* January 27 - Zeus
* February 4 - Chris Sabin
* February 9 - Parrow
* February 10 - Vanessa Kraven
* February 14 - Ray (d.2018)
* February 19 - Mascarita Dorada
* February 25 – Maria Kanellis[13]
* March 7 - Cody Deaner
* March 20 - Kasey James
* March 24
* Epico Colón
* Jack Swagger
* March 27 - Captain New Japan
* April 2 – Jack Evans
* April 7 – Sonjay Dutt
* April 16 - Joe Doering
* April 26 – Amazing Red
* April 29 – Aksana
* May 21 - Kota Ibushi
* May 27 – Natalya Neidhart[14]
* June 4 - Alpha Female
* June 6 – Gunner[15]
* June 11 - Egotistico Fantastico
* June 22 - Tetsuya Naito
* July 1 - Carmella DeCesare
* July 8 - Ariel Helwani
* July 11 - Jeff Cobb
* July 13 - Chris Ca$h (d. 2005)
* July 15 - Towel Boy
* July 19 - Daniel Quirk (d. 2005)
* July 28 - Cain Velasquez
* August 3:
* Damien Sandow
* Nyla Rose
* August 17 – Cheerleader Melissa
* August 25 – Mictlan
* September 12 - Sal Rinauro
* September 20 – Sexy Star
* September 26 - Damian Priest
* October 1 - Sakamoto
* October 10 - Tony Khan
* October 12 - Tama Tonga
* October 16 - Devon Nicholson
* October 18 - Simon Gotch
* October 28 - Rocky Romero
* November 1 - L. A. Knight
* November 8 – Ted DiBiase Jr.[16]
* November 9 - Nick Mitchell
* November 17 - Mirai (d. 2005)
* December 8 - Jimmy Rave (d. 2021)
* December 17 - Lionheart (d. 2019)
* December 21 – Primo[17]
* December 22 – Místico

## Debuts

[edit]

* Uncertain debut date

* Bob Bradley
* Brickhouse Brown
* Phil Lafon
* Frankie Lancaster
* Sherri Martel
* Mean Mike
* Angelo Mosca Jr.
* Nailz
* Ricky Santana
* Johnny Smith
* Tracey Smothers
* Al Snow
* Steve Williams
* Kazuo Yamazaki
* La Parka
* Shane Douglas

* January 2 - Arn Anderson
* August 10 - Billy Jack Haynes
* October 18 - El Hijo Del Santo
* November - Road Warrior Animal
* December 11 - George South

## Retirements

[edit]

* Buddy Rogers (1939–1982)
* Santo (1934–1982)
* Fritz Von Erich (1953–1982)
* George Gulas (1974–1982)
* Killer Karl Kox (1956–1982)
* Johnny Powers (1960–1982)
* Karl Gotch (1950s – January 1, 1982)
* Mick McManus (1947–1982)
* Mighty Joe Thunder (1957–1982)
* Rip Hawk (1949–1982)

## Deaths

[edit]

* March 6- Bob Konovsky, 47
* June 12 - Peter Maivia,[18] 45
* June 19 - Lionel Baillargeon, 60
* July 25 - Shag Thomas, 56
* July 27 - Kasavubu, 26
* July 29 - Harold Sakata, 62
* August 28 - Bearcat Wright, 50
* September 5 - Dick Lane, 83
* September 24 - Jack O'Brien, 72
* October 24 - Pak Song, 39
* December 2 - Joe Pazandak, 68
* December 12 - Bill Longson, 76
* December 13 - George Gadaski, 52
* December 15 - Chatti Yokouchi, 45

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "7th Anniversary Show". ProWrestlingHistory. February 14, 1982. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
2. ^ "Independence Day Star Wars". Pro Wrestling History. March 15, 1982.
3. ^ Lucha 2000 Staff (April 2006). "Arena México: 50 anos de Lucha Libre". Lucha 2000 (in Spanish). Especial 28.`{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
4. ^ "Texas Stadium 1982 Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show". Pro Wrestling History. June 4, 1982. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
5. ^ "Historical Cards: Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show (June 4, 1982. Irving, Texas)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 172\. 2007 Edition.
6. ^ "Wrestling Star Wars". Pro Wrestling History. August 15, 1982.
7. ^ "Historical Cards: Wrestling Star Wars (August 15, 1982. Ft. Worth, Texas)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 172\. 2007 Edition.
8. ^ "49th Anniversary Show". Pro Wrestling History. September 17, 1982. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
9. ^ "EMLL Super Viernes". Wrestling Data. December 10, 1982. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
10. ^ "1982 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 8, 1983. pp. 2–28\. issue 1553.
11. ^ "Christmas Star Wars". Pro Wrestling History. December 25, 1982.
12. ^ "Historical Cards: Christmas Star Wars (December 25, 1982. Dallas, Texas)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 172\. 2007 Edition.
13. ^ "Maria Kanellis". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
14. ^ "Natalya Neidhart". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
15. ^ "Cagematch profile".
16. ^ "Individual's Charge Report". Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Archived from the original on July 2, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
17. ^ "Primo Colon Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
18. ^ "Hall of Fame: High Chief Peter Maivia". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-03-29.

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