# 1949 in professional wrestling

1949 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 1949.
| Promotion Name | Abbreviation |
| Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | EMLL |

## Calendar of notable shows

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| September 30 | EMLL | EMLL 16th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Tarzán López and Bobby Bonales defeated El Santo and Gory Guerrero in a best two-out-three falls tag team match |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

## Championship changes
### EMLL

NWA World Middleweight Championship :
| incoming champion – Mike Kelly |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| May 28 | Tarzán López | EMLL show | |
NWA World Welterweight Championship :
| incoming champion – Jack O'Brien |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 29 | Gory Guerrero | EMLL show | |
Mexican National Heavyweight Championship :
* incoming champion - Daniel Aldana ||||
* No title changes ||||
Mexican National Middleweight Championship :
* incoming champion – Uncertain ||||
* No title changes ||||
Mexican National Lightweight Championship :
| incoming champion – Emilio Charles |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| Uncertain | Vacated | N/A | Championship vacated for undocumented reasons |
| August 5 | Joe Marin | EMLL show | |
| October 18 | Black Shadow | EMLL show | |
Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship :
| incoming champion – Tarzán López |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| July 1 | Cavernario Galindo | EMLL show | |
Mexican National Welterweight Championship :
* incoming champion – Vacant or El Santo ||||
* No title changes ||||

### NWA

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming Champion – Orville Brown |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| November 27 | Lou Thesz | N/A | Thez was awarded the championship when Brown's career ended due to a car accident.The NWA voted to recognize Brown as the Worlds Champion. Defeated Sonny Myers to solidify the claim. |

## Debuts

* Debut date uncertain:
** Angelo Poffo
** Bobo Brazil
** Harold Sakata
** Ilio DiPaolo
** Johnny Rougeau
** Red Bastien
** Rip Hawk
** The Sheik
** Verne Gagne
** Fritz Von Goering
** The Baillargeon Brothers
* November – The Crusher

## Births

* Date of birth uncertain:
** Johnny Rivera
** John Garea
* January 2 – Samoan Joe (died in 2015)
* January 2 – Tommy Lane (died in 2022)
* January 7:
** Chavo Guerrero Sr. (died in 2016)
** Scott LeDoux (died in 2011)
* January 15 – Tony Salazar
* January 16 – Sir Oliver Humperdink (died in 2011)
* January 17 – Andy Kaufman (died in 1984)
* February 11 – T. John Tibbedeux (died in 2013)
* February 19 – Black Man (died in 2022)
* February 25 – Ric Flair
* March 9 – Charlie Fulton (died in 2016)
* April 7:
** Steve DiSalvo
** John Anson
* April 12 – Mighty Inoue (died in 2024)
* April 26 – Jerry Blackwell (died in 1995)
* April 27 – Yoshiaki Fujiwara
* April 28 – Siva Afi
* May 14 – Robert Fuller
* May 17:
** Earl Hebner
** Dave Hebner (died in 2022)
* May 18 – Sailor White (died in 2005)
* June 17 – Evgeny Artyukhin Sr. (died in 2008)
* June 29 – Stephen Cepello
* August 13 – Jim Brunzell
* August 14 – Bob Backlund
* August 29 – Stan Hansen
* September 5 – El Hijo del Gladiador
* September 10:
** Don Muraco
** Gerry Morrow
* September 19 – Ringo Mendoza
* September 25 – Villano II (died in 1989)
* October 4:
** Mike Adamle
** Joe Pedicino (died in 2020)
* October 12 – César Curiel
* October 18 – Cien Caras
* October 26:
** Austin Idol
** Kevin Sullivan (died in 2024)
** El Satánico
** Troy Graham (died in 2002)
* October 29 – Paul Orndorff (died in 2021)
* November 11 – Mike Jackson
* November 28 – Lee Marshall (died in 2014)
* November 29:
** Dutch Mantell
** Jerry Lawler
* November 30 – Mike George

## Deaths

* August 8 – Ivan Poddubny, 77
* September 11 – Ray Steele (49)