# 1956 in professional wrestling

1956 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 1956.
| Promotion Name | Abbreviation |
| Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre | EMLL |

## Calendar of notable shows

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| April | EMLL | Arena Coliseo 13th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Uncertain |
| September 21 | EMLL | EMLL 23rd Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | El Santo defeated El Gladiador in a best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuesta mask vs. mask match |

## Notable events

* January 6 - Heavyweight Wrestling debuts in the Northeast as the main television program of the Capitol Wrestling Corporation based from Turner's Arena in Washington, DC.
* April – Arena México opens, built by Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL; "Mexican Wrestling Enterprise") owner Salvador Lutteroth. Arena México became EMLL's main venue from that point forward and is referred to as the Cathedral of Lucha Libre.

## Championship changes
### EMLL

NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship :
* Incoming champion – Frank Stojack ||||
* No title changes ||||
NWA World Middleweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – El Santo |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| October 19 | Rolando Vera | EMLL show | |
NWA World Welterweight Championship :
* Incoming champion – Blue Demon ||||
* No title changes ||||
Mexican National Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – vacant |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| September 7 | El Médico Asesino | EMLL show | |
Mexican National Lightweight Championship :
* Incoming champion –vacant ||||
* No title changes ||||
Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – vacant |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| September 9 | Tarzán López | EMLL show | |
Mexican National Middleweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – El Gladiador |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| May 31 | El Santo | EMLL show | |
Mexican National Welterweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – vacant |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 6 | Jalisco Gonzalez | EMLL show | |
Mexican National Women's Championship :
* Incoming champion – Irma Gonzales ||||
* No title changes ||||

### NWA

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Lou Thesz |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 15 | Whipper Billy Watson | NWA show | Won the championship by count out |
| November 9 | Lou Thesz | NWA show | |

## Debuts

* Debut date uncertain:
** Sandy Barr
** Jody Hamilton
** Smasher Sloan
** Mr. Wrestling II

## Births

* January 10 – Denny Brown
* January 11 – Kuniaki Kobayashi(died in 2024)
* March 18 – Rick Martel
* March 21 – Angel Gabriele (died in 2016)
* March 23 – Ryuma Go (died in 2009)
* March 24 – Teijo Khan (died in 2020)
* March 28 – Dangerous Danny Davis
* April 5 – Diamond Dallas Page
* April 14 – Larry Winters (died in 2015)
* April 21 – Vicky Williams
* May 7 – Hercules(died in 2004)
* May 9 – Frank Andersson(died in 2018)
* May 11:
* Espanto Jr.
* Sunny War Cloud
* May 14 – Kasavubu (d. 1982)
* May 24 – Super Parka
* May 25:
** Tatsutoshi Goto
** El Solar
* June 4 – Joe Malenko
* July 13 – Tiger Jackson
* July 19:
** Randy Rose
** Yoshiaki Yatsu
* July 26 – Tommy Rich
* July 28 – Jimmy Jackson (wrestler) (died in 2008)
* August 8 – Taras Bulba(died in 2016)
* August 10 – Fred Ottman
* September 16 – Kazuharu Sonoda(died in 1987)
* September 18 – Súper Kendo
* September 21 – Ricky Morton
* September 26 – Richard Charland
* October 12 – Emilio Charles Jr. (died in 2012)
* October 22 – Bob Ryder (died in 2020)
* November 2 – Mike Davis(died in 2001)
* November 3 – Korstia Korchenko
* November 6 – Tony Rumble(died in 1999)
* November 12 – Billy Anderson (wrestler)
* November 20 – Momma Benjamin
* December 20 – Super Strong Machine
* December 27 – Masashi Aoyagi (died in 2022)
* December 31 – MS-1(died in 2012)

## Deaths

* May 19 – Jack Taylor (Canadian wrestler) (69)