# 1992 in professional wrestling

1992 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

## List of notable promotions

These promotions held notable events in 1992.
| Promotion Name | Abbreviation |
| All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling | AJW |
| Catch Wrestling Association | CWA |
| Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | CMLL |
| Eastern Championship Wrestling | ECW |
| Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling | FMW |
| New Japan Pro-Wrestling | NJPW |
| Universal Wrestling Association | UWA |
| World Championship Wrestling | WCW |
| World Wrestling Council | WWC |
| World Wrestling Federation | WWF |

## Calendar of notable shows

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| January 4 | WCW NJPW | WCW/New Japan Supershow II | Tokyo, Japan | Sting and The Great Muta defeated The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) in a tag team match |
| January 19 | WWF | Royal Rumble | Albany, New York | Ric Flair won by last eliminating Sid Justice in a 30-man Royal Rumble match for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
| January 27 | UWA | UWA 17th Anniversary Show | Naucalpan, Mexico | Pegasus Kid (c) defeated Villano III (2-1) in a Singles match for the WWF World Light Heavyweight Championship |
| January 27 | WWF | Saturday Night's Main Event | Lubbock, Texas | Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice defeated Ric Flair and The Undertaker in a tag team match |
| February 25 | ECW | Market Street Mayhem | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | D. C. Drake and J. T. Smith vs. Johnny Hotbody and Larry Winters in a tag team match |
| February 29 | WCW | SuperBrawl II | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Sting defeated Lex Luger (c) in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship |
| April 3 | CMLL | 36. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | Blue Panther defeated American Love Machine by disqualification in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas mask vs. mask match |
| April 3 | JWP | Burning Drama Chapter 1 ~ Grand Opening (debut event) | Tokyo, Japan | Cutie Suzuki & Mayumi Ozaki defeat Dynamite Kansai & Hikari Fukuoka in a tag team match |
| April 5 | WWF | WrestleMania VIII | Indianapolis, Indiana | Hulk Hogan defeated Sid Justice by disqualification in a Singles match |
| April 19 | WWF | UK Rampage | Sheffield, England, United Kingdom | The British Bulldog defeated Irwin R. Schyster in a Singles match |
| May 16 | FMW | FMW/WWA in Los Angeles | Los Angeles, California | Atsushi Onita, El Hijo del Santo and Tarzan Goto defeat Horace Boulder, Negro Casas and Tim Patterson in a Best Two Out Of Three Falls Six-Man Tag Team Match |
| May 17 | WCW | WrestleWar | Jacksonville, Florida | Sting's Squadron (Sting, Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat and Nikita Koloff) defeated The Dangerous Alliance (Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton and Larry Zbyszko) in a WarGames match |
| June 20 | WCW | Beach Blast | Mobile, Alabama | The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) (c) fought Terry Gordy and Steve Williams to a time-limit draw in a tag team match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship |
| July 11 | CWA | Euro Catch Festival in Graz | Graz, Austria | Rambo (c) defeated Terry Funk in a Singles match for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| July 12 | WCW | The Great American Bash | Albany, Georgia | Terry Gordy and Steve Williams defeated Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham in a Tournament final for the inaugural NWA World Tag Team Championship |
| August 8 | WWC | WWC 19th Aniversario | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Invader #1 defeated Carlos Colón (c) in a Singles match for the WWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| August 12 | NJPW | G1 Climax | Tokyo, Japan | Masahiro Chono defeated Rick Rude in the finals |
| August 29 | LLPW | Debut event | Tokyo, Japan | Shinobu Kandori beats Rumi Kazama in a singles match |
| August 29 | WWF | SummerSlam | London, England, United Kingdom | The British Bulldog defeated Bret Hart (c) in a Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship |
| September 18 | CMLL | CMLL 59th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Atlantis, King Haku and Rayo de Jalisco Jr. defeated El Gran Kabuki, La Fiera and Pierroth Jr. in a Best two-out-of-three falls six-man six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team match |
| September 19 | FMW | FMW 3rd Anniversary Show | Yokohama, Japan | Atsushi Onita defeated Tiger Jeet Singh (c) in a No Rope Explosion Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the WWA World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship |
| October 21 | AJPW | 20th Anniversary Show | Tokyo, Japan | Mitsuharu Misawa defeated Toshiaki Kawada in a singles match to retain the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship |
| October 25 | WCW | Halloween Havoc | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Sting defeated Jake Roberts in a Coal Miner's Glove match |
| October 27 | WWF | Saturday Night's Main Event | Terre Haute, Indiana | Bret Hart (c) vs. Papa Shango in a singles match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
| November 25 | WWF | Survivor Series | Richfield Township, Ohio | Bret Hart (c) defeated Shawn Michaels by submission in a Singles match for the WWF Championship |
| December 19 | CWA | Euro Catch Festival in Bremen | Bremen, Germany | Road Warrior Hawk defeated Rambo (c) in Round 6 in a Singles match for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| December 28 | WCW | Starrcade | Atlanta, Georgia | The Great Muta last eliminated Barry Windham to win Battlebowl II |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

## Notable events

* January 26 - The Tri-State Wrestling Alliance closes down due to financial problems.
* January 26 - Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling closes.
* February 25 – Eastern Championship Wrestling is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
* April 3 - JWP has their debut event.
* May 15 – Antonio Peña and partners created the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), which would later grow to become one of the dominant promotions in Mexico.
* August 29 - Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling has their debut event.

## Accomplishments and tournaments
### AJW

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won |
| Fuji TV Cup Tag Tournament | Aja Kong and Bull Nakano | August 15 |
| Japan Grand Prix 1992 | Aja Kong | August 30 |
| Tag League The Best 1992 | Aja Kong and Kyoko Inoue | December 13 |

### AJPW

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| Champion Carnival 1992 | Stan Hansen | April 17 | |
| World's Strongest Determination League 1992 | Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa | December 4 | |

### ECW

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| ECW Tag Team Championship Tournament | The Super Destroyers (A. J. Petrucci and Doug Stahl) | June 23 | |

### WCW

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won |
| Nintendo Top Ten Challenge Tournament | Rick Rude | May 1 |
| NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament | Miracle Violence Connection (Steve Williams and Terry Gordy) | July 12 |
| King of Cable Tournament | Sting | December 28 |
| Jesse Ventura Strongest Arms Arm Wrestling Tournament | Van Hammer | |

### WWF

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| Royal Rumble | Ric Flair | January 19 | This was also for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship |

## Awards and honors
### Pro Wrestling Illustrated

| Category | Winner |
| PWI Wrestler of the Year | Ric Flair |
| PWI Tag Team of the Year | Terry Gordy and Steve Williams |
| PWI Match of the Year | Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog (SummerSlam) |
| PWI Feud of the Year | The Moondogs (Spot and Cujo) vs. Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett |
| PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year | Sting |
| PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year | Rick Rude |
| PWI Comeback of the Year | The Ultimate Warrior |
| PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year | Razor Ramon |
| PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year | Ron Simmons |
| PWI Rookie of the Year | Erik Watts |
| PWI Lifetime Achievement | Stanley Weston |
| PWI Editor's Award | Paul E. Dangerously |

### Wrestling Observer Newsletter

| Category | Winner |
| Wrestler of the Year | Ric Flair |
| Most Outstanding | Jushin Thunder Liger |
| Feud of the Year | Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Lawler vs. The Moondogs |
| Tag Team of the Year | The Miracle Violence Connection (Terry Gordy and Steve Williams) |
| Most Improved | El Samurai |
| Best on Interviews | Ric Flair |

## Title changes
### ECW

ECW World Heavyweight Championship :
| (Title created) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 25 | Jimmy Snuka | Live event | Snuka defeated Salvatore Bellomo in a tournament final to become the first ECW Heavyweight Champion. |
| April 26 | Johnny Hotbody | Live event | |
| July 14 | Jimmy Snuka | Live event | |
| September 30 | Don Muraco | Live event | |
| November 16 | The Sandman | Live event | |
ECW World Television Championship :
| (Title created) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| August 12 | Johnny Hotbody | Live event | |
| September 12 | Vacant | N/A | Johnny Hotbody legitimately injured his ankle, and as a result, ECW forced him to relinquish the title. |
| September 30 | Glen Osbourne | Live event | |
ECW World Tag Team Championship :
| (Title created) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 23 | The Super Destroyers (A. J. Petrucci and Doug Stahl) | Live event | |

### NJPW

IWGP Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Tatsumi Fujinami |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 4 | Riki Choshu | Super Warriors in Tokyo Dome | |
| August 16 | Keiji Mutoh | G1 Climax Special 1992 | |
IWGP Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 1 | Big, Bad, and Dangerous (Big Van Vader and Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow) | Big Fight Series 1992: New Japan Pro Wrestling 20th Anniversary Show | |
| June 26 | The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) | Masters of Wrestling | |
| November 22 | Scott Norton and Tony Halme | Wrestling Scramble 1992: Battle Zone Space I | |
| December 14 | The Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior and Power Warrior) | Battle Final 1992 | |
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Norio Honaga |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 8 | Jushin Thunder Liger | Live event | |
| June 26 | El Samurai | Live event | |
| November 22 | Último Dragón | Live event | |

### WCW

WCW World Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Lex Luger |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 29 | Sting | SuperBrawl II | |
| July 12 | Big Van Vader | The Great American Bash | |
| August 2 | Ron Simmons | Main Event | |
| December 30 | Big Van Vader | House show | |
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Rick Rude |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| December 1 | Vacant | N/A | |
WCW United States Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – The Young Pistols (Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 14 | Big Josh and Ron Simmons | Main Event | |
| February 17 | Terry Taylor and Greg Valentine | World Championship Wrestling | |
| May 17 | The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes) | WrestleWar | |
| June 25 | Dick Slater and The Barbarian | Main Event | |
| July 31 | Deactivated | N/A | |
WCW World Television Championship :
| Incoming champion – Steve Austin |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 27 | Barry Windham | Saturday Night | Aired on tape delay on May 2. |
| May 23 | Steve Austin | WorldWide | |
| September 2 | Ricky Steamboat | Clash of the Champions XX | |
| September 29 | Scott Steiner | WorldWide | Aired on tape delay on October 3. |
| November | Vacant | N/A | |
WCW Light Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Jushin Thunder Liger |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 29 | Brian Pillman | SuperBrawl II | |
| June 20 | Scotty Flamingo | Beach Blast | |
| July 5 | Brad Armstrong | House show | |
| September 2 | Retired | Clash of the Champions XX: 20th Anniversary | |
WCW World Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Ricky Steamboat and Dustin Rhodes |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 16 | Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton | House show | |
| May 3 | The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) | House show | |
| July 5 | Terry Gordy and Steve Williams | House show | |
| September 21 | Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes | Saturday Night | Aired on tape delay on September 26. |
| November 18 | Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas | Clash of the Champions XXI | |

### WWF

WWF World Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Vacant |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 19 | Ric Flair | Royal Rumble | |
| April 5 | Randy Savage | WrestleMania VIII | |
| September 1 | Ric Flair | Prime Time Wrestling | |
| October 12 | Bret Hart | House show | |
WWF Intercontinental Championship :
| Incoming champion – Bret Hart |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 17 | The Mountie | House show | |
| January 19 | Roddy Piper | Royal Rumble | |
| April 5 | Bret Hart | WrestleMania VIII | |
| August 29 | The British Bulldog | SummerSlam | |
| October 27 | Shawn Michaels | Saturday Night's Main Event XXXI | |
WWF Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – The Legion of Doom (Animal and Hawk) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 7 | Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) | House show | |
| July 20 | The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) | House show | |
| October 13 | Money Inc. (Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster) | Wrestling Challenge | aired on tape delay on November 1 |
Million Dollar Championship :
| Incoming champion – Ted DiBiase |||||
| unsanctioned championship |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 7 | Abandoned | House show | |

## Births

* January 23 – Mark Andrews, British wrestler
* January 26 – Sasha Banks, American female wrestler
* February 14 – Diamante, Mexican luchador
* February 28 – El Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Mexican luchador
* March 3 – Mandy Leon, American wrestler
* March 14 – Shotzi Blackheart
* April 18 – Jacob Fatu
* May 19 – Reika Saiki
* June 7 – Sara Lee (died in 2022)
* June 24 – Kagetsu, Japanese wrestler
* June 25 – Dinamic Black, Mexican luchador
* July 9 – Andrew Everett, American wrestler
* August 17 – Paige, British female wrestler
* August 20 – Oro Jr., Mexican luchador
* September 14 – Penelope Ford
* September 19 – Hyan
* September 23 – Angel Garza, Mexican wrestler
* October 9 – Jay White, New Zealand wrestler
* November 10
   * Marshall Von Erich, American wrestler
   * Peyton Royce, Australian female wrestler
* December 27 – Yuka Sakazaki
* December 28 – Rachael Ellering, American female wrestler

## Debuts
### Debut Date

* January 4 - Yuji Yasuraoka
* January 11 - Michiko Omukai
* February 25 - Stevie Richards
* March - Cibernético
* March 12 - Triple H
* March 20 - GOEMON
* April 3 - Mika Kukahara (JWP)
* April 3 - Mitsue Kobayashi (JWP)
* April 19 - Yuki Ishikawa and Ryūshi Yanagisawa
* July 1 - Edge
* July 13 - Kazunori Yoshida (Eagle Pro)
* July 21 - Tatsuhito Takaiwa
* August 2 - Katsumi Hirano
* August 4 - Candy Okutsu
* September 4 - Taka Michinoku
* September 7 - Men's Teioh
* September 17 - Jun Akiyama
* September 23 - John Bradshaw Layfield
* October 15 - Matt Hardy
* October 16 - Takao Omori
* October 28 - KAMIKAZE
* November 19 - Chaparita ASARI (All Japan Women's), Fusayo Nochi (All Japan Women's) and Yuka Shiina (All Japan Women's)

### Date Unknown

* Kane
* Dieusel Berto

## Retirements

* Ben Bassarab (1983–1992)
* Bill Kazmaier (1986-1992)
* Billy Robinson (1955–1992)
* Dino Bravo (1970–1992)
* Don Owen (1930s–1992)
* Eric Embry (1977–October 30, 1992)
* Gene Kiniski (February 13, 1952 – February 25, 1992)
* George Wells (1973–1992)
* Goldie Rogers (1972–1992)
* Ken Patera (1973–1992)
* Leo Burke (1966–1992)
* Nikita Koloff (1984–October 25, 1992)
* Randy Rose (1974–1992)
* Ray Stevens (1950–1992)
* Rockin' Robin (1987–1992)
* Vladimir Petrov (January 1987 – 1992)

## Deaths

* February 7 – Buzz Sawyer, American wrestler (b. 1959)
* February 19 – Tojo Yamamoto, American wrestler and manager (b. 1927)
* April 20 – Jimmy Lennon, American wrestling announcer (b. 1913)
* May 11 – René Guajardo, Mexican luchador (b. 1933)
* May 12 – Lenny Montana, American wrestler and actor (b. 1926)
* June 26 – Buddy Rogers, American wrestler (b. 1921)
* July 1 – Uncle Elmer, American wrestler (b. 1937)
* July 14 – Danny McShain, American wrestler (b. 1912)
* September 13 - Dick Huffman, American wrestler (b. 1923)
* September 24:
** Roy Heffernan, Australian wrestler (b. 1925)
** Roy Shire, American wrestler (b. 1921)
* October 31 – Joe Dusek, American wrestler (b. 1910)
* December 27 – Motoshi Okuma, Japanese wrestler (b. 1941)