# 2011 in professional wrestling

2011 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

## List of notable promotions

These promotions held notable events in 2011.
| Promotion Name | Abbreviation | Notes |
| Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | CMLL | |
| Juggalo Championship Wrestling | JCW | |
| LN Promotions | LN | |
| 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 | |
| Pro Wrestling Guerrilla | PWG | |
| Ring of Honor | ROH | |
| Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | TNA | |
| World Wrestling Council | WWC | |
| World Wrestling Entertainment | WWE | In April, the promotion ceased going by its full name and began to solely refer to itself as WWE, becoming an orphaned initialism, though the full name is still the legal name for the company. WWE divided its roster into two storyline divisions, Raw and SmackDown, referred to as brands, where wrestlers exclusively performed on their respective weekly television programs until August, when the brand split ended. |

## Calendar of notable shows
### January

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
| 4 | NJPW | Wrestle Kingdom V | Tokyo | Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Satoshi Kojima (c) in a Singles match to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
| 7/8/9 | WWC | Euphoria | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Various | |
| 9 | TNA | Genesis | Orlando | Mr. Anderson defeated Jeff Hardy (c) in a Singles match to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | This event was Matt Hardy's debut in TNA |
| 30 | WWE: Raw SmackDown | Royal Rumble | Boston | Alberto Del Rio won the 40-man Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Santino Marella to earn a world championship match at WrestleMania XXVII | Alberto Del Rio chose to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship. Largest Royal Rumble match, which traditionally has 30 participants, until the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble match in 2018. |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) ||||||

### February

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| 12 | LN | A Nightmare To Remember | Villa Rica, Georgia | Original Bad Company (Steve Lawler and John Michaels) defeated Joel Deaton and Mr. Atlanta in a Villa Rica Street Fight |
| 13 | TNA | Against All Odds | Orlando | Jeff Hardy defeated Mr. Anderson (c) in a Ladder match to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 15 & 20 | NJPW | The New Beginning | Tokyo (Day 1) Sendai (Day 2) | 15 Feb: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Prince Devitt defeated Kojima-gun (Satoshi Kojima and Taka Michinoku) in a Tag team match 20 Feb: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Satoshi Kojima in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
| 20 | WWE: Raw SmackDown | Elimination Chamber | Oakland | John Cena defeated CM Punk, John Morrison, Sheamus, Randy Orton, and R-Truth in an Elimination Chamber match for a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XXVII |
| 26 | ROH | ROH 9th Anniversary Show | Chicago | Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) defeated The Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe) for a future match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### March

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| 13 | TNA | Victory Road | Orlando | Sting (c) defeated Jeff Hardy in a No Disqualification match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 18 | AAA | Rey de Reyes | Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico | 2011 Rey de Reyes final four-way elimination match |
| 26 | JCW | Hatchet Attacks | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Corporal Robinson (c) defeated Ian Rotten in a Barbed wire, Tables, Ladders, and Glass match for the JCW World Heavyweight Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### April

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
| 1–2 | ROH | Honor Takes Center Stage | Atlanta | 1 Apr Eddie Edwards (c) defeated Christopher Daniels in a Singles match to retain the ROH World Championship 2 Apr Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) defeated The American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) | |
| 3 | WWE: Raw SmackDown | WrestleMania XXVII | Atlanta | The Miz (c) defeated John Cena in a Singles match to retain the WWE Championship | This was Edge's last PPV match in his wrestling career until January 2020 |
| 17 | TNA | Lockdown | Cincinnati | Fortune (Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Robert Roode and James Storm) defeated Immortal (Ric Flair, Abyss, Bully Ray and Matt Hardy) in Lethal Lockdown match | |
| 29 | CMLL | 55. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | La Máscara, La Sombra and Rush defeated La Peste Negra (Mr. Niebla and Negro Casas) and Averno | |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) ||||||

### May

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
| 1 | WWE: Raw SmackDown | Extreme Rules | Tampa | John Cena defeated The Miz (c) and John Morrison in a Triple threat steel cage match to win the WWE Championship | This event was Michelle McCool's last PPV match in her wrestling career and Kharma's debut in WWE |
| 3 | NJPW | Wrestling Dontaku | Fukuoka | Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
| 4 | JCW | St. Andrews Brawl | Detroit, Michigan | 2 Tuff Tony and Rhino vs. Rob Conway and Sabu ended in a no contest | |
| 15 | TNA | Sacrifice | Orlando | Sting (c) defeated Rob Van Dam in a Singles match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | The event was notable for the return of Chyna to in-ring competition for the first time since 2002; however, it would ultimately be her last match. |
| 22 | WWE: Raw SmackDown | Over the Limit | Seattle | John Cena (c) defeated The Miz in an "I Quit" match to retain the WWE Championship | |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) ||||||

### June

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| 12 | TNA | Slammiversary | Orlando | Kurt Angle defeated Jeff Jarrett in a Singles Match to determine the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship If Jarrett won, Angle would have had to give Jarrett his Olympic Gold Medal. |
| 17 | CMLL | Juicio Final | Mexico City | La Máscara defeated Averno in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas, Mask vs. Mask match |
| 18 | AAA | Triplemanía XIX | Mexico City, Mexico | Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated Rob Van Dam in a Singles match for the inaugural AAA Latin American Championship |
| 18 | NJPW | Dominion | Osaka | Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Hirooki Goto in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
| 19 | WWE: Raw SmackDown | Capitol Punishment | Washington, D.C. | John Cena (c) defeated R-Truth in a Singles match to retain the WWE Championship |
| 26 | ROH | Best in the World | New York | Davey Richards defeated Eddie Edwards (c) in a Singles match to win the ROH World Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### July

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
| 10 | TNA | Destination X | Orlando | A.J. Styles defeated Christopher Daniels in a Singles Match | |
| 15 | WWC | 38th WWC Aniversario | Bayamon, Puerto Rico | AJ Castillo and El Cuervo defeated Chris Joel and Steve Joel | |
| 17 | WWC | 38th WWC Aniversario - Night 2 | Ponce, Puerto Rico | Mr. Big defeated Black Pain | |
| 17 | WWE: Raw SmackDown | Money in the Bank | Rosemont | CM Punk defeated John Cena (c) in a Singles match to win the WWE Championship Since Cena lost, he was supposed to be fired. | The decision to fire Cena was overturned by new Chief Operating Officer Triple H and because CM Punk (kayfabe) left the WWE with the championship after winning it. This match received a 5 Star rating from Dave Meltzer, the first WWE match since 1997 to do so. |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) ||||||

### August

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
| 7 | TNA | Hardcore Justice | Orlando | Kurt Angle defeated Sting (c) in a Singles Match to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
| 1-14 | NJPW | G1 Climax final | Tokyo | Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Tetsuya Naito in a G1 Climax tournament | |
| 14 | JCW | Bloodymania 5 | Cave-In-Rock, Illinois | Corporal Robinson (c) defeated Vampiro for the JCW World Heavyweight Championship | |
| 14 | WWE: Raw SmackDown | SummerSlam | Los Angeles | CM Punk (c) defeated John Cena (c) in a Singles match to win the undisputed WWE Championship with Triple H as the special guest referee, then Alberto Del Rio cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated CM Punk (c) in a Singles match to win the WWE Championship. | This was the last PPV before the end of the first brand split. |
| 20 | PWG | Battle of Los Angeles | Reseda, California | El Generico defeated Kevin Steen in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament | |
| 21 | CMLL | Torneo de Parejas Increibles | Mexico City, Mexico | N/A | |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) ||||||

### September

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
| 11 | TNA | No Surrender | Orlando | Kurt Angle (c) defeated Sting and Mr. Anderson in a Three-way match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
| 17 | ROH | Death Before Dishonor | New York | The All Night Express (Rhett Titus and Kenny King) defeated Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe) in a Ladder War III to determine the number one contender for the ROH World Tag Team Championship at Glory By Honor X | |
| 18 | WWE | Night of Champions | Buffalo | Triple H defeated CM Punk in a No Disqualification match | First WWE pay-per-view following the end of the first WWE brand extension. |
| 30 | CMLL | CMLL 78th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | 10-man steel cage elimination match Lucha de Apuestas, "hair vs. hair" match | |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) ||||||

### October

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| 2 | WWE | Hell in a Cell | New Orleans | Alberto Del Rio defeated John Cena (c) and CM Punk in a Triple threat Hell in a Cell match to win the WWE Championship |
| 9 | AAA | Héroes Inmortales IV | Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico | Los Psycho Circus (Monster Clown, Murder Clown and Psycho Clown) defeated Los Perros del Mal (Damián 666, Halloween and Nicho el Millonario) in a Six-man tag team steel cage Masks vs. Hairs match |
| 10 | NJPW | Destruction | Tokyo | Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Tetsuya Naito in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
| 16 | TNA | Bound for Glory | Philadelphia | Kurt Angle (c) defeated Bobby Roode in a Singles match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 23 | WWE | Vengeance | San Antonio | Alberto Del Rio (c) defeated John Cena in a Last Man Standing match to retain the WWE Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### November

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
| 12 | NJPW | Power Struggle | Osaka | Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) defeated Toru Yano in a Singles match to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship | |
| 13 | TNA | Turning Point | Orlando | Bobby Roode (c) defeated A.J. Styles in a Singles match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | |
| 19 | ROH | Glory By Honor X | Chicago Ridge | Davey Richards (c) defeated El Generico in a Singles match to retain the ROH World Championship | |
| 20 | WWE | Survivor Series | New York City | John Cena and The Rock defeated The Miz and R-Truth in a Tag team match | This was The Rock's first match since WrestleMania XX in 2004 |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) ||||||

### December

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| 1 | WWE | Tribute to the Troops | Fayetteville, North Carolina | John Cena, Big Show and CM Punk defeated Mark Henry, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio in a Six-man tag team match |
| 11 | TNA | Final Resolution | Orlando | Bobby Roode (c) wrestled A.J. Styles to a 3–3 draw in a 30-Minute Iron Man match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship |
| 16 | CMLL | Sin Piedad | Mexico City, Mexico | Blue Panther defeated El Felino by disqualification in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas, hair vs. hair match |
| 18 | WWE | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | Baltimore | CM Punk (c) defeated The Miz and Alberto Del Rio in a Triple threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to retain the WWE Championship |
| 23 | ROH | Final Battle | New York | Davey Richards (c) defeated Eddie Edwards in a Singles match to retain the ROH World Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

## Accomplishments and tournaments
### AAA

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| Rey de Reyes | Extreme Tiger | March 18 | |

### JWP

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| Blue Star Cup 2011 | Manami Katsu | November 20 | |
| Tag League The Best 2011 | Kayoko Haruyama and Tsubasa Kuragaki | March 6 | |

### Ring of Honor

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| ROH World Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Lottery Tournament | Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly | July 8 | |

### TNA

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won |
| TNA X Division Championship #1 Contender Tournament | Robbie E | February 13 |
| Xplosion Championship Challenge | Magnus | August 9 |
| X Division Showcase | Austin Aries | July 10 |
| Turkey Bowl | Eric Young | November 24 |
| Maximum Impact Tournament | Samoa Joe | December 13 |

### WWE

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| Royal Rumble | Alberto Del Rio | January 30 | First and only 40-man Royal Rumble match. Winner received their choice of a championship match for either Raw's WWE Championship or SmackDown's World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXVII; Del Rio last eliminated Santino Marella to win and chose to challenge for his own brand's World Heavyweight Championship, but was unsuccessful against Edge at the event. |
| NXT season 4 | Johnny Curtis | March 1 | Defeated Brodus Clay in the final to win season 4. Due to winning the season, Curtis earned himself and his Pro, R-Truth, a WWE Tag Team Championship match, but after R-Truth turned heel, Curtis teamed up with Michael McGillicutty and finally received the championship match on the October 11, 2012 episode of NXT, but they were defeated by champions Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane). |
| Money in the Bank ladder match (SmackDown) | Daniel Bryan | July 17 | Defeated Cody Rhodes, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Kane, Sin Cara, Sheamus, and Wade Barrett to win a World Heavyweight Championship match contract. After a voided cash-in attempt on Mark Henry in November, Bryan successfully cashed in his contract at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs to win the title from Big Show, who had just won the title from Henry. |
| Money in the Bank ladder match (Raw) | Alberto Del Rio | July 17 | Defeated Alex Riley, Evan Bourne, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, The Miz, R-Truth, and Rey Mysterio to win a WWE Championship match contract. Del Rio cashed in the contract at SummerSlam and won the title from CM Punk, who had just defeated John Cena to determine the undisputed WWE Champion. |
| WWE Championship Tournament | Rey Mysterio | July 25 | Defeated The Miz in the tournament final to win the vacant WWE Championship; CM Punk had won the title the week before at Money in the Bank, but left WWE with the title, thus WWE set up a tournament to crown a new champion. |

#### WWE Hall of Fame

| Category | Inductee | Inducted by |
| Individual | Shawn Michaels | Triple H |
| Individual | "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan | Ted DiBiase |
| Individual | "Bullet" Bob Armstrong | Scott, Brad, and Brian Armstrong |
| Individual | Sunny | WWE Divas |
| Individual | Abdullah the Butcher | Terry Funk |
| Group | The Road Warriors | Dusty Rhodes |
| Celebrity | Drew Carey | Kane |

#### Slammy Awards

| Poll | Winner |
| Outstanding Achievement in Muppet Resemblance | Sheamus and his long lost, red-headed relative Beaker |
| The Pee-wee Herman Bowtie Award | David Otunga, for his Harvard-law-by-way-of-the-Playhouse business attire |
| Most Predictable Outcome of the Year | Kevin Nash's powerbomb to Santino Marella after the trombone dance |
| Guess Who's Back or: Return of the Year | The Rock |
| Double Vision Moment of the Year | Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara |
| T-shirt of the Year | CM Punk for "Best in the World" T-shirt |
| WWE.com Exclusive of the Year | John Laurinaitis congratulates CM Punk |
| Most Regrettable Attire of the Year | Michael Cole as Triple H |
| Critter Moment of the Year | The mouse that ran past Alberto Del Rio on Raw |
| Superstar Transformation of the Year | Zack Ryder |
| "Tell Me I Did NOT Just See That" Moment of the Year | Jim Ross dancing during the "Michael Cole Challenge" on Raw Supershow |
| Holy $#!+ Move of the Year | Big Show and Mark Henry implode the ring after a superplex at Vengeance |
| "Pipe Bomb" of the Year | CM Punk |
| Divalicious Moment of the Year | Kelly Kelly wins the WWE Divas Championship |
| OMG Moment of the Year | Triple H performs The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver on The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII |
| #Trending Superstar of the Year | Zack Ryder |
| Game Changer of the Year | John Cena vs. The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII |
| WWE A-lister of the Year | Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi |
| Superstar of the Year | CM Punk |

## Awards and honors
### Pro Wrestling Illustrated

| Category | Winner |
| PWI Wrestler of the Year | CM Punk |
| PWI Tag Team of the Year | Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm) |
| PWI Match of the Year | John Cena vs. CM Punk (Money in the Bank) |
| PWI Feud of the Year | CM Punk vs. John Cena |
| PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year | CM Punk |
| PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year | The Miz |
| PWI Comeback of the Year | Sting |
| PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year | Mark Henry |
| PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year | Rosita |
| PWI Rookie of the Year | Ace Hawkins |
| PWI Woman of the Year | Mickie James |
| PWI Lifetime Achievement | Randy Savage |

### Wrestling Observer Newsletter
#### Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame

* Inductee
* Kent Walton
* Steve Williams
* Curtis Iaukea

#### Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

| Category | Winner |
| Wrestler of the Year | Hiroshi Tanahashi |
| Most Outstanding | Davey Richards |
| Best Box Office Draw | The Rock |
| Feud of the Year | John Cena vs. CM Punk |
| Tag Team of the Year | Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) |
| Most Improved | Dolph Ziggler |
| Best on Interviews | CM Punk |

## Title changes
### AAA

AAA Mega Championship :
| Incoming champion – El Zorro |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 18 | Jeff Jarrett | Triplemanía XIX | |
AAA Latin American Championship :
| (Title created) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 18 | Dr. Wagner Jr. | Triplemanía XIX | |
| December 16 | L.A. Park | Guerra de Titanes | |
AAA World Mini-Estrella Championship :
| Incoming champion – Octagoncito |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 6 | Mini Psicosis | Triplemanía XIX | |
AAA World Cruiserweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Jack Evans |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| No title changes | No title changes | No title changes | No title changes |
AAA World Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Los Maniacos (Silver King and Último Gladiador) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 21 | Extreme Tiger and Jack Evans | AAA Sin Límite TV Taping | |
| October 9 | La Legión Extranjera (Abyss and Chessman) | AAA Sin Límite TV Taping | |
AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Faby Apache and Pimpinela Escarlata |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 13 | La Sociedad (Alan Stone and Jennifer Blake) | AAA Television Taping | |
AAA World Trios Championship :
| (Title created) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 18 | Los Perros del Mal (Damián 666, Halloween and X-Fly) | Triplemania XIX | |

### NJPW

IWGP Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Satoshi Kojima |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 4 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | Wrestle Kingdom V | |
IWGP Intercontinental Championship :
| (Title created) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| May 15 | MVP | Invasion Tour 2011: Attack on East Coast | Defeated Toru Yano in an eight–man tournament final to become the inaugural champion. |
| October 10 | Masato Tanaka | Destruction '11 | |
IWGP Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| No title changes |||||
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Prince Devitt |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 18 | Kota Ibushi | Dominion 6.18 | |
| September 12 | Vacated | – | The championship was vacated after Ibushi was sidelined with a shoulder injury. |
| September 19 | Prince Devitt | Kantaro Hoshino Memorial Show | Devitt defeated Kushida to win the vacant championship. |
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Golden☆Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 23 | Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) | Fantastica Mania 2011 | |
| October 10 | No Remorse Corps (Davey Richards and Rocky Romero) | Destruction '11 | |

### ROH

ROH World Championship :
| Incoming champion – Roderick Strong |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 19 | Eddie Edwards | Manhattan Mayhem IV | |
| June 26 | Davey Richards | Best in the World | |
ROH World Television Championship :
| Incoming champion – Christopher Daniels |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 26 | El Generico | Best in the World | |
| August 13 | Jay Lethal | Ring of Honor Wrestling | |
ROH World Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 1 | Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) | Honor Takes Center Stage | |
| December 23 | The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe) | Final Battle | |

### TNA

TNA World Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Jeff Hardy |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 9 | Mr. Anderson | Genesis | |
| February 13 | Jeff Hardy | Against All Odds | This was a ladder match |
| February 24 (aired March 3) | Sting | Impact! | |
| June 12 | Mr. Anderson | Slammiversary | |
| July 11 (aired July 14) | Sting | Impact Wrestling | |
| August 7 | Kurt Angle | Hardcore Justice | |
| October 18 (aired October 20) | James Storm | Impact Wrestling | |
| October 26 (aired November 3) | Bobby Roode | Impact Wrestling | |
TNA X Division Championship :
| Incoming champion – Jay Lethal |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 9 | Kazarian | Genesis | |
| May 16 | Abyss | Impact Wrestling | |
| July 10 | Brian Kendrick | Destination X | |
| September 11 | Austin Aries | No Surrender | |
TNA World Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 9 | Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert/Bobby Roode) | Genesis | |
| August 9 | Mexican America (Anarquia and Hernandez) | Impact Wrestling | |
| November 14 | Crimson and Matt Morgan | Impact Wrestling | |
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Angelina Love and Winter |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 13 | Mexican America (Sarita and Rosita) | Victory Road | |
| July 21 | TnT (Brooke Tessmacher and Tara) | Impact Wrestling | |
| November 3 | Gail Kim and Madison Rayne | Impact Wrestling | |
TNA Knockouts Championship :
| Incoming champion – Madison Rayne |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 17 | Mickie James | Lockdown | |
| August 7 | Winter | Hardcore Justice | |
| August 25 | Mickie James | Impact Wrestling | |
| September 11 | Winter | No Surrender | |
| October 16 | Velvet Sky | Bound for Glory | |
| November 13 | Gail Kim | Turning Point | |
TNA Television Championship :
| Incoming champion – Douglas Williams |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 9 | Abyss | Genesis | |
| March 14 | Vacated | Impact! | |
| March 14 | Gunner | Impact! | |
| May 17 | Eric Young | Impact Wrestling | |
| November 13 | Robbie E | Turning Point | |

### WWE

    – Raw
    – SmackDown
Prior to the end of the first WWE brand extension in August, Raw and SmackDown each had a world championship and a secondary championship, while the women's championship and male tag team championship were shared across the two brands.
WWE Championship :
| Incoming champion – The Miz |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| May 1 | John Cena | Extreme Rules | Triple threat steel cage match, also involving John Morrison. |
| July 17 | CM Punk | Money in the Bank | CM Punk (kayfabe) left the WWE the day after with the championship. He returned on the July 25 episode of Raw; his reign was deemed to continue through this period. |
| July 25 | Rey Mysterio | Monday Night Raw | Defeated The Miz in a tournament final for the vacant championship. CM Punk was also recognized as champion. |
| July 25 | John Cena | Monday Night Raw | New Chief Operating Officer Triple H decreed that Rey Mysterio had to face former champion John Cena. CM Punk was also recognized as champion. |
| August 14 | CM Punk | SummerSlam | Defeated John Cena in a match to determine the undisputed WWE Champion. This is considered a continuation of Punk's first reign, lasting a total of 28 days. Triple H was the special guest referee. |
| August 14 | Alberto Del Rio | SummerSlam | Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after CM Punk was attacked by Kevin Nash. |
| The first WWE brand extension ended on August 29, and the WWE Champion could appear on both Raw and SmackDown. |||||
| September 18 | John Cena | Night of Champions | |
| October 2 | Alberto Del Rio | Hell in a Cell | Triple threat match, also involving CM Punk. |
| November 20 | CM Punk | Survivor Series | |
World Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Edge |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 15 (aired February 18) | Vacated | SmackDown | Edge was stripped of the title by SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero as a result of using the spear (which had been banned) in a previous match. |
| February 15 (aired February 18) | Dolph Ziggler | SmackDown | SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero awarded the title to Ziggler. |
| February 15 (aired February 18) | Edge | SmackDown | Edge was awarded a rematch the same night by returning General Manager, Theodore Long. |
| April 12 (aired April 15) | Vacated | SmackDown | Title declared vacant due to Edge's retirement. |
| May 1 | Christian | Extreme Rules | Defeated Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match to win the vacant title. |
| May 3 (aired May 6) | Randy Orton | SmackDown | |
| July 17 | Christian | Money in the Bank | Defeated Randy Orton by disqualification after being hit with a low-blow. The stipulations of the match allowed the title to change hands via disqualification. |
| August 14 | Randy Orton | SummerSlam | No Holds Barred match |
| The first WWE brand extension ended on August 29, and the World Heavyweight Champion could appear on both Raw and SmackDown. |||||
| September 18 | Mark Henry | Night of Champions | On the November 25 episode of SmackDown, Daniel Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and pinned Henry. However, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long revealed that Henry was not medically cleared to compete and voided the match. Henry remained champion and the briefcase was returned to Bryan. |
| December 18 | Big Show | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | Chairs match |
| December 18 | Daniel Bryan | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. |
WWE United States Championship :
| Incoming champion – Daniel Bryan |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 14 | Sheamus | Monday Night Raw | If Sheamus lost, he would have quit the WWE. |
| The title became exclusive to the SmackDown brand following the 2011 WWE draft when Sheamus was drafted to SmackDown. |||||
| May 1 | Kofi Kingston | Extreme Rules | Tables match |
| The title became exclusive to the Raw brand due to Kofi Kingston being a member of the Raw roster. |||||
| June 19 | Dolph Ziggler | Capitol Punishment | |
| The first WWE brand extension ended on August 29, and the United States Champion could appear on both Raw and SmackDown. |||||
| December 18 | Zack Ryder | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | |
WWE Intercontinental Championship :
| Incoming champion – Dolph Ziggler |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 4 (aired January 7) | Kofi Kingston | SmackDown | |
| March 22 (aired March 25) | Wade Barrett | SmackDown | |
| June 19 | Ezekiel Jackson | Capitol Punishment | |
| August 9 (aired August 12) | Cody Rhodes | SmackDown | |
| The first WWE brand extension ended on August 29, and the Intercontinental Champion could appear on both Raw and SmackDown. |||||
WWE Divas Championship :
| Incoming champion – Natalya |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 30 | Eve Torres | Royal Rumble | Fatal four-way match, also involving Layla and Michelle McCool. Eve pinned Layla to win. |
| April 11 | Brie Bella | Monday Night Raw | |
| June 20 | Kelly Kelly | Raw: Power to the People | This was a Power to the People special episode of Raw, where Brie Bella's opponent was determined by a fan-voted poll. Kelly Kelly received the highest number of votes over Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres. |
| October 2 | Beth Phoenix | Hell in a Cell | |
WWE Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 20 | The Corre (Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel) | Elimination Chamber | |
| February 21 | John Cena and The Miz | Monday Night Raw | |
| February 21 | The Corre (Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel) | Monday Night Raw | |
| April 19 (aired April 22) | Big Show and Kane | SmackDown | |
| May 23 | The New Nexus (David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty) | Monday Night Raw | Otunga and McGillicutty won the title under the name of The New Nexus, but the stable disbanded during their reign. |
| August 22 | Air Boom (Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston) | Monday Night Raw | |

## Debuts

* January 23 - Eri Susa
* February 26 - Meari Naito (Ice Ribbon)
* March 2 – Neko Nitta
* March 11 - Maki Narumiya
* May 4 – Trans-Am Hiroshi
* May 13 - EVIL
* June 1 – Solo Darling
* June 18 – Marius Al-Ani
* June 19 - Bandido
* June 26 – Saki Kashima
* July 7 – Cameron
* July 21 - Nana Kawasa
* August 7 – Rabbit Miu
* September 7 – Punch Tominaga
* October 22 – Gianni Valletta
* October 23 – Jason Lee
* October 29 – Hektor Invictus
* November 24 – Koji Doi
* December 18 – Summer Rae

## Retirements

* Krissy Vaine (September 2000 – 2011) (returned to wrestling in 2019)
* Taylor Wilde (June 2003 – February 5, 2011) (returned to Impact Wrestling on April 25, 2021 at the Rebellion)
* Pierre Carl Ouellet (1987-February 8, 2011) (returned to wrestling in 2016)
* Edge (1992 – April 11, 2011) (was medically cleared in 2020 and returned in that year's Men's Royal Rumble match)
* Gypsy Joe (1951-January 7, 2011)
* Dave Kidney (1950s-January 28, 2011)
* Estrella Blanca (1954-April 17, 2011)
* Michelle McCool (November 18, 2004 – May 1, 2011) (brief return in 2018 - Royal Rumble and WWE Evolution)
* Chyna (1995 – May 15, 2011)
* Roddy Piper (1969–August 12, 2011)
* Brett DiBiase (July 22, 2008 – August 22, 2011)
* Daizee Haze (March 29, 2002 – October 1, 2011)
* Daikokubō Benkei (November 10, 1994 – October 23, 2011)
* Maryse (July 10, 2006 – October 28, 2011) (as a professional wrestler) (returned to WWE in April 2016 to become her husband's manager/valet and has had a couple of one-off tag team matches teaming with her husband, including one at WrestleMania 33)
* Takeshi Rikio (May 28, 2000 – November 27, 2011)
* Nigel McGuinness (September 1999 – December 17, 2011)
* Brent Albright (October 10, 1998 – December 17, 2011)

## Deaths

* January 1 - Verne Langdon, 69
* January 7 – Val Puccio, 45
* January 23 - Jack LaLanne, 96
* January 26 - Shawn Osborne, 34
* February 2 - Wolf, 38
* March 17 - Fabián el Gitano, 39
* March 20 – Oliver Humperdink, 62
* April 9 - Chip Fairway, 38
* April 11 - Larry Sweeney, 30
* May 20 – Randy Savage, 58
* June 21 - Tim Burke, 50
* August 11 – Scott LeDoux, 62
* August 20 – Rafael Halperin, (b. 1924) 86 or 87
* August 25 – Donna Christianello, 69
* September 6 – Little Tokyo, 70
* September 20 - Johnny Barend, 82
* October 11 – Doctor X, 43
* October 29 - Jimmy Savile, 84
* November 10 - Killer Karl Kox, 80
* November 22 - Bison Smith, 38
* December 21 - Umanosuke Ueda, 71