# 1997 in professional wrestling

1997 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

## List of notable promotions

These promotions held notable events in 1997.
| Promotion Name | Abbreviation | Notes |
| Catch Wrestling Association | CWA | |
| Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | CMLL | |
| Extreme Championship Wrestling | ECW | |
| Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling | FMW | |
| 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 | |
| World Championship Wrestling | WCW | |
| World Wrestling Council | WWC | |
| World Wrestling Federation | WWF | |

## Calendar of notable shows
### January

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| January 4 | NJPW | Wrestling World | Tokyo, Japan | Shinya Hashimoto (c) defeated Riki Choshu in a Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship |
| January 11 | ECW | House Party | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Pitbull #1 defeated Shane Douglas (c) by count out in a Singles match |
| January 19 | WWF | Royal Rumble | San Antonio, Texas, United States | Shawn Michaels defeated Sycho Sid (c) in a Singles match for the WWF Championship |
| January 25 | WCW: nWo | Souled Out | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | Hollywood Hogan (nWo) (c) fought The Giant (WCW) to a no contest in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship |
| January 31 | ECW | Winter Blowout | Lake Grove, New York, United States | The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer defeated Raven and Stevie Richards in a tag team match |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### February

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| February 1 | ECW | Crossing the Line Again | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | The Pitbulls (Pitbull #1 and Pitbull #2) and Tommy Dreamer defeated The Triple Threat (Brian Lee, Chris Candido, and Shane Douglas) in a Six man tag team match |
| February 16 | WWF | In Your House 13: Final Four | Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States | Bret Hart defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vader and The Undertaker in a Four Corners elimination match for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship |
| February 21 | AAA | Rey de Reyes | Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico | Latin Lover defeated Heavy Metal, Héctor Garza and Octagón in a 1997 Rey de Reyes final |
| February 21-February 22 | ECW | CyberSlam | Queens, New York/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | February 21: The Eliminators (Perry Saturn and John Kronus) (c) defeated Sabu and Rob Van Dam in a Tables and Ladders match for the ECW World Tag Team Championship February 22: Sabu defeated Chris Candido in a Singles match |
| February 23 | WCW | SuperBrawl VII | San Francisco, California, United States | Hollywood Hogan (c) defeated Roddy Piper in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship |
| February 28 | ECW | Mountain Top Madness | Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, United States | Sabu defeated Chris Candido in a Singles match |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### March

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| March 15 | ECW | Hostile City Showdown | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Raven (c) defeated Stevie Richards and Tommy Dreamer by pinfall in a Three way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship |
| March 16 | WCW | Uncensored | North Charleston, South Carolina, United States | Team nWo (Hollywood Hogan, Randy Savage, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) defeated Team Piper (Roddy Piper, Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael and Jeff Jarrett) and Team WCW (Lex Luger, The Giant and Scott Steiner) in a Triangle Elimination match |
| March 21 | CMLL | Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth | Mexico City, Mexico | Silver King defeated La Fiera in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas, Hair vs. Hair match |
| March 23 | WWF | WrestleMania 13 | Rosemont, Illinois, United States | The Undertaker defeated Sycho Sid (c) in a No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### April

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| April 4 | CMLL | International Gran Prix | Mexico City, Mexico | Steele defeated Rayo de Jalisco Jr. in a 1997 International Gran Prix final match |
| April 6 | WCW | Spring Stampede | Tupelo, Mississippi, United States | Diamond Dallas Page defeated Randy Savage in a No Disqualification match |
| April 12 | N/A | Second Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Show | Cherry Hill, New Jersey, United States | Goldust defeated Derrick Domino in a Singles match |
| April 13 | ECW | Barely Legal | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Terry Funk defeated Raven (c) in a Singles match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship |
| April 18 | CMLL | 41. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | Steele defeated Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (c) in a Best two-out-of-three falls match for the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship |
| April 20 | WWF | In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker | Rochester, New York, United States | Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Bret Hart by disqualification in a Singles match to determine the #1 contender to the WWF Championship |
| April 29 | FMW | FMW 8th Anniversary Show | Yokohama, Japan | Megumi Kudo defeated Shark Tsuchiya (c) in a No Rope 200 Volt Double Hell Double Barbed Wire Barricade Double Landmine Crushed Glass Electrical Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the FMW Independent and WWA World Women's Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### May

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| May 8 | FMW | Japanese Survival | Tokyo, Japan | Hido, The Great Nita and WING Kanemura vs. Fuyuki-gun (Gedo, Jado and Kodo Fuyuki) |
| May 10 | ECW | Chapter 2 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Terry Funk (c) defeated Raven, The Sandman, and Stevie Richards by pinfall in a Four way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship |
| May 11 | WWF | In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell | Richmond, Virginia, United States | The Undertaker (c) defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Singles match for the WWF Championship |
| May 17 | ECW | The Buffalo Invasion | Buffalo, New York, United States | Terry Funk (c) defeated Raven, the Sandman, and Stevie Richards by pinfall in a Four way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship |
| May 18 | WCW | Slamboree | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and Kevin Greene defeated The nWo (Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Syxx) in a Six-man tag team match |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### June

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| June 6 | N/A | Second Annual Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Show | Buffalo, New York, United States | The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) (c) defeated Lex Luger and The Giant in a tag team match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship |
| June 7 | ECW | Wrestlepalooza | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | The Eliminators (John Kronus and Perry Saturn) (c) defeated The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) in a tag team match for the ECW World Tag Team Championship |
| June 8 | WWF | King of the Ring | Providence, Rhode Island, United States | The Undertaker (c) defeated Faarooq in a Singles match for the WWF Championship |
| June 13 | AAA | Triplemanía V-A | Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico | Perro Aguayo, Tinieblas Jr. and Canek defeated Jake Roberts, Killer, and Gorgeous George III in a six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team match |
| June 15 | AAA | Triplemanía V-B | Naucalpan, Mexico | Perro Aguayo, Octagón, Cibernético and Canek defeated Jake Roberts, Gorgeous George III, El Cobarde Jr. and Fuerza Guerrera in an eight-man "Atómicos" tag team match |
| June 15 | WCW | The Great American Bash | Moline, Illinois, United States | Randy Savage defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a Falls Count Anywhere match |
| June 28 | ECW | Orgy of Violence | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Rob Van Dam and Sabu defeated the Sandman and Tommy Dreamer by pinfall in a tag team match |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### July

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| July 5 | CWA | Euro Catch Festival | Graz, Austria | Rambo (c) defeated Duke Droese in a Singles match for the CWA World Heavyweight Championship |
| July 6 | WWF | In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Brian Pillman, The British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart) defeated Ken Shamrock, Goldust, The Legion of Doom (Animal and Hawk) and Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Ten-man tag team match |
| July 13 | WCW | Bash at the Beach | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States | Lex Luger and The Giant defeated Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman by submission in a tag team match |
| July 19 | ECW | Heat Wave | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Jerry Lawler, Rob Van Dam, and Sabu wrestled Rick Rude, The Sandman, and Tommy Dreamer to a no contest in a Steel cage match |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### August

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| August 2 | FMW | Shiodome Legend | Tokyo, Japan | W*ING Kanemura defeated Masato Tanaka in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the right to face Atsushi Onita at Fall Spectacular |
| August 3 | WWF | SummerSlam | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | Bret Hart defeated The Undertaker (c) in a Singles match for the WWF Championship with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee |
| August 9 | ECW | Born to be Wired | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Sabu defeated Terry Funk (c) by pinfall in a Barbed wire match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship |
| August 9 | WCW | Road Wild | Sturgis, South Dakota, United States | Hollywood Hogan defeated Lex Luger (c) in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship |
| August 15 | WWC | WWC 24th Aniversario | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Ray Gonzales (WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion) defeated Tom Brandi in a Singles match |
| August 17 | ECW | Hardcore Heaven | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | Shane Douglas defeated Sabu (c) and Terry Funk in a Three-way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### September

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| September 7 | WWF | Ground Zero: In Your House | Louisville, Kentucky, United States | Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ended in a no contest in a Singles match |
| September 11 | ECW | WrestleFest: 50 Years of Funk | Amarillo, Texas, United States | Bret Hart defeated Terry Funk in a No Disqualification match |
| September 14 | AAA | Verano de Escándalo | Tonalá, Jalisco, Mexico | Perro Aguayo, Perro Aguayo Jr. and Heavy Metal defeated Sangre Chicano, El Picudo and El Cobarde II in a Steel Cage Elimination Match, Lucha de Apuestas; as the last man in the cage, Cobarde II had his head shaved after the match. |
| September 14 | WCW | Fall Brawl | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States | The nWo (Buff Bagwell, Kevin Nash, Syxx and Konnan) defeated The Four Horsemen (Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael, Ric Flair and Curt Hennig) in a WarGames match |
| September 19 | CMLL | CMLL 64th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Hijo del Santo defeated Negro Casas in a Lucha de Apuestas mask vs. hair match |
| September 20 | ECW | As Good as It Gets | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | The Gangstanators (John Kronus and New Jack) defeated the Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) (c) by pinfall in a Tag team match for the ECW World Tag Team Championship |
| September 20 | WWF | WWF One Night Only | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | Shawn Michaels defeated The British Bulldog (c) in a Singles match for the WWF European Championship |
| September 28 | FMW | Fall Spectacular | Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan | Atsushi Onita defeated W*ING Kanemura in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Steel Cage Time Bomb Death Match |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### October

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| October 5 | WWF | Badd Blood: In Your House | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Shawn Michaels defeated The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match to determine the #1 contender to the WWF Championship at Survivor Series |
| October 12 | N/A | Second Annual Ikki Kajiwara Memorial Show | Tokyo, Japan | Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Super Tiger (Tiger Mask I) fought to a no-contest in a Singles match with Antonio Inoki as special guest referee |
| October 26 | WCW | Halloween Havoc | Paradise, Nevada, United States | Roddy Piper defeated Hollywood Hogan by submission in a Steel cage match |
| October 30 | N/A | First Annual Plum Mariko Memorial Show | Tokyo, Japan | Cutie Suzuki and Dynamite Kansai defeated Mayumi Ozaki in a handicap match |
| October 31 | ECW | Fright Fight | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | The Gangstanators (John Kronus and New Jack) defeated Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney and The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) in a Tag Team Three Way Elimination Match |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### November

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| November 8 | ECW | Ultimate Jeopardy | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Taz and Tommy Dreamer defeated Rob Van Dam and Sabu by pinfall in a tag team match |
| November 9 | WWF | Survivor Series | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Shawn Michaels "defeated" Bret Hart (c) by submission in a Singles match for the WWF Championship |
| November 23 | WCW | World War 3 | Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States | Scott Hall won by last eliminating The Giant in a 60-man World War 3 match for a future WCW World Heavyweight Championship match |
| November 30 | ECW | November to Remember | Monaca, Pennsylvania, United States | Shane Douglas defeated Bam Bam Bigelow (c) in a Singles match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

### December

| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
| December 6 | ECW | Better Than Ever | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Rob Van Dam and Sabu defeated Taz and Tommy Dreamer by pinfall in a tag team match |
| December 7 | WWF | D-Generation X: In Your House | Springfield, Massachusetts, United States | Ken Shamrock defeated Shawn Michaels (c) by disqualification in a Singles match for the WWF Championship |
| December 13 | AAA | Guerra de Titanes | Madero, Mexico | Perro Aguayo Jr. defeated Picudo, match also included Heavy Metal and Sangre Chicana in a Steel cage Lucha de Apuestas "hair vs. hair" match |
| December 28 | WCW | Starrcade | Washington, D.C., United States | Sting defeated Hollywood Hogan (c) by submission in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) |||||

## Notable events

* January 4 - WWF Shotgun Saturday Night debuts live from New York City, New York
* January 25 - New World Order has their nWo Souled Out Pay Per View live from Ceder Rapids, Iowa
* April 13 - ECW debuts live on Pay Per View for the first time with ECW Barely Legal from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania headlined with Sabu vs Tazz
* August 21 - The final WCW Clash of the Champions XXXV prime time special on TBS was held in Nashville, Tennessee headlined with Scott Hall and Randy Savage vs Lex Luger and Diamond Dallas Page.
* November 9 - The Montreal Screwjob
* After a long history of Memphis Wrestling the United States Wrestling Association closes its doors in November.
* December 30 - Jeff Jarrett defeated Blackjack Bradshaw on a WWF Raw is War taping in Uniondale, New York to win the NWA North American Heavyweight title .

## Tournaments and accomplishments
### AAA

| Tournaments | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| Rey de Reyes | Octagón | February 21 | |

### AJW

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| Japan Grand Prix 1997 | Kaoru Ito | August 10 |
| Tag League The Best 1997 | Kaoru Ito and Yumiko Hotta | December 21 | |

### AJPW

| Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| Champion Carnival 1997 | Toshiaki Kawada | April 19 | |
| World's Strongest Determination League 1997 | Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue | December 5 | |

### WCW

| Tournaments | Winner | Date won | Notes |
| WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship Tournament | Toshie Uematsu | April 7 | |
| World War 3 | Scott Hall | November 23 | |

### WWF

| Tournaments | Winner | Date won |
| Royal Rumble | Stone Cold Steve Austin | January 19 |
| WWF European Championship Tournament | The British Bulldog | February 26 |
| Kuwait Cup | Tiger Ali Singh | April 13 |
| King of the Ring | Hunter Hearst Helmsley | June 8 |
| WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Dude Love | July 14 |
| WWF Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament | Taka Michinoku | December 7 |

#### Slammy Awards

| Poll | Winner |
| New Sensation | Rocky Maivia |
| Best Dressed | Sable |
| Best Tattoo | The Undertaker |
| Match of the Year | Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII |
| Best Hair | Hunter Hearst Helmsley |
| Loose Screw | Mankind |
| Best Bow Tie | Owen Hart |
| Best Entrance Music | The Undertaker |
| Best Finisher | Shawn Michaels – Sweet Chin Music |
| Best Couple | Goldust and Marlena |
| Freedom of Speech | Stone Cold Steve Austin |
| Star of the Highest Magnitude | The Undertaker |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Arnold Skaaland |
| Miss Slammy | Sable |

## Awards and honors
### Pro Wrestling Illustrated

| Category | Winner |
| PWI Wrestler of the Year | Lex Luger |
| PWI Tag Team of the Year | The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) |
| PWI Match of the Year | Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WrestleMania 13) |
| PWI Feud of the Year | Diamond Dallas Page vs. Randy Savage |
| PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year | Sting |
| PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year | Bret Hart |
| PWI Comeback of the Year | Bret Hart |
| PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year | Ken Shamrock |
| PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year | Terry Funk |
| PWI Rookie of the Year | Prince Iaukea |
| PWI Lifetime Achievement | Arn Anderson |
| PWI Editor's Award | Bill Alfonso |

### Wrestling Observer Newsletter
#### Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

| Category | Winner |
| Wrestler of the Year | Mitsuharu Misawa |
| Most Outstanding | Mitsuharu Misawa |
| Best Box Office Draw | Hulk Hogan |
| Feud of the Year | Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Hart Foundation |
| Tag Team of the Year | Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama |
| Most Improved | Tatsuhito Takaiwa |
| Best on Interviews | Stone Cold Steve Austin |

#### Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame

* Inductee
* Édouard Carpentier
* El Hijo del Santo
* Toshiaki Kawada
* Jimmy Lennon
* William Muldoon

## Title changes
### ECW

ECW World Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Raven |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 13 | Terry Funk | Barely Legal | |
| August 9 | Sabu | Born to be Wired | |
| August 17 | Shane Douglas | Hardcore Heaven | |
| October 16 | Bam Bam Bigelow | Live event | |
| November 30 | Shane Douglas | November to Remember | |
ECW World Television Championship :
| Incoming champion – Shane Douglas |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 7 | Taz | Wrestlepalooza | |
ECW World Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – The Eliminators (Kronus and Saturn) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 15 | The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) | Hostile City Showdown | |
| April 13 | The Eliminators (Kronus and Saturn) | Barely Legal | |
| June 20 | The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) | Hardcore TV #218 | |
| July 19 | The Gangstas (Mustapha Saed and New Jack) | Heat Wave (1997)/Hardcore TV #222 | |
| August 17 | The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley) | Hardcore Heaven | |
| September 20 | The Gangstanators (Kronus and New Jack) | As Good as it Gets | |
| October 18 | The Full Blooded Italians (Little Guido and Tracy Smothers) | Hardcore TV #236 | |
| December 5 | The Can-Am Express (Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon) | Live event | |
| December 6 | Chris Candido and Lance Storm | Better than Ever | |

### FMW

FMW Double Championship :
| Incoming champion – The Gladiator |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| September 28 | Masato Tanaka | Fall Spectacular | |
FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – The Headhunters (A and B) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 25 | W*ING Alliance (W*ING Kanemura and Hido) | Fighting Creation Tour | |
| August 21 | Funk Masters of Wrestling (Mr. Gannosuke and Hisakatsu Oya) | Super Dynamism Tour | |
| October 19 | ZEN (Atsushi Onita and Yukihiro Kanemura) | Power Splash Tour | |
| November | Vacant | N/A | |
| November 28 | ZEN/Team No Respect (Mr. Gannosuke and Yukihiro Kanemura) | Scramble Survivor Tour | |
FMW Women's Championship :
| Incoming champion – Megumi Kudo |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 21 | Shark Tsuchiya | Winning Road tour | |
| April 29 | Megumi Kudo | 8th Anniversary Show | |
| June 13 | Vacant | King of Fight tour | |
| September 28 | Shark Tsuchiya | Fall Spectacular | |
| September 28 | Retired | N/A | |
FMW Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Taka Michinoku |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 29 | El Satánico | House show | |
| August 25 | Taka Michinoku | House show | |
| December 18 | Vacant | N/A | |
FMW World Street Fight 6-Man Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Funk Masters of Wrestling (Hisakatsu Oya, Headhunter A and Headhunter B) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 21 | Fuyuki-Gun (Kodo Fuyuki, Jado and Gedo) | FMW | |
| July 8 | Vacant | N/A | |
| August 5 | Funk Masters of Wrestling (The Gladiator, Hisakatsu Oya and Mr. Gannosuke) | FMW | |
| August 31 | Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka and Koji Nakagawa | FMW | |
| October 14 | ZEN (Atsushi Onita, Tetsuhiro Kuroda and Hido) | FMW | |
| December 20 | Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka and Hisakatsu Oya | Super Extreme Wrestling War tour | |

### NJPW

IWGP Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Shinya Hashimoto |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| August 31 | Kensuke Sasaki | Final Power Hall in Yokohama | |
IWGP Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Cho-Ten (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 4 | Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami | Wrestling World 1997 | |
| April 12 | Kensuke Sasaki and Riki Choshu | Battle Formation 1997 | |
| May 3 | The Bull Powers (Manabu Nakanishi and Satoshi Kojima) | Strong Style Evolution in Osaka Dome | |
| August 10 | Kazuo Yamazaki and Kensuke Sasaki | The Four Heaven in Nagoya Dome | |
| October 19 | Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono | nWo Typhoon 1997 | |
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Último Dragón |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 4 | Jushin Thunder Liger | Wrestling World 1997 | |
| July 6 | El Samurai | Live event | |
| August 10 | Shinjiro Otani | The Four Heaven in Nagoya Dome | |

### WCW

WCW World Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Hollywood Hogan |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| August 4 | Lex Luger | Nitro | |
| August 9 | Hollywood Hogan | Road Wild | |
| December 28 | Sting | Starrcade | |
WCW Cruiserweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Ultimate Dragon |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 21 | Dean Malenko | Clash of the Champions XXXIV | |
| February 23 | Syxx | SuperBrawl VII | |
| June 28 | Chris Jericho | Saturday Nitro | |
| July 28 | Alex Wright | Nitro | |
| August 12 | Chris Jericho | Saturday Night | |
| September 14 | Eddie Guerrero | Fall Brawl | |
| October 26 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Halloween Havoc | |
| November 10 | Eddie Guerrero | Nitro | |
| December 29 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro | |
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Eddie Guerrero |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| March 16 | Dean Malenko | Uncensored | |
| June 9 | Jeff Jarrett | Nitro | |
| August 21 | Steve McMichael | Clash of the Champions XXXV | |
| September 15 | Curt Hennig | Nitro | |
| December 28 | Diamond Dallas Page | Starrcade | |
WCW Women's Championship :
| Incoming champion – Akira Hokuto |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| June 15 | Vacant | N/A | |
| September 20 | Devil Masami | N/A | |
| September 20 | Retired | N/A | |
WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship :
| (Title created) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| April 7 | Toshie Uematsu | WCW Main Event | |
| July 19 | Yoshiko Tamura | The Dream & Future ~ 2nd Jr. All Stars | |
| September 20 | Sugar Sato | GAEA Double Destiny | |
WCW World Television Championship :
| Incoming champion – Lord Steven Regal |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 17 | Prince Iaukea | Nitro | |
| April 7 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro | |
| May 18 | Lord Steven Regal | Slamboree | |
| July 22 | Ultimate Dragon | Nitro | |
| August 21 | Alex Wright | Clash of the Champions XXXV | |
| September 22 | Disco Inferno | Nitro | |
| November 3 | Perry Saturn | Nitro | |
| December 8 | Disco Inferno | Nitro | |
| December 29 | Booker T | Nitro | |
WCW World Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 25 | The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) | Souled Out | |
| January 27 | The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) | Nitro | |
| February 23 | Lex Luger and The Giant | SuperBrawl VII | |
| February 24 | The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) | Nitro | |
| October 13 | The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) | Nitro | |

### WWF

WWF World Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – Sycho Sid |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| January 19 | Shawn Michaels | Royal Rumble | |
| February 13 | Vacant | Raw | Forfeited the title due to a knee injury |
| February 16 | Bret Hart | In Your House 13: Final Four | This was a four-way elimination match for the vacant title also involving Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Vader. |
| February 17 | Sycho Sid | Raw | |
| March 23 | The Undertaker | WrestleMania 13 | |
| August 3 | Bret Hart | SummerSlam | Shawn Michaels was the guest referee. |
| November 9 | Shawn Michaels | Survivor Series | Montreal screwjob |
WWF Intercontinental Championship :
| Incoming champion – Hunter Hearst Helmsley |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 13 | Rocky Maivia | Raw | |
| April 28 | Owen Hart | Raw Is War | |
| August 3 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | SummerSlam | |
| September 8 | Vacant | Raw Is War | Vacated due to a neck injury that Stone Cold Steve Austin suffered in winning the title |
| October 5 | Owen Hart | Badd Blood: In Your House | Defeated Faarooq in a tournament final |
| November 9 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | Survivor Series | |
| December 8 | The Rock | Raw Is War | Austin handed the championship belt to The Rock, who was formerly known as Rocky Maivia |
WWF European Championship :
| (Title created) |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| February 26 | The British Bulldog | Raw | Aired on tape delay on March 3. Defeated Owen Hart in a tournament final to become first champion |
| September 20 | Shawn Michaels | WWF One Night Only | |
| December 11 | Triple H | Raw Is War | Aired on tape delay on December 22. |
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship :
| Incoming champion – N/A |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| December 7 | Taka Michinoku | D-Generation X: In Your House | The title was previously defended in Universal Wrestling Association (1981–1995) and Michinoku Pro Wrestling (1995–1997) in a partnership with the WWF, but the title was returned exclusively to the WWF in 1997. Michinoku defeated Brian Christopher in a tournament final to become recognized as the first WWF Light Heavyweight Champion under WWF's banner; they do not recognize any previous champions. |
WWF Tag Team Championship :
| Incoming champions – Owen Hart and the British Bulldog |||||
| Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) |
| May 26 | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels | Raw Is War | |
| July 14 | Vacant | Raw Is War | Vacated after Shawn Michaels got into a backstage fight with Bret Hart. |
| July 14 | Stone Cold Steve Austin and Dude Love | Raw Is War | |
| September 7 | Vacant | Ground Zero: In Your House | Vacated after Stone Cold Steve Austin sustained an injury. |
| September 7 | The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) | Ground Zero: In Your House | Won in four way elimination match involving The Legion of Doom, Owen Hart and the British Bulldog and The Godwinns |
| October 5 | The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I. Godwinn) | Badd Blood: In Your House | |
| October 7 | The Legion of Doom (Animal and Hawk) | Raw Is War | Aired on tape delay on October 13. |
| November 24 | The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg) | Raw Is War | |

## Debuts

* Uncertain debut date
   * Matt Bloom
   * Droz (wrestler)
   * Evan Karagias
   * Michael Cole
   * Justin Gabriel
   * Rene Dupree
   * Billy Boy
   * Lodi
   * Chilly Willy
   * Rob Feinstein
   * Rie Tanabe (SPWF)
* January 26 - Tony Kozina
* February 7 – Ernest Miller
* March 10 – Dennis Rodman
* March 15 – Ron Killings
* April 12 - Naoya Ogawa
* May 7 – Danny Doring
* May 17 – Seiya Morohashi
* May 26 – Kazuki
* June 23 – Bill Goldberg
* July 6 – Shoichi Ichimiya
* July 13 - Chiharu
* August 2
** Don Frye
** Molly Holly
* September 5 - Perseus Jr. (IWA Japan)
* October 26 – Test
* November 21 - Nana Nakahara (All Japan Women's) and Noriko Toyoda (All Japan Women's)
* December 7 – Butterbean
* December 12 - Rikiya Fudo

## Births

* January 5 – Man Like DeReiss
* January 21 – Persia Pirotta
* January 23 – Kouki Amarei
* February 9 – Dan Moloney
* February 13 – Ren Ayabe
* February 28 – Ace Austin
* March 7 – Tyler Bate
* March 22 – Kid Lykos
* April 5 – Dominik Mysterio
* June 1 – Black Warrior Jr. (d. 2022)
* June 5 – Gigi Dolin
* June 9 – Myron Reed
* July 15 – Kohei Kinoshita
* July 21 – Levaniel
* August 2
** Austin Theory
** Mifu Ashida
* August 14 – Minorita
* August 25 – Cole Radrick
* September 3 – Hana Kimura (d. 2020)
* September 6 – Tsukushi Haruka
* September 16 – Yuuri
* October 24 – Bron Breakker
* October 27 – Ishin Iihashi
* December 19 – Kurtis Chapman (d. 2023)

## Retirements

* Águila Solitaria (1978–1997)
* Bull Nakano (1983–1997)
* Denny Brown (1980–1997)
* Jeff Gaylord (1985–1997)
* Jimmy Del Ray (1985–1997)
* Ferrin Barr Jr. (1980–1997)
* Ron Starr (1972-1997)
* Megumi Kudo (August 8, 1986 – April 29, 1997)
* Sivi Afi (1974–1997)
* Mike Sharpe (1973–1997)
* Tony Halme (1989- December 21, 1997)

## Deaths

* January 24 - Dr. Jerry Graham, 68
* February 4 - Ray Apollon, 72
* February 5 – Bulldog Bob Brown, 58
* February 28
** Gorilla Marconi, 79
** Larry Tillman, 88
* March 24 - Dr. Bill Miller, 69
* April 17 - Mitsu Arakawa, 69
* June 19 – Stan Stasiak, 60
* June 30 – Larry O'Dea, 53
* July 24 - Brian Glover, 63
* August 16 – Plum Mariko, 29
* August 18 – Robert Swenson, 40
* August 30 - Dale Lewis (wrestler), 64
* September 10 – Fritz Von Erich, 68
* September 15 – Bulldog Brower, 63
* October 5 – Brian Pillman, 35
* November 12 – Luke Brown, 62
* December 2 - Shirley Crabtree, 67