1971

This is a list of various things that took place in 1971.
==Significant events==
No dates/undetermined
*The World Wide Wrestling Federation rejoins the National Wrestling Alliance
:*The Mongols (Geto and Bepo), the reigning WWWF International Tag Team Champions, leave the promotion early in the year and take their belts with them to the WWWF-affiliated Studio Wrestling promotion in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Late summer or early fall
* Ray Morgan quits as play-by-play announcer for the WWWF's television programs shortly before a television taping, following a pay dispute with WWWF owner Vince McMahon Sr. Needing an announcer on-the-spot, the elder McMahon turns to his 25-year-old son, Vince Jr. -- he had promoted several events beforehand, but was looking for a bigger role in the company -- to handle commentary. A natural behind the mike (he had clearly studied the successful styles of veteran announcers, including Morgan), Vince Jr. made a successful debut and would be the primary voice of the WWWF (and later, WWF) for the next 26 years (until shortly after the Montreal Screwjob)
May
*1 - Grand Prix Wrestling, founded by Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon, holds its first card at the Centre Sportif Léonard-Grondin in the Montreal suburb of Granby, Quebec. Édouard Carpentier defeats Mad Dog Vachon by disqualification in the main event while Yvon Robert Jr. defeats The Destroyer as part of the undercard. Grand Prix would quickly become a major competitor to Johnny Rougeau's All-Star Wrestling for the attention of Quebec wrestling fans in a rivalry comparable to the Monday Night Wars between the WWF and WCW in the 1990s
September
*25 - Heavyweight Wrestling, the WWWF's original syndicated program, airs for the final time
October
*2 - WWWF All-Star Wrestling debuts in syndication as a replacement for Heavyweight Wrestling
==Births==
January
*1 - Josseline
*5 - Monje Negro Jr.
*7 - Chris Wright (Emit, North Carolina)
February
*8 - The Big Show (Aiken, South Carolina)
*10 - Lisa Marie Varon (San Bernadino, California)
*10 - Louie Spicolli
*14 - Tommy Dreamer (Yonkers, New York)
*22 - Super Caló
*23 - Hikari Fukuoka (Akita, Japan)
March
*2 - Manami Toyota
*5 - American Chippendale
*6 - Sean Morley (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)
*10 - Debbie Malenko
*17 - Cocolores
*24 - Christopher Daniels
April
*4 - John Zandig (Sewell, New Jersey)
*5 - Estrella de Fuego
*18 - Miki Handa
*21 - Axl Rotten (Baltimore, Maryland)
May
*12 - Doug Basham (Louisville, Kentucky)
*19 - Nicho el Millionario
*22 - Halloween
*31 - Marcela
June
*4 - Rockero Tri
*12 - Mark Henry (Sisby, Texas)
*15 - Chuck Palumbo
*16 - Super Yens
July
*1 - Abismo Negro
*7 - Antifaz
*7 - Chi Chi
*14 - Bully Ray (Massapequa, New York)
*21 - Shinjiro Ohtani
August
*21 - Junji Tanaka
*25 - Green Ghost
September
*12 - Nishimura
*12 - Shocker
*24 - April Hunter
October
*8 - Al Katrazz (Vista, California)
*9 - Stevie Richards (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
*19 - Sweet Saraya (Cornwall, England)
*20 - Kaoru Ito
*21 - Rey Apóstol
*22 - Adam Flash (York Pennsylvania)
*22 - Andrew Anderson (Ridgefield, New Jersey)
*28 - Axxel
December
*12 - Kumo
*24 - Oro
*28 - John Saxon
*30 - Bobby Lee Jr.
==Deaths==
June
*17 - Alberto Torres 37 (Internal injuries)
July
*23 - Hercules Cortez (Car accident)
==Debuts==
*Afa Anoa'i
*Gran Hamada
January
*1 - El Hijo Del Gladiador
May
*9 - Tatsumi Fujinami
*30 - Tigro
June
*21 - Kendo Nagasaki
July
*6 - Gerry Morrow
*15 - Relámpago Ramírez
August
*20 - Tinieblas
September
*16 - El Signo
October
*1 - Mano Negra
*23 - La Parca
December
*13 - Asesino Negro (70s)
==Events==
August
*27 - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Supershow
==Title changes==
January
*18 – Ivan Koloff wins the WWWF Heavyweight Championship from Bruno Sammartino in New York City
February
*8 – Pedro Morales wins the WWWF title from Ivan Koloff in New York City
*15 – John Quinn and Dutch Savage win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship from Don Leo Jonathan and Steven Little Bear in Vancouver, British Columbia
*22 – Fritz Von Erich wins the NWA American Heavyweight Championship from Toru Tanaka in Fort Worth, Texas
*23 – Toru Tanaka regains the NWA American title from Fritz Von Erich in Dallas, Texas
March
*5 – Wahoo McDaniel wins the NWA American title from Toru Tanaka in Houston, Texas
*15 – Dean Higuchi and Steven Little Bear win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from John Quinn and Dutch Savage in Vancouver
*27 – Stan Stasiak wins the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship from Dutch Savage in Portland, Oregon
April
*12 - Jos LeDuc wins the All-Star Wrestling International Heavyweight Championship from Johnny Rougeau in Montreal, Quebec
May
*1 – Kurt Von Steiger wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Stan Stasiak in Portland
*15 – Red Bastien and Hercules Cortez win the AWA World Tag Team Championship from Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
June
*Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler are awarded the WWWF Tag Team Championship as the first titleholders (they are claimed to have beaten Dick the Bruiser and The Sheik in a fictitious tournament final in New Orleans, Louisiana); Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon are recognized as the first Grand Prix Tag Team Champions
*1 - The Hollywood Blonds (Dale Roberts & Jerry Brown) win the Grand Prix Tag Team title from Mad Dog & Butcher Vachon in Montreal (the Vachons regain the title from the Hollywood Blonds later in the year)
*14 – The Skull Brothers win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Dean Higuchi and Steven Little Bear in Vancouver
*18 – Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci win the WWWF International Tag Team Championship from The Mongols in Pittsburgh
*21 - Mr. X (later unmasked as Tarzan Zorra) wins the ASW International title from Jos Leduc in Montreal
July
*2 – The Mongols regain the WWWF International Tag Team title from Bruno Sammartino and Dominic Denucci in Pittsburgh
*5 – Dean Higuchi and Steven Little Bear regain the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from The Skull Brothers in Vancouver
*15 - Danny Miller wins the NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Championship from the Missouri Mauler in Greensboro, North Carolina
*19 – Steven Little Bear wins the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship from Gene Kiniski in Vancouver
*31 – Jonathan Boyd wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Kurt Von Steiger
August
*Red Bastien chooses The Crusher as his new AWA World Tag Team Championship partner after Hercules Cortez is killed in a car accident near St. Cloud, Minnesota on July 23
*30 - Abdullah the Butcher wins the ASW International title from Tarzan Zorra in Montreal
September
*20 – Larry Hamilton regains the NWA Eastern States title from Danny Miller in Charlotte, North Carolina; "Bulldog" Bob Brown wins the NWA Pacific Coast title from Steven Little Bear in Vancouver
October
*11 – "Bulldog" Bob Brown and Gene Kiniski win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Dean Higuchi and Steven Little Bear in Vancouver
*24 – Dutch Savage wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Jonathan Boyd
November
*Édouard Carpentier is recognized as the first Grand Prix Heavyweight Champion
*12 – Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler win the WWWF International Tag Team title from The Mongols in a title vs. title match in Pittsburgh (Graham and Tyler were also the reigning WWWF Tag Team Champions)
*28 – Jonathan Boyd regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Dutch Savage
*29 – Mark Lewin and Steven Little Bear win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from "Bulldog" Bob Brown and Gene Kiniski in Vancouver
*30 - Jack Brisco wins the NWA Eastern States title from Larry Hamilton in High Point, North Carolina
December
*11 – The Spoiler wins the NWA American title from Wahoo McDaniel in San Antonio, Texas
*27 - Carlos Rocha wins the ASW International title from Abdullah the Butcher in Montreal
*28 – Dutch Savage regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Jonathan Boyd in Portland
==See also==
Category:Wrestling Years