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 NameAbbreviationNotesCatch Wrestling AssociationCWACMLLECWFrontier Martial-Arts WrestlingFMWLucha Libre AAA WorldwideAAAThe "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-WrestlingNJPWWorld Championship WrestlingWCWWorld Wrestling CouncilWWCWWF
Calendar of notable shows January DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventJanuary 4 NJPWWrestling WorldTokyo, JapanShinya Hashimoto (c) defeated Riki Choshu in a Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight ChampionshipJanuary 11 ECWHouse PartyPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesPitbull #1 defeated Shane Douglas (c) by count out in a Singles match for the ECW World Television ChampionshipJanuary 19 WWFRoyal RumbleSan Antonio, Texas, United StatesShawn Michaels defeated Sycho Sid (c) in a Singles match for the WWF ChampionshipJanuary 21WCWClash of the Champions XXXIVMilwaukee, Wisconsin, United StatesLex Luger defeated Scott Hall by disqualification in a Singles matchJanuary 25 WCW:Souled OutCedar Rapids, Iowa, United StatesHollywood Hogan (nWo) (c) fought The Giant (WCW) to a no contest in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight ChampionshipJanuary 31 ECWWinter BlowoutLake Grove, New York, United StatesThe Sandman and Tommy Dreamer defeated Raven and Stevie Richards in a tag team match(c) – denotes defending champion(s)
February DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventFebruary 1 ECWCrossing the Line AgainPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesThe 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 matchFebruary 16 WWFIn Your House 13: Final FourChattanooga, Tennessee, United StatesBret Hart defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vader and The Undertaker in a Four Corners elimination match for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight ChampionshipFebruary 21 AAARey de ReyesCiudad Madero, Tamaulipas, MexicoLatin Lover defeated Heavy Metal, Héctor Garza and Octagón in a 1997 Rey de Reyes finalFebruary 21-February 22 ECWCyberSlamQueens, New York/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesFebruary 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 ChampionshipFebruary 22: Sabu defeated Chris Candido in a Singles matchFebruary 23 WCWSuperBrawl VIIDaly City, California, United StatesHollywood Hogan (c) defeated Roddy Piper in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight ChampionshipFebruary 28 ECW Mountain Top Madness Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, United States Sabu defeated Chris Candido in a Singles match(c) – denotes defending champion(s)
March DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventMarch 15 ECWHostile City ShowdownPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesRaven (c) defeated Stevie Richards and Tommy Dreamer by pinfall in a Three way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipMarch 16 WCWUncensoredNorth Charleston, South Carolina, United StatesTeam 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 matchMarch 21 CMLLHomenaje a Salvador LutterothMexico City, MexicoSilver King defeated La Fiera in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas, Hair vs. Hair matchMarch 23 WWFWrestleMania 13Rosemont, Illinois, United StatesThe Undertaker defeated Sycho Sid (c) in a No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship(c) – denotes defending champion(s)
April DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventApril 4 CMLLInternational Gran PrixMexico City, MexicoSteele defeated Rayo de Jalisco Jr. in a 1997 International Gran Prix final matchApril 6 WCWSpring StampedeTupelo, Mississippi, United StatesDiamond Dallas Page defeated Randy Savage in a No Disqualification matchApril 12 N/A Second Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial ShowCherry Hill, New Jersey, United StatesGoldust defeated Derrick Domino in a Singles matchApril 13 ECWBarely LegalPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesTerry Funk defeated Raven (c) in a Singles match for the ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipApril 18 CMLL41. Aniversario de Arena MéxicoMexico City, MexicoSteele defeated Rayo de Jalisco Jr. (c) in a Best two-out-of-three falls match for the CMLL World Heavyweight ChampionshipApril 20 WWFIn Your House 14: Revenge of the 'TakerRochester, New York, United StatesStone Cold Steve Austin defeated Bret Hart by disqualification in a Singles match to determine the #1 contender to the WWF ChampionshipApril 29 FMWFMW 8th Anniversary ShowYokohama, JapanMegumi 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 DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventMay 8 FMWJapanese SurvivalTokyo, JapanHido, The Great Nita and WING Kanemura vs. Fuyuki-gun (Gedo, Jado and Kodo Fuyuki)May 10 ECWChapter 2Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesTerry Funk (c) defeated Raven, The Sandman, and Stevie Richards by pinfall in a Four way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipMay 11 WWFIn Your House 15: A Cold Day in HellRichmond, Virginia, United StatesThe Undertaker (c) defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin in a Singles match for the WWF ChampionshipMay 17 ECWThe Buffalo InvasionBuffalo, New York, United StatesTerry Funk (c) defeated Raven, the Sandman, and Stevie Richards by pinfall in a Four way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipMay 18 WCWSlamboreeCharlotte, North Carolina, United StatesRic 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 DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventJune 6 N/A Second Annual Ilio DiPaolo Memorial ShowBuffalo, New York, United StatesThe Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) (c) defeated Lex Luger and The Giant in a tag team match for the WCW World Tag Team ChampionshipJune 7 ECWWrestlepaloozaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesThe 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 ChampionshipJune 8 WWFKing of the RingProvidence, Rhode Island, United StatesThe Undertaker (c) defeated Faarooq in a Singles match for the WWF ChampionshipJune 13 AAATriplemanía V-ATijuana, Baja California, MexicoPerro Aguayo, Tinieblas Jr. and Canek defeated Jake Roberts, Killer, and Gorgeous George III in a six-man "Lucha Libre rules" tag team matchJune 15 AAATriplemanía V-BNaucalpan, MexicoPerro Aguayo, Octagón, Cibernético and Canek defeated Jake Roberts, Gorgeous George III, El Cobarde Jr. and Fuerza Guerrera in an eight-man "Atómicos" tag team matchJune 15 WCWThe Great American BashMoline, Illinois, United StatesRandy Savage defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a Falls Count Anywhere matchJune 28 ECWOrgy of ViolencePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesRob Van Dam and Sabu defeated the Sandman and Tommy Dreamer by pinfall in a tag team match(c) – denotes defending champion(s)
July DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain Event July 5 CWA Euro Catch Festival Graz, Austria Rambo (c) defeated Duke Droese in a Singles match for the CWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipJuly 6 WWFIn Your House 16: Canadian StampedeCalgary, Alberta, CanadaThe 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 matchJuly 13 WCWBash at the BeachDaytona Beach, Florida, United StatesLex Luger and The Giant defeated Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman by submission in a tag team matchJuly 19 ECWHeat WavePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesJerry 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 DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventAugust 2 FMWShiodome LegendTokyo, JapanW*ING Kanemura defeated Masato Tanaka in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch for the right to face Atsushi Onita at Fall SpectacularAugust 3 WWFSummerSlamEast Rutherford, New Jersey, United StatesBret Hart defeated The Undertaker (c) in a Singles match for the WWF Championship with Shawn Michaels as special guest refereeAugust 9 ECWBorn to be WiredPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesSabu defeated Terry Funk (c) by pinfall in a Barbed wire match for the ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipAugust 9 WCWRoad WildSturgis, South Dakota, United StatesHollywood Hogan defeated Lex Luger (c) in a Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight ChampionshipAugust 15 WWCWWC 24th AniversarioBayamón, Puerto RicoRay Gonzales (WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion) defeated Tom Brandi in a Singles matchAugust 17 ECWHardcore HeavenFort Lauderdale, Florida, United StatesShane Douglas defeated Sabu (c) and Terry Funk in a Three-way dance for the ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipAugust 21WCWClash of the Champions XXXVNashville, Tennessee, United StatesScott Hall and Randy Savage (c) defeated Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger in a tag team match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship(c) – denotes defending champion(s)
September DatePromotion(s)EventLocationMain EventSeptember 7 WWFGround Zero: In Your HouseLouisville, Kentucky, United StatesShawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ended in a no contest in a Singles matchSeptember 11 ECWWrestleFest: 50 Years of FunkAmarillo, Texas, United StatesBret Hart defeated Terry Funk in a No Disqualification matchSeptember 14AAAVerano de EscándaloTonalá, Jalisco, MexicoPerro 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 WCWFall BrawlWinston-Salem, North Carolina, United StatesThe nWo (Buff Bagwell, Kevin Nash, Syxx and Konnan) defeated The Four Horsemen (Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael, Ric Flair and Curt Hennig) in a WarGames matchSeptember 19CMLLCMLL 64th Anniversary ShowMexico City, MexicoHijo del Santo defeated Negro Casas in a Lucha de Apuestas mask vs. hair matchSeptember 20 ECWAs Good as It GetsPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesThe 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 ChampionshipSeptember 20 WWFWWF One Night OnlyBirmingham, England, United KingdomShawn Michaels defeated The British Bulldog (c) in a Singles match for the WWF European ChampionshipSeptember 28 FMWFall SpectacularKawasaki, Kanagawa, JapanAtsushi Onita defeated W*ING Kanemura in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Steel Cage Time Bomb Death Match(c) – denotes defending champion(s)
October