1985 in professional wrestling#Awards and honors
{{Short description|Professional wrestling-related events during the year of 1985}}
{{Year nav topic5|1985|professional wrestling}}
1985 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.
List of notable promotions
These promotions held notable events in 1985.
| class="wikitable" |
| Promotion Name
!Abbreviation |
|---|
| All Japan Pro Wrestling
|align=center|AJPW |
| All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling
|align=center|AJW |
| American Wrestling Association
|align=center|AWA |
| {{nowrap|Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre}}
|align=center|EMLL |
| Florida Championship Wrestling
|align=center|FCW |
| Lutte Internationale
|align=center|Lutte |
| National Wrestling Alliance
|align=center|NWA |
| New Japan Pro-Wrestling
|align=center|NJPW |
| Pacific Northwest Wrestling
|align=center|PNW |
| {{nowrap|World Class Championship Wrestling}}
|align=center|WCCW |
| World Wrestling Council
|align=center|WWC |
| {{nowrap|World Wrestling Federation}}
|align=center|WWF |
Calendar of notable shows
Tournaments and accomplishments
=AJW=
| class="wikitable"
!Accomplishment !Winner !Date won !Notes |
| Japan Grand Prix 1985
|Lioness Asuka |June 25 | |
| Rookie of the Year Decision Tournament
|Akemi Sakamoto | | |
| Tag League the Best 1985
|Bull Nakano and Dump Matsumoto |October 10 | |
= JCP =
| class="wikitable"
!Accomplishment !Winner !Date won !Notes |
| Bunkhouse Stampede
|Dusty Rhodes{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/misctny.html#bunk|title=Bunkhouse Stampedes|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|access-date=June 17, 2015}} |December 28 | |
= WWF =
| class="wikitable"
!Accomplishment !Winner !Date won !Notes |
| King of the Ring
|July 8 | |
| The Wrestling Classic
|November 7 | |
Awards and honors
- All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
- AJW Rookie of the Year: Akira Hokuto
=Pro Wrestling Illustrated=
{{main|List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards}}
=Wrestling Observer Newsletter=
{{main|List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards}}
| class="wikitable"
!Category !Winner |
| Wrestler of the Year |
| Feud of the Year
|Ted DiBiase vs. Jim Duggan |
| Tag Team of the Year |
| Most Improved |
| Best on Interviews |
Title changes
=WWF=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF World Heavyweight Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|Incoming champion – Hulk Hogan}} |
| width="14%" |Date
! width="14%" |Winner ! width="14%" |Event/Show ! width="58%" |Note(s) |
|---|
| colspan="4" |No title changes |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF Intercontinental Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|Incoming champion – Greg Valentine}} |
| width="14%" |Date
! width="14%" |Winner ! width="14%" |Event/Show ! width="58%" |Note(s) |
|---|
| July 6
|align=left|It was a steel cage match |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|Incoming champion – Antonio Inoki}} |
| width="14%" |Date
! width="14%" |Winner ! width="14%" |Event/Show ! width="58%" |Note(s) |
|---|
| colspan="4" |No title changes |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|Incoming champion – The Cobra}} |
| width="14%" |Date
! width="14%" |Winner ! width="14%" |Event/Show ! width="58%" |Note(s) |
|---|
| May 20
|align=left| |
| July 28
|align=left| |
| October 31
|Abandoned |N/A |align=left| |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF International Heavyweight Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|Incoming champion – Tatsumi Fujinami}} |
| width="14%" |Date
! width="14%" |Winner ! width="14%" |Event/Show ! width="58%" |Note(s) |
|---|
| July 19
|Vacant |N/A |align=left| |
| October 31
|Vacant |N/A |align=left| |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF International Tag Team Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|(Title reactivated)}} |
| width="14%" |Date
! width="14%" |Winner ! width="14%" |Event/Show ! width="58%" |Note(s) |
|---|
| May 24
|Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura |align=left| |
| October 31
|Deactivated |N/A |align=left| |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF Canadian Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|(Title created)}} |
| width="14%" |Date
! width="14%" |Winner ! width="14%" |Event/Show ! width="58%" |Note(s) |
|---|
| August 18
|align=left| |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF Women's Tag Team Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|Incoming champions – Velvet McIntyre and Desiree Petersen}} |
| width="14%" |Date
! width="14%" |Winner ! width="14%" |Event/Show ! width="58%" |Note(s) |
|---|
| August 1
|The Glamour Girls |align=left| |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF Women's Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |{{center|Incoming champion – Wendi Richter}} |
| width=14%|Date
!width=14%|Winner !width=14%|Event/Show !width=58%|Note(s) |
|---|
| February 18
|align=left| |
| March 31
|align=left| |
| November 25
|The Masked Spider Lady (Fabulous Moolah) |Live event |align=left| |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" |{{center|WWF Tag Team Championship}} |
| colspan="5" |Incoming champions – The North-South Connection {{small|(Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch)}} |
| width=14%|Date
!width=14%|Winner !width=14%|Event/Show !width=58%|Note(s) |
|---|
| January 21
|The U.S. Express |align=left| |
| March 31
|The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff |align=left| |
| June 17
|The U.S. Express |align=left|It aired on tape delay on July 13. |
| August 24
|The Dream Team |align=left| |
Spinoff media
- Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n Wrestling premiered on CBS.
- Mutharamkunnu P.O., directed by Sibi Malayil and starring Mukesh and Lizy, is released. The film is noted for the special appearance of Indian actor-wrestler Dara Singh as himself.
- British wrestler "Mr. TV" Jackie Pallo's autobiography "You Grunt, I'll Groan" is published.
- Welsh wrestler-promoter Orig Williams's autobiography "Cario'r Ddraig: Stori El Bandito" is published.
- The Wrestling Album is released by the World Wrestling Federation. It is the first album released by the WWF and featuring mostly theme music of wrestlers on the roster at the time.
Births
- January 13 – Luke Robinson
- January 17 – Sage Beckett
- January 18 – Mark Briscoe
- January 27 – Yuji Hino
- February 3 – Angela Fong
- February 20 – Killian Dain
- February 26 – Pentagón Jr.
- March 5 – Martin Casaus
- March 13 – Matt Jackson
- March 20 - Matt Taven
- March 24 – Lana
- April 10 – Yūki Ōno
- April 20 – Curt Hawkins{{cite web|title=Brian Myers|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/b/curt-hawkins/|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|access-date=October 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920124949/http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/b/curt-hawkins/|archive-date=2016-09-20|url-status=dead}}
- April 29 – Jay Lethal
- May 8 – Tommaso Ciampa{{Cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/t/tommaso-ciampa/|title=Tommaso Ciampa – Online World of Wrestling ("Birthday: May 8, 1985")|website=www.onlineworldofwrestling.com|access-date=2016-08-10|archive-date=2017-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819015916/http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/t/tommaso-ciampa/|url-status=dead}}
- May 14 – Zack Ryder
- May 16 – Mike Kanellis{{cite web |url= http://www.wickedlocal.com/kingston/features/x861587730/Carver-native-signs-with-Ring-of-Honor-wrestling |title= Carver native signs with Ring of Honor wrestling; Mike Bennett gets his big break |date= September 10, 2010 |last= Wolcott |first=David |access-date= May 15, 2011 |publisher= Wicked Local Kingston}}
- May 19 – Aleister Black{{cite web|url=http://www.wxw-wrestling.com/pages/wrestler/kader.php?item=34|title=Kader|work=wXw – more than Wrestling|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319014625/http://www.wxw-wrestling.com/pages/wrestler/kader.php?item=34|archive-date=March 19, 2016}}
- May 24 – The Great Naga
- May 25 – Roman Reigns{{cite web|url=http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/anoai_joe00.html|title=Joe Anoai|access-date=April 28, 2014|publisher=Georgia Institute of Technology|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009071310/http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/anoai_joe00.html|archive-date=October 9, 2014}}
- June 6 – Drew McIntyre
- June 30 – Cody Rhodes
- July 2 – Jessie Belle Smothers
- July 16 – Q. T. Marshall
- July 22 – Akira Tozawa{{cite web|url=http://www.gaora.co.jp/dragongate/data/prfl/tozawa.html|title=戸澤陽|access-date=2016-08-27|work=Dragon Gate|publisher=Gaora|language=ja}}{{cite web|url=http://www.noah.co.jp/profile036.php|title=Mikey Nicholls|access-date=2014-03-28|work=Pro Wrestling Noah|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624102001/http://www.noah.co.jp/profile036.php|archive-date=2013-06-24|url-status=dead}}
- August 2 – Davey Boy Smith Jr.
- August 6 – Tony Nese{{cite web|url=http://www.gerweck.net/2011/10/28/anthony-nese/|title=Anthony Nese|publisher=Gerweck.net|access-date=2016-12-23}}
- August 7 – Jamin Olivencia
- August 12 – Fallah Bahh
- August 14 – Jaysin Strife (died in 2022)
- August 20 – Mikey Nicholls{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=3775|title=Mikey Nicholls|access-date=2014-04-06|work=Cagematch}}
- August 22 – Jimmy Uso{{cite web|title=The Uso Brothers – Online World of Wrestling|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/u/uso-brothers.html|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|access-date=July 9, 2011}}
- August 22 – Jey Uso
- August 26 – Ayumu Gunji
- September 7 – Tristan Archer
- September 19 – Renee Young
- September 24 – Shane Haste{{cite web|url=http://www.noah.co.jp/profile037.php|title=Shane Haste|access-date=2014-03-28|work=Pro Wrestling Noah|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304210423/http://www.noah.co.jp/profile037.php|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}}
- September 24 – Sanga
- September 29 – Candice LeRae
- October 12 – Amy Zidian
- October 18 - Atsushi Kotoge
- November 25 – Yuki Sato
- December 7 – Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley
- December 14 – Katsuya Kitamura (died in 2022)
- December 16 – Psycho Clown
- December 21 – Oney Lorcan{{cite web |url= http://www.wwe.com/superstars/oney-lorcan |title=Oney Lorcan | WWE.com |work=wwe.com |year=2016 |access-date=August 3, 2016}}
- December 28 – Taryn Terrell
Debuts
- Uncertain debut date
:*Virgil
:*Histeria
- January 22 - Nick Kiniski
- March 3 - Masakatsu Funaki
- April 29 - Miguel Pérez Jr.
- May 16 - Drill Nakamae (All Japan Women's)
- May 27 - Mitsuko Nishiwaki (All Japan Women's)
- June 5 - Yumiko Hotta and Kyoko Aso (All Japan Women's)
- June 6 - Grizzly Iwamoto (All Japan Women's)
- June 12 - Akira Hokuto and Suzuka Minami (All Japan Women's)
- June 14 - Fumie Kanzaki (All Japan Women's) and Sayuri Nakajima (All Japan Women's)
- July 8 - Yoji Anjo
- July 23 - Yasuko Ishiguro (All Japan Women's)
- July 25 - Rie Okabyashi (All Japan Women's) and Akemi Sakamoto (All Japan Women's)
- July 30 - Miss Elizabeth
- August 28 - Kahoru Kage (All Japan Women's)
- August 30 - Scorpio Jr.
- October 31 - Lex Luger
- November 22 Chris Benoit
- November 28
- Sting
- The Ultimate Warrior
- Hollywood
- Lisa Moretti
Retirements
- Jack Brisco (1965-1985)
- Gerald Brisco (1967-1985) (Returned to wrestling in 1998 and retired 2000)
- Cora Combs (1945–1985)
- George Scott (1948–1985)
- Gil Hayes (1966–1985)
- Chief Jay Strongbow (1955–1985)
- Larry Hennig (1956–1985)
- Wally Karbo (1935–1985)
- Buzz Tyler (1977–1985)
- Pat Patterson (1959-1985) (Returned to wrestling in 1998 and retired 2000)
Deaths
- January 12 - Paul Luty, British wrestler (b. 1932)
- January 21 – Eddie Graham, American wrestler and Championship Wrestling from Florida promoter (b. 1930)
- March 6:
- Wild Bull Curry, American wrestler (b. 1913)
- Bholu Pahalwan, Indian wrestler (b. 1930)
- April 19 - Chabela Romero (b. 1946)
- September 3 – Jay Youngblood, American wrestler (b. 1955)
- September 18 – Ed Don George, American wrestler and promoter (b. 1905)
- November 1 – Rick McGraw, American WWF wrestler (b. 1955)
- December 24:
- Pierre "Mad Dog" Lefebvre, Canadian wrestler (b. 1955)
- Tarzan Tyler, Canadian wrestler and manager (b. 1927)
- Adrien Debois, Canadian wrestling referee (b. 1950)
External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}