1998 in professional wrestling

1998 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

List of years in professional wrestling

List of notable promotions

These promotions held notable shows in 1998.

Promotion Name Abbreviation Notes
All Japan Pro Wrestling AJPW
Catch Wrestling Association CWA
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre CMLL
Extreme Championship Wrestling ECW
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling FMW
International Wrestling Revolution Group IWRG
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 Final Power Hall in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan Kensuke Sasaki (c) vs. Keiji Mutoh in a singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship[1]
January 10 ECW House Party Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States The Sandman vs. Sabu in a Stairway to Hell match[2]
January 18 WWF Royal Rumble San Jose, California, United States Shawn Michaels (c) vs. The Undertaker in a Casket match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship[3]
January 24 WCW Souled Out Trotwood, Ohio, United States Lex Luger vs. Randy Savage[4]
January 31 ECW Hostile City Showdown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Rob Van Dam and Sabu vs. The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) vs. The Gangstanators (John Kronus and New Jack) vs. The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer in a Four-Way Dance

February
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
February 15 WWF No Way Out of Texas: In Your House Houston, Texas, United States Cactus Jack, Chainsaw Charlie, Owen Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg), Savio Vega and Triple H in a Non-sanctioned eight-man tag team match[5]
February 21 ECW Cyberslam Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Shane Douglas and Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Rob Van Dam and Sabu in a tag team match[6][7]
February 22 WCW SuperBrawl VIII San Francisco, California, United States Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan in a singles match for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship
February 28 NWA Third Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Show Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Doug and Tommy Gilbert vs. Buddy Landell and Dory Funk Jr. in a tag team match[8]

March
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
March 1 AAA Rey de Reyes Naucalpan, Mexico
March 1 ECW Living Dangerously Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States
March 15 WCW Uncensored Mobile, Alabama, United States
March 20 CMLL Homenaje a Salvador Lutteroth Mexico City, Mexico
March 29 WWF WrestleMania XIV Boston, Massachusetts, United States

April
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
April 4 WWF Mayhem in Manchester Manchester, England, United Kingdom
April 19 WCW Spring Stampede Denver, Colorado, United States
April 24 CMLL 42. Aniversario de Arena México Mexico City, Mexico
April 26 WWF Unforgiven: In Your House Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
April 29 N/A First Annual Brian Pillman Memorial Show Norwood, Ohio, United States
April 30 FMW FMW 9th Anniversary Show Tokyo, Japan

May
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
May 1 AJPW AJPW 25th Anniversary Tokyo, Japan [9]
May 3 ECW Wrestlepalooza Marietta, Georgia, United States
May 14 ECW It Ain't Seinfeld Queens, New York, United States
May 16 ECW A Matter of Respect Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
May 17 WCW Slamboree Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
May 19 FMW Neo 1998: Day 1 Tokyo, Japan
May 31 WWF Over the Edge: In Your House Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States [10]

June
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
June 7 AAA Triplemanía VI Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico
June 11 N/A Third Annual Ilio DiPaolo Memorial Show Buffalo, New York, United States
June 14 WCW The Great American Bash Baltimore, Maryland, United States
June 19 FMW King of Fight 1998: Day 2 Tokyo, Japan
June 28 WWF King of the Ring Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States [11]

July
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
July 10 FMW King of Fight II 1998: Day 2 Tokyo, Japan
July 12 WCW Bash at the Beach San Diego, California, United States [12]
July 18 CMLL Ruleta de la Muerte Mexico City, Mexico
July 26 WWF Fully Loaded: In Your House Fresno, California, United States

August
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
August 1 WWC WWC 25th Aniversario San Juan, Puerto Rico
August 2 ECW Heat Wave Dayton, Ohio, United States
August 8 WCW Road Wild Sturgis, South Dakota, United States [13]
August 11 FMW Atsushi Onita Presents Liar, Liar Tokyo, Japan
August 13 N/A Second Annual Plum Mariko Memorial Show Tokyo, Japan
August 14 CMLL International Gran Prix Mexico City, Mexico
August 22 FMW Welcome to the Darkside Tokyo, Japan
August 30 WWF SummerSlam New York City, New York, United States

September
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
September 13 WCW Fall Brawl Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
September 18 AAA Verano de Escándalo Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico
September 18 CMLL CMLL 65th Anniversary Show Mexico City, Mexico
September 19 ECW UltraClash Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
September 27 WWF Breakdown: In Your House Hamilton, Ontario, Canada [14]

October
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
October 6 FMW Flashover 1998: Day 10 Tokyo, Japan
October 18 WWF Judgment Day: In Your House Rosemont, Illinois, United States [15]
October 25 WCW Halloween Havoc Paradise, Nevada, United States

November
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
November 1 ECW November to Remember New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
November 15 WWF Survivor Series St. Louis, Missouri, United States [16]
November 20 FMW Scramble Survivor 1998: Day 6 Yokohama, Japan
November 22 WCW World War 3 Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States

December
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
December 6 WWF WWF Capital Carnage London, England, United Kingdom
December 12 ECW
FMW		 ECW/FMW Supershow I Tokyo, Japan
December 13 ECW
FMW		 ECW/FMW Supershow II Tokyo, Japan
December 13 AAA Guerra de Titanes Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico
December 13 WWF Rock Bottom: In Your House Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
December 19 CWA Euro Catch Festival Bremen, Germany
December 20 IWRG Arena Naucalpan 21st Anniversary Show Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico [17]
December 27 WCW Starrcade Washington, D.C., United States

Accomplishments and tournaments

AAA
Tournaments Winner Date won Notes
Rey de Reyes Perro Aguayo March 1

AJPW
Tournaments Winner Date won Notes
Asunaro Tag League Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori January 23
Champion Carnival Mitsuharu Misawa April 18
World Junior Heavyweight Title League Yoshinari Ogawa July 19
Real World Tag League Jun Akiyama & Kenta Kobashi December 5

NJPW
Tournaments Winner Date won Notes
Final Inoki Tournament Don Frye April 4
Best of the Super Juniors V Koji Kanemoto June 3
IWGP Tag Team Title Tournament Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Masahiro Chono June 5
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title League Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa August 8 This tournament was to crown the inaugural IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions
G1 Climax 8 Shinya Hashimoto August 2
WCW World Tag Title Contenders League Kensuke Sasaki & Yuji Nagata September 21 Sasaki & Nagata never actually received their title shot
Super Grade Tag League VIII Keiji Muto & Satoshi Kojima December 6


WCW
Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
World War 3 Kevin Nash November 22

WWF
Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
Royal Rumble Stone Cold Steve Austin January 18
King of the Ring Ken Shamrock June 28
WWF Brawl for All Bart Gunn August 24 This was a shoot fighting tournament, rather than traditional wrestling matches
WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament Ken Shamrock October 12
Deadly Games WWF Championship Tournament The Rock November 15

Awards and honors

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Main article: List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards
Category Winner
PWI Wrestler of the Year Stone Cold Steve Austin
PWI Tag Team of the Year The New Age Outlaws
(Road Dogg and Billy Gunn)
PWI Match of the Year The Undertaker vs. Mankind (King of the Ring)
PWI Feud of the Year Vince McMahon vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year Stone Cold Steve Austin
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year Hollywood Hogan
PWI Comeback of the Year X-Pac
PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year Booker T
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year Goldberg
PWI Rookie of the Year Bill Goldberg
PWI Lifetime Achievement Bobo Brazil
PWI Editor's Award Paul Bearer

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
Main article: Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
Inductee
Dos Caras

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Main article: List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Category Winner
Wrestler of the Year Stone Cold Steve Austin
Most Outstanding Koji Kanemoto
Best Box Office Draw Stone Cold Steve Austin
Feud of the Year Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon
Tag Team of the Year Shinjiro Otani and Tatsuhito Takaiwa
Most Improved The Rock
Best on Interviews Stone Cold Steve Austin

Title changes

ECW
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Shane Douglas
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
No title changes
ECW FTW Heavyweight Championship
(Title created)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
May 14 Taz It Ain't Seinfeld Taz introduced the championship during a storyline.
December 19 Sabu Hardcore TV #296
ECW World Television Championship
Incoming champion – Taz
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
March 1 Bam Bam Bigelow Living Dangerously
April 4 Rob Van Dam Hardcore TV #259
ECW World Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Chris Candido and Lance Storm
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
June 27 Rob Van Dam and Sabu Hardcore TV #271
October 24 The Dudley Boyz
(Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley)		 Hardcore TV #288
November 1 Balls Mahoney and Masato Tanaka November to Remember
November 6 The Dudley Boyz
(Buh Buh Ray and D-Von Dudley)		 Hardcore TV #290
December 13 Sabu and Rob Van Dam ECW/FMW Supershow II

FMW
FMW Double Championship
Incoming champion – Masato Tanaka
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
January 6 Mr. Gannosuke New Year Generation Tour
April 30 Hayabusa 9th Anniversary Show
November 20 Kodo Fuyuki Scramble Survivor Tour
FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – ZEN/Team No Respect (Mr. Gannosuke and Yukihiro Kanemura)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
March 29 Team No Respect
(Kodo Fuyuki and Hido)		 Winning Road tour
April 17 Hayabusa and Masato Tanaka Fuyuki Army
May 27 Team No Respect
(Kodo Fuyuki and Yukihiro Kanemura)		 Neo FMW
October 26 Hayabusa and Daisuke Ikeda Fuyuki Army
FMW World Street Fight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka and Hisakatsu Oya
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
January 16 Team No Respect
(Mr. Gannosuke, Yukihiro Kanemura and Jado)		 FMW
February 13 ZEN
(Atsushi Onita, Koji Nakagawa and Tetsuhiro Kuroda)		 FMW
May 5 Team No Respect
(Kodo Fuyuki, Yukihiro Kanemura and Hido)		 Neo FMW tour
June 1 Vacant Neo FMW Tour
June 1 Team No Respect
(Atsushi Onita, Tetsuhiro Kuroda and Hido)		 Neo FMW tour
November 20 Vacant N/A

NJPW
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Kensuke Sasaki
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 4 Tatsumi Fujinami Antonio Inoki Retirement Show
August 8 Masahiro Chono Rising the Next Generation in Osaka Dome
September 21 Vacant N/A
September 23 Scott Norton Big Wednesday
IWGP Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 21 Vacant N/A
June 5 Cho-Ten
(Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono)		 Live event
July 15 Genichiro Tenryu and Shiro Koshinaka Summer Struggle 1998
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Shinjiro Otani
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
February 7 Jushin Thunder Liger Live event
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
(Title created)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
August 8 Shinjiro Otani and Tatsuhito Takaiwa Rising the Next Generations in Osaka Dome

WCW
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Sting
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
January 8 Vacant Thunder vacated due to the controversial ending from Starrcade 1997
February 22 Sting SuperBrawl VIII
April 19 Randy Savage Spring Stampede This was a No disqualification match
April 20 Hollywood Hogan Nitro
July 6 Goldberg Nitro
December 27 Kevin Nash Starrcade
WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Incoming champion – Ultimate Dragon
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
January 8 Juventud Guerrera Thunder
January 15 Rey Misterio, Jr. Thunder
January 24 Chris Jericho Souled Out
May 17 Dean Malenko Slamboree Malenko won a battle royal earlier in the night, wearing a mask as Ciclope, to earn a title shot
June 11 Vacant Thunder Vacated due to Malenko not winning the title shot as himself
June 14 Chris Jericho The Great American Bash
August 8 Juventud Guerrera Road Wild Dean Malenko was the special guest referee
September 14 Billy Kidman Nitro
November 16 Juventud Guerrera Nitro
November 22 Billy Kidman World War 3
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Diamond Dallas Page
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 19 Raven Spring Stampede
April 20 Goldberg Nitro
July 6 Vacant Nitro Vacated due to Goldberg winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
July 20 Bret Hart Nitro
August 10 Lex Luger Nitro
August 11 Bret Hart Thunder Aired on tape delay on August 13.
October 26 Diamond Dallas Page Nitro
November 30 Bret Hart Nitro
WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship
Incoming champion – Sugar Sato
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 3 Retired GAEA Full Bloom
WCW World Television Championship
Incoming champion – Booker T
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
February 16 Rick Martel Nitro
February 22 Booker T SuperBrawl VIII
April 30 Chris Benoit House show
May 1 Booker T House show
May 2 Chris Benoit House show
May 3 Booker T House show
May 4 Fit Finlay Nitro
June 14 Booker T The Great American Bash
July 14 Stevie Ray House show
August 10 Chris Jericho Nitro
November 30 Konnan Nitro
December 28 Scott Steiner Nitro
WCW World Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
January 12 The Outsiders
(Kevin Nash and Scott Hall)		 Nitro
February 9 The Steiner Brothers
(Rick and Scott Steiner)		 Nitro
February 22 The Outsiders
(Kevin Nash and Scott Hall)		 SuperBrawl VIII
May 17 Sting and The Giant Slamboree
June 2 Vacant Thunder Aired on tape delay on June 4. Vacated due to Sting joining the NWO Wolfpac.
June 14 Sting and Kevin Nash The Great American Bash
July 20 Scott Hall and The Giant Nitro
October 25 Rick Steiner and Kenny Kaos Halloween Havoc

WWF
WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Shawn Michaels
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
March 29 Stone Cold Steve Austin WrestleMania XIV Mike Tyson was the special outside enforcer.
June 28 Kane King of the Ring This was a First Blood match
June 29 Stone Cold Steve Austin Raw Is War The title was renamed to WWF Championship
September 27 Vacant Breakdown: In Your House This was a triple threat match also involving The Undertaker and Kane
November 15 The Rock Survivor Series Defeated Mankind in a tournament final
December 29 Mankind Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on January 4.
WWF Intercontinental Championship
Incoming champion – The Rock
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
August 30 Triple H SummerSlam This was a ladder match
October 9 Vacant N/A Vacated due to injury.
October 12 Ken Shamrock Raw Is War Defeated X-Pac in a tournament final
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Taka Michinoku
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
October 18 Christian Judgment Day: In Your House
November 17 Gillberg Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on November 23.
WWF Women's Championship
(Title reactivated)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
September 15 Jacqueline Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on September 21.
November 15 Sable Survivor Series Shane McMahon was the special guest referee
WWF European Championship
Incoming champion – Triple H
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
January 20 Owen Hart Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on January 26.
March 16 Triple H Raw Is War
July 14 D'Lo Brown Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on July 20.
September 15 X-Pac Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on September 21.
September 29 D'Lo Brown Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on October 5.
October 18 X-Pac Judgment Day: In Your House
WWF Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
March 29 Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie WrestleMania XIV
March 30 The New Age Outlaws
(Billy Gunn and Road Dogg)		 Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on April 6.
July 13 Kane and Mankind Raw Is War
July 26 Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker Fully Loaded: In Your House
August 10 Kane and Mankind Raw Is War This was a four-way match also involving The New Age Outlaws and D'Lo Brown & The Rock.
August 30 The New Age Outlaws
(Billy Gunn and Road Dogg)		 SummerSlam
December 14 The Corporation
(Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock)		 Raw Is War
WWF Hardcore Championship
(Title created)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
November 2 Mankind Raw Is War Mankind was awarded the title by Vince McMahon
November 30 Big Boss Man Raw Is War This was a ladder march
December 15 Road Dogg Raw Is War Aired on tape delay on December 21.

Debuts

Retirements

Deaths

See also

References
  1. "Power Hall in Tokyo Dome". ProWrestlingHistory.com. January 4, 1998. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  2. "The SmarK Retro Rant For ECW House Party 98". 411Mania. May 11, 2002. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  3. "Royal Rumble 1998 Results". WWE. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  4. Hoops, Brian (January 24, 2020). "Pro wrestling history (01/24): WWF Royal Rumble 1999". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  5. "No Way Out of Texas Results". WWE. Retrieved 2008-07-12.
  6. Note that this was an internet pay-per-view event (iPPV)
  7. "ECW Cyberslam 1998 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  8. "3rd Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawl". National Wrestling Alliance Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawls. ProWrestlingHistory.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  9. https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=41069
  10. "In Your House Results". TWNP. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  11. "King of the Ring". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  12. "Bash at the Beach 1998". Pro Wrestling History. July 12, 1998. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  13. "Road Wild 1998". Pro Wrestling History. August 8, 1998. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  14. "Breakdown drawing 17,405". prowrestlinghistory. Retrieved 2008-12-23.
  15. "Judgment Day". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  16. "WWE Survivor Series: Key facts and figures from event's history". Sky Sports. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  17. "1998 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 9, 1999. pp. 2–28. issue 2348.
  18. Drason Burzynski, Dave. "Bobo Brazil". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on January 4, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  19. "Power Slam". This Month in History: February. SW Publishing. January 1999. p. 28. 55.
  20. "Sky Low Low". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
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