2004 in professional wrestling
Appearance
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2004 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.
List of notable promotions
These promotions held notable shows in 2004.
Promotion Name | Abbreviation | Notes |
---|---|---|
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | CMLL | |
Georgia Championship Wrestling | GCW | |
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 | |
Ring of Honor | ROH | |
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | TNA | |
World Wrestling Council | WWC | |
World Wrestling Entertainment | WWE | The WWE divided its roster into two storyline divisions, Raw and SmackDown!, referred to as brands, where wrestlers exclusively performed on their respective weekly television programs. |
Calendar of notable shows
January
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 | NJPW | Wrestling World | Tokyo, Japan | |
25 | WWE: |
Royal Rumble | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
February
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 | ROH | Second Anniversary Show | Braintree, Massachusetts | |
15 | WWE: |
No Way Out | Daly City, California | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
March
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 | WWE: |
WrestleMania XX | New York City, New York | |
21 | AAA | Rey de Reyes | Naucalpan, Mexico | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
April
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
18 | WWE: |
Backlash | Edmonton, Alberta | |
30 | CMLL | 48. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
May
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 | WWE: |
Judgment Day | Los Angeles, California | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
June
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
13 | WWE: |
Bad Blood | Columbus, Ohio | |
20 | AAA | Triplemanía XII | Naucalpan, Mexico | |
27 | WWE: |
The Great American Bash | Norfolk, Virginia | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
July
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
11 | WWE: |
Vengeance | Hartford, Connecticut | |
23 | ROH | Death Before Dishonor 2 | Wauwatosa, Wisconsin | |
24 | ROH | Chicago Ridge, Illinois | ||
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
August
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
7-15 | NJPW | G1 Climax | Tokyo | |
10 | GCW | First Annual Fred Ward Memorial Show | Columbus, Georgia | |
15 | WWE: |
SummerSlam | Toronto, Ontario | |
21 | WWC | WWC 31st Aniversario | Caguas, Puerto Rico | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
September
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
11 | ROH | Glory By Honor 3 | Elizabeth, New Jersey | |
12 | WWE: |
Unforgiven | Portland, Oregon | |
17 | CMLL | CMLL 71st Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
October
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 | WWE: |
No Mercy | East Rutherford, New Jersey | |
16 | AAA | Verano de Escándalo | Orizaba, Mexico | |
19 | WWE: |
Taboo Tuesday | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
November
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | TNA | Victory Road | Orlando, Florida | TNA's first monthly three-hour PPV event. | |
14 | WWE: |
Survivor Series | Cleveland, Ohio | ||
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
December
Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
5 | AAA | Guerra de Titanes | Naucalpan, Mexico | |
5 | TNA | Turning Point | Orlando, Florida | |
12 | WWE: |
Armageddon | Duluth, Georgia | |
17 | CMLL | Sin Piedad | Mexico City, Mexico | |
23 | WWE: |
Tribute to the Troops | Tirikt, Iraq | |
26 | ROH | Final Battle | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
(c) – denotes defending champion(s) |
Accomplishments and tournaments
AAA
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Rey de Reyes | Jeff Jarrett | March 21 |
Ring of Honor
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
ROH Pure Wrestling Championship Tournament | A.J. Styles | February 2 | |
ROH Pure Championship Tournament | Doug Williams | July 17 |
TNA
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
NWA World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender Tournament | Jeff Hardy | October 12 | |
NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament | Kid Kash and Dallas | March 31 | |
2004 TNA World X Cup Tournament | Team TNA | May 26 | |
2004 TNA America's X Cup Tournament | Team TNA |
TNA Year End Awards
Poll | Winner(s) |
---|---|
Tag Team of the Year | America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) |
Babe of the Year | Traci Brooks |
Finisher of the Year | The Canadian Destroyer |
Who To Watch in 2005 | Héctor Garza |
Memorable Moment of the Year | Primetime walks the Six Sides of Steel at Turning Point |
X Division Star of the Year | A.J. Styles |
Match of the Year | Six Sides of Steel Match: Triple X vs. America's Most Wanted at Turning Point |
Mr. TNA | A.J. Styles |
WWE
Accomplishment | Winner | Date won | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Royal Rumble | Chris Benoit | January 25 | Last eliminated Big Show to win Chris Benoit won the Royal Rumble match as a SmackDown! wrestler, but switched to the Raw brand to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX. |
WWE Hall of Fame
Awards and honors
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
Inductee |
---|
The Undertaker |
Bob Backlund |
Masahiro Chono |
Tarzán López |
Kazushi Sakuraba |
Último Dragón |
Kurt Angle |
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Title changes
NJPW
Incoming champion – Shinsuke Nakamura | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 5 | Vacated | N/A | ||
February 15 | Hiroyoshi Tenzan | Fighting Spirit | ||
March 12 | Kensuke Sasaki | Hyper Battle | ||
March 28 | Bob Sapp | King of Sports | ||
June 2 | Vacated | N/A | ||
June 5 | Kazuyuki Fujita | The Crush II | ||
October 9 | Kensuke Sasaki | Pro Wrestlers Be Strongest | ||
December 12 | Hiroyoshi Tenzan | Battle Final |
Incoming champions – Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 1 | Minoru Suzuki and Yoshihiro Takayama | Fighting Spirit | ||
November 21 | Vacated | N/A | ||
December 11 | Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura | Battle Final |
Incoming champion – Heat | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
No title changes |
Incoming champions – Gedo and Jado | ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 12 | American Dragon and Curry Man | Hyper Battle | ||
June 5 | Gedo and Jado | Best of the Super Jr. XI |
WWE
Raw and SmackDown each had a world championship, a secondary championship, and a tag team championship for male wrestlers. SmackDown also had a title for their cruiserweight wrestlers. There was only one women's championship and it was exclusive to Raw.
Incoming champion – Triple H
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 14 | Chris Benoit | WrestleMania XX | Triple threat match, also involving Shawn Michaels. | |
August 15 | Randy Orton | SummerSlam | ||
September 12 | Triple H | Unforgiven | ||
December 6 | Vacated | Monday Night Raw | The championship was vacated after a double fall occurred in a triple threat match, also involving Chris Benoit and Edge. |
Incoming champion – Brock Lesnar
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 15 | Eddie Guerrero | No Way Out | ||
June 27 | John "Bradshaw" Layfield | The Great American Bash | Texas Bullrope match |
Incoming champion – Randy Orton
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
July 11 | Edge | Vengeance | ||
September 6 | Vacated | Monday Night Raw | Vacated due to injury. | |
September 12 | Chris Jericho | Unforgiven | Defeated Christian in a ladder match for the vacant title. | |
October 19 | Shelton Benjamin | Taboo Tuesday | Due to the stipulation of the event, fans could vote for who would face Chris Jericho for the title; Benjamin had the most votes. |
Incoming champion – Big Show
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 14 | John Cena | WrestleMania XX | ||
July 6 (aired July 8) |
Vacated | SmackDown! | John Cena was stripped of the title after attacking SmackDown! General Manager Kurt Angle. | |
July 27 (aired July 29) |
Booker T | SmackDown! | Eight-way elimination match for the vacant title, also involving John Cena, René Duprée, Kenzo Suzuki, Rob Van Dam, Billy Gunn, Charlie Haas, and Luther Reigns. | |
October 3 | John Cena | No Mercy | Fifth match of a Best of Five series. | |
October 5 (aired October 7) |
Carlito Caribbean Cool | SmackDown! | ||
November 16 (aired November 18) |
John Cena | SmackDown! |
Incoming champion – Molly Holly
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 23 | Victoria | Monday Night Raw | Fatal four-way elimination match, also involving Jazz and Lita. Victoria pinned Lita to win the championship. | |
June 13 | Trish Stratus | Bad Blood | Fatal four-way match, also involving Lita and Gail Kim. Stratus pinned Lita to win the championship. | |
December 6 | Lita | Monday Night Raw |
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 16 | Booker T and Rob Van Dam | Monday Night Raw | ||
March 22 | Evolution (Batista and Ric Flair) |
Monday Night Raw | ||
April 19 | Chris Benoit and Edge | Monday Night Raw | ||
May 31 | La Résistance (Robért Conway and Sylvain Grenier) |
Monday Night Raw | ||
October 19 | Chris Benoit and Edge | Taboo Tuesday | Benoit and Edge were voted into this match as a result of neither winning the World Heavyweight Championship voting. Benoit won the title himself after Edge abandoned him midway through the match. | |
November 1 | La Résistance (Robért Conway and Sylvain Grenier) |
Monday Night Raw | ||
November 15 | Eugene and William Regal | Monday Night Raw | Three-way elimination match, also involving Rhyno and Tajiri. |
Incoming champions – The Basham Brothers (Doug and Danny Basham)
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 3 (aired February 5) |
Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty | SmackDown! | ||
April 20 (aired April 22) |
Charlie Haas and Rico | SmackDown! | ||
June 15 (aired June 17) |
The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley) |
SmackDown! | ||
July 6 (aired July 8) |
Billy Kidman and Paul London | SmackDown! | ||
September 7 (aired September 9) |
Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée | SmackDown! | ||
December 7 (aired December 9) |
Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam | SmackDown! |
Incoming champion – Rey Mysterio
| ||||
Date | Winner | Event/Show | Note(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 15 | Chavo Guerrero | No Way Out | ||
May 4 (aired May 6) |
Jacqueline | SmackDown! | Only woman under the WWE banner to win the title. | |
May 16 | Chavo Guerrero | Judgment Day | Guerrero won the title with one hand tied behind his back, though his father Chavo Classic untied it during the match. | |
May 18 (aired May 20) |
Chavo Classic | SmackDown! | Triple threat match, also involving Spike Dudley. | |
June 15 (aired June 17) |
Rey Mysterio | SmackDown! | ||
July 27 (aired July 29) |
Spike Dudley | SmackDown! | ||
December 12 | Funaki | Armageddon |
Debuts
- Uncertain debut date
- March 27 - Adrian Neville
- June - Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley
- August 24 - Matt Jackson
- August 24 - Nick Jackson
- August 29 - Kazuchika Okada
- November 15 - Candice Michelle
- November 18 - Michelle McCool
Retirements
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Moolah20010402.jpg/120px-Moolah20010402.jpg)
- Ángel Acevedo (1973-2004)
- The Fabulous Moolah (1949–2004)
- Timothy Well (1987–2004)
- Carmella DeCesare (2004)
- Shaniqua (2002–2004)
- Terri Runnels (1990 – March 2004)
- Sable (1996 – August 10, 2004)
Deaths
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Big_Boss_Man_cropped.png/120px-Big_Boss_Man_cropped.png)
- January 24 – Jack Tunney, 69
- March 6 – Ray Fernandez, 47
- June 1 – James Dudley, 94
- September 22 – Big Boss Man, 41
- September 26 – Marianna Komlos, 35