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2003 in professional wrestling

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2003 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

List of notable promotions

[edit]

These promotions held notable events in 2003.

Promotion Name Abbreviation Notes
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre CMLL
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
Pro Wrestling Iron PWI
Ring of Honor ROH
World Japan Pro Wrestling WJ
World Wrestling All-Stars WWA
World Wrestling Council WWC
World Wrestling Entertainment WWE 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

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January

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
January 4 NJPW Wrestling World Tokyo, Japan Yuji Nagata (c) defeated Josh Barnett in a Singles match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
January 19 WWE:
 Royal Rumble Boston, Massachusetts Brock Lesnar won by last eliminating The Undertaker in a 30-man Royal Rumble match for a world championship match at Wrestlemania XIX[1]
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

February

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
February 8 ROH One Year Anniversary Show Queens, New York Da Hit Squad (Mafia and Monsta Mack), Divine Storm (Chris Divine and Quiet Storm), The S.A.T. (Jose and Joel Maximo) (with Trinity) and Mikey Whipwreck defeated Special K (Angel Dust, Brian XL, Deranged, Dixie, Hydro, Izzy, Jody Fleisch, Slim J, Slugger and Yeyo) in a Handicap Scramble match
February 23 WWE:
 No Way Out Montreal, Quebec The Rock defeated Hulk Hogan in a Singles match[2]
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

March

[edit]
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
March 1 WJ WJ MAGMA01 Tokyo, Japan Riki Choshu defeated Genichiro Tenryu at the first World Japan event
March 16 AAA Rey de Reyes Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico La Parka Jr. defeated Abismo Negro in a 2003 Rey de Reyes tournament final
March 30 WWE:
 WrestleMania XIX Seattle, Washington Brock Lesnar defeated Kurt Angle (c) in a Singles match for the WWE Championship
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

April

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
April 4 CMLL 47. Aniversario de Arena México Mexico City, Mexico Shocker defeated Vampiro Canadiense in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuestas hair vs. hair match
April 27 WWE:
 Backlash Worcester, Massachusetts Goldberg defeated The Rock in a Singles match
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

May

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
May 9 CMLL International Gran Prix Mexico City, Mexico Brazo de Plata, Cien Caras, and Gran Markus Jr. defeated Los Boricuas (Pierroth Jr., Sadam, and Violencia) in a Best two-out-of-three falls six-man tag team match
May 18 WWE:
 Judgment Day Charlotte, North Carolina Brock Lesnar (c) defeated Big Show in a Stretcher match for the WWE Championship
May 25 WWA The Reckoning Auckland, New Zealand Jeff Jarrett (NWA World Heavyweight Champion) defeated Sting (WWA World Heavyweight Champion) in a Title Unification match to unify the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and the WWA World Heavyweight Championship
May 31 N/A Second Annual Big Dick Dudley Memorial Show Franklin Square, New York Raven defeated Balls Mahoney (c) in a Singles match for the USA Pro Heavyweight Championship
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

June

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
June 7 WWE:
 Insurrextion Newcastle, England Triple H (c) (with Ric Flair) defeated Kevin Nash (with Shawn Michaels) in a Street Fight for the World Heavyweight Championship
June 15 AAA Triplemanía XI Naucalpan, Mexico Lizmark, La Parka, Octagón and Super Caló defeated Abismo Negro, Cibernético and The Headhunters (Headhunter A and Headhunter B) by disqualification in a Best two-out-of-three falls eight-man "Atómicos" tag team match
June 15 WWE:
 Bad Blood Houston, Texas Triple H (c) defeated Kevin Nash in a Hell in a Cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship with Mick Foley as special guest referee
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

July

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
July 19 ROH Death Before Dishonor Elizabeth, New Jersey Samoa Joe (c) vs. Paul London for the ROH World Championship
WWC WWC 30th Aniversario Carolina, Puerto Rico Thunder versus Lightning went to a no contest in a Singles match
July 20 WJ WJ MAGMA03 Tokyo Kensuke Sasaki defeats Kenzo Suzuki in a tournament final for the vacant WMG Heavyweight Title
July 27 WWE:
 Vengeance Denver, Colorado Kurt Angle defeated Brock Lesnar (c) and Big Show in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

August

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
August 10–17 NJPW G1 Climax Tokyo Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Jun Akiyama by submission in a G1 Climax tournament final
August 24 WWE:
 SummerSlam Phoenix, Arizona Triple H (c) (with Ric Flair) defeated Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, and Kevin Nash in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship
August 31 AAA Verano de Escándalo-A Monterrey, Mexico La Parka and Latin Lover defeated Cibernético and Héctor Garza in a tag team match
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

September

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
September 16 AAA Verano de Escándalo-B San Luis Potosí, Mexico La Parka, Latin Lover and Máscara Sagrada defeated Cibernético, Héctor Garza and Juventud Guerrera in a Six-man Lucha Libre rules tag team match
September 19 CMLL CMLL 70th Anniversary Show Mexico City, Mexico Shocker defeated Tarzan Boy in a Best two-out-of-three Lucha de Apuestas hair vs. hair match
September 20 ROH Glory By Honor II Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Samoa Joe (c) vs. Christopher Daniels for the ROH World Championship
September 21 WWE:
 Unforgiven Hershey, Pennsylvania Goldberg defeated Triple H (c) in a Title vs. Career match for the World Heavyweight Championship[3]
September 28 AAA Verano de Escándalo-C Guadalajara, Mexico La Parka defeated Cibernético in a Street Fight
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

October

[edit]
Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
October 19 WWE:
 No Mercy Baltimore, Maryland Brock Lesnar (c) defeated The Undertaker in a Biker Chain match for the WWE Championship[4]
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

November

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
November 15 PWI Mike Lockwood Memorial Show Lathrop, California Donovan Morgan, Frank Murdoch and Vinny Massaro (with Patty Lockwood) defeated Hook Bomberry and the Thomaselli Brothers (Vito and Sal Thomaselli) in a Six-man tag team match
November 16 WWE:
 Survivor Series Dallas, Texas Goldberg (c) defeated Triple H (with Ric Flair) in a Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
November 30 AAA Guerra de Titanes Veracruz, Mexico Latin Lover and Michael Shane defeated Mr. Aguila and David Young in a Final tag team match in the Televisa Tag Team Tournament
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

December

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Date Promotion(s) Event Location Main Event
December 5 CMLL Sin Piedad Mexico City, Mexico Universo 2000 defeated Pierroth Jr. in a Best two-out-of-three falls Lucha de Apuesta hair vs. hair match
December 14 WWE:
 Armageddon Orlando, Florida Triple H defeated Goldberg (c) and Kane in a Triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship[5]
December 25 WWE:
 Tribute to the Troops Baghdad, Iraq. John Cena defeated Big Show in a Singles match
December 27 ROH Final Battle Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Prophecy (Christopher Daniels and Dan Maff) vs. The Great Muta and Arashi
(c) – denotes defending champion(s)

Accomplishments and tournaments

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AAA

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Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
Rey de Reyes La Parka Jr. March 16

AJW

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Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
Japan Grand Prix 2003 Amazing Kong August 3
Tag League The Best 2003 Ayako Hamada and Nanae Takahashi December 23

AJPW

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Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
Champion Carnival 2003 Satoshi Kojima March 28
Junior Heavyweight Champion Carnival Carl Malenko April 10
World's Strongest Determination League 2003 Justin Credible and Jamal December 2

Ring of Honor

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Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
Field of Honor Matt Stryker December 27

TNA

[edit]
Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
TNA Hard 10 Tournament The Sandman
TNA Anarchy Alliance Tag Team Tournament America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) June 11
2003 TNA Super X Cup Tournament Chris Sabin September 3

TNA Year End Awards

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Main article: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Year End Awards
Poll Winner(s)
Tag Team of the Year America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm)
Babe of the Year Trinity
Finisher of the Year The Styles Clash
Who To Watch in 2004 Abyss
Memorable Moment of the Year Jeff Jarrett attacks Hulk Hogan in Japan
X Division Star of the Year Matt Bentley
Match of the Year The first ever Ultimate X Match
Mr. TNA A.J. Styles

World Japan

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Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
WJ Strongest Tournament Kensuke Sasaki July 20
WMG Tag Team Title Tournament Genichiro Tenryu and Riki Choshu August 21
WMJ Young Magma Cup Tomohiro Ishii August 13

WWE

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Accomplishment Winner Date won Notes
Royal Rumble Brock Lesnar January 19 Winner received a match for their own brand's world championship at WrestleMania XIX—either Raw's World Heavyweight Championship or SmackDown's WWE Championship. Lesnar from SmackDown last eliminated The Undertaker to win a match for the WWE Championship, which he subsequently won from Kurt Angle.
WWE Championship #1 Contender's Tournament John Cena April 15 Defeated Chris Benoit in the tournament final to win a match for the WWE Championship at Backlash, but was unsuccessful against Brock Lesnar.
WWE United States Championship Tournament Eddie Guerrero July 27 Defeated Chris Benoit in the tournament final to win the reinstated United States Championship, which was previously a World Championship Wrestling title; the title was deactivated in 2001 when it was unified with the Intercontinental Championship at that year's Survivor Series.

Awards and honors

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Pro Wrestling Illustrated

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Main article: List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards
Category Winner
PWI Wrestler of the Year Kurt Angle
PWI Tag Team of the Year The World's Greatest Tag Team
(Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin)
PWI Match of the Year Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (SmackDown!, September 16)
PWI Feud of the Year Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year Kurt Angle
PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year Triple H
PWI Comeback of the Year Kurt Angle
PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year John Cena
PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year Zach Gowen
PWI Rookie of the Year Zach Gowen
PWI Woman of the Year Trish Stratus
PWI Lifetime Achievement Bret Hart

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

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Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame

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Main article: Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
Inductee
Chris Benoit
Earl Caddock
Francisco Flores
Shawn Michaels

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

[edit]
Main article: List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Category Winner
Wrestler of the Year Kenta Kobashi
Most Outstanding Kurt Angle
Feud of the Year Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar
Tag Team of the Year Kenta and Naomichi Marufuji
Most Improved Brock Lesnar
Best on Interviews Chris Jericho

Title changes

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NJPW

[edit]
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Yuji Nagata
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
May 2 Yoshihiro Takayama Ultimate Crush
November 3 Hiroyoshi Tenzan Yokohama Dead Out
December 9 Shinsuke Nakamura Battle Final
IWGP Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Cho-Ten (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
June 13 Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie Crush
December 14 Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Osamu Nishimura Battle Final
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Koji Kanemoto
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
April 23 Tiger Mask Strong Energy
September 23 Vacated N/A
October 13 Jado Ultimate Crush
December 14 Heat Battle Final
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Tsuyoshi Kikuchi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
January 26 Jushin Thunder Liger and Koji Kanemoto The First Navigation
November 4 Vacated N/A
November 29 Gedo and Jado Battle Final

WWE

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  – Raw
  – SmackDown

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.

World Heavyweight Championship
Incoming champion – Triple H
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
September 21 Goldberg Unforgiven Career vs. title match
December 14 Triple H Armageddon Triple threat match, also involving Kane.
WWE Championship
Incoming champion – Kurt Angle
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
March 30 Brock Lesnar WrestleMania XIX
July 27 Kurt Angle Vengeance Triple threat match, also involving Big Show.
September 16
(aired September 18) 		Brock Lesnar SmackDown! 60-minute Iron Man match.
WWE Intercontinental Championship
(Title reactivated)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
May 18 Christian Judgment Day Raw Co-General Manager Stone Cold Steve Austin reactivated the title. Christian won the revived title in a battle royal.
July 7 Booker T Monday Night Raw
August 10 Christian House show
September 29 Rob Van Dam Monday Night Raw Ladder match
October 27 Chris Jericho Monday Night Raw
Rob Van Dam Steel cage match
December 14 Randy Orton Armageddon Mick Foley was the special guest referee.
WWE United States Championship
(Title reactivated)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
July 27 Eddie Guerrero Vengeance Formerly the WCW United States Championship, the title was reactivated as an exclusive title of the SmackDown! brand. Guerrero defeated Chris Benoit in a tournament final for the revived title.
October 19 Big Show No Mercy
WWE Women's Championship
Incoming champion – Victoria
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
March 30 Trish Stratus WrestleMania XIX Triple threat match, also involving Jazz.
April 27 Jazz Backlash
June 30 Gail Kim Monday Night Raw Seven-woman battle royal, also involving Ivory, Jacqueline, Molly Holly, Trish Stratus, and Victoria.
July 28 Molly Holly Monday Night Raw
World Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Booker T and Goldust
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
January 6 William Regal and Lance Storm Monday Night Raw
January 19 The Dudley Boyz
(Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley) 		Royal Rumble
January 20 William Regal and Lance Storm Monday Night Raw
March 24 Vacated Monday Night Raw Vacated due to William Regal getting injured.
Chief Morley and Lance Storm Morley awarded himself and Storm the titles.
March 31 Kane and Rob Van Dam Monday Night Raw Three-way tag team elimination match, also involving The Dudley Boyz.
June 15 La Résistance
(René Duprée and Sylvain Grenier) 		Bad Blood
September 21 The Dudley Boyz
(Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley) 		Unforgiven Handicap tables match in which Robért Conway teamed with La Résistance.
December 14 Evolution
(Batista and Ric Flair) 		Armageddon Tag team turmoil match, also involving Robért Conway and René Duprée, The Hurricane and Rosey, Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade, Val Venis and Lance Storm, and Test and Scott Steiner.
WWE Tag Team Championship
Incoming champions – Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Guerrero Jr.)
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
February 4
(aired February 6) 		Team Angle
(Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) 		SmackDown!
May 18 Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri Judgment Day Ladder match. Los Guerreros had invoked their rematch clause, but Chavo Guerrero Jr. got injured prior to the match. Instead of forfeiting, Tajiri replaced Chavo.
July 1
(aired July 3) 		The World's Greatest Tag Team
(Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas) 		SmackDown! After Benjamin and Haas lost the titles to Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri, they were "fired" from Team Angle. They then became known as The World's Greatest Tag Team.
September 16
(aired September 18) 		Los Guerreros
(Eddie and Chavo Guerrero Jr.) 		SmackDown!
October 21
(aired October 23) 		The Basham Brothers
(Doug and Danny Basham) 		SmackDown!
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Incoming champion – Billy Kidman
Date Winner Event/Show Note(s)
February 23 Matt Hardy No Way Out
June 3
(aired June 5) 		Rey Mysterio SmackDown!
September 23
(aired September 25) 		Tajiri SmackDown!
December 30
(aired January 1, 2004) 		Rey Mysterio SmackDown!

Debuts

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Drew McIntyre
  • Uncertain debut date

Retirements

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Deaths

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Curt Hennig

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2003 in professional wrestling.

References

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  1. ^ "Royal Rumble Event Results". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  2. ^ "WWE No Way Out 2003". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  3. ^ "Unforgiven 2003". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  4. ^ "No Mercy 2003 at Pro Wrestling History". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  5. ^ "Armageddon 2003 results". Pro Wrestling History. Archived from the original on June 23, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
  6. ^ Vance Nevada's Canadian Wrestling Results Archive (Stampede, December 2, 1972)
  7. ^ CLEVETT, Jason (October 24, 2003). "Friends and family celebrate Stu". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer.
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