List of professional wrestling memorial shows
This is a list of professional wrestling memorial shows from the 1980s until the present day. Memorial shows have been historically important in the history of professional wrestling, usually held in memory of a recently deceased wrestler, promoter or other well-known personality, and used to pay tribute to a particular individual's accomplishments and contributions to the industry. The proceeds are generally donated to family members or charitable organizations.
These shows were often held as a form of supercard, a major wrestling event not aired on pay-per-view, and sometimes resulted interpromotional shows. These types of shows were rarely seen in the United States, the earliest being the Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions held in memory of David Von Erich from 1984-88, but have been common in Japan since the late 1980s. In North America, memorial shows are most often held by independent wrestling promotions although mainstream organizations like WWE have occasionally dedicated specific episodes of WWE Raw to then current WWE wrestlers such as Owen Hart (1999), Eddie Guerrero (2005), and Chris Benoit (2007), and All Elite Wrestling on AEW Dynamite to then current AEW wrestler Brodie Lee (2020).
List
1980s
Name | Promotion | Organizer(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mike Marino Memorial Shield | Dale Martin Promotions | Dale Martin | 1981 | |
Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions | World Class Championship Wrestling | Fritz Von Erich | 1984-1988 | [1] |
Johnny Rougeau Memorial Show | 1984 | |||
Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup | Jim Crockett Promotions | Jim Crockett, Jr. | 1986-1988 | [2] |
Eddie Graham Memorial Show | Championship Wrestling from Florida | Hiro Matsuda Duke Keomuka |
1987-1988 | Each show was held under different banners,[3] the second being promoted by Mike Graham and Florida Championship Wrestling.[4] |
Frank Tunney, Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament | World Wrestling Federation | Vince McMahon | 1987 | |
Ikki Kajiwara Memorial Show | Multiple promotions | Giant Baba Antonio Inoki |
1988 | Interpromotional event including All Japan Pro Wrestling, Japan Women's Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling.[5] |
Bruiser Brody Memorial Show | All Japan Pro Wrestling | Giant Baba | 1988 | [6] |
1990s
2000s
Name | Promotion | Organizer(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rikidozan Memorial Show | Multiple promotions | 2000 | Interpromotional event including All Japan Pro Wrestling, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michinoku Pro Wrestling, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, Gaea Japan, UWFi and others.[17] | |
Gary Albright Memorial Show | World Xtreme Wrestling | Afa Anoaʻi | 2000 | [18] |
Mark Curtis Memorial Weekend of Champions | Southern States Wrestling | Beau James | 2000-2003 | [19][20] |
Todd The Bod Memorial Tournament | Canadian Wrestling Federation | Ernie Todd | 2000 | |
Tony Rumble Memorial Show | Century Wrestling Alliance | Knuckles Nelson Jeff Katz |
2000-2007 | |
Robert "Diceman" Hornack Memorial Show | Allied Powers Wrestling Federation | Chris Lash | 2000 | |
Bruiser Brody Memorial | IWA Puerto Rico | Víctor Quiñones | 2000 | First Bruiser Brody memorial show held in Puerto Rico.[21][22] |
Giant Baba Memorial Spectacular | All Japan Pro Wrestling | 2001 | Also served as retirement show for Stan Hansen.[23] | |
Lee Sanders Memorial Tournament | Windy City Pro Wrestling | Sam DeCero | 2001-2010 | |
Terry Gordy Memorial Show | Legends of Pro Wrestling | Linda Marx Keebles | 2001 | [24] |
Manfred Koch Memorial Cup | European Wrestling Promotion | Christian Eckstein Jörg Vespermann |
2001 | |
Yokozuna Memorial Show | World Xtreme Wrestling | Afa Anoaʻi | 2001 | [25] |
Giant Baba Memorial Cup | All Japan Pro Wrestling | Keiji Mutoh | 2002 | [26] |
Russ Haas Memorial Show | Jersey All Pro Wrestling | Frank Iadeavia | 2002 | |
Giant Baba Memorial Six Man Tag Team Tournament | All-Japan Pro Wrestling | Keiji Mutoh | 2002 | [27] |
Big Dick Dudley Memorial Show | USA Pro Wrestling | Frank Goodman | 2002-2003 | [28] |
Russ Haas Memorial Tag Team Tournament | Phoenix Championship Wrestling | Donnie Bucci | 2002 | |
Ted Petty Memorial Inventational Tournament | IWA Mid-South | Ian Rotten | 2002-2008 | [29] |
Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup | Multiple promotions | Howard Brody | 2003- | Interpromotional event including Full Impact Pro, IPW Hardcore and NWA Florida.[30] |
Mike Lockwood Memorial Show | Pro Wrestling Iron | Donovan Morgan | 2003 | [31] |
Johnny Weaver Memorial Tournament | CWF Mid-Atlantic | Jeff Rudd Danny Wenkel |
2004- | The tournament was attended by Johnny Weaver until his death in 2008 and subsequently held as a memorial event by the promotion. |
Fred Ward Memorial Show | Great Championship Wrestling | Jerry Oates | 2004-2009 | [32] |
Mike Lockwood Memorial Tournament | New Breed Wrestling Association | Mike Wallace | 2005 | [33] |
Ray Mendez Memorial Tournament | Pro Wrestling eXpress | Jim Miller | 2005-2006 | |
Chris Candido Memorial J-Cup | National Wrestling Superstars | Joe Panzarino Gino Moore |
2005- | Hosted at the 5th annual J-Cup tournament.[34] |
Mark Curtis Memorial Reunion | Pam Hildebrand-Clark | 2005 | ||
Chris Candido Memorial Show | USA Pro Wrestling | Frank Goodman | 2005-2006 | [35] |
Victor The Bodyguard Memorial Cup | IWA Puerto Rico | Víctor Quiñones | 2005 | |
Bruiser Brody Memorial Cup | World Wrestling Council | Victor Jovica Carlos Colón |
2005-2006 | [36] |
Chris Candido Memorial Tag Team Tournament | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | Jerry Jarrett | 2005 | [37] |
Chri$ Ca$h Memorial Show | Combat Zone Wrestling | John Zandig DJ Hyde |
2005- | |
Raw Is Eddie | World Wrestling Entertainment | Vince McMahon | 2005 | Hosted on the November 14 edition of WWE Raw. |
Jay Youngblood Memorial Tag Team Cup Tournament | Professional Wrestling Federation | 2006-2008 | ||
Great Goliath Memorial Battle Royal | Empire Wrestling Federation | Jesse Hernandez Bill Anderson |
2006- | [38] |
Shinya Hashimoto Memorial Six-Man Tag Team Tournament | HUSTLE | Nobuhiko Takada | 2006 | [39] |
Jose Miguel Perez Memorial Cup | IWA Puerto Rico | Savio Vega Miguel Pérez, Jr. |
2006- | [40] |
Pitbull/Public Enemy Tag Team Memorial Cup | Pro Wrestling Unplugged | Tod Gordon Johnny Kashmere |
2006- | [41] |
Eddie Graham Memorial Battle of the Belts | Full Impact Pro | Sal Hamaoui | 2007, 2009 | [42] |
Steve Ranton Memorial Tournament | Valley Championship Wrestling | 2007 | ||
Chris Candido Cup Tag Team Tournament | IWA Mid-South | Ian Rotten | 2007-2008 | [43] |
Chris Benoit Memorial Show | World Wrestling Entertainment | Vince McMahon | 2007 | Hosted on the June 25 edition of WWE Raw. Due to the circumstances of Benoit’s death, this show is not available as a rerun on the WWE Network. Also, as other countries received the airing later, a highlight show of John Cena’s title wins played in its place.[44] |
Tiger Khan Memorial Show | Total Mayhem Pro Wrestling | Evan Ginzburg | 2007 | [45] |
Antonio Peña Memorial Show | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración | Dorian Roldan | 2007- | [46] |
Sensational Sherri Memorial Cup Tournament | Association de Lutte Féminine | Kim Leduc | 2007-2008 | [47] |
Dewey Robertson Memorial Tournament | Stranglehold Wrestling | Bill Skullion | 2007 | |
Devil Bhudakahn Memorial Show | Turnbuckle Entertainment | Bobby Williams | 2008, 2010 | [48] |
Shinya Hashimoto Memorial Legacy Cup Tournament | Pro Wrestling Zero1 | Yoshiyuki Nakamura Steve Corino |
2008- | [49] |
Danno O'Mahony Memorial Show | Irish Whip Wrestling | 2008- | ||
Sean "Shocker" Evans Memorial Tournament | Pro Wrestling eXpress | Jim Miller | 2008- | |
Dynamite D Memorial Show | Santino Brothers Wrestling | Joey Kaos Jezabel Romo Robby Phoenix Rico Dynamite Famous B |
2009- | |
Kerry Brown Memorial Tournament | Steeltown Pro Wrestling | Rob Stardom | 2010-2012 | |
Walter "Killer" Kowalski Memorial Show | Multiple promotions | Richard Byrne | 2008 | Interpromotional event including Big Time Wrestling and the United States Wrestling Federation.[50] |
Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial Show | Pro Wrestling Noah | Akira Taue | 2009 | [51] |
Dennis Coralluzzo Invitational | NWA New Jersey | Ricky Otazu | 2009 | Coralluzzo was posthumously inducted into the NWA Hall of Fame.[52] |
2010s
Name | Promotion | Organizer(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Marie Ewaschuk Memorial Show | Real Canadian Wrestling | Steve Ewaschuk | 2010- | |
Acid-Fest: A Tribute to Trent Acid | Combat Zone Wrestling | DJ Hyde | 2010-2011 | Organized to both eulogize late independent professional wrestler Trent Acid, and to help pay for the funeral costs of said wrestler. |
Dick Murdoch Memorial Tag Team Cup | Multiple promotions | 2010 | Interpromotional event including NWA Southwest and the Professional Wrestling Federation. | |
A Nightmare To Remember | LN Promotions | Terry Lawler | 2011-2012 | |
Joe Williams Memorial Trophy | World Association of Wrestling | Ricky Knight | 2011 | |
El Bandito Memorial Tournament | Britannia Wrestling Promotions | Steve Saxon | 2011- | |
Brain Damage Memorial Show | Combat Zone Wrestling | DJ Hyde | 2012 | |
Samuel J. Thompson Memorial Tournament | Resistance Pro Wrestling | Billy Corgan | 2013-2014 | |
Brad Armstrong Memorial Cup | Armstrong family | 2013 | ||
Brad Armstrong Memorial Show | Knoxville Wrestling Promotions | Armstrong family | 2013-2014 | |
Nagaharu Imai Memorial Show | Multiple promotions | 2013 | Interpromotional event including Big Japan Pro Wrestling, Ice Ribbon, JWP Joshi Puroresu, Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling, OZ Academy, Pro-Wrestling Diana, Pro Wrestling Wave Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling and STARDOM. | |
Roland Alexander Memorial Show | All Pro Wrestling | Markus Mac | 2013 | |
Rikidozan's Death 50th Anniversary Memorial Show | Multiple promotions | 2013 | Interpromotional event including All Japan Pro Wrestling, Big Japan Pro Wrestling and others. | |
Jumbo Tsuruta Memorial Show | Pro Wrestling NOAH | Akira Taue | 2014 | |
Ryan Buckley Memorial Tournament | Proving Ground Pro | 2015 | ||
Takeshi Onaga Memorial Show: BJW Eternal Dream | Big Japan Pro Wrestling | Eiji Tosaka | 2015 |
2020s
Name | Promotion | Organizer(s) | Years active | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brodie Lee Celebration of Life | All Elite Wrestling | Tony Khan | 2020 | Hosted on the December 30 edition of AEW Dynamite. |
References
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