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This is a list of various things that took place in 1979.

Significant events[]

January

February

  • The WWWF North American Championship is created, with Ted DiBiase its inaugural champion

April

July

August

September

  • The WWF Intercontinental Championship title is created, with Pat Patterson named its first champion. A kayfabe story for many years explained that Patterson had either defeated the WWF South American Champion in a unification match or entered and won an eight-man tournament, both in Rio Di Janerio; in reality, this was simply the renaming of the WWF's North American Championship, which Patterson won earlier in 1979 from Ted DiBiase
  • Pacific Northwest Wrestling program Portland Wrestling, which had aired live on Portland station KPTV since its return to that station in February 1967, switches to airing on a tape-delayed basis on Saturday nights at 11 p.m.

November

  • Hulk Hogan makes his debut with the WWF, competing as a heel and managed by Freddie Blassie
  • 13 - A storyline involving the Grand Wizard "selling" the contract of his protégé, WWF Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson, to Captain Lou Albano begins playing out during a television taping for WWF Championship Wrestling at Allentown, Pennsylvania; the segments later aired throughout December. The end result - Patterson objecting to the deal because he never was consulted, calling Albano a morally corrupt, ugly, fat, stinking bum, firing The Grand Wizard and becoming a face as a result - makes Patterson the first wrestler to turn (here, from heel to face) while holding a major singles championship in the WWF (In 1989, some 9-1/2 years later, WWF Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage would become the second to turn while holding a major singles championship, turning from face to heel to begin feuding with Hulk Hogan)

December

  • Starting with the 1979 year-end issue, Victory Sports, publisher of Sports Review Wrestling, moves its fan-voted year-end awards to Pro Wrestling Illustrated, where they remain to this day.

Births[]

February

March

April

May

August

October

November

December

Deaths[]

June

Debuts[]

Events[]

Title changes[]

January

February

March

  • 3 – Ron Starr wins the vacant San Francisco version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship by defeating Roddy Piper in San Francisco, California
  • 12 – Igor Volkoff and The Mongol win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Salvatore Martino and Joe Ventura (subbing for Bill Cody) in Vancouver
  • 29 – Salvatore Martino wins the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship from Gene Kiniski

April

May

  • 11 – Buddy Rose wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Ron Starr in San Francisco
  • 13 - Wahoo McDaniel wins the NWA American title from The Spoiler in Houston, Texas
  • 14 – Jean Louie wins the NWA Pacific Coast title from Salvatore Martino in Vancouver

June

July

  • Chris Colt and Bobby Jaggers win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Bobby Bass and Joe Ventura
  • 23 – Yaki Joe wins the NWA Pacific Coast title from Jean Louie in Vancouver

August

  • The NWA Tri-State North American Championship is renamed the Mid-South North American Championship
  • 5 - El Halcon wins the NWA American title from The Spoiler in Dallas, Texas
  • 8 – Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan win the NWA World Tag Team title from Baron Von Raschke and Paul Jones in Greensboro; Flair vacates his NWA Mid-Atlantic United States title with the World Tag Team title win
  • 21 – Dusty Rhodes wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Harley Race in Tampa, Florida
  • 22 – Baron Von Raschke and Paul Jones regain the NWA World Tag Team title from Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan in Raleigh, North Carolina
  • 26 – Harley Race regains the NWA World title from Dusty Rhodes in Orlando, Florida

September

  • Pat Patterson is awarded the WWF Intercontinental Championship (WWF claims that he won the title in a tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to become the first champion)
  • Bobby Bass and Yaki Joe win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Chris Colt and Bobby Jaggers
  • 1 – Jimmy Snuka wins the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic United States title in a tournament final over Rick Steamboat in Charlotte, North Carolina
  • 5 – Mike George wins the Mid-South North American title from Mr. Wrestling II in Shreveport, Louisiana
  • 24 – Seigfried Steinke wins the NWA Pacific Coast title from Yaki Joe in Victoria, British Columbia

October

  • 7 - The Spoiler regains the NWA American title from El Halcon in Dallas
  • 23 – Bob Sweetan wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Ron Starr in San Francisco
  • 24 – Rick Steamboat and Jay Youngblood win the NWA World Tag Team title from Baron Von Raschke and Paul Jones in Raleigh
  • 31 – Giant Baba wins the NWA World title from Harley Race in Nagoya, Japan

November

  • 7 – Harley Race regains the NWA World title from Giant Baba in Amagasaki, Japan
  • 12 – Chris Colt and Buddy Rose win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Bobby Bass and The Texas Outlaw (subbing for Yaki Joe) in Vancouver
  • 16 – Buddy Rose wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Stan Stasiak in Portland
  • 30 – Antonio Inoki wins the WWF Heavyweight Championship from Bob Backlund in Tokushima, Japan (WWE, which claims that Backlund reigned uninterrupted from February 20, 1978 to December 26, 1983, does not recognize this title change); Bruiser Brody wins the NWA American title from The Spoiler in Houston

December

  • Stan Stasiak and Dutch Savage win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Chris Colt and Buddy Rose
  • 4 – Bill Watts wins the Mid-South North American title from Mike George in Shreveport
  • 6 – Bob Backlund regains the WWF title from Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, but the title is held up due to the interference of Tiger Jeet Singh (WWE does not recognize this title change); The Mid-South North American title is returned to Mike George
  • 17 – Bob Backlund wins the vacant WWF title by defeating Bobby Duncum in New York City (WWE does not recognize this title change)
  • 29 – George Wells wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Bob Sweetan in San Francisco

See also[]

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