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This is a list of various things that took place in 1990.

Significant events[]

Unknown date

February

April

  • Billy Jack Haynes turns heel on a broadcast of Portland Wrestling during a six-man match pitting him, Rip and Larry Oliver against The Grappler, The Equalizer and Brian Adams, as the result of a misunderstanding between Haynes and the Olivers.[1] Following the match, Haynes cuts an intense promo against the fans of Portland, his hometown, blaming them for the failure of his fitness gym and a rival promotion he had owned, the Oregon Wrestling Federation, by not supporting either business
  • 1 - In the main event of WrestleMania VI, the Ultimate Warrior pins Hulk Hogan to win the WWF Heavyweight Championship; within the confines of the WWF, it is Hogan's first clear and clean pinfall loss since his return in 1983 (and one of less than five he'd have during all of his combined stints in the WWF, dating to 1979). Also during the event, André the Giant turns face after he and Haku (as part of the Colossal Connection) lose the WWF Tag Team Championship to Demolition, and manager Bobby Heenan, blaming André for the loss, slaps André; André retaliates by slapping Heenan and then stopping Haku's attempted sneak attack. André's match marks the last time he will compete as an active wrestler in a North American wrestling ring for any organization, as his physical health was continuing to decline
  • 13 - All Japan, New Japan and the WWF present a joint supercard at the Tokyo Dome. Among the top matches, Hulk Hogan beats Stan Hansen and Genichiro Tenryu defeats Randy Savage

May

  • 14 - Tiger Mask II unmasks during an All Japan tag team match in Tokyo, revealing his identity as Mitsuharu Misawa after six years of competing as the second incarnation of Tiger Mask
  • 15 - To take time off to heal from legit injuries and film the movie Suburban Commando, Hulk Hogan makes his last arena appearance for three months. The absence is explained by placing Earthquake in a feud with Hogan, set up with an Earthquake sneak attack on "The Brother Love Show," resulting in massive injuries. On television, announcers explained that the resulting injuries, along with his recent loss to the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI, caused Hogan to seriously consider retirement
  • 26 - The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling airs its final episode. Daisy defeats GLOW Champion Cheyenne Cher to win the title in the main event

June

  • 8 - Mitsuharu Misawa defeats Jumbo Tsuruta in an upset at an All Japan event at Budokan Hall in Tokyo

July

  • Paul Jones and Frank Dusek purchase the NAWA and rename it and its syndicated TV show as South Atlantic Pro Wrestling
  • 4 - Brutus Beefcake suffers near-fatal facial injuries in a freak accident in Lutz, Florida when a parasailer crashes knees-first into Beefcake's face after the parasailer's driver mistakenly takes a cue to take off. Beefcake later undergoes surgery to reconstruct his face, with eight steel plates, 40 screws and over 100 staples inserted into his head to allow every bone in his face to heal. As a result of the injuries, Beefcake's in-ring career is put on hold for nearly three years. Beefcake's injury is announced on the WWF's syndicated programs, a rare break of kayfabe at the time (as he was one of the WWF's most popular and prolific stars of the time, and that on television his match with Curt Hennig at SummerSlam for the WWF Intercontinental Championship was being heavily hyped)

August

  • Jesse Ventura departs the WWF.
  • Sgt. Slaughter returns to the WWF after a six-year absence, and is repackaged in a radically different role from his usual pro-America, patriotic character - that as a traitor heel, supportive of Iraq as part of the Untied States-led Operation: Desert Shield (later, Operation: Desert Storm) and efforts to remove Saddam Hussien from power. Slaughter's gimmick made him wrestling's most hated individuals, as many of his promos would praise Iraqi forces while completely denouncing America, and was one of the most controversial gimmicks in professional wrestling to that time

September

  • Tully Blanchard announces his retirement as an active wrestler to become a minister
  • 1 - On a live broadcast of USWA Championship Wrestling on WMC-TV in Memphis, Eddie Gilbert attempts to run down Jerry Lawler in the parking lot outside the WMC studios. Lawler was trying to save USWA booker Eddie Marlin from a parking lot beatdown by Eddie and Doug Gilbert after Marlin had fired the Gilberts from the USWA and ejected them from the studio when Eddie jumps into Doug's car, guns the motor and runs into Lawler before driving off. Lawler escapes the attack with just a bruised hip
  • 24 - Herb Abrams' UWF holds its debut TV taping in Reseda, California. Among the top matches, Steve Williams battles Paul Orndorff to a double-countout, Billy Jack Haynes vs. Col. DeBeers also ends in a double-countout, Dan Spivey and Brian Blair battle to a double-DQ, and David Sammartino beats Cactus Jack by DQ

November

  • 6 - Jesse Ventura is elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, unseating incumbent Jim Krautkremer, who had been that city's mayor since 1972
  • 22 - The Undertaker makes his debut at the Survivor Series as the "mystery partner" on Ted DiBiase's team. During the match, Undertaker easily defeats Koko B. Ware and is later counted out while beating Dusty Rhodes outside the ring. The 1990 Survivor Series was also known as the unveiling of one of professional wrestling's biggest flops -- The Gobbledy Gooker, Héctor Guerrero wearing a turkey costume -- and Sgt. Slaughter, playing up his Iraqi sympathizer heel gimmick, delivering an anti-American promo targeting servicemen stationed overseas for Thanksgiving (as part of the ongoing "Operation: Desert Shield").

December

Births[]

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

30 - Shane Strickland

October

December

Deaths[]

February

April

August

Debuts[]

Unknown date

October


November

  • 19 The Undertaker(As Cain The Undertaker)

Events[]

Pay-Per-View events[]

January

February

April

May

July

August

October

November

December

Title changes[]

January

February

March

  • 12 - Jerry Lawler regains the USWA title from Jimmy Valiant in Memphis
  • 30 - The NWA Pacific Northwest title is held up when Scotty the Body cheats to beat champion Curtis Thompson in Eugene, Oregon

April

May

June

July

August

September

  • The NAWA Heavyweight Championship is renamed as the South Atlantic Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship; The NAWA Tag Team Championship is renamed as the SAPW Tag Team Championship
  • 11 - The American Bulldogs win the SAPW Tag Team title from the Nasty Boys in Columbia, South Carolina
  • 29 - Paul Jones wins the SAPW title from Robert Fuller at an SAPW TV taping in Kings Mountain, North Carolina (aired on South Atlantic Pro Wrestling on October 13); Fuller regains the title from Jones later that night (aired on October 20)

October

November

  • 3 - The SAPW title is declared vacant when Robert Fuller is stripped of the title following a controversial ending to a title defence against Paul Jones at an SAPW TV taping in Morgantown, North Carolina (aired on South Atlantic Pro Wrestling on November 10)
  • 5 - Terry Funk wins the USWA title from Jerry Lawler in Memphis
  • 10 - Steve Doll wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from The Grappler in Portland
  • 19 - Curt Hennig defeats Kerry Von Erich for the WWF Intercontinental title in Rochester, New York

December

See also[]

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