This is a list of various things that took place in 1978.
Significant events[]
February
- 18 - The earliest known existing video footage featuring Gorilla Monsoon on commentary is during a televised arena show from the Philadelphia Spectrum and aired on PRISM on this date. Monsoon worked alongside PRISM sportscaster Dick Graham to call the evening's main event: Superstar Billy Graham defeating Bruno Sammartino in a steel cage match to successfully defend the WWWF Heavyweight Championship (done after a blow by Sammartino sent Graham tumbling outside the steel cage and onto the floor, thus winning); the match has been uploaded to various video sharing sites. Monsoon would work occasionally behind the mic (usually filling in for Vince McMahon Jr.) before taking a more prolific role on the WWF's commentary team starting in the fall of 1982
Births[]
Unknown
- - Mick Romeo (Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England)
- - Steve Anthony (Tampa, Florida, USA)
January
- 10 - Tamina (Vancouver, Washington, USA)
May
- 28 - Kal-el (Guadalajara)
- 29 - Adam Jacobs (Chickamauga, Georgia, USA)
June
- 2 – Allen Lloyd Jones (Gainesville, Georgia, USA)
- 8 - Maria Menounos (Medford, Massachusetts, USA)
- 12 - Amy Vitale (Boca Raton, Florida, USA)
August
- 27 - Tyshaun Prince (West Covina, California, USA)
September
- 8 - Tanea Brooks (Owasso, Oklahoma, USA)
- 30 – Candice Michelle (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA)
October
- 26 – CM Punk (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
November
- 23 - Bishop (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada)
- 25 - Kengo Mashimo (Maizuru, Kyoto, Japan)
December
- 23 - Nanae Takahashi (Kawaguchi, Saitama, (Japan))
Deaths[]
August
- 13 - Moondog Mayne (car accident)
Debuts[]
August
- 21 – Devil Masami
Events[]
January
- 25 – NWA Superbowl Of Wrestling
February
- 23 – NWA/WWWF World Title Unification
April
- 1 – Superdome Extravaganza
August
- 26 – Tokyo Sports All-Star Dream Card
October
- 29 – NWA/WWWF World Title Unification
Title changes[]
January
- 1 - Blackjack Mulligan wins the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship from Ricky Steamboat in Greensboro, North Carolina
- 8 - Leo Burke wins the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship from Don Gagne in Edmonton, Alberta
- 14 - Dean Ho wins a tournament to win the vacant San Francisco version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship
- 25 - The Black Avenger and Don Wayt win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship from Gama Singh and Igor Volkoff in Vancouver, British Columbia
February
- 10 - Hector Guerrero wins the NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship from The Canadian (Roddy Piper wearing a mask) in Los Angeles, California
- 13 - John Quinn wins the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship from Don Wayt in Vancouver
- 20 - Bob Backlund wins the WWWF Heavyweight Championship from Superstar Billy Graham in New York City
- 27 - Don Leo Jonathan and John Quinn win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from the Black Avenger and Don Wayt in Vancouver (the title is vacated later in the year)
March
- 5 - Johnny Weaver wins the NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship from Baron Von Raschke in Charlotte, North Carolina
- 12 - Michel Martel wins the Stampede North American title from Leo Burke in Edmonton
- 14 - Dino Bravo and Dominic DeNucci win the WWWF Tag Team Championship from Mr. Fuji and Prof. Toru Tanaka in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 19 - Mr. Wrestling wins the NWA Mid-Atlantic United States title from Blackjack Mulligan in Greensboro
- 26 - Baron Von Raschke regains the NWA TV title from Johnny Weaver in Greensboro
April
- Ric Flair and Greg Valentine are stripped of the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship due to Flair and Valentine continually ending their title defences via disqualification
- 1 - Don Muraco wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Dean Ho in San Francisco, California
- 2 - Wahoo McDaniel wins the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship from Greg Valentine in Greensboro; Moondog Mayne wins the NWA Americas title from Hector Guerrero in San Bernardino, California
- 9 - Ric Flair wins the NWA Mid-Atlantic United States title from Mr. Wrestling in Charlotte; Ken Patera wins the NWA Mid-Atlantic title from Wahoo McDaniel in Charlotte
- 23 - Paul Jones and Rick Steamboat win the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic World Tag Team title in a tournament final over Masked Superstar and Ken Patera in Greensboro
- 29 - Leo Burke regains the Stampede North American title from Michel Martel
May
- 13 - Jerry Oates wins the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship from Ed Wiskoski in Portland, Oregon (aired live on Portland Wrestling on Portland station KPTV)
- 15 - Gene Kiniski wins the NWA Pacific Coast title from John Quinn in Vancouver
- 20 - Mr. Sakurada wins the Stampede North American title from Leo Burke in Edmonton
- 27 - Moondog Mayne wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Don Muraco in San Francisco
June
- 7 - Baron Von Raschke and Greg Valentine win the NWA Mid-Atlantic World Tag Team title from Paul Jones and Rick Steamboat in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jones wins the NWA TV title from Von Raschke in Raleigh
- 10 - Rick Steamboat wins the NWA TV title from Paul Jones in Asheville, North Carolina
- 16 - Ed Wiskoski regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Jerry Oates in Salem, Oregon
- 24 - Roddy Piper wins the NWA San Francisco United States title from Moondog Mayne in San Francisco
- 26 - The Yukon Lumberjacks (Eric and Pierre) win the WWWF Tag Team title from Dino Bravo and Dominic DeNucci in New York City
- 30 - Hector Guerrero regains the NWA Americas title from Moondog Mayne in Los Angeles
July
- The Memphis versions of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (held at this point by Jerry Lawler) and the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (then held by Jos LeDuc and Jean Louie) are renamed as AWA championships due to the Continental Wrestling Association's affiliation with the American Wrestling Association
- 14 - Moondog Mayne regains the NWA San Francisco United States title from Roddy Piper
- 24 - The Iron Sheik and The Texas Outlaw win the vacant NWA Canadian Tag Team title in a tournament final over Don Leo Jonathan and Jake Roberts in Vancouver
August
- 7 - Jos LeDuc wins the AWA Southern title from Jerry Lawler in Memphis, Tennessee
- 11 - Moondog Mayne regains the NWA Americas title from Hector Guerrero in Los Angeles
- 14 - Jerry Lawler regains the AWA Southern title from Jos LeDuc in Memphis
- 13 - The NWA San Francisco United States title and the NWA Americas title, last held by Moondog Mayne, are both vacated when Mayne is killed in a car accident
- 22 - Jonathan Boyd wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Ed Wsikoski in Portland
- 25 - Chavo Guerrero, Sr. wins the vacant NWA Americas title in a tournament in Los Angeles
- 28 - Jos LeDuc regains the AWA Southern title from Jerry Lawler in Memphis
September
- Jerry Lawler regains the AWA Southern title from Jos LeDuc in Memphis (at some point between September 4 and September 25)
- 1 - Paddy Ryan wins the Stampede North American title from Mr. Sakurada in Calgary, Alberta
- 16 - Buddy Rose wins the vacant NWA San Francisco United States title in a tournament final over Jimmy Snuka in San Francisco
- 17 - Tony Atlas wins the NWA Mid-Atlantic title from Ken Patera in Roanoke, Virginia
- 22 - Kasavudu wins the Stampede North American title from Paddy Ryan in Calgary
- 23 - Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens are awarded the AWA World Tag Team Championship via forfeit from The High Flyers (Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne) when Brunzell is injured while taking part in a charity softball game
- 29 - Roddy Piper wins the NWA Americas title from Chavo Guerrero, Sr. in Los Angeles
October
- 1 - Twin Devil I wins the NWA Americas title from Roddy Piper in San Bernardino
- 9 - Salvatore Martino and Iron Mike Sharpe win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from The Iron Sheik and The Texas Outlaw in Vancouver
- 15 - Ken Patera regains the NWA Mid-Atlantic title from Tony Atlas in Roanoke
- 30 - Ric Flair and Big John Studd win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship from Paul Jones and Rick Steamboat in Greenville, South Carolina
November
- Don Fargo wins the AWA Southern title (opponent and precise date and location unknown; title change took place no later than November 6)
- 5 - Paul Jones and Rick Steamboat regain the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team title from Ric Flair and Big John Studd in Greensboro
- 12 - Alo Leilani wins the Stampede North American title from Kasavudu in Edmonton
- 20 - Tommy Gilbert wins the AWA Southern title from Don Fargo in Memphis
- 21 - Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko win the WWWF Tag Team title from the Yukon Lumberjacks in Allentown, Pennsylvania (aired on tape-delay on WWWF Championship Wrestling)
- 27 - Don Fargo regains the AWA Southern title from Tommy Gilbert in Memphis
December
- Chavo Guerrero wins the NWA Americas title from Twin Devil I
- 1 - Big Daddy Ritter wins the Stampede North American title from Alo Leilani in Calgary
- 2 - Tommy Gilbert regains the AWA Southern title from Don Fargo in Memphis (aired live on Championship Wrestling on WMC-TV)
- 4 - Jerry Lawler wins the AWA Southern title from Tommy Gilbert in Memphis
- 25 - Austin Idol wins the AWA Southern title from Jerry Lawler in Memphis
- 26 - Paul Orndorff and Jimmy Snuka win the NWA Mid-Atlantic World Tag Team title from Baron Von Raschke and Greg Valentine in Richmond, Virginia
- 30 - Rick Steamboat wins the NWA Mid-Atlantic United States title from Ric Flair in Greensboro