This is a list of various things that took place in 2001.
Significant Events[]
Unknown date
- Main Event Championship Wrestling is founded by promoter John Collins following the demises of both World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling. Collins had planned MECW to fill the void left by WCW and ECW by becoming the second-largest promotion in North America after the World Wrestling Federation (including the establishment of an MECW TV program), but the company held only a few house show events before the company vanished as a result of legal and financial issues
March
- 23 - World Championship Wrestling's assets, trademarks and selected wrestler contracts were bought out by Vince McMahon, marking the end of the Monday Night Wars. AOL Time Warner retained the former WCW, which reverted to its previous name of Universal Wrestling Corporation and still exists as of 2014 as a legal entity under Time Warner ownership, operating solely for the purpose of dealing with old contracts and lawsuits
- 26 - The final episode of WCW Monday Nitro airs on TNT. The show begins with Vince McMahon making a pre-taped statement about the purchase of WCW. The final main event sees Sting defeat Ric Flair; after the bout, Sting helped Flair to his feet and shook his hand before the two hugged. Following the match, a simulcast with that evening's WWF Monday Night Raw begins with McMahon addressing the audience before Shane McMahon makes a surprise appearance and reveals himself as the (kayfabe) owner of WCW, setting up what became the WWF's "Invasion" storyline.
April
- 11 - Extreme Championship Wrestling filed for bankruptcy on April 11, deactivating all championships
October
- 1 - WWF Raw is War is retitled to WWF Monday Night Raw. Cited were the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C., just three weeks earlier, and with the demise of WCW earlier in the year the end of the Monday Night Wars.
- World Wrestling All-Stars, founded by Andrew McManus, holds its first events during a tour of Australia. As part of the tour, WWA holds its first pay-per-view event, The Inception, on October 26 in Sydney
November
- The Xcitement Wrestling Federation holds its first television tapings at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. A total of ten episodes were taped for an XWF program proposed for syndication; among the notable matches, Hulk Hogan defeated Curt Hennig (who was managed for the match by Bobby Heenan)
Births[]
May
- 12 - Angel Hayze
June
- 22 - Micky Jay
August
- 21 - Brooks Jensen
October
- 31 - Steve Jay
November
- 9 - Julia Hart
Deaths[]
April
- 23 – Johnny Valentine 72 (Natural causes)
June
- 30 - Clyde Steeves 74
July
- 9 – Ace Freeman 87
- 14 - Bobbie Peterson
- 16 – Terry Gordy 40 (Heart attack)
- 21 - Greg Peterson 69
- 27 – Rhonda Singh 40 (Undisclosed Reasons, Possibly Suicide)
August
- 22 – Abe Zvonkin 91 (Natural causes)
October
- 7 – Chris Adams 46 (Homicide)
December
- 15 – Russ Haas 27 (Heart attack)
- 25 - Mike Davis 46 (Heart attack)
Debuts[]
- Arik Cannon (September 22)
- Chris Pavone
- Emi Tojo (September 2)
- Montel Vontavious Porter
- Damien Sandow (June 23)
Events[]
January
- January 13th – XPW New Years Revolution
- January 20th – FWA Unknown Quantity 2
February
- February 3 – XPW Payback's A Bitch
- February 24 – ECWA 5th Annual Super 8 Tournament
- February 24 – XPW My Bloody Valentine
March
- March 17 – XPW The Night XPW Stood Still
April
- April 21 – XPW Scene Of The Crime
May
- May 19 – CZW Best Of The Best
- May 19 – FWA High Potential
- May 26 – XPW Redemption
June
- June 8 – CZW Take 1
July
- July 7 – XPW Rapture
- July 27 – FWA No Surprises 3
August
- August 9 – 4th Annual Brian Pillman Memorial Show
- August 25 – XPW Damage Inc.
September
- September 1 – FWA Back 2 School
October
- October 13 – NWA 53rd Anniversary Show "Battle Of The Belts 2001"
- October 13 – XPW Halloween In Hell 2
- October 26 – FWA Trick Or Treat
November
- November 10 – FWA High School Hell
- November 24 – XPW Retribution
December
- December 14 – FWA Lights Camera Acton
- December 15 – CZW Cage of Death 3
Pay-Per-View Events[]
January
- January 7 – ECW Guilty as Charged
- January 14 – WCW Sin
- January 28 – WWF Royal Rumble
February
- February 18 – WCW Superbrawl Revenge
- February 25 – WWF No Way Out
March
- March 18 – WCW Greed
April
- April 1 – WWF WrestleMania X-7
- April 29 – WWF Backlash
May
- May 5 – WWF Insurrextion
- May 20 – WWF Judgment Day
June
- June 24 – WWF King of the Ring
July
- July 22 – WWF/WCW/ECW Invasion
August
- August 19 – WWF SummerSlam
September
- September 23 – WWF Unforgiven
October
- October 21– WWF No Mercy
November
- November 18 – WWF Survivor Series
December
- December 9 – WWF Vengeance
Title changes[]
January
- 7 – The Sandman defeated Steve Corino to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
- 7 - Rhyno defeated The Sandman to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
- 21 - Chris Jericho defeated Chris Benoit to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
- 21 - The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) defeated Edge and Christian to win the World Tag Team Championship
- 22 - Test defeated William Regal to win the WWE European Championship
February
- 3 – Joey Matthews and Christian York defeated Rick Michaels and David Young to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship
- 10 – Eddie Colón defeated Damian Steele to win the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship
- 25 - The Rock defeated Kurt Angle to win the WWF Championship
- 28 – John Zandig defeated Yoshihiro Tajiri to win the CZW World Heavyweight Championship
March
- 5 - The Hardy Boyz defeated The Dudley Boyz to win the World Tag Team Championship
- 19 - Edge and Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz to win the World Tag Team Championship
- 19 - The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) defeated Edge and Christian to win the World Tag Team Championship
- 26 – Booker T defeated Scott Steiner to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
April
- 1 – Chyna defeated Ivory to win the WWF Women’s Championship
- 1 – Kane defeated Raven to win the WWF Hardcore Championship
- 1 – Eddie Guerrero defeated Test to win the WWF European Championship
- 1 – Edge and Christian defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) to win the World Tag Team Championship
- 1 - Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock to the WWF Championship
- 24 – Steve Corino defeated Mike Rapada to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
- 27 - Matt Hardy defeated Eddie Guerrero to win the WWE European Championship
May
- 20 - Kane defeated Triple H to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
June
- 8 – Keiji Mutoh defeated Genichiro Tenryu to win the AJPW Triple Crown Championship
- 9 – Nick Mondo defeated Lobo to win the CZW Iron Man Championship
July
- 15 – Vampiro defeated Sabu to win the JCW World Heavyweight Championship
- 22 - Rob Van Dam defeated Jeff Hardy to win the WWF Hardcore Championship
August
- 18 – Mikey Whipwreck and JT Jobber defeated Da Hit Squad (Monsta Mack and Mafia) to win the JAPW Tag Team Championship
- 19 - Edge defeated Lance Storm to win WWF Intercontinental Championship
- 19 - X-Pac defeated Yoshihiro Tajiri to unified the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship and the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
- 19 - The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane) defeated Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon to unified The World Tag Team Championship and the WCW World Tag Team Championship
- 19 - The Rock defeated Booker T to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
September
- 23 – Christian defeated Edge to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
- 23 - Rhyno defeated Tajiri to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
- 23 - Kurt Angle defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin to win the WWF Championship
October
- 8 - Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kurt Angle to win the WWF Championship
- 21 - Edge defeated Christian to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
- 21 - Chris Jericho defeated The Rock to Win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
- 22 - Chris Jericho and The Rock defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) to win the World Tag Team Championship
November
- 2 – Negro Casas and El Hijo Del Santo defeated Rey Bucanero and Último Guerrero to win the CMLL World Tag Team Championship
- 5 - The Rock defeated Chris Jericho to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
- 18 Trish Stratus won the WWF Women’s Championship
December
- 3 – Loco Max defeated Ricky Marvin to win the Mexican National Lightweight Championship
- 9 - Chris Jericho defeated The Rock to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
- 9 - Chris Jericho defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin to unified the WWF Championship and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
- 15 – Trent Acid defeated Ruckus to win the CZW Junior Heavyweight Championship
- 15 – Shinya Hashimoto defeated Steve Corino, Dylan Knight, and Gary Steele in a Fatal Four-way match to win the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Championship