1981 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.
These promotions held notable shows in 1981.
| Promotion Name | Abbreviation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Big Time Wrestling | BTW | Renamed to World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) the following year. |
| Joint Promotions | — | |
| EMLL | ||
| Universal Wrestling Association | UWA | |
| Date | Promotion(s) | Event | Location | Main Event | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | |||||
| February 8 | UWA | UWA 6th Anniversary Show | Naucalpan, Mexico | El Solitario (c) wrestled Villano III to a timelimit draw In a match for the UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship[1] | |
| April 3 | EMLL | 25. Aniversario de Arena México | Mexico City, Mexico | Tony Salazar defeated Alfonso Dantés (c) in a best two-out-of-three falls match for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship[2] | |
| June 4 | NJPW | MSG League | Tokyo, Japan | Antonio Inoki defeated Stan Hansen by count-out | |
| BTW | Wrestling Star Wars (June) | Dallas, Texas | Fritz Von Erich defeated Gary Hart in a steel cage match[3] | ||
| September 18 | EMLL | EMLL 48th Anniversary Show | Mexico City, Mexico | Espectro Jr. defeated El Vengador in a Lucha de Apuesta mask vs. mask vs. mask match; El Supremo was also in the match[4] | |
| September 29 | Dale Martin Promotions | Mike Marino Memorial Shield | Croydon, England | Mal Sanders defeated Syd Cooper in the tournament final[5] | |
| October 24 | BTW | Wrestling Star Wars (October) | Dallas, Texas | Al Madril (c) defeated Bill Irwin via disqualification in a singles match for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship[6] | |
| October 4 | Joint | Dale Martin Extravaganza | London, England | Big Daddy defeated Giant Haystacks in a "Knockout Only, No Rounds" match | |
| December 4 | EMLL | Juicio Final | Mexico City, Mexico | Ringo Mendoza defeated El Faraón in a Lucha de Apuestas, hair vs. hair match[7] | |
| December 10 | NJPW | MSG Tag League | Tokyo, Japan | André the Giant and Rene Goulet defeated Antonio Inoki and Tatsumi Fujinami | |
| December 25 | BTW | Christmas Star Wars | Dallas, Texas | Big Daddy Bundy defeated Al Madril, Armand Hussein, Bill Irwin, Blue Demon, Carlos Zapata, David Von Erich, Frank Dusek, José Lothario, Kerry Von Erich, Killer Tim Brooks, El Negro Assassino, Richard Blood and Ten Gu in a Two-ring battle royal[8] | |
| (c) – denotes defending champion(s) | |||||
See main article: List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards.
| Category | Winner | |
|---|---|---|
| PWI Wrestler of the Year | Ric Flair | |
| PWI Tag Team of the Year | The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy) | |
| PWI Match of the Year | André the Giant vs. Killer Khan | |
| PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year | Tommy Rich | |
| PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year | Ken Patera | |
| PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year | Kevin Sullivan | |
| PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year | Bob Backlund | |
| PWI Rookie of the Year | David Sammartino | |
| PWI Editor's Award | Bruno Sammartino | |
| PWI Manager of the Year | Lou Albano |
See main article: List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards.
| Category | Winner | |
|---|---|---|
| Wrestler of the Year | Harley Race | |
| Feud of the Year | André the Giant vs. Killer Khan | |
| Tag Team of the Year | Jimmy Snuka and Terry Gordy | |
| Most Improved | Adrian Adonis | |
| Best on Interviews | Lou Albano / Roddy Piper |