2015 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

List of notable promotions

These promotions held notable shows in 2015.

Calendar of notable shows

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Notable events

*August 31 WWE Performance Center shooting

Tournaments and accomplishments

AAA

Ring of Honor

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

WWE

Title changes

AAA

NJPW

ROH

The Crash Lucha Libre

TNA

WWE

NXT

Awards and honors

AAA Hall of Fame

''Pro Wrestling Illustrated''

TNA Hall of Fame

''Wrestling Observer Newsletter''

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

WWE

WWE Hall of Fame

Slammy Awards

NXT Year-End Awards

Debuts

* February 28 –

Hyper Misao is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for the Japanese promotions Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling. Professional wrestling career Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (2015–present) Misao made her professional wrestling debut at '' TJPW Shinju ...

* March 8 – Senza Volto * May 7 – Nia Jax * May 17 –

Fuminori Abe is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his tenure with the Japanese promotions Pro Wrestling Basara (Basara) and Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW). Professional wrestling career Independent ci ...

* May 31 **

Maika Ozaki is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions Ice Ribbon and Actwres girl'Z. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2015-present) Ozaki made her ...

Natsupoi , better known by her ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is currently signed to World Wonder Ring Stardom. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2015–present) Maki wrestled a couple of matches for Reina, one of ...

Saori Anou is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotion Actwres girl'Z and her freelance appearances in promotions such as Oz Academy and Ice Ribbon. She is the current ...

Tae Honma is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions Ice Ribbon and Actwres girl'Z. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2015-present) As a freelancer, ...

* June 25 – Liv Morgan * July 12 –

Mika Iwata is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Wave. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2015-pre ...

* August 23 **

Mao Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ...

Mizuki Watase is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro Wrestling where he is a former KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2015-present) Wata ...

* August 25 ** Mandy Rose **

Sara Lee Sara may refer to: Arts, media and entertainment Film and television * Sara (1992 film), ''Sara'' (1992 film), 1992 Iranian film by Dariush Merhjui * Sara (1997 film), ''Sara'' (1997 film), 1997 Polish film starring Bogusław Linda * Sara (2010 ...

* August 29 –

Francesco Akira Francesco Begnini (born November 12, 1999), better known by his ring name Francesco Akira is an Italian professional wrestler, working for the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the United Empire stable and ...

* September 11 –

Kaito Ishida is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Dragon Gate where he is a former Open the Brave Gate Champion. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2015-present) Ishida wor ...

* November 1 – Ayato Yoshida * December 22 –

Nodoka Tenma also known as Nodoka-Oneesan is a retired Japanese professional wrestler best known for her time in the Japanese promotion Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling. Professional wrestling career Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (2015–2022) Tenma made her professio ...

* December 30 –

Sonya Deville Daria Rae Berenato (born September 24, 1993) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sonya Deville. She is also a former on-scree ...

Retirements

Jimmy Superfly Snuka Paparazzo Photography

* Brazo de Oro (1975–2015) * Road Dogg (1986-2015 , became a WWE producer) * Mikey Whipwreck (1994–2015) * AJ Lee (September 29, 2007 – April 3, 2015) * Tomoka Nakagawa (September 19, 2004 – April 12, 2015) * Takeshi Morishima (March 22, 1998 – April 21, 2015) * El Matematico (1968-May 17, 2015) * Johnny Saint (1958-June 13, 2015) * David Otunga (May 29, 2009 - July 5, 2015) (became a color commentator) * Serena Deeb (March 2005 - July 10, 2015) (returned in 2017 for the inaugural Mae Young Classic) * Traci Brooks (2001 – July 18, 2015) * Layla (August 16, 2006 – July 29, 2015) * Jimmy Snuka (1968 – September 2015) * Portia Perez (December 2003 – October 11, 2015) * Ezekiel Jackson (June 27, 2007 – October 18, 2015) *

Mio Shirai is a Japanese former professional wrestler and current professional wrestling referee. She started her career in March 2007, working alongside her sister Io Shirai on the Japanese independent circuit for promotions such as Ice Ribbon, JWP Jo ...

(March 4, 2007 – September 20, 2015) *

Genichiro Tenryu , better known as is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. At age 13, he entered sumo wrestling and stayed there for 13 years, after which he turned to Western-style professional wrestling. "Tenryu" was his ...

(November 13, 1976 – November 15, 2015) * Kid Kash (1990 – December 2015) * Act Yasukawa (February 5, 2012 – December 23, 2015) *

Neko Nitta is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotion Ice Ribbon where she is a former Triangle Ribbon Champion. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2011-2015) As a former freela ...

(March 2, 2011 – December 31, 2015)

Deaths

* January 7 – Tim Arson, 38 * January 13 - Brutus Malumba, 92 * January 27 –

Larry Winters Larry Winters (April 14, 1956 – January 27, 2015) was an American professional wrestler and trainer who competed in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit during the 1980s and 90s. He has wrestled in the American Wrestlin ...

, 58 * February 9 –

Drew McDonald Andrew McDonald may refer to: Politics * Andrew McDonald (Australian politician) (born 1955), Australian doctor and politician * Andrew J. McDonald (born 1966), American judge and politician from Connecticut * Andy McDonald (politician) (born 195 ...

, 59 * February 10 –

Daniel Brand Daniel Oliver "Dan" Brand (August 4, 1935 – February 10, 2015) was an American wrestler. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he was an All-America selection in 1958. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of ...

, 79 * February 13 - Tony Charles, 79 * February 14 -

Wim Ruska Willem "Wim" Ruska (29 August 1940 – 14 February 2015) was a judoka from the Netherlands. He is the first athlete to win two gold medals in Judo in one Olympics – in the heavyweight and absolute categories in 1972. Judo career He started ...

, 74 * March 4 –

Iwao Horiuchi Iwao Horiuchi (堀内岩雄, 9 December 1941 – 4 March 2015) was a Japanese lightweight freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics and won a bronze medal in 1964. He also won a world title in 1963 and finished second in 196 ...

, 73 * March 20 – Cincinnati Red, 40 * March 21 –

Perro Aguayo, Jr. Pedro Aguayo Ramírez (July 23, 1979 – March 21, 2015) was a Mexican ''luchador'' or professional wrestler and promoter who achieved fame in lucha libre as Perro Aguayo Jr. or El Hijo del Perro Aguayo ("The Son of Perro Aguayo"). He was the rea ...

, 35 * April 5 – Steve Rickard, 85 * April 21 - Ron Wright, 76 * April 27 – Verne Gagne, 89 * April 28 - Ashura Hara, 68 * June 1: ** Tommy Rogers, 54 ** Mike Lane, 82 * June 11 –

Dusty Rhodes Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crocket ...

, 69 * June 21 –

Cora Combs Beulah "Cora Combs" Szostecki (March 17, 1927 – June 21, 2015),

, 92 * June 22 – Buddy Landel, 52 * July 1 – Curly Moe, 53 * July 31 –

Roddy Piper Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for hi ...

, 61 * November 8 - Don Fargo, 84 * November 14 – Nick Bockwinkel, 80 * November 26 - Tommy Gilbert, 75 * November 28 -

Stan Holek Stan Holek (April 4, 1933 – November 28, 2015) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Stan Lisowski and Stan Neilson. He became known for being part of two famous "brother" tag teams, the Lisowskis (with Reggie Lis ...

, 82 * December 5 – Hack Meyers, 41 * December 16 – Lizmark, 64 * December 21 – Emmanuel Yarbrough, 51

References

{{Years in professional wrestling professional wrestling