1988

January 2, 1988 – WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #14
WWF Champion Hulk Hogan successfully defends his title with a decisive pinfall victory over King Kong Bundy. Andre the Giant, who was in Bundy’s corner for the match, attacks Hogan afterward and dominates the champion until several other wrestlers pull him off. WWF Tag Team Champions Strike Force also retain their titles in a 2-out-of-3-falls match over The Bolsheviks in two straight falls.

January 12, 1988 – Prime Time Wrestling #149

January 24, 1988 – NWA Bunkhouse Stampede
The NWA makes its second attempt to enter the pay-per-view market with the finals of the Bunkhouse Stampede, which sees Dusty Rhodes outlast eight other wrestlers inside a steel cage to win his third consecutive stampede. NWA World Champion Ric Flair retains his title in a disqualification loss against Road Warrior Hawk, while Larry Zbyszko captures the NWA Western States Heritage Title from Barry Windham thanks to an assist from Baby Doll.

January 24, 1988 – WWF Royal Rumble (Original broadcast and Royal Rumble Anthology versions)
Going head-to-head with the NWA’s Bunkhouse Stampede, the WWF offers the first ever Royal Rumble as a live special on the USA Network. The 20-man Royal Rumble match comes down to Hacksaw Jim Duggan, One Man Gang, and Dino Bravo, with Duggan eliminating both Gang and Bravo to win the match. The Jumping Bomb Angels win an exciting 2-out-of-3-falls match over The Glamour Girls to capture the WWF Women’s Tag Team Title in the night’s only title match. Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant also meet face-to-face to sign the contract for their upcoming rematch for the WWF Title.

January 30, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling

February 1, 1988 – WWF Prime Time Wrestling #151

February 5, 1988 – WWF The Main Event
In a long-awaited rematch from Wrestlemania, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant face off for the WWF Championship. Andre pins Hogan and, despite the champion getting his shoulder up at two, the referee counts three and awards the title to Andre. The new champion immediately announces that he will forfeit the title to Ted DiBiase, and Andre hands over the belt as a shocked audience looks on. After the match Hogan discovers that the referee was not Dave Hebner, but Hebner’s evil twin who was apparently paid off by DiBiase. The WWF Intercontinental Title is also on the line, as champion the Honky Tonk Man retains his title after losing by countout to Randy Savage.

February 6, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

February 20, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

February 20, 1988 – NWA World Wide Wrestling

February 20, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling

February 27, 1988 – NWA World Wide Wrestling

February 27, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling

March 5, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

March 5, 1988 – WWF at Boston Garden

March 12, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling

March 12, 1988 – WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #15

March 19, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

March 21, 1988 – WWF Prime Time Wrestling #158

March 26, 1988 – AWA Championship Wrestling

March 27, 1988 – WWF Wrestlemania IV (Coliseum Video, WWF Home Video, and WWE 24/7 versions)
A 14-man tournament determines the new WWF Champion following the title controversy between former champions Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Hogan and Andre earn a bye in round one but are both eliminated after battling to a double-disqualification in the second round. That allows Ted DiBiase, after wins over Jim Duggan and Don Muraco, to gain a bye to the finals. Randy Savage reaches the finals as well with wins over Butch Reed, Greg Valentine, and One Man Gang and Savage—with an assist from Hogan—pins DiBiase to be crowned the new WWF Champion. Elsewhere on the card, Demolition capture the WWF Tag Team Title from Strike Force, Honky Tonk Man escapes with his Intercontinental Title in a defense against Brutus Beefcake, and Bret Hart wins a 20-man battle royal.

March 27, 1988 – NWA Clash of the Champions (Turner Home Video version and WWE 27/7 20th Anniversary Edition)
In a live broadcast on TBS that goes head-to-head with Wrestlemania, NWA World Champion Ric Flair defends his title against Sting. The epic battle stretches the full 45-minute time limit, with Flair retaining the title on a draw but Sting establishing himself as a top star and contender for the title. The Horsemen fail to hold on to another title, however, when former Horsemen Lex Luger teams with Barry Windham to defeat Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Title.

April 23, 1988 – Stampede International Tag Team Title: Brian Pillman & Bruce Hart vs. Rip Rogers & Kerry Brown (Brian Pillman: Loose Cannon DVD)
Rogers and Brown work over Pillman, who continues fighting back and eventually makes the tag to Hart after Rogers is knocked off the top rope. Hart quickly hits a flying clothesline to pin Rogers while Pillman stops Brown from breaking it up, allowing the champions to retain their title.

April 23, 1988 – Continental Championship Wrestling

April 23, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling
In a rematch from the Clash of the Champions, NWA World Tag Team Champions Lex Luger & Barry Windham defend against former champions Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard. Luger is injured and not able to tag when Windham reaches the corner, causing J.J. Dillon to begin telling Windham that he had warned him Luger wouldn’t be there when he needed him. Windham responds by turning on Luger and helping the Horsemen regain the World Tag Team Title. After the match, the Midnight Rider confronts Windham in the Horsemen locker room but is beaten down and unmasked, although he escapes without his face being seen. Windham then leaves the building with the Horsemen, signaling that he is the new fourth member of the group.

April 25, 1988 – WWF at Madison Square Garden/MSG Classics #13

April 30, 1988 – Continental Wrestling Federation

April 30, 1988 – WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #16

May 7, 1988 – AWA Championship Wrestling

May 14, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling

May 28, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

June 4, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

June 8, 1988 – NWA Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem

June 12, 1988 – All Japan Pro Wrestling

June 18, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling

June 19, 1988 – All Japan Pro Wrestling

June 25, 1988 – Continental Wrestling Federation

June 25, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

June 25, 1988 – WWF at Madison Square Garden

July 3, 1988 – World Class Firecracker Spectacular

July 10, 1988 – NWA Great American Bash ’88

July 30, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

July 31, 1988 – WWF WrestleFest ’88

August 6, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

August 6, 1988 – WWF at Boston Garden

August 20, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

August 29, 1988 – WWF SummerSlam ’88
The very first SummerSlam event takes place in Madison Square Garden, headlined by the Mega Powers of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage defeating the Mega Bucks pairing of Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant with Jesse Ventura as special referee. The Honky Tonk Man’s reign as Intercontinental Champion finally ends when The Ultimate Warrior, a last minute replacement for the injured Brutus Beefcake, storms the ring and pins Honky in seconds to take the title. WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition also hold on to their titles with a win over former champions The Hart Foundation.

September 5, 1988 – All Japan Pro Wrestling (Bruiser Brody Memorial Night Part 1)

September 7, 1988 – NWA Clash of the Champions III: Fall Brawl

September 10, 1988 – Continental Wrestling Federation

September 10, 1988 – WWF at Boston Garden

September 11, 1988 – WWF at the Meadowlands Arena

September 12, 1988 – All Japan Pro Wrestling (Bruiser Brody Memorial Night Part 2)

September 17, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

October 1, 1988 – Continental Wrestling Federation

October 1, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

October 10, 1988 – WWF at Boston Garden

October 16, 1988 – WWF at Los Angeles Sports Arena

October 22, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

October 23, 1988 – All Japan Pro Wrestling

October 24, 1988 – WWF MSG Classics #8

October 27, 1988 – New Japan Pro Wrestling

October 29, 1988 – World Class Championship Wrestling

October 29, 1988 – WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #17

November 1, 1988 – WWF Prime Time Wrestling #189

November 5, 1988 – Continental Wrestling Federation

November 5, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling

November 8, 1988 – WWF Prime Time Wrestling #190: Paris Special

November 17, 1988 – WWF at Los Angeles Sports Arena

November 24, 1988 – WWF Survivor Series ’88

November 26, 1988 – NWA World Championship Wrestling

November 26, 1988 – WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event #18

December 7, 1988 – NWA Clash of the Champions IV: Season’s Beatings

December 13, 1988 – AWA SuperClash III

December 17, 1988 – WWF at Los Angeles Sports Arena

December 26, 1988 – NWA Starrcade ’88