1986 in professional wrestling

1986 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

List of notable promotions
These promotions held notable events in 1986.

Notable events

 * Benjamin Mora Jr. creates the World Wrestling Association (WWA) based out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.
 * Wrestling Power magazine hit the newsstands with its first issue.
 * Superstar Wrestler magazine hit the newsstands with its first issue.
 * February 18 - World Class Championship Wrestling seceded from the National Wrestling Alliance
 * March - Bill Watts renames his Mid South Wrestling territory the Universal Wrestling Federation
 * August 30 - The final episodes of both WWF Championship Wrestling and WWF All Star Wrestling airs on syndication.
 * September 6 and 7 - WWF debuted two new weekly shows WWF Superstars of Wrestling and WWF Wrestling Challenge on syndication replacing both WWF Championship Wrestling and WWF All Star Wrestling
 * September - WCCW debuts on ESPN

Births

 * January 7 – Melanie Cruise
 * January 14 – Matt Riddle
 * January 24 – Vinny Marseglia
 * February 5 – Madison Rayne
 * February 17 – Ricardo Rodriguez
 * March 1:
 * Big E Langston
 * Kazumi Kikuta
 * March 4 – Dalton Castle
 * March 8 – Chad Gable
 * March 16 – Kenny Dykstra
 * March 27 – So Cal Val
 * March 28 – Mustafa Ali
 * April 5 – Charlotte Flair
 * April 19 – Maxine
 * April 22 – Chuck Taylor
 * April 23 – Jessie Godderz
 * May 19 – Danny Havoc (died in 2020)
 * May 28 – Seth Rollins
 * May 29 – Hornswoggle
 * June 15 – Cezar Bononi
 * June 20:
 * Shadia Bseiso
 * Jessicka Havok
 * June 24 – Jessamyn Duke
 * June 29
 * Serena
 * Súper Nova
 * June 30 – Alicia Fox
 * July 17:
 * Mojo Rawley
 * Lacey Von Erich
 * July 19 – Jinder Mahal
 * July 22 – Thunder Rosa
 * August 6 – Reby Sky
 * August 16 – Big Cass
 * August 22 – Neville
 * September 4 – Xavier Woods
 * September 7 – Colin Delaney
 * September 22 – Lana Austin
 * October 5 – Joaquin Wilde
 * October 7 – Kaitlyn
 * October 12 – Gregory Iron
 * November 5 – Alexander Wolfe
 * November 6 – Nick Aldis
 * November 13 – Act Yasukawa
 * November 14 – Kalisto
 * November 25 – Karsten Beck (died in 2020)
 * December 3 – Wolfgang
 * December 8 – Enzo Amore

Debuts
Unknown date
 * John Laurinaitis
 * Norman Smiley
 * Cody Michaels
 * Brian Adams
 * Doug Gilbert
 * Paul Heyman
 * Scott Steiner
 * The Warlord
 * Charles Robinson
 * Luna Vachon
 * Mountain Fiji
 * Babe the Farmer's Daughter
 * Mark Starr
 * Derrick Dukes


 * February 16 - Kensuke Sasaki
 * February 26 - Hiroshi Hase
 * April 6 - Jeff Jarrett
 * April 20 - Hisakatsu Oya
 * May 24 - Akira Katayama
 * May 30 - Owen Hart
 * July 24 - El Samurai
 * August 8 - KAORU and Megumi Kudo
 * August 17 - Shinobu Kandori, Mayumi Ozaki, Dynamite Kansai, Harley Saito, Rumi Kazama, Plum Mariko, Yu Yamazaki (JWP), Dirty Yamato (JWP), Yuki Ito (JWP) and Maiko Tsurugi (JWP)
 * September 5 - Eagle Sawai (JWP and LLPW) and Xóchitl Hamada
 * September 7 - Reggie Bennett
 * September 10 - Bison Kimura (All Japan Women's)
 * September 16 - Aja Kong
 * September 17 - Combat Toyoda
 * September 19 - Cutie Suzuki
 * September 22 - Oscar Tomo (JWP)
 * September 25 - Reibun Amada (All Japan Women's), Mika Takahashi (All Japan Women's) and Miori Kamiya (All Japan Women's)
 * October - Ron Simmons
 * December 1 - Road Dogg (Made his debut for only one appearance at 17 before he went into the marines. He returned to wrestling in 1991.)

Retirements

 * Bobby Duncum Sr. (1967 - 1986)
 * Don Kent (1956 - 1986)
 * Dr. Wagner (July 16, 1961 - April 27, 1986)
 * Dick the Bruiser (1954 - 1986)
 * Ernie Ladd (1961 - 1986)
 * Hubert Gallant (May 2, 1975 - 1986)
 * Jacques Rougeau, Sr. (1956 - 1986)
 * Kurt Von Hess (September 1968 - 1986)
 * Lars Anderson (1965 - 1986)
 * Mad Maxine (1984 - 1986)
 * Mario Milano (1953 - 1986)
 * Maurice Vachon (1950 - 1986)
 * Pampero Firpo (1953 - 1986)
 * Stu Hart (1943-July 25, 1986)
 * Swede Hanson (1957 - 1986)
 * Vivian St. John (August 6, 1974 - 1986)
 * Vivian Vachon (1969 - 1986)
 * Don Fargo (1952 - 1986)

Deaths

 * February 2 – Gino Hernandez, 28
 * March 25 - Warren Bockwinkel, 74
 * April 6 – El Solitario, 39
 * April 26 – Ángel Blanco, 47