2001 in professional wrestling

2001 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

List of notable promotions
These promotions held notable events in 2001.

Debuts

 * Uncertain debut date
 * Kris Pavone
 * Nidia Guenard
 * Sara Del Ray
 * Heidenreich


 * February 15 – Harashima
 * March 18 - Aaron Idol
 * May – Beth Phoenix
 * May 19 - Izanagi
 * June 10 - Keiko Furuta (Jd' Star)
 * June 23 – Damien Sandow
 * September 23 - Mirai (All Japan Women's), Fumiko Yamane (All Japan Women's) and Tomoko Mori (All Japan Women's)
 * October 2 – Maven
 * October 6 – Daigoro Kashiwa
 * October 28 - Saki Maemura (All Japan Women's)
 * November 4 – Gorgeous Matsuno
 * November 11 – Ayako Sato
 * November 23 - Finn Balor
 * December 7 - Jay Lethal
 * December 20 – Ken Ohka

Retirements

 * Midnight (1999-March 2001)
 * Tori (1988-September 2001)
 * Al Green (1989–2001) (returned for a match in 2007)
 * Bushwhacker Butch (1964-September 2001)
 * Duke Droese (1990–2001, returned for a couple of matches in 2019)
 * Hardbody Harrison (1995-March 2001)
 * Dean Malenko (1979-December 2001, became a road agent for WWE)
 * Nailz (1982–2001)
 * One Man Gang (1977–2001) (returned to wrestle in 2007 until 2009)
 * Fred Ottman (1984-April 2001, returned to wrestle a couple of matches in 2009)
 * Stan Hansen (1973- January 28, 2001, became commissioner for All Japan Pro Wrestling until 2007)

Births

 * January 14 – Cora Jade
 * August 14 – Takeshi Masada
 * August 21 – Brooks Jensen
 * November 5 – Roxanne Perez
 * November 8 – Julia Hart

Deaths

 * January 3 – Kung Fu, 49
 * January 4 – Villano I, 50
 * January 18 - Rito Romero, 73
 * January 29 - Smasher Sloan, 65
 * March 26 - Benny McGuire, 54
 * April 24 - Johnny Valentine, 72
 * May 31 - Tex McKenzie, 70
 * July 16 – Terry Gordy, 40
 * July 21 – Dennis Coralluzzo, 48
 * July 27 – Rhonda Sing, 40
 * October 7 – Chris Adams, 46
 * December 4 - Ed Whalen, 74
 * December 15 – Russ Haas, 27
 * December 25 – Mike Davis, 45