2012 in professional wrestling

2012 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.

List of notable promotions
These promotions held notable events in 2012.

Debuts

 * unknown date – Moose
 * January 22 – Natsumi Sumikawa
 * April 1 – Will Ospreay
 * April 13 – Hideyoshi Kamitani
 * July 11 – Drew Parker
 * July 14 - Anthony Greene
 * July 28 – Yoshihisa Uto
 * August 8 - Mojo Rawley
 * August 12 – Rydeen Hagane
 * September 1 - Aaron Henare
 * September 22 - Jacob Fatu
 * October 14 – Tank Nagai
 * October 18 – Baron Corbin
 * October 25 - Charlotte Flair and Enzo Amore
 * October 28 – Kyuri
 * November 15 – Sho Tanaka
 * November 19 – Yohei Komatsu
 * November 23 – Sagat
 * December 2 – Chris Ridgeway
 * December 4 - Shigeyuki Kawahara
 * December 12 - El Hijo del Vikingo
 * December 29 – SAKI and MIZUKI
 * December 31 - Erin (Ice Ribbon), Rutsuko Yamaguchi (Ice Ribbon), Hiroko Terada (Ice Ribbon), Ayano Takeda (Ice Ribbon) and 235 (Ice Ribbon)

Retirements

 * Hulk Hogan (1977–January 27, 2012)
 * Christina Crawford (July 8, 2010 – 2012)
 * Chuck Palumbo (1998-2012)
 * Doug Somers (1971 – February 23, 2012)
 * Ron Simmons (1986-March 17, 2012)
 * Sage Beckett (2007 - June 24, 2012) (return wrestling in 2014 and retired in 2018)
 * Sylvester Terkay (2000 - March 31, 2012)
 * Dominic DeNucci (1958-April 14, 2012)
 * Kenny Jay (1958-June 16, 2012)
 * Tiger Jeet Singh (1965-July 1, 2012)
 * Road Warrior Animal (1982-July 17, 2012)
 * Tyler Reks (February 2007 – August 22, 2012)
 * Jerry Lawler (1970-September 10, 2012, had a heart attack and returned to wrestling in 2013)
 * Sara Del Rey (2001 – September 2012) (moved to a trainer)
 * Vladimir Kozlov (April 7, 2006 – October 16, 2012)
 * Richie Steamboat (July 25, 2008 – October 25, 2012)
 * Beth Phoenix (May 2001 – October 29, 2012) (Commentator in NXT, occasional wrestler)
 * Ric Flair (December 10, 1972 – December 3, 2012) (full retirement, return for one in 2022 for Ric Flair's Last Match)
 * Kelly Kelly (June 13, 2006 – December 4, 2012) (brief return in 2018 - Royal Rumble and WWE Evolution, 2020 event)
 * Dave Finlay (1974 – December 22, 2012)

Deaths

 * January 12- MS-1 (wrestler), 55
 * January 12 - Savannah Jack, 63
 * February 26 - Don Joyce (American football), 82
 * February 29 - Woody Farmer, 76
 * March 2 – Doug Furnas, 52
 * March 13 - Joe McCarthy, 82
 * March 22 - Joe Blanchard, 83
 * April 3 – Chief Jay Strongbow, 83
 * April 14 - Dom Travis, 31
 * May 26 – Hans Schmidt, 87
 * June 23 - Adorable Rubí, 68
 * July 12 - Dara Singh, 83
 * July 16 - Bob Babbitt, 74
 * July 20 - Goldie Rogers, 61
 * August 12 - Red Bastien, 81
 * August 17 - Joey Kovar, 29
 * September 29 - Eric Pomeroy, 79
 * September 30 – Bobby Jaggers, 64
 * October 10 - Alex Karras, 77
 * October 18 – Brain Damage, 34
 * c. October 19 – Mike Graham, 61
 * November 1 – Brad Armstrong, 50
 * November 15 - Awesome Kong, 54
 * November 29 – Buddy Roberts, 65
 * December 9 - Mike Boyette, 69
 * December 22 - Rip Hawk, 82
 * December 28 – Emilio Charles Jr., 56