This is a list of various things that took place in 2012.
Significant events
January
- 9 - Edge is inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame on Monday Night Raw.
- 9 - Four Horsemen is inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame on Monday Night Raw.
- 16 - Mil Máscaras is inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame on Monday Night Raw.
- 21 - Gold Rush Pro Wrestling is founded in Pacifica, California.
- 30 - Mike Tyson is inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame on Monday Night Raw.
February
- 21 - Ron Simmons is inducted into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame on Monday Night Raw.
March
- 1 - Next Level Pro Wrestling was founded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
April
May
June
August
- 31 - Ownership of the National Wrestling Alliance brand and trademarks passes from previous owner Pro Wrestling Organization LLC to a new company, International Wrestling Corporation LLC.
September
- As a result of the change of ownership of the NWA to the International Wrestling Corporation, several promotions previously affiliated with the NWA, including Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, Pro Wrestling Revolution, Wisconsin Pro Wrestling and Mach-One Pro Wrestling, withdraw their memberships and leave the NWA. The affected promotions' decision to terminate their NWA memberships stemmed from, among other issues, not being happy with certain terms and conditions contained in new licensee agreements sent out to NWA members and associate promotions.
- 10 - During a live telecast of Monday Night RAW, color commentator Jerry Lawler suffers a legitimate heart attack, while helping Michael Cole call a match between Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) and The Prime Time Players. Cole summoned paramedics to the announcer's table when Lawler missed a cue, and the only deviation from the planned match was referee Charles Robinson and wrestler Titus O'Neill signaling for aid after observing what was going on at ringside. Cole, immediately scrapping his heel persona, provides live updates and wishes Lawler a speedy recovery, and is able to tell the audience that Lawler had been revived, was on his way to the hospital and was receiving the best care. (Incidentally, Lawler had wrestled earlier in the evening and had not complaining of illness before collapsing.) Lawler undergoes an angioplasty the next day and a week later returns home; he will return to work in mid-November. The situation makes national news, and Cole -- falling back on his days as a reporter for CNN -- is lauded for his expertise and breaking news reporting abilities.
October
- NWA All Star Wrestling (not the long-defunct Canadian promotion of the same name, but a Virginia-based promotion) becomes the latest promotion to drop out of the NWA.
November
- 24 - Right Coast Pro was founded in Newark, Delaware.
December
- 1 - NWA 360 Pro Wrestling was founded in Temple, Texas.
- 22 - Two more NWA affiliates, Coastal Championship Wrestling and Ring Warriors, withdraw their NWA memberships and leave the Alliance
Births
Deaths
January
- 12 - Pablo Fuentes Reyna (car accident)
March
- 2 - Doug Furnas (heart disease)
April
- 3 - Chief Jay Strongbow (injuries from fall at home)
- 12 - Aristóteles Radamés Coccó Flores (spinal cancer)
- 14 - Dom Travis
May
- 26 - Hans Schmidt
July
- Hollie Stevens (breast cancer)
August
- 11 - Red Bastien (complications from Alzheimer's Disease)
September
- 30 - Bobby Jaggers (renal failure and complications from Hepatitis C)
October
- 18 - Brain Damage (suicide)
- 19 - Mike Graham (suicide)
November
- 1 - Brad Armstrong
- 29 - Buddy Roberts (pneumonia)
December
- 22 - Rip Hawk
Debuts and Returns
January
- 2 - Chris Jericho - Return to WWE on RAW
- 6 - Antonio Cesaro - Debut on RAW House show
April
- 2 - Lord Tensai - Return to WWE on RAW
- 2 - Brock Lesnar - Return to WWE on RAW
- 6 - Ryback - Return to WWE on Smackdown
- 29 - Layla - Return to WWE at Extreme Rules
May
- 4 - Damien Sandow - Debut on Smackdown
- 5 - Dave McCall - Made his in ring debut
June
- 11 - Vader - Return to WWE on RAW
- 11 - Vince McMahon - Return to WWE on RAW
- 18 - Mick Foley - Return to WWE on RAW
- 18 - Wendi Richter - Return to WWE on RAW
- 18 - Cyndi Lauper - Return to WWE on RAW
- 18 - Rowdy Roddy Piper - Return to WWE on RAW
- 25 - Chris Jericho - Return to WWE on RAW
- 25 - Psycho Sid - Return to WWE on RAW
July
- 2 - Doink The Clown - Return to WWE on RAW
- 2 - Diamond Dallas Page - Return to WWE on RAW
- 3 - Sgt. Slaughter - Return to WWE on Smackdown
- 3 - Jim Duggan - Return to WWE on Smackdown
- 9 - Bob Backlund - Return to WWE on RAW
- 16 - Rey Mysterio - Return to WWE on RAW
- 16 - Rikishi - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Vince McMahon - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Shawn Michaels - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Triple H - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Billy Gunn - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Jesse James - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Road Dogg - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Jim Ross - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Dude Love - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Slick - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - The Rock - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Stephanie McMahon - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Brock Lesnar - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Howard Finkel - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Lita - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - JBL - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Ron Simmons - Return to WWE on RAW
- 23 - Undertaker - Return to WWE on RAW
- 30 - Randy Orton - Return to WWE on RAW
October
- 14 - Othello - Debuts in Championship Wrestling From Hollywood
- 18 - Baron Corbin - Debut on WWE NXT House show
- 18 - Sawyer Fulton - Debut on WWE NXT House show
Note: There has been 24 jobbers who have lost to Ryback and Jinder Mahal. Click the "jobbers" to see the list.
Debut/Return Trivia
- Ryback is Skip Sheffield.
- Ryback has defeated 20 local competitors.
- Arthur Rosenburg blew out the camera when Ryback threw him at least 7 feet up.
- Danny Lerman actually weighs 143 pounds.
- Chris Jericho returned at the presumed "End of the World".
- It was announced on WWE TV, Brodus Clay was 25-0 since returning to Raw.
- The jobbers that have competed with Ryback all have favorite cars.
- The Brothers of Destruction return
Events
Pay-Per-View Events
January
- 8 - Genesis 2012
- 29 - Royal Rumble 2012
February
March
April
- 1 - WrestleMania XXVIII
- 15 - Lockdown 2012
- 29 - Extreme Rules 2012
May
- 12 - ROH Border Wars 2012
- 13 - Sacrifice 2012
- 20 - WWE Over The Limit 2012
June
- 10 - Slammiversary 2012
- 17 - No Way Out 2012
- 24 - ROH Best in the World 2012
July
- 7 - Destination X 2012
- 15 - Money in the Bank 2012
August
- 12 - Hard-Core Justice 2012
- 19 - SummerSlam 2012
September
October
- 14 - Bound for Glory 2012
- 21 - Hell in a Cell 2012
November
- 11 - Turning Point 2012
- 18 - Survivor Series 2012
December
Retirements
September
- 28 - Kelly Kelly
Title changes
January
- 15 - Primo and Epico defeated Air Boom (Evan Bourne & Kofi Kingston) at a live event to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.
- 16 - Jack Swagger defeated Zack Ryder on Monday Night Raw to win the WWE United States Championship.
March
- 5 - Santino Marella defeated Jack Swagger on Monday Night Raw to win the WWE United States Championship.
April
- 1 - Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXVIII to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
July
- 23 - The Miz defeated Christian on Raw 1000 to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
- 26 - Seth Rollins won a tournament to become the first NXT Champion.
August
- 19 - Antonio Cesaro defeated Santino Marella at SummerSlam 2012 to win the WWE United States Championship.
September
- 16 - Daniel Bryan & Kane defeated Kofi Kingston & R-Truth at Night of Champions 2012 to win the WWE Tag Team Championship
- 16 - Eve defeated Layla at Night of Champions 2012 to win the WWE Divas Championship.
October
- 27 - The NWA World Heavyweight Championship, last held by Adam Pearce, is vacated by Pearce in Melbourne, Australia following the deciding match between Pearce and Colt Cabana in the "Seven Levels of Hate" match series, a steel cage match in Melbourne, because the NWA Board of Directors did not allow Pearce to defend the title in that match
November
- 2 - Kahagas wins a nine-man elimination match to capture the vacant NWA World title in Clayton, New Jersey, last eliminating Damian Wayne. With the win, Kahagas' NWA National Heavyweight Championship is vacated