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| Acronym | WXW |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Pennsylvania |
| Founder(s) | Afa Anoa'i |
| Owner(s) | Afa Anoa'i (1996-current) |
| Parent | Top Rope Productions (1996-1998) World Xtreme Wrestling (1998-current) |
| Formerly | Top Rope Productions |
| Website | WXWwrestling.com WXW Womens League |
World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam.
Associated with Afa Anoa'i's Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, among its students who have competed for the promotion include current and former World Wrestling Entertainment competitors Batista, Chris Kanyon, Billy Kidman, Gene Snitsky and cousins Jamal (known as Umaga) [1] and Rosey [2] of Three Minute Warning. Court Bauer, a member of the WWE creative team, was formerly a booker for the promotion during the mid-1990s. [3]
The promotion features in the film The Wrestler, where Mickey Rourke's character "Randy 'The Ram' Robinson" wrestles Tommy Rotten.
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Early history
Originally formed in 1970 as the Trans World Wrestling Federation in association with the original Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center, the promotion's early history is unrecorded however Jules Strongbow and Yukon Jack have both been credited as former heavyweight champions. During the early 1990s, the promotion's roster included independent wrestlers such as such as Bam Bam Bigelow, Chief Dave Foxx, Billy Kidman, Chris Kanyon, Tony Stetson & Glen Osbourne. [4]
Top Rope Productions and World Xtreme Wrestling
Established in 1996 as a continuation of the Trans World Wrestling Federation, continued to be owned and operated by Afa Anoa'i.
In 1998, the promotion held its first live televised supercard Sportsfest '98 in Allentown, Pennsylvania which featured several wrestlers from the World Wrestling Federation including Rocky Maivia, Mankind, Owen Hart, D'Lo Brown as well as former WWF wrestlers Doink the Clown, King Kong Bundy and The Bushwackers. In later Sportsfest's, wrestlers which have appeared include Greg "the Hammer" Valentine, Don Muraco, Tito Santana, Nikolai Volkoff, Kamala, Virgil, Gangrel, Rikishi and Gillberg. Independent wrestlers including "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas, "Big" Dick Dudley and "Pitbull" Gary Wolfe have also made appearances at past Sportsfests.
Shortly after the close of Extreme Championship Wrestling, several former ECW wrestlers including Mikey Whipwreck, Devon Storm, Little Guido, The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer "invaded" Sportsfest 2001 with the Sandman and Tommy Dreamer being defeated by Samu and Mana in the main event.
During that year, the promotion established a women's division with Kattra becoming the first WXW Women's Champion however she would eventually be stripped of the title in March 2001 after failing to defend the championship. Although the title would be won by BellaDonna after defeating Jessica Dally on March 9, the title would again be vacated with the title remaining inactive for several months (the division would again be reactivated following the WXW Women's Elite 8 Tournament in Danbury, Connecticut on September 25, 2002 with Cindy Rogers winning the WXW Women's title in a battle royal at Sportsfest 2003).
Although the promotion had held live television tapings at past events, WXW began airing a weekly television program, WXW Rage TV, in January 2002 featuring a variety of WXW talent, including Afa, Afa, Jr., L.A. Smooth, Showtime Shane Black, Havoc, Nuissance and Supreme Lee Great as well as former WWE wrestlers such as Samu. Rage TV features a rotating commentary team that has included Doc Daniels,The Bald Guy, Ben Miller, Saul Steinberk, Gerry Strauss and Nate Stein. Other independent wrestlers who have appeared on Rage TV include Salvatore Bellomo, Lo-Ki, John Rambo and Slyk Wagner Brown.
In early 2002, WXW promoted its first tour overseas and appeared for U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, including Afghanistan. In August 2002, the promotion held a second tour in Asia and the South Pacific appearing for one month in Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Guam and Hawaii.
In late 2004, WXW expanded and began holding events in Florida near the original Wild Samoan Pro Wrestling Training Center in Pensacola although the promotion later moved back to Allentown, Pennsylvania in January 2005.
WXW now holds all of its events in Florida, and a new branch of World Xtreme Wrestling, called WXW C4 has been created and promotes regular events in Allentown, Pennsylvania. World Xtreme Wrestling C4 is run by Afa's son Samu and Afa Jr. and has also taken the place of the old Rage TV slot with their weekly television show, Blast TV.
WXW events in Florida are primarily located in Leesburg and Minneola.
Roster
Championships
- WXW Heavyweight Championship (1997-current)
- WXW Television Championship (2000-current)
- WXW Cruiserweight Championship (1997-current)
- WXW Tag Team Championship (1997-current)
- WXW Women's Championship (2001-2002; 2003-current)
WXW Women's Tag Team Championship (2004-current)
- Defunct
- WXW Hardcore Championship (2000-2003)
Further reading
- "Wrestler Has Attack In Ring, Dies; Pro Wrestler Gary Albright Suffers A Heart Attack In Match With Bill Owen Of Wilkes-Barre During World Xtreme Wrestling Show In Hazleton". Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. 09 Jan 2000
- "Pro wrestler dies in the ring". Associated Press. 10 Jan 2000
- "Red Lake Falls' Tag Team - Hometown Boys Pin Hope On Pro Wrestling". Grand Forks Herald. 22 Sept 2002
- Duncan, Royal and Gary Will. Wrestling Title Histories, Revised 4th Edition. Waterloo, Ontario: Archeus Communications, 2000. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
References
- ^ "Umaga". SLAM! Wrestling. 2006-04-25. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/umaga.html. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ "Rosey". SLAM! Wrestling. 2005-10-23. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/rosey.html. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ Powell, Jason (2003-40-27). "Powell interviews and profiles latest WWE creative team member, Court Bauer". Pro Wrestling Torch. http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/exec/view.cgi/24/13327. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ Shaffer, Eric. "Top Rope Productions Title Histories". http://www.wxwwrestling.homestead.com/HistoryTitles.html. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
External links
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