Pro Wrestling America

Pwcompanybox
name=Pro Wrestling America


acronym=PWA
established=1985
style=Professional wrestling
location=Minneapolis, Minnesota (1985-1993; 1996-present)
founder=Eddie Sharkey
owner=Eddie Sharkey (1985-1993; 1996-present)
Terry Fox (1996-present)
parent=
sister=Wrestle America 2000
formerly=
website=|

Pro Wrestling America was a regional independent wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota during the 1980s and early 1990s. Founded and promoted by retired wrestler Eddie Sharkey, a longtime veteran of the American Wrestling Association and owner of the Pro Wrestling America Training Center, Pro Wrestling America featured many established wrestlers while in between the then "Big Three" (American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation) as well as providing many lightheavyweight and cruiserweight wrestlers with their first national exposure, most notably, Sabu, Jerry Lynn [ cite web |url=http://www.jerrylynn.8m.com/articles3.html |title=Against All Odds, He’s Winning on His Own Terms |accessdate= |author=Laible, Don |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=1999 |month=February |format= |work= |publisher=New Wave Wrestling Magazine |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] [cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/lynn-jerry.html |title=Jerry Lynn |accessdate= |author=Molinaro, John |authorlink= |coauthors=Richard Kamchen |date=2005-06-03 |year= |month= |format= |work=SLAM! Wrestling Bios and Stories |publisher=SLAM! Sports |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] and The Lightning Kid. [ cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/waltman.html |title=Sean Waltman |accessdate= |author=Milner, John M. |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2005-05-15 |year= |month= |format= |work=SLAM! Wrestling Bios and Stories |publisher=SLAM! Sports |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Although the promotion stopped running regular events in 1993, it has held sporadic events in the Minneapolis-area with Sharkey's wrestling school since 1996. Former students Lacey [ cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/lacey.html |title=Lacey |accessdate= |author=Xamin, Mark |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2008-04-10 |year= |month= |format= |work=SLAM! Wrestling Bios and Stories |publisher=SLAM! Sports |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] and Austin Aries, [ cite web |url=http://www.freewebs.com/austinaries/bio.html |title=Biography |accessdate= |author=Aries, Austin |authorlink=Austin Aries |coauthors= |date= |year=2004 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=AustinAries.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] both former stars for Ring of Honor, have appeared at several of these events.

History

In 1982, after leaving the AWA as a result of a pay dispute with promoter Greg Gagne, Sharkey was approached by fifteen other wrestlers including The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal), Rick Rude cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/New111-120.htm |title=Sharkey Mania! |accessdate= |author=Mosedale, Mike |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2000-11-15 |year= |month= |format= |work=The New WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 115-2001 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] and Barry Darsow [ cite web |url=http://www.barrydarsowwrestling.com/Biography.html |title=Biography |accessdate= |author=Campbell, Matthew |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2001 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=BarryDarsowWrestling.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] similarly upset with Gagne over withholding payment and convinced Sharkey to start his own promotion. With Rude, Darsow and the Road Warriors as his main stars, Sharkey was soon able to sign other wrestlers including Paul Ellering, Tom Zenk, Nikita Koloff, The Destruction Crew (Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom) and the Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott Steiner) as well as Mad Dog Vachon, Bruiser Brody, Larry Cameron often making appearances. Ray Whebbe, Jr. [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/New101-110.htm |title=Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling Authors Interviewed |accessdate= |author=Marvez, Alex |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2001 |month= |format= |work=The New WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 102-2001 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] and Dale Gagne, the current owner of AWA Superstars, was also involved with the promotion. [ cite web |url=http://ddtdigest.com/features/alynch/inter002.htm |title=The Second Interview with Adrian Lynch - 12/27/99 |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=1999-12-27 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=DDTdigest.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] Although a chief rival of the American Wrestling Alliance during the late 1980s, Sharkey and Gagne eventually agreed to a talent exchange deal between the two promotions. A number of PWA veterans were brought into the AWA during its last years including Derrick Dukes and Ricky Rice. [ cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/tv_reports/76288/411%5C%5Cs-AWA-on-ESPN-Classic-Report-05.22.08.htm |title=411's AWA on ESPN Classic Report 05.22.08 |accessdate= |author=Harrison, Ricky |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2008-05-22 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=411mania.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

In 1986, Eddie Sharkey and promoter Don Condello worked out an agreement for PWA wrestlers to appear in televised wrestling events in central Canada. Chris Markoff, Buck Zumhofe, Ricky Rice & Derrick Dukes and The Terminators (Riggs & Wolff) were among those who appeared in the territory. [ cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBios/condello.html |title=SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Tony Condello |accessdate= |author=May, Vern |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=SLAM! Sports |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] Pro Wrestling America, among other regional promotions such as Georgia All-Star Wrestling and the United States Wrestling Association, also had a working relationship with the Global Wrestling Federation during its last years and allowed its own wrestlers compete in GWF tournaments and other events. Jerry Lynn and The Lightning Kid, two of the promotion's top light heavyweight wrestlers, faced each other in a match to crown the first GWF Light Heavyweight Championship. [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/Nos.759-762.htm |title=Global Wrestling Federation - An Introduction |accessdate= |author=Speed, Steve |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2000 |month= |format= |work=The WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 762 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] A number of PWA wrestlers often appeared on "The Prima-Donns", a longrunning cable access show in the Minneapolis-area, including Eddie Sharkey, Baron Von Raschke, Nick Bockwinkel and Jerry Lynn. [ cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/09/20/1227421.html |title=SLAM! Wrestling: The Prima-Donns body slam cable access television |accessdate= |author=McNamara, Andy |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2005-09-28 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=SLAM! Sports |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Several interpromotional events with the National Wrestling Federation were held during the late-1980s. Shawn "Crusher" Crossen, founder of the National Wrestling Federation, made his professional debut in the promotion in 1990. Although becoming the first ever PWA Middleweight Champion, a falling out between Crossen and Sharkey caused Crossen to leave the promotion and retire with the title. [Crossen, Shawn. "Pro Wrestling Kids' Style: The Most Amazing Untold Story in Professional Wrestling History". NWF Books, 2005. ISBN 1-879000-12-1 (pg. 132-135)] [ cite web |url=http://www.nwfwrestling.net/Crossen.html |title=Crusher Crossen |accessdate= |author=National Wrestling Federation |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work=NWF Superstars |publisher=NWFwrestling.net |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Although Pro Wrestling America was very successful during its early years, despite no access to television or advertising according to Eddie Sharkey, the promotion was the first and, as of 1991, the only independent promotion never to lose money. [ cite web |url=http://www.deathvalleydriver.com/Benaka/Sharkey.html |title=The Lee Benaka Interviews: Eddie Sharkey |accessdate= |author=Benaka, Lee |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=1991 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=DeathValleyDriver.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] The promotion would eventually cease running shows after 1993, however Sharkey once again began promoting in the area with Terry Fox after a three year absence, under either Wrestle America 2000 or Pro Wrestling America, with students from their wrestling camp. The promotion has since occassionally toured Japan and the Middle East. [ cite web |url=http://www.citypages.com/content/printVersion/8750 |title=Ring Around the Wrestlers |accessdate= |author=Zellar, Brad |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=1997-07-09 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Minneapolis City Pages |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Roster

References

External links

* [http://www.cagewrestling.de/?id=8&nr=109 CageMatch.de - Pro Wrestling America]