Pro Wrestling America
Encyclopedia
Pro Wrestling America is 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
and The Lightning Kid
.
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. Among the former students who have appeared for several of these events include Lacey
and Austin Aries
, both being top stars in Ring of Honor
.
, Sharkey was approached by fifteen other wrestlers including The Road Warriors (Hawk
& Animal
), Rick Rude and Barry Darsow
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. and Dale Gagne, the current owner of AWA Superstars, was also involved with the promotion. 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
.
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. 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
. A number of PWA wrestlers often appeared on The Prima-Donns, a longrunning Public-access television
cable TV show in the Minneapolis-area, including Eddie Sharkey, Baron Von Raschke, Nick Bockwinkel
and Jerry Lynn.
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. 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 occasionally toured Japan and the Middle East.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
during the 1980s and early 1990s. Founded and promoted by retired wrestler Eddie Sharkey
Eddie Sharkey
Eddie Sharkey is an American professional wrestling trainer. He is often called "The Trainer of Champions", and has been instrumental in training some of the biggest names in the industry, including the Road Warriors , "Ravishing" Rick Rude, Tom Zenk, Bob Backlund, Jerry Lynn, Sean Waltman, Nord...
, a longtime veteran of the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
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
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
, National Wrestling Alliance
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
and the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
) as well as providing many lightheavyweight and cruiserweight wrestlers with their first national exposure, most notably, Sabu
Sabu (wrestler)
Terry Michael Brunk , better known by his ring name Sabu, is an American professional wrestler best known for his extreme wrestling style...
, Jerry Lynn
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and The Lightning Kid
Sean Waltman
Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...
.
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. Among the former students who have appeared for several of these events include Lacey
Lacey (wrestler)
Lacey is an American former professional wrestler, most known for working with numerous promotions throughout Northern America career such as Ring of Honor, Shimmer, IWA-Mid South, Full Impact Pro, and NWA Midwest. She has also wrestled for Chikara, ChickFight, and was part of Wrestling Society X...
and Austin Aries
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...
, both being top stars in Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
.
History
In 1982, after leaving the AWA as a result of a pay dispute with promoter Greg GagneGreg Gagne (wrestler)
Gregory Alan "Greg" Gagne is a former professional wrestler and the son of Verne Gagne. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he achieved his biggest success as one half of the tag team The High Flyers with Jim Brunzell...
, Sharkey was approached by fifteen other wrestlers including The Road Warriors (Hawk
Road Warrior Hawk
Michael James Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom , with Road Warrior Animal.-Early life:While living in Chicago, Hegstrand met Joe Lauranaitis, who would be later...
& Animal
Road Warrior Animal
Joseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior...
), Rick Rude and Barry Darsow
Barry Darsow
Barry Darsow is a former American professional wrestler who is known as Smash, one half of the tag team Demolition, and as Krusher Kruschev, Repo Man, and The Blacktop Bully...
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
Paul Ellering
Paul Ellering is a retired professional wrestling manager.-Professional wrestling career:Before entering the wrestling business, Ellering was an accomplished weightlifter...
, Tom Zenk
Tom Zenk
Thomas Erwin "Tom" Zenk is a former Mr. Minnesota Bodybuilder, and most notably a American professional wrestler, also known by his nickname Z-Man.-Early career:...
, Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff is a retired American professional wrestler,. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, which was a play on the nickname of fan favorite "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes .Nikita was brought into the National...
, The Destruction Crew
Beverly Brothers
The Beverly Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team comprising Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom in the World Wrestling Federation. They were also known as The Destruction Crew in the American Wrestling Association and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 in the National Wrestling Alliance...
(Mike Enos
Mike Enos
Mike Enos is a retired professional wrestler who wrestled mainly as a tag-team wrestler in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation between 1989 and 2000....
& Wayne Bloom
Wayne Bloom
Wayne Bloom is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, and the World Wrestling Federation between 1988 and 1999....
) and the Steiner Brothers (Rick
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
& Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner
Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...
) as well as Mad Dog Vachon, Bruiser Brody, Larry Cameron
Larry Cameron
Larry Cameron was an American professional football player and wrestler.-Football career:Larry Cameron was born and raised in Chicago. When he was a teenager, he played football in high school and college. He was drafted in the Canadian Football League, where he played with the British Columbia...
often making appearances. Ray Whebbe, Jr. and Dale Gagne, the current owner of AWA Superstars, was also involved with the promotion. 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
Derrick Dukes
Derrick Dukes is an American professional wrestler best known for his stint in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s as one half of the tag team The Top Guns with Ricky Rice. The team was originally made up off Rice and Jon Paul DeMans...
and Ricky Rice
Ricky Rice
Ricky Rice is an American professional wrestler who competed in Midwest regional promotions during the late 1980s, most notably with tag team partners Derrick Dukes and Jon Paul DeMans as The Top Guns in Eddie Sharkey's Minneapolis-based Pro Wrestling America and the American Wrestling...
.
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
Buck Zumhofe
Eugene Zumhofe is a professional wrestler better known as Buck "Rock n' Roll" Zumhofe, wrestling's self proclaimed original rock and roller.-Training:...
, Ricky Rice & Derrick Dukes and The Terminators (Riggs & Wolff) were among those who appeared in the territory. Pro Wrestling America, among other regional promotions such as Georgia All-Star Wrestling and the United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
, also had a working relationship with the Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...
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
GWF Light Heavyweight Championship
The GWF Light Heavyweight Championship was the secondary title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was defended on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN.-Title History:...
. A number of PWA wrestlers often appeared on The Prima-Donns, a longrunning Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV show in the Minneapolis-area, including Eddie Sharkey, Baron Von Raschke, Nick Bockwinkel
Nick Bockwinkel
Nicholas Warren Francis "Nick" Bockwinkel is a retired American professional wrestler. He mainly competed in the American Wrestling Association in the United States...
and Jerry Lynn.
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. 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 occasionally toured Japan and the Middle East.
Roster
|
Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ... Nikita Koloff Nikita Koloff is a retired American professional wrestler,. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, which was a play on the nickname of fan favorite "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes .Nikita was brought into the National... Steve Regal Steve Regal is a former professional wrestler, better known as "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal, who competed in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance and the American Wrestling Association during the early 1970s and 1980s.-Professional wrestling career:Born in Ft... Tom Zenk Thomas Erwin "Tom" Zenk is a former Mr. Minnesota Bodybuilder, and most notably a American professional wrestler, also known by his nickname Z-Man.-Early career:... |
|
Road Warrior Hawk Michael James Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom , with Road Warrior Animal.-Early life:While living in Chicago, Hegstrand met Joe Lauranaitis, who would be later... & Animal Road Warrior Animal Joseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior... ) The Steiner Brothers The Steiner Brothers are the professional wrestling tag team of American brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner... (Rick Rick Steiner Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion... & Scott Steiner Scott Steiner Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order... ) Charlie Norris Charlie Norris is a retired American professional wrestler who competed in North American promotions as well as the World Championship Wrestling during the early 1990s.-Career:... & Derrick Dukes) Ricky Rice Ricky Rice is an American professional wrestler who competed in Midwest regional promotions during the late 1980s, most notably with tag team partners Derrick Dukes and Jon Paul DeMans as The Top Guns in Eddie Sharkey's Minneapolis-based Pro Wrestling America and the American Wrestling... & Derrick Dukes Derrick Dukes Derrick Dukes is an American professional wrestler best known for his stint in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s as one half of the tag team The Top Guns with Ricky Rice. The team was originally made up off Rice and Jon Paul DeMans... ) |
Championships
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Previous champion(s) | Date won | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PWA Heavyweight Championship | Wellington Wilkens, Jr. | August 25, 1996 | Sendai, Japan | |
| PWA Iron Horse Television Championship | The Lightning Kid Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ... |
Derrick Dukes Derrick Dukes Derrick Dukes is an American professional wrestler best known for his stint in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s as one half of the tag team The Top Guns with Ricky Rice. The team was originally made up off Rice and Jon Paul DeMans... |
April 20, 1991 | Mora, MN Mora, Minnesota Mora is a city in and the county seat of Kanabec County in the central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located at the junction of Minnesota State Highways 23 and 65. The population was 3,571 at the 2010 census.-History:... |
| PWA Light Heavyweight Championship | Jerry Lynn Jerry Lynn Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... |
The Lightning Kid | December 27, 1991 | Dallas, TX Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... |
| PWA Tag Team Championship | Thunderblood |
Storm Troopers | January 1996 |