Windy City Pro Wrestling
Encyclopedia
Windy City Pro Wrestling was an American regional professional wrestling promotion based in Chicago, Illinois. Established by retired wrestler Sam DeCero
in 1988, the promotion was one of several major regional territories in the Midwest during the late 1980s, along with Dick the Bruiser's World Wrestling Association
, and among the oldest independent organizations in the United States until its close in 2010.
. With Mike Gratchner, a former promoter and wrestling photographer, DeCero decided to establish his own promotion. Within a year, he had managed to secure investors including relatives, friends and co-workers and held the promotions first event at a South Side nightspot featuring Steve Regal
against Paul Christy
in the main event on January 30, 1988. The event, which was attended by 160 people, was successful, and soon the promotion began holding events in similar venues offering to hold cards ranging from $3,500 to $9,500.
DeCero soon began running televised wrestling events with then-22-year-old Paul Heyman
, who was also working for Southeastern promotions Southern Championship Wrestling
and the Continental Wrestling Federation. Their events were held at DaVinci Manor and the International Amphitheater, which later aired on WMBD-TV
. During the summer, the promotion saw serious losses due to poor attendance, including losing $10,000 at a show in Rockford, Illinois
and between $12,000-13,000 at the International Amphitheater. In September, despite drawing a large crowd at a card featuring Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy
and Bam Bam Bigalow in the main event, the promotion still lost money.
Eventually recovering after additional funding by his investors, within four years, the promotion operated two training facilities and had a weekly half hour television show airing on SportsChannel. They also participated in several fundraisers for charity organizations including Toys for Tots
, Muscular Dystrophy
, Maryville City for Youth and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
During the late 1980s, the promotion featured many popular wrestlers of the era including Dick Murdoch
, Shigeri Akabane
, Dennis Condrey
, Steve Regal
, and George Ringo, who acted as honorary commissioner. Prior to his death in Puerto Rico
, Bruiser Brody had been scheduled to face Nord the Barbarian
at the International Amphitheater in Chicago, Illinois on August 12, 1988. Other mainstays included "Mean" Mike Anthony, Trevor Blanchard, Rockin' Randy, Tony Montana, and The Power Twins (Larry & David Sontag).
a "Lifetime Service to Sport Award" on May 16, 1995. The promotion also began holding events in smaller venues outside the Chicago-area such the Hammond Civic Center
in Hammond, Indiana
and Hempstead High School
in Dubuque, Iowa
in February 1996. In September, the promotion became involved in a nine-month legal dispute with Ted Turner
's World Championship Wrestling
regarding trademark infringement
over use of the WCW acronym. The matter was settled out of court, and in late 1997, the promotion was renamed Windy City Pro Wrestling.
, Sosay
, Kevin Quinn
, Christopher Daniels
, "Tenacious" Terry Allen, Steve Boz, Brandon Bishop, Vic Capri, and Jayson Reign emerged from the promotion during the late 1990s and early 2000s. During the last several years, independent wrestlers such as Colt Cabana, Abyss and Austin Aries
among others have made appearances in the promotion as have WWF veterans King Kong Bundy
, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
, and Jerry "The King" Lawler
.
In August 1999, the promotion began broadcasting live events via the internet
through the website LiveOnTheNet.com
as part of its Sunday afternoon sports lineup featuring Mike Anthony, "Tenacious" Terry Allen, Ripper Manson, Stone Manson, Steve Boz, Willie "Da Bomb" Richardson, Sgt. Storm, The Outfit, Lips Manson and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
The promotion remained popular with Chicago wrestling fans favoring its "old school" wrestling approach unlike "sports entertainment
" based promotions such as the World Wrestling Federation
, and it began competing with rival promotions such as All American Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Midsouth and AWA Slam
. Working with its affiliate organization Urban American Professional Wrestling in Chicago's inner-city areas in recent years, its South Side wrestling school was featured on Insomniac with Dave Attell
in 2002.
In 2004, with over 1,000 in attendance at Morton College
in Cicero
for their supercard Battle of the Belts 16 grossing over $15,000, the following year Battle of the Belts 17 was held at the Hammond Civic Center on May 17, 2005; shortly before signing with World Wrestling Entertainment
, Rob Van Dam had previously headlined a WCPW event against League Champion "Tenacious" Terry Allen at the building on May 26, 2001 attended by 2,000 fans.
Sam DeCero
Samuel "Sam" DeCero is a retired American professional wrestler, manager, trainer and promoter. He was one-half of the Maxx Brothers, also known as the Wild or World Warriors, with Mad Maxx who together competed in the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Association, winning the...
in 1988, the promotion was one of several major regional territories in the Midwest during the late 1980s, along with Dick the Bruiser's World Wrestling Association
World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
The World Wrestling Association was an Indianapolis-based pro wrestling promotion which was operated by Dick "The Bruiser" Afflis and his business partner Wilbur Snyder. The WWA was affiliated with the larger American Wrestling Association and recognized its champions, though the WWA also had its...
, and among the oldest independent organizations in the United States until its close in 2010.
1980s
After retiring from professional wrestling due to a back injury, Sam DeCero purchased a 95th street garage in Chicago's South Side and began training local wrestlers advertising as far as Hammond, IndianaHammond, Indiana
Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
. With Mike Gratchner, a former promoter and wrestling photographer, DeCero decided to establish his own promotion. Within a year, he had managed to secure investors including relatives, friends and co-workers and held the promotions first event at a South Side nightspot featuring Steve Regal
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...
against Paul Christy
Paul Christy
Paul Christy is a former professional wrestler known mainly for his work in the National Wrestling Alliance and International Championship Wrestling as well as a very short stint in the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-'80s...
in the main event on January 30, 1988. The event, which was attended by 160 people, was successful, and soon the promotion began holding events in similar venues offering to hold cards ranging from $3,500 to $9,500.
DeCero soon began running televised wrestling events with then-22-year-old Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
, who was also working for Southeastern promotions Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (Georgia)
Southern Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Atlanta, Georgia by Jerry Blackwell and operated from 1988 to 1990, and was continued by his successor, Joe Pedicino, who ran the promotion as Georgia All-Star Wrestling for another year.Though short-lived,...
and the Continental Wrestling Federation. Their events were held at DaVinci Manor and the International Amphitheater, which later aired on WMBD-TV
WMBD-TV
WMBD-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central Illinois licensed to Peoria. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 30 from a transmitter on Pinecrest Drive in Groveland Township's East Peoria section. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 7 and in...
. During the summer, the promotion saw serious losses due to poor attendance, including losing $10,000 at a show in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
and between $12,000-13,000 at the International Amphitheater. In September, despite drawing a large crowd at a card featuring Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy
Terry Gordy
Terry Ray 'Bam Bam' Gordy, Sr. was a professional wrestler who was best known in North America for being a member of the Fabulous Freebirds.-Career:...
and Bam Bam Bigalow in the main event, the promotion still lost money.
Eventually recovering after additional funding by his investors, within four years, the promotion operated two training facilities and had a weekly half hour television show airing on SportsChannel. They also participated in several fundraisers for charity organizations including Toys for Tots
Toys for Tots
Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which donates toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947 by reservist Major William L...
, Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
, Maryville City for Youth and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
During the late 1980s, the promotion featured many popular wrestlers of the era including Dick Murdoch
Dick Murdoch
Hoyt Richard "Dick" Murdoch was an American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:A second-generation wrestler, the son of 1950s Texas wrestler Frankie Hill Murdoch, Dick Murdoch grew up with fellow second-generation wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, watching their fathers...
, Shigeri Akabane
Shigeri Akabane
Shigeri Akabane , known by his ringname Little Tokyo, was a Japanese professional midget wrestler who competed in North American promotions during the 1970s and 1980s including Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation, most...
, Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey is an American professional wrestler, best known as being one half of the tag team Midnight Express....
, Steve Regal
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...
, and George Ringo, who acted as honorary commissioner. Prior to his death in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Bruiser Brody had been scheduled to face Nord the Barbarian
John Nord
John Nord is a retired American professional wrestler. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.-Career:John Nord started wrestling in late 1984 as "The Barbarian" for Mid-South Wrestling under manager Skandor Akbar...
at the International Amphitheater in Chicago, Illinois on August 12, 1988. Other mainstays included "Mean" Mike Anthony, Trevor Blanchard, Rockin' Randy, Tony Montana, and The Power Twins (Larry & David Sontag).
1990s
Although going into a slump during the early 1990s, its annual Battle of the Belts supercard was aired on SportsChannel on May 22, 1993, and two years later, it presented Sailor Art ThomasSailor Art Thomas
Sailor Art Thomas was a bodybuilder working as a professional wrestler.Arthur "Sailor Art" Thomas was born in Gurdon, Arkansas, as the son of Alfred and Jessie Thomas. Early in his life he moved to Wisconsin...
a "Lifetime Service to Sport Award" on May 16, 1995. The promotion also began holding events in smaller venues outside the Chicago-area such the Hammond Civic Center
Hammond Civic Center
Hammond Civic Center is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Hammond, Indiana. The arena opened in 1938. It is well known for hosting various local concerts, WWE Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, MMA fighting, & sporting events for the area & is the home arena for the Calumet College of St...
in Hammond, Indiana
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
and Hempstead High School
Hempstead High School (Dubuque, Iowa)
Stephen Hempstead High School is a four-year public high school located in Dubuque, Iowa. It is one of three high schools in the Dubuque Community School District, and enrolls 1,824 students in grades 9-12. Hempstead is named in honor of Stephen P. Hempstead, the second governor of Iowa...
in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
in February 1996. In September, the promotion became involved in a nine-month legal dispute with Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
's World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
regarding trademark infringement
Trademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees...
over use of the WCW acronym. The matter was settled out of court, and in late 1997, the promotion was renamed Windy City Pro Wrestling.
2000s
The promotion managed to survive during the decade, and due in part to its wrestling school and televised events in the Chicago-area, several light heavyweight wrestlers such as Ace SteelAce Steel
Chris Guy is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ace Steel. He is perhaps best known for his time with Ring of Honor and occasional appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment, as well as his stint with its Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental territory...
, Sosay
Sosay
Jennifer Elaine Kaiser is an American actress, model, professional wrestler and artist. She is best known for her tenure in Ohio Valley Wrestling under the ring name Sosay .-Early life:...
, Kevin Quinn
Kevin Quinn
Kevin Quinn is a British neo-Nazi and the current leader of the November 9th Society . He lives in Bedford with his wife and children....
, Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
, "Tenacious" Terry Allen, Steve Boz, Brandon Bishop, Vic Capri, and Jayson Reign emerged from the promotion during the late 1990s and early 2000s. During the last several years, independent wrestlers such as Colt Cabana, Abyss 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...
among others have made appearances in the promotion as have WWF veterans King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
Greg Valentine
John Wisniski, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.-Training:...
, and Jerry "The King" Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
.
In August 1999, the promotion began broadcasting live events via the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
through the website LiveOnTheNet.com
Divine (corporation)
divine inc, was a Chicago-based company that started out as an Internet Incubator named divine interVentures. The company was founded by Andrew 'Flip' Filipowski in 1999....
as part of its Sunday afternoon sports lineup featuring Mike Anthony, "Tenacious" Terry Allen, Ripper Manson, Stone Manson, Steve Boz, Willie "Da Bomb" Richardson, Sgt. Storm, The Outfit, Lips Manson and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
The promotion remained popular with Chicago wrestling fans favoring its "old school" wrestling approach unlike "sports entertainment
Sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
" based promotions such as 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...
, and it began competing with rival promotions such as All American Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Midsouth and AWA Slam
AWA Superstars of Wrestling
Wrestling Superstars Live is a governing body for a group of independent professional wrestling promotions and sanctions various championships. It was founded in 1996 by Dale Gagner and Jonnie Stewart.-History:...
. Working with its affiliate organization Urban American Professional Wrestling in Chicago's inner-city areas in recent years, its South Side wrestling school was featured on Insomniac with Dave Attell
Insomniac with Dave Attell
Insomniac with Dave Attell was a television show on Comedy Central hosted by comedian Dave Attell which ran from August 5, 2001 until November 11, 2004. In the typical Insomniac, Attell goes through a particular city at night, starting out with a minute or so of his performance at a comedy club and...
in 2002.
In 2004, with over 1,000 in attendance at Morton College
Morton College
Morton College is a community college located in Cicero, Illinois. It is the second oldest community college in the state. While the campus itself was constructed in 1975, the College was established in 1924. Currently, the college has an enrollment of approximately 5,000 students, about 25% of...
in Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
for their supercard Battle of the Belts 16 grossing over $15,000, the following year Battle of the Belts 17 was held at the Hammond Civic Center on May 17, 2005; shortly before signing with World Wrestling Entertainment
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...
, Rob Van Dam had previously headlined a WCPW event against League Champion "Tenacious" Terry Allen at the building on May 26, 2001 attended by 2,000 fans.
Active until 2010
| Championship | Notes |
|---|---|
| WCPW League Championship WCPW League Championship The WCPW League Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship in Windy City Pro Wrestling . It replaced the WCPW Heavyweight Championship as the promotion's main singles title in 1993, following the creation of its weight-class division, and continued to be defended until 2008... |
|
| WCPW Heavyweight Championship WCPW Heavyweight Championship The WCPW Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship in Windy City Pro Wrestling . It was the original top singles championship for the promotion before the creation of the WCPW League Championship in 1993 and its incorporation into the then newly created... |
|
| WCPW Middleweight Championship WCPW Middleweight Championship The WCPW Middleweight Championship was a professional wrestling middleweight championship in Windy City Pro Wrestling . It was the original secondary title for the promotion before the creation of the WCPW League Championship in 1993 and its incorporation into the then newly created weight-class... |
|
| WCPW Lightweight Championship WCPW Lightweight Championship The WCPW Lightweight Championship was a professional wrestling lightweight title in Windy City Pro Wrestling . It was a secondary title for the promotion before the creation of the WCPW League Championship in 1993 and its incorporation into the then newly created weight-class division as a... |
|
| WCPW Ladies Championship WCPW Ladies Championship The WCPW Ladies Championship was a professional wrestling women's championship in Windy City Pro Wrestling . Originally, WCPW was known as Windy City Wrestling , however, a lawsuit brought by World Championship Wrestling forced the smaller promotion to change its name to "Windy City Pro Wrestling"... |
|
| WCPW Tag Team Championship | |
| WCPW 6-Man Tag Team Championship |
Retired, defunct, and inactive championships
| Championship | Notes |
|---|---|
| WCPW Battle Royal Championship | |
| WCPW Bare Knuckles Championship WCPW Bare Knuckles Championship The WCPW Bare Knuckles Championship was a professional wrestling Hardcore Championship contested for in Windy City Pro Wrestling... |
|
| WCPW Midget Championship WCPW Midget Championship The WCPW Midget Championship was a professional wrestling midget title in Windy City Pro Wrestling . Originally, WCPW was known as Windy City Wrestling , however, a lawsuit brought by World Championship Wrestling forced the smaller promotion to change its name to "Windy City Pro Wrestling" in 1997... |
Lee Sanders Memorial Tournament winners
Between 2001 and 2010, Windy City Pro Wrestling hosted an open-invitational tournament, the "Lee Sanders Memorial Cup", as part of an annual tribute to longtime WCPW mainstay Lee Sanders, who wrestled as Staff Sgt. Storm, in which any independent wrestler throughout the U.S. was eligible to enter.| Year | Name | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Terry Allen | March 10, 2001 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
|
| 2002 | Germel "GQ" Quinn | March 16, 2002 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
|
| 2003 | Baltazar | March 15, 2003 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
|
| 2004 | Mike Anthony | March 13, 2004 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
|
| 2005 | Cassius XL | March 12, 2005 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
|
| 2006 | ||||
| 2007 | Mitch Blake | March 10, 2007 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
|
| 2008 | Steve Boz | March 8, 2008 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
|
| 2009 | Chris Collins | March 14, 2007 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
|
| 2010 | V-Factor | March 27, 2010 | Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
External links
- Windy City Pro Wrestling, official website (inactive)
- World Championship Pro Wrestling at Online World of Wrestling
- Windy City Pro Wrestling Archive