From Alfred Feliciano:
Out of the ashes of ECW's bankruptcy, two new promotions emerged in Philadelphia.in 2002, Ring of Honor and Chikara Pro Wrestling.
Chikara Pro Wrestle Factory was founded by Mike Quackenbush and Reckless Youth on January 7th of that year..Formerly based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Chikara mixed the styles of Mexican Lucha Libre, Japanese and British Strong Style Wrestling. The first class of graduates from the school included UltraMantis, Mister Zero, Hallowicked, Dragonfly and Ichabod Slayne (Icarus). Chikara's first live event took place on May 25, 2002. The promotion itself had both great and dark moments. Their well known events were Tag World Grand Prix in April, Aniversario (Chikara Pro's Anniversary Shows) in May, The Young Lions Cup Tournament and The King of Trios Tournament in September. Chikara had relationships with Japanese promotions Dragon Gate (fka Toryumon), Ice Ribbon, JWP. Joshi Puroesu, Sendai Girls, Osaka Pro Wrestling and Michinoku Pro Wrestling, along with the now defunct Dragon Gate USA and Combat Zone Wrestling. it even had two spin off sister promotions: Wrestling IS Fun and Kiryoku Pro Wrestling.
Major stars that were a part of CHIKARA's History included AJ Styles, Mickie James, Io Shirai, CM Punk, The Briscoes, Jazz,Victoria, Kimber Lee, The Ant Colony (Orange Cassidy, Drew Gulak and others), current WWE superstars and former WWE United Kingdom Champions "The Bruiserweight" Pete Dunne and Tyler Bates along with his partner Trent Seven known as Moustache Mountain in NXT UK, Lince Dorado, Drago, Aero Star, Penta Cero and Rey Fenix, Ruby Soho, Billie Kay, ROH Women's World Champion Mercedes Martinez, OMEGA graduates Cameron Grimes (Trevor Lee), Kaleb Konley and Andrew Everett (Chiva Kid), JJ Dillon, the S.A.T. (Will, Jose and Joel Maximo), New Japan's Chase Owens, Eddie Kingston, The Original LAW (Hernandez and Homicide) D'Lo Brown and Ricardo Rodriguez were among the many more stars who participated in their events over the years. After Reckless Youth left in 2005. subsequent trainers at the school included Jorge "Skayde" Rivera, Chris Hero (fka Kassius Ohno) and Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro in WWE).
On June 24, 2020, Quackenbush closed Chikara amid misconduct allegations stemming from Speaking Out Movement. The school was renamed simply as The Wrestle Factory, now located at 4711 Wingate Street in Philadelphia. You can check out their website to see past events through VOD and purchase merchandise.
UWA Mexico (Universal Wrestling Association) was formed by Wrestler/Trainer Ray Mendoza, Promoter Francisco Flores and Investor Benjamin Flores on January 29,1975 after breaking away from the previously known Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (CMLL nowadays) located at the Naucalpan State. UWA had twenty Years of great moments that defined them as a promotion. South of the border, The company was technically known as Lucha Libre Internacional, but Outside of Mexico it was simply called UWA. Their championships were defended in both in Mexico and abroad. UWA had working relationships with the Verne Gagne's AWA, WWE (through it's Federation years) New Japan Pro Wrestling, and JWP Joshi Puroesu. The UWA World Junior Championship was defended at WWF live events billing it as the Light Heavyweight Championship. Throughout the promotion's glory years in the early 80s, UWA Mexico had ran their major events, especially their anniversary shows at the El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos in Naucalpan, a bullfighting arena that held 25,000 peope. Today the arena no longer exists. At various times, the UWA talent roster included Dos Caras Sr. (father of "El Patron" Alberto Del Rio and El Hijo de Dos Caras fka Memo Montenegro), El Canek, Negro Navarro, El Signo, Villanos 4 and 5. Those who were a part of UWA Mexico that have passed away over the years included El Texano (Father of former AAA Mega Champion Texano, Jr., who appeared in WWC Puerto Rico in 1998.), Villano 3, Perro Aguayo Sr. (Who was billed as the World Junior Heavyweight Champion after beating WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco for the title while being the UWA World Light Heavyweight Champion) and Anibal A number of WWE Hall of Famers made appearances for UWA: Hulk Hogan, Vader, Rikishi, Andre The Giant, Abdullah The Butcher, Antonio Inoki and more.
UWA Mexico had fallen on hard times by the early 1990s. The late Antonio Pena was worked for them and broke away to start AAA. EMLL (CMLL) took a lot of UWA's star by paying them more money. Due to their financial peril, UWA shut down in November 1995. UWA left an enduring legacy as a place where stars get their start in 1980s and early 1990s. Although the promotion has been closed for 27 years, several UWA Mexico Championships are still actively contested in Japanese promotions. Fact: the UWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship was used in Puerto Rico twice. In 1997, it was used in World Wrestling Council then during 2001-2002, in IWA Puerto Rico's early years as both an NWA member promotion and a WWE Development Territory, where that title was disputed with IWA Puerto Rico's World Junior Championship. Those who held the title were: Pablo Marquez, ECW Original: Super Crazy and "El Lobo" Andy Anderson (both men held the title Three times a piece), the late Crash Holly, and Minoru Fujita. The title was merge with IWA Puerto Rico's World Junior Championship 2002, only to be reactivated throughout the Japanese Indy wrestling circuit in 2013 where it held today by Tatsuhito Takaiwa.
Resistance Pro Wrestling was a promotion formed by Jacques and Gabe Baron with now NWA owner Billy Corgan formerly located at Lockport. Illinois (just outside of Chicago), had their first live event, Black Friday on November 25, 2011 from the Excalibur Nightclub in the Windy City. Resistance Pro was the first indy wrestling promotion to follow the guidelines of the Sports Legacy Institute and the Chicago Concussion Institute to have wrestlers checked before and after their matches for Injuries. During the company's six years of existence, a lot of top talent made appearances including Harry Smith, Mecha Wolf 450, Robert Anthony, Melanie Cruise, Rachel Ellering, Kiera Hogan, Sami Zayn (El Generico), Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens), Da Soul Touchaz, Cash Wheeler, Crazy Mary Dobson (fka Sarah Logan), Ivelisse Velez, Rhino, Suge D, Jay Bradley, and many more. In 2014, Corgan left Resistance Pro and it was never the same. The company operated as Resistance Pro for thee more years, then morphed into hardcore wrestling promotion under the name The Resistance. The champions at the time the company ceased activity in 2019 were RPW World Heavyweight Champion, Shane Mercer, RPW Tag Team Champions T.I.M. and White Mike and RPW Women's Champion Roni Nicole.
Here are matches and Special Episodes from Chikara Pro, UWA Mexico and Resistance Pro, plus episodes of AEW Dark Elevation and Dark, from +Mas Luchas YouTube Channel Bandido's Big Lucha and WWS events, CWA's Campeones del Hexagono and La Revolucion Femenina.
