From Alfred Feliciano: At the beginning of 2008, WWE had two development territories, Ohio Valley Wrestling and the then newly formed Flo...
At the beginning of 2008, WWE had two development territories, Ohio Valley Wrestling and the then newly formed Florida Championship Wrestling based in Tampa. The original NWA Championship Wrestling from Florida lasted from the 1960s until 1987 when it was purchased by the late Jim Crockett, Jr and Jim Crockett Promotions. The second version of NWA Florida ran under former NWA President Howard Brody from 1990 until his stepping down in 2002 and 2005, NWA Florida closed its doors for good.
FCW was the training ground for future WWE Superstars who will be called up to the Main Roster be it from either the Raw or SmackDown! brands. Like its predecessors, FCW had live events throughout the Sunshine State as well as having televised matches from the old FCW Arena in Tampa on the old Bright House Sports Network (now Spectrum Sports Network). FCW had its own versions of the Florida, Florida Tag Team, Southern Heavyweight, Women's, Divas and Jack Brisco's 15 Minute Championships.
In February 2008, OVW parted ways with WWE leaving FCW as its only development territory. Current and former WWE Superstars who were a part of FCW were Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose), Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns ,Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan), Drew McIntyre, El Hijo del Medico Asesino (Benicio Salazar) Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, the late Luke Harper, Renee Paquette (Renee Young), "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes, Tonga Loa (Donny Marlow and Camacho), Cinta de Oro (Hunico and the Second Sin Cara) owner of LAWE in Puerto Rico Orlando Colon, Eddie Colon, Serena Deeb, Ivelisse Velez, Paige, Jamie Keyes, Alicia Fox, Maxine (Katrina from Lucha Underground),Bo Dallas, Sheamus, Adam Rose, "El Patron" Alberto Del Rio along with his brother:El Hijo de Dos Caras (Memo Montenegro) and cousin Sicodelico,Jr.(Espiral), Wade Barrett Jake Hager (Jack Swagger),Fandango,Tyler Breeze, Summer Rae, A.J.Lee, The Bella Twins,Aksana, Tamina, Jimmy and Jey Uso, Ricardo Rodriguez,Eric Escobar, Wes Brisco,former WWE Tough Enough winner and WWC Universal Champion Andy Leavine. Shaul Guerrero, Brad Maddox and many more. The staff included Steve Keirn, Norman Smiley and Terry Taylor among others.
WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H along with Vince McMahon decided to close down FCW in August 2012 to be rebranded simply as we all know it today: NXT. With the above mentioned championships retired, Florida Championship Wrestling aired their final televised episode on June 7, 2012 and began tapings of WWE NXT Redemption from the FCW Arena. In 2013, WWE opened the newly created Performance Center in Orlando and the FCW Arena closed its doors for good.
Many loyal fans will remember how this version of FCW through being a WWE development territory made the Sunshine State the hotbed of southern wrestling in the modern era. Championship Wrestling from Florida (under the management of Deep South Sports since last year) has once again starting producing live events. While NXT for the past two years has filmed their television from the Capital Wrestling Center inside the WWE Performance Center in Orlando with WWE NXT 2.0, and the final tapings of 205 Live being renamed NXT Level Up. The WWE development version of the tradition will always be in the hearts of fans who supported it. For more on the history of FCW and NXT go to this link.
Ground Zero Wrestling's next event will be Renacer de Gloria (Glorious Rebirth) from the Victor M. Marchand Arena, Vega Alta, Puerto Rico on Saturday June 18th. Former GZW World Champion Bryan Idol and former GZW World Tag Team Champions Controversial Inc.(Sr.C and Salazar) return to the Island. Below is a special Memorial Day episode from GZW. For matches soon to be announced go to Ground Zero Wrestling's Facebook page.
Waterloo, Iowa's Absolute Pro Wrestling and Tennessee Championship Wrestling will have their Back to School event called Back To School with The King on Friday, August 12th from the Selmer Arena in Selmer, Tennessee featuring WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler with the best talent from both Absolute Pro and TCW combined.
Revolutionary Caribbean Wrestling will have their first live event in over a year. In association with Felix Perez Matias Entertainment it is called Back to the Game from the Cancha Bajo Techo de la Barra, Caguas, Puerto Rico on Saturday July 9th. There are three matches just announced: El Gran Vito will go up against an opponent soon to be named by the RCW Management for the vacant and newly remodeled RCW Puerto Rican Championship, Ponce Superstars: El Indio Baira & BlackSheep (with Lenador Boricua) will square up against El Orfanato Celestial (Jugador 94 and in his debut from the now defunct Liga Mundial Mad Dog Montes) for the vacant RCW World Tag Team Championships, WWC Superstar:Jovan will go up against "El Radical" Kendrick Alma, who is returning after a tour through Texas, for the vacant RCW World Championship. "El Rudo de los Rudos" Axel Cruz will be on hand as host for the event. Bell time at 8:00 PM.
On June 25th, RCW Women's Champion Anastasia Morningstar will be on hand for the event Cold War where Locked Target Wrestling, Ramos Brothers Wrestling and Kaiju Pro Wrestling are in a brand war from the LTW Arena in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Bell time at 6:00 PM.
USWA/Smoky Mountain Wrestling Legend "Dirty White Boy" Tony Anthony will be at the Smoky Mountain Fan Fest on Saturday July 30th and Sunday July 31st from the Gatlinburg Convention Center, 234 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Anthony, now retired from the squared circle, had been very known throughout the southeast over 30 years, winning gold in both the now defunct USWA and Smoky Mountain Wrestling. In early 1991, He and Brian Lee (Chainz from the Disciples of Apocalypse) as The California Studs, won the WWC World Tag Team Championships only to lose them a couple of months later to The Invader #1 and "El Macho de Siete Suelas" El Bronco #1. Then in the Mid-nineties, Anthony did two stints in WWE as both T.L. Hopper and as Uncle Cletus where in 1996, he led The Godwins to win the WWE World Tag Team Championships. To buy tickets for the event go to the Smoky Mountain Fan Fest
Some events for the upcoming weekend....
Friday June 10th
AML Future Stars of Wrestling from the AML Pro Wrestling Training Center, 4421 North Cherry Street
Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Advertised: J.R. Miller defend his Future Stars of AML Wrestling Championship against A.J, Cazana, Star Rider and Gustavo vs Movie Myk and James Ryan, Callis Vane vs Baby Lotion Brown, and more. Bell time at 8:00 PM. Tickets call (336) 831-0646.
Saturday June 11th
River City Wrestling Con and United States Wrestling Alliance Day One from the Jacksonville Fair Expo Center, 510 Fairground Place, Jacksonville, Florida. Scheduled to appear: Tessa Blanchard, Barbie Blank, WWE Hall of Famers:"The Hitman" Bret Hart, Teddy Long, Booker T.Diamond Dallas Page and more. For tickets go to River City Wrestling Con or call (904) 796-8432.
New Era Wrestling presents Turn Up the Heat from the Swann Gymnasium, 1020 Kiker Lane, Jasper, Alabama. Scheduled to appear: "The Prince of Rome" D3, La Sangre and more. Bell time at 7:00 PM for Tickets call (205) 435-3403.
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New Level Pro Wrestling from the JC Arena, 8142 US-31, Hanceville, Alabama Bell time at 7:00 PM
Breakout Championship Wrestling from the Cullman Fairgrounds Theater, 1501 Sportsman Lake Road, NW Cullman, Alabama. Advertised: "Dark Heart" Christian Pierce vs. Adam Priest, Draven Lee vs. Orion Bishop and more. Bell time at 7:00 PM.
All Star Wrestling presents The Bash in Beckley from the Beckley Raleigh Convention Center, 200 Armory Drive, Beckley, West Virginia. Advertised: for the first time ever: FTR (with Dennis Condrey) vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards), Vance Desmond vs. Caz XL, Bryan Myers and Shane Douglas (with Francine) vs. Heath and Rhino, Jessie Bell defends the ASW Women's Championship against Kolbe Max, plus special appearances from WWE Hall of Famers: Jake "The Snake"Roberts, Tully Blanchard and J.J.Dillon, plus the Dwayne Richardson Memorial Battle Royal. Meet and Greet at 5:00 PM Bell time at 7:00 PM. Tickets call (304) 785-0654.
LAWE presents Adrenalina Television Tapings from the Emilio E. Huyke Coliseum, Humacao. Advertised: "El Escorpion" Mike Mendoza vs. Pedro Portillo the 3rd for the Number One Contender Spot for the LAWE World Championship, La Anexion (Angel Fashion and Mark Davidson) vs. El Cuervo de Puerto Rico and Riviero Rivas in a grudge tag match, West Side Mafia ("La Morgue" Morgan, "El Cabro Sucio" Tabu and a Mystery Partner) vs. Los Alacranes (Baltazar Bruno, "El Malquiavelico" Adam Riggs and "Reckless" Harry Williams), JC Jexx and "El Academico" Alfredo Melies vs. Los Judas Melendez, Pulli La Bella vs. Jon Justice, "La Chica de la Actitud" Roxxy vs. "La MAgnificent" Iris Alyster in a Revolucion Femenina match, Athan El Inmortal vs. El 5to Elemento. Bell time at 7:00 PM
New South Wrestling presents Win City from the Sparkman Civic Center 406 Nance Ford Road, Hartselle, Alabama. Advertised: Big Dave,Trevor Aeon, Tyler Franks, Brayden Toon, Hunter Drake and Donnie Primetime in a Sinister Six Elimination match and more. Bell time at 7:30 PM. Tickets call (256) 324-9096.
Control Your Narrative from the Tin Roof, 8371 International Drive, Suite 100 Orlando, Florida. Advertised: EC3 vs. Jake Logan, Adam Scherr and a Mystery Partner vs. AJZ, Ken Dixon and John McChesney. August Artois vs. Dontay Smiley, Jamie Stanley and Tito Valention vs. Ryzin and Man Bun Jesus and more. Bell time at 8:00 PM.
Sunday June 12th
River City Wrestling Con and United States Wrestling Alliance Day Two from the Jacksonville Fair Expo Center, 510 Fairground Place,Jacksonville,Florida. Scheduled to appear: Tessa Blanchard, Barbie Blank, WWE Hall of Famers:"The Hitman" Bret Hart, Teddy Long, Booker T.Diamond Dallas Page and more.
Galli Lucha from Galli Studios 250 W.North Avenue, Villa Park, Illinois. Featuring: former ROH World Champion Bandido, Mr.Iguana, Taurus, Yabo The Clown, Mr. Leo, Aero Boy and more. Bell time at 5:00 PM for Tickets call (331) 444-2554.
Promociones Neza presents the Road to Nezamania 2022 from El Galaxy Discoteque, 5055 Austell Road, Austell, Georgia. Featuring:Los Golpeadores de Mexico (Alpha Wolf and Dragon Bane), AAA stars Diamante Azul, Abismo Negro Jr and Abismo Negro, El Nazareno, and more. Bell time at 6:30 PM. Tickets call (404) 621-0146.
Along with episodes from Puerto Rico's and Southeastern US indy promotions with events from +Mas Luchas YouTube Channel, here are Deportes Con Metal First Wrestling School Tournament in P.R. with the press conference plus a Teacher vs. Teacher match, three special episodes from the old WWE Developmental Territory :Florida Championship Wrestling and the three episodes of NXT Redemption from the old FCW Arena. Enjoy.
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