This third and final part of the Special Fall Edition is dedicated to the memories of "El Gigante de San Lorenzo" Jose Rivera Sr. and "El Niño Travieso" Humberto Garza, who both recently passed away.
Rivera Sr. was a part of WWC Puerto Rico's early years. While teaming with co-Founder and WWE Hall of Famer Carlos Colon. Rivera was a co-holder of both the WWC World and WWC North American Tag Team Championships. Rivera also held WWC North American Championship in the late 1970s, as well as being the father to two former wrestlers, Jose Rivera Jr. and Ricky Roma.
Humberto Garza was a household name in the South of the Border throughout the 1960s and 70s. He was the father of "El Querubín", former WCW Superstar and member of the Latino World Order, the late Hector Garza and grandfather of WWE superstar Angel Garza.
The Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA Championship Wrestling) was formed by Matt and Jeff Hardy in 1997 based in their hometown: Cameron,North Carolina. The Hardy Boyz along with longtime friend, Gregory Shane Helms (The Hurricane) with help from Thomas Simpson, started OMEGA from the ground up with live events throughout the cities of Central North Carolina.
Matt and Jeff set up and tore down the ring for the shows. Matt also helped sewed the costumes for the wrestlers. In its short two year history, OMEGA not only helped launch the careers of Matt, Jeff and Helms, it also helped launch the careers of Shannon Moore, Christian York, Joey Mercury (Joey Matthews), Caprice Coleman, Joey Abs (from the Mean Street Posse in WWE's Attitude Era), Krazy K, Cham Pain, "The Extreme Horseman" CW Anderson and ECW's The Dupps (Mike Maverick and Otto Schwanz).
In October 1999, OMEGA closed up shop. Matt and Jeff Hardy had already signed with WWE, while Helms, Moore and the rest of the OMEGA originals went on to have successful careers of varying degrees. The legacy of OMEGA stayed fresh in the minds of their fans through their reunion shows, from the their January 12, 2000 at the National Guard Armory in Southern Pines, North Carolina, to their Uncommon Passion show produced by Highspots in 2007, to their return in 2013. OMEGA had events in October of that year to crown an all new OMEGA World Champion. In 2016, OMEGA had an event co-produced with Big Time Wrestling and on January 29, 2017 they also co-produced with the OMEGA bowl with CWF Mid Atlantic, where Matt and Jeff in their Broken Hardys persona became the new OMEGA World Tag Team Champions. During their return from 2013 -2017, OMEGA help launch careers of former CWF Mid Atlantic and CWF Worldwide Television Champion Trevor Lee (Cameron Grimes in NXT), Andrew Everett (fka The Chiva Kid), Caleb Konley, Reby Sky and more. As part of Wrestlecade's Tenth Anniversary events on Thanksgiving weekend, OMEGA Championship Wrestling will have their 25th Anniversary Reunion panel on November 27. If you want to relive the moments and be there live to buy tickets call (336) 831-0646.
NWA Lucha Chicago was a short lived promotion in The Windy City owned by Danny Nieves, who is also owner of Puerto Rico's New Borinquen Pro Wrestling promotion and Orlando's Lucha Libre America. NWA Lucha Chicago was a former member promotion of the now defunct NWA Midwest headed by the late Ed Chuman. It began on September 28, 2009 with a show in association with the still functioning Chicago Style Wrestling from the Irish American Center, 4626 N Knox Ave. in Chicago. Then on February 19, 2010, the promotion ran their premier event at the Pierpoint Business Park and had their final live event at the Guerin Prep High School in River Park. In its short-lived existtence, NWA Lucha Chicago (commonly known as Lucha Chicago All-Pro after leaving the NWA) featured Doug Simmons, Nick Cutler, Marshe Rockett, Austin Roberts, former Impact Wrestling and current NWA star Crimson (Tommy Mercer.),former WWC Universal Champions Mecha Wolf 450 (who was the very first NWA Lucha Chicago Champion) and "El Rebelde"Noriega, Shawn Shultz, Marco Anthony (promoter of Chicago Style Wrestling), Acid Jazz and more. Although NWA Lucha Chicago was already closed, the final NWA Lucha Chicago Champion was Bandolero who defeated Ripper at Galli Lucha's Final Culmination event on March 3, 2012 in Elgin, Illinois. NWA Lucha Chicago fans migrated to Galli Lucha, Lucha Libre Total, Chicago Style Wrestling, and the now closed Berwyn Championship Wrestling and Resistance Pro Wrestling.
CWF Mid Atlantic started the Johnny Weaver Cup Invitational Tournament in the Summer of 2004 paying homage to the NWA Mid Atlantic legend who was at the tournament final each year to present the winner of the tournament until his passing in 2008. Fron then until the sixteenth and final annual Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup on August 24, 2019 at the old Mid Atlantic Sportatorium in Gibsonville, surviving family members of the Weaver family presented the trophy to the winner. Just a few months later without warning. CWF Mid-Atlantic shut down, leaving a legacy in which the Tournament paid tribute to a legend of the Mid Atlantic area. Winners from the Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup Tournament were "Dangerous E" Corey Edsel (2004), Jesse Ortega (2005), Gemini Kid (2006), "Handsome" Mitch Connor (2007), Brass Munkey (2008), Kamakazi Kid (2009), "The 1st" Ric Converse (2010), Arik Royal (2011, 2012 and 2019), Trevor Lee (Cameroon Grimes) (2013),Brad Attitude (2014), Roy Wilkins (2015), Nick Richards (2016), Chet Sterling (2017) and "The Southern Savior" John Skyler (2018). Royal won the final Weaver Cup Tournament in 2019, making him a three time winner.
Before IWA Puerto Rico began in 1999, WWE briefly had a development territory on the Island in the summer of 1996 called World Wrestling Alliance. It held only two live events which featured WWE Hall of Famers Mick Foley, the late Paul Bearer, and The Undertaker, current WWE C.O.O. Triple H, and former WWE stars Dustin Rhodes (fka Goldust) and Duke "The Dumpster" Droese. Local talent Puerto Rico had to offer also appeared on the show, from "El Mago de la Maldad" El Wizard, retired wrestler El Rockero and of course:"El Boricua Mayor" Savio Vega, who held WWA Puerto Rico's World and Puerto Rican Championships. They also had stars from the WWC, Fidel Sierra and "El Macho de Siete Suelas" El Bronco#1 (who months earlier lost a retirement vs. deportation match against WWE Hall of Famer Carlos Colon at WWC's 23rd Anniversary Show). Unfortunately, WWA ran out of gas and as fast as it appeared.
Caution Wrestling Federation (Hidalgo, Mexico) will have their final live event, their 15th Anniversary Show on Sunday October 30 at the Tizayuca Municipal Auditorium. Scheduled to appear are: Zoom Driver and Chapulin Negro, Mascara Ano 2000, Mascara Ano 2000 Jr., CWF Intercontinental Champion Herodes, plus the hottest luchadoras from Women Wrestling Stars Mexico and more. Bell time at 5:00 PM (Mexico standard time).
Here are matches and episodes from OMEGA Championship Wrestling, NWA Lucha Chicago, CWF Mid-Atlantic's Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup Tournament, WWA Puerto Rico, the soon to be departed Mexico's Caution Wrestling Federation's 13th Anniversary during the COVID Crisis. and more.
