Mid 20th Century
98-665: The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance ( KSWA ) is a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2000 by Lou Zygmuncik and Shawn Blanchard. KSWA's longtime ring announcer Bobby O purchased the promotion in 2005. It is the only promotion based in Pittsburgh and one of several groups in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area including the International Wrestling Cartel and Pro Wrestling eXpress . It currently operates in
196-435: A bona fide athletic contest or competition. Professional wrestling is not a combative sport. Wrestling constituting bona fide athletic contests and competitions, which may be professional or amateur combative sport, shall not be deemed professional wrestling under this Part. Professional wrestling as used in this Part shall not depend on whether the individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in
294-415: A performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in the 19th century, who later sought to make matches shorter, more entertaining, and less physically taxing. As the public gradually realized and accepted that matches were predetermined, wrestlers responded by increasingly adding melodrama, gimmickry, and outlandish stunt work to their performances to further enhance
392-415: A professional wrestling exhibition. All engagements of professional wrestling shall be referred to as exhibitions, and not as matches. In the industry's slang, a fixed match is referred to as a worked match, derived from the slang word for manipulation, as in "working the crowd". A shoot match is a genuine contest where both wrestlers fight to win and are therefore "straight shooters", which comes from
490-464: A "Mongol," sang "God Bless America" before the event, was interviewed by Koenigs, was a featured guest. In 2017, Bill Eadie (Demolition Ax) wrestled in his last match as a single's competitor, against KSWA mainstay Shawn Blanchard. The contest was for the "Brawl Under The Bridge" championship. Eadie received a proclamation from Governor Tom Wolf, recognizing his career, and Demolition Ax won the "Brawl Under The Bridge" Championship. The KSWA Hall of Fame
588-413: A background in authentic wrestling no longer mattered. After this time, matches became more outlandish and gimmicky and any semblance professional wrestling had to catch wrestling faded. The personas of the wrestlers likewise grew more outlandish. Gorgeous George , who performed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, was the first wrestler whose entrance into the arena was accompanied by a theme song played over
686-532: A carny term for a shooting gallery gun whose sights were not deliberately misaligned. Wrestling in the United States blossomed in popularity after the Civil War , with catch wrestling eventually becoming the most popular style. At first, professional wrestlers were genuine competitive fighters, but they struggled to draw audiences because Americans did not find real wrestling to be very entertaining, so
784-519: A central authority. Nor could any of them stomach the idea of leaving the NWA themselves to compete directly with McMahon, for that would mean their territories would become fair game for the other NWA members. McMahon also had a creative flair for TV that his rivals lacked. For instance, the AWA's TV productions during the 1980s were amateurish, low-budget, and out-of-touch with contemporary culture, which lead to
882-585: A champion that Curley put forth: Dick Shikat . The National Wrestling Association shut down in 1980. In 1948, a number of promoters from across the country came together to form the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The NWA recognized one "world champion", voted on by its members, but allowed member promoters to crown their own local champions in their territories. If a member poached wrestlers from another member, or held matches in another member's territory, they risked being ejected from
980-459: A considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence of fans so as not to reveal the worked nature of the business. Into the 21st century, widespread discussion on the Internet has popularized these terms. Many of the terms refer to
1078-496: A degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded kayfabe by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans. I watch championship wrestling from Florida with wrestling commentator Gordon Solie . Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an Oscar . Card (professional wrestling) Mid 20th Century 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling has accrued
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#17327934985531176-404: A distinct vernacular . It has achieved mainstream success and influence within popular culture , with many terms, tropes , and concepts being referenced in everyday language as well as in film , music , television , and video games . Likewise, numerous professional wrestlers have become national or international icons with recognition by the broader public. In the United States, wrestling
1274-410: A fee, a visitor could challenge the wrestler to a quick match. If the challenger defeated the champion in a short time frame, usually 15 minutes, he won a prize. To encourage challenges, the carnival operators staged rigged matches in which an accomplice posing as a visitor challenged the champion and won, giving the audience the impression that the champion was easy to beat. This practice taught wrestlers
1372-405: A legitimate sport. Firstly, wrestling was more entertaining when it was faked, whereas fakery did not make boxing any more entertaining. Secondly, in a rigged boxing match, the designated loser must take a real beating for his "defeat" to be convincing, but wrestling holds can be faked convincingly without inflicting injury. This meant that boxers were less willing to "take dives"; they wanted to have
1470-799: A match against Gus Sonnenberg in January 1929. Bowser then broke away from the trust to form his own cartel, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in September 1930, and he declared Sonnenberg to be the AWA champion. This AWA should not be confused with Wally Kadbo's AWA founded in 1960. Curley reacted to this move by convincing the National Boxing Association to form the National Wrestling Association , which in turn crowned
1568-424: A more literal meaning in those places. A notable example is India's Pro Wrestling League . In numerous American states, professional wrestling is legally defined as a non-sport. For instance, New York defines professional wrestling as: Professional wrestling means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise
1666-440: A new city, attendance was high because there was a waiting fanbase cultivated in advance by the cable TV shows. The NWA's traditional anti-competitive tricks were no match for this. The NWA attempted to centralize and create their own national cable television shows to counter McMahon's rogue promotion, but it failed in part because the members of the NWA, ever protective of their territories, could not stomach submitting themselves to
1764-586: A second fundraiser. December 8, 2012, during the annual FanFest, Bruno Sammartino inducted into the Hall of Fame by owner Bobby O. A few months later, Sammartino was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in Madison Square Garden . Sammartino attended the event along with his friend, Domenic DeNucci , where a record setting attendance of 523 fans was recorded. Tommy Faime, a KSWA "Original",
1862-635: A six-man tag team match at the Joe Abby Memorial Tournament. The tournament also saw female wrestler Donna Christianello inducted into the Hall of Fame; Christianello died a slightly over a year later from complications of COPD . At the same show, then city councilman Bill Peduto declared March 27, 2010 to be "KSWA Day in the City of Pittsburgh." In May 2010, the KSWA experimented with a series of internet TV shows but chose not to pursue
1960-503: A typical American household only received four national channels by antenna, and ten to twelve local channels via UHF broadcasting . But cable television could carry a much larger selection of channels and therefore had room for niche interests. The WWF started with a show called All-American Wrestling airing on the USA Network in September 1983. McMahon's TV shows made his wrestlers national celebrities, so when he held matches in
2058-586: A victory for all the pain to which they subjected themselves. In the 1910s, promotional cartels for professional wrestling emerged in the East Coast (outside its traditional heartland in the Midwest ). These promoters sought to make long-term plans with their wrestlers, and to ensure their more charismatic and crowd-pleasing wrestlers received championships, further entrenching the desire for worked matches. The primary rationale for shoot matches at this point
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#17327934985532156-490: A visit usually, a visit from Santa Claus . This event also hosts "big ticket names," and routinely draws more than 500 people. Fan Fest, which is co-hosted by the Allegheny Holiday Project, is held for local children as a holiday toy drive and has collected an estimated 7,500 toys since 2005. Every September, the KSWA has been invited to Millvale Days, a community street fair held on Grant Street for
2254-440: A weekend. The KSWA performs Friday and Saturday nights on the street, drawing large crowds every time due to the high risk of performing on the streets. The second day, usually a Saturday, ends in a " Battle Royal " where the winner is crowned "The King of Millvale". Wrestler "The King" Del Douglas is the self-proclaimed "King of Millvale" after being the reigning champion of the event for several years since KSWA's first appearance at
2352-436: Is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and showmanship . The staged nature of matches is an open secret , with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless maintaining the pretense that performances are bona fide competitions, which
2450-410: Is a true sport. Wrestlers would at all times flatly deny allegations that they fixed their matches, and they often remained in-character in public even when not performing. When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say the word kayfabe to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present and they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted
2548-556: Is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the Pittsburgh-based promotion Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA). It was established in 2008 to honor wrestlers who have wrestled for the promotion and select wrestling personalities who have made significant contributions to professional wrestling in Pittsburgh and the Northeastern United States. The KSWA Hall of Fame has become
2646-560: Is an annual professional wrestling single-elimination tournament produced by the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) promotion, which has been held since 2008. It was briefly held as a tag team tournament from 2012 to 2013 and as a four-man tag team tournament from 2015 to 2016. It is held in memory of "Killer" Joe Abby, a Studio Wrestling star during the 1970s, who died from a heart attack on November 14, 1996. The Mario Ferraro Sr. Memorial Tournament
2744-532: Is an annual professional wrestling single-elimination tournament produced by the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) promotion, which has been held since 2013. It is held in memory of Mario Ferraro Sr., a local Pittsburgh wrestling fan, who died on July 9, 2013. Every December, KSWA holds its annual "Fan Fest". Comparable to the larger organization WWE 's WrestleMania , it draws their largest crowd and many championship opportunities and feuds build to this event. The event has Chinese auction raffles, giveaways, and
2842-427: Is generally practiced in an amateur context. No professional league for competitive wrestling exists due to a lack of popularity. For example, Real Pro Wrestling , an American professional freestyle wrestling league, dissolved in 2007 after just two seasons. In other countries, such as Iran and India , wrestling enjoys widespread popularity as a genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has
2940-470: Is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain a " gimmick " consisting of a specific persona , stage name , entrance theme , and other distinguishing traits. Matches are the primary vehicle for advancing storylines, which typically center on interpersonal conflicts, or feuds , between heroic " faces " and villainous " heels ". A wrestling ring , akin to
3038-727: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review , and The Wall Street Journal . In August 2016, CBS Pittsburgh named the KSWA among the best locally based independent promotions along with the International Wrestling Cartel, Pro Wrestling eXpress and Ring of Honor . KSWA's "Brawl Under the Bridge II", an outdoor show which took place underneath Homestead Grays Bridge , was covered by ABC News that summer. On July 22, 2017, Demolition Ax wrestled his last singles match at "Brawl Under
Keystone State Wrestling Alliance - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-472: The Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh. The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance was established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by Lou Zygmuncik and Shawn Blanchard in early 2000. Its debut show was held on February 18, 2000, at Peabody High School . The promotion slowly grew in popularity during the next few years. Bill Peduto , the mayor of Pittsburgh , has attended KSWA events. In 2005, the promotion
3234-624: The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board that professional wrestling is not a real sport because its matches have predetermined outcomes. Shortly thereafter, New Jersey deregulated professional wrestling. The WWF then rebranded itself as a " sports entertainment " company. In the early years of the 20th century, the style of wrestling used in professional wrestling matches was catch wrestling . Promoters wanted their matches to look realistic and so preferred to recruit wrestlers with real grappling skills. In
3332-562: The Pittsburgh metropolitan area . The year 2006 began a turning point for the KSWA. Early in 2006, the City Paper featured the group once again, interviewing several fans. All told the paper how much they enjoyed the show after moving in from other areas. 2006 featured 13 cards , including "Clash Against Cancer" that drew more than 300 people the KSWA Arena to benefit cancer research. Quickly following that, more than 320 fans attended
3430-810: The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame was announced, then in Amsterdam, New York . City Councilman Bill Peduto proclaimed December 3, 2011 as "Dominic DeNucci Day" in the City of Pittsburgh with an emotional bond to Studio Wrestling and his grandfather. Later that night, several attendees to the roast appeared at Fan Fest; Including DeNucci, Irish Davey O'Hannon, "Pretty Boy" Larry Sharpe , and Cody Michaels . "The Battman" Tony Marino made an appearance as well, restarting Lord Zoltan and Justin Sane's team "Party Gras" match, causing them to remain
3528-557: The independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in the United States , Mexico , Japan , and northwest Europe (the United Kingdom , Germany/Austria and France ), which have each developed distinct styles, traditions, and subgenres within professional wrestling. Professional wrestling has developed its own culture and community , including
3626-431: The spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from the competitive sport to become an artform and genre of sports entertainment . Professional wrestling is performed around the world through various " promotions ", which are roughly analogous to production companies or sports leagues . Promotions vary considerably in size, scope, and creative approach, ranging from local shows on
3724-417: The "Mario Ferraro Sr. Memorial Tournament". In the tag team main event of this tournament, titleholders Kris Kash and Shane Starr were accompanied to the ring by the manager of champions J. J. Dillon . However, as is customary for Dillon, the leader of The Four Horsemen , he turned on his team and hit one in the head with his loafer , then watched as Blanchard and Martin won the tag team championship. During
3822-584: The 1920s, a group of wrestlers and promoters known as the Gold Dust Trio introduced moves which have since become staples of the mock combat of professional wrestling, such as body slams, suplexes , punches, finishing moves, and out-of-ring count-outs. By the early 1930s, most wrestlers had adopted personas to generate public interest. These personas could broadly be characterized as either faces (likeable) or heels (villainous). Native Americans, cowboys, and English aristocrats were staple characters in
3920-400: The 1930s and 1940s. Before the age of television, some wrestlers played different personas depending on the region they were performing in. This eventually came to an end in the age of national television wrestling shows, which forced wrestlers to stick to one persona. Wrestlers also often used some sort of gimmick, such as a finishing move, eccentric mannerisms, or out-of-control behavior (in
4018-509: The 1990s, WCW became a credible rival to the WWF, but by end it suffered from a series of creative missteps that led to its failure and purchase by the WWF. One of its mistakes was that it diminished the glamor of its World Heavyweight Championship . Between January 2000 and March 2001, the title changed hands eighteen times, which sapped fan enthusiasm, particularly for the climactic pay-per-view matches. In professional wrestling, two factors decide
Keystone State Wrestling Alliance - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-405: The 2nd Annual FanFest and Toy Drive. Organizers believe that this is the first time in which attendance topped 300 for two consecutive KSWA events. "Battle Bowl" was introduced in January 2007. The annual Battle Royal event, brings in current and former, as well as surprise participants. Anthony Alexander won this first event, and quickly made the event a staple of the KSWA yearly rotation. During
4214-561: The Allegheny Holiday Project, is held for local children as a holiday toy drive and has collected an estimated 7,500 toys since 2005. Another annual event, "Brawl Under the Bridge", was started in the summer of 2015 as a benefit show for children in Allegheny County. Both active and former members are listed under the "All Time K.S.W.A Megastar Roster" on the KSWA website. HOF indicates Hall of Fame. The Joe Abby Memorial Tournament
4312-653: The Atlantic Athletic Corporation (AAC). The AAC shut down in 1960. In 1958, Omaha promoter and NWA member Joe Dusek recognized Verne Gagne as the world champion without the approval of the NWA. Gagne asked for a match against the recognized NWA champion Pat O'Connor. The NWA refused to honor the request, so Gagne and Minneapolis promoter Wally Karbo established the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This AWA should not be confused with Paul Bowser's AWA, which ceased operations just two months prior. Gagne's AWA operated out of Minnesota . Unlike
4410-658: The Bridge III". The organization held six more events after its debut and saw the heavyweight title change hand twice between Skippy Hawke and Shawn Blanchard later in the year. Most of these events were in Bloomfield, at the Bloomfield VFW, where their fan base began to build. The promotion expanded its area of influence within the city. On August 26, 2000 the KSWA began running events in Lawrenceville, at
4508-716: The Candlelight Lounge. On August 14, 2004, with an established fan base, KSWA found a home in the Lawrenceville Moose Lodge which was dubbed the "KSWA Arena". In August 2005, "The Front" was the first media exposure for the organization, which focused on Anthony Alexander's victory over Biker Al for the Golden Triangle Championship. Later the same year, KSWA made its first appearance at Millvale days in September. The previous year, Hurricane Ivan severely flooded and damaged
4606-486: The Heavyweight Championship. The KSWA held 14 events in 2008, including, on March 29, the first Joe Abby Memorial Tournament. It was named in honor of "Killer" Joe Abby, a mainstay on Studio Wrestling during the 1960s and 1970s. The Joe Abby Tournament became a way of honoring Pittsburgh's contributions to the pro wrestling industry, and saw Abby and Frank Durso, another Studio Wrestling regular, as
4704-569: The KSWA Arena, nearing the building's permissible capacity to see a glimpse of George "The Animal" Steele. Tony Norman, columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , appeared as a guest ring announcer along with Lanny Frattare . The Post-Gazette included an article written by Norman, detailing his experience. Earlier in the day, KSWA owners and wrestlers attended a roast of Dominic DeNucci in Greentree, PA as his induction into
4802-468: The KSWA debuted in the " Teamster Temple ", on Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. This time the group was there to help raise funds for the St John Neuman's Catholic School. Which would be a taste of events to come. The same month, Demolition Ax re-appeared with his Demolition partner, Smash , to face off against the reigning Tag Team Champions, Lou Martin and Shawn Blanchard. They won
4900-923: The KSWA held its 200th event. On September 10, 2016, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey presented the promoters with a special certificate recognizing the KSWA as the "longest-running professional wrestling organization in the city's history". It was similarly honored by Governor Tom Wolf . After the February 22, 2020 match, all subsequent KSWA events were cancelled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and Governor Tom Wolf's executive shut down order. Outdoor events resumed on May 14, 2021. The promotion has long been involved with both Pittsburgh-based and international charity organizations. KSWA typically runs 15 shows for charity each year. Its shows have raised money for cystic fibrosis research, volunteer fire departments and local food banks . KSWA's year-end "Fan Fest" supercard, co-hosted by
4998-551: The KSWA tag team champions. Pittsburgh Police reported to the KSWA that an estimated 250 fans were turned away due to the Occupational Ordinance. Civil Air Patrol 's Color Guard presented the Colors for the national anthem . During the show of November 17, 2012, KSWA held its first fundraiser for Connecting Communities. This organization provides assistance to mentally disabled persons. They would later hold
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#17327934985535096-535: The March 26, 2011 Joe Abby Memorial Tournament, the KSWA inducted Bobby “Hurricane” Hunt and Ron Romano into the Hall of Fame. Before this event, Hunt had been the subject of a feature story in the “New Pittsburgh Courier.” In July of the same year, the KSWA would travel to Plum Borough for the town's annual Community Festival at Larry Mills Park. They were again invited in 2012, but did not perform due to inclement weather. On December 3, an estimated 500-plus fans visited
5194-408: The NWA, at which point his territory became fair game for everyone. The NWA would blacklist wrestlers who worked for independent promoters or who publicly criticized an NWA promoter or who did not throw a match on command. If an independent promoter tried to establish himself in a certain area, the NWA would send their star performers to perform for the local NWA promoter to draw the customers away from
5292-488: The NWA, which only allowed faces to be champions, Gagne occasionally allowed heels to win the AWA championship so that they could serve as foils for him. In August 1983, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a promotion in the north-east , withdrew from the NWA. Vince K. McMahon then took over as its boss. No longer bound by the territorial pact of the NWA, McMahon began expanding his promotion into
5390-401: The arena's loudspeakers, his being Pomp and Circumstance . He also wore a costume: a robe and hairnet, which he removed after getting in the ring. He also had a pre-match ritual where his "butler" would spray the ring with perfume. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon made entrance songs, costumes, and rituals standard for his star wrestlers. For instance, McMahon's top star Hulk Hogan would delight
5488-418: The art of staging rigged matches and fostered a mentality that spectators were marks to be duped. The term kayfabe comes from carny slang. By the turn of the 20th century, most professional wrestling matches were "worked" and some journalists exposed the practice: American wrestlers are notorious for the amount of faking they do. It is because of this fact that suspicion attaches to so many bouts that
5586-561: The audience by tearing his shirt off before each match. The first major promoter cartel emerged on the East Coast, although up to that point, wrestling's heartland had been in the Midwest. Notable members of this cartel included Jack Curley , Lou Daro, Paul Bowser and Tom and Tony Packs. The promoters colluded to solve a number of problems that hurt their profits. Firstly, they could force their wrestlers to perform for less money. As
5684-424: The cartel grew, there were fewer independent promoters where independent wrestlers could find work, and many were forced to sign a contract with the cartel to receive steady work. The contracts forbade them from performing at independent venues. A wrestler who refused to play by the cartel's rules was barred from performing at its venues. A second goal of the wrestling cartels was to establish an authority to decide who
5782-418: The case of heels). The matches could also be gimmicky sometimes, with wrestlers fighting in mud and piles of tomatoes and so forth. The most successful and enduring gimmick to emerge from the 1930s were tag-team matches. Promoters noticed that matches slowed down as the wrestlers in the ring tired, so they gave them partners to relieve them. It also gave heels another way to misbehave by double-teaming. Towards
5880-423: The character in shows must be considered fictional, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers also incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. Kayfabe is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling
5978-512: The commission. The Commission did on very rare occasions hand out such authorizations, such as for a championship match between Jim Londos and Jim Browning in June 1934. This decree did not apply to amateur wrestling, which the commission had no authority over. Wrestling fans widely suspected that professional wrestling was fake, but they did not care as long as it entertained. In 1933, a wrestling promoter named Jack Pfefer started talking about
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#17327934985536076-628: The concept any further. On July 31, the group traveled to Monongahela, Pennsylvania for a fundraiser benefiting a local football organization. Later in 2012 they did the same for the Guyasuta youth football team and cheerleading association in Sharpsburg, PA . On November 6, 2010, the KSWA partnered with the Sharpsburg Volunteer Fire Department as a fundraiser. It eventually evolved into an annual event called
6174-540: The current fashion of wrestling is the universal discussion as to the honesty of the matches. And certainly the most interesting phrase of this discussion is the unanimous agreement: "Who cares if they're fixed or not—the show is good." Newspapers tended to shun professional wrestling, as journalists saw its theatrical pretense to being a legitimate sport as untruthful. Eventually promoters resorted to publishing their own magazines in order to get press coverage and communicate with fans. The first professional wrestling magazine
6272-763: The de facto "Pittsburgh Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame." The KSWA currently has four regular Championship Titles and one annual title. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC-By-SA 3.0 ( license statement/permission ). Text taken from From Butler Street to Wall Street: How the KSWA Became the Toast of America's Biggest Newspaper , Thomas Leturgey, Patch.com. Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling )
6370-405: The end of the 1930s, faced with declining revenues, promoters chose to focus on grooming charismatic wrestlers with no regard for their skill because it was charisma that drew the crowds, and wrestlers who were both skilled at grappling and charismatic were hard to come by. Since most of the public by this time knew and accepted that professional wrestling was fake, realism was no longer paramount and
6468-603: The facade of kayfabe as best as they could. In 1989, Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey government that professional wrestling was not a true sport and therefore should be exempted from sports-related taxes. Many wrestlers and fans resented McMahon for this, but Lou Thesz accepted it as the smart move as it gave the industry more freedom to do as it pleased, and because by that point professional wrestling no longer attempted to appear real. The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that kayfabe still mattered to
6566-478: The fair. Starting in 2015, the KSWA has been invited to Homestead to participate in their street fair, which features the ring set up under the Homestead Grays Bridge , generating the name "Brawl Under the Bridge". The event was featured in a spot on ABC News by Michael Koenigs as he cycled across America. Wrestler Nikolai Volkoff, who began his professional wrestling career in Pittsburgh as
6664-634: The financial aspects of professional wrestling in addition to in-ring terms. Also road agent , producer and coach . Also juicing , gigging , getting color , and running the razor . Also booker and booking . Also going broadway . Also bury and buried . Also championship advantage . Also forbidden door . Also getting the heat . Also lackey or heavy Also babyface , blue-eye (England), or técnico (Mexico). Also playing Ricky Morton . Also hope spot . Also cross-promotion . Also persona . Also jobber to
6762-470: The first place. "Double-crosses", where a wrestler agreed to lose a match but nevertheless fought to win, remained a problem in the early cartel days. At times a promoter would even award a victorious double-crosser the title of champion to preserve the facade of sport. But promoters punished such wrestlers by blacklisting them, making it quite challenging to find work. Double-crossers could also be sued for breach of contract, such as Dick Shikat in 1936. In
6860-534: The first wrestlers inducted into the KSWA Hall of Fame. Blanchard, with Durso in his corner, defeated Kris Kash in the finals of the inaugural Joe Abby Tournament. That same year, the KSWA begin its association with the Lawrenceville Community's yearly “Fireworks Celebration” at Arsenal Park. On December 6, 2008, Demolition Ax was brought in by the KSWA for its third annual FanFest supercard. In
6958-508: The following show in December, which featured "La Lucha" and Justin Sane defeating Del Douglas for the tag team championship. The show continued adding to the now plentiful fan base which was dubbed the "KSWA Krazies" by Ring Announcer Trapper Tom. These "Krazies" began a tradition of donating toys to Allegheny County 's "Holiday Project" campaign. This now annual show was dubbed "FanFest", and has brought thousands of toys to needy children in
7056-610: The game is not popular here. Nine out of ten bouts, it has been said, are pre-arranged affairs, and it would be no surprise if the ratio of fixed matches to honest ones was really so high. The wrestler Lou Thesz recalled that between 1915 and 1920, a series of exposés in the newspapers about the integrity of professional wrestling alienated a lot of fans, sending the industry "into a tailspin". But rather than perform more shoot matches, professional wrestlers instead committed themselves wholesale to fakery. Several reasons explain why professional wrestling became fake whereas boxing endured as
7154-460: The government. They pledged to stop allocating exclusive territories to its promoters, to stop blacklisting wrestlers who worked for outsider promoters, and to admit any promoter into the Alliance. The NWA would flout many of these promises, but its power was nonetheless weakened by the lawsuit. Paul Bowser's AWA joined the NWA in 1949. The AWA withdrew from the Alliance in 1957 and renamed itself
7252-526: The independent. By 1956, the NWA controlled 38 promotions within the United States, with more in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The NWA's monopolistic practices became so stifling that the independents appealed to the government for help. In October 1956 the US Attorney General's office filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court. The NWA settled with
7350-480: The industry was anything but a competitive sport. The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was Jack Pfefer . In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , resulting in a huge exposé. The exposé neither surprised nor alienated most wrestling fans, although some promoters like Jack Curley were furious and tried to restore
7448-496: The industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , maintaining no pretense that wrestling was real and passing on planned results just before the matches took place. While fans were neither surprised nor alienated, traditionalists like Jack Curley were furious, and most promoters tried to maintain the facade of kayfabe as best they could. Not the least interesting of all the minor phenomena produced by
7546-677: The lake. In September, a fundraiser was held in the Ross Township Community Center. Called "Drop Kick Diabetes," the event raised funds for a Diabetic sufferer who had his legs amputated due to the disease. A then-record 406 fans attended the successful fundraiser. An undisclosed amount of money was raised for the man, but with the Chinese Auction and admission, it is estimated to be as much as 14,000 dollars. Another first for regulars occurred in October, when
7644-554: The main event, Ax and Kris Kash defeated "VIP" members Blanchard and Martin. In January 2009, the first sweepstakes was held during the "Battle Bowl". Shawn Blanchard was the winner and received a shot at the World title and will remain the reward for a few years. In March 2009, Demolition Ax made his KSWA return at the second annual Joe Abby Tournament. He was admitted as the third member of the KSWA Hall of Fame by owner Bobby O, however, Ax later lost his match against Shawn Blanchard later in
7742-621: The match, but unable to return, relinquished the titles the next event. The match was featured in Pro Wrestling Illustrated . At FanFest, on December 5, 2009, Dominic DeNucci wrestled Frank Durso in DeNucci's first KSWA appearance. This match was later realized to have featured the two oldest participants professional wrestling history, and was enjoyed by fans of Pittsburgh's Studio Wrestling . DeNucci and Durso would again wrestle against each other in March 2010, as part of
7840-498: The members of wrestling cartels as the champion drew big crowds wherever he performed, and this would occasionally lead to schisms. By 1925, this cartel had divided the country up into territories which were the exclusive domains of specific promoters. This system of territories endured until Vince McMahon drove the fragmented cartels out of the market in the 1980s. This cartel fractured in 1929 after one of its members, Paul Bowser , bribed Ed "Strangler" Lewis to lose his championship in
7938-658: The night. On July 3, KSWA was invited back to the Lawrenceville Fireworks Celebration. "The Latin Assassin" took home $ 5,000 in a "Winner Take All" Battle Royal and Lord Zoltan made his debut in the KSWA ring. Zoltan, a long-time Pittsburgh-area independent wrestler, became one of the KSWA's biggest assets. The following day, the group traveled to Lake Latonka in Mercer County, PA . The event ended with Kris Kash chasing Lou Martin into
8036-437: The platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of the venue, in a format similar to reality television . Performers generally integrate authentic wrestling techniques and fighting styles with choreography , stunts , improvisation , and dramatic conventions designed to maximize entertainment value and audience engagement. Professional wrestling as
8134-717: The promotion's closing in 1991. In the spring of 1984, the WWF purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), which had been ailing for some time due to financial mismanagement and internal squabbles. In the deal, the WWF acquired the GCW's timeslot on TBS . McMahon agreed to keep showing Georgia wrestling matches in that timeslot, but he was unable to get his staff to Atlanta every Saturday to fulfill this obligation, so he sold GCW and its TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). JCP started informally calling itself World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1988, Ted Turner bought JCP and formally renamed it World Championship Wrestling. During
8232-627: The rest of the 2007 calendar year, KSWA began appearing in more Pittsburgh area venues, Hosting a fundraiser in McKees Rocks and appeared twice at the nearby Obey House Tavern in the Crafton Heights section of the city. Several of the personalities also appeared on the "Humanity Matters" local cable TV show in the City of Pittsburgh. Once again, FanFest broke the KSWA's attendance record and ending in Anthony Alexander winning
8330-549: The small community by dumping 11 inches of rain in under 36 hours. Being the first fair post storm, the borough brought the KSWA in for an extra morale boost. WPXI featured parts of a match as part of their rebound coverage; From then on, the KSWA has appeared in Millvale annually in the parade and performing. In November of the same year, the Pittsburgh City Paper now featured a show, bringing in even more fans
8428-440: The stamina for an hours-long fight. Audiences also preferred short matches. Worked matches also carried less risk of injury, which meant shorter recovery. Altogether, worked matches proved more profitable than shoots. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all professional wrestling matches were worked. A major influence on professional wrestling was carnival culture. Wrestlers in the late 19th century worked in carnival shows. For
8526-426: The territories of his former NWA peers, now his rivals. By the end of the 1980s, the WWF would become the sole national wrestling promotion in the U.S. This was in part made possible by the rapid spread of cable television in the 1980s. The national broadcast networks generally regarded professional wrestling as too niche an interest, and had not broadcast any national wrestling shows since the 1950s. Before cable TV,
8624-519: The trial, witnesses testified that most of the "big matches" and all of the championship bouts were fixed. By the 1930s, with the exception of the occasional double-cross or business dispute, shoot matches were essentially nonexistent. In April 1930, the New York State Athletic Commission decreed that all professional wrestling matches held in the state had to be advertised as exhibitions unless certified as contests by
8722-471: The truth, their audiences would desert them. Today's performers don't "protect" the industry like we did, but that's primarily because they've already exposed it by relying on silly or downright ludicrous characters and gimmicks to gain popularity with the fans. It was different in my day, when our product was presented as an authentic, competitive sport. We protected it because we believed it would collapse if we ever so much as implied publicly that it
8820-535: The way of proceedings: the "in-show" happenings, presented through the shows; and real-life happenings outside the work that have implications, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual life events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines of performers, the lines between real life and fictional life are often blurred and become confused. Special discern must be taken with people who perform under their own name (such as Kurt Angle and his fictional persona ). The actions of
8918-420: The wrestlers quietly began faking their matches so that they could give their audiences a satisfying spectacle. Fixing matches was also convenient for scheduling. A real ("shoot") match could sometimes last hours, whereas a fixed ("worked") match can be made short, which was convenient for wrestlers on tour who needed to keep appointments or share venues. It also suited wrestlers who were aging and therefore lacked
9016-425: Was Wrestling As You Like It , which printed its first issue in 1946. These magazines were faithful to kayfabe . Before the advent of television, professional wrestling's fanbase largely consisted of children, the elderly, blue-collar workers and minorities. When television arose in the 1940s, professional wrestling got national exposure on prime-time television and gained widespread popularity. Professional wrestling
9114-483: Was a feature cover story in both The Front and the Pittsburgh City Paper . Tony Norman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that the KSWA was "one of the purest and most entertaining examples of Americana in Pittsburgh". In 2013, Pittsburgh Magazine called KSWA's live events one of the city's best tourist attractions in its "Best of the 'Burgh" column. A year later, the promotion was profiled by
9212-488: Was challenges from independent wrestlers. But a cartelized wrestler, if challenged, could credibly use his contractual obligations to his promoter as an excuse to refuse the challenge. Promotions would sometimes respond to challenges with "policemen": powerful wrestlers who lacked the charisma to become stars, but could defeat and often seriously injure any challenger in a shoot match. As the industry trend continued, there were fewer independent wrestlers to make such challenges in
9310-650: Was previously considered a niche interest, but the TV networks at the time were short on content and thus were willing to try some wrestling shows. In the 1960s, however, the networks moved on to more mainstream interests such as baseball, and professional wrestling was dropped. The core audience then shrunk back to a profile similar to that of the 1930s. In 1989, Vince McMahon was looking to exempt his promotion (the World Wrestling Federation ) from sports licensing fees. To achieve this, he testified before
9408-415: Was something other than what it appeared to be. I'm not sure now the fear was ever justified given the fact that the industry is still in existence today, but the point is no one questioned the need then. "Protecting the business" in the face of criticism and skepticism was the first and most important rule a pro wrestler learned. No matter how aggressive or informed the questioner, you never admitted
9506-417: Was the "world champion". Before the cartels, there were multiple wrestlers in the U.S. simultaneously calling themselves the "world champion", and this sapped public enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Likewise, the cartel could agree on a common set of match rules that the fans could keep track of. The issue over who got to be the champion and who controlled said champion was a major point of contention among
9604-487: Was the first alumnus to be inducted, which occurred at the Joe Abby Tournament in 2013. Prior to KSWA's "Summertime Bruise" 2013, Pittsburgh Magazine wrote an article featuring the upcoming show about their atmosphere. Later in the year, they would also be featured in the "Best of Pittsburgh" for "Best Place To Stand Around With a PBR ." On March 26, 2016, at the 9th annual Joe Abby Memorial Tournament,
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