Mid 20th Century
93-524: Professional wrestling championship NWL Cruiserweight Championship Details Promotion National Wrestling League Date established December 13, 1997 Current champion(s) Blackhawk Date won July 31, 2007 Statistics First champion(s) Fumar Most reigns Hyjinx (7) Longest reign Flex Fenom (374 days) Shortest reign Jimmy Jessup (3 days) The NWL Cruiserweight Championship
186-435: 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
279-415: 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
372-415: 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
465-422: A 4-Way Dance with Jeremy Stoned, Harlen Kano and Blackhawk. Following the match, it was found that Alexander was over the weight limit and was stripped of the title. Blackhawk 4 July 15, 2006 Martinsburg, West Virginia Awarded title when Dexter Alexander was stripped of the championship. Jimmy Jessup 3 July 7, 2007 Hagerstown, Maryland Won title by forfeit when Blackhawk
558-701: A Four corners match. Hyjinx 2 October 26, 2002 Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania Hyjinx and Fumar defeated Flex Fenom and Aidean in a special stipulation tag team match. The Freak 1 November 19, 2002 Hagerstown, Maryland Defeated Hyjinx and Chuckie Manson in a triple threat match. Flex Fenom 4 February 11, 2003 Hagerstown, Maryland The Freak 2 February 22, 2003 Hagerstown, Maryland Nomad 1 March 4, 2003 Hagerstown, Maryland Hyjinx 3 April 19, 2003 Hagerstown, Maryland Jerkface 1 May 4, 2003 Hagerstown, Maryland The title
651-413: 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
744-532: 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
837-519: 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
930-585: 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
1023-531: 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 . Greencastle, Pennsylvania Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania , United States. The population
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#17327940010091116-404: 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
1209-410: 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
1302-548: A large wagon train carrying Confederate wounded. The train, nearly 18 miles (29 km) in length, wound its way through the streets of Greencastle, where a few men of the town attacked the wagon train with axes and hatchets. They succeeded in disabling several wagons before Confederate cavalry chased them away. Following the war, Greencastle grew considerably in the late 19th century during the Industrial Revolution , having several industrial factories built inside
1395-405: 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
1488-799: 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
1581-424: 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
1674-440: 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
1767-516: A three way dance to win vacant title. OGB 1 May 18, 2000 Hagerstown, Maryland Won title via forfeit when Balsamo was unable to appear. The title is vacated on September 1, 2000, when OGB is released from the promotion. Hyjinx 1 September 25, 2000 Hagerstown, Maryland Won a tournament to win vacant title. John Balsamo 3 December 16, 2000 Hagerstown, Maryland Awarded title via forfeit when Hyjinx failed to appear. The title
1860-579: A total of 50 title reigns. Title history [ edit ] NWL Cruiserweight Championship [ edit ] Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes: Fumar 1 December 13, 1997 Moorefield, West Virginia Defeated Shorty Smalls to become first champion. The title is vacated in 1998. Slickyboy 1 September 26, 1998 Hagerstown, Maryland Defeated Mike Gunner to win vacant title. The New Jersey Devil 1 November 8, 1998 McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania The title
1953-503: 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
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#17327940010092046-586: 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
2139-436: 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
2232-410: 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
2325-427: 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
2418-470: 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
2511-548: Is located in southern Franklin County and is surrounded by Antrim Township . U.S. Route 11 passes through the western side of the borough as Antrim Way, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Chambersburg , the county seat , and south 11 miles to Hagerstown, Maryland . Pennsylvania Route 16 passes through the center of the borough as Buchanan Trail, leading east 8 miles (13 km) to Waynesboro and west 10 miles (16 km) to Mercersburg . Interstate 81 passes just east of
2604-756: Is the top professional wrestling Cruiserweight title in the National Wrestling League promotion . It was created on December 13, 1997, when Fumar defeated Shorty Smalls in Moorefield, West Virginia to become the first champion. The title is defended primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast , most often in Hagerstown, Maryland , but also in Pennsylvania and West Virginia . There are 16 recognized known champions with
2697-995: Is vacated in May 2003 when Jerkface suffers an injury. OGB 2 May 20, 2003 Hagerstown, Maryland Won battle royal for vacant title. Hyjinx 4 June 20, 2003 Martinsburg, Pennsylvania Defeated OGB and Nomad in a three way dance. OGB 3 July 29, 2003 Awarded title by forfeit when Hyjinx failed to appear. Hyjinx 5 October 4, 2003 Defeated OGB, John Balsamo and Fumar in Four Corners match. OGB 4 October 18, 2003 Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Hyjinx 6 November 15, 2003 Newville, Pennsylvania Defeated OGB, Chad Bowman, and Brandon Mercury in Four Corners match. OGB 5 December 13, 2003 Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chad Bowman 1 February 14, 2004 Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania The title
2790-505: Is vacated in May 2005. Jerkface 2 May 21, 2005 Newville, Pennsylvania Won a tag team elimination match. "Jackpot" Jimmy Jessup 1 August 6, 2005 Hagerstown, Maryland Defeated Jerkface, Stefan Slayter and Jeremy Stoned in a 4-Way Dance. Doken 1 August 9, 2005 Hagerstown, Maryland Won title by forfeit when Jimmy Jessup failed to appear. Jerkface 3 September 10, 2005 Waynesboro, Pennsylvania The title
2883-502: Is vacated on April 1, 2006, when Blackhawk is unable to compete due to injury. Chris Cline 2 April 1, 2006 Hagerstown, Maryland Defeated Jeremy Stoned, Tommy Mandrake and The Freak in a 4 Way Dance to win the vacant title. Blackhawk 3 April 8, 2006 Hagerstown, Maryland Won in a "No Count Out - No DQ" match. The title is vacated on June 17, 2006. Dexter Alexander 1 July 15, 2006 Martinsburg, West Virginia Won title in
NWL Cruiserweight Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-434: Is vacated on December 17, 2005, when Chucky Manson retired. Blackhawk 1 December 17, 2005 Martinsburg, West Virginia Won battle royal. Chris Cline 1 January 21, 2006 Hagerstown, Maryland Crazy Shea 1 March 7, 2006 Hagerstown, Maryland Won title in a Best of 3 Falls match. Blackhawk 2 March 21, 2006 Hagerstown, Maryland The title
3069-517: Is vacated on March 16, 2001. Chuckie Manson 1 March 29, 2001 Cumberland, Maryland Defeated Blackhawk in a singles match to win the vacant title. Flex Fenom 2 June 16, 2001 Hagerstown, Maryland "Wild Thing" Adam Brown 1 June 25, 2002 Hagerstown, Maryland Flex Fenom 3 July 4, 2002 Hagerstown, Maryland Aidean 1 September 28, 2002 Greencastle, Pennsylvania Defeated Flex Fenom, Hyjinx and Fumar in
3162-565: Is vacated on March 25, 1999. John Balsamo 1 April 8, 1999 Waynesboro, Pennsylvania Defeated Aidean to win vacant title. Flex Fenom 1 September 7, 1999 Hagerstown, Maryland Paul Beswick 1 October 31, 1999 Hagerstown, Maryland Awarded title via forfeit when Flex Fenom failed to appear. The title is vacated in December 1999. John Balsamo 2 January 4, 2000 Hagerstown, Maryland Defeated OGB and Hyjinx in
3255-448: Is vacated on March 6, 2004, when Chad Bowman is stripped of the title for missing a scheduled title defense. Hyjinx 7 March 9, 2004 Newville, Pennsylvania Defeated OGB in a Best of 3 Falls match to win vacant title. Chad Bowman 2 July 17, 2004 Martinsburg, West Virginia Won title in a No Disqualification match. Fumar 2 April 2, 2005 Hagerstown, Maryland The title
3348-464: Is vacated on September 15, 2005. Jimmy Jessup 2 October 15, 2005 Martinsburg, West Virginia Defeated Robbie Paige, Dr. Spider and Harlen Kano in a 4-Way Dance to win the vacant title. Ian Decay 1 October 18, 2005 Hagerstown, Maryland Chuckie Manson 2 November 19, 2005 Newville, Pennsylvania Won in Title vs. Title match. The title
3441-571: The Battle of Gettysburg in neighboring Adams County , Captain Ulric Dahlgren 's Federal cavalry patrol galloped into Greencastle's town square, where they surprised and captured several Confederate cavalrymen carrying vital correspondence from Richmond . After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee's army began its retreat to Virginia on July 4 and 5. He sent John D. Imboden 's cavalry to escort
3534-526: The Civil War , Greencastle and neighboring Franklin County communities raised the 126th Pennsylvania Infantry . In the summer of 1863, the war touched close to home when Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia invaded southern Pennsylvania during the Gettysburg Campaign . From mid-June to early July, those residents of Greencastle who had not fled to safety lived under Confederate rule. On July 2, concurrent with
3627-624: 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
3720-532: The census of 2000, there were 3,722 people, 2,661 households, and 1,036 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,371.0 people per square mile (915.3/kmB2). There were 21,748 housing units at an average density of 1,113.5 per square mile (429.9/kmB2). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.72% White , 1.34% African American , 0.19% Native American , 0.62% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 0.35% from other races , and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of
3813-557: 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
NWL Cruiserweight Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-431: 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
3999-584: 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
4092-400: 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
4185-509: 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
4278-653: 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
4371-600: The Barkdoll House. The town was named after Greencastle, County Antrim , Northern Ireland . It was originally composed of 246 lots. By 1790 there were about 60 houses in Greencastle, homes to approximately 400 people. The town of Greencastle had grown by the mid-nineteenth century to 1,125 residents. In 1845, following the succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement , Sidney Rigdon (one of
4464-408: 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
4557-488: 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
4650-590: The Old Home Week celebration of 1923. The town's other local park—Antrim Township Park, a park with trails connecting to Martin's Mill Bridge—opened in the early 2000s. Martin's Mill Bridge underwent a million dollar repair in 2016 to preserve the structure of the bridge while reducing and protecting against weather and decay. The efforts received the Abba G. Lichtenstein Medal for artistic merit and innovation for
4743-401: 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
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#17327940010094836-418: 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
4929-561: 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
5022-407: The average family size was 2.83. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 4.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 46, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. The median income for a household in the borough
5115-551: The borough limits, with access from Exit 3 (US-11) to the south and Exit 5 (PA 16) to the east. I-81 leads northeast 64 miles (103 km) to Harrisburg and south past Hagerstown 53 miles (85 km) to Winchester, Virginia . According to the United States Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km ), all land. As of the Census, of 2010, there were 3,996 people. As of
5208-424: 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
5301-418: 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
5394-423: 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
5487-512: 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
5580-652: The construction of a temple. The Rigdonite Mormon settlement at Greencastle only lasted a few years; some former Rigdon followers went to Utah to join Brigham Young, while William Bickerton , who had opposed Rigdon's move to Greencastle, would eventually reorganize the remaining Pennsylvania branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in Pittsburgh as the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) . Early in
5673-540: 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
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#17327940010095766-405: 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
5859-603: 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
5952-470: 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
6045-610: 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
6138-460: 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
6231-526: 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
6324-480: 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
6417-496: 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
6510-498: 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
6603-489: The next one will be in 2025. The Greencastle Historic District , Mitchell-Shook House , and Martin's Mill Bridge are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Greencastle contains many Christian church congregations with longstanding heritage and rich history. The present-day Methodist church has origins dating back to 1805 when Christian Newcomer conducted services in the area. Greencastle
6696-580: The original on 2005-02-16 . Retrieved 2010-05-04 . Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NWL_Cruiserweight_Championship&oldid=1240763963 " Category : Cruiserweight wrestling championships Hidden categories: CS1 German-language sources (de) Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling )
6789-652: The original on 2008-06-26 . Retrieved 2010-05-04 . ^ "NWL Cruiserweight Championship history" . Cagematch.de (in German) . Retrieved 2010-05-04 . ^ Tsakiries, Phil (2004). "NWL/HoPWF Luchadore Title History" . Solie's Title Histories . Solie.org . Retrieved 2010-05-04 . ^ "NWL/HoPWF Luchadore Champion" . National Wrestling League . Archived from
6882-437: 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
6975-410: The population. There were 1,661 households, out of which 11.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 70 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.87, and
7068-717: 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
7161-493: The restoration of the bridge. Beside the Greencastle-Antrim School District's campus lies Tayamentasachta or the "school farm." Originally, this was purchased with the intent of expanding the school, but the district decided instead to renovate and utilize the farm for student and community learning. The farm was officially named Tayamentasachta in 1970, which was the traditional Indian name for
7254-440: 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
7347-426: 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,
7440-662: The three main contenders along with James Strang and Brigham Young for leadership of the Latter Day Saints following the death of Joseph Smith ) took his followers to Pennsylvania and formed a Rigdonite Mormon settlement at Greencastle. This settlement had approximately 200 followers. They founded the New Jerusalem settlement between Greencastle and Mercersburg , published the Conochoheague Herald newspaper in Greencastle, and made plans for
7533-587: The town limits, including the Crowell Manufacturing Company, which constructed farming equipment. In 1902, Greencastle businessman Philip Baer began a tradition where the town holds a triennial social event known as " Old Home Week ". Every three years, Greencastle townspeople and former residents come together for one week in August in a town-wide reunion to reminisce and fellowship. The most recent Old Home Week Celebration occurred in 2022;
7626-519: 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
7719-471: 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
7812-535: 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
7905-420: 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
7998-425: 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
8091-443: Was $ 58,031, and the median income for a family was $ 86,250. Males had a median income of $ 35,719 versus $ 44,107 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 42,844. About 8.9% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 21.7% of those age 65 or over. Greencastle is home to Jerome King Park, a playground created by David D. King in memory of his brother for
8184-491: Was 4,251 at the 2020 census. Greencastle lies within the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. James Patton, who came to America at age 17 and moved to North Carolina in 1793, started the settlement of Canogege (spelled "Conegoge" by George P. Donahoo). Patton said in an 1839 letter to his descendants that the place was "settled by a moral and orderly people." Greencastle was founded in 1783 by John Allison from
8277-488: 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
8370-650: 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
8463-415: 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
8556-417: 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
8649-1179: Was unable to compete due to an ankle injury. Blackhawk 5 July 31, 2007 Hagerstown, Maryland NWL/HoPWF Luchadore Championship [ edit ] Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes: Spyral 1 November 1, 2003 Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania Won Royal Rumble to become first champion. Sam Sanders 1 March 6, 2004 Newville, Pennsylvania Crazy Shea 1 May 29, 2004 Awarded title via forfeit when Sam Sanders failed to appear. The title retired on July 2, 2004. References [ edit ] ^ Tsakiries, Phil (2004). "NWL Cruiserweight Title History" . Solie's Title Histories . Solie.org . Retrieved 2010-05-04 . ^ "National Wrestling League Cruiserweight Champion History" . National Wrestling League . Archived from
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