United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Acronym | UKWA |
| Established | 2002 |
| Style | British wrestling |
| Location | Merseyside, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire |
| Founder(s) | William Salt, Peter Dickson, Andrew Huntington |
| Owner(s) | Takedown Media 2002-2005, AndiMedia 2005 - Present |
United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance (UKWA) is a British professional wrestling promotion that was founded in 2002.
The promotion would eventually see it's stars rise to the top of the scene by the mid-00's. but would close it's doors in June 2004. However, it's been confirmed the UKWA will return sometime in 2006.
[edit] History
The origins of the UKWA lay in former NWA UK Hammerlock training promotion Elite Pro-Wrestling (EPW) in Sheffield, England. Where workers, frustrated by promises of progress to the Hammerlock main roster that failed to materialise and inability to be allowed to work for promotions outside NWA UK Hammerlock family, banded together to form a new promotion for themselves to advance in: the United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance.
The meeting where this decision was reached happened at 5.00pm, Sunday 22nd September 2002 at the "Banker Draft" Pub in Sheffield City Centre. What was to become known as the "Infamous Exodus" Meeting saw 18 wrestlers, managers and referees attend and decide on the birth of UKWA. The other idea which was suggest during this meeting proposed for the workers all to defect to Drew McDonald's training school in Leeds with the hope of eventually working for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance.
The original financial backers for the promotion where William Salt (aka Will Assault), Glyn Woods (aka Rainz), and Peter Dickson (aka Phoenix Stealth) who as a group known as "Takedown Media" would plan on promoting shows as soon as December 2002. Andrew Huntington was also drafted in at the same time to take charge of the creative and booking side of the promotion. He would hire former EPW Refree Russ Wright to be his 2nd in command for these duties.
Later, after the promotion closed its doors in 2004, Huntington, who licenced the names and likeness' of the UKWA Brand to Takedown Media for a 3 Year term in September 2002, would re-acquire them after the Licence wasn't renewed by Takedown Media in September 2005. Huntington's AndiMedia now plan on re-launching the UKWA brand in late 2006.
[edit] Championships
- UKWA British Heavyweight Championship
- UKWA Northern Region Heavyweight Championship
- UKWA British Tag-Team Championship
