United Wrestling Association

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"The Prodigy" Shane Andrews performs a top rope stomp as C.M. Sigmon holds their opponent during a March 15, 2007 UWA tag match.

The United Wrestling Association (UWA) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion owned and operated by Danny Ray Grubb in the Knoxville area of East Tennessee. Shows are held every Thursday night and occasional Sunday afternoons at Green Acres Flea Market located on Airport Highway (U.S. 129), eight miles south of the Knoxville city center. Additional shows are held occasionally in partnership with local businesses.

The promotion has featured some of the more well known Total Nonstop Action Wrestling stars, including A.J. Styles, America's Most Wanted, and The Naturals. It has also featured former World Wrestling Entertainment, World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling stars, including Tom Prichard, Tracy Smothers, Johnny Swinger, Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey of The Midnight Express, and Ricky Morton. All of these stars competed in at least one match since February 2006 for the UWA, with most of them competing repeatedly.

The UWA has operated for approximately 5 years while owned by Mr. Grubb, notable itself due to the current United States pro wrestling business climate. Furthermore the UWA is the premiere promotion in the region including Knoxville (3rd largest city in Tennessee). It may be the only wrestling organization in Eastern Tennessee (10,000+ sq. mi.) that promotes over 52 live shows each year. In addition to a growing DVD library, UWA Aggression is televised on cable TV in the Knoxville area.

In 2006 alone the UWA promoted matches featuring eight former WWE stars (including former WWF tag team champion and current WWE trainer Tom Prichard, who competed for UWA regularly), six former WCW stars (including Ricky Morton and the Midnight Express), and eight stars currently contracted by TNA wrestling (most notably A.J. Styles and Chase Stevens, who reigned as UWA champion for 5 weeks). It was the home promotion of current WWE-contracted developmental talent Devin Driscoll, and other Ohio Valley Wrestling stars compete in UWA matches semi-regularly.

[edit] Current champions

[edit] History

[edit] The beginning/Prior to 2006

The United Wrestling Association name and ring were purchased from another promoter in 2002. The original roster included only local East Tennessee talent and Mr. Grubb's nephews, who formed a tag team. They ran shows at various locations, most notably the Inskip Baseball Park in Knoxville. In October 2003, the UWA promoted its first Halloween Horror show, which would become an annual tradition and eventually feature indy standouts like Brad Armstrong, Brent Albright, and Tank Toland.

[edit] 2006

A.J. Styles gets his arm raised after a February 2, 2006 UWA victory.

In 2006 the United Wrestling Association held over 50 live events. It may have had the best year for total tickets sold of any Knoxville-area promotion since the closing of Smoky Mountain Wrestling in 1995. In the first half of the year, Chase Stevens of The Naturals was a regular sight. He held the UWA Heavyweight Championship for five weeks after defeating "The King" Shane Williams.

A benefit show in February 2006 raised money towards the legal fees of Ricky Morton, who had been imprisoned for delinquent child support^[1]. In February, the Ricky Morton Benefit Event featured many guest competitors from around the Southeast, with the card headlined by A.J. Styles vs. Shannon Moore (who would soon return to WWE). Moore was accompanied to ringside by Lollipop. Also competing from TNA on the same night were Chase Stevens (who defended the UWA title in a main event against Dave Pillman and Jake Manning), Cassidy Riley, James Storm, and David Young. At the same show, The Midnight Express ("Beautiful" Bobby Eaton & "Loverboy" Dennis Condrey) fought the Thunder Valley Express and TVE won by disqualification. Eaton would return a few more times in the course of the year to fight Ricky Morton or Jeff Anderson. The Stro (formerly WCW star "The Maestro") also wrestled The Barbarian at the benefit. The show raised $2,475 for Morton's cause^[2].

By April Chase Stevens had been joined at UWA by the other half of The Naturals, Andy Douglas. They faced off against Shane Williams and Chris Michaels in a steel cage match at UWA Shockwave that month. Later the newly-formed team of Charles Long and Jim Miller ("The Heart Aches") faced off against America's Most Wanted at the No Return supercard on July 13. The Heart Aches actually won, by disqualification.

Later in 2006, Marcus "Killer" Kyle, a Smoky Mountain Wrestling veteran with experience in Jim Crockett Promotions, WWF & WCW, had a memorable but brief run as part of the "Old World Order" faction. The man-monster Kyle wrestled against Robbie Race at Halloween Horror IV. Another former WCW star, Jimmy Golden (a.k.a. Bunkhouse Buck) made a one-off appearance as part of Tracy Smothers's team at the UWA No Return show in July. That match was perhaps more notable for young standout Devin Driscoll's heel turn, which eventually led to a memorable series of matches before Driscoll came under contract with WWE as a Ohio Valley Wrestling trainee.

By the end of summer the TNA appearances in UWA were over but former WWE & WCW stars continued to appear. In addition to UWA regulars like Tom Prichard, Tracy Smothers, and Ricky Morton, several young, recently-released performers made their way through the UWA. These include Road Warrior Heidenreich, Heart Throb Romeo, and the former "Gunner Scott" Brent Albright, who wrestled Shane Williams at Halloween Horror IV prior to his recent success in Ring of Honor wrestling.

Tank Toland, formerly "James Dick" on Smackdown and now also working for Ring of Honor, wrestled two memorable tag team matches (No Return & Halloween Horror IV) alongside partner Chris Cage, who himself has experience in Ohio Valley Wrestling & ROH. In July they lost an upset to popular UWA team "Suicidal Youth" Ryder & Jonathan McMurray, and in October they lost to "The Heat Seekers version 2.0" Shane Andrews & C.M. Sigmon. Toland was accompanied to the July event by friend Jillian Hall, who did not perform.

[edit] 2007

Brent Albright has Shane Williams in a headlock during their UWA match on October 26, 2006.

This year began with two significant events affecting the careers of UWA wrestlers. On January 22 Tom Prichard returned to WWE replacing Bill DeMott as a contracted talent and the head trainer at Deep South Wrestling, one of the two WWE developmental territories.[1] In an open letter to the UWA talent and fans, he praised Mr. Grubb as an honest promoter and the promotion's fan base for "showing me there still are some real wrestling fans out there." [2]

On the February 5 live broadcast of WWE Raw, UWA wrestler Shane Williams made an appearance as one of the paparazzi photographers surrounding Johnny Nitro. Williams was invited by WWE to be an "extra" for the event.

[edit] Roster

[edit] Current Wrestlers

Jason Maxx applies a wristlock to C.M. Sigmon during a September 28, 2006 UWA match.

[edit] Managers and officials

Senior referee The Spur displays the Television title prior to a match on October 26, 2006.

[edit] Alumni & guest competitors

Dr. Tom Prichard and Shane Williams during a September 28, 2006 UWA Southern Heavyweight Championship match.

[edit] UWA Southern Heavyweight Championship history

[edit] DVD releases

• October 27, 2005 UWA Halloween Horror III (Released January 2006, re-released August 24, 2006)
• February 2, 2006 UWA Ricky Morton Benefit Event (Released February 2006 by Highspots.com)
• July 13, 2006 UWA No Return (Released August 24, 2006, re-released December 28, 2006)
• April 13, 2006 UWA Shockwave (Released December 28, 2006)
• October 26, 2006 UWA Halloween Horror IV (To be released April 2007)
• Best of the UWA 2006 (To be released May 2007)
• February 8, 2007 UWA Ultimate Conflict (To be released June 2007)

[edit] Gallery

"The Prodigy" Shane Andrews takes flight for a frog splash during a 2006 UWA match.]]	"America's Most Wanted," James Storm (left) and Chris Harris in the UWA ring after a July 13, 2006 match.	(Left to right) Bobby Houston, Chase Stevens, Shane Andrews, and Adam Armor in the ring during a 2006 UWA event.	The Heart Aches cheating to defend the UWA Tag Team Championship on November 2, 2006.
Wrestlers struggle to hold back Robbie Race after a December 21, 2006 confrontation.

[edit] References

1. ^ http://v1.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=59637&section=sports
2. ^ http://v1.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=70439&section=sports

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Article in Knoxville's Metro Pulse