Southern States Wrestling

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Southern States Wrestling
Acronym SSW
Founded 1991
Style Wrasslin'
Headquarters Fall Branch, Tennessee (1991-1998)
Kingsport, Tennessee (1999-present)
Founder(s) Beau James
Owner(s) Beau James (1991-present)
Parent National Wrestling Alliance
Sister Championship Wrestling
Formerly NWA Championship Wrestling
Website SouthernStatesWrestling.com
Southern States Wrestling on Myspace

Southern States Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in eastern Tennessee. Founded by wrestler Beau James in early 1991, SSW (along with NWA Bluegrass) succeeded Smoky Mountain Wrestling as the top promotion in eastern Tennessee following its close. It featured a number of former SMW mainstays including Stane Lee NOT Stan Lane, Steve Flynn, Tracy Smothers, Killer Kyle, Tom Prichard, Bunkhouse Buck, Buddy Landell, The Mongolian Stomper [1] and The Batten Twins (Bart & Brad Batten). While in the promotion, Ricky Morton teamed with longtime Fantastics rival Bobby Fulton as the Fantastic Express as well as forming a second incarnation of the Rock 'n' Roll Express with Ricky Harrison capturing the promotion's tag team titles with both men.

Others to appear in the promotion have included former National Wrestling Alliance veterans Ivan Koloff, Jimmy Valiant, Junkyard Dog, Pez Whatley, Terry Taylor, Shane Douglas and female wrestlers Sherri Martel, Debbie Combs, Brandi Alexander, Lexie Fyfe and Malia Hosaka. Jillian Hall,[2] EZ Money, Andy Douglas and Edge and Christian (Edge & Christian) spent their early careers there as well. The promotion also runs a wrestling school in Fall Branch, Tennessee.[3]

History

Southern States Wrestling was founded by Beau James, who began promoting wrestling events in Kingsport and Fall Branch, Tennessee. The promotion crowned its first heavyweight champion when The Tennessee Equalizer defeated George Hiatt in Elizabethton, Tennessee on February 16, 1991. A junior heavyweight title was created the following year when Eddie Golden defeated Jamie Gibson in Banner Elk, North Carolina. In 1995 the promotion expanded by creating two more titles. The junior heavyweight title was abandoned the previous year and replaced by the SSW Appalachin Championship won by Eddie Golden when he beat Tracy Smothers in a best-of-three series in Meadowview, Virginia on May 11, 1996. Four years later, Mike Cooper won the SSW Young Guns Television Championship in Kingsport coinciding with the promotion launching its weekly television program which aired regularly on WAPK-CA from January 1999 until October 2003. According to the promotion, the show became the highest rated program in the Kingsport-area. The promotion eventually released a series of dvds from the program, most notably, Superstars and Legends, Vol. 1, which featured Don Wright, Ivan Koloff, The Equalizer, Jimmy Valiant, Wahoo McDaniel, Killer Kyle, Jimmy Valiant and Stan Lee."Southern States Wrestling Releases "A Night to Remember" on DVD". IndyWrestlingNews.com. 2008-06-28.  On May 10, 2001, the promotion held the Mark Curtis Memorial Weekend of Champions in Kingsport, Tennessee in honor of World Championship Wrestling referee Mark Curtis with the proceeds donated to the Children's Miracle Network. Among those headlining the event included Arn Anderson.Lane, Matthew (2001-05-10). "Wrestling Legend Arn Anderson Heads Ticket". The New WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers, No. 173-2001. WrestlingClassics.com.  The next year, the Mark Curtis Memorial Weekend of Champions and Legends Reunion featured Jimmy Valiant, Ivan Koloff and Sandy Scott. Family members of the late Whitey Caldwell were also in attendance.Kenyon, J. Michael (2002-05-19). "Sunday Punches (edition of May 19, 2002)". Archived Sunday Punch Columns. CauliflowerAlleyClub.org.  Southern States Wrestling became involved with AWA Superstars of Wrestling during the early-2000s, although not an official affiliate promotion, and has held interpromotional events with its sister promotion Tennessee's Championship Wrestling. In April 2005, Beau James, Tom Prichard and The Super Destroyer faced Championship Wrestling's "Adorable" Danny Ray, Nick Hammonds & Wayne Adkins at the Night of Grudges supercard at the National Guard Armory in Kingsport.Bauer, Ben (2005-04-07). "Dates for upcoming WWE DVD releases + Jack Brisco and Tom Prichard". WrestleView.com.  This was the first interpromotional event in which both promotion's champions faced each other.Tremley, Matthew; Givens, Tony (2005-04-17). "Championship Wrestling "The Conclusion" this Saturday in Kingsport, TN". LordsofPain.net.  In November 2006, Beau James married female wrestler Misty James at the 15th annual supercard Thanksgiving Night Spectacular at the Kingsport National Guard Armory."Misty James". Misty James' G.L.O.R.Y. Wrestling Profile. GloryWrestling.com. 2008.  Both would participate in mixed tag team matches during the next year. In early 2008, he and his wife were involved in a major interpromotional feud with AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Brian Logan."World Champion Brian Logan Has A Target on His Back". News Articles. TheRealAWA.com. 2008-06-06. 

Roster

  • Beau James
  • Big Daddy Freddie
  • Bobo Brown
  • Bulldog Mac
  • Dan Costa
  • Eddie Golden
  • Frank Parker
  • Iron Cross
  • James McHone
  • Ray Idol
  • Scott Sterling
  • Steve Flynn
  • Misty James
  • Starr

Championships

Current champions

SSW Heavyweight Championship | Eric Darkstorm | Kyle Matthews |November 29, 2013 |Mt. Carmel, TN |- |SSW Junior Heavyweight Championship |Clay Connors |Shane Matthews |November 26, 2004 |Kingsport, TNRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. Westcott, Brian (2005). "SSW Junior Heavyweight Title History". Solie's Title Histories.  |- |SSW Appalachian Heavyweight Championship |Eric Darkstorm |Super Destroyer |April 23, 2004 |Greenville, TNBenaka, Matt; Brian Westcott (2005). "SSW Appalachin Title History". Solie's Title Histories.  |- |SSW Young Guns Television Championship |Bunkhouse Buck |Beau James |July 20, 2005 |Kingsport, TNWestcott, Brian (2003). "SSW Young Guns Title History". Solie's Title Histories.  |- |SSW Tag Team Championship |Robbie Cassidyand Tony Givens |Super Destroyerand Josh Cody |March 4, 2005 |Kingsport, TNWestcott, Brian (2005). "SSW Tag Team Title History". Solie's Title Histories.  |}

Defunct championships

Championship Current champion(s) Previous champion(s) Date won Location
TWA/NWA Tri-State Championship Ryan Phoenix August 2000 September 2004 Title is officially renamed the NWA Tri-State Championship after Tri-State Wrestling is bought by NWA Championship Wrestling in 2003.[4][5]
SSW International Cup Chris Walker March 13, 1999 N/A Defeated Heinrich Franz Keller in tournament final to win the International Cup.[4][6]

References

  1. ↑ Nevada, Vance; Mike Rodgers, Barry Rose, Becky Taylor and Gary Will (2008-05-11). "Wrestlers Results Archive: Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie". SLAM! Sports. 
  2. ↑ Xamin, Mark (2007-06-18). "Jillian Hall". SLAM! Sports. 
  3. ↑ Macika, Dominic; Cal Jewell (1994). "Wrestling Schools". Professional Wrestling Online Museum. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  5. ↑ Williams, Brett (2005). "TWA/NWA Tri-State Heavyweight Title History". Solie's Title Histories. 
  6. ↑ Benaka, Matt; Brian Westcott and Eric Roelfsema (2005). "SSW International Cup History". Solie's Title Histories. 

Further reading

  • Valiant, Jimmy. "Woo...Mercy Daddy!" Welcome To My World: The Jimmy Valiant Story. Shawsville, Virginia: Self-Published, 2006.

External links

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