Wrestle Rampage

Wrestle Rampage (WR) is an Australian professional wrestling promotion founded in 2006 as EPW Adelaide, an affiliate to EPW Perth and then NWA Pro Australia. In 2012, the company formed a working relationship with the Japanese promotion, Pro Wrestling ZERO1, thus becoming ZERO1 Pro Wrestling Australia in the process. The name was changed yet again in January 2014 after the relationship with ZERO1 ended, the name was changed to Wrestle Rampage. They also promote R18+ entertainment events consisting of live music, dancing, and wrestling held every few months under the name Meltdown Promotions, which is also the name of the company that presents their regular events.^[1][2][3]

History: Beginnings as EPW Adelaide

The company originally began back in December 2006 under the name EPW Adelaide, a partner of EPW Perth when the first event, Emerging was held at Cosgrove Hall, Clovelly Park. Due to the success of the event, more were scheduled throughout 2007. These events saw the beginnings of the first main feud for the company. The team of "Jag" Hartley Jackson and Bruce "Havok" Mills against the team of Damian Slater and Jayson Cooper. They fought in regular tag team matches and hardcore tag team matches before each side was joined by new members. Jag and Havok gained two wrestlers "Dirty Dick" Donovan and "Wreckin' Ball" Wilson along with the services of Mark Aiston. Cooper and Slater were joined by Robby Heart, Greg Graham and eventually his twin Joey, and "The Maniac" Wayne Mattei. They fought through the remainder of the year in multi man matches, like the Ground Zero Ten Man Elimination Match, a flaming tables match between Havok and Cooper, Jag against Mattei, and finally a TLC match between the two original teams at the years last show Re-Emerging. In 2008, events were headlined by NWA Australian National Championship matches, with the first champion Mikey Nicholls defending against the likes of Damien Slater and Hartley Jackson, who would eventually defeat Nicholls for the Title. After losing a match against Nicholls at the EPW Deception event, Slater would turn heel and attack Greg Graham. This lead to a match where Slater prevailed over Graham. The year would end with Slater trying to capture the NWA Australian National Title but with no luck.

NWA Pro Australia

In 2009 the company changed its name to NWA Pro Australia and featured more younger talent.^[4] It was during this time that one half of the then NWA World Tag Team Champions "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson made an appearance at a show, being the first American wrestler to appear for the organisation. Under the NWA banner, shows were held regularly at events such as the Royal Adelaide Show, The Blokes Expo and talent worked the pop-culture event Armageddon Expo with the Australasian Wrestling Federation.

ZERO1 Pro Wrestling Australia

In mid 2012, the name changed again, this time to ZERO1 Pro Wrestling Australia after forming a working relationship with Pro Wrestling ZERO1 in Japan. This was during the time that ZERO1 was announcing partnerships all over the world in countries such as Scotland, Mexico and Ireland. As the company was under a new name, the Re-Emerging event had to renamed. It was changed to Wrestle Rampage which later on would become the name of the company. It was during this partnership that the ‘Fighting Spirit Challenge’ began, which allowed all willing wrestlers to try out for a spot on a future Japanese tour similar to TNA Gut Check Challenge. Whilst partnered with ZERO1, Mark Aiston was given a matchmaker role and helped Ryan Eagles rise as the top heel of the company and become the ZERO1 Australian National Champion, which he had the longest reign for, counting reigns held under the NWA name. He would eventually lose the title to Damian Slater at Wrestle Rampage II.

Wrestle Rampage and Meltdown Promotions

It was after that event that the name was changed yet again to simply Wrestle Rampage. The two night Revolution shows marked the Australian debut of Shinsuke Nakamura. Revolution Night One he defeated Damian Slater in a non-title match and the following night, teamed with Slater to defeat the SA Serial Killers, Hartley Jackson and Jonah Rock. An injury suffered by Slater unfortunately put a hold on events for a few months. However, beginning in July 2014 Wrestle Rampage began hosting events held at Fowlers Live under the name of Meltdown Promotions. The first event held was Hardcore Rulez which saw the SA Serial Killers defeat The Hotrodz and Greg and Joey Graham in a Hindley Street Fight to become Meltdown World Tag Team Champions. These titles are only defended at Meltdown Promotions shows and are not referenced at regular Wrestle Rampage shows. They were next defended at Hardcore Rulez 2: Xtreme Halloween where the SA Serial Killers defeated the team of Robby Heart and Damian Slater. At the return event of Wrestle Rampage, Fallout a new chapter began as Jonah Rock defeated Slater to become the new WR Australian National Champion. He was confronted by Joey Graham after the match. The next event, Ground Zero saw the return of the Southern Hemisphere Hardcore Championship, a title from the early days of South Australian wrestling. Havok defeated "Wreckin' Ball" Wilson to claim the title. At the last event of 2014 Redemption, the title was renamed simply to the Wrestle Rampage Hardcore Championship with an updated design. Havok defeated Joey Graham in a brutal hardcore match to retain. The main event saw the Juicy Balls tag team of Mr Juicy and "Wreckin' Ball" Wilson defeat the SA Serial Killers. Beginning in 2015 a new motto and logo were revealed for the first event of the year. Destroy and re-build was the new tagline released alongside the name of the first event, Meltdown.

Championships

Active Wrestle Rampage Championships

Active Metldown Promotions Championships

See also

• List of professional wrestling organisations in Australia

References

External links

• Official website
• Wrestle Rampage on Facebook
• Cagematch profile