United Wrestling Network
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| Acronym | UWN |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Style | Professional wrestling |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Founder(s) | David Marquez |
| Owner(s) | David Marquez |
The United Wrestling Network (UWN) is a governing body for professional wrestling promotions in the United States that was formed in 2013 by David Marquez.[1]
History
[edit]Formation and Early years
[edit]On October 21, 2013, David Marquez, promoter of Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH), announced the creation of a new governing body called the United Wrestling Network (UWN). Similar to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), of which CWFH was formerly a member promotion, the UWN sees its affiliated promotions "pool their resources" and work together to secure national television advertising. For a wrestling company to join the group, they must have a television broadcast agreement or agree to produce their own broadcasts.[1] Soon after its formation, an offshoot called Championship Wrestling from Arizona was launched.[2]
In the Summer of 2014, CWFH announced a tournament to crown the first UWN World Heavyweight Champion, who would be recognized across the UWN's affiliates.[3] However, the tournament wouldn't begin until six years later.
On May 22, 2017, Pro Wrestling Zero1 became the first Japanese affiliate of the UWN.[4]
In 2019, independent wrestling personalities Dustin and Maria Starr, along with Marquez, launched the Championship Wrestling from Memphis program for WLMT-TV CW30 Memphis.[citation needed]
On August 10, 2020, UWN announced a partnership with the NWA to produce Primetime Live, a series of events aired weekly from Long Beach, California at the Thunder Studios.[5] Debuting on September 15, Primetime Live's first event saw NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis defend the title against Mike Bennett in the main event.[6]
On the October 13 Primetime Live event, David Marquez revealed the UWN World Championship for the first time and re-announced the eight-man tournament to crown the inaugural champion.[7][8] One year later, after the finals were postponed due to an injury,[9] the tournament and inaugural championship was ultimately won by Chris Dickinson on October 2, 2021.
During the Summer of 2021, UWN announced the launch of Championship Wrestling from Atlanta, which will air on Peachtree TV, and be taped from Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia.[10] On July 15, Marquez announced on Twitter that Championship Wrestling from Atlanta would premiere on Saturday September 2 at 10 p.m [11][12]
2022–present: Championship Wrestling relaunch
[edit]On February 17, 2022, UWN announced in a press release that they will be merging Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, Championship Wrestling from Arizona and Championship Wrestling from Atlanta into a singular entity under the Championship Wrestling presented by CarShield branding. The first taping for the new show took place at the Irvine Improv in Irvine, California on March 22.[13][14] The new series would premiere on the weekend of April 24, 2022.
During the same year, Championship Wrestling from Memphis changed its name to Memphis Wrestling, becoming more of a stand-alone promotion.[citation needed] The name change was publicly endorsed by Jerry Jarrett on November 22, 2022.[citation needed] Despite the shared name, UWN's Memphis Wrestling promotion has no connections to Corey Maclin's promotion of the same name or any of the previous Memphis territories.
In February 2023, ASM Global announced the launch of Derby City Wrestling in Louisville, Kentucky, with first TV tapings to be held on March 18. The show would premiere on the weekend of April 9, airing Saturdays at noon on WMYO.[15]
On January 25, 2024, Reality of Wrestling (ROW), Memphis Wrestling, and Championship Wrestling announced a talent exchange program.[16][17]
On May 1, 2024, Championship Television launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $1.5 million to produce live television programming.[18]
Championships
[edit]| Championship | Current champion(s) | Previous champion(s) | Date won | Days held | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UWN World Championship | Danny Limelight | Jordan Clearwater | December 11, 2022 | 738+ | Irvine, CA |
| UWN Heritage Heavyweight Championship | Kevin Martenson | Zicky Dice | November 15, 2022 | 764+ | Irvine, CA |
| UWN Television Championship | Zicky Dice | Jack Banning | February 25, 2024 | 297+ | Long Beach, CA |
| UWN Tag Team Championship | TMZ (Shane Haste, Bad Dude Tito, and Che Cabrera) |
The Midnight Heat (Eddie Pearl and Ricky Gibson) |
March 7, 2023 | 652+ | Irvine, CA |
Members
[edit]Current
[edit]| Promotion | Representative(s) | Location | Years affiliated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Championship Wrestling | Nikko Marquez | California | 2013–present Previously known as Championship Wrestling from Hollywood |
| Memphis Wrestling | Dustin Starr | Tennessee | 2019–present Previously known as Championship Wrestling from Memphis |
| Derby City Wrestling | Unknown | Kentucky | 2023–present[19] |
Former
[edit]| Promotion | Representative(s) | Location | Years affiliated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Championship Wrestling from Arizona | Peter Avalon and Mick Greenwood | Arizona | 2013–2022 Merged with Championship Wrestling from Hollywood and Championship Wrestling from Atlanta to form Championship Wrestling |
| Pro Wrestling Zero1 | Shinjiro Otani | Japan | 2017–2022[20][2] |
| Championship Wrestling from Atlanta | Unknown | Georgia | 2021–2022 Merged with Championship Wrestling from Hollywood and Championship Wrestling from Arizona to form Championship Wrestling |
| Main Event Pro Wrestling | Mark Vaughn | Texas | 2015–2020[21] |
| Combat Zone Wrestling | David John Markland | New Jersey | 2016–2020[22] |
| Women Superstars United |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "TEN INDEPENDENT PROMOTIONS FORM 'UNITED WRESTLING NETWORK' WITH EYES ON TV, TRAVELING CHAMPION AND MORE, FULL DETAILS | PWInsider.com". www.pwinsider.com. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
- ^ a b "ABOUT - United Wrestling Network". Archived from the original on 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ "STYLES, CABANA, ROBERTS, WALTMAN HEADING TO CWH RED CARPET RUMBLE IN CALIFORNIA NEXT MONTH | PWInsider.com". www.pwinsider.com. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling ZERO1 Joins the United Wrestling Network". May 22, 2017.
- ^ Bryant, Steve (August 10, 2020). "The United Wrestling Network partners with NWA and Thunder Studios to launch a weekly live wrestling PPV". SoCalUNCENSORED.com. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ MacDonald, Josiah (September 15, 2020). "UWN Primetime Live results: Aldis vs. Bennett NWA title match". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- ^ Toro, Carlos (October 13, 2020). "UWN World Title Introduced, Eight-Man Tournament To Crown Inaugural Champion Announced". Fightful. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ Haulotte, Katie (November 17, 2020). "UWN World Title Tournament Finals Postponed". Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ Katie Haulotte (November 17, 2020). "UWN World Title Tournament Finals Postponed". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ "Championship Wrestling from Atlanta Set To Tape at Center Stage". 411Mania. June 7, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "Championship Wrestling From Atlanta Premiering in September". 411Mania. July 18, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "UWN To Crown First World Champion Next Month". 411Mania. August 19, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "United Wrestling Network on LinkedIn: FOR RELEASE: February 17, 2022 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐍𝐆…". Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "UWN Announces Formation Of Consolidated 'Championship Wrestling Presented By CarShield' Promotion". Fightful. February 17, 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- ^ New Live Wrestling Show Coming To Louisville’s West End, LEO Weekly, February 22, 2023
- ^ "Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, Booker T's Reality of Wrestling, and Memphis Wrestling Announce Talent Exchange". January 25, 2024. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ Memphis Wrestling @Mem_Wrestling OFFICIAL | January 25, 2024 @TheOfficialROW @CWFHollywood #MemphisWrestling 🤝
- ^ David Marquez on LinkedIn Help fuel Championship Television to broadcast LIVE!; Retrieved on May 13, 2024
- ^ Derby City Wrestling #1 Cage Match
- ^ "Pro Wrestling ZERO1 Joins the United Wrestling Network". May 22, 2017.
- ^ "United Wrestling Network". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
- ^ CZW joins United Wrestling Network czwrestling.com [dead link]
External links
[edit]- Championship Wrestling website
- Memphis Wrestling website
- Memphis Wrestling YouTube channel – also streaming episodes of Championship Wrestling and Derby City Wrestling
- Derby City Wrestling website
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