Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that can help answer the question.
Query: Who founded Power League Wrestling?
Power League Wrestling (PLW) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It was founded in Swansea, Massachusetts by Bob Evans and Mark Amaral in 1991, and later taken over by Amaral, Carlos Arenas, Paul Lauzon, and Tommy Degnan. It is the first and longest running "indy" promotion in the state of Rhode Island and one of the few successful groups outside the Greater Boston Area.
Dennis Waters was born in Hamilton, Ontario. At 15, he started training under the tutelage of Canadian light heavyweight wrestling champion Jack Wentworth. Powers had his first professional match in 1960 in Detroit at age 17 while attending McMaster University in Hamilton. He left university and became a professional wrestler, formally turning professional at age 20 in Detroit as Lord Anthony Lansdowne.
He wrestled Larry Chene many times, who then mentored Powers. Powers dyed his hair blond and wrestled as Johnny Powers, the Golden Adonis, in North East United States and Canada in 1964. Powers wrestled six times for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against Bruno Sammartino in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Powers turned heel and was managed by Bobby Davis. He fought Whipper Billy Watson many times across Canada and was main event for two years in Canada's Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Powers fought NWA World Champions Lou Thesz outdoors in Hamilton ballpark and St Louis Kiel Auditorium and Gene Kiniski in Toronto ballpark and The Hamilton Forum. Powers dominated Cleveland Ohio with great battles against Johnny Valentine, The Sheik, Ernie Ladd and Abdullah the Butcher. In 1973, Powers wrestled Ladd in a match, during which wrestler Ox Baker turned on Ladd to side with Powers. As a result, angry fans stormed the ring—an incident known as "The Cleveland Riot" and one of the most dangerous riots in professional wrestling history.
Powers was tutored as a wrestling promoter and television producer by international old school wrestler, booker and classic promoter Pedro Martínez. Martinez coached and mentored Powers for 20 years from the age of 22 in the art of creative event marketing of pro wrestling. Martínez and Powers founded National Sports TV on an existing "Wrestling from Buffalo Auditorium" library of black and white films. This library had been funded by one of pro wrestling first big money sponsors, Dow beer.
Powers co-founded the National Wrestling Federation and sold it three years later in 1973 to New Japan Pro Wrestling. He was the NWF World Heavyweight Champion and was the star of "Championship Wrestling with Johnny Powers". He was the only wrestler then and since to have a television show named after him (aside from "Championship Wrestling with Antonino Rocca" on Ch.9 in New York City in 1963/64? Or Hulk Hogan's Rock-N-Wrestling in the mid-80s?) . He was NWF North American Champion seven times and NWF world champion three times (same title).
The PPW Heavyweight Championship was the top title contested for in the Power Pro Wrestling (later Memphis Power Pro Wrestling).
The PPW Tag Team Championship was a title contended for in the Power Pro Wrestling later Memphis Power Pro Wrestling promotion.
It was founded as Independent Wrestling League on August 13, 2010 by Martín Amaro, with Octavio Rivero as the head booker. In late 2010 Rivero was replaced by Amaro's niece, Ángeles Rubio, under whom IWL started a working agreement with Perros del Mal Producciones. Rubio would leave the promotion for personal reasons in April 2011.
He was followed as the head booker by wrestler Fantasma de la Ópera, who started a working relationship with AAA. On May 28, 2011, it was announced that Fantasma de la Ópera would be replaced by Valerie Richter. In a press conference held on June 21, 2011, Richter announced that the company would change its name to International Wrestling League.
Fabulous Ladies in International Rings (FLAIR) was founded in 1990 shortly after the closing of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling and Powerful Women of Wrestling. In addition to filming all-women's wrestling events for video distribution, the short-lived company also promoted women's matches on various men's wrestling events.
Israeli Wrestling League (IWL) (; , "Rabitat al-musaraeat al-israyiylia"), is an Israeli professional wrestling promotion founded in 2013 by Eitan Levy & Lidor Bushary. Its first show was in May 2013 during the filming of the wrestling season in the fourth season of HaYafa VeHaChnun, the Israeli version of "Beauty and the Geek". The wrestling academy, led by Lidor Bushary, opened in May 2014 in Rehovot at the Alternative Sports Center, where performances are held every two month. The IWL has one belt, the IWL Heavyweight Championship. As of 2016, the IWL does not pay their wrestlers, in order to keep costs down.
The NWF (National Wrestling Federation) Heavyweight Championship was created by wrestling promoter Pedro Martinez for his NWF promotion in New York in 1970. The title was mainly defended in the New York/Eastern Canada area, until then-champion Johnny Powers took the belt with him on a tour of Japan with Tokyo Pro Wrestling. Powers would eventually lose the title to Antonio Inoki, who would take the belt with him when he founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
The National Wrestling League, headquartered out of Hagerstown, Maryland, was founded by Dick Caricolfe in 1988. The NWL's Superior Pro Wrestling Training Center (SPWTC) in Hagerstown, Maryland is also the home of the HOUSE of PAIN Wrestling Federation, founded by John Rambo in 1997. The HoPWF holds bi-weekly events in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, along with evening events at the SPWTC.
Salvador Lutteroth (March 21, 1897 – September 5, 1987; born Salvador Lutteroth González) was a Mexican professional wrestling promoter of the mid-twentieth century. Lutteroth's promotion, Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL), has been the dominant Mexican promotion since its founding in 1933, until Lutteroth left the company in the 1950s. Under its current name of Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), it is, to date, the longest running active professional wrestling promotion in the world presenting three weekly matches. Lutteroth was known as the "father of "lucha libre"," and, in his position as promoter and booker of the dominant promotion, was the most powerful man in Mexican wrestling, and one of the most powerful wrestling executives in the world. He was, in large part, responsible for the widespread fame of the most famous Mexican professional wrestlers of the mid-twentieth century, such as Octavio Gaona,the first Mexican wrestler to win the middle weight championship of the world defeating Gus Kalio, Carlos Tarzan Lopez, El Santo, Gori Guerrero, Rene Guajardo, Karlof Lagarde, Enrique Yañez and the international league wrestler Medico Asesino, Rito Romero, Dorrel Dickson and Mil Mascaras, who wrestled in the United States, Japan and Europe.
Manchu wrestling () is also an important martial art of the Manchu people. Buku, meaning "wrestling" or "man of unusual strength" in Manchu, was originally from a Mongolian word, "bökh". The history of Manchu wrestling can be traced back to Jurchen wrestling in the Jin dynasty which was originally from Khitan wrestling; it was very similar to Mongolian wrestling. In the Yuan dynasty, the Jurchens who lived in northeast China adopted Mongol culture including wrestling, bökh. In the latter Jin and early Qing period, rulers encouraged the populace, including aristocrats, to practise buku as a feature of military training. At the time, Mongol wrestlers were the most famous and powerful. By the Chongde period, Manchus had developed their own well-trained wrestlers and, a century later, in the Qianlong period, they surpassed Mongol wrestlers. The Qing court established the "Shan Pu Battalion" and chose 200 fine wrestlers divided into three levels. Manchu wrestling moves can be found in today's Chinese wrestling, "shuai jiao", which is its most important part. Among many branches, Beijing wrestling adopted most Manchu wrestling moves.
Debuting in 2002, Edwards has competed for numerous independent promotions throughout his career, most notably New England Championship Wrestling (NECW), Top Rope Promotions (TRP), Maryland Championship Wrestling, and the Millennium Wrestling Federation (MWF). He has also competed for MXW Pro Wrestling, Defiant Pro Wrestling, Power League Wrestling, Showcase Pro Wrestling and Big Time Wrestling.
The "1998 Power House Brawl" was held at Johnson & Wales University on December 13, 1998. It was a benefit show for U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. Troy Young defeated Amazin' Jay to win the PLW New England Championship and Derik Destiny won the 1998 Power House Brawl by eliminating Gino Martino. In late-1999, Tommy Degnan brought PLW into a joint promotion called International Independent Wrestling with Mike Biggs' Independent Wrestling Alliance and Anthony Rufo's Unified Championship Wrestling. This venture greatly expanded PLW's territory allowing it to tour throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.[10] PLW pulled out of the project when Mark Amaral and Carlos Arenas wanted to return to running shows full-time.[2]
Ladies Sports Club (LSC) was founded in 1990 by David McLane. It was the third female wrestling promotion created by McLane, who also created Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) and Powerful Women of Wrestling (POWW). Shortly after the closing of POWW (which had a working agreement with the American Wrestling Association to co-promote matches), McLane formed LSC. The LSC roster consisted of many of the women that were then part of the AWA roster, and former POWW wrestlers. Most of the LSC matches were aired on the AWA television series. The company closed in 1991.
Real Pro Wrestling (also known as RPW or RealPro Wrestling) was a professional sports league of wrestling, similar to the amateur wrestling found in the Olympic Games and at the college and high school level. The term "real" was meant to emphasize that it was professional (meaning the wrestlers are paid money) and it was wrestling, but that it was not professional wrestling in the traditional sense; modern professional wrestling features predetermined outcomes and operates under a very different set of rules from amateur wrestling.
Major League Wrestling (MLW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Orlando, Florida founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion ran several live events and tapings for a television show named "Underground TV" on the Sunshine Network from 2002 to 2004.
The New European Championship Wrestling (NEW) is a wrestling-league which was founded in Germany in 2009. It resides in the frankonian village of Heßdorf near Erlangen. Founder is Alex Wright, well known as an international successful wrestler himself and owner of the wrestling training centre "The Wright Stuff - Pro Wrestling School". NEW is the only league in Germany with its own sports and training hall, called N.E.W. HotSpot. It is specially equipped for all different kind of matches. NEW events take place on a monthly base, each with a different topic or match stipulations.
ChampionshipNotesPLW European Heavyweight ChampionshipThe title was established in 1991 and was defended until 1994.PLW European Tag Team ChampionshipThe title was established in 1993 and was defended until 1994.PLW Lightweight ChampionshipThe lightweight title of Power League Wrestling. It was established in 2000 and continued to be defended until 2004.[54]
Israeli Wrestling League (IWL), the third wrestling federation in Israel was founded in 2013 by Eitan Levy and Lidor Bushari. The first performance of the league took place in May 2013 during the filming of the wrestling season in the fourth season of HaYafa VeHaChnun, the Israeli version of "Beauty and the Geek". The wrestling academy, led by Lidor Bushari, opened in May 2014 in Rehovot at the Alternative Sports Center, where performances were held every two month. As of 2017, the academy operates in Petah Tikva, where its' shows are being held as well. The IWL has one belt, the IWL Heavyweight Championship.
ChampionshipNotesCurrent HolderPLW Heavyweight ChampionshipThe heavyweight title of Power League Wrestling.[51]"Sensational" Scott LevesquePLW Tag Team ChampionshipThe tag team title of Power League Wrestling.[52]Glamorous Express (Mike Paiva & Buddy Romano)PLW New England ChampionshipThe secondary title for singles competition.[53]"The Flyin' Hawaiian" Keanu
Professional wrestling utilizes a farm system that allows inexperienced wrestlers to develop their skills and gain in ring experience in smaller, often regional promotions before they are called up to compete in front of a global/national audience. Generally called farm leagues or developmental territories, some of the more notable ones for WWE include World Wrestling Alliance (1998); Power Pro Wrestling (1998–2000); International Wrestling Association (1999–2001); Memphis Championship Wrestling (2000–2001); Deep South Wrestling (2005–2007), NXT (2007–present; formerly Florida Championship Wrestling); Heartland Wrestling Association (2001–2003), which was also a developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling; and Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000–2008, 2011–2013 for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling). In addition, smaller companies such as Ring of Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, or independent promotions such as Global Force Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Combat Zone Wrestling, Chikara, and the now-defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling can act as unofficial feeder leagues, seasoning wrestlers until a larger company offers them a contract.
Powerful Women of Wrestling (also known as POWW) was founded by David McLane in 1987 after he left Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. The promotion lasted until 1990. Unlike GLOW, POWW focused more on women's wrestling than comedic skits. During its existence, POWW was aligned with the World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis and the American Wrestling Association.
Powerful Women of Wrestling (also known as POWW) is a defunct women's professional wrestling promotion based out of Indianapolis, Indiana founded by David McLane, founder of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling and Women of Wrestling.
The World League Wrestling (WLW) Heavyweight Championship, is the top title contested for the independent professional wrestling promotion World League Wrestling. The current champion is Jon Webb, who is in his first reign.
Howard Brody incorporated the Ladies Major League Wrestling, Inc. (LMLW) company on October 27, 1989. The promotion featured women wrestlers that had previously competed in the World Wrestling Federation, National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and Powerful Women of Wrestling promotions, along with several independent women wrestlers. Their matches, which were aired promoted under the "Wild Women of Wrestling" banner, were featured on the Universal Wrestling Federation television series and sold on home video.
Powers was discovered and brought into the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in late 1984 by Big John Studd who also had a hand in training him. In 1985, Powers ventured outside the WWF to gain more experience, including two Texas based promotions: Texas All-Star Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling where he appeared at a couple of the federation’s featured "Star Wars" events. After gaining more experience, Powers returned to the WWF.