Frontier Wrestling Alliance
{{Pwcompanybox |
name = Frontier Wrestling Alliance|
image = Fwa.gif|
acronym = FWA |
established = 1993,
1999 (under the Frontier name) | style =
British Wrestlingwith
modern influences| location =
Portsmouth |
founder = |
owner = |
parent = |
sister = |
formerly = Fratton Wrestling Association
Fratton Wrestling Alliance| merged = |
Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) is
Europe's highest profile
professional wrestling promotion, based in the
United Kingdom.
The FWA initially started out as the Fratton
Wrestling Association in
Portsmouth. The Fratton Wrestling Alliance existed in some form since 1993, when Mark Sloan and some friends began wrestling.
This promotion follows the same
rules as seen in most of professional wrestling but has adopted the
Yellow/Red Card system from
Football (soccer), with the
yellow card serving as a warning, and any
red card offence resulting in disqualification.
Piledrivers are banned under FWA rules and can result in a
fine as well as disqualification.
FWA would generate a working relationship with
US independent promotion
Ring of Honor, which led to talent trading and a cross-promotional show,
Frontiers of Honor in the United Kingdom on
May 17,
2003.
On
March 4,
2004, FWA announced that they had signed a five-year contract with
The Wrestling Channel, at the time making them the sole and exclusive UK based promotion to feature on the station. Other UK promotions would later briefly feature on the UK Round-up programme.
Along with a new weekly Frontier Wrestling Alliance television show (FWA TV), viewers could expect FWA Unsigned, FWA home shopping, a fly-on-the-wall
documentary series, and sit-down interviews.
In November 2004 FWA faced off against
All Star Wrestling for the British Inter-Federation Cup.
Alex Shane's Team FWA lost the Cup to All-Star in its first defence at Croydon's Fairfield Halls in November, when the deciding match ended in a DQ victory for
Joe Legend's All-Star team.
During the last few months of 2005 attendance at
Broxbourne Civic Hall was low compared to previous years, The FWA management team even had to cancel one of the promotions top shows
Gold Rush, that was scheduled for Broxbourne Civic Hall on Saturday
November 26 due to
"very disappointing" ticket sales. The FWA decided that it would not be economically viable to hold an event of the quality that FWA fans have come to expect.
The low attendance was due to a combination of factors - but most notably the arrival of new UK wrestling companies who promote towards Internet fans, making the market become saturated; and also ineffective local promotion. The FWA stated that they would review ticket prices for Broxbourne events in 2006, and address the local promtion problem.
|
FWA logo used during the Official sites redesign in 2006 |
With the arrival of 2006 came a new image, the FWA developed a new logo and completely redesigned their website.
Following the FWA's controversial loss of the Inter-Federation Cup, the British Inter-Federation Cup Committee brought FWA officials and All-Star owner Brian Dixon together to set up a rematch at the earliest available opportunity. As the initial FWA/All-Star confrontation happened on All-Star turf, the rematch would take place on FWA soil - with the Morecambe Dome hosting the event on May 13th 2006. FWA was able to win the confrontation to take Inter-Federation Cup away from All-Star. It was later reported that the FWA British Heavyweight Title belt was stolen from ringside at around 10.30pm immediately following the event. The FWA is offering a reward of £100 for information leading to the safe return of the championship belt.
FWA would further their working relationship with ROH with one of FWA's top stars,
Alex Shane, becoming ROH's Head of European marketing and promotion. This new position gave Shane the chance to improve on the talent trading and produce a second
Frontiers of Honor which also involved another British promotion
International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom.
The FWA Academy would begin presenting their own supercard shows, which were referred to as
FWA:A events. Often fueding with rival FWA development territory FWA Manchester, FWA:M also goes by the name Futureshock.
For a complete list of wrestlers that are currently competing in the FWA and other associated with the company see:
Frontier Wrestling Alliance roster*
FWA official site*
FWA online official site*
FWA:A official site*
FWA video package from the Bagpipe Report (found at youtube.com)
