International Wrestling Association (1970s)

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with International Wrestling Association (Puerto Rico) or International Wrestling Association of Japan.
International Wrestling Association
AcronymIWA
Founded1975
Defunct1978
Headquarters
Cleveland, Ohio
Founder(s)Eddie Einhorn and Pedro Martinez
ParentNational Wrestling Federation

The International Wrestling Association (IWA) was a

antitrust lawsuit against the rival Jim Crockett Promotions
, the IWA closed in 1978.

History

In the 1970s, Ron Martinez introduced his friend Eddie Einhorn to his father Pedro Martinez, and the duo established the International Wrestling Association in 1975 as a descendant company of Martinez's National Wrestling Federation.[2] The IWA was originally intended to be the first national wrestling promotion.[3]

Einhorn offered professional wrestler

Mil Mascaras, the company used contracts that guaranteed money to the talent regardless of ticket sales.[2] Einhorn also offered wrestlers deals that included transportation and lodging, in contrast to other promotions.[4] Mascaras was one of the promotion's initial champions. He mainly feuded with Ladd over the IWA Championship. Another one of the promotion's main feuds was between Mighty Igor and Bulldog Brower.[5] During the storyline, Brower attacked Igor on his birthday, knocking him into his birthday cake.[5]

The IWA's early

play-by-play announcers, and Rick Gattone was the ring announcer.[6] Einhorn's plan was for the show to be nationally syndicated.[7]

Einhorn left the IWA in late 1975 due to business conflicts and a large financial loss.

Winston-Salem Coliseum.[1] The case was not successful and the promotion closed in 1978.[1]

The show was shown overseas in Nigeria and Singapore in 1978.[9] Clips from the tape library were featured on ESPN's Cheap Seats,[6] as well as ESPN Classic's Golden Age of Wrestling.

Championships

The main championship for the company was the IWA Championship.

Mil Mascaras was the champion, winning it in Savannah, Georgia, in 1975.[10] He also defended the championship in Mexico.[10] The exact lineage of the title is unknown, but Johnny Powers claims to have held it three times.[9] Even after the promotion closed in 1978, Powers defended the title overseas.[9] He last defended it against Bulldog Brower in Nigeria in 1982, after which he retired from wrestling.[9]

The Mongols (

Bolo Mongol) were the company's only holders of the IWA Tag Team Championship.[10] After Eddie Einhorn left the promotion, The Mongols also left, taking the IWA Tag Team Championship with them to rival Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in January 1976.[8][10] In JCP, they were billed as the International Tag Team Champions.[8]

The IWA North American Championship was the only title in the promotion to officially change hands. The first holder of the title was Ox Baker.[10] He held the title for less than a year before losing it to Bulldog Brower.[10]

Female wrestlers also had a title in the promotion, the IWA Women's North American Championship. The sole holder of the title was Estelle Molina.[10]

Rights of Footage

In 2012, JADAT Sports Inc. bought all the footage of the International Wrestling Association from Ron's Son, Jason Martinez. The International Wrestling Association's tape library is one of the few classic wrestling tape libraries not owned by World Wrestling Entertainment and is one of several classic libraries owned by JADAT Sports Inc. In 2021 JADAT Sports Inc. appointed Stream Go Media LLC as the exclusive distribution agents for the International Wrestling Association, Detroit Big Time Wrestling, SCW and Texas All-Star Wrestling. Footage from the International Wrestling Association appear on the streaming service "Wrestling Legends Network" built and operated by Stream Go Media, LLC launched on May 25, 2021, on the Roku platform and on www.WrestlingLegendsNetwork.tv.

Former personnel

Main article: List of former International Wrestling Association personnel

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Mooneyham, Mike (2013-04-22). "The amazing journey of Johnny Powers: From pro wrestling superstar to promoter, pioneer, entrepreneur". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Johnson, Steven (2010-02-24). "Announcer Martinez was instrumental in IWA, video world". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
  3. ^ a b Oliver, Greg (November 2001). "George Scott: Making Mid-Atlantic sizzle". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
  4. ^ a b c d Steele, George and Jim Evans (2013). "11. A Potpourri of Perspiration". Animal. Triumph Books.
  5. ^ a b Oliver, Greg (2007). The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels. ECW Press. p. 169.
  6. ^ a b Johnson, Steven (2008-10-17). "Jack Reynolds: A 'believer' who convinced the fans". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
  7. ^ Funk, Terry and Scott E. Williams (2013). Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
  8. ^ a b c Bourne, Matt (2007-05-03). "The Anderson Brothers vs. The Mongols". Mid-Atlantic Gateway. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
  9. ^ a b c d Wheeler, Jimmy (2013-10-13). "Forgotten Titles: Chapter One". Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Ducan, Royal and Gary Will. Wrestling Title Histories (4 ed.). Archeus Communications.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Wrestling_Association_(1970s)&oldid=1218279689"