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A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event. Within the convention of the show, the company is a sports governing body which sanctions wrestling matches and gives authority to the championships and is responsible for maintaining the divisions and their rankings. In truth, the company serves as a touring theatre troupe, as well as event promotion body for its own events.
Most promotions are self-contained, organized around one or more championships and do not acknowledge or recognize the legitimacy of other promotions' titles unless they share a working agreement. Governing bodies, such as the CyberFight, United Wrestling Network, WWNLive, Allied Independent Wrestling Federations, Union of European Wrestling Alliances, Pro Wrestling International and, previously, the National Wrestling Alliance, act as an umbrella organization which governs titles that are shared among multiple promotions. During the 1950s, the National Wrestling Alliance oversaw many wrestling territories such as Mid-Atlantic Wrestling and NWA San Francisco, in a business model known as the "territory system".[1]
This is a list of the most notable past and present professional wrestling promotions.
Australia and New Zealand
Active
- Australasian Wrestling Federation
- Explosive Pro Wrestling
- Impact Pro Wrestling
- International Wrestling Australia
- Melbourne City Wrestling
- New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling
- Riot City Wrestling
- Southern Pro Wrestling
- World Series Wrestling
Defunct
- Dominion Wrestling Union
- I-Generation Superstars of Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Women's Alliance
- World Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling All-Stars
Canada
Active
- Border City Wrestling
- Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling
- Great Canadian Wrestling
- High Impact Wrestling Canada
- International Wrestling Syndicate
- Northern Championship Wrestling
- nCw Femmes Fatales
- Prairie Wrestling Alliance
- Real Canadian Wrestling
Defunct
- BSE Pro
- Eastern Sports Association
- Hart Legacy Wrestling
- International Wrestling Alliance
- Lutte Internationale
- Maple Leaf Wrestling
- Maximum Pro Wrestling
- NWA: All-Star Wrestling
- Stampede Wrestling
Japan
Active
- Action Advance Pro Wrestling
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- Big Japan Pro Wrestling
- CyberFight
(umbrella brand) - Dradition
- Dragon Gate
- Dream Star Fighting Marigold
- Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling-Explosion
- Ganbare Pro-Wrestling
- Gleat
- Ice Ribbon
- Kyushu Pro-Wrestling
- Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling-X
- Lion's Gate Project
- Michinoku Pro Wrestling
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- Osaka Pro Wrestling
- Oz Academy
- Pro-Wrestling Basara
- Pro Wrestling Freedoms
- Pro Wrestling Land's End
- Pro-Wrestling Shi-En
- Pro Wrestling Wave
- Pro Wrestling Zero1
- Professional Wrestling Just Tap Out
- Pure-J
- Seadlinnng
- Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling
- Strong Style Pro-Wrestling
- Tenryu Project
- Tokyo Gurentai
- World Wonder Ring Stardom
- Wrestling of Darkness 666
Defunct
- All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
- Apache Pro-Wrestling Army
- Arsion
- Battlarts
- Diamond Ring
- Federacion Universal de Lucha Libre
- Fighting Network Rings
- Gaea Japan
- Global Professional Wrestling Alliance
- Hustle
- Inoki Genome Federation
- International Wrestling Enterprise
- IWA Japan
- Japan Pro-Wrestling
- Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
- Japan Wrestling Association
- Jd'
- JWP Joshi Puroresu
- Kingdom
- NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling
- Never (professional wrestling)
- Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi
- Riki Pro (WJ)
- Smash
- Super World of Sports
- Tokyo Pro Wrestling
- Universal Wrestling Federation
- Union Pro Wrestling
- UWF International
- Wrestle Association "R"
- Wrestling International New Generations
- Wrestle-1
- Wrestling New Classic
Mexico
Active
- Alianza Universal De Lucha Libre
- Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
(Triple A) - Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
- International Wrestling Revolution Group
- The Crash Lucha Libre
- Toryumon Mexico
Defunct
- International Wrestling League
- Los Perros del Mal
- Lucha Libre Elite
- Nación Lucha Libre
- Promo Azteca
- Universal Wrestling Association
- World Wrestling Association
- Xtreme Latin American Wrestling
United Kingdom & Ireland
Active
- 1 Pro Wrestling
- All Star Wrestling
- Attack! Pro Wrestling
- Bellatrix Female Warriors
- British Kingdom Pro-Wrestling
- Fight Factory Pro Wrestling
- Grand Pro Wrestling
- Insane Championship Wrestling
- International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
- Irish Whip Wrestling
- Lucha Britannia
- New Generation Wrestling
- Over the Top Wrestling
- Pro Championship Wrestling
- PROGRESS Wrestling
- Pro-Wrestling: EVE
- Revolution Pro Wrestling
- World Association of Wrestling
Defunct
- 5 Star Wrestling
- Frontier Wrestling Alliance
- Joint Promotions
- NXT UK (WWE)
- Pro Wrestling Elite
- Pro Wrestling Pride
- World of Sport Wrestling
- X Wrestling Alliance
United States
Active
- All American Wrestling
- All Elite Wrestling
- All Pro Wrestling
- Assault Championship Wrestling
- !Bang!
- Chaotic Wrestling
- Combat Zone Wrestling
- Deadlock Pro-Wrestling
- East Coast Wrestling Association
- Empire Wrestling Federation
- Funking Conservatory
- Game Changer Wrestling
- Harley Race's Wrestling Academy
- House of Hardcore
- House of Glory
- Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
- Juggalo Championship Wrestling
- Lucha VaVOOM
- Major League Wrestling
- MCW Pro Wrestling
- Millennium Wrestling Federation
- National Wrestling Alliance
- New England Championship Wrestling
- Northeast Wrestling
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
- Reality of Wrestling
- Revolutionary Championship Wrestling
- Ring of Honor
- Shimmer Women Athletes
- Southern States Wrestling
- Texas All-Star Wrestling
- Texas Wrestling Alliance
- Top Rope Promotions
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- Ultra Championship Wrestling-Zero
- United Wrestling Network
(governing body) - Warrior Wrestling
- West Coast Wrestling Connection
- Women Superstars United
- Women of Wrestling
- World League Wrestling
- World Wrestling Network
(governing body) - World Xtreme Wrestling
- WWE
Brands:
Defunct (Modern-era)
- 205 Live (WWE)
- American Wrestling Federation
- Century Wrestling Alliance
- Chikara
- CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling
- Deep South Wrestling
- Dragon Gate USA
- Extreme Championship Wrestling (1991-2001)
- Extreme Championship Wrestling (WWE, 2006-2010)
- Extreme Rising
- Evolve
- Family Wrestling Entertainment
- Florida Championship Wrestling
- Front Row Wrestling
- Future of Wrestling
- Global Force Wrestling
- Hardcore Homecoming
- Heartland Wrestling Association
- Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling
- Incredibly Strange Wrestling
- Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance
- Independent Wrestling Federation
- IWF Promotions
- Jersey All Pro Wrestling
- Lucha Libre USA
- Lucha Underground
- Main Event Championship Wrestling
- Mason-Dixon Wrestling
- Memphis Championship Wrestling
- Memphis Wrestling
(governing body) - Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation
- Naked Women's Wrestling League
- National Championship Wrestling
- OMEGA Championship Wrestling
- Phoenix Championship Wrestling
- Power League Wrestling
- Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling
- Resistance Pro Wrestling
- Rise Wrestling
- Southern Championship Wrestling
- Steel City Wrestling
- Texas Wrestling Alliance
- Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
- Ultimate Pro Wrestling
- Warriors 4 Christ Wrestling
- Women of Wrestling
- Wrestling Society X
- Wrestling Superstars Live
- Wrestlicious
- Xcitement Wrestling Federation
- Xtreme Pro Wrestling
- World Wide Wrestling Alliance
- World Women's Wrestling
- World Wrestling Stars
- World Wrestling Legends
- WrestleReunion
Defunct (Territory-era)
- All-Star Championship Wrestling
- American Wrestling Association
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- Championship Wrestling from Georgia
- Continental Championship Wrestling
- Continental Wrestling Association
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- Global Wrestling Federation
- Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
- Heart of America Sports Attractions
- International Championship Wrestling
- International World Class Championship Wrestling
- International Wrestling Association
- International Wrestling Federation
- Jim Crockett Promotions
- Ladies Professional Wrestling Association
- Mid-South Wrestling
- Minneapolis Boxing and Wrestling Club
- National Wrestling Association
(governing body) - National Wrestling Federation
- Pacific Northwest Wrestling
- Powerful Women of Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling America
- Pro Wrestling USA
- Smoky Mountain Wrestling
- Southern Championship Wrestling (Georgia)
- Southwest Championship Wrestling
- St. Louis Wrestling Club
- United States Wrestling Association
- Universal Wrestling Federation
- Windy City Pro Wrestling
- World Championship Wrestling
- World Class Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling Association
- World Wrestling Network
- Worldwide Wrestling Associates
Other
Active
Africa Wrestling Alliance
Brazilian Wrestling Federation
Continental Wrestling Entertainment
Fédération Française de Catch Professionnel
Filipino Pro Wrestling
Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling
International Catch Wrestling Alliance
Irish Whip Wrestling
Israeli Pro Wrestling Association
IWA Puerto Rico
La Liga Wrestling
PUSO Wrestling
Singapore Pro Wrestling
Soft Ground Wrestling
Westside Xtreme Wrestling
WWC
World Wrestling Professionals
Defunct
Oriental Wrestling Entertainment
Catch Wrestling Association
Ring Ka King
Israeli Wrestling League
Ultimate Wrestling Israel
Philippine Wrestling Revolution
Manila Wrestling Federation
Verband der Berufsringer
See also
References
- ^ "The History of Wrestling's Territories Era". ArcGIS StoryMaps. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 2021-03-03.