| Acronym | WWA |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 1964[1] |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Style | American wrestling |
| Headquarters | Indiana |
| Founder(s) | Dick the Bruiser[2] Wilbur Snyder[2] |
| Owner(s) | Dick the Bruiser Wilbur Snyder |
| Parent | WWE Libraries |
| Sister | Powerful Women of Wrestling |
| Split from | NWA Indianapolis |
TheWorld Wrestling Association was anIndianapolis-basedprofessional wrestlingpromotion which was operated byDick the Bruiser and his business partnerWilbur Snyder.[1][2] It was affiliated with the largerAmerican Wrestling Association and recognized its champions, along with its own and those of the Indianapolis-basedPowerful Women of Wrestling. It ran from 1964 to 1989.
The World Wrestling Association (WWA), operating under the legal name Championship Wrestling of Indiana, Inc., was established in 1964 by William Afflis and Wilbur Snyder.[1][2] The duo purchased the Indianapolis NWA promotion in 1964 from its longtime ownerJim Barnett, who at that time was attempting to start up a promotion in Australia. The name of the promotion was taken from the former promotions in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas.[2]
In 1965, the WWA purchased the Chicago-basedFred Kohler Enterprises fromFred Kohler. In May of the same year, the promotion ceased promoting events in Detroit.
The promotion developed wrestlers such asBobby Heenan andamateur wrestlerGreg Wojciechowski. Wojciechowski wrestled for the WWA under the name "The Great Wojo" and held the WWA World Heavyweight Championship three times.[3] In later years,Scott Steiner got his start in the WWA under his real name, Scott Rechsteiner.
A talent sharing agreement withAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA) head (and longtime champion)Verne Gagne brought forth other talent, includingThe Crusher andBaron von Raschke. The WWA also put on joint wrestling events with the AWA starting in 1966. In 1971, the WWA returned to promoting events in Detroit in competition with the NWA Detroit until 1975.
The WWA tried to make a go of it in the mid-1980s, whenVince McMahon'sWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) was buying regional promotions across the country, but the Bruiser's advancing age and the talent drain to the WWF were too much, and the WWA ceased promoting matches in 1989.
