Inprofessional wrestling, theindependent circuit (often shortened to theindie circuit or theindies) is thecollective name of independently ownedpromotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions.
Independent promotions are essentially viewed as aminor league orfarm system for the larger national promotions, as wrestlers in "indie" companies (especially young wrestlers just starting their careers) are usually honing their craft with the goal of being noticed and signed by a major national promotion such asWWE,All Elite Wrestling (AEW) (which also ownsRing of Honor (ROH)), orTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling in the United States,Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide orConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in Mexico, orNew Japan Pro-Wrestling,Dragongate,All Japan Pro Wrestling,World Wonder Ring Stardom or theCyberFight promotions in Japan. It is also not uncommon for veteran wrestlers who have had past tenures with major promotions to appear on independent shows, either as special attractions or as a way to prolong their careers.[1] There are also plenty of wrestlers who also wish to not sign with any of the major promotions and therefore primarily depend on the independent circuit for work.
The "indie" scene in the United States dates back to the days of regional territories. When a promoter ran opposition in even one town controlled by aNational Wrestling Alliance sanctioned territory, they were often called an "outlaw" territory.[2] This is considered by some to be a forerunner to indies since some stars of the past got their start in these low quality local rivals to the big regional territories.
The modern definition of the independent circuit came about in the middle to late 1980s and fully formed and flourished after 1990. These promotions initially sought to revive the feel of old school territorial wrestling after former territories either went national, such asWWF, went out of business, or eventually did both, such asWCW. Several indies did in fact manage to tour different towns within a region and maintain a consistent schedule.
AfterVince McMahon, seeking regulatory relief, gave in 1989 testimony in front of theNew Jersey State Athletic Commission[3] where he publicly admitted pro wrestling was in fact a sports-based entertainment, rather than a true athletic competition, many state athletic commissions stopped regulating wrestling. This obviated the need for complying with many expensive requirements, such as the need for an on-siteambulance and trained emergency medical personnel at each bout. After the business was thus exposed and deregulated, just about anyone could be a promoter or a wrestler since no licensing beyond a business license was then required. Many thought they could save money by holding shows in lesser towns and smaller arenas with little to no televised exposure, leading to many shows being held only once a week or once a month in local towns.
Independent promotions are usually local in focus and, lacking nationalTV contracts, are much more dependent on revenue fromhouse show attendance. Due to their lower budgets, most independent promotions offer low salaries (it is not unusual for a wrestler to work for free due to the fact most promoters can only afford to pay well-known talent). Most cannot afford to regularly rent large venues, and would not be able to attract a large enough crowd to fill such a venue were they able to do so. Instead, they make use of any almost open space (such as fields, ballrooms, or gymnasiums) to put on their performances. Some independent promotions are attached toprofessional wrestling schools, serving as a venue for students to gain experience in front of an audience. As independent matches are seldom televised, indie wrestlers who have not already gained recognition in other promotions tend to remain in obscurity. However, scouts from major promotions attend indie shows, and an indie wrestler who makes a good impression may be offered a developmental or even a full-professional contract.
The advent of theInternet has allowed independent wrestlers and promotions to reach a wider audience, and it is possible for wrestlers regularly working the indie circuit to gain some measure of fame among wrestling fans online. Additionally, some of the more successful indies have video distribution deals, giving them an additional source of income and allowing them to reach a larger audience outside of their local areas.
Unlike theNorth American orJapanese products which have large, globally renowned organisations such asWWE andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling with several hundred smallerpromotions, Australia only has approximately 30 smaller independent circuit promotions which exist in all but one of the states and territories, that being theNorthern Territory. Tours from the North American product are regularly sold out in capital cities such asMelbourne,Sydney,Perth andBrisbane.
| No. | Promoter | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wrestleriot February 26, 1993 | Melbourne, Victoria | Festival Hall | 4,000 | Jake Roberts vs. Jim Neidhart | [21] | |
| 2. | Wrestleriot 2 June 18, 1993 | Sydney, New South Wales | 3,500 | Road Warrior Hawk vs. Demolition Smash | [22] | ||
| Wrestleriot 2 June 24, 1993 | Melbourne, Victoria | Nailz vs. Big Boss Man | [23] | ||||
| High Risk Championship Wrestling TV July 17, 1999 | Festival Hall | Nailz vs. Primo Carnera III | [24] | ||||
| 3. | International Incident (Day 1) October 5, 2005 | Melbourne, Victoria | 2,500+[Note 5] | Jeff Jarrett vs. Rhino for the inaugural WSW Heavyweight Championship | |||
| 4. | Wrestleriot February 25, 1993 | Brisbane, Queensland | 2,200 | Jake Roberts vs. Jim Neidhart | [21] | ||
| 5. | International Assault Tour (Day 2) October 7, 2005 | Sydney, New South Wales | 2,100 | Rhino (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett for the WSW Heavyweight Championship | |||
| 6. | Wrestleriot 2 June 26, 1993 | Adelaide, South Australia | 1,450 | Big Bossman vs. Nailz | [25] | ||
| 7. | International Assault Tour (Day 3) October 8, 2005 | Newcastle, New South Wales | 1,200+[Note 6] | Rhino (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett for the WSW Heavyweight Championship | |||
| 8. | HoH 28 June 17, 2017 | Sydney, New South Wales | Sydney Showground | 1,200 | Tommy Dreamer and Billy Gunn vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) | ||
| MCW 100 August 18, 2018 | Albert Park, Victoria | Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre | Slex (c) vs. Will Ospreay for the MCW Intercommonwealth Championship | ||||
| 9. | HOH 15 June 24, 2016 | East Burwood, Victoria | Whitehorse Club | 1,100 | Andy Phoenix vs. KrackerJak vs. Carlito vs. Tommy Dreamer in a Number 1 contenders Fatal 4-Way match for the OCW Heavyweight Championship | ||
| HOH 30 June 23, 2017 | MVP vs. Jack Swagger vs. Tommy Dreamer in a Three-Way Dance | ||||||
| 10. | Wrestleriot March 2, 1993 | Adelaide, South Australia | 1,000 | Jake Roberts vs. Jim Neidhart | [26] | ||
| Nailz vs. High Risk Warrior July 23, 1999 | Adelaide, South Australia | Nailz vs. High Risk Warrior | [27] | ||||
| Psycho Slam Tour (Day 4) August 30, 1999 | Melbourne, Victoria | Camberwell Civic Centre | Sabu vs. Chris Candido | ||||
| Supanova Sidney (Day 1) June 27, 2009 | Sydney, New South Wales | Acer Arena | Spaceboy Dacey vs. Zander Bathory |
Lucha libre has many more independent wrestlers in proportion to the rest of North America, because of the weight classes prevalent in the Mexican league system as well as its emphasis on multiple person tag matches; just about anyone with ability can emerge from an independent promotion into eitherAAA orConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and be a champion there. Independent Mexican wrestlers may use a lot of gimmicks, including some that may be based oncopyrighted characters from American television shows, such asThundercats andX-Men. (Thesegimmicks are often changed if the wrestler playing them makes it into AAA or CMLL; the most prominent example of non-compliance with this method is midget wrestler Chucky from AAA, whose gimmick is based on theChild's Play movies.)
| No. | Promoter | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | DragonMania III May 11, 2008 | Mexico City, Mexico | Arena Mexico | 17,000 | Ultimo Dragon, Mistico and Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Atlantis and Rene Dupree | ||
| 2. | DragonMania II May 13, 2007 | Mexico City, Mexico | Arena Mexico | 16,800 | Último Dragón, Mil Máscaras, Marco Corleone, and Kazuchika Okada vs. Yoshihiro Takayama, Minoru Suzuki, Último Guerrero and SUWA | ||
| 3. | ALL Elite February 8, 2015 | Mexico City, Mexico | Arena Mexico | 15,000 | Dr. Wagner Jr. and La Sombra vs. L.A. Par-K and Volador Jr. | [28] | |
| 4. | Torneo Todo X El Todo December 8, 2007 | Naucalpan, Mexico | El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos | 12,000 | 16-man Torneo Todo X El Todo tournament | ||
| DragonMania VIII June 15, 2013 | Mexico City, Mexico | Arena Mexico | Último Dragón, Atlantis and Rayo de Jalisco Jr. vs. Último Guerrero, Hajime Ohara and Mike Knox | ||||
December 20, 2015 | Mexico City, Mexico | Arena Mexico | Rayo de Jalisco Jr., Octagón and Atlantis vs. Los Hermanos Dinamita (Universo Dos Mil, Cien Caras, Máscara Año Dos Mil) | ||||
| 5. | — | Lucha de Leyendas June 23, 2013 | Mérida, Mexico | El Poliforo Zamná | 11,500 | El Hijo del Santo vs. Blue Demon Jr. | |
| 6. | July 5, 2008 | Monterrey, Nuevo Leon | La Arena Monterrey | 10,500+[Note 7] | Atlantis vs. Blue Panther vs. Místico vs. Último Guerrero vs. Villano V vs. Tigre Universitario in a 6-way Mask vs. Mask match | [29] | |
| 7. | DragonMania V May 29, 2010 | Mexico City, Mexico | Arena Mexico | 10,000+[Note 8] | Mil Máscaras, Tatsumi Fujinami, Último Dragón and Brazo de Plata vs. Rey Bucanero, Chuck Palumbo, Atlantis and Arkángel de la Muerte | [30] | |
| 8. | DragonMania XI May 28, 2016 | Mexico City, Mexico | Arena Mexico | 10,000[Note 9] | Ultimo Dragon, Octagon and Caristico vs. Fuerza Guerrera, Tiger Ali and Mephisto | [31] | |
| 9. | DragonManía May 14, 2005 | Mexico City, Mexico | Arena Mexico | 9,914 | Último Dragón, Rayo de Jalisco Jr. and Tigre Enmascarado vs. Los Guerreros del Infierno (Rey Bucanero, Tarzan Boy and Último Guerrero) | ||
| 10. | The Crash in San Luis Potosí August 10, 2017 | San Luis Potosí City, San Luis Potosí | El Domo de San Luis | 9,000 | Rey Misterio Jr., Blue Demon Jr. and Rey Fénix vs. La Máscara, M-ximo and Rey Escorpión | [32] |
Until 1984, no independentpuroresu promotion per se existed in Japan; potential talent went directly into the training dojos of eitherNew Japan Pro-Wrestling orAll Japan Pro Wrestling. (International Wrestling Enterprise also was a third-party promotion until 1981.) The advent of theJapanese Universal Wrestling Federation offered a long-sought third alternative.
From 1986 to 1988 the Japanese system went back to the two-promotion system, but then the UWF was reformed and another promotion, Pioneer Senshi, was started. Because of Japanese societalmores which implied that a wrestler was a lifelong employee of a company and thus identified with it wherever he went, neither AJPW nor NJPW made an effort to acquire wrestlers trained in other promotions; wrestlers from the major promotions who left, such asGenichiro Tenryu,Gran Hamada,Yoshiaki Fujiwara,Akira Maeda,Atsushi Onita, andNobuhiko Takada had to start their own independent promotions in order to keep themselves in the limelight (Wrestling Association "R",Universal Lucha Libre,Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi,Fighting Network Rings,Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, andHustle respectively) .
As the 1990s ended, though, things began to change. Independent promotions began gaining more prominence as they were featured in major specialized media such asShukan Puroresu andShukan Gong magazines. With the death ofGiant Baba and retirement ofAntonio Inoki, which effectively broke their control over the promotions they founded, the major promotions began looking to the smaller promotions for talent.
In 2000, the first major signing from an independent,Minoru Tanaka by NJPW fromBattlARTS, took place; soon after NJPW stocked thejunior heavyweight division with independent talent such asMasayuki Naruse,Tiger Mask,Gedo, andJado. On the same year, following thePro Wrestling Noah split, AJPW was forced to fill its ranks with independent talent;Nobutaka Araya,Shigeo Okumura andMitsuya Nagai signed up (Araya is the only one who remains, but other signings since then have beenKaz Hayashi,Tomoaki Honma,Hideki Hosaka, andRyuji Hijikata.)
Noah admitted one wrestler from the independents,Daisuke Ikeda, to its ranks as well (Ikeda has since left, but other wrestlers from the independents that were signed includedAkitoshi Saito,Takahiro Suwa, andTaiji Ishimori). Although AJPW, NJPW, and Noah remain committed to their dojos, the reliance on independents is growing as obscure talent is recognized for its ability.
For most of the years ofITV's coverage of British Wrestling, the dominant promoter in the United Kingdom was theJoint Promotions cartel, which was originally modelled on the NWA and later amalgamated into a single company. Nonetheless, throughout this period, untelevised alternative promotions flourished with at least one significant competitor to Joint for live shows.
Initially the main rival was the former dominant promotion in the territory,Atholl Oakley's BWA. By the time of its demise, wrestler/promoter Paul Lincoln had established himself as a major promoter with shows featuring himself as headline heel. In 1958, whenBert Assirati was stripped of theBritish Heavyweight Championship, Lincoln formed the BWF alliance of promoters to support Assirati's claim, later recognisingShirley Crabtree as champion. Lincoln's BWF was eventually bought out into Joint in 1970.
Welsh promoterOrig Williams also used the BWF name, promoting from the late 1960s up until the early 2000s and then sporadically until his death in 2009. From 1982 to 1995, Williams had a Welsh language TV wrestling show "Reslo" on S4C. Brian Dixon, a referee for Williams, set up his own company Wrestling Enterprises ofBirkenhead later renamedAll Star Wrestlingc. 1984. An alliance with promoter and former top starJackie Pallo failed to prevent Joint gaining a five-year extension on its TV wrestling monopoly from January 1982 to December 1986.
However, by the mid-1980s Dixon had won over many wrestlers and fans from Joint who were tired of theBig Daddy-orientated direction of Joint. Eventually this culminated in All Star gaining a TV show on satellite channelScreensport and later, a slice of ITV's coverage from 1987 until the end of ITV wrestling in 1988. By the end of this period, All Star had effectively replaced Joint (by now owned byMax Crabtree, brother of Shirley) as the dominant promotion in the UK.
Joint, renamed Ring Wrestling Stars in 1991, dwindled down before closing with Crabtree's retirement in 1995, All Star has continued to be the dominant non-import live promotion in the UK up to the present day. Its principal competitors since that time have been Scott Conway's TWA, John Freemantle's Premier Promotions, RBW and LDN Wrestling. Since the 1990s there have also been numerous American-style "New School" promotions.
| No. | Promoter | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Fear & Loathing IX November 20, 2016 | Glasgow, Scotland | The SSE Hydro | 6,193 | Joe Coffey vs. Kurt Angle | [42] | |
| 2. | PROGRESS Chapter 76: Hello Wembley! September 30, 2018 | London, England | SSE Wembley Arena | 4,750 | WALTER (c) vs. Tyler Bate for the PROGRESS World Championship | [43] | |
| 3. | Fear & Loathing X November 19, 2017 | Glasgow, Scotland | The SSE Hydro | 4,500 | Joe Coffey (c-WHC) vs. BT Gunn (c-ZGC) in a Champion vs. Champion match for the ICW World Heavyweight Championship and ICW Zero G Championship | ||
| 4. | RevPro 11th Anniversary Show August 26, 2023 | London, England | Copper Box Arena | 4,072 | Will Ospreay vs.Shingo Takagi | ||
| 5. | Tribute to the Troops June 28, 2014 | Preston, England | Harris Flights | 4,000 | Joey Hayes (c) vs. Carlito for the PCW Heavyweight Championship | [44] | |
| Fear & Loathing VIII November 15, 2015 | Glasgow, Scotland | Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre | Drew Galloway (c) vs. Grado for the ICW World Heavyweight Championship | [45] | |||
| 6. | International Showdown March 19, 2005 | Coventry, England | Coventry Skydome | 3,400 | Christopher Daniels (c) vs. AJ Styles for the TNA X-Division Championship | ||
| 7. | Strong Style Evolved UK (Day 2) July 1, 2008 | Manchester, England | Silver Blades Altrincham | 3,000 | Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Minoru Suzuki for the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship | ||
| 8. | Strong Style Evolved UK (Day 1) June 30, 2018 | Milton Keynes, England | Planet Ice Milton Keynes | 2,546 | Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.) (c) vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) for the RevPro Undisputed British Tag Team Championship | [46] | |
| 9. | True Legacy October 8, 2016 | Manchester, England | Silver Blades Altrincham | 2,500+[Note 10] | Kurt Angle vs. Cody Rhodes | [47] | |
| 10. | PROGRESS Chapter 36: We're Gonna Need A Bigger Room... Again September 25, 2016 | London, England | O2 Academy Brixton | 2,400 | Marty Scurll (c) vs. Mark Haskins vs. Tommy End in a Three-Way Dance for the PROGRESS World Championship | [48] |
Note: Minimum attendance of 5,000.
| No. | Promoter | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Clash of the Legends April 27, 2004 | Memphis, Tennessee | FedEx Forum | 6,000? | Hulk Hogan vs.Paul Wight | ||
| 2. | Heat Wave July 16, 2000 | Los Angeles, California | Grand Olympic Auditorium | 5,700 | Justin Credible (c) vs.Tommy Dreamer in aStairway to Hell match for theECW World Heavyweight Championship | ||
| 3. | NWA New Jersey vs. NWA Pro June 27, 2009 | Newark, New Jersey | JFK Recreation Center | 5,500 | Apollo (c) vs. Dimitrios Papadon for theNWA North American Heavyweight Championship | ||
| 4. | NEPW at the Lake County Fairgrounds August 24, 2002 | Painesville, Ohio | Lake County Fairgrounds | 5,000 | Julio Dinero vs. Dick Trimmins | ||
| Sportsfest July 9, 2004 | Allentown, Pennsylvania | Cedar Beach Park | Rapid Fire Maldonado (c) vs. Mana the Polynesian Warrior for theWXW Heavyweight Championship | ||||
| Throwback Night II August 28, 2004 | Memphis, Tennessee | Mid-South Coliseum | Terry Funk andCorey Maclin vs.Jerry Lawler andJimmy Hart withJimmy Valiant as special referee | [60] | |||
| Dukes of Hazzard Festival June 12, 2007 | Nashville, Tennessee | Music City Motorplex | Iron Cross, Bobby Houston andJerry Lawler vs. Stan Lee,Eddie Golden andK.C. Thunder | ||||
| 5. | Guilty as Charged January 9, 2000 | Birmingham, Alabama | Boutwell Memorial Auditorium | 4,700 | Mike Awesome vs. Spike Dudley for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | ||
— | Clash of the Legends June 15, 2001 | Memphis, Tennessee | Mid-South Coliseum | Jerry Lawler vs. Lord Humongous with Lance Russell as special referee | |||
| 6. | Anarchy Rulz October 1, 2000 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Roy Wilkins Auditorium | 4,600 | Justin Credible (c) vs. Jerry Lynn for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | ||
| November to Remember November 5, 2000 | Villa Park, Illinois | Odeum Expo Center | Jerry Lynn (c) vs. Steve Corino vs. Justin Credible vs. The Sandman and in a Double Jeopardy match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | ||||
| 7. | Throwback Night July 10, 2004 | Memphis, Tennessee | Mid-South Coliseum | 3,758 | Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Hart vs. Corey Maclin and Kamala | [61] | |
| 8. | ECW on TNN April 8, 2000 | Buffalo, New York | Flickinger Center | 3,700 | Super Crazy (c) vs. Yoshihiro Tajiri and Little Guido in a 3-Way Dance match for the ECW World Television Championship | [62] | |
| 9. | ECW on TNN June 24, 2000 | Villa Park, Illinois | Odeum Sports & Expo Center | 3,500 | Justin Credible (c) vs. The Sandman for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | [62] | |
| Throwback Night III: A Nightmare in Memphis October 30, 2004 | Memphis, Tennessee | Mid-South Coliseum | Jerry Lawler andThe Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton andRobert Gibson) vs. Corey Maclin, Stan Lane and Jackie Fargo | [63] | |||
| 10. | Hardcore Heaven May 14, 2000 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | The Rave | 3,400 | Justin Credible (c) vs. Lance Storm and Tommy Dreamer in a 3-Way Dance match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship | [64] |
| No. | Promoter | Event | Location | Venue | Attendance | Main Event(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | — | All In September 1, 2018 | Hoffman Estates, Illinois | Sears Centre Arena | 11,263 | The Golden Elite (Kota Ibushi,Matt Jackson andNick Jackson) vs.Bandido,Rey Fénix andRey Mysterio in asix-man tag team match | |
| 2. | Luchamania USA January 26, 2013 | Los Angeles, California | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | 7,000 | Blue Demon Jr.,Cien Caras Jr. andDr. Wagner Jr. vs.El Hijo del Santo,L.A. Par-K andRayo de Jalisco Jr. in asix-man tag team match | ||
| 3. | Take Me Home Charity Show February 21, 2015 | Detroit, Michigan | Detroit Masonic Temple | 4,500 | 2 Tuff Tony (c) vs. The Weedman for the JCW Heavyweight Championship | ||
| 4. | Hatchet Attacks March 26, 2011 | Southgate, Michigan | The Modern Exchange | 4,311 | Corporal Robinson (c) vs.Ian Rotten in a Barbed Wire, Tables, Ladders & Glass match for theJCW Heavyweight Championship | [65] | |
| 5. | WrestleCade 5: The Final 3 Count November 26, 2016 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Benton Convention Center | 4,000 | Matt Hardy (c) vs.Ryback for the WrestleCade Championship | [66] | |
| 6. | Six Flags Slam Fest June 15, 2019 | Jackson, New Jersey | Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park | 3,700 | Jon Moxley vs. Caz XL | [67] | |
| 7. | Brawl at the Bush II May 14, 2011 | Brantford, Ontario | Brantford Civic Center | 3,600 | Haven, Lanny Poffo, Brutus Beefcake and Bushwhacker Luke vs. Big Daddy Hammer, Virgil and The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) in a Survivor Series elimination match | ||
| 8. | — | February 17, 2013 | Chicago, Illinois | Congress Theatre | 3,500 | Blue Demon Jr., Imágen Nocturna and Piloto Suicida vs. L.A. Par-K, El Hijo del Santo and Rayo de Jalisco Jr. | [68] |
| Austin Warfare March 15, 2016 | Austin, Texas | Austin Music Hall | Cage, Prince Puma and Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Jack Evans, Johnny Mundo and PJ Black | ||||
| Supercard of Honor XI April 1, 2017 | Lakeland, Florida | Lakeland Center | Christopher Daniels (c) vs. Dalton Castle for the ROH World Championship | ||||
| 9. | Wrestling under the Stars (Day 1) August 1, 2015 | Wappingers Falls, New York | Dutchess Stadium | 3,341 | Rey Mysterio Jr. and Alberto El Patrón vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) | ||
| 10. | Wrestlefest March 3, 2017 | Waterbury, Connecticut | Crosby High School | 3,300 | Kurt Angle vs. Cody Rhodes in a Steel Cage match |
General
Specific
The HWA ran its annual show on 7/19 in conjunction with the Columbus Clippers minor league baseball team. The show drew 8,757, which is more than double the Clippers average (4,500) or the crowd drawn last year with several WWE wrestlers on the show (4,400).
Anyway, what this means is we've been underestimating the crowds of the Lucha Libre shows and that the original 5/16 show really did draw 6,250 (tickets were $20, $15 and $10 for that show and more freebies so the house was probably well under six figures but probably still in excess of $70,000).
Actual attendance at the World Wrestling Peace Festival was 5,964. I incorrectly misinterpreted the number of comps as being about 1,500 less than it actually was, although in no way did it look like there were anywhere close to 6,000 in the building but that is a legit figure.
7,200 tickets were given away, enough to fill the Civic Center. About 5,500 showed up, a surprising amount of whom were certainly old enough to remember the weekly Thursday night cards from the 60s and 70s, and many of whom were kids who came largely to see the Big Bossman of WWF television fame.
Jacques Rougeau Jr. ran his first show on 7/15 in Verdun, QUE drawing what was reported in the newspapers as 3,500 fans but there is no way of knowing a real figure. The highlight of the show was Abdullah the Butcher's main event win over Richard Charland.
Jacques Rougeau's 12/29 show in Montreal drew about 2,600 fans in the 3,000-seat Pierre Charboneau Center, his biggest crowd to date. In the main event, Ron & Jimmy Garvin won the Johnny Rougeau tag team titles from Jacques & Raymond Rougeau.
We'll find out when the BCW finale explodes on the Civic Terrace from 2 to 4:15 p.m., once again part of the annual Bluesfest in the biggest local wrestling show of the year. Two years ago, the BCW's riverfront spectacle drew 1,600 people, while last year it attracted 2,200 - one of the biggest draws for independent pro wrestling in Canada.
Junkyard Dog, Don Muraco, Jushin Liger, Joe & Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Jake Roberts and Jim Neidhart are in the midst of headlining an Australian tour. First night in Brisbane on 2/25 drew 2,200 and 2/26 in Melbourne drew about 4,000. Must be interesting because they are using Liger vs. Benoit, who have no name identity in Australia, as the semifinal, and Neidhart vs. Roberts on top. Can you imagine Roberts and Neidhart having to follow those two?
6/18 Sydney, Australia (AWF - 3,500): [...] Road Warrior Hawk b Demolition Smash
6/24 Melbourne, Australia (AWF - 3,500): [...] Big Bossman b Nailz
7/17 Melbourne, Australia (High Risk Championship Wrestling - 3,500): [...] Nailz DDQ Primo Carnera III
6/26 Adelaide, Australia (AWF - 1,450): [...] Big Bossman b Nailz **1/2
3/2 Adelaide, Australia (AWF - 1,000): [...] Jake Roberts b Jim Neidhart *
7/23 Adelaide, Australia (High Risk Championship Wrestling - 1,000): [...] High Risk Warrior b Nailz, Pit Bulls b DOA-DQ
After the return of L.A. Park, Dr. Wagner Jr. and Fuerza Guerrera to Arena Mexico on 2/8 drew more than 15,000, more than five times the normal Sunday crowd [...] An outside promotion, All Elite, booked Arena Mexico using those three stars, and drew the biggest crowd in the arena since the Anniversary show.
On 7/5 at Arena Monterrey, they drew 10,500 fans for an elimination match where the loser would get unmasked with Mistico, Ultimo Guerrero, Villano V, Atlantis, Blue Panther and Tigre Universitario
Ultimo Dragon's annual DragonMania show took place on 5/29 at Arena Mexico, a TV taping for Japan. The show drew more than 10,000 fans, although tickets were cheap and a lot of people got in free. [...] The main event was the babyface legendary quartet of Mil Mascaras (who turns 71 in July) & Tatsumi Fujinami (56) & Ultimo Dragon (43) & Brazo de Plata (47) beating Chuck Palumbo (in Mexico for one match) & Rey Bucanero & Atlantis & Arkangel de la Muerte.
This was his annual DragonMania show taped for later broadcast on Japanese television. They heavily papered the show and had more than 10,000 fans attending with All Japan's Jun Akiyama and Yohei Nakajima being the major guests. [...] The main event was scheduled as Dragon & Octagon & Caristico over Fuerza Guerrera & Tiger Ali & Ultimo Guerrero via DQ for interference of Bucanero, and then Corleone made the save. They restarted as Dragon & Octagon & Caristico & Corleone beating Guerrera & Mephisto & Bucanero & Ali after U.K. wrestlers Saime Sahin and Jason LaRusso also interfered.
The Crash ran its most successful event to date on 8/10 at the 11,000-seat Domo in San Luis Potosi, drawing 9,000 fans, the biggest crowd in company history, notable because it was a Thursday night show with no local television. They used Rey Mysterio Jr. & Blue Demon Jr. & Rey Fenix over La Mascara & M-ximo & Rey Escorpion in the main event
Several of the groups this past week have run free shows as part of fireworks festivals or country fair type of events. The biggest was Tokyo Pro's show on 7/23 at Atami Sun Beach which was reported as being viewed by more than 65,000 fans.
Onita's much-ballyhooed final match on 5/5 at Kawasaki Baseball Stadium drew a sellout of approximately 50,000 fans (announced at 58,250) which would be a gate in the $2.5 million range and tons more in merchandise
The figures were more than just record-breaking, they were astounding. It was more than just the 42,500 fans, which more than doubled the all-time record for a woman's wrestling show that held up for 53 years (19,000 fans for a match between Mildred Burke and Elvira Snodgrass in 1941 in Louisville).
Insane Championship Wrestling of Glasgow, Scotland ran the biggest show in its history, a card they had promoted for one year on 11/20 at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. They drew 6,193 fans paid, a number probably hurt because WWE ran two television tapings in the same building, a Raw that sold out with 11,000 and a Smackdown that did 10,800, just two weeks earlier. It was the largest crowd for a U.K. based promotion since the Big Daddy vs. Giant Haystacks match at Wembley Arena in 1981. It was larger than any TNA crowd in the U.K. since 2012 (when they drew 7,000 at Wembley) and TNA has had weekly television in the market since 2007 while ICW has no television in the U.K. Last year they ran at the smaller SECC Arena and sold it out with just under 4,000.
Progress Wrestling ran its biggest show in its history, "Hello Wembley," on 9/30 at Wembley Arena, drawing 4,750 fans, the largest crowd for a U.K.-based promotion in England since the 1981 Big Daddy vs. Giant Haystacks match that drew 7,000 fans.
Preston City Wrestling in England ran an outdoor show on 6/28 as part of Armed Forces day as a Tribute to the Troops show. It was a free show that drew just under 4,000 fans. Both the Mayor of Preston and his wife attended and were in the front row. Carlito and Chris Masters were the Americans brought in as guest stars.
The Insane Championship Wrestling show on 11/15 at the SECC in Glasgow, Scotland, drew a sellout of 4,000 fans, which as noted, was the biggest crowd for a U.K. based promotion since 1982. ICW has been packing 1,500 seat buildings regularly, particularly after a BBC piece made a cult hero out of Grado.
The first show of the U.K. bouts with Revolution Pro was 6/30 in Milton Keynes, before a sellout of 2,546 fans. [...] Main event saw Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii to retain the British tag team titles.
The WCPW show on 10/8 in Manchester, on the same night as the UFC show (although this ended long before UFC started) drew 2,500 for a show headlined by Kurt Angle vs. Cody Rhodes. The crowd was very hot for the short main event that ended with Angle winning via ankle lock.
Progress Wrestling ran its biggest event to date on 9/25, drawing 2,400 fans to the Brixton Academy in London. We're told this was the biggest crowd for a U.K. promotion in England since 1981.
10/1 Shelby, NC (WWWOW - 5,200 fair grandstand show): [...] Van Dam won Battle Royal
Wrestling set its all-time attendance and gate record on 8/5 in Knoxville for the "Night of the Legends," drawing 5,000 fans and $40,000.
The live attendance for Jim Cornette's show was 4,600 paid and slightly in excess of 5,000 in the building, both of which would be new company records. The old record for the "Night of Legends" last August in the same building was 5,000 fans, but 4,400 paid. The gate was $37,500, just a tad shy of the $40,000 record set last year.
The November to Remember PPV, billed ahead of time as ECW's showcase event of the year, fell far short of the mark in that regard. As a promotion, it was the most successful by far in company history. For a group that has only drawn 2,000 fans on two occasions in its nearly five year history, it destroyed all existing company records with a sellout crowd of 4,634 (4,218 paying about $103,900, plus another $43,930 in merchandise which are phenomenal figures for a company of that size) at the Golden Dome in Monaca, PA on 11/30.
En Chicago el nombre de LA Park es garantía de poder y el pasado 17 de Febrero volvió a llenar el Teatro Congress el inmueble resulto insuficiente para un público que materialmente se volcó en la arena rompiendo el record de asistencia ya que cerca de 3500 personas se dieron cita para ver a su ídolo.[In Chicago the name of LA Park is a guarantee of power and last February 17 he once again filled the Congress Theater, the building was insufficient for an audience that materially poured into the arena, breaking the attendance record as about 3500 people gathered to see their idol.]