South Atlantic Pro Wrestling

Acronym	SAPW
Founded	1990
Defunct	1992
Style	Rasslin'
Headquarters	Charlotte, North Carolina
Founder(s)	George Scott John Ringley Mike Lamberth
Owner(s)	Paul Jones Frank Dusek
Formerly	North American Wrestling Association

South Atlantic Pro Wrestling (SAPW, formerly known as theNorth American Wrestling Association) was aprofessional wrestlingpromotion founded byGeorge Scott, John Ringley and Mike Lamberth inCharlotte, North Carolina in 1990, and later taken over byPaul Jones andFrank Dusek. It was the last effort to revive theNWA's Mid-Atlantic wrestling territory.

The North American Wrestling Association was founded byGeorge Scott, John Ringley and Mike Lamberth in January 1990.^[1] The first event and TV taping was held inSumter, South Carolina on February 8, 1990. Matches from these shows were first shown in March and April 1990.^[2]

The first North American Heavyweight Champion,Robert Fuller, won the championship in an 18-man tournament by defeatingRicky Steamboat in the finals on June 30, 1990, inWinston-Salem, North Carolina. The first North American Tag Team Champions were crowned in a tournament final that same month, also in Winston-Salem, whenThe Nasty Boys defeated Danny Allen and Bob Emery.^[3]

Scott and Ringley, as formerJim Crockett Promotions employees, recognized the importance of television exposure. The group purchased all the old JCP market stations in the Carolinas along with the original timeslots. In July 1990, Paul Jones and Frank Dusek took over the promotion and negotiated a deal with theAmerica One Network to air "South Atlantic Pro Wrestling" on Friday nights later that year.^[1]

George Scott and his partners hoped to revive theNational Wrestling Alliance's old Mid-Atlantic wrestling territory which traditionally covered Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. After securing key television markets in the Carolinas, the promotion signed contracts with all the oldJim Crockett Promotions arenas to hold pro wrestling shows on a regular basis. Within the first year of operation, house shows and TV tapings were held at theColumbia Township Auditorium,Grady Cole Center,Greenwood Civic Center,Limestone College Gym, and theWinston-Salem Memorial Coliseum.^[2] SAPW tours also included high school gyms, rec centers, and fairs in cities throughout Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia, and the Carolinas. In August 1991, SAPW held a benefit show inWentworth, North Carolina for Operation Family Shield, a support group established by then GovernorJim Martin, that provided financial assistance to military families ofNorth Carolina National Guardsmen andU.S. Army reservists stationed in thePersian Gulf.^[4]

SAPW featured many Mid-Atlantic veterans such asBig John Studd,Bob Orton Jr.,Ivan Koloff,Junkyard Dog,Manny Fernandez,Matt Bourne,Paul Jones,Randy Colley,Ricky Steamboat,^[5]Robert Fuller,Ron Garvin,Tommy Rich,Wahoo McDaniel,^[6] andThe Fantastics.^[4] Other legends such asLou Thesz,Johnny Weaver, andTim Woods appeared alongside SAPW announcer Ted Webb as special guest commentators for "South Atlantic Pro Wrestling".Bob Caudle also joined the promotion in late 1991. Henry Marcus, another longtime JCP associate, promoted his final house show for the group.^[7]

The promotion also showcased younger talent, includingBaron Samdi,Curtis Thompson,Dean Malenko,Nelson Frazier,^[8]The Patriot,P. N. News, Ric Savage,^[9]Rob Van Dam,^[10][11]Vince Torelli,^[12][13][14]The American Pit Bulldogs andThe Nasty Boys.^[15]Chris Chavis, who had trained underLarry Sharpe at theMonster Factory prior to his SAPW debut, was its first breakout star.^[16] During his first year in SAPW, he was voted 3rd runner up forRookie of the Year inPro Wrestling Illustrated. Chavis was also awarded the SAPW Heavyweight Championship before being signed to theWorld Wrestling Federation.^[17] Chavis attributed his early success to Ricky Steamboat and Wahoo McDaniel who mentored him during his time in SAPW.^[18]

SAPW catered to traditional Southern wrestling fans that had grown up during the Mid-Atlantic territory's "glory years" of previous decades. The promoters promised a back-to-basics approach to pro wrestling that provided an alternative to "sports entertainment" marketed by theWorld Wrestling Federation. They were also critical of theindependent promotions beginning to emerge with the weakening of the NWA.^[19] Its "family friendly" environment was not without controversy, however, as a real-life fight betweenKen Shamrock andThe Nasty Boys left the future UFC fighter hospitalized.^[20] The drunken brawl had reportedly woken up other wrestlers staying in the motel. Frank Dusek claimed that it was only the intervention of Robert Fuller and the American Pit Bulldogs (Rex and Spike) that prevented Knobbs and Saggs from throwing the unconscious wrestler over the third floor balcony of their motel room.^[21] Shamrock suffered a broken sternum and a caved in eye socket as a result of the two-on-one attack.^[22]

The promotion had a brief association with theWorld Wrestling Council after Manny Fernandez became SAPW's booker in August 1991.^[8][9] In November of that year, Fernandez was "suspended" from the promotion when he took the SAPW Heavyweight Championship to Puerto Rico. This led to a cross promotional effort with the WWC which saw Fernandez defend the belt as the "WWC North America Champion".^[23]

In spite of a strong start, the promotion operated at a loss during its first six months in business. George Scott lost an estimated $600,000^[24] before deciding to cut his losses and retire to Florida.^[25] There was a noticeable drop in quality after the original investors pulled out and many of the promotion's top stars left the area. "South Atlantic Pro Wrestling" remained in theFriday night death slot throughout its two-year run. Jones and Dusek eventually sold SAPW to North Carolina promoter Greg Price who ran the promotion during its final year. Its last official show was held inCerro Gordo, North Carolina on August 1, 1992.^[26]

Male wrestlers

Female wrestlers

Stables and tag teams

Managers and valets

Commentators and interviewers

Referees

Other personnel

• South Atlantic Pro Wrestling at Cagematch.net
• South Atlantic Pro Wrestling at Wrestlingdata.com

• Independent professional wrestling promotions based in North Carolina
• National Wrestling Alliance members
• Defunct professional wrestling promotions

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata