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Power League Wrestling (PLW) was an American
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
professional wrestling promotion based in Pawtucket,
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
. It was founded in Swansea, Massachusetts by Bob Evans and Mark Amaral in 1991, and later taken over by Amaral, Carlos Arenas, Paul Lauzon, and Tommy Degnan. It was the first and longest-running "indy" promotion in the state of Rhode Island and one of the few successful groups outside the
Greater Boston Area Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern ar ...
. PLW held wrestling events exclusively for charities and was one of the few professional wrestling promotions to operate as a
non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
in the United States. PLW had been praised for its shows to raise money for victims of the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
,
The Station nightclub fire The Station nightclub fire occurred on the evening of February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, killing 100 people and injuring 230. The fire was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of the evening's headlini ...
, and the Boston Marathon bombings. A number of Northeastern and East Coast-based independent stars had appeared for PLW charity events including "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas,
Gino Martino John Ferraro (born November 28) is an American professional wrestler and strongman, best known by his ring name Gino Martino. He has wrestled for Chaotic Wrestling, the Millennium Wrestling Federation, New England Championship Wrestling, NWA N ...
,
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
,
Romeo Roselli Giovanni "Johnny" Roselli (born September 23, 1980) is a professional wrestler and actor better known as Romeo Roselli. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment, on its RAW brand, as one half of the tag team "The Heart Thr ...
,
Ken Doane Kenneth George Doane (born March 16, 1986) is an American retired professional wrestler signed to WWE as a producer and as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center. During his past time in WWE, he was known as Kenny Dykstra and Kenny as a membe ...
, Robbie Ellis,
Hallowicked Robert Goodwin (born November 1, 1981) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Hallowicked. He performs primarily in the Chikara professional wrestling promotion, where he started his career in May 2002. His accomplis ...
,
Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...
,
Larry Sweeney Alexander K. Whybrow (February 18, 1981April 11, 2011) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney. He performed primarily on the American independent circuit, but also competed in Canada, Mexico, ...
,
Mike Quackenbush Michael Spillane (born March 18, 1976), is an American podcaster, author, professional wrestling trainer, professional wrestling promoter, and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Mike Quackenbush. He has hosted several ...
, Shane Storm, Antonio Thomas, and
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...
Johnny Fabulous.
Ariel Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...
and Eddie Edwards of Ring of Honor, Rescue 911 Christopher Annino (Wrestler), Michael Sain of
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promo ...
, and
Johnny Curtis Curtis Jonathan Hussey (born July 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Dirty Dango. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring nam ...
of
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
all competed in the promotion during their early careers. Former
Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
star
Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
, a native of
Lincoln, Rhode Island Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,529 at the 2020 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence. Lincoln is part of the Providence metropolitan statistical ar ...
, had made multiple appearances for the promotion. Several PLW alumni had been inducted into the
New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame The New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame and Fan Fest is an American professional wrestling hall of fame. It was established in January 2008 to honor select wrestling personalities who have made significant contributions to professional wrestli ...
since 2008.


History


Origins

PLW had its origins in 1990 as the " backyarding" Outdoor Wrestling Federation (OWF), which was featured on "Talking Wrestling", a weekly cable access television program, hosted by wrestling journalist Cody Boyns. The final ten minutes of the show would highlight bouts from the promotion. The OWF received its name due to Boyns hosting its earliest events in his own backyard. A wrestling ring was eventually built and the matches were moved indoors to the television studio in 1991.


Early years: 1991–1995

Inspired by their time in the OWF, "Brutal" Bob Evans and "Maniacal" Mark Amaral decided to start their own half-hour program with just wrestling matches under the Power League Wrestling banner. The promotion held its first television taping at Joseph G. Luther Elementary School in Swansea, Massachusetts in October 1991. "The Fighter" Joe O. and The Brutal Brigade ("Brutal" Bob Evans and Maniacal Mark) won championship tournaments in November to become the inaugural PLW Heavyweight and Tag Team Champions respectively. Scott Z. was crowned the first-ever PLW New England Champion after winning a tournament at Luther School the following month. The promotion's weekly half-hour television series was first on Heritage Cable, serving the Swansea area as well as numerous towns in Rhode Island. Evans was the producer of ''Power League Wrestling TV'' until he turned his position over to Tommy Degnan in September 1992. Degnan had been producing a "hometown" version of the PLW show on Pawtucket public access the previous month, as Heritage Cable broadcast in only a few select communities, and accepted Evans' offer to oversee the regular show. In addition to becoming PLW's ring announcer, Degnan would remain a key figure in the promotion for many years. Carlos Arenas and Paul Lauzon joined Amaral as co-bookers following Evens departure from the company. The initial quality of the show was described by Degnan as very "bush league" due to budget limitations. The wrestlers performed in a makeshift wooden ring, with the "audience" made up of the other wrestlers, and performed hours of matches in a single night to full up a month's worth of episodes. These shows were shot on location and later edited at the producer's home where voice over commentary was added. Episodes also included recorded interviews and music videos highlighting past matches. Some of their on-air interviews were filmed at
T. F. Green Airport Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Islan ...
and Saint Anne's Hospital. As the roster was still essentially high school and college age youths, PLW focused on a more comedic style of wrestling rather than presenting itself as a more serious promotion. Many of the early
gimmicks A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...
and
angles The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ...
were inspired by what was seen in the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
and
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
at the time. Its television series typically featured humorous commentary and skits. One episode, for example, opened with a ''
Masterpiece Theatre ''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed Briti ...
''-style reading of ''
Goldilocks and the Three Bears "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...
'' by facepainted wrestler Sub-Zero.


Expansion: 1995–1999

In the fall of 1994, PLW became involved in local fundraisers by holding wrestling shows for charity. One of their first events was a benefit show for St. Pius V Church in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
on November 13, 1994. Punisher defeated Sub-Zero, substituting for injured champion Scott Z., to win PLW Heavyweight Championship at the event. By 1995, PLW was officially running monthly shows as a
not-for-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
. Their shows, modeled after the
1980s wrestling boom The 1980s professional wrestling boom (more commonly referred to as the Golden Era and the Rock 'n' Wrestling Era) was a surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States and elsewhere throughout the 1980s. The expansion of ...
, used "
family friendly A family-friendly product or service is one that is considered to be suitable for all members of an average family. Family-friendly restaurants are ones that provide service to families that have young children. Frequently, family-friendly produc ...
" entertainment to raise money for various charity organizations in
Southern New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. Although independent promotions are often involved in local fundraisers, neither the PLW promoters or wrestlers performed for money and all of the proceeds, largely from ticket sales, went to the sponsoring charity. Its Power-Fest and Power House Brawl supercards that year went to help the Cranston Martial Arts Studio in
Cranston, Rhode Island Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island. The official population of the city in the 2020 United States Census was 82,934, making it the second largest in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island ...
and St. Pius V Church in Providence, respectively. By this time, thanks in part to Bob Evans and Paul Lauzon, PLW had made contacts with other independent wrestlers from New England allowing a number of regional stars to appear on a semi-regular basis. The promotion also served as an environment where younger wrestlers could learn their craft attracting wrestlers from as far away as New York,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, and
Ontario, Canada Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
. PLW's monthly fundraisers were typically held at the Boys & Girls Club,
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
, and other local community centers with
Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
, Sturbridge, Massachusetts,
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...
, and
Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Fal ...
being its biggest towns. On January 19, 1997, PLW held a fundraiser entitled "The War In Warren" for Our Lady of Fatima High School in Warren, Rhode Island where Scott Thomas regained the PLW New England title from The Mighty Bosch while "American Eagle" Shane Simons defeated T.J. Richter for the PLW Heavyweight title. The show raised almost $1,000 for the school's athletic program. On March 9, PLW held a benefit show for South Central Rehabilitative Resources, Inc., a housing agency for the handicapped, at Tantasqua Regional High School in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. A benefit show for the Kristen Jorge Memorial Fund two months later at Rogers High School saw PLW Heavyweight Champion Shane Simons surrender the title. Jason the Slasher defeated Amazin' Jay, Bob Evans, Maniacal Mark, "Lethal" Paul Lauzon, and T.J. Richter in that night's main event, a "Pier 6 Brawl", to become the new champion. On June 21, at Power-Fest 1997 in Pawtucket, "Defenseman" Derek Molhan defeated Jason the Slasher in a
Steel Cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to win the PLW Heavyweight Championship with WALE radio host Cody Boyns as
special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
. Also on the card, The Knights of the Realm (Daedilus Dimmak & The Mighty Bosch) defeated The Pillars of Power (Sub Zero & The Exterminator) and John 3:16 & Vertabreaker in a Triangle match for the PLW Tag Team titles. PLW returned to Our Lady of Fatima High School for its year-end Power House Brawl supercard billed as "The War in Warren II". The Pillars of Power regained the PLW Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match with Knights of the Realm and Fryght. The 1997 Power House Brawl was won by Paul Lauzon after eliminating Bob Evans. The main event was later broadcast statewide on public access television. On May 16, 1998, PLW's Power-Fest 98 was a benefit show for the Woonsocket Police Department's D.A.R.E. program in
Woonsocket, Rhode Island Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsocket lies directly south of ...
. The main event was an interpromotional match between EWA Heavyweight Champion "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas and PLW Heavyweight Champion "Defenseman" Derek Molhan. Atlas was the first major star to be brought into the promotion. The featured match on the undercard was street fight match between real-life Woonsocket police officers "Dr. Dirty" Marc Dubois and "The Man In Demand" Ed Doura with city councilman Leo Fontaine as
special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
. The other was Amazin' Jay versus Scott Thomas for the PLW New England Championship, which Jay won by pinfall. The promotion was a part of a benefit event organized by Cody Boyns in
Duxbury, Massachusetts Duxbury (alternative older spelling: "Duxborough") is a historic seaside town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore approximately to the southeast of Boston, the population was 16,090 at the 20 ...
the following week. In the main event, Boyns pinned Bob Evans in a singles match. On the undercard, Tiny the Terrible lost to Half Nelson in a midget wrestling match and Crusher Sonny Goodspeed won a battle royal. "Slammin' for Zachary" was held for Zachary Smith, an 8-year-old boy suffering from epilepsy, at the St. James Parish Center in
Manville, Rhode Island Manville is a village in the town of Lincoln in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It is located at latitude 41.9616° North, longitude 71.4744° West. It has been assigned the ZIP Code 02838. It is a mill village that lies along the ...
on June 13. The proceeds from the event, expected to be between $500–$1,000, went towards purchasing medical equipment (specifically a handicapped-accessible shower stall) for the Smith family home.
Justin Credible Peter Joseph "PJ" Polaco (born October 16, 1973) is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Justin Credible. He ...
and
Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
of
Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
were in attendance at the event. Additionally, a ten-bell salute was given in honor of
Junkyard Dog Sylvester Ritter (December 13, 1952 – June 1, 1998) was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as the Junkyard Dog (or JYD), a nickname ...
who had died a few days before the show. On September 13, "Slammin' to See Through the Smoke" was held at Beatrice Wood School in
Plainville, Massachusetts Plainville is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,945 at the time of the 2020 census. Plainville is part of the Boston metropolitan area, Boston and Providence metropolitan a ...
. It was attended by 200 fans and the promotion's most successful show at the time raising a record $1,500. The proceeds went towards purchasing an IRIS thermal imaging system for the town fire department. The main event was a "champion vs. champion" match between PLW Heavyweight Champion Universal Soldier and PLW New England Champion Amazin' Jay that ended in a time-limit draw. A week later PLW returned to Duxbury holding "Wrestling for Ramps 2" at the local high school to raise money for the Duxbury Skate Park. The "1998 Power House Brawl" was held at
Johnson & Wales University Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its campuses in the fa ...
on December 13, 1998. It was a benefit show for U.S. Marine Corps' '' Toys for Tots program''. Troy Young defeated Amazin' Jay to win the PLW New England Championship and Derik Destiny won the 1998 Power House Brawl by eliminating
Gino Martino John Ferraro (born November 28) is an American professional wrestler and strongman, best known by his ring name Gino Martino. He has wrestled for Chaotic Wrestling, the Millennium Wrestling Federation, New England Championship Wrestling, NWA N ...
. In late-1999, Tommy Degnan brought PLW into a joint promotion called International Independent Wrestling with Mike Biggs' Independent Wrestling Alliance and Anthony Rufo's Unified Championship Wrestling. This venture greatly expanded PLW's territory allowing it to tour throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. PLW pulled out of the project when Mark Amaral and Carlos Arenas wanted to return to running shows full-time.


21st century: 2000–2009

By the start of the 2000s, many of the original members of PLW had retired and the promotion ceased having a "regular" roster. PLW remained a popular destination of the New England independent circuit however. The promotion often had to turn down offers from wrestlers due to the limited number of spots at PLW events. A number of regional stars had been visiting the promotion since its earliest years. Among these were former
International World Class Championship Wrestling International World Class Championship Wrestling (IWCCW, originally known as International Championship Wrestling) was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was promoted by Angelo Savoldi and his so ...
stars
Tony Atlas Anthony White (born April 23, 1954) better known by his ring name Tony Atlas is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding t ...
, Chief Dave Foxx, Robbie Ellis, Gary Apollo, and
The Pink Assassin Robert "Bob" Shoup, better known by his ring name The Pink Assassin, is an American retired professional wrestler and manager. He was best known for his time in International Championship Wrestling where he feuded with "Jumping" Joe Savoldi and Ro ...
. The latter three wrestlers would become semi-regulars during the next decade. PLW was particularly popular with older veterans as its events allowed them to reunite with old friends. The promotion also showcased talent from
Chaotic Wrestling Chaotic Wrestling (CW) is an American independent wrestling promotion, which has been operating throughout New England since 2000; with its current home base in North Andover, Massachusetts. Chaotic Wrestling is known for producing successful, ...
,
Century Wrestling Alliance The Century Wrestling Alliance, formerly known as NWA Cold Front and NWA New England, is a New England-based American independent wrestling promotion located in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded by Tony Rumble in 1989, a retired wrestler and ...
, Eastern Wrestling Alliance, Northeast Championship Wrestling and Yankee Pro Wrestling. Its core group of regular performers included
Doink the Clown Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling persona originally and most popularly portrayed by Matt Osborne, who debuted the Doink persona in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1992. Doink is a clown (or evil clown) wearing traditional clo ...
, Evan Siks, Michael Sain, and
Rick Fuller Richard Fuller (born February 18, 1967) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling from 1997 to 2000. Early life Born in Middleborough, Massachusetts, Fuller graduated fr ...
. The promotion eventually made efforts to rotate wrestlers so as to free up spots and introduce newer wrestlers. Future WWE superstars such as
Johnny Curtis Curtis Jonathan Hussey (born July 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Dirty Dango. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring nam ...
and Kenn Phoenix also spent their early careers in the promotion. Power-Fest 2000 took place in
Lincoln, Rhode Island Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,529 at the 2020 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence. Lincoln is part of the Providence metropolitan statistical ar ...
on May 21, 2000. The event saw the return of
Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
to PLW where he served as a cornerman to "American Eagle" Shane Simons in his match against
Little Guido James Maritato (born March 12, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring names Little Guido and Nunzio. A high-school footb ...
, a fellow ECW star. After winning the match, Little Guido continued attacking Simons until Dudley entered the ring and took Guido out with a stunner. This was the second time Dudley, a graduate of Lincoln High School, had visited his home state for a PLW charity event. Also on the card both PLW Heavyweight Champion Don Juan de Santo and PLW New England Champion Maniacal Mark successfully defended their titles. On September 16, 2000, at Saint Ann School in Providence, Rhode Island, PLW raised almost $2,000 for the Jalen Noon Coulbourn fire relief fund. The main event was a Triple Threat match for the PLW Heavyweight Championship between champion Don Juan de Santo,
Dr. Heresy Jeremy Barron (born September 25, 1976), better known by the ring name Dr. Reginald Heresy, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, manager, promoter, and trainer. A mainstay of the New England independent circuit, Barron has wrestled ...
, and Chris Venom. Heresy won the match, pinning de Santo after a
spinning side slam A Powerslam or simply Slam is a professional wrestling body slam move in which the wrestler performing the slam falls face-down on top of the opponent. The use of the term "powerslam" usually refers to the front powerslam or the scoop powerslam ...
. Two featured bouts were scheduled on the undercard. In a PLW New England Championship match, Maniacal Mark defended his title against Tim Kilgore. The other was a Pier 6 Brawl in which Kid Krazy defeated Gino Giovanni, Hi-Lite Kid, Kash Knight, Little Killer and Vertabreaker to become first-ever PLW Lightweight Champion. Sub-Zero won a gold medal after winning the Olympic Battle Royal and afterwards presented it to Jalen Noon. Also featured was an intergender match that saw Amanda Storm defeat Jason the Slasher. PLW gradually began running on a seasonal basis, with monthly shows typically held from April to September, and taking a break during the winter months. In addition to its annual Power-Fest and Power House Brawl supercards, PLW also started the "Great Outdoors Tour" which toured outdoor festivals and venues in
southern New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
during the summer; its year-end supercard Power House Brawl, however, was held only occasionally after 2001. The promotion experienced lower attendance at its events at times attributed to lack of advertising on the part of the sponsoring organization. PLW does actively contribute to promoting its events by contacting local media outlets, press releases, posting flyers in stores, and on their official website, however, the sponsors are usually responsible for advertising. An April 2001 show for a Central Falls boy suffering from muscular dystrophy raised over $1,500, and saw one of its largest turnouts, due to the "aggressive" efforts of the child's family. On December 30, 2001, Power House Brawl 2001 was held in
West Warwick, Rhode Island West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,012 at the 2020 census. West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the wester ...
for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. On the show "Heavenly" Johnny Angel defeated Dr. Heresy to win the PLW Heavyweight Championship while Elements of Suicide (Cinna and Onyx) beat Mighty Moco and Paul Lauzon, substituting for Jason the Slasher, to regain the PLW Tag Team Championship.
Chris Hamrick Christopher Hamrick (born October 21, 1966) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in ECW, though he is also known for his appearances in WWE, TNA and throughout the independent circuit. Professional wrestling car ...
and The Damned (Draven and Mad Dog) also defeated Edward G. Xtasy, Matt Vandal, and "Protege" Mike Preston in a six-man tag team match. "Lethal" Paul Lauzon won the Power House Brawl, making him the only person to do it twice. PLW held the Prince of Power tournament in the summer of 2002. It was a 32-man single-elimination tournament that was held in
Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
, Cumberland, Pawtucket, and West Warwick, Rhode Island between June 13 and August 11, 2002. Its participants included Gary Apollo,
Johnny Curtis Curtis Jonathan Hussey (born July 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Dirty Dango. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring nam ...
, Kenn Phoenix, G.Q. Smooth, and Matt Storm.
Ariel Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...
and Mercedes both appeared as valets at the quarterfinals. One of PLW's most memorable shows was its efforts to raise money for victims of
The Station nightclub fire The Station nightclub fire occurred on the evening of February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, killing 100 people and injuring 230. The fire was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of the evening's headlini ...
at Power-Fest 2003. PLW had previously visited West Warwick two years earlier and had been invited back by the town several times since then. It was not until the day after the fire that PLW made the decision to return to West Warwick. Although the promotion usually raised money through ticket sales, the show offered free admission with fans making voluntary donations at the door and a raffle that included donations from
WHJY WHJY (94.1 MHz) is a commercial mainstream rock iHeartRadio station in Providence, Rhode Island. WHJY has been a rock station since September 4, 1981. Its broadcast center, also used by its sister stations, is on Oxford Street, just west of Int ...
and
World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
. The proceeds went towards WHJY's "Doc Fund" which provided financial assistance to families of the victims as well as a scholarship fund for Rhode Island College. Nine matches took place at the event. In the first co-main event, West Warwick's own Gary Apollo wrestled Dr. Heresy to a time-limit draw for the PLW Heavyweight Championship. Also on the card was a
Fatal Four-Way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. So ...
between Johnny Angel, Kenn Phoenix, Kid Krazy and Revelation for the vacant PLW New England Championship, which Angel won. Matches on the undercard included Robbie Ellis against Irwin Quincy, Billy Kryptonite facing Vince Vicallo. The second co-main event was a 6-man tag team match between real-life Warwick police officers Team O.I.C. (Lt. Rick Ramsay, Sgt. Jim Tiernan, and Sgt. Fred Araujo) and Paul Lauzon & The Perfect Ten (Mr. Wrestling IV, Mr. Wrestling VI). On May 2, 2004, Power-Fest 2004 was held at Saint Edwards School in
Brockton, Massachusetts Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population is 105,643 as of the 2020 United States Census. Along with Plymouth, it is one of the two county seats of Plymouth County. It is the sixth-largest city in Mas ...
. The event served as a memorial show to Jarrod Drew, who had been killed by a drunk driver on
I-495 Interstate 495 (I-495) is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 95, listed from south to north: * The Capital Beltway, a beltway around Washington, D.C., running through Virgin ...
, with the proceeds going to a memorial fund in his name. Ten matches took place at the event. There were two main events. The first was a match for the PLW Heavyweight Championship between then-champion Dr. Heresy and Derik Destiny, which Destiny won. The second and final match the event was the Triple Threat match for the PLW Tag Team Championship. X-Foundation (Duke Maximum and Ryan Waters) retained the title against Mike Bennett & Dominic "Dice" Gambino and The McGraws (Huey McGraw and Woody McGraw). Waters, who was the younger brother of Jarrod Drew, addressed his hometown at the end of the match. The entire PLW locker room came out to show their support Ryan during the emotional speech. That year's PowerFest raised over $2000 and was, at that point, the most successful PLW benefit show in the promotion's history. Another PLW show on June 18 featured a singles match between Triplelicious and Evan Siks as well as Eastern Wrestling Alliance stars Clinicly Inclined (Andre Lyonz and Dr. Heresy) winning the EWA Tag Team Championship from
The Heartbreakers The Heartbreakers, sometimes referred to as Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers, were an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1975. The band spearheaded the first wave of punk rock. History Johnny Thunders (vocals/guitar) and Jerry ...
( Antonio Thomas and Johnny Heartbreaker). On September 26, 2004, PLW returned to West Warwick for another Station nightclub fire benefit show to help build a permanent memorial for the victims at the site of the fire. The main event was a mixed tag team match between Alex and Heidi Payne against PLW Heavyweight Champion Derik Destiny and Gina Marie, which the Paynes won. One of the featured bouts was a "grudge match" between Warwick police officer Rick Ramsay and Paul Lauzon. The event also featured stars from Chikara holding a lucha libre-style exhibition bout with
Mike Quackenbush Michael Spillane (born March 18, 1976), is an American podcaster, author, professional wrestling trainer, professional wrestling promoter, and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Mike Quackenbush. He has hosted several ...
, Shane Storm, and
Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...
defeating
Larry Sweeney Alexander K. Whybrow (February 18, 1981April 11, 2011) was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney. He performed primarily on the American independent circuit, but also competed in Canada, Mexico, ...
,
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
and
Hallowicked Robert Goodwin (born November 1, 1981) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Hallowicked. He performs primarily in the Chikara professional wrestling promotion, where he started his career in May 2002. His accomplis ...
in a 6-man tag team match. PLW brought back Power House Brawl on December 17, 2006. The winter supercard was dedicated to Kyle Knowles, a West Warwick teen who was killed in an automobile accident two months earlier, with the proceeds going to a scholarship in his name. The main event was a PLW Heavyweight Championship match where champion Jason the Slasher defeated Chris Blackheart by disqualification. Matches on the undercard were T.J. Richter versus Duke Maximum for the PLW New England Championship, Gary Apollo versus The Pink Assassin, and Nick Steel, Sonny Goodspeed, and DJ Baron versus Dr. Heresy, Kid Krazy, and Chris Venom in a 6-man tag team match. Extreme Heat (AK Fuego & Kid Pyro) successfully defended the PLW Tag Team Championship against The Kreeper and Iraqnid (with Taeler and The Kreep). Chris Blackheart eliminated Shane Simons to win the 2006 Power House Brawl. On May 20, 2007, PLW returned to West Warwick yet again for Power-Fest 2007. Chris Blackheart defeated Jason the Slasher to win PLW Heavyweight Championship in the main event. The undercard also featured Dr. Heresy and Kid Krazy beating Chi Chi Cruz and Eric Dylan in a tag team match. Tony Atlas too made a special appearance to thank the fans in attendance. In the summer of 2007, PLW held its first annual "Great Outdoors Tour". On June 3, PLW appeared at the South Attleboro Lions Club Appreciation Festival in
South Attleboro, Massachusetts South Attleboro is a neighborhood of Attleboro, a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is perhaps best known for the South Attleboro station on the Attleboro/Stoughton Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail. U.S. 1 (the old Norf ...
where they were "a big hit with the children" according to ''
The Sun Chronicle ''The Sun Chronicle'' (formerly ''The Attleboro Sun'' and the ''Evening Chronicle'') is a daily newspaper in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United States. Most of its readers are in Attleboro and North Attleborough, Massachusetts, but it also covers nea ...
''. Two weeks later, PLW held a benefit show for Cumberland High School teacher Donna D'Arezzo who had sustained serious injuries in a car accident. The Prince of Power Tournament was brought back as a one-night 12-man single-elimination tournament. Don Vega defeated Derek Molhan and Kid Krazy in a Triple Threat match to win the tournament. In July 2007, PLW made its first appearance at the annual East Providence Heritage Festival at
Pierce Memorial Field Pierce Memorial Field is an 8,000-capacity stadium located in East Providence, Rhode Island. From 2003–2008, the stadium was home to the Rhode Island Stingrays soccer team. The venue also hosts most of the high school athletics events in East Pr ...
in East Providence, Rhode Island. One of the featured bouts was a singles match between Eddie Edwards and
Rick Fuller Richard Fuller (born February 18, 1967) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling from 1997 to 2000. Early life Born in Middleborough, Massachusetts, Fuller graduated fr ...
. A rematch between the two men took place at a PLW benefit show in
East Freetown, Massachusetts East Freetown is one of two villages in the town of Freetown, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Added to the town in 1747, East Freetown was originally an outpost settlement of Tiverton, Rhode Island, then a part of Massachusetts. ...
on July 27, 2007. Firecat and The Baker Boys (Brickhouse and David Baker) against T.J. Richter and Sick & Twisted (Evan Siks and Matt Storm) also defeated T.J. Richter and Sick & Twisted (Evan Siks and Matt Storm) in a 6-man tag team match. Power-Fest 2008 was a benefit show for the West Warwick Police Department's
explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
program. The show featured a heavyweight title match between champion Chris Blackheart and Don Vega, which Vega won, and a 6-man tag team match between Gary Apollo, Amazin' Jay, and Derek Molhan against The Pink Assassin, Maniacal Mark, and Mr. Wrestling IV. Power-Fest 2009 was held at Jenks Junior High School for the Pawtucket Fire Fighters "Fill the Boot" campaign to benefit the
Muscular Dystrophy Association The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an American 501(c)(3) umbrella organization that works to support people with neuromuscular diseases. Founded in 1950 by Paul Cohen, who lived with muscular dystrophy, it works to combat neuromuscular d ...
. Pawtucket's Bravest, composed of real-life Pawtucket fire fighters Jamie Pike and Jeff Johnson, defeated The Perfect Ten (Mr. Wrestling IV and Mr. Wrestling VI), accompanied by Paul Lauzon, in the main event. Other featured matches included Alex Payne, also with Lauzon, defeating Derek Molhan in a Ladder match to win the PLW New England Championship. Matt Storm and Mr. Munroe, with manager Rich Bass, defeated The Air Devils (Brandon Webb and Anthony Stone), The Baker Boys (Brickhouse and David Baker), and Impact Inc. (Jose Perez and Kevin Karizma) in a Fatal Four-Way match to win the then vacant PLW Tag Team Championship. The 2009 Great Outdoors Tour visited at Cumberlandfest, the East Providence Heritage Festival, Lions Club Festival, and the Nathanael Greene School.


Recent years: 2010–2016

On April 17, 2011, PLW's benefit show for the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Academy had Seton Academy teacher Paul Olson and Paul Lauzon wrestling Carlos Arenas and Dr. Heresy in the main event. Other featured matches included Doink the Clown versus Buddy Romano,
Dangerous Danny Davis Daniel Davis (born March 28, 1956) is an American former professional wrestling referee and wrestler best known under the ring name "Dangerous" Danny Davis when he worked for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). For years, he competed as Mr. X, ...
against Mr. Wrestling VI, and a Triple Threat match involving J.T. Fox,
Vinny Marseglia Vincent Marseglia (born January 24, 1986) is an American professional wrestler, known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he was a member of Honor No More. He is best known for his tenure in Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a record setting 4 ...
and Zack Static. On May 22, nearly 15 years after the "War on Warren" shows, Our Lady of Fatima High School was once again the venue for a PLW event, this time it was Power-Fest 2011. The show opened with a moment of silence and traditional ten-bell salute in memory of "Macho Man" Randy Savage who died in a car accident two days earlier. Paul Lauzon and Paul Olson, accompanied by special guest manager John Cena, Sr., defeated Shane Simons and T.J. Richter in the main event. The Crimson Dynamos (Zack Static and Doug Summers) also defended the EWA Tag Team Championship against Dr. Heresy and Golden Burke. PLW's first stop during its 2011 Great Outdoors Tour was at the East Providence Heritage Festival on July 17. The tour's final stop was in Plainville, Massachusetts for the Lions Fall Festival in Telford Park on September 25, 2011. The main event was a match between "Sensational" Scott Levesque and "English Lion" Eddie Ryan, a visiting British wrestler from
4 Front Wrestling 4 Front Wrestling (Sometimes acronymed as 4FW) is a pro wrestling company based in the South West of England, established in 2004 by former professional wrestler Dave Sharp. Since 2005, the company has promoted a range of shows; utilising events t ...
, for the vacant PLW Heavyweight Championship. Power-Fest 2012 was a benefit show for Pawtcket's Fairlawn Little League Complex on June 8, 2012. The event featured a "champion vs. champion" bout between PLW Heavyweight Champion Scott Levesque and PLW New England Champion Nicholas Night, which Night won via disqualification. Matt Storm & T.J. Richter (with Rich Bass) defeated Uncle Ulysses and Mini McGraw to win the PLW Tag Team Championship. That year's Great Outdoors Tour visited Cumberlandfest 2012, Lees Pond Park Festival, and Lions Fall Festival. Their appearance at the East Providence Heritage Festival was covered by ''
The Providence Journal ''The Providence Journal'', colloquially known as the ''ProJo'', is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island, and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspape ...
''. In the aftermath of the
Boston Marathon bombing The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, w ...
, PLW held a benefit show for The One Fund Boston at Power-Fest 2013. The event took place at Saint Raphael Academy's Alumni Hall in Pawtucket on May 19, 2013. For the first time on a Power-Fest card, all three of major PLW championship titles changed hands that night. One of the featured bouts was a 6-man tag team match between
Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
, Nick Steel, and Frankie Vain against Gregory Edwards, Ryan Waters, and Mark Shurman. On July 21, 2013, in
East Providence, Rhode Island East Providence is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 47,139 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-largest city in the state. Geography East Providence is located between the Providence and Seekonk ...
, during PLW's annual Great Outdoors tour that year, Antonio Thomas defeated Gregory Edwards at Pierce Field with
Kenny Dykstra Kenneth George Doane (born March 16, 1986) is an American retired professional wrestler signed to WWE as a producer and as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center. During his past time in WWE, he was known as Kenny Dykstra and Kenny as a membe ...
as
special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
. On June 8, 2014, PLW's Power-Fest 2014 was held at the Jack-Gem Ranch in
North Smithfield, Rhode Island North Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, settled as a farming community in 1666 and incorporated into its present form in 1871. North Smithfield includes the historic villages of Forestdale, Primrose, Waterfo ...
as a benefit show for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. The main event match saw PLW Heavyweight Champion "Mad Dog" Matt Storm defeat PLW New England Champion "Reflex" Eric Dylan in a "champion vs. champion" match. On the undercard, "The Juice" J. T. Dunn, accompanied by former
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
wrestler
Shelly Martinez Shelly Leonor Martinez (born February 9, 1980) is an American model, actress, retired professional wrestler and valet. She is known for her work with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its ECW brand under the ring name Ariel and for Total ...
, defeated "H2O" Ryan Waters in a standard wrestling match. Also featured was a match between Evan Siks and "Shady" Shay Cash, which Siks won. The promotion have not held another event since August 2015.


Charity work

Since 1994, Power League Wrestling has held events for over 50 different charities in
Southern New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. The promotion was personally thanked by
Rhode Island Governor The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Democrat Dan McKee. In their capacity ...
Lincoln Almond Lincoln Carter Almond (born June 16, 1936) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 72nd Governor of Rhode Island from 1995 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the United States Attorney for the District ...
and Pawtucket mayor James Doyle, for their involvement in the "RI Remembers Sept. 11th Fund" and the Pawtucket Fire Relief Fund respectively, as well as from the Rhode Island Foundation and 94HJY when PLW's annual Power-Fest supercard was held as a benefit show for The Doc Fund in May 2003. In addition, it has received
recommendation letter A letter of recommendation or recommendation letter, also known as a letter of reference, reference letter or simply reference, is a document in which the writer assesses the qualities, characteristics, and capabilities of the person being recommen ...
s from '' Cumberlandfest'' organizer Frank Geary and the West Warwick Police Department. Notable charity and benefit shows have included:


Roster


Championships


Defunct championships


Programming


References

;General * ;Specific


External links

*
Power League Wrestling Virtual Museum and Hall of Fame
* *{{YouTube, user = PowerLeagueWrestling, Power League Wrestling
Power League Wrestling at Cagematch.netPower League Wrestling at IndyWrestlingNews.com
Independent professional wrestling promotions based in New England Wrestling in Rhode Island