Wrestling Superstars - Live! was a governing body for a group of independent
professional wrestling promotions and sanctioned various championships. It was founded in 1996 by Dale Gagner and Jonnie Stewart.
History
In 1996, Dale Gagner and his associate Jonnie Stewart, former
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part ...
(AWA) employees, began using the AWA name in the state of Minnesota, falsely claiming with the authorization from the Minnesota Secretary of State, and formed an organization known as AWA Superstars of Wrestling. They began the organization as a continuation of the American Wrestling Association, which closed in 1991.
By 2005, the organization began to franchise the AWA Superstars of Wrestling name, selling memberships to existing independent promotions around the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan. Several members of AWA Superstars of Wrestling were former members of the
National Wrestling Alliance. In 2007, most of the memberships were terminated by Dale Gagner after defrauding members. Gagner and Stewart then began co-promoting shows with a small number of regional promoters instead.
Lawsuit, renaming and reorganization
On April 26, 2007
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 var ...
(WWE) filed a lawsuit against Dale Gagner, citing
trademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attached to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees (provided that such authorization was within the scope of the licence). Infringement may ...
, as WWE owned some American Wrestling Association properties due to their purchase after the AWA's closure.
In a move to sidestep WWE, Jonnie Stewart, with the help of a Chicago-based copyright law firm, attempted to trademark the name "American Wrestling Alliance" instead.
On October 29, 2008, a settlement was reached between Gagner and WWE. The court ruling prohibits Gagner from use of the AWA name or any other derivatives. As a result, the organization was renamed to Wrestling Superstars Live. In a press release sent out October 30, 2007, the organization announced that it will no longer sanction independent territories. Gagner and Stewart noted that each of the remaining territories would be individually assessed.
Championships
When the organization was formed in 1996, Wrestling Superstars Live claimed the lineages and names of original American Wrestling Association Championships. However, following WWE's filed lawsuit against Gagner and Stewart, AWA Wrestling Superstars Live championship reigns are recognized from 1996 and forward.
*The
United States Championship was abandoned in December 2007.
*The
AWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship was re branded as the
International Junior Heavyweight Championship
*The
AWA Japan Women's Championship
The AWA Japan Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling title in the AWA Superstars of Wrestling Promotion (legally and historically unrelated to the American Wrestling Association). It is spun off from the AWA Superstars of Wrestli ...
was retired in 2007
Members
Wrestling Superstars Live had members in the United States, Canada, England and Australia.
Promotions
References
External links
Wrestling-Titles.com
{{Professional wrestling in the United States
Independent professional wrestling promotions based in the Midwestern United States
Canadian professional wrestling promotions
Organizations disestablished in 2009
Organizations established in 1996