Danyah's PWA Put Over

My first match for the Pure Wrestling Association (PWA) was in September 2005. I was involved in a women’s tag match.

My partner was The 21st Century Fox and my opponents were Cherry Bomb and Krystal Banks.

This tag match was my third professional bout, and I was honoured that the PWA would take a chance on someone as new to the industry as I was at that time. As I soon found out, promoting up-and-comers is something the PWA does on a regular basis. “The Pure Wrestling Association runs often” says promoter Mike Becherer “Thus it is important to have an interchangeable roster.

Plus, with several very experienced grapplers on the core roster, like Geza Kalman Jr., Ruffy Silverstein, Reggie Marley, Michael Von Payton and Quinson Valentino, the younger generation can learn a lot, and better represent the future of professional wrestling.”

What impressed me most about my first PWA experience was the backstage environment. Everyone was warm and welcoming. There existed an atmosphere of respect from promoter, to vets, to newcomers, to ring crew. Over a year and a half later, this attitude is still evident.

And it’s not just the wrestlers who leave each event with a positive experience. By creating a positive work environment, the fans leave satisfied as well. According to Becherer: “The Pure Wrestling Association prides itself on being a promotion that brings quality professional wrestling to the fans of Ontario with live events, and to the fans across the world with our DVDs. The Pure Wrestling Association is a family, with everyone in that family striving for one goal: to make every single fan leave having experienced emotions they would not get sitting on their couch watching professional wrestling on television.”

The PWA has grown immensely over the past year. It has expanded its roster by including athletes from across Canada and the United States. Its frequency of events is illustrated by the fifty-two shows that were held in 2006, and its area of operation has expanded from Cambridge to Guelph, Brantford, Goderich, Niagara Falls, Newmarket, Kitchener, Bradford, and Port Colbourne. The PWA has also recently opened a wrestling school in the Cambridge area, under head trainer Eddie Osbourne.

Furthermore, the Pure Wrestling Association has collaborated with several other promotions throughout its existence. “A strong relationship with other promotions means more opportunities to bring in superstars that one company could not bring in alone. Cross promoting at our level never hurts.

It's all about getting the word out there” says Becherer. Without this cross promotion, fans would not have had the chance to see such superstars as Johnny Devine, Molly Holly, Ivory, Samoa Joe and Steve Corino.

The one area that makes the PWA unique to Ontario Indy Wrestling is its focus on women’s wrestling. In October 2005, the PWA held their first ever Elite 8 all-ladies tournament with Misty Haven winning the cup.

In both June and August of 2006, PWA held a second and third ladies show respectively, and coming up on February 24th, it will hold yet another Elite 8 tournament in Guelph, showcasing a great mix of current ladies talent including the defending champion Misty Haven, The 21st Century Fox, Cherry Bomb, Krystal Banks, Addy Starr, Haley Rogers, Jaime D., and yours truly, all competing for a chance to take the cup in an elimination-style tournament.

When asked why the PWA focuses on women’s wrestling, Becherer replied “It is the Pure Wrestling Association's belief that women's wrestling is a huge market, as well as the fact if we allow the true professional ladies to gain more experience, and get more exposure, maybe we can reverse some of the stereotypes that surround women’s wrestling.”

In addition to the tournaments, the PWA also incorporates women’s matches into their weekly shows, as well as a women’s title, currently held by Misty Haven.

When asked about future plans for the promotion, Becherer gave both short term goals, which include building a strong PWA following, building on prior events, establishing Ontario talent, and allowing each wrestler to grow within their own division, and long-term goals, which include developing a solid fan base, longer tours, television exposure for talent, and attaining international recognition.

With the way events are unfolding right now, it is clear that the PWA has a bright future in store.

Check out the PWA (and me, plug plug) this coming weekend with shows featuring Steve Corino.

Thursday, February 22 – Cambridge
Friday, February 23 - Cambridge
Saturday February 24 – Guelph (2 shows)


For locations and bell times visit purewrestlingcanada.com
You can also visit me online by going to myspace.com/danyah

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