Power League Wrestling (PLW) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. 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.
PLW held wrestling events exclusively for charities and was one of the few professional wrestling promotions to operate as a non-profit organization in the United States. PLW had been praised for its shows to raise money for victims of the September 11 attacks, The Station nightclub fire, 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, Claudio Castagnoli, Romeo Roselli, Ken Doane, Robbie Ellis, Hallowicked, Jigsaw, Larry Sweeney, Mike Quackenbush, Shane Storm, Antonio Thomas, and manager Johnny Fabulous. Ariel and Eddie Edwards of Ring of Honor, Rescue 911 Christopher Annino (Wrestler), Michael Sain of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Johnny Curtis of World Wrestling Entertainment all competed in the promotion during their early careers. Former Extreme Championship Wrestling star Spike Dudley, a native of Lincoln, Rhode Island, had made multiple appearances for the promotion. Several PLW alumni had been inducted into the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame 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 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 and angles were inspired by what was seen in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling at the time. Its television series typically featured humorous commentary and skits. One episode, for example, opened with a Masterpiece Theatre-style reading of Goldilocks and the Three Bears 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 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. Their shows, modeled after the 1980s wrestling boom, used "family friendly" entertainment to raise money for various charity organizations in Southern New England. 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 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, and Ontario, Canada. PLW's monthly fundraisers were typically held at the Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, and other local community centers with Fall River, Massachusetts, Sturbridge, Massachusetts, Newport, Rhode Island, and Pawtucket, Rhode Island 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 to win the PLW Heavyweight Championship with WALE radio host Cody Boyns as special guest referee. 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. 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 a 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. 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 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 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 and Spike Dudley of Extreme Championship Wrestling were in attendance at the event. Additionally, a ten-bell salute was given in honor of Junkyard Dog 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. 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 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. 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