Who is Takuya Sugi -- Japan Expo NWA France

NWA France's annual participation to the Japan Expo is usually met with the addition of world class talent to the event.  This year is no different.  As announced in the NWA France: ICWA Returns to Japan Expo article I posted earlier this week, Sugi is the big announced name for this years Catch portion of the Expo.  In previous years the show had Metal Master and WWE's Daniel Bryan.  Now Sugi might be a well known name in the States his International Presence has been well documented.  Sugi has competed in Japan with ZERO1, HUSTLE, Inoki Genome Federation, Michinoku Pro, Big Mouth Loud, and New Japan's Lock Up Brand; The United States with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and recently in Mexico with AAA.

 As The★ZEST he defeated Ozamu Namiguchi for the WWA Jr. Heavyweight Title and later as NOIZ defeated a second The★ZEST.  The WWA Jr. Heavyweight Title was briefly recognized by ZERO1 as the disputed portion of the WWA from Mexico.  Takuya Sugi has competed for several NWA affiliates over the years, but this will mark the first time he will compete in NWA France.  French fans will get one heck of a show with Sugi on the card. 

NWA France: ICWA -- Returns to the Japan Expo

Wrestling is back at the 2011 Japan Expo from Paris-Nord Villenpinte Exhibition Center from June 30th to July 3rd 2011. The ICWA will be returning to the annual event off the heels of their June Brawl show earlier in the month from Lestrem France. In the past this festival has hosted wrestlers from all over the world including WWE's Daniel Bryan and Metal Master, check out the results from 2008 here. This year, the French NWA Members are going to be no different bringing in direct from AAA, Sugi and his rival Ronin. Sugi is known to finish off his opponents with the Shooting Star Press and the Catch Fans in France are in for a treat when the duo face off. Ronin and Sugi have been facing off in Mexico and the grudge will carry on to France during the Japan Expo. Also expected to participate at the annual Catch event in France is the NWA France Heavyweight Champion PV Red, NWA European Champion FRITZ Hellmeister, NWA European Tag Champions French Flavour and Kim Kaycee the NWA European Ladies Champion.

The Japan Expo will conclude a busy month of the ICWA, as previously mention June Brawl on June 19th and Red on June 4th were also events scheduled this month.  Click here for more on the Japan-Expo and for more on NWA France

NWA International: Spanning the Globe

Pro Wrestling has been celebrated across the globe in hundreds of wrestling promotions throughout the years.  The National Wrestling Alliance has firmly kept its international roots since its inception well over 60 years ago.  And although over time, the names and faces have changed, the NWA is very much a global wrestling sanctioning body, with offices all across the United States there are other offices that span the globe that include, Canada, Mexico, Scotland, France, Japan, Korea, and Australia.  Often times the coverage of non-North American Wrestling promotions go by the way side.  But here at Alliance-Wrestling we are working to provide coverage on all things NWA, even to our lesser known international promotions.

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) had announced their newest project much to the chagrin of The Scottish Wrestling Alliance (SWA).  The SWA has been the most active NWA member in the UK and even developed a training/feeder promotion to produce talent for its SWA, title NXT: The Next Generation.  The owner of SWA and NXT released the following comment to the media regarding the WWE announcement.

Everyone at the Scottish Wrestling Alliance is honoured that WWE have decided to name their latest product after SWA's feeder programme, NXT. We would like to assure our fans that the original NXT is still leading the way for trainees in Scotland and the shows on 6th February, Spittal Community Centre, Rutherglen, 19th February, Bargarran Community Centre, Erskine, March 6th, Viewpark Community Centre, Uddingston and March 19th, Links Community Centre, Cumbernauld are all still due to go ahead as advertised."   After long and careful planning, SWA:NXT made it’s debut in January 2007 as a promotion designed to showcase up and coming talent within Scotland in conjunction with SWA’s Area 52 wrestling school. In 2009
NXT Wrestling split from the Scottish Wrestling Alliance to stand on it’s own two feet, taking it’s own creative direction in September 

The situation was resolved when PJ Murphy, owner of the SWA stated on the SWA Website that the "WWE was proactive in working with us to come to mutually agreeable terms on the release of the NXT trademark once it learned of the potential conflict. The timing was right for us as we were planning on renaming the NXT brand to SWA:Source to be closer aligned with the SWA parent brand"  Scottish Wrestling Alliance presents: Live Pro Wrestling in Erskine, Renfrewshire on Feb.19th 2010.  The NWA Scottish Heavyweight Champion is "The Butcher" Scott Renwick, The Laird of the Ring Champion is Damien O'Conor, and the SWA Tag Team Champions are the STI.

NWA France has completed a newly designed Website for their fans. They have already announced two live events for the month of March, with the first event being March 7th, featuring NWA European Women's Champion Bulla Punk. International Catch Wrestling Alliance has the distinction of being the home promotion for both the NWA France championship: Greg Fury, the NWA European Championship: Fritz Hellmeister, and the NWA European Tag Team Champions: East Connection. The ICWA also recognizes its own champions in former WWE wrestler Joe. E. Legend as the Heavyweight Champion and Booster Rocket as the Extreme Champion.

The country of Australia might be heading towards a cooling off season, but the wrestling in Australia is anything but. There are two promotions representing the National Wrestling Alliance in the land down under. NWA Pro Wrestling Australia Perth, Western Australia. NWA Pro Australia has recently announced that they will be creating a new tag team division, the NWA Pro Tag League begins to crown the first Australian National Tag Team Champions at Zero Tolerance. Teams confirmed for the tournament so far: The Graham Brothers' Greg and Joey, The Los Aztecas, Hartley Jackson & "Pitbull" Craig Cole and the Australian National Championship will be defended. Zero Tolerance will be taking place March 20th. EPW has started its second season on Loco TV with its Monday Night Wrestling program, becoming Friday Night Wrestling on Loco TV. The first episode features a hardcore match up between Kracker Jack and former NWA Pro Wrestling M1W Heavyweight Champion: Bobby Marshall. This match took place at EPW's Evolution 2009 and was brutal. This was prior to Bobby Marshall being exiled from Australia after being suspended by EPW Officials. Marshall was recently exiled from the US after losing his M1W Heavyweight Championship, one has to believe that Marshall is set to take his revenge on Richter and the entire Darkest Hour. EPW's next big event is entitled GOLD RUSH 3 which is set to take place on April 17th. at the Cyril Jackson Rec Centre, Fisher St, Bassendean.

The NWA continues to span the globe and at Alliance-Wrestling.com, we plan to follow it. 

Globetrotting with the NWA

From Gold to Globetrotting, The NWA in Australia has been picking up. In Southern Australia, the NWA Pro boys held 9 consecutive shows in accordance with the Royal Adelaide festival. Celebrating Adelaide and enjoying Pro Wrestling, the folks in attendance for the consecutive shows saw such names like Damien Slater, Hartley Jackson, NWA Australian Champion Jayson Cooper, and Jimmy Payne. Cooper picked up a couple of successful title defenses against Slater and Payne. However Cooper lost a non-title match up to his opponent on Nov. 14th, “Jag” Jackson. Carlo Cannon, who has is ½ of the EPW Tag Team Champions endured himself to the Adelaide crowd when after a series of matches against some of Adelaide’s finest asked to become and received the title of honorary South Australian. Speaking of Cannon, the EPW Tag Team titles were defended earlier this month at the big Victoria vs. WA show for EPW in Perth. Before EPW Adelaide changed its name, it was an extension of the EPW brand. And EPW Perth was always proud of its Western Australia representation. Perhaps jealous of the attention that the wrestlers from Perth were receiving, Cannon and Slex (from Melbourne) suckered the former EPW Champions, Team Blitz into giving them a title shot. Slex and Cannon were victorious in their Anti-Western Australia Campaign and the EPW titles for now are in Melbourne. Globetrotting to NWA France, Bulla Punk has regained her ICWA Women’s Championship last month. And ICWA Tag Team Champions, the Smoke and Roll Express retained their titles. ICWA ran a double shot on Sept 12th, with shows in Calonne Ricouart and in Aubergenville. The Calonne Ricouart show saw Bulla Punk retained her title against Kim Kaycee in her rematch. Greg Fury won a 10-Man Royal Rumble. Perhaps Fury could parlay this victory into a NWA France Heavyweight Championship match against Joe E. Legend. These two shows also coincide with the new induction of a training facility for NWA France, the Institute of National French Catch. Top students will be given the opportunity to earn roster spots for the NWA France.

Updates on NWA France: ICWA

The Institute of National French Catch has partnered with NWA France to bring an exclusive training grounds for the International Wrestling Catch Alliance. Students of the INFC have an intensive training for 2 months. The best students compete for spots on the ICWA Roster. This intensive training begins three to four times a year. The sessions will run from Monday to Friday, with three hours of the morning training in private lessons and free access to training in the evening, together with the wrestlers and pro wrestlers attending INFC.

That's not all that's happening in France, the ICWA recently ran an event Bulla Punk regain the NWA France Women's Championship. The main event of that night was the Smoke and Roll Express defeating the newly formed X-Force. Before the match Ken Abis came to the ring and announced that he couldn't wrestle, but found a partner of his stature. So Bis Abis, teamed up with the Szandor.

Their next shows are announced for September 12th. With no card announced yet, the ICWA plans on 2 running shows in 2 different locations. One in Calonne Ricouart and one in Aubergenville.

Big announcements were made in France

NWA France had a their annual event entitled Revolution 5. Big news was reported as the NWA and ICWA have come to the agreement that will change the face of the NWA in France. ICWA with the NWA will create 2 new titles for 2009. John Do, a representative of the NWA made the announcement office that the NWA will be creating the first ever NWA France National Title and the NWA European Championship.

The first championship announced from The venue was packed with 2,500 fans in attendance and featured several championship bouts. The first championship match featured the French Connection and the Smoke and Roll Express. Ken Abis and Bis A Bis retained their tag team titles. Next up was the Women's Championship and Bulla Punk defended against Ohio Valley Wrestling's Serena Deeb. Next was the new concept of "Time Scale." This match featured Greg Fury and Tom Delacroix battling back and forth, minutes later they are joined by Driss Djaffali, Romeo, Peter Fisher, and Yan Colby, and lastly Szandor. Each wrestler tried to obtain a title that was hung from the ceiling. The match ended when Fury picked up the title. A new concept that must be seen to believe. Lastly the ICWA Heavyweight Champion, Joe E. Legend defended his crown against former WWE wrestler Gangrel, the Vampire Warrior. Legend retained his title.

NWA France's Euroresu 2008

The International Catch Wrestling Alliance, more commonly referred to NWA France recently held its annual event at the Japanese Expo in France. NWA France has now participated in the event for a 3rd year in a row. This year's showcase was mixed with both Women and Men's wrestling with training seminars. The international talent included “Spider Lady” Mariko Yoshida, Misaki Ohata, a masked Chad Malenko "Metal Master" and a masked Bryan Danielson "American Dragon. The series of matches started on July 3 and concluded on July 6th.

The Finals of the Women's Matches was “Spider Lady” Mariko Yoshida beats “English Pink” Sweet Saraya. And "Metal Master" defeated "American Dragon" in the Male Tournament Finals.

Credit for the results to the Catch Fans
Credit for the photos to Cyril Lavier a.k.a. "davromaniak".
***I mistakenly did not give Cyril Lavier credit for his awesome photos. Please check out his photo galleries.

Update on ICWA: NWA France?!?

Although no official word has been announced from the NWA Website, according to the ICWA website, the promotion isn't just co-promoting with the NWA, but has joined the National Wrestling Alliance. This would be the 3rd NWA Promotion in Europe, joining NWA UK, NWA Ireland, and now NWA France. The International Catch Wrestling Alliance also marks the 2nd International Wrestling Promotion to join the Alliance this year, with the 1st being New Japan Pro Wrestling.

i Viva La France!

(Courtesy of the NWA Website.)

The National Wrestling Alliance is proud to announce a new co-promotional relationship with one of Europe’s premiere wrestling organizations, France’s ICWA! For the past five years, ICWA has toured Europe, Africa and the Caribbean bringing the best in international wrestling action to fans of all shapes and sizes.

Top stars of yesterday, today and tomorrow such as ICWA Heavyweight Champion Joe E. Legend, former NWA™ World Champions Steve Corino & Raven, Bryan Danielson, Chris Hero, RenÈ DuprÈ, Roddy Strong, Lanny Poffo, The UK Pittbulls, Jonny Storm, Allison Danger and many more have excited ICWA crowds from France to Belgium to the tropical paradise of Martinique to La RÈunion Island off the coast of Madagascar.

Pierre "Booster" Fontaine serves a dual role as both ICWA’s founder and president and also as one of its top stars. Fontaine’s reinvention of wrestling in France has had a lasting impact on both wrestlers and fans alike. By combining international stars with France’s best local talent, ICWA has become the unquestioned leader in France’s ever-growing pro wrestling scene.

Now that Fontaine and ICWA are announcing their relationship with the National Wrestling Alliance, all involved are looking for even bigger and better things starting with their next event on April 19th at Belgium’s Complexe Sportif d’Elouges. "Everyone knows the history and prestige of those three letters, N – W – A" said Fontaine. "We look forward to building a strong relationship with the NWA™ companies already present in Europe, NWA™ UK & NWA™ Ireland. We look forward to bringing new faces and Champions for our fans to enjoy. This should be a landmark year for our wrestlers and our fans."

The ICWA Spring Tour includes stops in:
Elouges, Belgium on April 19
Bailleul, France on May 4
Fort-de-France, Martinique on May 7 & 8
Lille, France on May 31

For more information please visit

NWA Wrestling

International Wrestling Catch Alliance