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| World Wrestling Professionals | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Acronym | WWP |
| Established | 2002 |
| Style | Sports Entertainment |
| Location | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
| Founder(s) | Mark Beale and Mike Msizi |
| Owner(s) | Mark Beale and Mike Msizi |
| Website | WWP Official Website |
World Wrestling Professionals (WWP) is a South African professional wrestling promotion founded in 2002. The nationally-televised promotion is owned by Mark Beale and Mike Msizi, and is heavily influenced by American mainstream wrestling. Starting from the third season, it has frequently featured international wrestlers such as Switzerland's Ares and Canada's Joe E Legend.
Contents |
History
Establishment
WWP Thunderstrike was formed in 2002 by Nelson Mandela Metro councillor Mike Msizi and former professional wrestler Mark Beale, with the common goal of taking South African wrestling to another level. For a short time WWP ran road shows on a regional level in Port Elizabeth. After 19 months of hard work in the hope of getting their product noticed, their idea for a wrestling show was picked up by SABC2.
Training Facilities
World Wrestling Professionals has five training facilities scattered across South Africa. Shows are sometimes independently held by the training facilities in their respective regions showcasing their top students.
| Location: | Managed by: |
|---|---|
| Wembley Arena, Durban | Tornado |
| Roodepoort, Johannesburg | Ananzi |
| Wynberg, Cape Town | Abdul Kader |
| Wembley Arena, East Rand | Terri Middoux |
| Port Elizabeth | The Blacksmith |
WWP Thunderstrike
| WWP Thunderstrike | |
|---|---|
| Format | Public Television Wrestling Show |
| Starring | Stars of World Wrestling Professionals |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| No. of episodes | 1st Season: 20 Episodes
2nd Season: 30 Episodes 3rd Season: 30 Episodes |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera setup |
| Running time | 60 minutes (with commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | SABC2 |
| Original run | December, 2004 – February 28, 2008 |
The promotion, which is managed by Mark Beale, airs 1-hour pre-recorded episodes for SABC2 known as WWP Thunderstrike in the 10-11PM time-slot every Wednesday. It recently completed its third season, which began on November 1, 2006 and ended on February 27, 2008. The fourth season was taped during May and is scheduled to air from October onwards. WWP Thunderstrike signed a 5-year TV contract with SABC2 during June that will allow them to show over 50 episodes a year until 2012.
WWP Thunderstrike made its television premiere in December, 2004. After just four months of airing and being the top rated sports show on SABC2, Thunderstrike was pushed one hour forward into a primetime slot (from 14:30 to 15:30). Deon Potgieter, a renowned international sports writer and producer, was responsible creatively for the name along with many of the original storylines and wrestler personas in WWP Thunderstrike's early years. After 67 episodes of being involved with WWP, Deon Potgieter withdrew his involvement from the show. The creative team now consists of Mark Beale, Steve Debbes and Danie van der Linde.
Television tapings take place in the Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg and each season is usually filmed for up to seven days in a row. The venue is referred to by the promotion as the Dome of Doom. The first and second seasons aired on Saturday afternoons. The third series then moved to a Wednesday night slot at 22:00, where the show attained its highest ratings to date.
| Season: | Run: | Day: | Timeslot: |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Season | December, 2004 to April, 2005 | Saturday | 14:30 to 15:30 |
| Second Season | December, 2005 to April, 2006 | Saturday | 15:30 to 16:30 |
| Third Season | November 1, 2006 to February 27, 2008 | Wednesday | 22:00 to 23:00 |
Roster Split (2004-2006)
The roster was previously divided into two factions, namely Alkebulan and Def Faxion. The factions adopted different cultural beliefs, with Def Faxion being based on modernity and materialism, while Alkebulan bore opposite traits, deeply rooted in myth and tradition. In late 2006, with the premiere of the fourth season, the factions were dropped and focus was placed on Heavyweight, Tag Team, Female and Cruiserweight divisions.
Touring
Despite the promotion being mainly a product produced for television, it regularly holds road shows in various regions of South Africa such as the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, and it is scheduled to do a 6-week, 9-country tour in Africa in the coming weeks.
Championships
Active Championships
| Championship: | Champion(s): | Held since: |
|---|---|---|
| WWP Heavyweight World Title | Fury | January 2, 2008 |
| WWP Ladies World Title | Akilah | February 8, 2008 |
| WWP Cruiserweight World Title | The Playa | December 2007 |
| WWP Tag Team World Title | Kilimanjaro and Kwaito Kid | December 5, 2007 |
| WWP All-Africa Heavyweight Title | Ultimate Commander | January 30, 2008 |
Inactive Championships
| Championship: | Champion(s): | Won: |
|---|---|---|
| WWP Def Faxion Heavyweight World Title | The Blacksmith | June 2004 |
| WWP Alkebulan Heavyweight World Title | Thundergod | December 2005 |
Roster
Active Roster
Heavyweight Division
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|
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Cruiserweight Division
- Angelico
- Devon Shooter
- Du Congo
- The Lizard
- Mikey Whiplash
- Phoenix
- The Playa
- Rooivalk
- Super X
Ladies Division
- Akilah
- Allison Wilder
- Alicia
- Black Magic
- Kiara
- Pippa La Vinn
- Scorn
- Venus
Tag Teams
- Kilimanjaro and Kwaito Kid
- Scorpion Kruger and Terri Middoux
- Jacques Roque and Xterminator
- Du Congo and Rooivalk
- Tornado and PJ Black
Factions
- WDP (Weasel Domination Party): Mark Beale, Joe E Legend, Kilimanjaro, Ares and Terri Middoux
Other On-Air Talent
- Roland Gaspar (Ring Announcer and Backstage Interviewer)
- Elana Africa (Color Commentator)
- Mark Beale (General Manager)
- Mike Msizi (Chairman)
Alumni
- Ashanti
- A.W. Bulldog
- Bheki The Taxidriver
- Dameon
- Danie Brits
- Jacques Roque
- Karwats
- Rage
Key People
- Mark Beale (CEO)
- Mike Msizi (Chairman)
- Steve Debbes (Technical Co-Director)
- Abdul Kader (Technical Co-Director)
External links
- World Wrestling Professionals Official Website (Official Website)
- World Wrestling Professionals Roster Page
- WWP Official Message Board
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 14 November 2008, at 19:55.
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