5 most important American wrestling promotions apart from WWE
Since the end of WCW, there has not been any promotion in the world capable of competing with WWE. NJPW appears as the second largest company in the world but its popularity is limited to Japan, Europe and North America. However, with its tour of Australia and the opening of a dojo in California, it seems that NJPW has started expansion plans.
However, the competition no longer means survival as in the era of WCW where everything was televised. Since 2000 there have been many promotions in the United States, some with greater popularity or uniqueness than others and that have used more resources in addition to TV to publicize their product.
In this opportunity, I present to you the five most important American promotions after WWE.
#5 Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW)
It was founded in 1998 by wrestler John Zandig and five of his students in New Jersey. CZW tried to occupy the space left by ECW in terms of hardcore wrestling, but it was taking an identity of its own defined in its logo as 'Ultraviolent Entertainment'. Their types of matches include elements such as chairs, tables, stairs, barbed wire, chains, among others.
The most important annual event of CZW is the Cage of Death. It consists of a show whose main event is a match inside a steel cage that has different types of weapons and objects inside. Cage of Death is always performed in December, with the only exceptions of Cage of Death I (1999) and Cage of Death II (2000) that were held in October and June respectively.
In 2009, Zandig sold the promotion to DJ Hyde. Since 2017 Hyde is co-owner of CZW with Dave Marquez. Marquez is a promoter of Championship Wrestling From Hollywood (CWFH) and one of the most important names of United Wrestling Network, an association of several independent promotions.
With the arrival of Dave Marquez to CZW, the promotion has a greater presence in the media and even a television format, taking into account the success of CWFH.
CZW celebrates 20 years in this business this year and while it has managed to win the love and respect of the fans of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, it is time for CZW to consolidate in the United States as the largest in its style.