All Pro Wrestling
 | |
| Founded | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Style | Professional wrestling |
| Headquarters | Hayward, California |
| Founder(s) | Roland Alexander |
| Formerly | Pacific Coast Sports |
| Website | allprowrestling.com |
All Pro Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion and training school, based in Hayward, California, USA. The company was founded by Roland Alexander and managed by him until his death on November 5, 2013. It is located 45 miles southeast of San Francisco, 15 miles south of Oakland, and 35 miles north of San Jose.[1]
History
All Pro Wrestling opened in 1991 under the name, "Pacific Coast Sports". The school and its "Gym Wars" events maintained a strong local following throughout the 1990s, but it wasn't until professional wrestling's Attitude Era that APW gained national notoriety.
In 1999, All Pro Wrestling (APW) was featured as part of the documentary film, Beyond the Mat. Roland Alexander, along with wrestlers Tony Jones and Michael Modest appeared, as they were having a tryout match with the World Wrestling Federation. The spot in the film was said to have tremendously boosted the school's "Boot Camp" sign ups.
APW suffered a wrongful death lawsuit to the family of APW Boot Camp trainee, Brian Ong. On May 28, 2001, Ong was training with fellow trainee Dalip Singh, despite suffering from an earlier concussion. Singh delivered a flapjack to Ong twice, with his head striking the mat and worsening his concussion.[2] He was pronounced dead on arrival to a local hospital. Ong's family sued APW for reckless behavior. The case was filed in September 2002, and the trial was underway on June 10, 2005. After a three-week trial, on July 12, the jury voted unanimously in favor of the Ong family. APW was forced to pay $1.3 million to the Ong family.[3]
After a dispute with Roland Alexander in 2002, most of the APW roster, including trainers Michael Modest, Donovan Morgan, and Frank Murdoch left the company to start a training facility known as the Pro Wrestling IRON Tetsu Academy (now defunct). In April 2008, booker and promoter Gabriel Ramirez left the company to start his own promotion, Pro Wrestling Revolution. Former wrestling manager John LaRocca took over as head booker for the company.
In December 2009, APW began televising taped shows All Pro Wrestling Gym Wars on Saturday mornings on Channel 50 / Cable 199 in the San Francisco Bay Area.[4]
On Wednesday, December 14, 2011, All Pro Wrestling and Vendetta Pro Wrestling announced the Vendetta Pro Tag Team Titles will now be booked in All Pro Wrestling as well. The title was renamed the APW-Vendetta Pro "Unified" Tag Team Championship and be defended on Vendetta Pro and APW events. At that time "Dos Perfectos" (Greg Hernandez and Jesse Jimenez) were the Vendetta Pro Tag Team Champions and were crowned the first APW/Vendetta Pro Unified Tag Team Champions.
Alexander died on November 5, 2013, following heart and diabetes issues, aged 59.[5]
The company is now run by head booker Markus Mac and is currently holding events at the Bayshore Community Center in Daly City, CA. After the closing of the APW Garage head trainer Jeckles opened his own school, the All Pro Dojo, in Union City, CA.[6]
Roster
Wrestlers
| Ring name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Adam Thornstowe | APW Tag Team Champion |
| Boyce LeGrande | |
| Buddy Royal | |
| Cheerleader Melissa | |
| Chris Masters | |
| Colt Cabana | |
| Daniel Torch | |
| Dalton Frost | |
| Damien Grundy | |
| Dave Dutra | |
| Douglas James | |
| Dylan Drake | |
| Eli Shapiro | |
| Jacob Fatu | APW Worldwide Internet Champion |
| JECKLES | |
| Jeffrey Cobb | APW Universal Heavyweight Champion |
| JINXX | |
| Joey Ryan | |
| Jody Kristofferson | |
| JR Kratos | |
| Julio Pedroza | |
| Karl Fredericks | |
| Kevin Michael Johnson | |
| Levi Shapiro | |
| Luster the Legend | APW Tag Team Champion |
| Matt Carlos | |
| Marcus Lewis | |
| MVP | |
| Rik Luxury | |
| Ryan McQueen | |
| Steven Kelly | |
| Sione Finau | |
| Timothy Thatcher | |
| Tommy Drake | |
| Truex | |
| Vinnie Massaro | |
| Virgil Flynn | |
| Will Cuevas | |
| Will Hobbs |
Managers and valets
- Markus Mac (Pink Mink Inc. - Matt Carlos, Vinny Massaro, Julio Pedroza & Rik Luxury)
- Caesar Black (Animal Farm - Will Rood, Damien Grundy & Kevin Michael Johnson)
- "The Influencer" Brian Zane (The Classic Connection - Buddy Royal & Eli Shapiro)
Staff
- Roland Alexander (APW Founder) Deceased
- Markus Mac (APW Booker)
- Joseph Rodriguez (Pro Camp Coach, Beginners Coach, Advanced Semi-Pro Fundamentals Coach)
- Larry Blackwell (Advanced Semi-Pro Fundamentals Coach)
- Sparkey Ballard (Senior Official)
- Shane Mai (Production Director)
APW Championships/Accomplishments
Current championships
| Championship | Champion | Reign | Previous | Held since | Days held |
Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APW Universal Heavyweight Championship |
Jeff Cobb | 1 | Luster the Legend | May 6, 2017 | 524 | San Francisco, Ca |
| APW Worldwide Internet Championship |
Jacob Fatu | 1 | Karl Fredericks | November 10, 2017 | 336 | San Francisco, California |
| APW Junior Heavyweight Championship |
"Jungle Boy" Nate Coy |
1 | Vacant | August 17, 2018 | 56 | Daly City, California |
| APW Tag Team Championship |
Reno Scum (Adam Thornstowe and Luster the Legend) |
2 | Lion Power (Marcus Lewis and Will Hobbs) |
March 17, 2018 | 209 | Daly City, California[7] |
Defunct Championships
| Championship | Champion | Previous | Date Won | Date Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APW Above The Law / Future Legends Championship |
Cheerleader Melissa | Mariko Yoshida | May 3, 2005 | Fall 2005 |
| APW/Vendetta Pro Unified Tag Team Championship | Boyce LeGrande & Mustafa Saed | Pink Mink, Inc. ("Magnificent" Matt Carlos & "Wrestling Personified" Rik Luxury) |
October 26, 2013 | January 2014 |
Tournaments/Special Events
See also
References
- ↑ "About APW". allprowrestling.com. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
- ↑ "The Great Khali and Brian Ong". greatkhali.net. Archived from the original on December 23, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
- ↑ "Hayward Jury Slams All Pro Wrestling School: Awards in Excess of $1.3 Million to Parents of Young Man Who Died Because of Reckless Training". findarticles.com. 2005. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ↑ "APW on TV Tomorrow Morning!". allprowrestling.com. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ↑ "Roland Alexander passes away". F4WOnline.com. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/ALLPRODOJO
- ↑ {{cite web|url=
