Global Professional Wrestling Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Global Professional Wrestling Alliance (GPWA) is a cooperative group of professional wrestling promotion
s and wrestlers from around the world. Formed in 2006, the group was founded by the professional wrestler Mitsuharu Misawa
, the founder of Pro Wrestling Noah
. It is led by president Yoshiyuki Nakamura, co-owner of Pro Wrestling Zero1.
It is also likely that in the future the promotions will donate part of their profits towards a fund which could supply a pension
for retired wrestlers. This has been seen as a sign of the GPWA developing towards becoming a union
, something which the professional wrestling industry has always lacked.
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
s and wrestlers from around the world. Formed in 2006, the group was founded by the professional wrestler Mitsuharu Misawa
Mitsuharu Misawa
was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling . From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, as All Japan Pro Wrestling had purchased the rights of the Tiger Mask gimmick from New Japan Pro Wrestling...
, the founder of Pro Wrestling Noah
Pro Wrestling Noah
is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
. It is led by president Yoshiyuki Nakamura, co-owner of Pro Wrestling Zero1.
Aims
The group was established as a means to aid the many competing wrestling promotions in Japan. Members will share resources including training facilities and their wrestlers themselves. They will also coordinate the arrangements of their shows in order to avoid clashes. In addition to this "super shows" will be run with wrestlers from the member promotions competing on the same shows. This first of which occurred on November 14, 2006.It is also likely that in the future the promotions will donate part of their profits towards a fund which could supply a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
for retired wrestlers. This has been seen as a sign of the GPWA developing towards becoming a union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, something which the professional wrestling industry has always lacked.
Promotions
| Promotion | Representative | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Big Mouth Loud Big Mouth Loud Big Mouth LOUD was a professional wrestling promotion based in Japan. Big Mouth LOUD was based on the style of New Japan Pro Wrestling, but was not officially tied to New Japan... |
Kazunari Murakami | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Dramatic Dream Team Dramatic Dream Team Dramatic Dream Team, better known by its initials DDT or its logo reading D2T, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 1997 by Sanshiro Takagi... |
Sanshiro Takagi Sanshiro Takagi is a Japanese professional wrestler. Takagi plays a parody of Stone Cold Steve Austin of World Wrestling Federation fame.He is known in DDT and around the micro-indy scene for his hilarious promos and natural charisma as well as his extensive use of comedy in his matches.-Career:Sanshiro Takagi was... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| El Dorado Wrestling El Dorado Wrestling El Dorado was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion that was seen as the evolution of dragondoor. Most of El Dorado's wrestlers were graduates from Ultimo Dragon's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion was based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers,... |
Noriaki Kawabata | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| European Wrestling Association | Chris Raaber | Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
| IWA Japan International Wrestling Association of Japan International Wrestling Association of Japan, more commonly known as IWA Japan, was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion operating from 1994 to 1996.... |
Tatskuni Asano | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Kaientai Dojo Kaientai Dojo Kaientai Dojo is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion and training facility owned and promoted by Taka Michinoku.... |
TAKA Michinoku | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Kensuke Office | Akira Hokuto | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Pro Wrestling Noah Pro Wrestling Noah is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan... |
Akira Taue Akira Taue is a Japanese professional wrestler, and the current President of Pro Wrestling Noah. He is also a former AJPW Triple Crown champion, a former GHC Heavyweight Champion and has had 14 5 Star Matches as awarded by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Pro Wrestling ZERO1 | Shinjiro Otani | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Ring of Honor Ring of Honor Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011... |
Cary Silkin | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| World League Wrestling | Harley Race Harley Race Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Freelance wrestlers
| Wrestler | Country |
|---|---|
| Kikutaro | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Mazada | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Magnitude Kishiwada Magnitude Kishiwada , better known under his current stage name Magnitude Kishiwada is a Japanese wrestler.-Career:... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Minoru Suzuki Minoru Suzuki is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Suzuki was the co-founder of Pancrase, one of the first mixed martial arts organizations in the world. During the 1990s he was known as one of the best fighters in the Pancrase promotion and was the second King of Pancrase world champion... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Nosawa Kazushige Nosawa , better known by his ring names NOSAWA and NOSAWA Rongai, is a Japanese freelance professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in All Japan Pro Wrestling and various independent promotions.-Career:... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
| Shiro Koshinaka Shiro Koshinaka is a Japanese professional wrestler who has competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Wrestle Association "R" during the 1980s and 1990s... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Tadao Yasuda Tadao Yasuda Tadao Yasuda is a retired sumo and professional wrestler from Ōta, Tokyo, Japan. He competed in sumo from 1979 to 1992, under the shikona of Takanofuji, achieving the rank of komusubi, and afterwards turned to professional wrestling, in which he competed from 1994 to 2011.-Sumo career:He made his... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Takaku Fuke | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Yoshihiro Takayama Yoshihiro Takayama is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Takayama is well known for his ability to endure massive amounts of punishment, especially after his fight at PRIDE 21 against Don Frye... |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |