Africa Wrestling Alliance
Encyclopedia
Africa Wrestling Alliance, formerly known as Africa Wrestling Federation, is a South African professional wrestling
promotion founded in 1995 . The regionally-based company is owned by Shaun Koen
and Koos Rossouw, and is a traditionally-styled promotion influenced by the international wrestling market, such as European and American mainstream wrestling. The style encompassed by the top stars of AWA such as Shaun Koen, African Warrior and BDX-treme is referred to as Rofstoei (an Afrikaans
term).
, regularly running in the Goodwood
and Parow areas. A few years later the AWF started doing tours nationally and also ventured outside of South Africa to tour countries like Swaziland
and Zimbabwe
. In 2003 AWF signed a year-long television contract with eTV
to air weekly shows in 2004.
throughout 2004 known as AWF on E Slam Series. The episodes were recorded in arenas such as the Good Hope Centre
, Carnival City and the Coca-Cola Dome. The actual running time of these events lasted three to four hours, but to minimise costs, they were split into one hour for each episode. The show was relatively successful until late 2004, when ratings and attendance started decreasing. A soundtrack CD, AWF on E - The Soundtrack, was released under the EMI
label to promote the AWF on E television show. The year-long season culminated in a two-hour live special held at Sun City
on December 11, 2004. See AWF on E Slam Series Final.
. The last champion was William McQueen, who won the AWA Royal Rumble Championship
on December 3, 2007 in the 21-man battle royal main event.
, Mozambique
and Zimbabwe
, often drawing thousands of spectators. The promotion is also actively involved in charity work. In association with its many sponsors and the Reach for a Dream foundation, unprivileged children are provided with the opportunity to attend certain shows for free and meet members of the roster.
, Cape Town
. Classes are regularly held every Tuesday and Thursday. The head of the academy is Shaun Koen. Most of the wrestlers on the current roster were trained at the AWA training academy.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
promotion founded in 1995 . The regionally-based company is owned by Shaun Koen
Shaun Koen
Shaun Koen is a South African professional wrestler. He is the owner and promoter of the Africa Wrestling Alliance and is the promotion's current African Heavyweight Champion...
and Koos Rossouw, and is a traditionally-styled promotion influenced by the international wrestling market, such as European and American mainstream wrestling. The style encompassed by the top stars of AWA such as Shaun Koen, African Warrior and BDX-treme is referred to as Rofstoei (an Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
term).
Establishment and early years (1995-2003)
The Africa Wrestling Federation was founded by Shaun Koen and his wife in 1995 after the death of his father, Jackie Koen, on December 16, 1994. The AWF started off as a regional promotion based in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, regularly running in the Goodwood
Goodwood, Cape Town
Goodwood is a suburb situated between the northern and southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. It is 10 kilometres from the city centre and accessible from the N1, N7 and N2 highways....
and Parow areas. A few years later the AWF started doing tours nationally and also ventured outside of South Africa to tour countries like Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. In 2003 AWF signed a year-long television contract with eTV
E.tv
e.tv is the fifth terrestrial television channel in South Africa, following three channels operated by the state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation and the privately owned subscription-funded M-Net, operated by Multichoice...
to air weekly shows in 2004.
AWF on E (2004)
The AWA aired weekly television episodes taped for eTVE.tv
e.tv is the fifth terrestrial television channel in South Africa, following three channels operated by the state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation and the privately owned subscription-funded M-Net, operated by Multichoice...
throughout 2004 known as AWF on E Slam Series. The episodes were recorded in arenas such as the Good Hope Centre
Good Hope Centre
The Good Hope Centre in Cape Town, South Africa by Pier Luigi Nervi, is an exhibition hall and conference centre, with the exhibition hall comprising an arch with tie-beam on each of the four vertical facades and two diagonal arches supporting two intersecting barrel-like roofs which in turn were...
, Carnival City and the Coca-Cola Dome. The actual running time of these events lasted three to four hours, but to minimise costs, they were split into one hour for each episode. The show was relatively successful until late 2004, when ratings and attendance started decreasing. A soundtrack CD, AWF on E - The Soundtrack, was released under the EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
label to promote the AWF on E television show. The year-long season culminated in a two-hour live special held at Sun City
Sun City, North West
Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :...
on December 11, 2004. See AWF on E Slam Series Final.
The Birth of the Africa Wrestling Alliance (2005)
Plans were underway to have a second season in 2005, but AWA and eTV failed to agree to new terms. This caused the promotion to lose ownership of the name AWF and forced them to create new trademarks. The Africa Wrestling Alliance name was then established in March, 2005. Due to the lack of television exposure following AWF on E, some of the top names like The Saint, Skull, Rey Bourne and Jacques Rogue departed AWA to pursue other interests.Current scene (2005-present)
The top two stars in AWA at the moment are Shaun Koen and Johnny Palazzio, as both have main evented shows in their respective divisions and have held their championships since late 2004. The undercard is dominated by young cruiserweights like Nick Fury, El Matador, Vinnie Vegas and William McQueen, who are blossoming into the AWA's next big cruiserweight stars.Coca-Cola Royal Rumble
The AWA holds an annual Royal Rumble show at the Parow Civic Centre venue (nicknamed The House of Pain) in December. The event is regularly sponsored by Coca-ColaCoca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
. The last champion was William McQueen, who won the AWA Royal Rumble Championship
AWA Royal Rumble Championship
The AWA Royal Rumble Championshipis a professional wrestling championship in the South African professional wrestling promotion Africa Wrestling Alliance, contested in an over-the-top-rope battle royal style match held every December at AWA's Coca-Cola Royal Rumble show, usually involving up to 21...
on December 3, 2007 in the 21-man battle royal main event.
Touring and charity work
Although the AWA is currently a non-televised, regional promotion, it has had a big impact on the South African wrestling industry and frequently does tours beyond its headquarters, having held events in the surrounding areas of Cape Town and in neighbouring countries such as SwazilandSwaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, often drawing thousands of spectators. The promotion is also actively involved in charity work. In association with its many sponsors and the Reach for a Dream foundation, unprivileged children are provided with the opportunity to attend certain shows for free and meet members of the roster.
Training academy
The AWA training facility is currently based at the Wingfield Army Base in GoodwoodGoodwood, Cape Town
Goodwood is a suburb situated between the northern and southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. It is 10 kilometres from the city centre and accessible from the N1, N7 and N2 highways....
, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. Classes are regularly held every Tuesday and Thursday. The head of the academy is Shaun Koen. Most of the wrestlers on the current roster were trained at the AWA training academy.
Active
| Championship: | Champion(s): | Previous Champion(s): | Date Won: | Location: | Event: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWA African Heavyweight Championship AWA African Heavyweight Championship The AWA African Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Africa Wrestling Alliance promotion. It was created in January 1990.-Title history:... |
Johnny Palazzio | The Oz | April 5, 2011 | Parow Civic Centre, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
AWA House of Pain: Good VS Evil |
| AWA African Cruiserweight Championship AWA African Cruiserweight Championship The AWA African Cruiserweight Championship is a professional wrestling cruiserweight championship owned by the Africa Wrestling Alliance promotion... |
Vinnie Vegas | Mr Money | December 9, 2010 | Parow Civic Centre, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
AWA House of Pain: Night of the Champions Supercard |
| AWA Lightweight Championship AWA Lightweight Championship The AWA Lightweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship in the South African professional wrestling promotion Africa Wrestling Alliance, contested exclusively among Lightweight wrestlers... |
Hillbilly Kid | Revyv | December 9, 2010 | Parow Civic Centre, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
AWA House of Pain: Night of the Champions Supercard |
| AWA Royal Rumble Championship AWA Royal Rumble Championship The AWA Royal Rumble Championshipis a professional wrestling championship in the South African professional wrestling promotion Africa Wrestling Alliance, contested in an over-the-top-rope battle royal style match held every December at AWA's Coca-Cola Royal Rumble show, usually involving up to 21... |
Missing Link | Vinnie Vegas | December 9, 2010 | Parow Civic Centre, Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
AWA House of Pain: Night of the Champions Supercard |
Inactive
| Championship: | Last Champion(s): | Previous Champion(s): | Date Won: | Location: | Event: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWF Tag-Team Championship AWF Tag-Team Championship The AWF Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling championship currently inactive in the South African professional wrestling promotion Africa Wrestling Alliance, contested among tag teams. It was created on December 11, 2004... |
The Saint and The Gladiator | None | December 11, 2004 | Sun City Sun City, North West Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :... , North West Province, South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
AWF on E Slam Series Final |
| AWF Hardcore Championship AWF Hardcore Championship The AWF Hardcore Championship is a professional wrestling championship currently inactive in the South African professional wrestling promotion Africa Wrestling Alliance, contested under hardcore rules. It was created on December 11, 2004 on the AWA's final two-hour live television special, AWF on... |
Skull | None | December 11, 2004 | Sun City Sun City, North West Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :... , North West Province, South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
AWF on E Slam Series Final |
Heavyweight Division
- BDX-treme
- Bulldog
- Johnny Palazzio
- Just Ted
- Missing Link
- Selfstyled Sammy Swiegers
- Shaun KoenShaun KoenShaun Koen is a South African professional wrestler. He is the owner and promoter of the Africa Wrestling Alliance and is the promotion's current African Heavyweight Champion...
- The Oz
Cruiserweight Division
- Gypsey
- Max Muscle
- Miss Gorgeous
- Mr Money
- Nitro
- Rashiedi
- Rasta Man
- Vinnie Vegas
- William McQueen
Other personnel
- Stan Mars (Ring Announcer)
- Billy Daniels (Timekeeper)
- Robert Meyer (Referee)
- Black Mamba (Referee)
- Kenny (Referee)
- Tony "The Hammer" (Referee)
- Leon Venter (Referee)
Alumni
- African Warrior
- Alkatraz
- Archangel
- Big Bad Bruce
- Billy West
- The Bruiser
- Butcher
- The Chad
- Dusty Wolfe
- Du Congo
- El Matador
- The Great Raj
- Jacques Roque
- Leslie van der Westhuizen
- Mr Pain
- Nizaam "the champ" Hartley
- The Protector
- Rollerball Danny
- The Saint
- Skull
- Sunny Surf
- Sledgehammer
- Terry Middoux
- Tolla the Animal
- Tommy Rich
- Trashman
- Trevor van der Westhuizen
- The Viper
- Vamp
- Warlock
- X-Hale