Revolution British Wrestling
Encyclopedia
Revolution British Wrestling (RBW) was a British
professional wrestling promotion
, that governed over smaller branches across the United Kingdom
.
region of the England
with a source of quality British wrestling
live events.
RBW also launched a sister product, WrestlingUK, at the same time with the same aim, but focusing on the Southern area of England. Months of preparation took place leading to the debut events of both promotions, with the first WrestlingUK event taking place in August 2002 and the first RBW event taking place in September 2002. It was decided shortly afterwards that WrestlingUK, which was only used once would come under the RBW banner, and promote events under one name, rather than two.
By November 2002, RBW formed a relationship with fellow UK company G.N. Promotions. A schedule of 2003 joint live events began, with the first being a near sell-out event at Sports Nottingham, part of the Notts County Football Stadium, which starred some familiar faces in British wrestling such as Johnny Kidd
and Alan Kilby
, and American Jake "The Snake" Roberts which saw the crowning of an RBW Commonwealth Champion, and the merging of the G.N. Promotions Middleweight Championship which then became the RBW British Mid-Heavyweight Championship. Following this event, further shows took place in Derbyshire
, Lincolnshire
, Nottinghamshire
, Yorkshire
and more, all of which saw talent from all over the country appear.
July 2003 saw the launch of the first ever RBW Training Centre located in Nottingham, training a new generation of potential wrestlers in the hope that some would go on to be successful as professional wrestlers. Three months later, in October, the second RBW Training Centre opened, this time further south in London, which was the first sign of RBW in the south of England for over a year.
Before the year ended, the start of a tournament to crown a new British Heavyweight Champion took place, as well as the first joint event with the United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance.
As 2004 dawned, a huge expansion into the South of England took place, seeing monthly events take place at the Celbic Hall in Enfield, London/Middlesex
, next door to the London-based training centre, coupled with other events in Chingford
(London), Hemel Hempstead
(Hertfordshire
) and Hitchin
(Hertfordshire
).
With action not just down South, RBW maintained regular events in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and other locations. RBW also became the first promotion in a long time to bring back British-style wrestling to the infamous Civic Hall in Wolverhampton
and also take part in a five-day event at the annual "Yorkfest" event in York
.
May 2004 saw the crowning of the first British Heavyweight Champion, World of Sport legend Alan Kilby, who managed to narrowly defeat James Mason
in one of RBW's classic encounters. Along with RBW's growth, RBW would appear in the media on various occasions, including TV appearances on BBC
, Channel Four and Channel Five, as well as on BBC radio a number of times. There were also articles in newspapers and magazines ranging from local town newspapers to the Daily Star to the World of Wrestling (WOW) magazine.
July 2004 saw a significant change in RBW, when it announced that the Nottingham promotion, primarily ran by the G.N Promotions group, would no longer be part of RBW. This was due to RBW wishing to maintain its original focus on British-style wrestling, and not follow the American trend that has become so common in other British promotions.
Following this, the RBW management team concentrated on expanding elsewhere in the country, with the opening of a new RBW Training Centre in Hampshire, shortly followed by another in Exeter in early 2005. RBW again saw new areas entered with live events in Cambridgeshire
, Devon
and Hampshire
, plus monthly events in Chingford
, London replacing the monthly events in Enfield that finished in 2004.
In July 2005, the RBW management team changed over with Adam Mumford moving on to other projects and selling on the company to ex wrestler Ron Sands, who attempted to keep RBW running during 2005. However, this would not work out as planned with only two more shows soon after the takeover, while training in East London lasted until January 2007, when RBW's official closure was announced.
, which would be recognised within the RBW branches; including, United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance, and G.N. Promotions. The title was decided in a tournament that began in November 2003, and ended in May 2004.
In July 2004, a decision was made to vacate Alan Kilby's Championship, due to changes within RBW.
A new tournament was first announced to take place which spanned through the later part of 2004 and early 2005. A decision was later made for one match to decide the Championship, rather than continuing the tournament, which at this point had seen many changes. The two wrestlers who would receive this honour would be decided by RBW officials in relation to their in-ring performance, professionalism and effort. Before the two wrestlers could be announced, the promotion went into closer and the title was abandoned.
which saw the crowning of the first RBW Commonwealth Champion. This event saw Andy "The Pigman" Hogg defeat "MTX" Jem Brown become the first Champion. World of Sport
star, Alan Kilby would defeat Hogg for the title in March 2003. The title would be vacated by Kilby on the 8 May, 2004, four days after he won the companies British Heavyweight Championship.
Jarrett would lose the title to Keith Myatt, after this the belt was renamed the RBW Mid-Heavyweight Championship.
Three other men would hold the title before the title was declared defunct; "MTX" Jem Brown, Scott Future (on October 4, 2003 in Lincoln), and Blondie Barratt, who would be the last person to be declared Mid-Heavyweight Champion in RBW. G.N.Promotions would split away from RBW in July 2004 coming under the RBWA (Revolution British Wrestling Alliance) then NBW (Norton British Wrestling) banners during this time the company would declare a new Middleweight Champion though it is unclear whether or not the two titles are related.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
professional wrestling promotion
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...
, that governed over smaller branches across the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
Revolution British Wrestling was originally formed in early 2002 by Adam Mumford and Aaron Spencer, with the sole intention of providing fans in the NottinghamshireNottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
region of the England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with a source of quality British wrestling
Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom
Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom spans over 100 years but became popular when the then new Independent Television station - ITV began showing it in 1955 firstly on Saturday afternoons and then also in a late night mid week slot...
live events.
RBW also launched a sister product, WrestlingUK, at the same time with the same aim, but focusing on the Southern area of England. Months of preparation took place leading to the debut events of both promotions, with the first WrestlingUK event taking place in August 2002 and the first RBW event taking place in September 2002. It was decided shortly afterwards that WrestlingUK, which was only used once would come under the RBW banner, and promote events under one name, rather than two.
By November 2002, RBW formed a relationship with fellow UK company G.N. Promotions. A schedule of 2003 joint live events began, with the first being a near sell-out event at Sports Nottingham, part of the Notts County Football Stadium, which starred some familiar faces in British wrestling such as Johnny Kidd
Johnny Kidd (wrestler)
Johnny Kidd is the ring name of John Lowing, a British professional wrestler best known for his work during what was known as the Golden Era of British Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...
and Alan Kilby
Alan Kilby
Alan Kilby is a professional wrestler from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. He was born in the 1940s and made his debut in the 1960s then went on to hold many British championships especially in the Mid-Heavyweight and Light-Heavyweight classes...
, and American Jake "The Snake" Roberts which saw the crowning of an RBW Commonwealth Champion, and the merging of the G.N. Promotions Middleweight Championship which then became the RBW British Mid-Heavyweight Championship. Following this event, further shows took place in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and more, all of which saw talent from all over the country appear.
July 2003 saw the launch of the first ever RBW Training Centre located in Nottingham, training a new generation of potential wrestlers in the hope that some would go on to be successful as professional wrestlers. Three months later, in October, the second RBW Training Centre opened, this time further south in London, which was the first sign of RBW in the south of England for over a year.
Before the year ended, the start of a tournament to crown a new British Heavyweight Champion took place, as well as the first joint event with the United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance.
As 2004 dawned, a huge expansion into the South of England took place, seeing monthly events take place at the Celbic Hall in Enfield, London/Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, next door to the London-based training centre, coupled with other events in Chingford
Chingford
Chingford is a district of north east London, bordering on Enfield and Edmonton to the west, Woodford to the east, Walthamstow and Stratford to the south and Essex to the north. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross and forms part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
(London), Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
(Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
) and Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
(Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
).
With action not just down South, RBW maintained regular events in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and other locations. RBW also became the first promotion in a long time to bring back British-style wrestling to the infamous Civic Hall in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and also take part in a five-day event at the annual "Yorkfest" event in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
.
May 2004 saw the crowning of the first British Heavyweight Champion, World of Sport legend Alan Kilby, who managed to narrowly defeat James Mason
James Mason (wrestler)
James Atkins is a British professional wrestler best known under his ring name James Mason.-Career:A childhood fan of Big Daddy, Atkins began wrestling for All Star Promotions in 1993, adopting the ringname James Mason, after the film actor of the same name at the behest of ring announcer John...
in one of RBW's classic encounters. Along with RBW's growth, RBW would appear in the media on various occasions, including TV appearances on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Channel Four and Channel Five, as well as on BBC radio a number of times. There were also articles in newspapers and magazines ranging from local town newspapers to the Daily Star to the World of Wrestling (WOW) magazine.
July 2004 saw a significant change in RBW, when it announced that the Nottingham promotion, primarily ran by the G.N Promotions group, would no longer be part of RBW. This was due to RBW wishing to maintain its original focus on British-style wrestling, and not follow the American trend that has become so common in other British promotions.
Following this, the RBW management team concentrated on expanding elsewhere in the country, with the opening of a new RBW Training Centre in Hampshire, shortly followed by another in Exeter in early 2005. RBW again saw new areas entered with live events in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, plus monthly events in Chingford
Chingford
Chingford is a district of north east London, bordering on Enfield and Edmonton to the west, Woodford to the east, Walthamstow and Stratford to the south and Essex to the north. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross and forms part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
, London replacing the monthly events in Enfield that finished in 2004.
In July 2005, the RBW management team changed over with Adam Mumford moving on to other projects and selling on the company to ex wrestler Ron Sands, who attempted to keep RBW running during 2005. However, this would not work out as planned with only two more shows soon after the takeover, while training in East London lasted until January 2007, when RBW's official closure was announced.
Branches and sister promotions
This is a list of RBW's previous regional promotions. Some of its branches still operate today but have reemerged under new names.- RBW Nottingham Training Centre (Head trainer Keith Myatt)
- Running joint shows with G.N Promotions; a promotion which now runs under the Norton British Wrestling banner
- RBW London Training Centre
- RBW Southwest (Head trainer UK Kid)
- United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance (now defunct)
- WrestlingUK
- RBW Training Centres
- Exeter
- Hampshire
- London (Enfield, Plaistow & Beckton)
- Nottingham
RBW British Heavyweight Championship
This was RBW's version of the British Heavyweight ChampionshipBritish Heavyweight Championship
The British Heavyweight Championship is a top British wrestling championship found throughout the country's circuit.Many versions of the British Heavyweight Championship exist in the independent circuit of the United Kingdom at any given time but the scene is usually dominated by one companies...
, which would be recognised within the RBW branches; including, United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance, and G.N. Promotions. The title was decided in a tournament that began in November 2003, and ended in May 2004.
In July 2004, a decision was made to vacate Alan Kilby's Championship, due to changes within RBW.
A new tournament was first announced to take place which spanned through the later part of 2004 and early 2005. A decision was later made for one match to decide the Championship, rather than continuing the tournament, which at this point had seen many changes. The two wrestlers who would receive this honour would be decided by RBW officials in relation to their in-ring performance, professionalism and effort. Before the two wrestlers could be announced, the promotion went into closer and the title was abandoned.
RBW Commonwealth Championship
In November 2002, RBW formed a working relationship with fellow UK company G.N Promotions, and put on a combined show in Southwell, NottinghamshireSouthwell, Nottinghamshire
Southwell is a town in Nottinghamshire, England, best known as the site of Southwell Minster, the seat of the Church of England diocese that covers Nottinghamshire...
which saw the crowning of the first RBW Commonwealth Champion. This event saw Andy "The Pigman" Hogg defeat "MTX" Jem Brown become the first Champion. World of Sport
World of Sport (UK TV series)
World of Sport was a British television sport anthology programme which ran on ITV between 2 January 1965 to 28 September 1985 in response to competition from BBC's Grandstand...
star, Alan Kilby would defeat Hogg for the title in March 2003. The title would be vacated by Kilby on the 8 May, 2004, four days after he won the companies British Heavyweight Championship.
RBW British Mid-Heavyweight Championship
After the working relationship was formed, G.N Promotions' Middleweight Championship was the only surviving Championship continued from the company, with Matt Jarrett holding the Championship when the merger took place. On November 16, 2002 while in Southwell, NottinghamshireSouthwell, Nottinghamshire
Southwell is a town in Nottinghamshire, England, best known as the site of Southwell Minster, the seat of the Church of England diocese that covers Nottinghamshire...
Jarrett would lose the title to Keith Myatt, after this the belt was renamed the RBW Mid-Heavyweight Championship.
Three other men would hold the title before the title was declared defunct; "MTX" Jem Brown, Scott Future (on October 4, 2003 in Lincoln), and Blondie Barratt, who would be the last person to be declared Mid-Heavyweight Champion in RBW. G.N.Promotions would split away from RBW in July 2004 coming under the RBWA (Revolution British Wrestling Alliance) then NBW (Norton British Wrestling) banners during this time the company would declare a new Middleweight Champion though it is unclear whether or not the two titles are related.
Other Titles
- RBW British Middleweight ChampionshipRBW British Middleweight ChampionshipThe RBW British Middleweight Championship was a mid-card title contested for in Revolution British Wrestling. It was revival of an earlier title competed for in British wrestling since before the Second World War....
- RBW British Welterweight ChampionshipRBW British Welterweight ChampionshipThe British Welterweight Championship is the welterweight title competed for throughout the British wrestling circuit.Many versions of the British Welterweight Championship exist in the independent circuit of the United Kingdom at any given time but the scene is usually dominated by one companies...
- RBW British Tag Team ChampionshipRBW British Tag Team ChampionshipThe RBW British Tag Team Championship was one of the official British tag team titles; it was contested for in Revolution British Wrestling. However, the championship's origin was within the United Kingdom Wrestling Alliance, where it was known as the UKWA British Tag Team Championship...
- British Battle Royal Trophy - Trophy was awarded by former boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
Paul "Silky" JonesPaul Jones (boxer)Paul "Silky" Jones , is a British former professional boxer who has a record of 31-12-1 in the welterweight, light-middleweight, middleweight, and super middleweight divisions...
to Jack Hazard after a Battle RoyalBattle royal (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
win in KillamarshKillamarshKillamarsh is a town in North East Derbyshire. It borders South Yorkshire to its north and west. It lies between Halfway and Mosborough to the west, Renishaw to the south, Beighton and Sothall to the northwest, Wales to the northeast, Harthill to its east and the Rother Valley Country Park to its...
on 22 November 2003.