In professional wrestling , the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies ) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions.
55-549: Brian Phillips (2017–2020) Chaotic Wrestling , stylized as CHAOTIC, is an American independent wrestling promotion, which has been operating throughout New England since 2000; with its current home base in North Andover, Massachusetts . Chaotic Wrestling is known for producing successful, homegrown talent through their professional wrestling school, the New England Pro Wrestling Academy (formerly known as
110-571: A referee searched a wrestler named Psycho for foreign objects prior to a match. The referee was forced to confiscate many weapons, including a hula hoop and a slice of pizza. Chaotic Wrestling owner Jamie Jamitkowski states that the promotion has no desire to compete with Vince McMahon 's World Wrestling Entertainment , preferring the "tight-knit community of wrestlers and fans". He views Chaotic Wrestling as an affordable alternative to major promotions and says that fans are able to feel more involved at independent wrestling shows. He also states that
165-410: A champion there. Independent Mexican wrestlers may use a lot of gimmicks, including some that may be based on copyrighted characters from American television shows, such as Thundercats and X-Men . (These gimmicks are often changed if the wrestler playing them makes it into AAA or CMLL; the most prominent example of non-compliance with this method is midget wrestler Chucky from AAA, whose gimmick
220-475: A fad described in the English press as "rock-rings", with the description being "These are huge cane rings which little girls swing round their bodies by moving their hips and arms." An August 7 news item described the origin as children buying cane rings after seeing ring jugglers at a circus that visited Steinkjer and added, "It wasn't long before most of the children in town had caught the 'wiggle-rock' craze, now it
275-517: A five-year extension on its TV wrestling monopoly from January 1982 to December 1986. However, by the mid-1980s Dixon had won over many wrestlers and fans from Joint who were tired of the Big Daddy -orientated direction of Joint. Eventually this culminated in All Star gaining a TV show on satellite channel Screensport and later, a slice of ITV's coverage from 1987 until the end of ITV wrestling in 1988. By
330-520: A good impression may be offered a developmental or even a full-professional contract. The advent of the Internet has allowed independent wrestlers and promotions to reach a wider audience, and it is possible for wrestlers regularly working the indie circuit to gain some measure of fame among wrestling fans online. Additionally, some of the more successful indies have video distribution deals, giving them an additional source of income and allowing them to reach
385-581: A large enough crowd to fill such a venue were they able to do so. Instead, they make use of any almost open space (such as fields, ballrooms, or gymnasiums) to put on their performances. Some independent promotions are attached to professional wrestling schools , serving as a venue for students to gain experience in front of an audience. As independent matches are seldom televised, indie wrestlers who have not already gained recognition in other promotions tend to remain in obscurity. However, scouts from major promotions attend indie shows, and an indie wrestler who makes
440-534: A larger audience outside of their local areas. Unlike the North American or Japanese products which have large, globally renowned organisations such as WWE and New Japan Pro-Wrestling with several hundred smaller promotions , Australia only has approximately 30 smaller independent circuit promotions which exist in all but one of the states and territories, that being the Northern Territory . Tours from
495-525: A major promoter with shows featuring himself as headline heel. In 1958, when Bert Assirati was stripped of the British Heavyweight Championship , Lincoln formed the BWF alliance of promoters to support Assirati's claim, later recognising Shirley Crabtree as champion. Lincoln's BWF was eventually bought out into Joint in 1970. Welsh promoter Orig Williams also used the BWF name, promoting from
550-450: A range of special effects and some can even be customized through an application on a mobile device. Modern hooping has created a wide range of tricks. Hooping now includes many 'on body' moves and many 'off body' moves. A few examples are breaks, isolations, leg hooping, and double hooping. Hooping is a popular fitness activity, with classes in many cities across the world. Fire hooping has been introduced, in which spokes are set into
605-518: A region and maintain a consistent schedule. After Vince McMahon , seeking regulatory relief, gave in 1989 testimony in front of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission where he publicly admitted pro wrestling was in fact a sports-based entertainment, rather than a true athletic competition, many state athletic commissions stopped regulating wrestling. This obviated the need for complying with many expensive requirements, such as
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#1732869485894660-547: A renewed interest in hooping. Band members started throwing larger adult-sized hoops into their audiences in the mid-1990s, encouraging their fans to hoop and dance, spreading the word and the fun. It wasn't until 2003 with the launch of a former website, Hooping.org, that these small bands of hoopers began to find each other online and a real community and movement began to grow. Bay Area Hoopers began in San Francisco at that time holding regular "hoop jams" with music to hoop to and
715-548: A special charity event featuring then- World Wrestling Entertainment Champion John Cena acting as special guest referee between two of CW's wrestlers, Brian Milonas and "Big" Rick Fuller . Cena's father, who works for Chaotic Wrestling as an announcer , was in Fuller's corner. During the match, WWE CEO Vince McMahon made a surprise appearance, attacking Cena, only to receive an FU from him. The event also featured WWE wrestler Eugene competing against Handsome Johnny . Funds from
770-600: A talent exchange program with the East Coast Wrestling Association , an independent promotion that has been operating since 1967. This program allowed wrestlers from each promotion to compete in both CW and ECWA. Some wrestlers competing for Chaotic Wrestling have been noted for their unusual gimmicks. Writing for The Boston Phoenix , columnist Sean Bartlett commented on the " baroque characters" and wrestlers wearing "vinyl boots and fluorescent hot pants ". Boston Magazine ' s Benoit Denizet-Lewis pointed to
825-482: A week or once a month in local towns. Independent promotions are usually local in focus and, lacking national TV contracts, are much more dependent on revenue from house show attendance. Due to their lower budgets, most independent promotions offer low salaries (it is not unusual for a wrestler to work for free due to the fact most promoters can only afford to pay well-known talent). Most cannot afford to regularly rent large venues, and would not be able to attract
880-404: Is a form of storytelling dance incorporating hoops as props. These props are used to create both static and dynamic shapes, which represent various animals, symbols, and storytelling elements. The dance is generally performed by a solo dancer with multiple hoops. Before it was known and recognized as the common colorful plastic toy (sometimes filled with water or sand), the traditional "hula hoop"
935-514: Is all over Norway." In the same summer, schoolgirls in Australia were using the hoops and news came to the United States with the first reference to the toy as a "Hula hoop", described as "all the rage among the female small fry of Australia. This is old fashioned hoops with a difference. You don't roll them; you put them around your middle and by swinging the hips in a circular motion, you keep
990-448: Is also not uncommon for veteran wrestlers who have had past tenures with major promotions to appear on independent shows, either as special attractions or as a way to prolong their careers. The "indie" scene in the United States dates back to the days of regional territories. When a promoter ran opposition in even one town controlled by a National Wrestling Alliance sanctioned territory, they were often called an "outlaw" territory. This
1045-536: Is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the Lowell -based promotion Chaotic Wrestling ( CW ). It was established in 2006 to honor wrestlers who have wrestled for the promotion. Independent circuit Independent promotions are essentially viewed as a minor league or farm system for the larger national promotions, as wrestlers in "indie" companies (especially young wrestlers just starting their careers) are usually honing their craft with
1100-617: Is based on the Child's Play movies.) Until 1984, no independent puroresu promotion per se existed in Japan; potential talent went directly into the training dojos of either New Japan Pro-Wrestling or All Japan Pro Wrestling . ( International Wrestling Enterprise also was a third-party promotion until 1981.) The advent of the Japanese Universal Wrestling Federation offered a long-sought third alternative. From 1986 to 1988
1155-573: Is considered by some to be a forerunner to indies since some stars of the past got their start in these low quality local rivals to the big regional territories. The modern definition of the independent circuit came about in the middle to late 1980s and fully formed and flourished after 1990. These promotions initially sought to revive the feel of old school territorial wrestling after former territories either went national, such as WWF , went out of business, or eventually did both, such as WCW . Several indies did in fact manage to tour different towns within
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#17328694858941210-486: Is currently owned by Chaotic Wrestling owner, Kevin Bowe (Chase Del Monte), as well as Scott Guerin (Max Smashmaster) former Chikara star. The school has also hosted many guests from the wrestling industry including John Cena, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon , The Rock and Goldberg , Tom Prichard , Tommy Dreamer , Percy Pringle , Nunzio , Charlie Haas and many others. While forced to shut down for several months during
1265-444: Is used to line the inside of a hula hoop to add grip, or a bare hula hoop can be roughened by using sandpaper. Some use glow-in-the dark, patterned, or sparkling tape, and others are produced with clear tubing and are unfilled (child hoops are commonly filled with various materials). LED lighting has been added, allowing hoops to light up at the flick of a switch or a remote control. Programmable 'Smart Hoops' are available which provide
1320-557: The COVID-19 Pandemic , the school underwent numerous renovations to improve the facilities provided to their students. Post-renovations, the school now is equipped with a full gym/workout area, as well as a "collapsible" studio, so that they can also utilize the facility to record full wrestling shows during the pandemic. Numerous graduates have appeared on WWE/AEW television, performed tryout matches, and/or signed developmental contracts, including: The Chaotic Wrestling Hall of Fame
1375-424: The polyvinyl chloride hoops, are much larger and heavier than hoops of the 1950s. The size and the weight of the hoop affect the style of the hooper. Heavier, larger hoops are used for beginning dancers and easier tricks, while lighter, thinner tubing is used for quick hand tricks. These hoops may be covered in a fabric or plastic tape to create a visual image and distinguish between the hoop and dancer. Gaffer tape
1430-519: The "Hula-Hoop by Wham-O" was seen on June 16, 1958 for "The Broadway" chain of department stores in Los Angeles, for sale for $ 1.98 (equivalent to $ 20 more than 60 years later). With giveaways, national marketing and retailing, a fad began in July 1958: twenty-five million plastic hoops were sold in less than four months, and sales reached more than 100 million units in two years. Carlon Products Corporation
1485-412: The "ambiguously gay" two-time Chaotic Wrestling Tag Team Champions One Night Stand ( Ronnie D. Lishus & Edward G. Xtasy) as well as Arch Kincaid, a man resembling a "1980s porn star" who "lectures about existentialism and philosophical theory" at Chaotic Wrestling events, as an example of the promotion's appeal. In a story about the promotion for The Boston Globe , Danielle Dreilinger described how
1540-420: The 1990s there have also been numerous American-style "New School" promotions. Note: Minimum attendance of 5,000. General Specific Hula hoop A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. It can also be wheeled along the ground like a wheel with careful execution and practice. They have been used by children and adults since at least 500 BC. The modern hula hoop
1595-474: The Chaotic Training Center until July 1, 2011. The school was established in the early 2000s, when it merged with the world renown Killer Kowalski School of Wrestling. Kowalski, who has been described as one of the “most respected trainers” in the world and trained such wrestlers as Big John Studd , Triple H , Perry Saturn , and Chyna , oversaw training at the school prior to his death. The school
1650-707: The Chaotic Training Center). Graduates of the school include Sasha Banks , Kofi Kingston , Tommaso Ciampa , Oney Lorcan , Ivar (Viking Raiders) , among others. Originally Chaotic World Wrestling , the Chaotic Wrestling roster is composed mainly of independent wrestlers and established veterans from major wrestling promotions . Chaotic Wrestling has run events every two or three weeks since opening in 2000. Founded by Tom Davidson (aka The Missionary Man) and Joshua Opper (aka Kid Anarchy) two native Massachusetts residents who worked small independent outfits on
1705-715: The Japanese system went back to the two-promotion system, but then the UWF was reformed and another promotion, Pioneer Senshi, was started. Because of Japanese societal mores which implied that a wrestler was a lifelong employee of a company and thus identified with it wherever he went, neither AJPW nor NJPW made an effort to acquire wrestlers trained in other promotions; wrestlers from the major promotions who left, such as Genichiro Tenryu , Gran Hamada , Yoshiaki Fujiwara , Akira Maeda , Atsushi Onita , and Nobuhiko Takada had to start their own independent promotions in order to keep themselves in
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1760-583: The North American product are regularly sold out in capital cities such as Melbourne , Sydney , Perth and Brisbane . Lucha libre has many more independent wrestlers in proportion to the rest of North America, because of the weight classes prevalent in the Mexican league system as well as its emphasis on multiple person tag matches; just about anyone with ability can emerge from an independent promotion into either AAA or Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and be
1815-554: The US company to sponsor one bed in an Australian children's hospital. By 1958, Wham-O plastic hoops were being used in California and then the craze for hooping swept the United States and beyond. Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin of Wham-O updated the Toltoys design and manufactured 110 cm (42 in) diameter hoops from Marlex plastic. The earliest known advertisement was seen for
1870-461: The death of Giant Baba and retirement of Antonio Inoki , which effectively broke their control over the promotions they founded, the major promotions began looking to the smaller promotions for talent. In 2000, the first major signing from an independent, Minoru Tanaka by NJPW from BattlARTS , took place; soon after NJPW stocked the junior heavyweight division with independent talent such as Masayuki Naruse , Tiger Mask , Gedo , and Jado . On
1925-550: The end of this period, All Star had effectively replaced Joint (by now owned by Max Crabtree , brother of Shirley) as the dominant promotion in the UK. Joint, renamed Ring Wrestling Stars in 1991, dwindled down before closing with Crabtree's retirement in 1995, All Star has continued to be the dominant non-import live promotion in the UK up to the present day. Its principal competitors since that time have been Scott Conway's TWA, John Freemantle's Premier Promotions, RBW and LDN Wrestling. Since
1980-471: The event went to the Newbury Police Association and several other charities. Chaotic Wrestling later hosted another fundraiser event to help with the medical bills for WWE Hall of Famer and former Chaotic Training Center operator Killer Kowalski . Chaotic Wrestling also operates a successful professional wrestling school known as the New England Pro Wrestling Academy (NEPWA), which operated as
2035-527: The goal of being noticed and signed by a major national promotion such as WWE , All Elite Wrestling (AEW) (which also owns Ring of Honor (ROH)), or Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in the United States, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide or Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in Mexico, or New Japan Pro-Wrestling , Dragongate , All Japan Pro Wrestling , World Wonder Ring Stardom or the CyberFight promotions in Japan. It
2090-591: The hoop revolving— hence the name." According to "The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys" by Tim Walsh, the bamboo hoop's path to plastic started in Australia when a Sydney teacher taught school students how to sway bamboo hoops in sports classes. Australia's Coles department stores then started selling bamboo hoops and demand soon outstripped supply. Coles then asked legendary toy man Alex Tolmer (also known as Alec), who founded toy company Toltoys, to help mass produce hoops. In 1957, Tolmer used Polyethylene which
2145-474: The hooping group began being replicated in cities around the world. In 2006 Hoopin' Annie had the idea to create a hooping holiday and the first World Hoop Day was held in 2007. Modern hula hooping is seen at numerous festivals and fairs in the USA, UK, Australia and Europe. Many modern hoopers make their own hoops out of PVC piping , or polypropylene tubing (known as polypro). The polyethylene hoops, and especially
2200-518: The independents that were signed included Akitoshi Saito , Takahiro Suwa , and Taiji Ishimori ). Although AJPW, NJPW, and Noah remain committed to their dojos, the reliance on independents is growing as obscure talent is recognized for its ability. For most of the years of ITV 's coverage of British Wrestling, the dominant promoter in the United Kingdom was the Joint Promotions cartel, which
2255-416: The late 1960s up until the early 2000s and then sporadically until his death in 2009. From 1982 to 1995, Williams had a Welsh language TV wrestling show "Reslo" on S4C. Brian Dixon, a referee for Williams, set up his own company Wrestling Enterprises of Birkenhead later renamed All Star Wrestling c. 1984 . An alliance with promoter and former top star Jackie Pallo failed to prevent Joint gaining
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2310-405: The limelight ( Wrestling Association "R" , Universal Lucha Libre , Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi , Fighting Network Rings , Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling , and Hustle respectively) . As the 1990s ended, though, things began to change. Independent promotions began gaining more prominence as they were featured in major specialized media such as Shukan Puroresu and Shukan Gong magazines. With
2365-535: The name " hula " came from the Hawaiian dance in the 18th century, due to the similar hip movements. The hula hoop gained international popularity in the late 1950s, when a plastic version was successfully marketed by California's Wham-O toy company. Cane hoops had been popular children's toys to be rolled on the ground and kept balanced for as long as possible. In 1957, children in the Norwegian town of Steinkjer began
2420-426: The need for an on-site ambulance and trained emergency medical personnel at each bout. After the business was thus exposed and deregulated, just about anyone could be a promoter or a wrestler since no licensing beyond a business license was then required. Many thought they could save money by holding shows in lesser towns and smaller arenas with little to no televised exposure, leading to many shows being held only once
2475-415: The promotion has benefited in some ways from the late-2000s recession , as more fans are attending independent shows run by independent promotions like CW rather than paying for more expensive tickets to attend WWE events. This increase in ticket sales has allowed Chaotic Wrestling to operate more shows and expand their market into new cities. In May 2007, Chaotic Wrestling and Fabulous Productions announced
2530-443: The promotion. After his previous employer, Extreme Championship Wrestling , went out of business, Spike Dudley joined Chaotic Wrestling and held the tag team championship before signing with WWE. Other notable wrestlers that have appeared for Chaotic Wrestling include Brutus Beefcake , King Kong Bundy , and WWE Hall of Famers Bret Hart , Tito Santana , Jimmy Snuka , and Ricky Steamboat . Chaotic Wrestling has also participated in
2585-526: The same year, following the Pro Wrestling Noah split, AJPW was forced to fill its ranks with independent talent; Nobutaka Araya , Shigeo Okumura and Mitsuya Nagai signed up (Araya is the only one who remains, but other signings since then have been Kaz Hayashi , Tomoaki Honma , Hideki Hosaka , and Ryuji Hijikata .) Noah admitted one wrestler from the independents, Daisuke Ikeda , to its ranks as well (Ikeda has since left, but other wrestlers from
2640-630: The west coast most notably, Incredibly Strange Wrestling. In the promotion's first year of operation, Chaotic Wrestling was featured at New England 's Locobazooka music festival. The wrestlers competed alongside musical acts such as Days of the New and Disturbed at the event, which was attended by an estimated 15,000 people. Chaotic Wrestling has been described as a “feeder fed[eration]” for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Because of this relationship, WWE has been known to contact CW when they are in need of people to appear on WWE programming. Chaotic Wrestling
2695-463: The world, dying out in the 1980s except in China and Russia, where hula hooping and hoop manipulation were adopted by traditional circuses and rhythmic gymnasts. In the mid to late 1990s there was a re-emergence of hula hooping, generally referred to as either "hoopdance" or simply "hooping" to distinguish it from the children's playform. The jam band The String Cheese Incident is widely credited with fostering
2750-712: Was inspired by Australian bamboo hoops. Common lore posits the creators of the plastic hoop witnessed Australian children playing with bamboo hoops while driving past in an automobile. The new plastic version was popularized in 1958 by the Wham-O toy company and became a fad . Hula hoops for children generally measure approximately 70 centimetres (28 in) in diameter, while those for adults measure around 100 centimetres (39 in). Traditional materials for hula hoops include willow , rattan (a flexible and strong vine), grapevines and stiff grasses . Commercial hoops are usually made of plastic tubing. Native American Hoop Dance
2805-436: Was made of dried willow, rattan, grapevines, or stiff grasses. Though they have been in existence for thousands of years, it is often incorrectly believed that they were invented in the 1950s. Author Charles Panati records a "craze" with the usage of wooden and metal hoops in 14th-century England. He reports that doctors treated patients with pain, dislocated backs, and even heart failure due to hooping. Panati also says that
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#17328694858942860-587: Was one of the first manufacturers of the hula hoop. During the 1950s, Carlon was producing more than 50,000 hula hoops per day. Saddled with a glut of unwanted Hula Hoops, Wham-O stopped manufacturing the toy until 1965, when Knerr and Melin came up with a new twist: They inserted ball bearings in the cylinder to make a "shoosh" sound. The hoop was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York , in 1999. The hula hoop craze swept
2915-461: Was originally modelled on the NWA and later amalgamated into a single company. Nonetheless, throughout this period, untelevised alternative promotions flourished with at least one significant competitor to Joint for live shows. Initially the main rival was the former dominant promotion in the territory, Atholl Oakley 's BWA. By the time of its demise, wrestler/promoter Paul Lincoln had established himself as
2970-477: Was selected in 2006 to host a large WWE tryout session, and several Chaotic Wrestling competitors, including Kofi Kingston , were later employed by WWE. Former Chaotic Wrestling referee and booker Todd "The Bod" Sinclair has also worked for WWE and currently works for Ring of Honor . Chaotic Wrestling has also employed several wrestlers who had previously gained fame with major promotions. World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Tony Atlas has competed for
3025-434: Was stronger and less brittle than earlier plastics. The new lightweight plastic hoops sold in a variety of colors for less than $ 2. Toltoys sold 400,000 plastic hoops in Australia in 1957 alone. According to Tolmer's Melbourne-based son (David Tolmer) Toltoys already had a good working relationship with Wham-O in the United States. When Wham-O told Toltoys the hoop was too generic to warrant a royalty, Alex Tolmer instead asked
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