Mid 20th Century
34-592: Frontier Wrestling Alliance ( FWA ) was a professional wrestling promotion in Britain. Established in 1993 as the Fratton Wrestling Association it soon became the Frontier Wrestling Alliance six years later and until 2007 when it lost a scripted inter-promotional feud with International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom . As a result of losing the promotion was forced to close and the company XWA
68-623: A chance of becoming RQW British Tag Team Champions. They made it to the final but were defeated by Team Charming . Simmons is also known for teaming with James Tighe as The Iron Lions . During World Wrestling Entertainment shows held in London, England, Simmons has participated as an enhancement talent . Simmons was a part of WWE's 2006 tour of the United Kingdom where he worked for the company, competing on both its WWE Velocity and WWE Heat shows. Simmons would compete against Matt Hardy in
102-604: A lucrative contract as a result. At the European Uprising show in Birmingham on 20 November 2010, Alex Shane turned heel and revealed it was he who was the real leader of the Agenda. After April 2012, the company quietly went inactive again running no further events, and their website going down. The promotion followed the same rules as seen in most of professional wrestling but adopted the penalty card system from football , with
136-636: A new FWA World Champion and FWA Flyweight Champion. On 13 February 2010 at the British Uproar event in Broxbourne, Martin Stone defeated Andy Simmonz in the tournament finals to become the first FWA World Heavyweight Champion. He subsequently turned heel and formed a faction called "The Agenda", whose aims are to decimate the UK's top talent in order to showcase their skills to the large American wrestling companies and earn
170-544: A pro wrestling storyline in which he would take open challenges from any competitor for a match. Simmonz's open challenges resulted in a long losing streak for Simmonz in 1PW. Simmons would also make appearances in Real Quality Wrestling as both a face and a heel. As a heel, Simmons would team with Aviv Maayan as The Hated Heroes . They participated in the RQW British Tag Team Tournament to have
204-545: A role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event. Within the convention of the show , the company is a sports governing body which sanctions wrestling matches and gives authority to the championships and is responsible for maintaining the divisions and their rankings. In truth, the company serves as a touring theatre troupe , as well as event promotion body for its own events. Most promotions are self-contained, organized around one or more championships and do not acknowledge or recognize
238-477: A scripted feud with International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom (IPW:UK) when FWA wrestlers invaded IPW:UK's annual Brawl at the Hall event and took some of the locker room hostage. In the elimination tag team contest, Team FWA beat Team IPW:UK and proclaimed war on the company. As the rivalry intensified over the next few months, wrestlers from both rosters had matches in both promotions and neutral ground with FWA gaining
272-584: A show on 21 November 2004, Robbie Brookside defeated The International Man of Mystery 2–1 in a British Rules match after the match the Man of Mystery was unmasked as Simmons, but Brookside was then attacked by Stevie Douglas, Douglas went on to say that he was the real International Man of Mystery. In 2005, Andy Boy Simmonz entered into IPW:UK's heavyweight division and became a fan favourite. In July 2005, Simmonz would also make his mark in IPW:UK's tag team division teaming with
306-467: A singles match on Velocity and teamed with Eric Schwarz to face the team of Goldust and Snitsky during Heat . On 15 October 2007 Birmingham, England edition of WWE Raw , Simmons competed in a few squash matches against Umaga . He was put through 3 types of matches by Mr. McMahon : a Street Fight , a First Blood Match , and a Steel Cage Match . Simmons lost all three matches. In June 2008, Simmons took part in an Irish Whip Wrestling Show in
340-423: A training academy to create its own talent. The emphasis on new wrestlers organically led to an early storyline of new, internationally influenced wrestling clashing with traditional British wrestling with some veterans brought in to help promote FWA's own performers. The company created a British championship later that year and in 2000 also crowned tag team champions as it continued to expand, performing across
374-774: Is a British professional wrestler . He is worked on the independent circuit in the United Kingdom for several promotions. Simmons' most high-profile work in the UK came in the Frontier Wrestling Alliance under the face gimmick of Simmons the Butler . Simmons later returned to the FWA under the ring name Andy Boy Simmons but remained face. The Boy in Simmons' ring name comes from his idol Davey Boy Smith , best known as WWF 's British Bulldog. Simmons has taken on many elements of
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#1733086271540408-631: The ESB Arena in Dublin where he beat Chad Collyer . On 16 November 2010, Simmons competed in a Championship Tournament for Fightstar Sports Entertainment's vacant All-Counties Championship at the Barrington Centre in Ferndown, Dorset . After beating X-Con in the first round, he went on to win the title in the main event Triple Threat match that night, beating Jivin' Jay Knox and 'Iron Hulk' Karl Atlas to lift
442-596: The XPW European Championship ) and were further aided in advertisement when Alex Shane became a regular presenter on national talk radio station Talksport , aiding the company's expansion into the north of England. The ties with Talksport became important when FWA promoted a show entitled "Revival" from the Crystal Palace Indoor Arena that was broadcast live on radio and later on national television, through Bravo . In late 2006, FWA entered into
476-464: The independent circuit , Simmons returned to the FWA Academy in 2003. During Simmons' time in the academy he wrestled against many of the up-and-coming British stars like James Tighe , Raj Ghosh, Mark Sloan , and Paul Burchill . Simmons also took part in the final TWA tour facing British wrestling superstars "The Anarchist" Doug Williams , Jody Fleisch , and Robbie Brookside . Simmons came up into
510-477: The yellow card serving as a warning, and any red card offence resulting in disqualification. Piledrivers were banned under FWA rules and could result in a fine as well as disqualification. Professional wrestling promotion 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling . "Promotion" also describes
544-504: The "Hated Heroes". It was announced that at the cross over event IPW:UK vs New Generation Wrestling in Hull on Friday 13 February 2009, Simmonz would represent IPW to take on NGW's "Prima Donna" Nathan Cruz, a match which saw Simmonz win, thus earning the first point for team IPW, Simmonz later wrestled in an IPW vs NGW 6-man elimination tag team match which was won by NGW's Alex Cyanide when Cyanide pinned Simmonz. Simmons would also become one of
578-663: The 1950s, the National Wrestling Alliance oversaw many wrestling territories such as Mid-Atlantic Wrestling and NWA San Francisco , in a business model known as the "territory system". This is a list of the most notable past and present professional wrestling promotions. Active Defunct Active Defunct Active Defunct Active Defunct Active Defunct Active Defunct (Modern-era) Defunct (Territory-era) Active Defunct Andy Simmons Andrew Simmons (born 21 May 1984), better known by his ring name Andy Boy Simmonz ,
612-735: The British Bulldog's son, Harry "Bulldog" Smith as "British Beef". On 18 February 2006, however, Simmonz turned on the company's mainly internet based fans who regularly "booed" him and unsuccessfully attempted to de-throne IPW:UK Champion Martin Stone at the event in Orpington, Kent. Simmonz soon fell back into his heel persona in IPW:UK and even had a bodyguard for a short time in June. Around this time, Simmonz won an over-the-top rumble at Battle Royale to earn himself any match of his choice in IPW:UK. However, by September, Simmonz had left IPW:UK (due to
646-532: The British stars in the 1 Pro Wrestling roster from its inception in 2005, competing under his heel persona. Simmons appeared in 1PW's inaugural match the Proving Ground Battle Royal but didn't appear again on a 1PW card for several months for a brief stint before leaving the company once again. In 2006, Simmons would make a return to 1PW as the surprise tag team partner from Lance Storm before working
680-774: The Bulldog character including the ring gear and the finishing move . He went to school in Liphook, Hampshire . Simmons first planned to train to become a wrestler at the NWA-UK Hammerlock training school, but not long after securing a week-long training session in August 2000 Simmons received news of a new training centre starting up in Portsmouth , The FWA Academy , which was 30 minutes away from him. During 2004, Simmons would wrestle in Italy for
714-510: The FWA main roster with the gimmick of a stereotypical English butler , in the style of Jeeves in the Jeeves and Wooster novels. Within a year as The Duke of Danger's trusty butler sidekick , Simmons would become one of the most popular wrestlers in the FWA's history. As part of the tag-team Hampton Court with the Duke of Danger, and their valet "Buttercup". He would soon go on to hold the tag titles in
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#1733086271540748-637: The Italian Championship Wrestling promotion, and around the rest UK for All Star and Premier Promotions before finally leaving the FWA Academy for good. In May, Simmons defeated Tommy Stevens in a Tables Match to win a one night tournament for the EWF trophy at the Weymouth Pavilion in Weymouth , Dorset . Outside of the more mainstream promotions Simmons competes for many independent promotions in
782-541: The UK, most notably All Star, Real Quality Wrestling, Varsity Pro Wrestling and abroad on various European tours. During his time on the UK indies Simmons would begin teaming with Eamon O'Neill under the team name Irish Connection and later, The United Lions . During a tour of Italy in September 2006, Simmons suffered a broken ankle in a rumble match. Simmons was flown back early from the tour to have surgery which should have put him out of action until 2007. Simmons' debut for
816-541: The company was on 20 January 2001 at FWA Unknown Quantity 2 where he faced of in a Rookies Match against Dave Crispin, Simmons won the match with a victory roll , which he would later be named his Simmonz Roll . After this well received debut Simmons went undefeated for 18 months, but after his first defeat in the FWA Academy Simmons took time away to wrestle in The Wrestling Alliance. After time away in
850-721: The company with the Duke for a short time, before losing them to the team of Stixx & Martin Stone . After another absence away from the FWA Simmons split away from Hampton Court but returned under the name Andy Boy Simmons. He set out to find a new tag partner, one he could team with to win the tag belts from the champs Stixx and Stone. Simmons return to FWA with new tag team partner, Eamon O'Neill, as The United Lions . Simmons has also appeared regularly in International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom (IPW:UK) shows from late 2004 right through into 2006. During
884-412: The early advantage. After months of clashes three events were held under joint banners with the final show, IPW:UK vs. FWA: Final Frontiers, booked for a match between IPW's Martin Stone and an unnamed FWA wrestler to with both companies' future on the line. The show featured much in-fighting, including the two commentators breaking out into a brawl and ended with the mystery FWA wrestler being revealed as
918-630: The former company, XWA inherited the physical British Heavyweight and Flyweight Championship belts from FWA and continued to use them, promising to also resurrect the FWA Tag Team Championship , though they never would. However, in April 2009 at XWA's War on the Shore V, Lambert finally announced the creation of XWA's own British Heavyweight Championship belts and gave the FWA belt to Alex Shane, making his only appearance at an XWA event, while Shane presented
952-428: The injury he suffered on tour) claiming he was retiring without ever utilizing the stipulation. On 22 October 2006, while still incapacitated and in a wheelchair Simmonz used the stipulation to gain himself a No DQ, Falls Count Anywhere bout for the IPW:UK title. After help from Aviv Maayan and Simmons' former bodyguard, LT Summers, as well as a steel crutch, Simmonz became the third IPW:UK Champion. The team are known as
986-555: The legitimacy of other promotions' titles unless they share a working agreement. Governing bodies, such as the CyberFight , United Wrestling Network , WWNLive , Allied Independent Wrestling Federations , Union of European Wrestling Alliances, Pro Wrestling International and, previously, the National Wrestling Alliance , act as an umbrella organization which governs titles that are shared among multiple promotions. During
1020-564: The new physical title to the winner of the evening's championship match, Sam Slam. Despite being on the losing end of the battle with International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom and the XWA promotion purportedly taking its lineage, in May 2009, over two years after its original demise, Tony Simpson and Alex Shane announced their intention to revive the national promotion. They held their comeback show, New Frontiers, in early August with matches designed to crown
1054-608: The promotion to the Fratton Wrestling Alliance 1999, it experienced a renovation that geared it towards national expansion and promoted its first show in February of that year, changing to Frontier Wrestling Alliance by the second show in June. The promotion (now being co-run by Mark Sloan and film and TV producer Elisar Cabrera) soon produced a regional television programme ("Frontier Wrestling") in Portsmouth as well as founding
Frontier Wrestling Alliance - Misplaced Pages Continue
1088-520: The retired former FWA British Heavyweight Champion Flash Barker who lost the match, resulting in FWA folding in March 2007. After the FWA went out of business, Greg Lambert and Mark Kay held a press conference and formed a new promotion named XWA alluding to their former company but insisting the two had a different ethos, with the new company gearing its product towards family entertainment rather than being adult orientated. Despite only basing their promotion on
1122-610: The south of the country. By August FWA began promoting shows with foreign talent, initially Sabu and Dan Severn , which it would continue to do so during its first run by cross promoting with other promotions. This eventually led to the British Heavyweight Championship being won by American wrestler Christopher Daniels , the belt being defended on international soil and a joint-promoted event with American independent promotion Ring of Honor in 2003. The company used international stars to gain notoriety (including hosting
1156-455: Was founded, largely based on the old FWA with some old staff and wrestlers as well as some championships. However, in 2009 the FWA brand was relaunched again as a separate promotion to the XWA, running for three more years before folding again in 2012. The FWA initially started out as the Fratton Wrestling Association in 1993 by Mark Sloan in an attempt to create a forum for serious wrestling training and performance based in Portsmouth. Renaming
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