 | |
| Acronym | PLW |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 |
| Defunct | 2016 |
| Style | American Wrestling |
| Headquarters | Pawtucket, Rhode Island |
| Founder(s) | Bob Evans and Mark Amaral |
| Owner(s) | Mark Amaral, Carlos Arenas, Paul Lauzon, and Tommy Degnan |
| Website | Official website |
Power League Wrestling (PLW) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It was founded in Swansea, Massachusetts by Bob Evans and Mark Amaral in 1991, and later taken over by Amaral, Carlos Arenas, Paul Lauzon, and Tommy Degnan. It was the first and longest-running "indy" promotion in the state of Rhode Island and one of the few successful groups outside the Greater Boston Area.
PLW held wrestling events exclusively for charities and was one of the few professional wrestling promotions to operate as a non-profit organization in the United States. PLW had been praised for its shows to raise money for victims of the September 11 attacks, The Station nightclub fire, and the Boston Marathon bombings.
A number of Northeastern and East Coast-based independent stars had appeared for PLW charity events including "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas, Gino Martino, Claudio Castagnoli, Romeo Roselli, Ken Doane, Robbie Ellis, Hallowicked, Jigsaw, Larry Sweeney, Mike Quackenbush, Shane Storm, Antonio Thomas, and manager Johnny Fabulous. Ariel and Eddie Edwards of Ring of Honor, Rescue 911 Christopher Annino (Wrestler), Michael Sain of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Johnny Curtis of World Wrestling Entertainment all competed in the promotion during their early careers. Former Extreme Championship Wrestling star Spike Dudley, a native of Lincoln, Rhode Island, had made multiple appearances for the promotion. Several PLW alumni had been inducted into the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame since 2008.[1]
- ^ "List of Past Inductees". New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. 2014. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013.