Association Wrestling: Could It Work?

[blueandgold]

If the United States and other nations in the Americas (North, Central, and South) introduced an association wrestling system the way we see with association football (soccer), how plausible is it that it could find success to some degree? I've been active in the sport of wrestling for over ten years now as a competitor, coach, and fan, and I've recently become a big association football fan, and I wonder if how well it would work if we borrowed their system for wrestling. In the United States, it seems we try to build cards like boxing, mixed martial arts, or professional wrestling when in reality it's hard to promote a freestyle match in the same vein as the aforementioned sports due to lack of perceived violence. From RPW to the recent Flo cards, the promotion and events are fine, but they don't click.

So, what's next?

Well, association wrestling. When people hear "professional wrestling", the term immediately makes one think of WWE, AEW, NWA, etc., so the first step is stepping out of the shadow of sports entertainment. Second, what would it look like in the USA? Here's a quick write-up I made borrowing some elements from both Premier League, La Liga, NBA, NFL, and the current NCAA wrestling system.

The Name

• The League of American Wrestling Premier Division (Legal); American Premier League (Informal)

Country

• United States of America

Confederation

• Union of American Wrestling Associations (UAWA)

Number of Teams

• 24

Level on Pyramid

• 1

Relegation to

• National Wrestling Championship of the United States (Legal); League II (Informal)

 

Competition Format

Each club wrestles a 20-match regular season schedule including six matches from a double round robin against the three other teams in their region. The top two teams from each region will qualify for the final stage bracket to determine a league champion. The top four teams based on record (total dual meet points used for tiebreaker) entering the final stage will automatically toggle the top four seeds and receive a bye, while the remaining teams will do battle in the Round of 16. Teams are ranked by record and dual meet points. Individual weight class champions are determined prior to the beginning of the final stage of the team tournament. The top 12 wrestlers from each weight (based on record and total points) will compete in a round robin of four pools, the winners from each of the four pools are then paired in a bracket to determine the individual champion. The top four wrestlers who make the final stage of the individual tournament will be named to the Iron League (compare to NBA All-Star or NFL Pro Bowl) while champions and runner-ups will also be named to the All-America first and second team (compare to All-NBA or NFL All-Pro).

Weight Classes

1. 126 lbs.
2. 134 lbs.
3. 142 lbs.
4. 150 lbs.
5. 155 lbs.
6. 165 lbs.
7. 175 lbs.
8. 190 lbs.
9. 225 lbs.
10. 285 lbs.

Rules and Scoring

• Two 4-minute periods
• Par terre optional only after a wrestler scores
• Takedown (three points of contact) = 2 Points
• Exposure = 2 Points
• Feet to Back = 4 Points
• Grand Amplitude Throw = 5 Points
• Reversal = 1 Point
• Passivity = 1 Point (2nd Warning), 2 Points (3rd Warning), Disqualification (4th Warning)
• No points awarded for push-outs
• Takedown can still be scored out of bounds as long as contact was previously established on the mat
• A match ends by technical fall when a wrestler is ahead by 15 points minimum

Win Conditions and Point Totals

• Fall = 3 Points
• Technical Superiority = 2 Points
• Decision = 1 Point
• Disqualification = 1 Point

A wrestler will receive 0 points for a loss and will be deducted 0.5 points for a disqualification.

Teams (23 United States + 1 Canada)

1. Arlington WC (Arlington, Texas)
2. Atlanta WC (Atlanta, Georgia)
3. Atlantic City WC (Atlantic City, New Jersey)
4. Austin WC (Austin, Texas)
5. Boston WC (Boston, Massachusetts)
6. Carolina United WC (Charlotte, North Carolina)
7. Cheyenne WC (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
8. Chicago WC (Chicago, Illinois)
9. Colorado Springs WC (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
10. Detroit WC (Auburn Hills, Michigan)
11. Indianapolis WC (Indianapolis, Indiana)
12. Iowa City WC (Iowa City, Iowa)
13. Las Vegas WC (Las Vegas, Nevada)
14. Lincoln WC (Lincoln, Nebraska)
15. Los Angeles WC (Los Angeles, California)
16. New York WC (New York, New York)
17. Orlando WC (Orlando, Florida)
18. Philadelphia WC (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
19. Portland WC (Portland, Oregon)
20. Richmond WC (Richmond, Virginia)
21. Sioux Falls WC (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
22. Tulsa WC (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
23. Twin Cities WC (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota)
24. Vancouver WC (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Teams by Region
East

1. Atlantic City
2. Boston
3. New York
4. Philadelphia

Midwest

1. Chicago
2. Detroit
3. Indianapolis
4. Twin Cities

Mountain West

1. Cheyenne
2. Iowa City
3. Lincoln
4. Sioux Falls

Southeast

1. Atlanta
2. Carolina United
3. Orlando
4. Richmond

Southwest

1. Arlington
2. Austin
3. Colorado Springs
4. Tulsa

West

1. Las Vegas
2. Los Angeles
3. Portland
4. Vancouver

 

 

[mspart]

I see what you are saying, but you are skipping Mexico as being part of North America and you started this with talking about Central and South America as well.   Where is their representation?

23 USA and 1 Canada?    That's not even all of NA.   Plus you left out Seattle.   You do that at your peril!! 

Interesting idea anyway.  

mspart

[blueandgold]

8 minutes ago, mspart said:

I see what you are saying, but you are skipping Mexico as being part of North America and you started this with talking about Central and South America as well.   Where is their representation?

23 USA and 1 Canada?    That's not even all of NA.   Plus you left out Seattle.   You do that at your peril!! 

Interesting idea anyway.  

mspart

So, the funny thing is I changed Seattle to Vancouver for no reason other than it being a place where some NBA teams have been and because Simon Fraser University is a part of the NCAA, but overall, I just wanted to show that if there were multiple associations, this could potentially be the United States'. Where the other nations would come in would be like the UEFA and there would be a Champions League (the top four teams from the US association, the Canadian association, the Mexican association, Colombian, Cuban, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, etc.) to determine a champion of the Americas. That is where it draws similarity to association football as each nation has their own league and system, but the top teams of each league qualify to play in the Champions League to determine the best football club in Europe.

[stealyphil223]

The answer for professional wrestling will never be teams and a league.  The answer is the tennis and golf model.  Tournaments throughout the season, 4 majors, tournaments occuring in different countries.  

[mspart]

We kind of have that now right?

mspart

[blueandgold]

5 hours ago, stealyphil223 said:

The answer for professional wrestling will never be teams and a league.  The answer is the tennis and golf model.  Tournaments throughout the season, 4 majors, tournaments occuring in different countries.  

I like this idea as well.

[CHROMEBIRD]

I'm down for whatever structure but at the end of the day it comes down to money and sponsorships. I thought AGON was an interesting concept and want to believe that it (and GCW and Realpro and others) were ahead of its time before streaming became ubiquitous and possible to develop an audience. Building off the RTC model here would be a nice way to kick start something without having to start from scratch. 

How do the pro leagues in India and elsewhere work? I remember some of our MFS/WFS won contracts to compete for a season but don't remember why we don't hear much about it anymore.

[ionel]

1 minute ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

I'm down for whatever structure but at the end of the day it comes down to money and sponsorships. I thought AGON was an interesting concept and want to believe that it (and GCW and Realpro and others) were ahead of its time before streaming became ubiquitous and possible to develop an audience. Building off the RTC model here would be a nice way to kick start something without having to start from scratch. 

How do the pro leagues in India and elsewhere work? I remember some of our MFS/WFS won contracts to compete for a season but don't remember why we don't hear much about it anymore.

I'd say it also comes down to audience/viewership.  How do you get a larger audience to watch?  If shown halftime of women's soccer would that help?  

[Ohio Elite]

Sounds great, but viewership would be key!

[CHROMEBIRD]

25 minutes ago, ionel said:

I'd say it also comes down to audience/viewership.  How do you get a larger audience to watch?  If shown halftime of women's soccer would that help?  

Didn't one of the upstart freestyle wrestling leagues back in the day schedule exhibition matches at NBA games during halftime? Disclaimer, I might have hallucinated this

[ionel]

39 minutes ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

Didn't one of the upstart freestyle wrestling leagues back in the day schedule exhibition matches at NBA games during halftime? Disclaimer, I might have hallucinated this

NBA ... never watch it so I wouldn't know. 

[MPhillips]

4 hours ago, ionel said:

If shown halftime of women's soccer would that help?  

"Just a bit outside..."

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

On 8/10/2023 at 4:50 PM, blueandgold said:

If the United States and other nations in the Americas (North, Central, and South) introduced an association wrestling system the way we see with association football (soccer), how plausible is it that it could find success to some degree? I've been active in the sport of wrestling for over ten years now as a competitor, coach, and fan, and I've recently become a big association football fan, and I wonder if how well it would work if we borrowed their system for wrestling. In the United States, it seems we try to build cards like boxing, mixed martial arts, or professional wrestling when in reality it's hard to promote a freestyle match in the same vein as the aforementioned sports due to lack of perceived violence. From RPW to the recent Flo cards, the promotion and events are fine, but they don't click.

So, what's next?

Well, association wrestling. When people hear "professional wrestling", the term immediately makes one think of WWE, AEW, NWA, etc., so the first step is stepping out of the shadow of sports entertainment. Second, what would it look like in the USA? Here's a quick write-up I made borrowing some elements from both Premier League, La Liga, NBA, NFL, and the current NCAA wrestling system.

The Name

• The League of American Wrestling Premier Division (Legal); American Premier League (Informal)

Country

• United States of America

Confederation

• Union of American Wrestling Associations (UAWA)

Number of Teams

• 24

Level on Pyramid

• 1

Relegation to

• National Wrestling Championship of the United States (Legal); League II (Informal)

 

Competition Format

Each club wrestles a 20-match regular season schedule including six matches from a double round robin against the three other teams in their region. The top two teams from each region will qualify for the final stage bracket to determine a league champion. The top four teams based on record (total dual meet points used for tiebreaker) entering the final stage will automatically toggle the top four seeds and receive a bye, while the remaining teams will do battle in the Round of 16. Teams are ranked by record and dual meet points. Individual weight class champions are determined prior to the beginning of the final stage of the team tournament. The top 12 wrestlers from each weight (based on record and total points) will compete in a round robin of four pools, the winners from each of the four pools are then paired in a bracket to determine the individual champion. The top four wrestlers who make the final stage of the individual tournament will be named to the Iron League (compare to NBA All-Star or NFL Pro Bowl) while champions and runner-ups will also be named to the All-America first and second team (compare to All-NBA or NFL All-Pro).

Weight Classes

1. 126 lbs.
2. 134 lbs.
3. 142 lbs.
4. 150 lbs.
5. 155 lbs.
6. 165 lbs.
7. 175 lbs.
8. 190 lbs.
9. 225 lbs.
10. 285 lbs.

Rules and Scoring

• Two 4-minute periods
• Par terre optional only after a wrestler scores
• Takedown (three points of contact) = 2 Points
• Exposure = 2 Points
• Feet to Back = 4 Points
• Grand Amplitude Throw = 5 Points
• Reversal = 1 Point
• Passivity = 1 Point (2nd Warning), 2 Points (3rd Warning), Disqualification (4th Warning)
• No points awarded for push-outs
• Takedown can still be scored out of bounds as long as contact was previously established on the mat
• A match ends by technical fall when a wrestler is ahead by 15 points minimum

Win Conditions and Point Totals

• Fall = 3 Points
• Technical Superiority = 2 Points
• Decision = 1 Point
• Disqualification = 1 Point

A wrestler will receive 0 points for a loss and will be deducted 0.5 points for a disqualification.

Teams (23 United States + 1 Canada)

1. Arlington WC (Arlington, Texas)
2. Atlanta WC (Atlanta, Georgia)
3. Atlantic City WC (Atlantic City, New Jersey)
4. Austin WC (Austin, Texas)
5. Boston WC (Boston, Massachusetts)
6. Carolina United WC (Charlotte, North Carolina)
7. Cheyenne WC (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
8. Chicago WC (Chicago, Illinois)
9. Colorado Springs WC (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
10. Detroit WC (Auburn Hills, Michigan)
11. Indianapolis WC (Indianapolis, Indiana)
12. Iowa City WC (Iowa City, Iowa)
13. Las Vegas WC (Las Vegas, Nevada)
14. Lincoln WC (Lincoln, Nebraska)
15. Los Angeles WC (Los Angeles, California)
16. New York WC (New York, New York)
17. Orlando WC (Orlando, Florida)
18. Philadelphia WC (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
19. Portland WC (Portland, Oregon)
20. Richmond WC (Richmond, Virginia)
21. Sioux Falls WC (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
22. Tulsa WC (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
23. Twin Cities WC (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota)
24. Vancouver WC (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Teams by Region
East

1. Atlantic City
2. Boston
3. New York
4. Philadelphia

Midwest

1. Chicago
2. Detroit
3. Indianapolis
4. Twin Cities

Mountain West

1. Cheyenne
2. Iowa City
3. Lincoln
4. Sioux Falls

Southeast

1. Atlanta
2. Carolina United
3. Orlando
4. Richmond

Southwest

1. Arlington
2. Austin
3. Colorado Springs
4. Tulsa

West

1. Las Vegas
2. Los Angeles
3. Portland
4. Vancouver

 

 

You have obviously put a lot of thought and time into this idea, and that makes me happy. It is likely that you can go even more granular with your plan, and that also makes me happy. Based upon the current state of things, it looks to me like what you have suggested is more of an end product. That's okay. It gives us all something to dream about. As President Snow said in The Hunger Games:

"Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear."

What it might look like to start out would be five teams in various regions, and although I really hate to suggest it, but economically, it might be that 6 or 8 weights is the way to kick off the enterprise. I would try to get some type of alliance going with the Beat the Streets organization. They have well-established facilities in New York City, Philly, Cleveland, Chicago and Baltimore/Washington, D.C. 

The alliance could involve use of their facilities, free admission to shows for the kids, and some mentoring/practices from the athletes with the kids, donations to the organization above a certain set net revenue. 

The real market would be streaming. You could sell some tickets at the door, but I would want all those screaming, jumping-up-and-down happy kids in the front row on the video that goes out. Exclamation points are free, but you can't buy authentic enthusiasm! 

If it catches on, grow. Add weights. Add cities. 

[Ohio Elite]

If I was Elon Musk, I'd fund the whole thing... obviously 

 

We can hope tho!  It would be nice to have a big wig step in.