Urban Wrestling Alliance
Urban Wrestling Alliance was a syndicated weekly television program which aired from 2000 to 2001. Its executive producers were Vic Bulluck and Alonzo Brown, along with Rich Melcombe from Richmel Productions in Los Angeles. The UWA was broadcast on then-UPN television stations across the United States, including KTXA-Dallas, KDCA-Washington, D.C., WUPA-Atlanta, KTXH-Houston, WKBD-Detroit, WBFS-Miami, WPCW-Pittsburgh, WUTB-Baltimore, and WUPL-New Orleans. Videos of UWA TV matches have recently resurfaced on YouTube.
The UWA featured a combination of professional wrestling and hip hop music. Instead of a traditional ring announcer, a DJ behind a turntable on a stage would do the wrestlers' ring introductions. At the end of every show, a music video of an established hip hop artist, such as Jay Z or Lil' Romeo, would air, interspersed with highlights of each show's wrestling matches.
On every one hour UWA TV show, the regular hosts, John Watanabe and Sean "Cross" Martin, would do commentary at ringside, and Alonzo Brown, the UWA Commissioner on TV, would announce what matches would be coming up later in the show and handled conflicts between wrestlers backstage.
Among the wrestlers who appeared on UWA TV were Sonny Siaki, Tony Jones, Brent Albright, Aaron Baker, Clarence McNatt, Jorge Moraza, Billy Reil, Jimmy Snuka, Jr. (James Reiher, Jr.), Bison Smith, Marcus Nel-Jamal Hamm and Orlando Jordan.
Former wrestler and WWF tag team champion Rocky Johnson opened an Urban Wrestling Academy, in Davie, in South Florida.[1][2][3][4][5]
References
- ↑ Todd Martin, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez (2001-02-09). "Wrestling Observer Live 2-9-01 with Tony Jones". Wrestling Observer.
- ↑ Tony Jones Biography
- ↑ "BET Cable Channel To Air UWA" St. Petersburg Times – August 20, 2001 By Jim Varsallone
- ↑ Urban Wrestling Alliance at Internet Movie Database
- ↑ "Nwa/tna's Siaki Tries Hard To Get Off The `Rocky' Road" Sun Sentinel - November 7, 2003 by ALEX MARVEZ INSIDE THE RING
