A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. "Promotion" also describes 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 that 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 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 that governs titles that are shared among multiple promotions. During 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".
The most notable past and present professional wrestling promotions include:
Australia and New Zealand
Active Australasian Wrestling Federation Impact Pro Wrestling International Wrestling Australia Melbourne City Wrestling New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling Riot City Wrestling Southern Pro Wrestling World Series Wrestling
Defunct Dominion Wrestling Union I-Generation Superstars of Wrestling Pro Wrestling Women's Alliance World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling All-Stars
Canada
Active Border City Wrestling Great Canadian Wrestling High Impact Wrestling Canada International Wrestling Syndicate Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling Northern Championship Wrestling nCw Femmes Fatales Real Canadian Wrestling Winnipeg Pro Wrestling
Defunct BSE Pro Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling Eastern Sports Association Hart Legacy Wrestling International Wrestling Alliance Lutte Internationale Maximum Pro Wrestling NWA: All-Star Wrestling Prairie Wrestling Alliance Stampede Wrestling
Japan
Active
Active Advance Pro Wrestling Actwres girl'Z All Japan Pro Wrestling Big Japan Pro Wrestling ChocoPro CyberFight(umbrella brand) DDT Pro-Wrestling Pro Wrestling Noah Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling Dradition Dragongate Dream Star Fighting Marigold Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling-Explosion Ganbare Pro-Wrestling Gleat Ice Ribbon JTO Kyushu Pro-Wrestling Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling-X Lion's Gate Project Marvelous Michinoku Pro Wrestling New Japan Pro-Wrestling Osaka Pro Wrestling Oz Academy Pro-Wrestling Basara Pro Wrestling Freedoms Pro Wrestling Land's End Pro-Wrestling Shi-En Pro Wrestling Wave Pro Wrestling Zero1 Pure-J Seadlinnng Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling Strong Style Pro-Wrestling Tenryu Project Tokyo Gurentai World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana World Wonder Ring Stardom Wrestling of Darkness 666
Defunct
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling Apache Pro-Wrestling Army Arsion Battlarts Diamond Ring Federacion Universal de Lucha Libre Fighting Network Rings Gaea Japan Global Professional Wrestling Alliance Hustle Inoki Genome Federation International Wrestling Enterprise IWA Japan Japan Pro-Wrestling Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling Japan Wrestling Association Jd' JWP Joshi Puroresu Kingdom NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling Never (professional wrestling) Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi Riki Pro (WJ) Smash Super World of Sports Tokyo Pro Wrestling Universal Wrestling Federation Union Pro Wrestling UWF International Wrestle Association "R" Wrestling International New Generations Wrestle-1 Wrestling New Classic
Mexico
Active Alianza Universal De Lucha Libre Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre International Wrestling Revolution Group Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide The Crash Lucha Libre Toryumon Mexico
Defunct International Wrestling League Los Perros del Mal Lucha Libre Elite Nación Lucha Libre Promo Azteca Universal Wrestling Association World Wrestling Association Xtreme Latin American Wrestling
United Kingdom and Ireland
Active
All Star Wrestling Attack! Pro Wrestling Bellatrix Female Warriors British Kingdom Pro-Wrestling Fight Factory Pro Wrestling Grand Pro Wrestling Insane Championship Wrestling Lucha Britannia New Generation Wrestling Over the Top Wrestling Pro Championship Wrestling PROGRESS Wrestling Pro-Wrestling: EVE Revolution Pro Wrestling
TNT Extreme Wrestling World Association of Wrestling
Defunct 1 Pro Wrestling 5 Star Wrestling Frontier Wrestling Alliance International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom Irish Whip Wrestling Joint Promotions Pro Wrestling Elite Pro Wrestling Pride World of Sport Wrestling X Wrestling Alliance
United States
Active
4th Rope Wrestling All American Wrestling All Elite Wrestling All Pro Wrestling Assault Championship Wrestling Chaotic Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling DEFY Wrestling East Coast Wrestling Association Empire Wrestling Federation Funking Conservatory Game Changer Wrestling House of Glory Independent Wrestling Federation Juggalo Championship Wrestling Lucha VaVOOM Major League Wrestling MCW Pro Wrestling Main Event Championship Wrestling National Wrestling Alliance New England Championship Wrestling Northeast Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling OnlyWrestlers Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Unplugged Reality of Wrestling Revolutionary Championship Wrestling Ring of Honor Southern States Wrestling Sukeban Texas All-Star Wrestling Top Rope Promotions Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Ultra Championship Wrestling-Zero United Wrestling Network(governing body) 1 Fall Wrestling Championship Wrestling Gotham Wrestling Memphis Wrestling Xtreme Pro Wrestling Warrior Wrestling West Coast Wrestling Connection Women Superstars United Women of Wrestling Women's Wrestling Army World League Wrestling World Wrestling Network(governing body) Full Impact Pro Shine Wrestling WWE
Defunct (modern-era)
American Wrestling Federation Century Wrestling Alliance Chikara CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Deadlock Pro-Wrestling Deep South Wrestling Dragon Gate USA Extreme Championship Wrestling (1992–2001) Extreme Championship Wrestling (WWE, 2006–2010) Extreme Rising Evolve Family Wrestling Entertainment Florida Championship Wrestling Front Row Wrestling Future of Wrestling Global Force Wrestling Hardcore Homecoming Heartland Wrestling Association House of Hardcore Incredibly Strange Wrestling Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South IWF Promotions Jersey All Pro Wrestling Lucha Libre USA Lucha Underground Mason-Dixon Wrestling Memphis Championship Wrestling Memphis Wrestling(governing body) Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation Millennium Wrestling Federation Naked Women's Wrestling League National Championship Wrestling OMEGA Championship Wrestling Phoenix Championship Wrestling Power League Wrestling Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling Resistance Pro Wrestling Rise Wrestling Southern Championship Wrestling Shimmer Women Athletes Steel City Wrestling Texas Wrestling Alliance Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling Ultimate Pro Wrestling Warriors 4 Christ Wrestling Wrestling Society X Wrestling Superstars Live Wrestlicious Xcitement Wrestling Federation World Wide Wrestling Alliance World Women's Wrestling World Wrestling Stars World Wrestling Legends World Xtreme Wrestling WrestleReunion
Defunct (territory-era)
All-Star Championship Wrestling American Wrestling Association Championship Wrestling from Florida Championship Wrestling from Georgia Continental Championship Wrestling Continental Wrestling Association Georgia Championship Wrestling Global Wrestling Federation Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling Heart of America Sports Attractions International Championship Wrestling International World Class Championship Wrestling International Wrestling Association International Wrestling Federation Jim Crockett Promotions Ladies Professional Wrestling Association Mid-South Wrestling Minneapolis Boxing and Wrestling Club National Wrestling Association(governing body) National Wrestling Federation Pacific Northwest Wrestling Powerful Women of Wrestling Pro Wrestling America Pro Wrestling USA Smoky Mountain Wrestling Southern Championship Wrestling (Georgia) Southwest Championship Wrestling St. Louis Wrestling Club United States Wrestling Association Universal Wrestling Federation Windy City Pro Wrestling World Championship Wrestling World Class Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Association World Wrestling Network Worldwide Wrestling Associates
Other
Active Africa Wrestling Alliance Brazilian Wrestling Federation Continental Wrestling Entertainment Fédération Française de Catch Professionnel Filipino Pro Wrestling Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling International Catch Wrestling Alliance Irish Whip Wrestling Israeli Pro Wrestling Association IWA Puerto Rico Kingdom Pro Wrestling La Liga Wrestling Singapore Pro Wrestling Soft Ground Wrestling Westside Xtreme Wrestling WWC World Wrestling Professionals Nigeria Professional Wrestling Federation Pro Wrestling Africa ATTACK ! Pro Wrestling Nigeria African Professional Wrestling Commission SuperHardCore Wrestling Club of Nigeria
Defunct Oriental Wrestling Entertainment Catch Wrestling Association Ring Ka King Israeli Wrestling League Ultimate Wrestling Israel Philippine Wrestling Revolution Manila Wrestling Federation Verband der Berufsringer Gold Wrestling Association Kicx Wrestling Entertainment Fancy Super Star HardCore Wrestling Nigeria Wrestling Board of Control Power Mike International Promotions
See also Lists of professional wrestling personnel List of women's wrestling promotions
References
External links List of All Promotions at Cagematch.net Promotions at OWW.com Wrestlingdata.com The Internet Wrestling Database