Front Row Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion located in Rochester, New Hampshire. It is one of the few New England–based promotions outside Massachusetts, such as Pro Wrestling America Live in Maine and Joel Gertner's MXW Pro Wrestling in Connecticut, and is the only wrestling promotion active in the state of New Hampshire. Founded by wrestler Scott C. Despres in 2003, it is the sister promotion of Eastern Wrestling Alliance and an affiliate of the National Wrestling Alliance. FRW has co-promoted events and hosted sanctioned title defenses of both promotions.
A number of Northeastern independent stars competed for FRW, including Brian Milonas, Chase Del Monte, Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Handsome, "The Alpha Male" Justin Powers and Antonio "The Promise" Thomas. The promotion also has a small women's division, largely dominated by Sarah Blackheart, Mistress Belmont and Vanity Vixxxen, but also brought in Sara Del Rey, Mercedes Martinez, Ariel, Alere Little Feather and Awesome Kong. Matt Calamare, the only working deaf professional wrestling referee, also regularly appeared for the promotion.
On February 26, 2010, Despres announced the promotion would be forming a partnership with NWA Liberty States, formerly No Limit Pro, to promote wrestling events throughout New England under the banner of the National Wrestling Alliance.
History Front Row Wrestling was started by Scott C. Despres, better known as New England independent wrestler Maverick Wild, in 2003 and held its first show in Milford, New Hampshire, that year. When Steve Bradley's Wrestling Federation of America closed its doors a year later, the promotion became the sole wrestling promotion in the state of New Hampshire. Although the promotion struggled financially during its first years, partly due to Despres' inexperience as a promoter, it eventually gained a small but loyal following in the Rochester area. The promotion not only established a home arena at the Rochester American Legion Hall but began touring cities throughout New Hampshire within two years. In the summer of 2006, they visited Claremont where it performed at a children's community center in Claremont Park. That same year, they co-promoted an event in Gardner, Massachusetts, with the Eastern Wrestling Alliance. It was one of FRW's first successful shows, with a record 175 fans in attendance.
It eventually took over the WFA's former home base in Dover, New Hampshire, as well. This change influenced one of the promotion's earliest storylines, which pitted one-time WFA stars, known as the Dover Legends, against "heel" manager The Grand Wizard of Wrestling and his Stable of Assassins. Among its earliest stars were former WFA mainstays such as "The Alpha Male" Justin Powers and Antonio "The Promise" Thomas as well as Northeastern independent stars including Maverick Wild, Chase Del Monte, Tommaso Ciampa, Brian Milonas, and Johnny Handsome. Handsome spent part of his early career in the promotion. FRW also developed a small women's division, largely dominated by Sarah Blackheart, Mistress Belmont and Vanity Vixxxen, and would come to include Sara Del Rey, Mercedes Martinez, Ariel, Alere Little Feather and Awesome Kong. Matt Calamare, the only working deaf referee in professional wrestling, also frequently appeared for the promotion.
In early 2007, the promotion was involved in a minor controversy with Rochester city officials when they suddenly shut down Rochester American Legion Hall a little over eight hours before the start of FRW's January 12 supercard "Friday the 12th". According to Despres, an estimated 90-150 fans were turned away. FRW was forced to offer a full refund for all the tickets purchased and was prohibited from running shows in the city until he was issued a special permit by the city council. He met with the council in May and again in November 2007 in order to promote shows in the town. Meanwhile, FRW continued to tour New Hampshire, returning to Claremont in the spring and looking into securing an alternate venue outside of Rochester. Eventually, Despres and the city came to a settlement allowing FRW the use of the Rochester American Legion Hall.
On June 23, 2007, FRW held its first card outside the New Hampshire area at the Memorial Ice Arena in Winchendon, Massachusetts. The main event featured a first-ever "champion vs. champion" match between FRW All Star Champion Kid Krazy and Granite State Champion Christian Angers. On February 8, 2008, Despres was a guest on the internet radio show Rumble Radio Online. On June 11, FRW was one of several New England independent promotions which participated in a special benefit show for Brandon Cusick, a 5-year-old child diagnosed with leukemia, at the Bank Street Armory in Fall River, Massachusetts."Benefit for Brandon." DOIwrestling.com. Ed. Sean McCaffrey. N.p., July 2008. Web. 8 July 2010. <www.declarationofindependents.net/doi/pages/ben711r.html> Seven months later in Rochester, on November 15, 2008, the FRW Tag Team Championship changed hands in a 6-person intergender match between The Pleasures of Pain & Mistress Belmont and Tony Star, Sethoran and Vanity Vixxxen. Also on the card, Shane Sharpe defeated Justin Shaype in a 2 out of 3 falls match to win the heavyweight championship.
On July 31, 2009, on the first night of his tour of the East Coast of the United States, Antonio Thomas defeated Shane Sharpe in an Iron Man match in Rochester. In addition to running shows in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, FRW made its Vermont debut in White River Junction on September 25. Tony Spencer, then FRW Granite State Champion, appeared on the October 10th edition of the internet call-in radio show Late Nite JengaJam. Among the topics he discussed included his thoughts on the death of Lou Albano, the state of the wrestling industry and World Wrestling Entertainment, and his own career in Front Row Wrestling. On November 6, 2009, Maverick Wild was forced to leave FRW after losing to Bruiser Costa at the American Legion in Rochester. Also on the card, Christian Angers & Stephen Marriott won the FRW Tag Team Championship from Shawn Sharp and Cameron Blaze, and Johnny Vegas defeated Sethoran to become the new FRW All Star Champion.
On February 26, 2010, Despres announced the promotion would be forming a partnership with NWA Liberty States, formerly No Limits Pro, to promote wrestling events throughout New England under the banner of the National Wrestling Alliance. Despres continued co-promoting NWA Liberty States with Joey Eastman for another year. The promotion was then taken over by Todd Sople, which left the NWA around this time, and relocated to Dracut, Massachusetts as Liberty States Pro Wrestling. In an October 2017 interview, Despres confirmed he would not bring back Front Row Wrestling due to his retirement and believed running an independent promotion in New England was no longer profitable.
Alumni
Male wrestlers Birth name:Ring name(s):Tenure:NotesPunisher Don Vega2008Dr. Reginald Heresy / Dr. Heresy2006-2009Bruiser Costa2008-2010Johnny Punch2008Maverick Wild2005-2010Brutal Bob Evans2006-20072009Mike Nice2007-2008Paul Lombardi2006Matt Taven2010Antonio "The Promise" Thomas2007-2010Tommy Mack2006-2009Justin Shaype2007-2009Brian Milonas2006-2007Jimmy James2007Max Impact2006Chi Chi Cruz2006Alex Arion2006Christian Angers2006-2010Frankie Arion2008Don Chesterfield2007-2008Tony Omega2006Kid Mikaze2007-2008Johnny Vegas2006-2010Thomaso Ciampa / Tommy Pennmanship2006-2007AJ Mulkie2006Alex Payne20062008Arson2007B.A. Tatum2009-2010Billy King2009-2010Brandon Locke2007Bryan Logan2006-2007Cameron Blaze2009-2010Chase Del Monte2006-2007Dan Thunder2007-2009Dave Barron / DJ Dave / Moondog Barron2006-2009Ethan Masters2008-2009Flash Farenhyte / Master Flash Farenhyte2006Frankie Armadillo2006-2007Gary "The Torch" Kudalis2007Guthrie O'Dwyer2007-2008Hawaiian Hotbody Vain2007Hawaiian Joe Simone2009John Magnus2009John Poe2010Johnny Royal2009Jonny Idol2009-2010JT Fox2010Justin Sharpe2008Kid Krazy2006-2007Kurt Adams2007Larry Huntley2006-2007Link2008Lynch 2.02008Mad Dog Mulligan2007Master Flesh2006-2009Matt Logan2006-2007Matt Spectro / Tarzan Taylor 2007-2010Michael Sain2006Morbid Malitia2007Nick Steel2007Panther Martin2006-2010Psycho2006-2008Rocco Abruzzi2006Scott Reed2007Sethoran / Vampire Sethoran2007-2009Shane Sharpe / Shane Sharp / Shayne Sharp / American Thunder2007-2010Shawn Sharp / Shawn Sharpe2009-2010Sonny Goodspeed / Strutting Sonny2006-2010Stretcher McGuirk2008Tim Walker2006-2007Todd Sopple / Todd Sople2009-2010Tom Kane2007-2008Tom Liddell2007-2008Tommy Boy2008Tony Star2008-2009"Tough Talk" Tony Spencer2007-2010
Female wrestlers Birth name:Ring name(s):Tenure:NotesMistress Belmont2009-2010Taeler Hendrix2010Alexxis2010Nikki Rox2008Kimaya2009-2010Sarah Blackheart2009-2010Vanity Vixxxen / Vanity Vixen2008-2009
Stables and tag teams Tag team/Stable(s)MembersTenure(s)The Apex Cameron Blaze and Shawn Sharpe2009-2010The Boogie Woogie Express2009Chunky But FunkyDJ Dave and Strutting Sonny2007-2008Dr. Reginald Heresy and Christian AngersDr. Reginald Heresy and Christian Angers2006-2008The Logan BrothersBryan Logan and Matt Logan2006-2007The Marriott CorporationSteven Marriott, Johnny Vegas & Justin Shaype, Max Impact2006-2010The Pleasures of PainMaverick Wild and Master Flesh2007-2008The Science of Insanity Christian Angers and Steven Marriott2009-2010Technical ThunderTony Spencer and Dan Thunder2008
Managers and valets Birth name:Ring name(s):Tenure:NotesMistress Belmont2007-2010Dr. Everett Payne / Dr. Payne2006–2007George Romero / Jorge Romero / Jorge Akbar2008-2010Joey Eastman2007-2010Lexxus2008Marshall McNeil2008-2010Nurse Kiki Van Dyke2006Steven Mariott / Stephen Marriott2006–2010Vanity Vixxxen / Vanity Vixen2007-2009
Championships FRW All Star Championship
The FRW All Star Championship was the main professional wrestling championship defended in Front Row Wrestling. It was the original heavyweight title of the All-Star Wrestling Association from 2002 to 2005, and continued to be defended in FRW until the promotion merged with NWA Liberty States, the National Wrestling Alliance affiliate in Massachusetts, in February 2010.
+ KeySymbolMeaningNo.The overall championship reignReignThe reign number for the specific wrestler listed.EventThe event in which the championship changed handsN/AThe specific information is not known —Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign(nlt)Indicates that a title change took place "no later than" the date listed.Documentation of the specific date of a title change is not found but documentation of the champion holding the title on that date/in that period. Indicates that there was a period where the lineage is undocumented due to the lack of written documentation Title history