// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the New York Wrestling Connection say to the mat? "You're pinned to my schedule.
| Acronym | NYWC |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Style | |
| Headquarters | Deer Park, New York |
| Founder(s) | Mikey Whipwreck[1] John Curse[1] Shane Wayne[1] |
| Owner | John Curse |
New York Wrestling Connection is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Deer Park, New York. The promotion was co-founded in 2002 by Mikey Whipwreck, John Curse and Shane Wayne.[1] It is owned by John Curse, a local professional wrestler who has also wrestled in the promotion. The promotion also operates a training facility to train future professional wrestlers and has been credited for creating some of the best wrestlers on the Northeastern independent circuit.[1] Some of the most notable graduates of the NYWC Training Academy include Matt Cardona, Willow Nightingale, Brian Myers, Trent Beretta, Amazing Red, and Mike Mondo.[2][3][4]
History
[edit]After the close of Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling in 2001, Mikey Whipwreck decided to go into semi-retirement due to injuries sustained in his career. Partnering with John Curse (John Curcie) and Shane Wayne (Shane O'Neill), he founded the New York Wrestling Connection the following year with Whipwreck becoming a trainer at the promotion's wrestling school.[5] Curse, a former member of Team Taz and alumni of ECW's "House of Hardcore" wrestling school, also worked as a trainer while Wayne was the booker. The NYWC Sportatorium serves as both the promotion's home arena and training facility with students working in the evenings. The venue was specifically designed to emulate smaller version of the original ECW Arena. In order to create a more intimate atmosphere the venue had a 300 seating capacity and the walls were painted black to add to the aura during live events when the house lights were dimmed. This approach was popular with other independent promotions including, most notably, Dragon Gate USA which held one of its pay-per-view events there.[1]
The NYWC was one of several promotions founded by ex-ECW wrestlers hoping to attract is large fanbase and becoming a "spiritual successor" to the legendary promotion. The most notable of these were Jason Knight's Assault Championship Wrestling (2000-2004), Joel Gertner's MXW Pro Wrestling (2004-2010), Don and Mike Bucci's Phoenix Championship Wrestling (2001-2003), The Blue Meanie and Jasmin St. Claire's Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling (2002-2005), and Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore (2012-2020). As a result, the NYWC connection was able to regularly feature former ECW roster as well as wrestlers who were regulars in the East Coast independent circuit. A number of these indy stars, such as Matt Striker, attracted the attention of World Wrestling Entertainment as a result of their NYWC stints. The promotion's flagship show, Psycho Circus, typically features barbed wire, foreign objects, a steel cage and other elements associated with hardcore wrestling.[1] In October 2007, the NYWC held a special fundraiser at William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach for a 6-month-old girl.[6] The promotion was featured in an amNewYork highlighting the top independent promotions in the New York metropolitan area.[7] On October 22, 2013, the NYWC was one of nine wrestling promotions to create a new pro wrestling governing body, the United Wrestling Network.[8]
On June 8, 2025, the NYWC held the first ID Showcase which featured talent from WWE's Independent Development program.[9]
Championships
[edit]Current
[edit]| Championship | Current champion(s) | Date won | Days held | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYWC Fusion Championship[10] | Bam Sullivan | May 30, 2026 | 70+ | Fight or Flight | Deer Park, New York | |
| NYWC Heavyweight Championship[11] | Kaide Lothbrok | October 25, 2025 | 287+ | House of Madness 2025 | Deer Park, New York | |
| NYWC Starlet Championship[12] | Kylie Alexa | February 28, 2026 | 161+ | N/A | Farmingville, New York | |
| NYWC Tag Team Championship[13] | The FBI (CJ Bambino and Nicky Primo) | February 28, 2026 | 161+ | N/A | Farmingville, New York | |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Johnson, Mike (October 24, 2013). "INDY SPOTLIGHT: THE NEW YORK WRESTLING CONNECTION". PWInsider.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Superstars' Training Grounds". WWE.com.
- ↑ "Long Island's Professional Wrestling History & Landmarks: Mount Sinai". Freeport Memorial Library.
- ↑ "NYWC We Can Do It February 27 2015 Results". Cagematch. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ↑ Marvez, Alex (March 3, 2006). "Inside the Ring: Whipwreck Learned Hard Lessons -- Now He's A Teacher". Sun Sentinel. p. 35.
- ↑ Porpora, Kenny (October 13, 2007). "Wrestling event to benefit injured baby". Newsday.
- ↑ Rosenberg, Scott A. (May 7, 2010). "Ready to rumble: Inside the world of regional wrestling". amNewYork.
- ↑ Johnson, Mike (October 21, 2013). "TEN INDEPENDENT PROMOTIONS FORM 'UNITED WRESTLING NETWORK' WITH EYES ON TV, TRAVELING CHAMPION AND MORE, FULL DETAILS". PWInsider.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ↑ Cornal, Robert (June 11, 2025). "Some Takeaways from New York Wrestling Connection's WWE ID Showcase". Medium.
- ↑ "NYWC Fusion Championship". Cagematch.
- ↑ "NYWC Heavyweight Championship". Cagematch.
- ↑ "NYWC Starlet Championship". Cagematch.
- ↑ "NYWC Tag Team Championship". Cagematch.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Original website (archived)
