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USA Championship Wrestling Set
For March 15th Debut on WSIL-TV
Nashville, Tn. - Tennessee based, and soon to be southern Illinois based
USA Championship Wrestling has fired up the television cameras once again
and will begin airing it's weekly episodic pro wrestling show on ABC's WSIL-TV
every Saturday morning at 11 am starting March 15th.
Longtime wrestling promoter Bert Prentice has assembled
an amazing group of grapplers from across the mid south that boasts
Jeff Jarrett as it's USA Heavyweight Champion. Jarrett with his wife Karen
Jarrett by his side have been appearing on USA events throughout the south
since Jarrett's departure from TNA, a company he founded.
Prentice also is boosted by a twenty plus year alliance with
the "King" of wrestling, Jerry Lawler. Lawler recently recorded several segments
for USA Wrestling and is featured in WSIL's original spot announcing the show.
Prentice says Lawler will make several appearances and is very much
involved in one of the show's main feuds out of the gate. Prentice has long been known
as a true star maker in this business as many of his discoveries have went on to world
acclaim. He hopes to build several of the wrestlers featured on this current show,
which films in Metropolis, Ill. at the Baymont Theater (formerly Merv Griffin Celebrity
Theater) so that the national companies will sign them on.
From the looks of the first set of tapings, four wrestlers stand out as
soon to be household names throughout the WSIL viewing area. Matt Boyce, Vordell
Walker, Shane Williams and Clay Moore more than make the grade. Bolstered by the
noted villain Chris Michaels, the family friendly television will soon be must see TV for
one and all.
Prentice grew up during the 70's and 80's wrestling boom, when the
regional territories flourished in pro wrestling. His goal is to be the first to fire up an
actual territory again and hope several other promoters will follow suit. The most
important ingredient in anchoring a territory is having a sold flagship television station.
WSIL-TV delivers that and more, 11 am on Saturday morning is a truly coveted time slot
for wrestling and when it became apparent WSIL-TV could make it happen, Prentice did
not hesitate to sign a contract and started to work immediately.
USA Wrestling plans to run over 125 live events this year, many will be
in the WSIL-TV viewing area, USA Wrestling has long been a favorite of local fundraisers
throughout Illinois and the fairs and festivals.
WSIL-TV viewers are really going to be able to witness some pro wrestling
history unfold right in front of their very own eyes each and every week as Prentice attempts
to go back in time and recapture the essence of what pro wrestling was meant to be, recapturing
the Saturday mornings when Grandmas throughout the country would yell at anyone who dared
walk in front of the television set while wrestling was on.
