Front Row Wrestling


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. 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:Tenure:Notes
Punisher Don Vega2008
Dr. Reginald Heresy / Dr. Heresy2006-2009
Bruiser Costa2008-2010
Johnny Punch2008
Maverick Wild2005-2010
Brutal Bob Evans2006-2007
2009
Mike Nice2007-2008
Paul Lombardi2006
Matt Taven2010
Antonio "The Promise" Thomas2007-2010
Tommy Mack2006-2009
Justin Shaype2007-2009
Brian Milonas2006-2007
Jimmy James2007
Max Impact2006
Chi Chi Cruz2006
Alex Arion2006
Christian Angers2006-2010
Frankie Arion2008
Don Chesterfield2007-2008
Tony Omega2006
Kid Mikaze2007-2008
Johnny Vegas2006-2010
Thomaso Ciampa / Tommy Pennmanship2006-2007
AJ Mulkie2006
Alex Payne2006
2008
Arson2007
B.A. Tatum2009-2010
Billy King2009-2010
Brandon Locke2007
Bryan Logan2006-2007
Cameron Blaze2009-2010
Chase Del Monte2006-2007
Dan Thunder2007-2009
Dave Barron / DJ Dave / Moondog Barron2006-2009
Ethan Masters2008-2009
Flash Farenhyte / Master Flash Farenhyte2006
Frankie Armadillo2006-2007
Gary "The Torch" Kudalis2007
Guthrie O'Dwyer2007-2008
Hawaiian Hotbody Vain2007
Hawaiian Joe Simone2009
John Magnus2009
John Poe2010
Johnny Royal2009
Jonny Idol2009-2010
JT Fox2010
Justin Sharpe2008
Kid Krazy2006-2007
Kurt Adams2007
Larry Huntley2006-2007
Link2008
Lynch 2.02008
Mad Dog Mulligan2007
Master Flesh2006-2009
Matt Logan2006-2007
Matt Spectro / Tarzan Taylor2007-2010
Michael Sain2006
Morbid Malitia2007
Nick Steel2007
Panther Martin2006-2010
Psycho2006-2008
Rocco Abruzzi2006
Scott Reed2007
Sethoran / Vampire Sethoran2007-2009
Shane Sharpe / Shane Sharp / Shayne Sharp / American Thunder2007-2010
Shawn Sharp / Shawn Sharpe2009-2010
Sonny Goodspeed / Strutting Sonny2006-2010
Stretcher McGuirk2008
Tim Walker2006-2007
Todd Sopple / Todd Sople2009-2010
Tom Kane2007-2008
Tom Liddell2007-2008
Tommy Boy2008
Tony Star2008-2009
"Tough Talk" Tony Spencer2007-2010

;Female wrestlers
Birth name:Ring name:Tenure:Notes
Mistress Belmont2009-2010
Taeler Hendrix2010
Alexxis2010
Nikki Rox2008
Kimaya2009-2010
Sarah Blackheart2009-2010
Vanity Vixxxen / Vanity Vixen2008-2009

;Stables and tag teams
Tag team/StableMembersTenure
The ApexCameron Blaze and Shawn Sharpe2009-2010
The Boogie Woogie Express2009
Chunky But FunkyDJ Dave and Strutting Sonny2007-2008
Dr. Reginald Heresy and Christian AngersDr. Reginald Heresy and Christian Angers2006-2008
The Logan BrothersBryan Logan and Matt Logan2006-2007
The Marriott CorporationSteven Marriott, Johnny Vegas & Justin Shaype, Max Impact2006-2010
The Pleasures of PainMaverick Wild and Master Flesh2007-2008
The Science of InsanityChristian Angers and Steven Marriott2009-2010
Technical ThunderTony Spencer and Dan Thunder2008

Managers and valets
Birth name:Ring name:Tenure:Notes
Mistress Belmont2007-2010
Dr. Everett Payne / Dr. Payne2006–2007
George Romero / Jorge Romero / Jorge Akbar2008-2010
Joey Eastman2007-2010-
Lexxus2008
Marshall McNeil2008-2010
Nurse Kiki Van Dyke2006
Steven Mariott / Stephen Marriott2006–2010
Vanity 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.
SymbolMeaning
No.The overall championship reign
ReignThe reign number for the specific wrestler listed.
EventThe event in which the championship changed hands
N/AThe specific information is not known
—Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
Indicates that a title change took place "no later than" the date listed.
Indicates that there was a period where the lineage is undocumented due to the lack of written documentation

Title history
No.ChampionReignDateDays heldLocationEventNotes
11Claremont, New Hampshirelive eventAs the last holder of the All-Star Wrestling Association Championship, Johnny Vegas was recognized as the first FRW All Star Champion.
21Gardner, Massachusettslive eventThis was an interpromotional "champion vs. champion" match co-hosted with the Eastern Wrestling Alliance. Maverick Wild won both the FRW All Star and EWA Heavyweight Titles.
31Rindge, New Hampshirelive event
——Kid Krazy was stripped of the title for undocumented reasons
41Rochester, New HampshireUltimate EnduranceDefeated Don Chesterfield in an "Ultimate Endurance" tournament final
51Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
61Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
72Rochester, New Hampshirelive eventThis was a two out of three falls match
——Rochester, New Hampshirelive eventHeld up when Shane Sharpe and Antonio Thomas struck a referee during their match. It was decided by the promotion to award the title to the winner of Ultimate Endurance 3.
81Rochester, New HampshireUltimate Endurance 3Defeated Master Flesh in an "Ultimate Endurance" match for the vacant title.
92Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
Deactivated——FRW merged with NWA Liberty States on February 26, 2010, and the title was abandoned.

FRW Granite State Championship

The FRW Granite State Championship was a secondary professional wrestling championship defended in Front Row Wrestling. As its name suggests, the title was contested in matches specifically in the state of New Hampshire and existed from 2005 until FRW's merger with NWA Liberty States, the National Wrestling Alliance affiliate in Massachusetts, in 2010.
SymbolMeaning
No.The overall championship reign
ReignThe reign number for the specific wrestler listed.
EventThe event in which the championship changed hands
N/AThe specific information is not known
—Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
Indicates that a title change took place "no later than" the date listed.
Indicates that there was a period where the lineage is undocumented due to the lack of written documentation

Title history
No.ChampionReignDateDays heldLocationEventNotes
11Claremont, New Hampshirelive eventBarron became the first champion by winning the title in a battle royal.
21Keene, New Hampshirelive event
31Claremont, New Hampshirelive event
41Rindge, New Hampshirelive event
51Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
61Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
71Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
81Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
91Rochester, New HampshireUltimate Endurance 2Defeated Tommy Mack in an "Ultimate Endurance" tournament in which the title was on the line.
101Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
111Rochester, New Hampshirelive event
Deactivated——FRW merged with NWA Liberty States on February 26, 2010, and the title was abandoned.

FRW Tag Team Championship

The FRW Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in Front Row Wrestling from 2005 until 2010. As former holders of the All-Star Wrestling Association Tag Team Championship, albeit with separate partners, Dr. Reginald Heresy and Christian Angers were introduced as the inaugural tag team champions in late 2005. The title existed until FRW's merger with NWA Liberty States, the National Wrestling Alliance affiliate in Massachusetts, in 2010.
Title history

FRW Ladies All Star Championship

The FRW Ladies All Star Championship was a short-lived women's professional wrestling title in Front Row Wrestling, which was defended for less than a year before the promotion merged with NWA Liberty States, the National Wrestling Alliance affiliate in Massachusetts, in February 2010.
SymbolMeaning
No.The overall championship reign
ReignThe reign number for the specific wrestler listed.
EventThe event in which the championship changed hands
N/AThe specific information is not known
—Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
Indicates that a title change took place "no later than" the date listed.
Indicates that there was a period where the lineage is undocumented due to the lack of written documentation

Title history
No.ChampionReignDateDays heldLocationEventNotes
11Rochester, New Hampshirelive eventDefeated Vanity Vixen and Kimaya in a three-way match to become the first FRW All Star Ladies Champion.
——FRW merged with NWA Liberty States on February 26, 2010, and the title was abandoned.