CPWA
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Sport | professional wrestling |
| Founded |
|
| Founder |
|
The Chesapeake Professional Wrestling Association, commonly referred to as the CPWA, is an American professional wrestling company that serves the Chesapeake Bay area, hosting live events in the states of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. Founded in 1980 after the incorporation of the Chesapeake Wrestling Alliance, the CPWA became a major player in the wrestling landscape of the Mid-Atlantic region during the height of the territory era, becoming a member of the NWA. The company is headquartered out of Norfolk, Virginia.
History
Tidewater Professional Wrestling (1976 - 1980)
Established on March 20 1976 in Virginia Beach, Tidewater Professional Wrestling (TPW) was the creation of local businessmen Thomas J. Daniels, Sr. and his son, Thomas J. Daniels, Jr. According to the younger Daniels in his memoir, his father "wanted to establish the old Tidewater not as direct competition to the big guys, but as a provider of the sport to an area that was sometimes and often neglected by them." The company held their first event on June 1 in Norfolk, where Jack "the Admiral" Dawson defeated William Wheaton to become the inaugural champion.
Tidewater Professional Wrestling would remain independent until 1978, when they joined with Northern Virginia Wrestling (NVW) and the Northern Chesapeake Wrestling Association (NCWA) to form the Chesapeake Wrestling Alliance as an attempt to avoid territorial takeover by bigger promotions such as the well-established Jim Crockett Promotions and the quickly-emerging WWF. While the three companies would retain their independence, the companies would often share and send wrestlers to each other. It was through this sharing system where the Daniels would first meet the reigning champion of the NVW, "Sweetness" Ray Jackson. Jackson would be involved in one of the first major rivalry in the company's history, challenging Dawson for the TPW Championship. On April 21 1979, Jackson defeated Dawson to become the unified champion of both NVW and TPW. NCWA champion, "Ruthless" Mark Donovan, would appear in TPW for several matches throughout May and June 1979, often challenging both Jackson and Dawson, although he himself never challenged for the TPW Championship.
Death of Thomas J. Daniels, Sr.
On July 8 1979, one month after his 61st birthday, the elder Daniels suffered a massive cardiac event. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died. The death of Thomas J. Daniels, Sr. had major repercussions, both for TPW and the state of professional wrestling in the Chesapeake area as a whole. Following his will, ownership of TPW passed to Thomas J. Daniels, Jr., who saw the Chesapeake Wrestling Alliance as a way to monopolize professional wrestling on a local scale throughout the Chesapeake area. While TPW saw a financial boom in the immediate months, thanks in part to the arrival of "Tsunami" Afa Tanaka in September, both the NCWA and NVW was on the decline and nearing bankruptcy.