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PHILADELPHIA'S TRI-STATE WRESTLING ALLIANCE TO HOLD REUNION SHOW?

By Mike Johnson on 2009-08-27 11:06:54

They wrestled.  They brawled.  They did it all, and now, apparently, they are going to have a reunion show.

The stars of early 1990s Philadelphia independent promotion the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, at the time promoted by Joel Goodhart, are apparently coming together for a reunion event.

A website recently launched promises more information on 9/1, but is already advertising appearances by Larry Winters, Tony Stetson, Michael Bruno, Rockin Rebel, Jimmy Jannetty, Glen Osborne, "Crybaby" Waldo, Rick Perez, Don E. Allen and Referees John Finnegan and Joe Zanolle.

The TWA provided a lot of the blueprint for the blood and guts hardcore style that ECW built its foundation on with lots of plasma, lots of brawling and lots of gimmick matches. 

Regularly running in the Philadelphia area, Goodhart's promotion would often bring in a number of top names from around the world to compete on top, including Cactus Jack, Eddie Gilbert, Abdullah the Butcher, Terry Funk, Austin Idol, Jerry Lawler, Owen Hart, Steve Williams, Tully Blanchard, Bam Bam Bigelow and many, many more.  Underneath, a lot of local students from the TWA school would compete.  Many of those names, including The Sandman and JT Smith would go on to higher acclaim in the original ECW.

The promotion died in the winter of 1991 when Joel Goodhart announced it was done just days before a card that would have featured former NWA and WWWF champion Buddy Rogers step out of retirement to face Buddy Landell.  Tod Gordon, who was partially funding the TWA at the time would eventually opt to found and create Eastern Championship Wrestling.

For more information, visit www.twaprowrestling.com/.

For those of you who subscribe to the PWInsider.com Elite section, currently archived in the interview section is a two hour plus interview with former TWA and ECW star Don E. Allen discussing his career, breaking into the business, Tod Gordon, training, Joel Goodhart's Tri-State Wrestling, the early days of The Sandman, the formation of Eastern Championship Wrestling, bumping and doing jobs for every major name that came through the ECW Arena, comparing the Arena to the Philadelphia Civic Center, managing Abdullah the Butcher, living his dream by stepping into the ring with Road Warrior Hawk, breaking his leg in a Battle Royal, D.C. Drake, working with Nancy Benoit, getting walloped by Stan Hansen, being part of "Kiss" in ECW, backstage duties for ECW, Eddie Gilbert, Mick Foley, Jimmy Snuka, the ECW reunions, the upcoming Legends of the Arena event, his musical career, getting chokeslammed by 911, JT Smith, being the first person to go through two tables in ECW history, being ranked 500th in the PWI 500, favorite memories, how he would like to be remembered and much, much more!

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