In 2016, there were plenty of eyebrows raised when the news broke that WhatCulture Pro Wrestling would be starting their very own wrestling promotion. Questions were instantly asked regarding how seriously the project would be taken, and who exactly would comprise the talent that worked for the company.
As it turned out, the project has undoubtedly been taken seriously enough to provide some consistently entertaining programming, and it has been aided by a roster of talent that is remarkably impressive, especially for a promotion that is still under a year old.
While this may be down in part to their access to more funding, due to WhatCulture’s YouTube and other online exploits, take nothing away from what the company has managed to achieve in such a short space of time. A list of the current Champions on their roster only serves to illustrate that fact, as it reads very much like a list of some of the most promising and exciting wrestlers currently on the independent scene.
Recent NXT-signee Drew Galloway currently holds the WCPW Title, the Women’s Championship is in the hands of the fiery Bea Priestly, and the WCPW Internet Championship currently resides around the waist of the incredibly talented Cody Rhodes, a man who requires no introduction and has long since been recognised as one of the top all-around performers in the entire industry.
Finally, the WCPW Tag Team Championships are held by The Swords Of Essex, comprised of a man who is widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects on the British scene Scotty Wainwright, along with the winner of NJPW’s 2016 Best Of The Super Juniors tournament, Will Ospreay.
Ospreay, in particular, is genuinely one of the most athletically gifted wrestlers you’ll ever see. He is a truly exceptional talent who symbolises everything that is unique about modern-day professional wrestling.
A further scan down the list of the WCPW roster gives more cause for optimism, regarding the future of the promotion. Some of the more notable international names to have appeared include Alberto El Patron, Jay Lethal, Drago and the widely lauded Ricochet.
This is in addition to some favourites from the British independent scene in the form of ICW regulars such as Grado, Joe Coffey and BT Gunn, as well as the likes of current ROH World Television Champion Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre Jr, the man who currently holds both the PWG World Championship and the RevPro British Heavyweight Championship.
That’s a seriously stacked roster, no doubt about that, and it’s one that should have no problem in taking WCPW to the next level. But what exactly is the “next level” for WhatCulture Pro Wrestling?
Well, according to comments made in an October 2016 interview with London-based newspaper Metro, courtesy of WCPW’s Adam Pacitti, their goal is “absolutely” to become the UK’s number one promotion. Pacitti also stated that:
“Ultimately, our goal is to be all over the UK. If people want us and we can sell tickets, we want to be there. And then maybe next year to go even further afield”.
Clearly, WCPW is well on track to achieve their targets. The aforementioned impressive roster has been a major factor in their success, but this cannot take the credit alone. Loaded, the promotion’s weekly broadcast is available for free on YouTube, and this accessibility has allowed WCPW to tap into a market currently untapped by other major British promotions such as ICW and Progress.
ICW does offer Friday Night Fight Club as its own weekly show, but it is only available through the Glasgow promotion’s $6.99 per month online subscription service, ICW On Demand.
On top of all this, WCPW is already putting on some very impressive events. Their last show, State Of Emergency, took place in Orlando over WrestleMania weekend, which in itself just demonstrates the appeal that WCPW already has.
The show prior to that, Bulletproof, featured a star-studded card that included an ROH World Title match, Drew Galloway retaining his WCPW World Title against Joe Coffey and an opening match spot for The Young Bucks.
These type of wrestling events do not come from a company that has no future. It seems perfectly apparent that WCPW is here to stay.
Not only are they clearly investing big money in bringing over some star names, but they are also ensuring that they have a solid base of talent from the British independent scene. If this wasn’t good enough, these local wrestlers are being afforded opportunities to impress at the top of the card and to fight for titles. This blend of national and international talent in top spots and throughout the card has allowed WCPW to stand out as something truly unlike anything else on the British wrestling landscape.
The card for WCPW’s next event, No Regrets, which will be available live on iPPV, is a perfect example of this. The show, taking place in Newcastle on April 29th, will feature some huge matches including a 30-Man Battle Royale for the WCPW World Title, where a new Champion is guaranteed to be crowned due to Drew Galloway’s recent return to WWE.
Rey Mysterio will make his debut for the promotion opposite fellow luchador El Ligero, while Alberto El Patron battles Joe Coffey and Cody Rhodes will have to defend his Internet Championship against Joe Hendry and Gabriel Kidd.
Whether this uniqueness makes them better than their rival promotions or not, only time will tell. WCPW is still very young, and the next year of its existence will be absolutely crucial in defining its future.
Will the growth continue at its current rate? Undoubtedly, the popularity of pro wrestling in the UK is not at the level that it was back in the glory years, but even WWE live events still draw thousands of spectators. This proves there is still plenty of untapped potential for WCPW.
For the sake of the Newcastle-based promotion itself, and for the general well-being of independent wrestling, it would be fantastic to see WCPW survive and to thrive. If there are more high-quality wrestling promotions around, then there are more places for the talent to go to work, more shows available for fans to attend and more exposure for the talent and the industry as a whole. This can only be a good thing.
Also, the emergence of WCPW has come at around the same time that WWE decided to launch their United Kingdom Championship, subsequently resulting in many British wrestlers (some of whom have wrestled for WCPW) gaining a tonne of exposure over the past few months. The British wrestling scene is currently the healthiest it’s been in a very long time, and WCPW’s continued success is an essential part of that. Long may it continue.
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