The first pro wrestling event on record took place in 1932 in Greenville, South Carolina. One wrestler featured on the card of this independent event was Gus Sonnenberg, who was a former holder of the AWA World Heavyweight Championship and World Heavyweight Championship. Not only was he a standout due to his championship reigns, but Sonnenberg was also one of the early crossover athletes in wrestling history, previously playing in the NFL from 1923 until 1930.
Wrestling returned to South Carolina in 1940 via Eastern States Championship Wrestling (ESCW), promoted by Jim Crockett Sr.- this was the original name of what is best known as Jim Crockett Promotions/WCW. The promotion was founded in the bordering North Carolina nine years earlier, now branching further out in the South Atlantic states area after drawing impressive crowds in North Carolina and Virginia in the 1930s.
ESCW introduced South Carolinians to wrestlers when they were early in their careers and before they found championship success, such as Ben Morgan, who later became NWA Idaho Heavyweight Champion; Ellis Bashara, who later became an NWA Texas Tag Team Champion; and most notably, Wally Ward, who later became known as the legendary Buddy Rogers, the first WWE Champion in history.
In 1948, the NWA was formed, acting in the role of a governing body for regional wrestling promotions. ESCW joined the NWA in 1950, and changed its name to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in 1952. JCP proved to be a valuable representative of the organization in South Carolina, drawing as many as 3,000 fans to an auditorium in the state. This was considered a very big crowd for a wrestling show in the 1950s, when large South Carolina auditoriums generally had a seating capacity of around 3,400 seats.
A home venue for JCP in South Carolina was Township Auditorium in Columbia. It is a historic building that was built in 1930 and is considered the first multi-purpose facility or showplace in the Carolinas.
After JCP and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (the brand name that JCP began using in South Carolina in 1973) events were the only wrestling shows taking place in the state for many years, that changed in 1984, when the AWA, the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association (CWA), and Championship Wrestling From Georgia (CWG) all came onto the scene. The nationwide wrestling boom of the 1980s had arrived, with WWE being the dominant company. In an attempt to be strong competition for WWE, the owners of the four promotions joined forces to create Pro Wrestling USA, which had TV tapings in South Carolina and other states. Although the promotion's television program was syndicated nationally, Pro Wrestling USA was active for only two years, due to internal conflicts and WWE's growing dominance.
In 1985, JCP began having "NWA World Wide Wrestling" tapings in South Carolina. This program made its debut in the 1970s, broadcasting North Carolina wrestling action on television nationally- JCP was such a major presence on national television, many fans thought JCP was the NWA, instead of a member of the governing body.
This was the beginning of wrestling matches that took place in South Carolina being able to be seen by millions of people around the world, via shows that continued to be broadcast by JCP (which became known as WCW by the end of the decade). Also, in 1988, WWE hosted a non-televised event at the Township Auditorium in Columbia.
In January 1990, the North American Wrestling Association (which then became South Atlantic Pro Wrestling months later) made its debut as the first South Carolina-based promotion in history. One of SAPW's founders was George Scott, who had previously been a matchmaker in JCP during the 1970s, and later in WWE during the early 1980s.
Due to SAPW operating at a loss during its first six months in business, George Scott lost around $600,000, leading to his retirement from the pro-wrestling industry. Former NWA United States Heavyweight Champion Paul Jones and former WCCW matchmaker Frank Dusek took over the promotion, and the smart business move of getting SAPW on America One Network was made, giving the promotion national exposure. SAPW was sold to promoter Greg Price in 1992, and the promotion's final event took place in August of that year. Along with Paul Jones, notable wrestlers who are a part of SAPW's alumni are Vince Torelli (who later became known by his real name, Ken Shamrock), Chris Chavis (who later became known as Tatanka), Manny Ferndandez, and Robert Fuller (who later became known as Col. Robert Parker).
In recent years, the wrestling scene in South Carolina has been very active, with many independent promotions operating throughout the state, offering a diverse range of wrestling styles and experiences. Wrestlers from all over the country make their way to South Carolina to compete in front of passionate fans. Also, South Carolina-based promotions are a platform for local wrestlers to showcase their skills and entertain. These promotions include Action Packed Wrestling, WrestleForce, Old School Championship Wrestling, 3Count Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Turbo, and Explosive Pro Wrestling.
With 90% of South Carolina residents living in a household with internet, and the average person using the internet for six hours and 38 minutes every day, I hope to see promotions there publicized as effectively as possible. If they are, the promotions will grow even more in visibility, show attendance, and streaming consumption, showing more fans both within and outside of South Carolina what the state offers. The South Carolina wrestling fans are passionate and supportive of their local promotions, which consistently develop talent and improve quality. If the right people are involved, the South Carolina wrestling scene will move up to an even higher level.
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