NWA UK's logo
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Acronym | NWA UK |
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Founded | 1993 |
Defunct | 2014 |
Style |
British Wrestling with modern influences |
Headquarters | Kent, United Kingdom |
Founder(s) | Andre Baker |
Owner(s) | Andre Baker |
NWA UK Hammerlock was a British professional wrestling promotion based in Kent.
Established in 1993 by former wrestler turned promoter Andre "Sledgehammer" Baker, it is one of the National Wrestling Alliance's territories. For many years the NWA had shunned Europe because it recognized a rival World Heavyweight Championship based in the UK (recognized by All Star Promotions), but in the late 1990s, the UK Hammerlock became a member of the NWA, opening Europe to its influence. The Hammerlock wrestling school has produced some of the top names in England ranging from former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gary Steele, Doug Williams, Johnny Moss, Fergal Devitt, Rebecca Knox, Katie Lea, Zack Sabre Jr, Danny Garnell, Kenny Rock, Danny Williams (Andrews) and many more.
Probably the biggest event in Hammerlock's history came in 1999, when the promotion's top star, Gary Steele, defeated Naoya Ogawa to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Gary Steele also made appearances for the Japanese promotion Zero-One on their PPV supercards "Fighting Athlete" in March 2001 and True Century Creation II in March 2002. NWA-UK Hammerlock generally run shows around the Kent area, but have been known to put shows on around the Essex area, Wales, Cumbria etc. The promotion also has training schools in Kent, Coventry, Scotland and Dublin.
The promotion would also branch out after the turn of the century, setting up a sister operation, known as NWA Ireland as well as gain a working relationship with the Scottish Wrestling Alliance.