Acronym | WWP |
---|---|
Founded | 2002 |
Style | Sports Entertainment |
Headquarters | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
Founder(s) | Mark Beale |
Owner(s) | Mark Beale and Abdul Kader |
Website | WWP Official Website |
WWP Thunderstrike | |
---|---|
Starring | Stars of World Wrestling Professionals |
Country of origin | South Africa |
No. of episodes |
1st Season: 20 Episodes 2nd Season: 30 Episodes 3rd Season: 30 Episodes 4th Season: 20 Episodes |
Production | |
Camera setup | Multi-camera setup |
Running time | 60 minutes (with commercials) |
Release | |
Original network | SABC2 |
Original release | December, 2004 – 28 April 2009 |
Website | www |
100% De Dana Dan | |
---|---|
Starring | Stars of World Wrestling Professionals |
Country of origin | India |
No. of episodes | 1st Season: 26 Episodes |
Production | |
Camera setup | Multi-camera setup |
Running time | 60 minutes (with commercials) |
Release | |
Original network | Colors TV |
Original release | 29 August – 20 December 2009 |
Website | www |
World Wrestling Professionals (WWP) is a South African professional wrestling promotion created in 2002. The promotion was televised in South Africa from 2004-2009 and internationally in 2009. WWP is owned by Mark Beale and Abdul Kadir, and is heavily influenced by American mainstream wrestling.
World Wrestling Professionals was formed in 1990 in the Eastern Cape City of Nelson Mandela Bay. It hosted a number of local shows all year round, and slowly grew to the No 1 Wrestling Federation in South Africa. It was formed by former professional wrestler Mark Beale, with the goal of taking South African wrestling to another level. In 2004 after years of hard work on the Road in the hope of getting the product noticed, his idea for a wrestling show was picked up by the South African Broadcaster and was given a National Contract by SABC2. The show called WWP Thunderstrike ran for a number of years on the Channel, and was eventually put on hold due to in house politics. The WWP then moved on to India to film a Weekly show on colors TV called 100% De Dana Dan, which established the WWP Brand in the Middle East. The WWP Branded Show WWP G-Force was then filmed and distributed to various networks, and has been shown all over Africa.
The WWP continues to do massive Roadshows through South Africa and African and currently has a strong presence on the Continent.
1st Season: 20 Episodes
2nd Season: 30 Episodes
3rd Season: 30 Episodes
The promotion, which is managed by Mark Beale, aired 1-hour pre-recorded episodes for SABC2 known as WWP Thunderstrike in the 18:30-19:30PM time-slot every Saturday. It recently completed its fourth season, which began on 13 December 2008 and ended on 28 April 2009. The fourth season was taped during May. WWP Thunderstrike signed a 5-year TV contract with SABC2 during June 2009 that would have allowed them to show over 50 episodes a year until 2012, but due to in-house politics future seasons were put on hold and no new episodes have aired since the end of season 4.
WWP Thunderstrike made its television premiere in December, 2004. After just four months of airing and being the top rated sports show on SABC2, Thunderstrike was pushed one hour forward into a primetime slot (from 14:30 to 15:30). Deon Potgieter, a renowned international author and producer, was responsible creatively for the name along with many of the original storylines and wrestler personas in WWP Thunderstrike's early years. After producing and writing the first 67 episodes, Deon Potgieter withdrew his involvement from the show to produce, direct and write both seasons of the SAFTA winning hit sitcom "Family Bonds". Following his departure the WWP creative team would consist of Mark Beale, Steve Debbes and Abdul Kader.