Innovate Pro Wrestling (formerly Championship Wrestling Alliance and NWA Smoky Mountain) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Kingsport, Tennessee.[1] The company was established in 2004 and until 2017 it was associated with the National Wrestling Alliance. During its time in the NWA, NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling was considered the flagship promotion of the National Wrestling Alliance.[by whom?]
History
The promotion was founded by wrestler Tony Givens in 2004, as the Championship Wrestling Alliance, after breaking away from Southern States Wrestling. That same year, Championship Wrestling TV began airing locally on WCYB-DT2 and was later syndicated nationally on AMG-TV. It held weekly television tapings at the National Guard Armory in Morristown, Tennessee as well as house shows throughout East Tennessee. The promotion joined the National Wrestling Alliance as NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling in early-2011.[2] The announcement was made by CWA Commissioner Robbie Cassidy on the March 13th TV taping of Championship Wrestling TV in Gray, Tennessee.[3] On July 7, 2012, an unidentified fan attacked Cassidy and Tony Givens at an interpromotional show co-hosted by the Pro Wrestling Federation. The fan was subdued by Cassidy and police escorted him out of the building.[4]
On April 6, 2013, NWA Smoky Mountain drew its biggest crowd to date with 2,017 fans attending a NWA Smoky Mountain TV television taping at Elizabethton High School.[5] In October 2013, Givens attempted to raise $15,000 on Kickstarter.com to improve the production values for NWA Smoky Mountain TV. The appeal raised only $1,485 before the 60-day deadline.[6] The show became available on YouTube the following year.
NWA Smoky Mountain is advertised as a "spiritual successor" of the original Smoky Mountain Wrestling and has used a mix of SMW alumni and younger Southern independent wrestlers since its inception. Among the SMW talent to appear for the promotion include, most notably, Bunkhouse Buck, Eddie Golden, Tom Prichard, Tracy Smothers and Ricky Morton. On January 6, 2014, Morton defeated Chase Owens at an NWA Smoky Mountain show to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.[7]
A number of top NWA stars have also visited the promotion. In February 2015, Jason Kincaid was interviewed on Pipebomb Radio. He was billed as the longest-reigning NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship in the company's history.[8] On April 17, 2015, Jax Dane won the Smoky Mountain Cup and earned a title shot for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[9] He defeated then champion Hiroyoshi Tenzan for the title four months later. NWA Smoky Mountain's "Collision Course 10", held on May 9, 2015, nearly sold out the Civic Auditorium in Kingsport, Tennessee. Bobby Eaton also made a special appearance managing Eddie Golden against Jeff Tankersley on the undercard. Larry Goodman of GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com claimed that the show, headlined by an A.J. Styles versus Chase Owens bout, "[shattered] the company's attendance and gate records".[10] NWA President R. Bruce Tharpe visited Kingsport for the first time at this event.[11]
On October 17, 2015, NWA Smoky Mountain held a special tribute show, "Enter the Dragon", for Ricky Steamboat. Steamboat served as Ricky Morton's cornerman in a "student vs. teacher" grudge match against Kid Kash as part of Kash's retirement tour. This turned a no-holds-barred grudge match after a falling out between the two during a tag team bout.[12][13]
At ReGenesis on August 19, 2017; promoter Tony Givens announced that NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling was leaving the NWA, and thus the promotion was changing their name to Innovate Wrestling.
By mid 2024, Innovate Wrestling had a permanent residency at "The Beautiful Bobby Eaton Arena" at NETPRO Studios Professional Wrestling School in Kingsport, Tennessee, where they continue to host monthly wrestling shows to this day.
On May 23rd, 2026, at Collision Course, Givens would announce an upcoming Innovate Expansion Draft that would split the Innovate Roster into two separate brands: Innovate Wrestling "Alliance" (inspired by the promotion's original name, Championship Wrestling Alliance) and Innovate Wrestling "Federation" (inspired by Innovate's former rival promotion, Pro Wrestling Federation (PWF) in nearby Rogersville). The draft, which took place on June 20th, was conducted with both Innovate and NETPRO Studios wrestlers eligible for the draft. On May 31st, the general managers for both brands were announced, with current Innovate Wrestling GM Truman Gorman as the GM for "Alliance", and former PWF promoter Josh Crawford as the GM for "Federation".
Championships and Accomplishments
Current Champions
| Championship | Champion | Previous | Date won | Days held | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovate Grand Championship | Axton Ray | Andy Optimal | May 23rd, 2026 | 42+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (Innovate Wrestling's Collision Course) |
| Innovate American Championship | Wayne Moxxi | Bobby Mitchell | April 11th, 2026 | 84+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (Innovate Wrestling's One Final Gift) |
| Innovate Smoky Mountain Championship | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Innovate Grand Tag Team Championship | The Faction (Jeff Baker and Jeff Connelly) |
N/A (First Champions) |
June 20th, 2026 | 14+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (Innovate Wrestling's Expansion Draft) |
| Innovate Women's Championship | Nicole Pain | Shawna Reed | June 6th, 2026 | 28+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (NETPRO Studios Fight Song 2) |
| Baddest Motherf*cker (BMF) Championship | Chainz | N/A (First Champion) |
May 23rd, 2026 | 42+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (Innovate Wrestling's Collision Course) |
| NETPRO Studios Heavyweight Championship | Nick Blackwell | Crazo | July 3rd, 2026 | 1+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (NETPRO Studios Battlegrounds) |
| ICWA Tag Team Championships | Block B (Bobby Kang and Kyle Brooks) |
The Faction (Jeff Baker and Jeff Connelly [relinquished]) |
May 8th, 2026 | 57+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (NETPRO Studios Battlegrounds) |
Retired Championships
| Championship | Final champion | Date retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship | Chase Owens | August 19, 2017 | At ReGenesis, promoter Tony Givens announced that NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling was leaving the NWA thus the promotion was changing their name to Innovate Wrestling and the NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship was officially retired as a result. |
| NWA United States Tag Team Championship | The Ugly Ducklings (Rob Killjoy, Coach Mikey, & Lance Lude) |
August 19, 2017 | At ReGenesis, promoter Tony Givens announced that NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling was leaving the NWA thus the promotion was changing their name to Innovate Wrestling and the NWA United States Tag Team Championship was officially retired as a result. |
| NWA Mountain Empire Championship | Toby Farley | August 19, 2017 | At ReGenesis, promoter Tony Givens announced that NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling was leaving the NWA thus the promotion was changing their name to Innovate Wrestling and the NWA Mountain Empire Championship was officially retired as a result. Farley defeated Timmy Lou Retton to become the Interim Innovate United States Heavyweight Championship as a result. |
| NWA Smoky Mountain Television Championship | Chris Richards | August 19, 2017 | |
| AWA World Heavyweight Championship/CWA World Heavyweight Championship (American Wrestling Affiliates/Championship Wrestling Alliance) | Chris Richards | February 4, 2011 | |
| Innovate United States Heavyweight Championship | Toby Farley | May 29, 2021 | |
| Innovate United States Tag Team Championships | The Faction (Jeff Baker and Jeff Connelly) |
June 20th, 2026 | At the Innovate Wrestling Expansion Draft show, Tony Givens announced that the U.S. Tag Titles were being retired and replaced with the Innovate Grand Tag Team Championships. The Faction would win the Triple Threat Tag Team match against the Cross Brothers and Alex and Ben Adkins to become the first Grand Tag Champs, essentially retiring the U.S. titles in the process. |
Roster
Current Roster
| Ring name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Alex Adkins | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Alex Monroe | |
| Andy Optimal | Leader of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Austin Lane | "Still Better" |
| Axton Ray | Current Innovate Grand Champion in his third reign. Founder of the "Sin City" stable. |
| Ben Adkins | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Bobby Mitchell | |
| "Big Deal" Bobby Kang | One half of "Block B" tag team with Kyle Brooks. Current ICWA Tag Team Champion. |
| Brandon Hartsook | Member of the "Sin City" stable. |
| Braxton Kane | "The Natural Born Stunna". Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Chainz | "The Hardcore Legend". Member of the "Sin City" stable. Current Baddest Motherf*cker (BMF) Champion in his first reign. |
| Charley Knox | One half of the "Big Guns" tag team with Xander Hendrix. |
| CJ Knight | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Crazo | Inaugural NETPRO Studios Heavyweight Champion. |
| Cyrus Cygnus | |
| "Dangerous" Dan Matthews | Owner and Founder of NETPRO Studios. |
| Drake Garrett | |
| Elliot Russell | "The Heatseeker" |
| Eseka | |
| Evan Golden | "The Golden Child" |
| Habibi | "The Hardest to Kill" |
| JC Addams | |
| Jeff Baker | One half of the tag team "The Faction". Current Innovate Grand Tag Team Champion. |
| Jeff Connelly | One half of the tag team "The Faction". Current Innovate Grand Tag Team Champion. |
| Joe Briggs | "The Doctor of Destruction". Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Joshua "The Wolf" Himes | |
| Kolbe Max | "La Crimosa" |
| Kyle Brooks | One half of "Block B" tag team with Bobby Kang. Current ICWA Tag Team Champion. |
| Max Michaels | Member of the "Dope Sick Saints" stable. |
| Marquis Williams | |
| "Hardcore" Nicole Pain | Inaugural and current Innovate Women's Champion in her second reign. Member of the "G1" stable. |
| Nick Blackwell | Current NETPRO Studios Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| "Notorious" Nick Hammonds | Member of the "G1" stable. |
| Rabbit Rouge | |
| Ryan Austin | Inaugural NETPRO Cup Winner. Member of the "G1" stable. |
| Ryker Slade | |
| Shawna Reed | "The Wicked Misfit". |
| T.I.M. | "The Infinite Man." |
| Toby Farley | "The Savior of Southern Strong Style." |
| "Big Scary" Travis Lee | Member of "The Faction" stable. |
| Trey'von Ali | "The Black Diamond." |
| Troy Parker | "The King of Country Roads." |
| Tyler Foshie | |
| Von Milla | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| "Dreamweaver" Wayne Moxxi | Current Innovate American Heavyweight Champion in his second reign. |
| Wild Bill | Member of "The Faction" stable. |
| Xander Hendrix | One half of the "Big Guns" tag team with Charley Knox. |
Referees
| Ring name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hunter Sharp | Official for Innovate Wrestling Federation. "The Head Bitch in Charge." |
| Chris Harmon | Official for Innovate Wrestling Alliance and NETPRO Studio's shows. |
| Kushawn | Official for Innovate Wrestling Alliance and Senior Official at Piledriver Pro Wrestling. |
| Logan | Official for Innovate Wrestling Federation and NETPRO Studio's shows. |
Managers
| Ring name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Bronson Garrett | Manager of "The Faction" stable. |
| Rebecca Lynn | Manager for Joe Briggs. Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
Other personnel
| Ring name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tony "The Dragon" Givens | Owner and Founder of Innovate Pro Wrestling. Former member of the "G1" stable. |
| Dan Jones | Commentator and Owner of NETPRO Studios. |
| Truman Gorman | General Manager of Innnovate Wrestling "Alliance." |
| Josh Crawford | General Manager of Innovate Wrestling "Federation." |
See also
References
- ↑ "NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling".
- ↑ Gargiulo, Eric (September 2, 2011). "The Independent Pro Wrestling Pot Calling the Kettle Black". CamelClutchBlog.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011.
- ↑ Behrens, Bill (March 14, 2011). "BILL BEHRENS NWA NEWS & NOTES for 3-14-11". NWAwildside.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ↑ Bobo, Jeff (July 9, 2012). "Zealous fan tangles with wrestler at Mount Carmel Block Party". Kingsport Times-News.
- ↑ Gerweck, Steve (April 7, 2013). "NWA Smoky Mountain's Biggest Crowd Ever". Gerweck.net. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ↑ Givens, Tony (October 1, 2013). "Help NWA Smoky Mountain upgrade our production to make our 10th Season the best on yet". Kickstarter.
- ↑ "VETERAN RICKY MORTON WINS NWA WORLD JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE". 1wrestling.com. January 6, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Felix Olmedo, Austin James and Nate Milton (3 February 2015). "NWA Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champ Jason Kincaid joins us live Tonight". BlogTalkRadio.com (Podcast). Pipebomb Radio. Event occurs at 03:14. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
- ↑ ""Godzilla" Jax Dane is on a rampage through the NWA". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. April 24, 2015.
- ↑ Goodman, Larry (May 10, 2015). "NWA Smoky Mountain Collision Course Report form Kingsport on May 9". GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com. Georgia Wrestling History News and Notes.
- ↑ "NWA Wrestling Collision Course at Civic Auditorium, Kingsport". Bristol Herald Courier. May 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "SHOW RESULTS - 10/3 NWA Smoky Mountain in Kingsport, Tenn.: NWA Hvt. Title match, Rob Conway, Kid Kash, Ricky Morton, more". PWTorch.com. Pro Wrestling Torch. October 5, 2015.
- ↑ Apter, Bill (October 16, 2015). "Ricky Morton, Steamboat, More What's Happening @Smoky Mt. Wrestling". 1wrestling.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015.
