Abbotsford’s Pacific Pro Wrestling is no more.
The local pro wrestling promotion announced on Tuesday (Aug. 3) evening that they will no longer be running shows.
PPW had planned to return to the ring on Sept. 11 with the Back in Session: Return to Homeroom event, which was set for the Abbotsford Arts Centre.
The promotion had also scheduled shows for Nov. 6, Jan. 15 and April 30, but those will also no longer occur. However, promoter Trevor Eros stated on YouTube that Surrey-based promotion All Star Wrestling will be taking those dates. ASW will not be taking the Sept. 11 date.
Eros made the announcement of the decision to end the promotion on YouTube.
He stated that he felt PPW was overall a success, and pro wrestling in British Columbia has a positive outlook for the future. He added that he believes Abbotsford is a strong market for pro wrestling. Eros also thanked the fans and sponsors for all their support during the promotion’s run.
PPW initially launched on Feb. 9, 2019 with the Headlocks for Hawks event at W.J. Mouat Secondary.
RELATED: SLIDESHOW: Pacific Pro Wrestling – Headlocks for Hawks
The promotion went on to hold several more events throughout 2019, including the Championship Tournament event which saw wrestler Matt Xstatic be crowned the PPW’s first-ever champion.
RELATED: VIDEOS: First-ever PPW champion crowned in Abbotsford
PPW had plans to run a number of shows in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed any plans for the promotion. The final show occurred on Feb. 15, 2020.
A PPW show scheduled for March 14, 2020 was one of the first events in Abbotsford to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
RELATED: Former WWE star Simon Gotch returning to Abbotsford
Despite the loss of PPW to the local scene, there was some positive news for B.C. pro wrestling fans after media personality and Fraser Valley Bandits play-by-play man Rob Fai announced the formation of Nation Extreme Wrestling last month.
NEW has reached deals with a number of talents formerly associated with PPW and Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling. Last summer ECCW removed one of its owners after a number of sexual harassment and bullying allegations surfaced online. ECCW has not announced or scheduled any shows for 2021 or 2022.
NEW expects to run shows in B.C. later this year. Some of the top local names who have joined NEW include: Nicole Matthews, Artemis Spencer, Tony Baroni, Billy Suede and the Voros Twins.
It's Official! Nation Extreme Wrestling is a thing! Please follow and share the news… Big roster announcements coming all week long! pic.twitter.com/7OPK3VPHx0
— NationExtremeWrestling (@NEWWrestlingInc) July 19, 2021
For more information ASW and its future plans, visit facebook.com/ASWCanada.
