", NYWC's head trainer was ECW Triple Crown Champion Mikey Whipwreck, one of the most popular competitors from the original ECW. Located in the basement of Stu's family home, Kidd described The Dungeon as having a "a very thick, musky air down there," and recalled that "when guys would hit the mat you'd see the dust popping up and start floating in the air. Sometimes, these visits turned into formative experiences. "I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. I have a lot of respect for him. ", DiBiase experienced the shocks as well. ", To learn from the legendary Shawn Michaels was a thrill for the dedicated upstart and Bryan took advantage as much as he could. They have a great training facility and Tom Prichard, WWE head trainer at FCW in Tampa, frequents the school and does clinics. It feels like family. You had to be 18 to train, but Killer made an exception in my case. Kevin Knight runs a great operation. Apply to Assistant Coach, Head Coach, Elementary Pe and more! That it was destiny. During this back to school season, we spoke with current WWE Superstars and staff to hear their stories about some of the world's most highly "I started very young. I woke up and didn't know where I was. From learning how to wrestle, from learning how to do interviews. OTHER CLASSMATES & ALUMNI: David Hart Smith, Lance Storm, Chris Jericho, Bret Hart, "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart, The Dynamite Kid, Brian Pillman, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Greg Valentine, Bad News Allen, Jushin Liger. "It was 'come to work.' The "Universal Hearthrob" Austin Idol traveled the world, and shattered box office records no matter where he appeared. Anyone interested in becoming a wrestler in the area, this is the company. After starting at a school in Ireland called The Irish Whip Wrestling School, Sheamus' true education in wrestling began when he travelled to the United Kingdom. By the end of the night, that thing was sideways and all over the place. To me, he's one of the best in the world, one of the best ever." Top trainees display skills at Live Events, and upon graduation we assist you in making valuable industry connections. Come Join Us WE ARE OPEN! They give you the time and the training that you need. Everyone brings something to the table." WrestlingIWF.com. The Miz continued, "[Al] taught me what would make people want to pay to see me.". "He'd open the gym whenever Brian and I wanted to train. Afa would let me just sit and watch. IWF Wrestling Live Events and Fundraisers in New Jersey and New York. * Kevin Crawley (Kev Kage in IWF) joined WWE Creative Services in 2012. "He sorted you out. A great environment to learn in," Ryder recalled. IWF Wrestling School trains WWE RAW, SmackDown, NXT, AEW, IMPACT, NJPW, ROH & NWA Stars. ( WATCH), While Rodz has gotten older, he hasn't become any less active. But it wasn't all fun and games. Hope you get the respect you are due." “We took the canvas out, we took the padding out. Thanks for your hard work and dedication to pro wrestling. Among his students was former World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. They have over 35 years of experience training pro-wrestlers, managers, referees, announcers, and valets. Kidd also recounted the decrepit nature of The Dungeon. You talk about paying dues, I feel like I definitely did, but it was all worth it. He was probably 150 pounds at the time," Bryan continued. "Johnny Rodz gets in the ring and actually teaches," Matt Striker told WWE Classics. And it was, but I would tell him, 'No, Walter, move it over a little bit to the left.' And obviously the training there was going to be the best you're going to get anywhere. "I still use a lot of his stuff to this day.". Dedication on the mat creates self esteem and confidence. 10 Best Wrestling Schools For Aspiring Talent There's plenty of wrestling schools that will scam you out of your money, but places like the New Japan dojo and … If I didn't do that, I'd probably still be wondering what it would be like to be a WWE Superstar. Actually, in the Owen Hart vs. Ken Shamrock match [from Fully Loaded 1998], Owen put Shamrock's head through the ceiling. Kevin Knight and everyone involved are constantly looking for ways to improve and help their students be the best. That was the night I nearly killed Shawn Michaels. * Shawn Bennett joined WWE as a Referee in 2013. No wrestling family can boast a star-studded family tree quite like the Anoa'i family, which includes such luminaries as The Rock, Rikishi, Umaga, Rosey and The Usos and WWE Hall of Famers High Chief Peter Maivia, Yokozuna and The Wild Samoans. To apply for 3-Month Spring Semester in April, May, June 2021, submit the application below ONLY if you meet ALL the above criteria. They were able to come back and teach the students the things they really needed to know. Founded in 1999, IWF Wrestling School offers first-rate instruction in a friendly and safe environment, and trains hundreds of wrestlers, referees and managers from 20 states and 9 countries that perform in bouts worldwide. Fighting Evolution Wrestling is South Florida’s leader in Sports Entertainment, professional wrestling training, International Events & Live Production. My mom was there, and as they were taking me out in an ambulance I kept shouting, 'Gimme my title! Indeed he is. "He really took care of me and treated me like family. Welcome to The Academy: School of Professional Wrestling. It was real hard to breathe." [Kowalski] put you through a routine that you had to do, and it was hard," Tensai explained. She reminisced, "There was one other girl there that came after me, and her name was Belle Lovitz. The answer is simple: you go to school. The nationally-accredited IWF Wrestling School, based in Woodland Park, NJ (formerly West Paterson) from 1999 to 2012, and Nutley, NJ from 2014 to present, had 52 graduates receive WWE, NXT, AEW, IMPACT, NJPW, ROH and NWA tryouts with 14 employed. - WWE Legend & UFC Champion Ken Shamrock (2002), "Never forget where you came from. Students MUST commit to weight training regimen and healthy-eating lifestyle. Head Coach is 24-year pro Kevin Knight, who worked for major organizations including WWE and NWA, wrestling against countless Hall of Famers and Legends since 1996. Kevin Knight is doing it right and these other fly-by-night schools should take an afternoon and see how it is supposed to be done." - WWE Referee & IWF Graduate Shawn Bennett (2020), "It was an honor to work (as a Guest Coach) here. "Occasionally while doing squats, Harley thought it would be funny to take an electroshock stun gun like a Taser and shock students in the middle of our squats," McGillicutty said. I go to do the hurricanrana, land on him and he ends up landing right on his head and rolls right out of the ring. ; North Andover, Mass. * Fahd Rakman (Fady The Arabian Bull in IWF) joined WWE in 2010. ", ( MORE SHEAMUS | MORE REGAL |  MORE MCINTYRE | MORE BARRETT), NAME OF SCHOOL: New York Wrestling Connection, OTHER CLASSMATES & ALUMNI: Curt Hawkins, Trent Barreta, Spirit Squad member Mikey, The Big O (of "Z! I have trained many of the wrestlers you are familiar with today, such as Alex Shelley, Jimmy Jacobs, Juice Robinson, … LOCATION: Malden, Mass. Their classes are open to both male and female students of all ages. He was later taken under the wing of Mick Foley ( WATCH), which likely contributed to his desire to find the future stars of sports-entertainment. People would show up here and there. Evening classes meet every Monday & Tuesday from 6pm-8pm. Each of their families had tremendous history with their teacher. "Psychology, storytelling and everything there is to know. "I have been to Camp IWF and was quite shocked when I walked in the door. I had been to the bowling alley so many times and I had no idea it was there. He doesn't settle for second best or anything less than 100 percent. A WWE Hall of Famer, Kowalski was Bruno Sammartino's primary foe during the 1960s and '70s ( WATCH), partnered with Gorilla Monsoon and held the World Tag Team Championships with Big John Studd as The Executioners. "When you build a house, you want to have a good foundation, and he definitely gave me that good foundation. For the safety of all CFWA @LHP's coaching staff and members, we have set up guidelines that all need to adhere to. A wrestling bout is a physical competition between two (or more) competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position. Valdez Wrestling in Orange County offers premier wrestling training for Kids ages 6-13 years old. Bar none, this is the finest training facility and wrestling camp that I have ever come across. The school is located in North Andover, Massachusetts. - Former ECW Champion & WWE Producer Steve Corino (2001), "Good luck with your school, it is one of the better places to learn today." WWE superstar premiers wrestling academy in Moline Jack Cullen Sep 22, 2014 Sep 22, 2014 Updated Dec 10, 2014 1 of 7 Colby Lopez, WWE's … "He did Taser me the first day I was there." His record shows it. "Now Johnny Rodz was never a World Champion and he lost quite a bit, but he was what we called a carpenter." "To go there and get in the ring and be part of something that I really loved was, to this day, a very humbling experience. Well now the WWE has opened its first wrestling school outside of the United States and it's here in the UK, The 'Performance Center' is based in … We also offer a training center for those interested in becoming the next superstar. "Shawn watched us do it a couple of times, and he got in the ring and wanted to do it with me. Class Requirements $10.00 Application Fee Class costs $1,000.00 Payable Online via Paypal. The IWF is in a class of its own when it comes to safety, cleanliness and professionalism. Fourteen years later, Ryder became one of the biggest Superstars of WWE's incarnation of ECW and achieved upset victories of his own, including a win over Tommy Dreamer in which Dreamer was forced to leave ECW in 2009. Since 1999, students from 20 states trained with IWF from Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. "It was one of the best memories that I've had in the world of wrestling," he said. "Man, was that scary. DiBiase didn't think much of the town, and told us he referred to the school's locale of Eldon, Mo., as "Hell-don, Misery. Everyone is helpful and nobody is full of themselves. "It was awesome," Tensai told WWE Classics. We all freaked out. The tiny room was home to very thin padding whose unforgiving canvas would scrape the pupils while training. I was 16," Sandow told us. The promotion currently operates two Performance Center locations, which serve as training facilities for WWE wrestlers, as well as sports science and medical facilities. WWE Classics set out to investigate the little known world of pro wrestling schools. Wrestling is an official Olympic sport. When discussing the greatest wrestling trainers in history, it would be difficult not to mention the legendary, if not mythical, Walter "Killer" Kowalski, who earned his nickname by shearing off Yukon Eric's ear in a Steel Cage Match. ", Perhaps all those championship victories made Harley a bit eccentric. "It started at 9 and would go until 12, but Brian and I would stay until 2 or 3, learning new stuff," Bryan recalled. Guys like Kevin Knight don't come along very often. But these are no normal schools. "I started getting in the ring a lot with guy called Robbie Brookside," Sheamus told WWE Classics. Qualified applicants meeting athletic standards will be notified to arrange in-person or Skype interview. Always assuming the role of an underdog, Mikey constantly scored huge upset victories, including a memorable bout against Steve Austin at November to Remember 1995 ( WATCH). "They taught me the basics on how to become a professional wrestler. ", But Tensai insisted his training was far from a goof around session. But England was different. Youth Wrestlers: 5 to 13 Years Old 5 & 6 Yr. Old Class, Kids Beg/Int If you are looking for a first-class place to train, in a safe environment by true professionals, the IWF is the place for you." Wrestling is gaining popularity as a way of keeping fit, socialising and meeting new people. He's a college graduate who truly dedicates his life to the craft. "Kowalski had a toupee, and he and I had a really nice kinship together," Tensai recalled. We'd train for two hours outside the ring doing drills like chain wrestling, 500 squats a day, 500 push-ups, 500 sit-ups, running around the streets of Eldon in hot weather. If we wanted to learn something crazy or strange, German suplexes, for example, Rudy would go in there and he'd show how to do it and let us try. Students traveled from 9 countries, including Canada, England, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Puerto Rico and USA. " ( WATCH), Natalya, as one of The Dungeon's only female graduates, explained it was often said that "If you can survive in The Dungeon, you can survive anything." "Savio Vega came in, Rikishi came in, Yokozuna came in, Doink the Clown came in. Course length is 6 months, consisting of two separate 3-month semesters, with small group classes 3 days a week. TRAINERS: Killer Kowalski, Tim McNeany, Mike Hollow, OTHER CLASSMATES & ALUMNI: Triple H, Big John Studd, Perry Saturn, John Kronus, Kenny Dykstra, Chyna. "It was awesome," DiBiase said. "Harley was a little bit crazy," DiBiase said. The World Heavyweight Champion's path to WWE was an unconventional one. This is a list of professional wrestling promotions in Great Britain and Ireland, including England, Scotland, Wales, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man and lists both active and notable defunct professional wrestling promotions from the 1950s to the present day. ", "At the time, Afa was on the on the road with WWE as the manager of The Headshrinkers, and Lloyd [aka L.A. ", "That’s the beauty of Johnny Rodz," Striker concluded. In 1997, he defeated Chris Jericho in Japan and competed against Dean Malenko in a WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match on Nitro ( WATCH). Some of our graduates include Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, Trent Baretta, Mike Mondo (also known as Mikey from the Spirit Squad) , Tony Nese and most recently Alex Coughlin who is training at the New Japan … Want to see the top 10? True Long Island Story"), Zack Ryder, along with former tag team partner Curt Hawkins, trained at one of the New York area's most highly regarded training grounds — New York Wrestling Connection, more commonly referred to as NYWC. What does it take to become a WWE Superstar? We offer wrestler, referee and manager training, whether it’s a hobby or your career aspiration. ", "I was there the day we ripped The Dungeon apart," Kidd recalled. Kevin has the best facility and methods for training I have seen...I wish I had this when I started." Striker continued, "That meant he helped build the careers of some of the greats that we all know. A decision will then be made regarding your acceptance, and you will be e-mailed tuition info, class days/times, and a link to enroll. Check it out mates! LIVE PRO WRESTLING entertainment for all ages. But these are no normal schools. * Rich Ross supervises WWE Program Operations for USA Network & NBC Universal since 2008. It was founded in 2011 and is owned and operated by wrestler Josef von Schmidt. His students have included former World Tag Team Champion Trevor Murdoch ( WATCH), who later became one of Harley's trusted trainers. ", As tough as he was, Kowalski's students heap nothing but praise on their master. Find a Wrestling club near you use the "I have so many memories of that school and the instruction he gave me," Sandow said. Perhaps wrestling's most famous breeding ground, The Hart Dungeon was a legendary training school for 60 years. "They're best friends to this day." ", The Miz's training continued as he travelled to Louisville, Ky., to study at Ohio Valley Wrestling. IWF hosts Seminars with Hall of Famers & Legends: * WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield, "Kevin Knight does a great job of training future stars of sports-entertainment. He drills in the mentality that everything has to be perfect. I guarantee you, the students do learn.”  - WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana (2011), "IWF School continues to provide top-notch training necessary to become a successful professional wrestler. "I've been around the world and have seen a lot of different wrestling schools, and he's put out some of the best. ", "My father introduced to me to wrestling when I was 7 years old," Striker said. "I went to a bowling alley and realized there was a pro wrestling school right underneath the bowling alley. Exactly what I needed to know to get me where I am. - Legendary WWE Head Coach Dr. Tom Prichard (2015), "Just wrestled for IWF in West Paterson, NJ, with old ring rival, now amigo, Tom Prichard, and had a great time. ( WATCH), "It was such a great learning experience. The original training grounds of John Cena and former WWE Superstar Chris Masters, WWE Classics spoke with The Miz about his experience training with The Ballard Brothers. They might have liked watching it, but putting in the hard work was a different story, and Kowalski sorted that out real quick. And while there are many different paths to WWE, the answer is simple: you go to school. ", Another of Kowalski's students, Damien Sandow, echoed Tensai's sentiments. And there aren't many wrestling organizations who provide the community service and philanthropy that the IWF does. His graduates perform on WWE RAW, SmackDown, NXT, AEW, IMPACT, NJPW, ROH and NWA. I was only 5'3" and not an incredible athlete. The greatest training camp in the world." If you're in the UK and Ireland, and want to be trained by the best, Robbie Brookside is the man. - WWE & ECW Superstar Nunzio (2005) Mr. Kennedy). ", ( MORE TENSAI |  MORE SANDOW |  MORE KOFI |  MORE KOWALSKI), NAME OF SCHOOL: World of Unpredictable Wrestling, OTHER CLASSMATES & ALUMNI: Tommy Dreamer, Tazz, The Dudley Boyz, Vito, Damien Demento, S.D. '", ( MORE RYDER | MORE ECW | WATCH "Z! I am thankful for mine at IWF School." "So that was a nice surprise. Unlike any other Pro Wrestling Training center, you will have a Once-In-A-Lifetime opportunity to be trained by someone who has totally left their mark in the annals of professional wrestling! A lot of people would go in there during [The Monday Night War] when everyone wanted to be a wrestler, but not for the right reasons. The real proof of the school's ability, however, is in the results: at the time of this writing, (several) WWE and Impact stars laid the foundation of their of pro wrestling careers in the IWF. AWWCF Professional Wrestling Schools of American World Wrestling Championship Federation The Wrestling Center 807 Columns Dr. Lithia Springs - Atlanta Ga. 30122 Tel: Office: 404-696-5696 Email: awwcf@hotmail.com Hopefully one day soon, I'll see some of you students in the big leagues." It was very well done. IWF is the best local wrestling school near me For decades, family patriarch Afa operated a world-renowned wrestling training facility in Allentown, Pa., where he trained many of sports-entertainment's elite. ", Bryan also told us about his most terrifying moment at wrestling school. "At OVW, I trained under Al Snow," The Miz explained. "I started there in 2003, right after high school," Ryder told WWE Classics. Book a Wrestling class on Martial Arts Near You. Get pricing and see reviews by your neighborhood community. As The Great White explained, "We didn't really have a head trainer [at Irish Whip], so we kind of learned on the fly." "Then we'd go downstairs to a place called Dona Juanita's, which had $1.25 tacos. "Names such as Bill DeMott, who wrestled as Hugh Morrus, D-Von Dudley, Tommy Dreamer, Big Vito." ", Striker remembered his time training very fondly. Smooth] was mostly running the school," Kidman explained. After the original "King's" retirement from the ring, Race founded his own organization, World League Wrestling, and later his own training academy.
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