UP NOW: Best of HWA & Best of Pillman Memorial

These two sets were provided by Adam of Heartland Wrestling History, the first being a custom that he made himself, and the second being an HWA home video release. He graciously shared both with me to make part of COMPILATIONS. He contributed the write-up and match list below as well. You can follow him on X.

Best of HWA 2001-2003

What do Jon Moxley, Nigel McGuinness, Sami Callihan, Jake Crist, LA Knight and Shark Boy all have in common?

They all got their start in the Cincinnati based Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA).

From its beginnings in 1996 as part of Les Thatcher’s Main Event Pro Wrestling Camp through the final show in 2014, the HWA was one of the premier independent promotions in the Midwest. It was featured on MTV’s True Life, played host to the annual Brian Pillman Memorial shows from 1998-2001 and was a developmental territory for both WCW and WWF in the late 90s and early 2000s. In the mid 2000s, the HWA was a pioneer in internet streaming producing three iPPVs (Cyberlclash 2006, Road to Destiny 2006 and Cyberclash 2007) and had a weekly show, Adrenaline, on the CinCW (Cincinnati’s regional version of The CW) on Saturday afternoons at 2:00 PM.

Following a shutdown and change in ownership in the fall of 2007, HWA returned with occasional shows in late 2007 and into 2008 before beginning weekly “A Fight at the Opera” events at the Sorg Opera House in Middletown, OH in fall 2008 and monthly shows in Norwood, OH up through 2010. After the opera house shut down in fall 2010, HWA was forced to find a new home for their weekly shows and set up shop in Hamilton, OH at the Great Miami Event Center from 2011 until the summer of 2012 when the building was sold. HWA returned in 2013-2014 under new ownership again with five events before the promotion permanently closed in the fall of 2014 with the remnants and the footage library sold off to yet another new owner.

Throughout its life, the HWA was the breeding ground for future stars like the aforementioned Moxley, Nigel, LA Knight but also wrestlers such as Eddie Guerrero, Haku, Shannon Moore, Jamie Noble, Chad Collyer, and D’Lo Brown came through during the WWF developmental period. The list of HWA alumni also includes Rory Fox, Lance Cade, Pepper Parks (aka The Blade), Aaron Williams, The Island Boys (OG Ekmo (Umaga) & Kimo (Rosey)) (aka Three Minute Warning), Tarek the Great, King Vu/Gerome Phillips, Ron Mathis and many more.

This three part series will feature the best of the HWA in terms of footage that is currently online in some form or another. Part 1 features matches from 2001-2003, Part 2 will cover 2004-2007 and Part 3 features matches from 2008-2014. Most HWA footage that is out there is scattered at best. There are some TV episodes from 2001-2002 online, the official HWA channel has footage from the fall 2006 episodes of HWA Adrenaline but the matches are in pieces and not clearly labeled. Plus there’s other random stuff floating around the internet in various places. This compilation aims to combine the best of the footage that is online into one spot. There are several large gaps in footage, especially in the late 2000s. Most footage from the weekly shows at the Sorg Opera House or from Hamilton, OH is only available from fans who were there and recorded the matches. Part 1 is available now and the next two parts of the Best of HWA will be available soon. Enjoy this trip into the world of the HWA!

“Best of the HWA” Part 1 match list:

* Rory Fox vs. Shark Boy - Loser Leaves Town (Grand Victoria Casino, 1/26/01)

* Jimmy Yang & Kaz Hayashi vs. Chad Collyer & Shark Boy (HWA TV, 9/8/01)
* Shannon Moore, Evan Karagias & Kid Romeo vs. Pepper Parks, Shark Boy & Nigel McGuinness (HWA TV, 9/15/01)
* Race Steele vs. Dave Taylor (HWA TV, 9/22/01)

* Val Venis, D’Lo Brown & Race Steele vs. Mike Sanders, Kwee Wee & EZ Money (Red Barn, 10/15/01)

* Eddie Guerrero & Matt Stryker vs. Kid Romeo & Elix Skipper (HWA TV, 10/27/01)

* Eddie Guerrero, D’Lo Brown & Lance Cade vs. Haku, Brian Adams (Crush) & Kwee Wee (HWA TV, 11/3/01)
* Steve Bradley vs. D’Lo Brown (HWA Heavyweight Title Tournament Semi-Finals) (Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 11/14/01)

* D’Lo Brown vs. EZ Money (HWA Heavyweight Title Tournament Finals) (Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 11/14/01)

* Eddie Guerrero, Cody Hawk & Matt Stryker vs. Lance Cade, Kwee Wee & Jamie Noble (HWA TV, 11/17/01)
* The Island Boys (OG Ekmo & Kimo) & Val Venis vs. Haku, Lash LeRoux & EZ Money (HWA TV, 11/17/01)
* The Island Boys (OG Ekmo & Kimo) vs. Steve Bradley & Val Venis (Red Barn, 12/8/01)

* The Island Boys (OG Ekmo & Kimo) vs. Steve Bradley & Val Venis (HWA TV, 1/1/02)

* Jamie Noble vs. Shark Boy (HWA TV, 1/12/02)

* Chad Collyer vs. Shannon Moore (HWA TV, 1/26/02)

* Hugh Morrus & Raven vs. Lance Cade & Steve Bradley - Country Whipping Match (HWA TV, 3/23/02)

* Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. BJ Whitmer (HWA TV, 6/1/02)

* Matt Stryker, BJ Whitmer & Pvt. Joe Castle vs. Quinten Lee, Rory Fox & Chet Jablonski (HWA Showcase, Late 2002)

* Quinten Lee vs. Alex Shelley (HWA Showcase, Early 2003) (Shelley’s only documented HWA match)
* Rory Fox vs. Quinten Lee (Red Barn, 9/6/03)
* Mad Mikey (Crash Holly) & Rory Fox vs. Quinten Lee & Human Time Bomb (Special ref: Ricky Steamboat) (Red Barn, 11/1/03) (Crash Holly’s final match)
* Team BPW (Carlton Kaz, Dean Jablonski, Matt Stryker, Fabulous Frederick & Shark Boy) vs. Team HWA (BJ Whitmer, Nigel McGuinness, Cody Hawk & Quinten Lee) - 5-on-4 War Games Rules Match (World War III, 12/26/03)

Best of Pillman 98-00 (HWA Home Video)

This two VHS set was only available from HWA home video via mail order or at HWA live events. It covers the best matches and moments from the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Brian Pillman Memorial shows. This is a rip of the original tapes with commentary on the 1998 matches from Les Thatcher and Dean Roll and no commentary on the 1999 and 2000 matches and it presented here in its entirety for the first time ever.

Match listing is below:

Part 1:

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin interview (Pillman 98)

2. Tarek the Great & “Live Wire” Sean Casey vs. Shark Boy & Chip Fairway (Pillman 98)

3. Al Snow vs. Chris Candido (Pillman 98)

4. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (Pillman 98)

5. Pillman 99 preview video

6. Opening ceremonies & 10-bell salute (Pillman 99)

7. Cruiserweight Tournament First Round: Shark Boy vs. Matt Stryker (Pillman 99) (clipped)

8. Cruiserweight Tournament First Round: Tarek the Great vs. Jeramy Jett (Pillman 99) (clipped)

9. Cruiserweight Tournament First Round: Chad Collyer vs. Chip Fairway (Pillman 99) (clipped)

10. Cruiserweight Tournament Semi-Finals: Shark Boy vs. Tarek the Great (Pillman 99) (clipped)

11. Cruiserweight Tournament Finals: Shark Boy vs. Chip Fairway

12. In-ring ceremonies featuring Les Thatcher, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, D’Lo Brown and others (Pillman 99)

13. Terry Taylor vs. Dr. Tom Prichard (Pillman 99) (Note: One of the final matches that Mark Curtis/Brian Hildebrand ever officiated)

Part 2:

1. WWF Hardcore Title: Road Dogg vs. Al Snow (Pillman 99) (Highlights only)

2. D’Lo Brown vs. Mankind (clipped)

3. Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. & Konnan (Pillman 99)

4. HWA Heavyweight Title Tournament Finals: Race Steele vs. Chip Fairway (Pillman 2000)

5. ECW World Title: Justin Credible vs. Raven (Pillman 2000)

6. Chris Benoit vs. Steven Regal (Pillman 2000)