Innovate Pro Wrestling
American independent professional wrestling promotion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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?]
| |
| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Style | Professional wrestling |
| Headquarters | Kingsport, Tennessee |
| Owner | Tony Givens |
| Formerly |
|
| Predecessor | Smoky Mountain Wrestling (unofficial) |
| Website | www |
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 NETPRO Studios Professional Wrestling School in Kingsport, Tennessee, where they continue to host monthly wrestling shows to this day.
Championships and accomplishments
Current championships and accomplishments
| Championship | Champion | Previous | Date won | Days held | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovate United States Tag Team Championship | The Faction (Jeff Baker and Jeff Connelly) |
Pineapple Express (Tyler Foshie and Nick Hammonds) |
March 15th, 2026 | 22+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (Innovate Wrestling's 24th Anniversary Show) |
| Innovate American Championship | Wayne Moxxi | Bobby Mitchell | April 11th, 2026 | 2+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (Innovate Wrestling's One Final Gift) |
| Innovate Grand Championship | Andy Optimal | Toby Farley | January 17th, 2026 | 79+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (Innovate Wrestling's House Party) |
| Innovate Women's Championship | Shawna Reed | Nicole Pain | March 15th, 2026 | 22+ | Kingsport, Tennessee (Innovate Wrestling's 24th Anniversary Show) |
Past championships
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 | |
| Innovative United States Heavyweight Championship | Toby Farley | May 29, 2021 |
Other championships
| Championship | Current Champion(s) | Held since | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship | The Heatseekers (Sigmon and Elliot Russell) | June 21, 2014[14] | 4,333 |
Roster
Current roster
| Ring name | Roster |
|---|---|
| Alex Adkins | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Alex Monroe | |
| Axton Ray | Founder of the "Sin City" stable. |
| Andy Optimal | Current Innovate Grand Champion in his first reign and leader of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Ben Adkins | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Bobby Mitchell | |
| "Big Deal" Bobby Kang | |
| Brandon Hartsook | Member of the "Sin City" stable. |
| Braxton Kane | |
| Chainz | "The Hardcore Legend". Member of the "Sin City" stable. |
| Casey King | |
| Charley Knox | One half of the "Big Guns" tag team with Xander Hendrix. |
| CJ Knight | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Crash Donahue | |
| Crazo | Inaugural and Current NETPRO Studios Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. |
| "Dangerous" Dan Matthews | Owner and Founder of NETPRO Studios. |
| Elliot Russell | One half of the tag team "The Heatseekers" with Matt Sigmon. |
| Habibi | "The Hardest to Kill" |
| JC Addams | |
| Jeff Connelly | One half of the tag team "The Faction". Current Innovate U.S. Tag Team Champion. |
| Jeff Baker | One half of the tag team "The Faction". Current Innovate U.S. Tag Team Champion. |
| Joe Briggs | "The Doctor of Destruction". Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| Kolbe Max | "La Crimosa" |
| Kyle Brooks | |
| Max Michaels | Member of the "Drop Sick Saints" stable. |
| "Hardcore" Nicole Pain | Inaugural Innovate Women's Champion. Member of the "G1" stable. |
| Nick Blackwell | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| "Notorious" Nick Hammonds | Innovate Wrestling Hall of Heroes 2026 Inductee. Member of the "G1" stable. |
| Rabbit Rogue | |
| Richard Wicheon | |
| Ryker Slade | |
| Shawna Reed | "The Wicked Misfit". Current Innovate Women's Champion in her first reign. |
| T.I.M. | "The Infinite Man." |
| Toby Farley | "The Savior of Southern Strong Style." |
| Trey'von Ali | "The Black Diamond" |
| "Big Scary" Travis Lee | Member of "The Faction" stable. |
| Tyler Foshie | Member of the "G1" stable. |
| Von Milla | Member of the "Illuminati" stable. |
| "Dreamweaver" Wayne Moxxi | Inaugural and 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. |
Other personnel
| Ring name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tony Givens | Owner and Founder of Innovate Pro Wrestling. Former member of the "G1" stable. |
| Dan Jones | Commentator and Owner of NETPRO Studios. |