Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorjak. The promotion was based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with offices in Fuquay Varina and Lenoir, North Carolina.
History and overview
Formation
Greg Mosorjak formed Southern Championship Wrestling in November 1994 upon leaving the Carolina Championship Wrestling Alliance. He was refereeing for the promotion at the time, after a near 10-year absence from the sport, and was interested in getting back into managing. Mosorjak "turned heel" while in the promotion, and was involved in a brief feud with CCWA television announcer Henry Dean, before becoming the manager for The Invader. There were few opportunities as a manager, however, and seeing a number of talent not being utilized by management Mosorjak decided to start his own promotion. "Wiseguy" Jimmy Cicero and Chris Stephenson were among the CCWA roster who joined Mosorjak.
SCW held its first show at the Bethesda Athletic Association Gym in Durham, North Carolina on November 5, 1994. The promotion crowned its first Southern Tag Team Champions on November 17, when The Rat Pack (Jimmy Cicero and Brian Perry) defeated Pat and C. W. Anderson in the finals of a one-night tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina. The first Southern Heavyweight Champion, Boris Dragoff, won the championship in a tournament held in Creedmoor on January 7, 1995, when he defeated Ricky Lee.
Territorial reach
Southern Championship Wrestling was not the first independent in North Carolina but it was one of the earliest and longest-lasting groups, despite competition from the numerous promotions in the Carolinas. For most of its 10-year run, its traditional "home turf" was primarily in eastern and central North Carolina. SCW initially promoted events in the Raleigh-Durham area during its first two years in operation, however, Mosorjak gradually worked to expand the promotion's territory. In 1997, he began holding monthly shows in downtown Raleigh, establishing a home arena at the Kings Barcade, and was eventually promoting events throughout the Carolinas by the end of the decade. In early-2002, the promotion began holding shows at the historic Dorton Arena. SCW event tours also included, fire halls, high school gyms and fairs in cities such as Butner, NC, Creedmoor, NC, Durham, NC, Henderson, NC, Louisburg, NC, Southern Pines, NC, Valdese, NC, Wendell, NC; and in Clover, SC and Greer, SC.
Part of SCW's success lay with its long relationship with many charitable organizations. Mosorjak and SCW participated in countless fundraisers and benefit shows for local Jaycee groups, fire departments, and the Optimist Club. It also raised money for individuals in need of financial aid due to natural disaster or sickness. One of these shows involved an independent wrestler, Josh "Tears" Duke, who wrestled for the promotion until a car accident left him paralyzed. The benefit show was held at a local elementary school in Louisburg, North Carolina, and all proceeds went to help Duke's medical expenses.
SCW also had a weekly 30-minute television show, produced by Eno River Media, which aired Tuesdays on Channel 6 in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro, and Saturday mornings on Channel 10 in Raleigh. It later expanded to include Greensboro and as far away as Manhattan, New York. The television commentary was originally performed by Mosorjak, with the addition of Walt Rabon later on, and most of SCW's live events would later be taped for television broadcast.
Notable talent
Even in its earliest years, SCW was able to feature some of the top independent wrestlers in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States from Jimmy Cicero, Chris Stephenson, and Tom Brandi in the early 1990s, with later mainstays including C. W. Anderson, Caprice Coleman, Cham Pain, Scab, Juice/Gotti, Dewey Cheatum, Lazz, Lexie Fyfe, Mickie James, Matt Stryker, Rob McBride, Shawn Alexander, Seymour Snott, The Stro, Trailer Park Heat, Venom, The Dupps (Bo and Jack Dupp), Death & Destruction (Frank Parker and Roger Anderson), Dangerous Minds (Toad and Lodi), and New Skool (Joey Matthews and Christian York); Matthews, still in high school, had his debut match on an SCW show. Future WWE superstars Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, Edge and Christian, Lita and The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy) also spent their early careers in SCW.