The Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) is an independent wrestling promotion based in San Bernardino, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Lizarraga. The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, The School Of Hard Knocks. The EWF is also an affiliate of the National Wrestling Alliance.
History
EWF was founded in 1996 by Bill Anderson and Hernandez. it saw its first show in May 1996 at the Boys and Girls Club of San Bernardino as Bobby Bradley defeated Tom "Zuma" Howard to become the first EWF Heavyweight Champion. In 1999 Bill Anderson left the EWF and formed his own promotion and wrestling school, the International Wrestling Council in Riverside, California. In June 1996 a tribute to "Superstar" Billy Graham was held.
Several EWF wrestlers from the past have gone on to national fame, including Rico Constantino, Louie Spicolli, Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels, Shelly Martinez and Melina Perez. In 1997 Chris Jericho and Lee Marshall of WCW mentioned EWF on WCW broadcasts and Marshall attended a show in Hemet, California. Other pro wrestling stars have made appearance at EWF shows including Mando Guerrero, Peter Maivia, Ludvig Borga, The Honky Tonk Man, Tony Atlas and Tom Brandi. Many EWF wrestlers appear as jobbers on WWE broadcasts, and at the 1999 Royal Rumble the orderlies sent to apprehend Kane were performed by the EWF roster, including then owners Bill Anderson and Jesse Hernandez.
Current champions
| Championship: | Current champion(s): | Date Won: | Won From: | Location: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EWF Heavyweight Championship | Scorpio Sky | May 2, 2008 | Brandon "Nitro" Gatson | Covina, California |
| EWF American Championship | Vizzion | May 2, 2008 | Hook Bomberry | Covina, California |
| EWF Tag Team Championship | Famous For Fearless (TJ Perkins and Liger Rivera) |
June 27, 2008 | La Ola Del Mal (Black Metal and Extreme Loco) |
Covina, California |
| EWF Cruiserweight Championship | JT Blackstar | April 18, 2008 | Markus Riot | Covina, California |
Annual Events
The Empire Wrestling Federation currently holds two annual events, the Great Goliath Memorial Battle Royal and the Inland Title Series. The Great Goliath Memorial Battle Royal, held in honor of the wrestler who trained Jesse Hernandez, the EWF's owner and promoter, has been held during the EWF's Anniversary Show in May since 2006. The winner is awarded a trophy or plaque and is granted a shot at the EWF Heavyweight Championship.
Great Goliath Battle Royal Results
| Won By: | Year Won: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Red | 2006 | Covina, CA | Gave the trophy to Great Goliath's daughter, Paloma, and forfeited his right to a title match. |
| Dan "The Man" Kobrick | 2007 | Covina, CA | Used his title shot at The Covina Classic, losing to then champion, Joey Harder. |
| Ryan Taylor | 2008 | Covina, CA | Used his title shot at The Covina Classic, losing to then champion, Scorpio Sky. |
The Inland Title Series is a round robin style tournament, held at the end of the year. The winner of the ITS is granted a shot at the EWF Heavyweight Championship.
Inland Title Series Standings
| Participant: | Record: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon "Nitro" Gatson | 3-1-0 | Defeated Scorpio Sky in a tie breaker match to win the ITS. |
| Scorpio Sky | 2-2-0 | Lost to Brandon "Nitro" Gatson in an ITS tie breaker match. |
| Ryan Taylor | 1-2-0 | |
| JT Blackstar | 1-2-0 |
| Participant: | Record: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|
| Joey Harder | 3-0-1 | Defeated TJ Perkiins in a tie breaker match to win the ITS. |
| TJ Perkins | 2-1-1 | Lost to Joey Harder in an ITS tie breaker match. |
| Hook Bomberry | 1-2-0 | |
| Jason King | 0-3-0 |
Roster
Wrestlers
- Karl "Machine Gun" Anderson
- Black Metal (La Ola Del Mal)
- JT Blackstar
- Hook Bomberry
- Jade Chung
- Coconut Joe
- Rockstar Cordova
- Country Bear
- Brandon Cutler
- Dave The Bruiser
- Espiritu Infernal
- Extreme Loco (La Ola Del Mal)
- Brandon "Nitro" Gatson
- Mikey Henderson
- Icarus Eagle
- "Mr. Instant Replay" Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks)
- "Slick" Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks)
- Carla Jade
- "Top Shelf" Jeremy Jaeger
- "Zero Gravity" Chris Kadillak
- Kid Karnage
- Dan "The Man" Kobrick
- Candice LeRae
- Liger Rivera (Famous for Fearless)
- "Marvelous" Max Martin
- Maximo
- Mecurio Jr.
- Joseph "Dropkick" Murphy
- TJ Perkins (Famous for Fearless)
- "The Golden Greek" Marcius Pitsonopolous
- Markus Riot
- Rocky Romero
- Ronin
- Joey Ryan
- Sonny Samson
- Scorpio Sky
- Ryan Taylor
- Terex
- The French Stallion
- "Mayhem" Mars Vaughn
- Kitana Vera
- Vizzion
Managers and Valets
- "Superstar" Shane Andrews
- Demonika Nakano
- Trinity Skye
Referees
- Mando Vega (Senior Official)
- Justin Borden
- Garrett Spears
- Christopher Lee
Commentators
- Larry Pena
- Lalo Gonzalez
- C. Edward Vander Pyle
Ring Announcers
- Lalo Gonzalez
Agents
- Cincinnati Red
Trivia
- The record for the longest title reign in the EWF is held by Ryan Taylor. He held the EWF Cruiserweight Championship for 399 consecutive days.
- The EWF's School of Hard Knocks has sent several wrestlers to the WWE, TNA, NWA, ROH and other prominent promotions across the globe including Melina (WWE), Rico Constantino (WWE), Frankie Kazarian (TNA), Awesome Kong (TNA, AJW), Rocky Romero (NWA, ROH, NJPW), Ricky Reyes (ROH), Alex Koslov (CMLL) and Shelly Martinez (WWE, TNA).
- The EWF is the longest running promotion in Southern California, running continuously from 1996.
References
- 1998 "Secrets of Pro Wrestling" Discovery Channel documentary that toured EWF facilities
- Newspaper article on EWF
- EWF newspaper article 2
- Nacho Libre presented by EWF and Krikorian Theatres
- EWF Newspaper article 3
- EWF & Walmart unite
- EWF at HollywoodReporter.com
Empire Wrestling Federation / School of Hard Knocks as of January 2008 has moved to a new location: American Sports University http://www.americansportsuniversity.com 399 North "D" Street San Bernardino, Ca. 92401 (Gym located at N/W corner of Court and Arrowhead Ave.)