UCW Undisputed Championship Wrestling
UCW Undisputed Championship Wrestling
Tenacious. Unbroken. Gratifying.
HISTORY
The history of UCW was certainly in the dreams of young Christopher
Ashton while growing up watching professional wrestling with his
father, who embraced WCCW (World Class Championship Wrestling)
from Texas as his favorite of the many pro wrestling promotions that
featured matches on television every weekend in the past twenty to
thirty years. Chris’ favorite wrestler became Hulk Hogan as he grew up
idolizing the sport.
2007
Fast forward to the present, well, the past present to March 31st, 2007.
The youngster who had dreams of becoming a professional wrestler
and promoter stands behind the scenes with Jesse Skelton, his friend
and fellow wrestler who helped Chris get UCW off the ground, in the
jam packed VFW in Uniontown, PA.
Chris looks over the crowd of 237 men, women, and children all ready
for a night of non-stop excitement as he prepares for his match, a Fatal
Four Way between himself and partner Maniac Killa against Justin
Bender and Steve Flash and “Stonewall” Dave Snyder and his partner
Draven and The Sons of Brooklyn.
That night was the first time Chris promoted a show and it was all the
more important for Chris as his mentor Guido Corleone was making an
appearance that night and was to get into a brawl with Chris during the
event. Chris states ” Guido Corleone was the reason why I thought I
could become an independent wrestler”.
Chris as Chris “The Tank” Payne and Maniac Killa won the Fatal Four
way and the UCW Tag Team titles that night as well as Jesse Skelton
defeated Scotty Venom to win the American title and “Stonewall” Dave
Snyder won the U-Town Rumble in the main event at the very first UCW
show called “Born Again”.
Chris didn’t really think about his accomplishments until the show was
over and then said he thought “I did it”. Indeed Chris, your dream had
officially been achieved!
Highlights of 2007 include….
1. August –
The 1st ever Steel Cage match in Uniontown that featured Jesse
“The Xtremist”Skelton over “Stonewall” Dave Snyder to win the
UCW Championship!
2. October –
The largest crowd ever to appear at an UCW event (248) attended to
watch the Devil’s Playground Match, a sadistic structure based of the
brutality of the hardcore stylings of the most feared competitors that
featured weapons such as steel ladders, chairs, and glass light tubes!
This match featured UCW Champion Jesse “The Xtremist” Skelton, the
American Champion Justin Bender, and Light heavyweight Champion
Stevie Styles! During the match a debuting wrestler named Prodigy
threatened the Commissioner and took the title from Jesse after vicious
power bombs to become the new UCW Champion!
At the end of 2007, Chris remembered ” As long as fans keep coming to
the show, we were going forward”.
Jesse Skelton remained Chris’ business partner and fellow wrestler
throughout the year and into 2008.
2008
A huge step in progression in 2008 was the joining the ranks of the NWA
(National Wrestling Alliance) which began in 1948 and became the
governing body of many known wrestling promotions including Maple
Leaf Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, and WCW (World
Championship Wrestling). UCW joined the NWA-East promotion
because , as Chris says ” We wanted to become a part of tradition”. The
union lasted about a year until Chris broke from NWA and went back to
carrying his company without help from another organization. One
good thing about merging with NWA-East was that UCW cornerstone
Jesse Skelton wrestled Crusher Hanson for the NWA National
Heavyweight Championship formerly held by Dusty Rhodes, Magnum
T.A., Nikita Koloff, and Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard.
The First Anniversary Show was held at the VFW in Uniontown, PA and
featured ECW original Axl Rotten and a Extreme Elimination Main Event
featuring 6 of the best UCW wrestlers.
The Extreme Elimination featured two wrestlers starting and the
remaining four are each handcuffed to a ring post. Every five minutes a
wrestler is released into combat until all wrestlers are in the ring and
battling! The participants were: Jesse Skelton, Stonewall Dave Snyder,
Justin Bender, Prodigy, Nick Tide, and Stevie Styles. Jesse Skelton won
the match lastly eliminating Justin Bender!
In September at a joint show with CWI held at the Craig Civic Center in
Kingwood, WV , a callous Barbed Wire Death Match was fought with the
participants being “Pretty” Jimmy Dream against Rebecca Payne! I
know, Rebecca sounds like a girls name, she is a girl! A tough, hardcore
girl who not only put up a great fight, but she won the match! Not only
a match, but a Barbed Wire Death Match!
2009
The year 2009 was a learning experience for Chris Ashton.
With hundreds in attendance at each show the company was doing
well. The big event that year (1/31/09) featured Chris Payne won a
battle royal last eliminating Justin Bender to win the UCW
Championship, and since the event was the night before Superbowl
XLIII featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals; Brandon
“Touchdown” Draconis fought Arizona Cardinal and beat him
decisively, not unlike the Steelers beat the Cardinals the next night!
At that time Chris started to become cocky about the promotion and
that became an indiscretion as things started to become troublesome.
2010
The new year started off with a big main event scheduled for February
with a “Student vs. Teacher” match as former WWE/WCW/ECW/TNA
Superstar “The Franchise” Shane Douglas was to face Uniontown’s own
Guido Corleone. Unfortunately, thanks to what Chris called
“Snowmageddon” (the largest snow storm in the area since 1993), the
match never happened.
UCW ventured beyond Uniontown and hosted shows in Grindstone,
Dunbar, Mt. Braddock and Connellsville.
Chris credited new business partner Bill Brand and Bill Jacobs, who
helped build the Grindstone and Connellsville events.
That year UCW had their first “Night to Remember” event that drew 242
fans to the Morrell VFD. The three matches that stood out that
memorable night was Sabian vs. Ricky Reyes, “Playboy” Stevie Styles
vs. Jesse Skelton for the UCW title in a “Last Man Standing” match, and
the headliner – Connellsville’s own Bill Jacobs & Bigg teamed up to take
on the Samoans former WWE Superstars “Headshrinker” SAMU and
Manu (Afa jr).
Sadly, UCW held the last ever event at the VFW Post 47 in Uniontown, PA
in December with a blood bath between Jesse Skelton and Rebecca
Payne!
2011
Toward the end of 2010 Undisputed Championship Wrestling began
holding shows in South Connellsville. By the time the VFW in Uniontown
closed, UCW started calling South Connellsville home. This was a big
transition year for UCW. In January, Chris bought out DCW (Diamond
Championship Wrestling) that ran out of Hastings, PA and secured their
talents and titles upon purchase. In February, they held the first “All
Star 8″ tournament with Sabian winning the tournament by defeating
UCW mainstay Jesse Skelton.
April 2nd saw the return of Chris “The Tank” Payne after a one year
retirement to stand up with Team UCW against the renegade faction
UNCENSORED in a long running feud. Payne wrestled and lost to Jesse
Skelton at “Rising Glory 4” (the 4 year anniversary show) in South
Connellsville, PA.
The feud culminated inside a Steel Cage in a War Games match at “
Night To Remember II” in September! This five on five match had more
than just pride was on the line as ownership of the company and every
title in the company was up for grabs!
Team Undisputed (Chris Payne, Maniac Killa, Stevie Styles, Bill Jacobs &
BIGG) defeated Uncensored (Jesse Skelton, Christopher Adonis, Doyle
Day, Jimmy Dream & Adam Ugly).
Also on the card was ROH ( Ring of Honor) star Adam Cole faced ACW
Heavyweight Champion Ryan McBride. Cole had just recently wrestled
the Main Event at Ring of Honor’s 10 year anniversary show with “Die
Hard” Eddie Edwards against ROH World Champion Davey Richards &
Kyle O’Reilly.
Towards the end of 2011, UCW came back to Uniontown to wrestle at
the North Union VFW after many months of not competing in the area.
2012
A fresh new year begins for Chris Ashton and UCW as he formed a new
partnership with pro wrestling veteran Brian Brand, also known as
“Jakal”; Brand has paid his dues in many organizations and in many
roles. He was once a ring crew guy for the former Eastern Championship
Wrestling which later became ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling).
The much anticipated March 31st UCW Rising Glory 5 “No Remorse” The
5 year anniversary show of UCW and the 50th event for UCW at the
Connellsville Elk’s Club 140 East Crawford Ave. Connellsville, PA is just
around the corner! The headliner is a “Fans Bring the Weapons
Extreme Elimination” Match for the UCW title when UCW Champion
Jakal defends against Chris Payne, “Playboy” Stevie Styles,
Connellsville’s Own Bigg, Steve Flash and Jimmy Dream!
Also, for the 1st time ever, never done before anywhere; Jesse Skelton
goes 1 on 1 with G-Raver.