By SnowMan Jones (With Ralph Mosca and Edits by Jordi Scrubbings)

American Championship Wrestling started in 2001 by hardcore icon Ralph Mosca. The first card was star studded and was one of the biggest events in recent Florida wrestling history. Included on the show were future Total Nonstop Wrestling Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles, World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler, and other top names in wrestling to include a main event appearance by late World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar Eddie Guerrero, who wrestled current World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar Low Ki (Kaval).

The next event made use of Dusty Rhodes’ students and stars from the legendary Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. Like it’s predecessor, this show was also a memorable event.

By 2004, American Championship Wrestling had re-branded itself into American Combat Wrestling and focused on a more hardcore audience. A year later, stars such as Ralph Mosca and Sideshow were destroying the competition, and each other, making ACW one of the most successful promotions on the Florida indy scene. Among the highlights of that era was an appearance by a masked Dustin Rhodes, who won the ACW title from Ralph Mosca.

As ACW grew in prominence, it entered what has been known as the “Rock and Roll” era. Like the “Rock and Wrestling” era of the old WWF, ACW’s Rock and Roll Era was compared to Miami of the early ’80s and was marked by money, mansions, and mayhem. Weekly events occurred at the Bourbon Street Night Club in New Port Richey, Florida, and former WrestleMania Main Eventer Bam Bam Bigelow made himself known at some of ACW’s most notable feuds. World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar Jerry Sags also made several appearances at ACW’s alternate location, the Key Club.

By the mid-2000s, ACW was mired in a feud for turf with Steve Keirn’s Florida Championship Wrestling, who had their eyes on ACW’s home venue. Florida Championship Wrestling, which produced Sheamus (Stephen Farrelly) and the NXT group, took over the weekly show in Bourbon Street. ACW however had the last laugh, took over Bourbon Street, and stayed there until the venue closed in 2010.

Before leaving Bourbon Street, ACW showcased a wave of new talent with Sideshow, Marc Mandrake, Eric Cooper, Eddie Taurus, Dany Only, David Mercury, and Joey Mayo making names for themselves. Hosted weekly by Skot Evol, the brand allowed groups of loyal fans such as the Bourbon Street Mafia and the New Movement to also make names for themselves.

ACW is now owned by Todd Rogers, a professional gamer and wrestling fan.  However, former co-owner “Howard” with this assistance of Ralph Mosca (occasionally) and Marc Mandrake run a more hardcore weekly show at Gasoline Alley in Largo, FL.  The new company draws its name from ACW Underground, and is called Florida Underground Wrestling.  FUW brings the hardcore element of the old ACW, while Todd Rogers’ ACW intends a less hardcore image in the future. 

- Wrestlers, owners, and performers:  Your edits and comments are welcome below.  Please review for corrections.