Resistance Pro Wrestling

Resistance Pro Wrestling
AcronymRPW
Founded2011
StyleProfessional wrestling
Sports entertainment
HeadquartersLockport, Illinois, U.S.
Founder(s)Billy Corgan
Jacques Baron
Gabe Baron

Resistance Pro Wrestling (RPW) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Lockport, Illinois. It was founded in 2011 by musician Billy Corgan and brothers Jacques and Gabe Baron. The promotion held monthly events around Chicago, attracting between 300 and 600 people per event.

History

Corgan and the Baron brothers decided to form Resistance Pro in the summer of 2011. Corgan served as creative director, while the Barons handled booking, finance, marketing, merchandise, and social media.

The promotion's first show, "Black Friday", took place at the Excalibur nightclub in Chicago on November 25, 2011. ESPN reported that the inaugural event featured 22 wrestlers. The promotion adopted Sports Legacy Institute concussion-safety protocols, including regular concussion screening and a ban on chair shots to the head.

Corgan announced in November 2014 that he had left the promotion.

On May 20, 2017, Resistance Pro co-promoted Battle of Chicago with Freelance Wrestling; the card included matches for the RPW Heavyweight and Tag Team Championships.

A later promotion, The Resistance, was described in 2018 wrestling coverage as "formerly Resistance Pro". It worked with Girl Fight at an event at Spark Recreation Center in Summit in June 2018 and presented Blood Feast at Summit Park District in July 2019.

Reality series

In March 2014, AMC was developing an unscripted reality series about Resistance Pro. In May, AMC greenlit an eight-episode series to follow Corgan as the promotion's creative director, and filming began in Chicago that summer. AMC canceled the project in October as it withdrew from almost all unscripted programming.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Boudway, Ira (March 15, 2012). "Billy Corgan, From Smashing Pumpkins to Smashing Heads". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  2. ↑ Galil, Leor (November 28, 2011). "Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan Sort of Steps Into the Wrestling Ring". Forbes. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  3. ↑ Kapos, Shia (February 18, 2013). "Billy Corgan in the ring with Walter E. Smithe". Crain's Chicago Business. Crain Communications. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Smashing the Resistance: Billy Corgan is Back in a Whole New Arena". Newcity. May 10, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Billy Corgan on RESISTANCE Pro". Time Out Chicago. November 22, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Frye, Andy (November 27, 2011). "Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan gets into wrestling". ESPN. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  7. ↑ Gordon, Jeremy (November 19, 2014). "Billy Corgan Exits Pro Wrestling Company, Writes Musical About Ancient Greece". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Freelance Wrestling/Resistance Pro May 20, 2017 "Battle of Chicago" - Summit, IL". Smart Mark Video. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  9. ↑ Greer, Jamie (December 24, 2018). "The Hot Tag 100 '18 (100-76)". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  10. ↑ Oliver, Greg (June 30, 2018). "'Crazy' eight women face off in Death Match tournament". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  11. ↑ "The Resistance Presents: Blood Feast". TrillerTV. July 12, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  12. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (March 26, 2014). "AMC To Develop Scripted Comedy, Latenight Project with Kevin Smith". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Rackl, Lori (October 13, 2014). "Billy Corgan's wrestling TV series on the ropes after AMC pulls plug". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 9, 2026.