Pro Wrestling Federation
The PWF was consistently ranked among the top independent promotions in the Southern United States by Pro Wrestling Illustrated throughout the 1990s.
[7][8] In April 1992, the PWF was named the top independent promotion in the Southeastern United States by Pro Wrestling Illustrated,[9] and was considered among the region's leading companies throughout the decade.
[14][15] This title was replaced by the PWF Eastern States Heavyweight Championship following a tournament won by Tyrone Knox the following year.
This allowed South to wrestle for other Southern independents, however, he continued to be involved with the PWF and its training school for its entire 9-year run.
The PWF was able to get a studio wrestling show on WBTV (Channel 15) in Charlotte, North Carolina but it only lasted six months on the air.
The PWF featured a number of wrestlers who were regulars in the Southeastern wrestling scene and was the birthplace of Men on a Mission (Mabel and Mo).
[23] It also featured a number of younger wrestlers in the Carolinas who had not yet made their mark on a national stage, including Chris Hamrick, Kid Kash (then known as David Jericho), Mike Maverick, Ron Killings,[24] Venom and The Hardy Boyz.
[27] Some of their early students included Madd Maxxine,[20] Henry O. Godwinn, and referee Charles Robinson who would later go on to join the World Wrestling Federation.
The PWF presented a family friendly version of traditional Southern-style Rasslin' catering to the region's large Southern Baptist community.
[31][30] As part of an anti-drug campaign, the PWF held free wrestling shows for children at schools throughout West Virginia.
Stallion chose to surrender the PWF Heavyweight Championship in order to defend the tag titles with the newly reformed South.
[31] According to Matt Hardy, Sabaugh abandoned he and his brother in Charlotte, North Carolina after arranging to traveling to a show in Macon, Georgia.
[25] While it enjoyed a cult following in Appalachia and the Southeastern U.S., and garnered positive exposure from mainstream media outlets and pro wrestling publications, the PWF struggled financially for much of its history.
[23] Charles Robinson noted that oftentimes the best the roster could hope for was "a hotdog and soft drink on a good night, plus gas money".
[48][31] After his partnership with Sabaugh ended, South established a new promotion called the Exodus Wrestling Alliance in Concord, North Carolina.
On February 21, 2004, Night of the Legends: Beauty and the Beasts was held at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium as part of a co-promotion with Miss South Carolina.
Attended by 1,350 fans, South and The Masked Superstar battled The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) in the main event with Tommy Young as special referee.
