View source for Ladies Professional Wrestling Association

{{short description|Professional wrestling promotion}}
{{Infobox wrestling promotion
|name        = Ladies Professional Wrestling Association
|image       = LPWA official logo.jpg
|caption     =
|acronym     = LPWA
|established = 1989
|folded      = 1998
|style       = [[Women's professional wrestling]]
|location    = [[Laughlin, Nevada]] (1989–1992)
|founder     = Tor Berg<ref name=berg>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/06/21/pf-4278712.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730094026/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/06/21/pf-4278712.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 30, 2012|title=Remembering a good friend, Sherri Martel|author=Lano, Mike|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|access-date=2008-11-06|date=June 21, 2007}}</ref>
|owner       = Tor Berg (1989–1992; 1998–2000)
|parent      =
|sister      =
|formerly    =
|website     =
}}

The '''Ladies Professional Wrestling Association''' (LPWA) was a [[women's professional wrestling]] [[professional wrestling promotion|promotion]] which operated in the early 1990s (ca. 1989–1992). It was considered a successor to such women's promotions as [[Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling]] (GLOW), but it differed in that, while GLOW slanted more toward [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWF]]-style [[sports entertainment]], the LPWA treated its product seriously and put its primary emphasis on in-ring athletics.

==History==
Thurston John "Tor" Berg<!--Dave Meltzer's obituary referred to him as "John Thurston Berg."  Call this OR if you wish, but his passport said "Thurston John Berg."  Real name search engines make reference to both names.--> (1938–2011) founded the company ca. 1989.<ref name=berg/>  An incident occurred in March 1991, where Berg promised [[Jumping Bomb Angels]] member [[Noriyo Tateno]] that he would give her a permanent job in the new company if she retired in Japan and moved to the United States.<ref name=berg/> Berg, however, later backed out on the deal, and [[Sherri Martel]] made the incident public.<ref name=berg/>

The LPWA produced two television series, ''The Super Ladies of Wrestling'' and ''Ladies Championship Wrestling'' from 1990 to 1992.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.savatage.com/wrest/usa/lpwa.html|title=LPWA TV|publisher=Savatage|access-date=2010-12-24}}</ref> Many of their matches were also distributed and sold on [[VHS]] tapes. They held their first and only pay-per-view, ''Super Ladies Showdown'', on February 23, 1992, before closing down operations shortly after.<ref name=history>{{cite web|url=http://allwomenwrestling.com/history|title=LPWA History|author=LPWA, Inc.|publisher=All Women Wrestling|access-date=2010-10-10}}</ref>

Berg planned on promoting a second ''Super Ladies'' pay-per-view event in 2000, but the event was canceled. The pay-per-view was scheduled to feature women from around the world, including American wrestlers [[Debbie Malenko]], [[Sherri Martel]], Sweet Destiny and [[Missy Hyatt]]; Japanese wrestlers Chikako Shiratori, [[Mika Akino|AKINO]], Chapparita Asari and [[Ayako Hamada]]; and Australian wrestlers Amy Action, Raya Riot, and former LPWA Champion [[Susan Sexton]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amyaction.com/debbie_malenko.html|title=Debbi Malenko|publisher=Amy Action|access-date=2010-12-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726052330/http://www.amyaction.com/debbie_malenko.html|archive-date=2011-07-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Super Ladies Showdown==
{{Infobox Wrestling event
|name=Super Ladies Showdown
|image=LPWA Super Ladies Showdown (DVD box art).jpg
|promotion=LPWA
|date=February 23, 1992
|venue=[[Mayo Civic Center]]
|city=[[Rochester, Minnesota]]
|attendance=400<ref name=wia/>
}}
LPWA Super Ladies Showdown was a [[professional wrestling]] [[pay-per-view]] from the LPWA. It took place on February 23, 1992, from the [[Mayo Civic Center]] in [[Rochester, Minnesota]].<ref name=wia>{{cite web|title=Other Wrestling Cards|work=Wrestling Information Archive|url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/other/wrescrds.htm|access-date=2008-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105150626/http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/other/wrescrds.htm|archive-date=2008-01-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was the only PPV from the LPWA, which folded shortly after the event. The main event was a match for the LPWA Singles Championship, in which [[Terri Poch|Terri Powers]] faced [[Peggy Lee Leather|Lady X]]. The event also featured a tournament for the LPWA Japanese Championship.

===Results===
{{Pro Wrestling results table
|results =
|times   =
|match1  = Mami Kitamura and Miki Handa defeated Allison Royal and Lisa Starr
|stip1   = [[Tag Team match]]
|time1   = 3:46
|match2  = Denise Storm defeated [[Sue Green|Susan Green]]
|stip2   = [[#LPWA Japanese Championship|LPWA Japanese Championship]] Tournament First Round match
|time2   = 6:02
|match3  = [[Reggie Bennett]] defeated Yukari Osawa
|stip3   = LPWA Japanese Championship Tournament First Round match
|time3   = 6:19
|match4  = [[Shinobu Kandori]] defeated [[Desiree Petersen]]
|stip4   = [[Singles match (professional wrestling)|Singles match]]
|time4   = 4:31
|match5  = [[Harley Saito]] defeated Mizuki Endoh
|stip5   = LPWA Japanese Championship Tournament First Round match
|time5   = 7:06
|match6  = Eagle Sawai defeated Midori Saito
|stip6   = LPWA Japanese Championship Tournament First Round match
|time6   = 5:43
|match7  = Black Venus (with Boogaloo Brown) defeated [[Rockin' Robin (wrestler)|Rockin' Robin]]
|stip7   = [[Singles match (professional wrestling)|Singles match]]
|time7   = 5:39
|match8  = Denise Storm defeated [[Reggie Bennett]] by [[Disqualification (professional wrestling)|disqualification]]
|stip8   = LPWA Japanese Championship Tournament Semi-Final match
|time8   = 8:27
|match9  = [[Harley Saito]] defeated Eagle Sawai by points
|stip9   = LPWA Japanese Championship Tournament Semi-Final match
|time9   = 10:00
|match10 = [[The Glamour Girls]] ([[Judy Martin (wrestler)|Judy Martin]] and [[Leilani Kai]]) (c) defeated [[Selina Majors|Bambi]] and [[Malia Hosaka]]
|stip10  = [[Tag Team match]] for the [[#LPWA Tag Team Championship|LPWA Tag Team Championship]]
|time10  = 8:47
|match11 = [[Harley Saito]] defeated Denise Storm
|stip11  = Tournament Final match for the LPWA Japanese Championship
|time11  = 8:07
|match12 = [[Tori (wrestler)|Terri Power]] defeated [[Peggy Lee Leather|Lady X]] (c)
|stip12  = [[Singles match (professional wrestling)|Singles match]] for the [[#LPWA Championship|LPWA Championship]]
|time12  = 8:36
}}

==Championships==

===LPWA Championship===
The LPWA Championship was a [[professional wrestling]] [[Championship (professional wrestling)|title]] created in early 1990.<ref name="Titles">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2006|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}</ref>

{{Professional wrestling title history top|active=no}}
{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number   = 1
|champion = {{sortname|Susan|Sexton}}
|reign    = 1
|date     = {{dts|January 1990}}
|days     = N/A
|location = N/A
|event    = N/A
|notes    = Sexton was awarded the championship.
|ref      =
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number   = 2
|champion = {{sortname|Lady|X|Peggy Lee Leather}}
|reign    = 1
|date     = {{dts|1991|1|31}}
|days     = {{age in days nts|month1=1|day1=31|year1=1991|month2=2|day2=23|year2=1992}}
|location = [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin, NV]]
|event    = LPWA show
|notes    =
|ref      =
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number   = 3
|champion = {{sortname|Terri|Power|Tori (wrestler)}}
|reign    = 1
|date     = {{dts|1992|2|23}} 
|days     = N/A
|location = [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester, MN]]
|event    = LPWA Super Ladies Showdown
|notes    =
|ref      =
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 3.5
|type     = deactivated
|date     = 1992
|notes    = The championship was abandoned after the LPWA closed.
|ref      =
}}
{{BundleEnd}}

=== LPWA Japanese Championship ===
The LPWA Japanese Championship was a [[professional wrestling]] [[Championship (professional wrestling)|title]] created in 1992. The inaugural (and only) champion was Harley Saito, who won an eight-woman tournament held during the Super Ladies Showdown pay-per-view event.

==== Inaugural championship tournament (1992) ====

{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1-team1  = '''Denise Storm'''
|RD1-score1 = Pin
|RD1-team2  = [[Sue Green|Susan Green]]
|RD1-score2 = 6:02
|RD1-team3  = Yukari Osawa
|RD1-score3 = 6:19
|RD1-team4  = '''[[Reggie Bennett]]'''
|RD1-score4 = Pin
|RD1-team5  = Mizuki Endoh
|RD1-score5 = 7:06
|RD1-team6  = '''[[Harley Saito]]'''
|RD1-score6 = Pin
|RD1-team7  = '''Eagle Sawai'''
|RD1-score7 = Pin
|RD1-team8  = Midori Saito
|RD1-score8 = 5:43
|RD2-team1  = '''Denise Storm'''
|RD2-score1 = DQ
|RD2-team2  = Reggie Bennett
|RD2-score2 = 8:27
|RD2-team3  = '''Harley Saito'''
|RD2-score3 = PTS
|RD2-team4  = Eagle Sawai
|RD2-score4 = 10:00
|RD3-team1  = Denise Storm
|RD3-score1 = 8:07
|RD3-team2  = '''Harley Saito'''
|RD3-score2 = Pin
}}

{{Professional wrestling title history top|active=no}}
{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number   = 1
|champion = {{sortname|Harley|Saito}}
|reign    = 1
|date     = {{dts|1992|2|23}}
|days     = N/A
|location = [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester, MN]]
|event    = LPWA Super Ladies Showdown
|notes    = Saito defeated Denise Storm in the finals of an eight-woman tournament to become the inaugural champion.
|ref      =
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 1.5
|type     = deactivated
|date     = 1992
|notes    = The championship was abandoned after the LPWA closed.
|ref      =
}}
{{BundleEnd}}

===LPWA Tag Team Championship===
The LPWA Tag Team Championship was a [[professional wrestling]] [[tag team]] title created in early 1990.<ref name="Titles"/>

{{Professional wrestling title history top|active=no}}
{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number   = 1
|champion = {{sort|America|Team America}}<br />{{small|([[Heidi Lee Morgan]] and [[Misty Blue Simmes|Misty Blue]])}}
|reign    = 1
|date     = {{dts|1990|3|13}}
|days     = {{age in days nts|month1=3|day1=13|year1=1990|month2=2|day2=28|year2=1991}}
|location = [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin, NV]]
|event    = LPWA show
|notes    = Team America defeated Bad, Black and Beautiful {{small|(Bad Girl and Black Venus)}} to become the inaugural champions.
|ref      =
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number   = 2
|champion = {{sort|Glamour|[[The Glamour Girls]]}}<br />{{small|([[Judy Martin (wrestler)|Judy Martin]] and [[Leilani Kai]])}}
|reign    = 1
|date     = {{dts|1991|2|28}}
|days     = N/A
|location = [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin, NV]]
|event    = LPWA show
|notes    = Also billed as The Queen's Court.
|ref      = <ref name=F4W0228>{{cite web | url=http://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/daily-pro-wrestling-history-0228-anderson-hansen-win-nwa-tag-titles-230931 | title=Daily pro wrestling history (02/28): Andersen & Hansen win NWA Tag Titles | date=February 28, 2017 | access-date=February 28, 2017 | first=Brian | last=Hoops | publisher=Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online}}</ref>
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 2.5
|type     = deactivated
|date     = 1992
|notes    = The championship was abandoned after the LPWA closed.
|ref      =
}}
{{BundleEnd}}

===LPWA Mixed Tag Team Championship===
The LPWA Tag Team Championship was an existing [[professional wrestling]] [[tag team]] title recognized in early-mid 1990. In 1973, [[Adrian Street|Adrian Street and Miss Linda]] won the World Mixed Tag Team Championship by defeating Don Kovaks and Suzie Parker in Germany. Street and Linda were still undefeated as champions when they joined the LPWA in 1990 and continued to defend the championships in the promotion.<ref name=mixed>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizarebazzar.com/pedigree.htm|title=Pedigree of Champions|author=Street, Adrian|publisher=Bizare Bazzar|access-date=2010-10-10|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015113240/http://bizarebazzar.com/pedigree.htm|archive-date=2010-10-15}}</ref>

{{Professional wrestling title history top|active=no}}
{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number   = 1
|champion = {{sortname|Adrian|Street}} and Miss Linda
|reign    = 1
|date     = January 1990
|days     = N/A
|location = N/A
|event    = LMLW show
|notes    = 
|ref      =
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 1.5
|type     = deactivated
|date     = 1990
|notes    = The championship was abandoned after [[Adrian Street]] and Miss Linda left LPWA by the end of 1990.
|ref      =
}}
{{BundleEnd}}

==Alumni==

===Wrestlers===

====Female wrestlers====
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*Allison Royal ({{small|Christine Arrant}})
*Alona Star
*Alma Alvarez
*Babyface Nellie
*Bad Girl
*[[Selina Majors|Bambi]] ({{small|Selina Majors}})
*The Beast ({{small|Peggy Patterson}})
*Black Venus ({{small|Jean Kirkland}})
*Brandy Wine
*[[Brittany Brown]]
*[[Candi Devine]] ({{small|Candace Rummel, also billed as The Goddess}})
*Cheryl Day
*[http://www.cherylrusa.com/ Cheryl Rusa] ({{small|also billed as Little Mo}})
*Comrade Orga Stalinska
*[[Dawn Marie Johnston|Dawn Marie]] ({{small|Dawn Marie Johnston}})
*Dangerous Debbie T Wild
*Denise Storm
*[[Desiree Petersen]]
*Despina Montagas
*[[Diane Von Hoffman]]
*Eagle Sawai
*Flame
*[[Harley Saito]]
*[[Heidi Lee Morgan]]
*[[Judy Martin (wrestler)|Judy Martin]] ({{small|Judy Hardee}})<ref name=glam>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/08/06/4397845.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715233809/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/08/06/4397845.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 15, 2012|title=Return of a "Glamour Girl"|author=Johnson, Steven|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|access-date=2008-11-06|date=August 8, 2007}}</ref>
*Kimmie Kozak
*La Gata
*Lady Lilith ({{small|also billed as Miss Lily Tedesco}})
*[[Peggy Lee Leather|Lady X]] ({{small|Peggy Lee Leather}})
*[[Leilani Kai]] ({{small|Patricia Schroeder}})<ref name=glam/>
*Lisa Starr
*[[Debrah Miceli|Madusa Miceli]] ({{small|Debra Miceli}})
*[[Mimi Lesseos|Magnificent Mimi]] ({{small|Mimi Lesseos}})
*[[Malia Hosaka]]
*Mami Kitamura
*Midori Saito
*Miki Handa
*[[Adrian Street|Miss Linda]]
*[[Misty Blue Simmes]] ({{small|Diane Syms}})
*Mizuki Endoh
*Nasty Kat ({{small|Kat LeRoux}})
*Nasty Linda ({{small|Linda Dallas}})
*[[Reggie Bennett]] ({{small|also billed as Big Mo}})
*[[Rockin' Robin (wrestler)|Rockin' Robin]] ({{small|Robin Smith}})
*Rusty "The Fox" Thomas
*Samantha Pain
*Shelly Francis ({{small|also billed as "The Desert Rose" Sheba}})
*[[Shinobu Kandori]]
*Sindy Paradise
*[[Sue Green|Susan Green]]
*[[Susan Sexton]]
*[[Jacqueline Moore|Sweet Georgia Brown]] ({{small|Jacqueline Moore}})
*[[Tori (wrestler)|Terri Power]] ({{small|Terri Poch}})
*[[Ivory (wrestler)|Tina Moretti]] ({{small|Lisa Moretti}})
*[[Wendi Richter]]
*Yukari Osawa
{{div col end}}

====Male wrestlers====
*[[Adrian Street]] ({{small|also manager of Miss Linda}})
*[[Barry Horowitz]]
*[[Tim Horner]]

===Tag Teams===
*Bambi and Malia Hosaka
*'''Bad Black and Beautiful''' ({{small|Bad Girl and Black Venus with Boogaloo Brown}})
*'''[[The Glamour Girls|The Glamour Girls (The Queen's Court)]]''' ({{small|Leilani Kai and Judy Martin with Christopher Love}})
*'''Locomotion''' ({{small|Big Mo/Reggie Bennett and Little Mo/Cheryl Rusa}})
*'''The Mighty Mites''' ({{small|Cheryl Rusa and Sindy Paradise}})
*'''The Nasty Girls''' ({{small|Nasty Kat/Kat LeRoux and Nasty Linda/Linda Dallas}})
*'''New Team America''' ({{small|Misty Blue Simmes and Allison Royal}})
*Rockin' Robin and Wendi Richter
*'''Team America''' ({{small|Misty Blue Simmes and Heidi Lee Morgan, later Heidi Lee Morgan and Comrade Orga Stalinska}})

====Mixed Tag Teams====
*Adnan Al-Kaissie and Sheba
*Adrian Street and Miss Linda
*Barry Horowitz and Lisa Starr
*Tim Horner and Malia Hosaka

===Other on-air talent===
'''Commissioner'''
*[[Wally Karbo]]

'''Managers'''
*[[Adnan Al-Kaissie]] ({{small|also occasional wrestler}})<ref name=glam/>
*Ashley Kennedy ({{small|also occasional wrestler}})
*Boogaloo Brown
*Jonathan Blue
*[[Mike Shaw|Norman]] ({{small|Mike Shaw}})
*"Queen" Christopher Love ({{small|Bert Prentice}})

'''Announcers'''
*[[Jim Cornette]]
*[[Joe Pedicino]]
*[[Ken Resnick]]
*Mick Karch
*[[Nick Bockwinkel]]
*[[Sgt. Slaughter]] ({{small|Robert Remus}})

'''Interviewer'''
*[[Boni Blackstone]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Galloway, Paul. ''"Sexy Sindy's Unlikely Hold on Female Wrestlingdom"''. <u> Washington Post. </u> 6 May 1990
*Rowh, Mark and William Ray Heitzmann. ''Careers for Sports Nuts & Other Athletic Types''. Chicago: McGraw-Hill Professional, 1997. {{ISBN|0-8442-4325-6}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://allwomenwrestling.com/}}

{{Professional wrestling in the United States}}
{{Women's professional wrestling}}

[[Category:Independent professional wrestling promotions based in the Southwestern United States]]
[[Category:American women's professional wrestling promotions]]
[[Category:Defunct professional wrestling promotions]]