This is another old article we dug up introducing the LPWA. The magazine was Wrestling Eye, and the following was by Don Laible.
“You’ve tried the rest, now try the best”. It’s safe to assume we have all heard that saying before. Every type of business today is pulling out all the stops to lure the consurner’s entertainment dollar. Professional wrestling is no exception. In fact, there have been many women’s wrestling leagues sprouting up, trying to zero in on that targeted audience. So, a new league would really have to stand out in order for discriminating fans to notice. The Ladies Professional Association has done just that in a mere six months.
The LPWA has already been besieged by reporters, photographers, promoters and arena managers attempting to cash in and jump on the band wagon of their success. Still in their infancy, the best surprises are yet to come from the LPWA.
The Riverside Casino in Laughlin, Nevada has been the top bidder in securing the LPWA live shows. Located slightly more than an hour’s car ride from Las Vegas, the brightest and most decorated female ring warriors continue to flock to Laughlin for the most lucrative winning purses offered in women’s wrestling circles. The mastermind behind the organization’s growth is president Tor Berg. Ironically, Berg, a native of Alaska, didn’t have plans to take his LPWA on tour.
When he put the promotion together his plans were to strictly have the women wrestlers performing as a regional troop. However, once the LPWA was seen on the Madison Square Garden Cable Network, the wrestlers under contract saw their popularity balloon.
Fan pressure and support won out. Berg quickly found out just how starved the public was for top female wrestling action. Already, the LPWA offices in Las Vegas have had to be renovated to accommodate the addition.
The LPWA is loaded with gifted women wrestlers and has an ample supply of accomplished managers, too. Bogalu Brown handles the mat affairs for The Black Venus. Like Big Mo, Venus is competitive in body building contests, so Brown has already begun negotiating for singles matchups pitting his Venus against Big Mo.
Trained by The Fabulous Moolah, The Black Venus knows every dirty trick in the book. When these two meet, it will be like Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior battling to the finish.
Sheik Adnan El Kaissey guides the career of Sheeba – Rose of the Desert. He does all her talking during interviews. To ensure victory for the lovely, yet dangerous Sheeba, it has not been beneath Kaissey to assault her opponents. When The Masked Goddess applied a Boston Crab leg lock on Sheeba, The Sheik stepped onto the canvas and administered a forearm smash to The Goddess’ stomach, forcing the hold to be broken.
The Magnificent Mimi, Miss Linda and her manager Adrian Street and La Gato (The Cat), along with managerial menace Jonathon Blue (better known as “Chrome Dome” by the fans) also are important players.
An interesting feature on the LPWA TV program, is Brad Rheingans “Hold of the Week” segment. Two women wrestlers demonstrate the particular hold while Brad, an amateur and professional champion, narrates. This part of the show is quite informative and helps the viewers understand what they are watching.
You don’t hear chants of ”Boring” during LPWA matches and rest holds are few and far between. Tor Berg and crew couldn’t be happier with the results of their wrestling project at this time. The LPWA are taking each step forward slowly, crawling before they walk and eventually running away from the many othe. all-women wrestling leagues operating in North America today.
