IWA Mid-South will cease operations after this Friday's event in Bellevue, IL. Word had started to make rounds early Wednesday afternoon, and at 1:42PM eastern time, IWA Mid-South confirmed it on their message board.
The Ted Petty Invitational tournament planned for September has been canceled. Several talents I spoke to had not yet been contacted by IWA about the event cancellation, nor had they been informed that the company was closing.
The reason for the closure should be of no surprise, as they simply could no longer afford to run shows. Finances had gotten so bad that they could no longer even pay their Internet bill, which was their main tool of advertising and promotion. Deals made with individuals and companies were not as helpful as had been hoped, with some business agreements hitting snags that resulted in the company not getting the money when promised. DVD sales with their main distributor, Smart Mark Video, were also down, likely due to diminishing interest and, to a lesser extent, piracy. Interest in the company's product was at an all time low, though the Ted Petty Invitational events had gotten some positive feedback. Its likely though that the TPI lineup would have changed signficantly even if they'd not canceled it.
John Williams, known professionally as Ian Rotten, formed the Independent Wrestling Association (the Mid-South would be added later) in 1996 following his departure from Extreme Championship Wrestling. Originally run as a weekly hardcore wrestling show with a Southern flavor, the company would eventually head north, into the Midwest, after the Kentucky State Athletic Commission clamped down on hardcore wrestling. The IWA would then transform into one of the most diverse independent wrestling groups in the country, highlighting everything from hardcore to technical wrestling.
The IWA played a significant part in the careers of C.M. Punk, Colt Cabana, Chris Hero, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, and many more wrestlers that went on to World Wrestling Entertainment, Total Nonstop Action, and Ring of Honor. With its closure there is one less high profile independent group out there for guys to get their name out there.
