Over the past few years Mario Savodi`s IWCCW wrestling form the 1980`s and 90`s has resurfaced in recent years. This is in large part to the Ultimate Wrestling Classic network being available on ROKU, our own Rick Del Santo`s shoot interviews with the companies largest stars, and the many fan groups on social media.  This article will not be an overall synopsis of IWCCW, it will specifically concentrate on the company`s working agreements, that brought top wrestling stars from all over the world to the northeast area.

When the Savoldi`s bought the name International Championship Wrestling in 1984, they immediately struck a deal with wrestling from Montreal, through former WWF star Dominic Denucci, who was a big star in Montreal at the time.  In the companies early days, their cards were made up by mostly wrestlers from the Montreal territory, with local new England wrestlers filling out the card. Many of the top stars from Montreal wrestled on the early ICW card including, The Roques(Jaque, Raymond, Armond)Edourd Carpenter, Dino Bravo, Frenchy Martin, Madog Leaverde, Sailor White, Joe Leduc, Richard Charland, Gino Bravo and Gino Bravo JR. Mario Savoldi even appeared on Montreal TV as A commentator for A dominic Denucci match.

It was in 1985 when the ICW started their weekly TV, that was made up of local wrestlers, wrestlers who were recently on WWF TV, NWA territory stars, but the main core of talent came from WWC Puerto Rico. ICW recognized WWC Universal champion Carlos Colon and Dorry Funk JR as the companies  champions and the WWC tag team champions The New York Rockers(Al Perez and Joe Savoldi)as their tag team champions Hercules Ayala was also a regular. The WWC recognized Ric Flair as their world champion, and Flair defended his title against Funk, David Schultz and Randy Rose on ICW shows.

During that period the Bushwackers, then known as the Sheephearders(managed by Johnathan Boyd), became the companies bookers and were regulars on the shows, where they feuded with all three Invaders throughout the northeast. During this period a lot of WWC wrestlers would come in and out of ICW for short runs. These wrestlers included the Rock N Roll RPMS, Eric Embry, Jose Jovica, El Gran Apollo, Black Gordman, King Tonga(Haku) Rocky Della Sera and Hurricane Costello JR.

It was during the 1985 WWC partnership where the Savodi`s first started cooperating with Florida Championship Wrestling, when the companies announcer Gordon Sole also started working for ICW. Percy Pringle(Paul Bearer) did an interview along with florida tag team champions Rick Rude and Jesse Barr, promoting upcoming ICW appearances, as well as coming up to manage Abdulah the Butcher. Kevin Sullivan also started making appearances, before becoming the companies booker in 1986.

In 1986 when Sullivan became the booker, he decided to only bring in a handful of stars in from Florida Championship wrestling, but that handful of stars, would be regulars on ICW TV and ICW shows. The Florida crew that Sullivan brought in were Blackjack Mulligan, Barry and kendhal Whindham, Joe Savoldi, Kevin Sullivan, Ron Slinker, Mark Lewin, Buddy Rose, Fallen Angel(Nany Beniot)and King Curtis. Billy Graham was wrestling for Savoldi at the time, which worked out great, as he was a former member and enemy of Kevin Sullivans Army of Darkness.

Later in 1986 AWA and their stars from ESPN started appearing  with ICW. This cards were very much like the Montreal shows, where the AWA stars made up the majority of the card, with the local guys filling in. During this period the ICW looked like the AWA`s B television show, as ICW TV was made up of stars who wrestled on AWA`s weekly ESPN show that had much better production then the ICW TV program.

The positive about the AWA stars coming in was that some of the biggest stars in wrestling history would come in during this period. In 1986 the AWA brought The Midnight Rocker(Shawn Michaels and Marty jannetty) Scott Hall, Curt Henning, Buddy Rose, Doug Summers, Larry Zbysko, Nick Bockwinkel, SGT. Slaughter, Superfly Snuka, Col Debeers, Borris Zukoff, Big John Harris, Ali Khan,  The Super Ninja, Johnny Rich, The Last Warrior, Sheik Adnan, Sherri Martel and Despina Montagoues. Verne Gagne also did commentary on some shows.

IWC wrestlers such as Joe Savoldi, The Pink Assassin, Brian Walsh, Eric Sbracia, and the Boston Badboy`s(Tony Rumble and Rocky Raymond) appeared on some AWA northeast shows.

After Kevin Sullivan`s run as Booker, ICW established themselves in Florida and were able to take themselves and the AWA to florida in order to run shows. Florida Championship wrestling stars did wrestle on ICW/AWA shows. The Fabolous ones, Jack Hart(Barry Horowitz) Bugsy Mcgraw, Jim Haley, and Scotty Williams were all on those shows. Tyree Pride left such an impression that he started wrestling on AWA shows as well. At that time Rusty Brooks, Red Robets, The Malenko`s (dean and Joe) and the Terminator(Brain Carr) also came in from Global wrestling in Florida.

In 1988 The ICW actually had an agreement with a little known promotion in Ontario. The company`sbigger names Johnny K-9, Steve Gatorwolf and Lou Fabino went back and forth. Olympia Hautour(corporal Kelley from Glow) Sheena the Voodoo queen and others would wrestle in woman`s battle Royales , with the winner wrestling ICW woman`s champ Hedi Lee Morgan on ICW shows in the United States and Canada.

In Ontario the shows featured veterans were wrestling in Canada such as Cactus Jack, The Spoiler, DI Carter, Dusty Wolfe, Nick Decarlo, Johnathan Holiday, as well as local stars such as Madog Rex, Big Mac,Carlos Matties and others.

From 1989 until the promotion folded in 1995, the ICW/IWCCW formed a strong working relationship with the WWF.  The WWF would sent  some of their TV jobbers such as Iron Mike Sharpe, SD Jones, Mario Mancinaribeani and Jose Luis Rivera.  Also Nickoli Volkoff came in and teamed with the Russian Brute on loan from the WWF, right before volkoff would turn good and feud with his former Bolsheviks tag team partner Borris Zhukov.  ICW stars such as the Eliminators(Mike Williams and Johnny Grunge) and the Caribbean Cyclone(Tony Ulysis) made appearances on WWF TV in losing efforts, and ICW stars Ray Oddessey, Taz, Scott Putski, Vic Steamboat and the Undertakers, who got a small push from the WWF as Double Trouble, all received WWF tryouts in 1991.

In 1991 when business was down for the WWF, the company actually started sending some of their big name bottom mid-card talent to ICW. Superfly Snuka, Tito Santana, Koko B Ware, Pat Tanaka and The Brooklyn Brawler all wrestled IWCCW shows on loan from the WWF in 1991. The Bushwackers who made appearance`s for ICW until the company went out of business in 1995, were also lent to IWCCW by the WWF in 1991

It was also in 1991 when Kevin Von Erich sold the WCCW name to the Savoldi`s turning the company into IWCCW. On the John Arezzi radio program in January of 1991, Kevin Von Erich, Chris Adams, Iceman Parsons,  Kerry Von Erich(on loan from the WWF) and WWC universal champion Carolos Colon were all advertised as appearing on the show.

I don’t know exactly who made it up entirely, but I know for sure that Kevin Von Erich appeared and wrestled IWCCW stars The Butcher, Eliminator Zip(Mike Williams) Mike Kaluah and The Tazmaniac.

For over a decade The ICW was able to forge many different working agreements with other promotions. Stars These agreements allowed wrestling fans from the northeast to see many stars around the country wrestle in person and on television.  These agreements allowed northeast fans to see watch wrestlers, matches and feuds that they otherwise would not have been ever to see, and I think that is what will be Angelo Savoldis legacy in wrestling.