After a successful pilot broadcasted on New Year’s Eve, ITV Studios Entertainment Manchester announced today it commissioned an initial 10-part series of World of Sport Wrestling. Impact Wrestling will be their partner in this new adventure.
After a 30-year absence, the iconic wrestling show, where British legends such as Big Daddy, Mick McManus and Rollerball Rocco had their moment of glory, came back to feature the very best of today’s wrestlers from the current U.K. scene.
Davey Boy Smith Jr., Johnny Moss, Sha Samuels, Kenny Williams, CJ Banks, Alexis Rose, Viper, El Ligero, Joe and Mark Coffey were apart of the pilot which saw Dave Mastiff and Grado become successively World of Sport Champion. With Jim Ross and Alex Shane commentating.
They will compete live at the Preston Guild Hall on Thursday 25th May and Friday 26th May (bell time 7.30 PM). A launch event will take place this Monday, March 27 th (2 PM) in Manchester to reveal all the details of these upcoming live shows.
It will also include a meet & greet and a Q&A session (press as fans are invited but, due to a limited number of places, please email to reserve at wswaudience@itv.com).
This initial commission of 10 episodes will allow ITV Studios to team up with Impact Wrestling to relaunch the World of Sport Wrestling brand, bringing British stars to ITV while leveraging the roster and creative team of Impact Wrestling, along with its expertise in live event production and international distribution.
For Ed Nordholm, President of Impact Wrestling, “This opportunity to work with ITV Studios to revive this iconic brand in the United Kingdom is a perfect example of the ways in which we intend to leverage our strengths to build our presence in international markets in collaboration with local organizations.”
Jeff Jarrett, Chief Creative Officer for IMPACT Wrestling, relates World of Sport to the professional wrestling tradition his family is also apart of : “My family’s lineage in the industry dates back 70-plus years, so I am honoured for the opportunity to work on reviving the legacy of this historic British series.”
As noted by Tom McIennan, Director of Entertainment of ITV Studios Manchester, the British wrestling scene is extremely thriving and generates more and more interest around the world. So, “there has never been a better time to bring it back to ITV after a gap of 30 years.”
Tickets for Preston Guild shows will go on sale at 9am on Friday 7th April from Gigsandtours.com / Ticketmaster.co.uk / prestonguildhall.co.uk.