Wrestling Dispute

Feb 6 2010 by Cameron Hay, Paisley Daily Express

A TINY band of wrestlers are ready to fight out it out with muscle-bound warriors from the world-famous WWE – over the use of their NAME!

The Scottish Wrestling Alliance in Linwood is squaring up to the big boys of global sports entertainment after they pinched their title for a new show.

SWA bosses here in Renfrewshire launched a youth academy for up-and-coming grapplers called SWA:NXT four years ago. But now World Wrestling Entertainment boss Vince McMahon has announced similar plans for his company in the US – and even copied the SWA’s show title.

Three-time Scottish heavyweight champ Adam Shame is one of the stars of the SWA.

He insists that he and his pals came up with the name first – and offered to fight it out with McMahon and his stars for the right to use it!

“NXT was something we came up with quite a few years ago to use for our training school for kids before they moved up into the main competitions.

“It is like an under-21 training team for wrestlers. McMahon obviously doesn’t have Google because when you type in NXT Wrestling, our site comes up first.

“We could always settle this in the ring – Adam Shame versus Vince McMahon.”

This is not the first time McMahon’s company – famous for introducing stars like Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and The Rock to British wrestling fans via Sky TV – has faced accusations over its name.

Back in 2000, McMahon was forced to ditch its World Wrestling Federation title and the WWF acronym after breaking an agreement with the World Wide Fund for Nature – also known as the WWF.

Peter Murphy, owner of the Scottish Wrestling Alliance, says his firm have yet to hear from McMahon or his company.

“We have had no direct contact from WWE regarding this matter but we welcome any conversation or resolution they would like to put forward,” he said.

“We have been running as NXT for many years. We’re just a small not-for-profit organisation that started up to offer people somewhere they could go to participate in the hobby they love in a safe and secure environment.

“Everyone at the Scottish Wrestling Alliance is honoured that WWE have decided to name their latest product after SWA’s feeder programme, NXT.”

The next NXT show is to be held at the Spittal Community Centre in Rutherglen tonight at 6pm and at Bargarran Community Centre, Erskine, on Friday, February 19.