Wrestle Carnival has been reignited heading into the new year, but with a format that takes inspiration from an unlikely source.
The Coventry-based wrestling promotion will host a trio of events in 2025. However, instead of the traditional format of wrestlers fighting for championships, wrestlers will instead aim to win three yearly tournaments.
Gary Ward, the company’s founder and owner, said: “Snooker played a significant role in my inspiration. I enjoy the game a lot, even though I’m not very good at it.
“Watching snooker tournaments made me think about how this format could work well for professional wrestling. The idea of a Triple Crown tournament has been in my plans for some time and was initially going to be the main feature of our PURE Rules events.
“However, I realised that incorporating Wrestle Carnival and tournament events would be a unique way to stand out and return to live events.”
Wrestling and Snooker… Unlikely Companions:
Pro wrestling and snooker are perhaps the unlikeliest of bedfellows: one a high-octane energy-rush of larger than life characters, and the other a slower, mellow sport.
However, Gary Ward is attempting to marry the two together as he revives Wrestle Carnival.
The ‘Triple Crown’ series, inspired by snooker’s BBC-broadcasted events of the same name, will kickstart in April. That will be ‘The Invitational’, following by the ‘World Grand Prix’ in the summer and ‘The Masters’ in October.
Gary Ward Back for Another Bite of the Wrestle Carnival Cherry:
The promotion was born in the summer of 2021, before closing down for good in January 2024.
Gary Ward, Wrestle Carnival’s promoter, took on a role with Revolution Pro Wrestling during a recent hiatus in his own company, but now returns to the forefront of his own promotion.
He spoke about not wanting to have regrets, instead choosing to dive head first back into the world of his own making. The new format sets his promotion apart from their competition and contemporaries, with 2025 a potentially successful year for Wrestle Carnival.