Catch Wrestling Association

Catch Wrestling Association was a Major pro wrestling promotion based in Graz, Styria, Austria.

The CWA AUSTRIA promotion was founded on January 1, 1973 by Otto Wanz & Peter William, and it ceased operations on December 4, 1999.

The Catch Wrestling Association, which ran from 1973 to 1999, was the largest wrestling promotion in Austria and Germany for much of its existence. After overtaking Verband der Berufsringer in the late 1970s as the region’s biggest promotion, the company would become one of Europe’s premier wrestling federations in the 1980s and 1990s, withstanding the immense popularity of the WWF at the time. Hosted under British Mountevan “European” rules, the CWA would be distinct for its rounds system and emphasis on presenting matches as international bouts.

The preeminent star of the CWA was Otto Wanz, a boxer and strongman who would promote in his native Austria, while business partner and commentator Peter William promoted in Germany. The yearly “Euro Catch Festival” would attract big crowds through the 1990s, and would be an event comparable to WWF’s Wrestlemania. Young American stars such as Vader and John Bradshaw Layfield would achieve success here, and its greatest export is WCW star Alex Wright.

Catch Wrestling Association: Info