Founded in 1998 by wrestlers Dan McDevitt and Mark Shrader, MCW Pro Wrestling was originally established as an extension of the wrestling school, Bone Breakers Training Center. The company held its first-ever event at Baltimore's Patapsco Arena on July 19, 1998, featuring a six-man match to crown the first-ever Light Heavyweight Champion. The winner of the match was Shane Shamrock, who unfortunately passed away the following month. In his honor, MCW named him as the lifetime Light Heavyweight Champion and replaced it with the Cruiserweight Championship. Since then, MCW has held a yearly event in Shane Shamrock's honor, "The Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup," which has become one of the biggest independent wrestling tournaments every year. The tournament is named after Shane Shamrock, who was the first-ever MCW Light Heavyweight Champion. Some of the previous winners of the tournament include current AEW and NXT star Adam Cole, Impact Wrestling star Sami Calihan, Indy Wrestling standout Reckless Youth, AEW Star Action Andretti, NWA Wrestling Star Luke Hawx, who has also appeared on the starz series Heels, and WWE, AEW, and MLW star Lio Rush. Throughout the years, MCW Pro Wrestling has featured veteran wrestlers such as Ricky Steamboat, Ricky Morton, Bobby Eaton, Tito Santana, The Iron Sheik, Sensational Sherri Martel, The Road Warriors, King Kong Bundy, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, X- Pac, Former WCW Champion Sting, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Goldberg, Shawn Michaels, The Nature Boy Ric Flair, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Orange Cassidy, Christian Cage, Jay Lethal, Big Van Vader, Enzo, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Former WWE Divas Champion Melina, Mean Gene Okerlund, and Billy Gunn. Many of today's well-known wrestlers got their start in MCW before appearing on national television, including Lio Rush, Velveteen Dream, WWE Hall of Famer Lita Amy Dumas, Mickie James, Maxwell Jacob Friedman MJF, Adam Cole, Action Andretti and Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy The Hardy Boys. One of the most historic events in MCW Pro Wrestling history includes the appearance of Steve Wilkos of The Jerry Springer Show who made a one-night appearance, teaming with Gillberg to defeat The Slackers (Chad Bowman and Dino Devine) in a tag team match on March 27, 2002. Additionally, on July 18, 2015, MCW hosted the very last Piper's Pit as Rowdy Roddy Piper made his final public appearance just weeks before passing away. Formerly known as Maryland Championship Wrestling, MCW changed its name in 2016 to MCW Pro Wrestling to better reflect its status as a professional wrestling promotion that held events beyond the state of Maryland. The company has since established itself as one of the top independent wrestling promotions in the country, with a focus on developing new talent and putting on entertaining and exciting events for fans. MCW Pro Wrestling is committed to delivering high-quality wrestling events that entertain and excite audiences. The company continues to grow and evolve, and it remains a top destination for wrestlers who want to make a name for themselves in the world of professional wrestling. With an impressive roster of talented wrestlers and a rich history that spans over two decades, MCW Pro Wrestling is a company that is sure to continue to captivate fans for years to come.
