WWCA Era #2 kicks off Friday, May 1. Here's what you need to kbow

Beginning Friday, May 1st we open the second era, January 1, 1970. Here is a bridge from where are in Era 1 to the beginning of Era 2.

Canadian Championship Wrestling: From Theatres to Television (1950–1970)

Canadian Championship Wrestling began in 1950 as a regional attraction built on grit, competition, and community. In its earliest days, CCW events were filmed and distributed to local theatres, where fans gathered to watch the action unfold days after it happened. Wrestling was presented as a sport first, and spectacle second.

By 1953, CCW took a major step forward, securing its first television agreement with CJOH in Ottawa. For the first time, fans could tune in on Friday nights and watch the matches from their own homes. These broadcasts were kinescoped for preservation, marking the beginning of CCW’s recorded history.

In 1956, the promotion evolved again. CCW began taping blocks of television—producing one month of programming at a time. This created a consistent weekly schedule, delivering 52 episodes a year and establishing wrestling as a regular part of life across Ontario.

Through the 1960s, CCW grew in stature under the leadership of owner and lead play-by-play voice Edmond Vincent. His voice became synonymous with the promotion, guiding viewers through its biggest moments. Behind the scenes, Vincent’s personal life shifted dramatically. Following a divorce in the mid-1960s, he ensured through legal measures that control of the company would pass solely to his eldest son, George Vincent.

As the decade progressed, new stars defined the promotion. Carroll Fadden, once an unpredictable rookie in 1950, evolved into the face of CCW. On April 24, 1964, he defeated Glandice Montgomery to win the CCW Championship, beginning a reign that would shape the company for years to come.

The tag team division, introduced in 1952, also flourished, becoming a cornerstone of CCW’s identity.

Then came August 29, 1969—a day that would forever change the course of CCW.

Earlier that evening, Larry “The Axe” Hennig and Harley Race captured the CCW Tag Team Championships from Cy Swinyer and Roy Frank. It should have been remembered as a defining championship moment.

Instead, tragedy struck.

Driving home after a celebration that night, Edmond Vincent was killed in a head-on collision.

Overnight, the voice and guiding force of CCW was gone.

In the days that followed, 16-year-old George Vincent assumed control of the company. Though Canadian law secured his inheritance, legal challenges from his mother would continue in the United States for years, casting uncertainty over the future.

George’s first decisions signaled a new direction.

He appointed family friend Harry Southmaid as the new voice of CCW, stepping into the role once held by his father. Then, on September 5, 1969, he rebranded the weekly broadcast as “Friday Night Championship Fights,” marking the beginning of a new era in presentation and identity.

As 1970 begins, CCW stands at a crossroads.

Carroll Fadden remains the reigning CCW Champion, a symbol of stability in uncertain times. Hennig and Race hold the Tag Team Championships, representing a more physical and dominant style of competition.

And at the center of it all is a young promoter—George Vincent—tasked with carrying his father’s legacy forward while proving that CCW can survive and grow in a changing world.

The 1950s built the foundation.

The 1960s created the stars.

Now, in 1970, a new era begins.