It is not easy to find quality, family-oriented sports entertainment that serves New England on a regular basis. In 1996, promoter Mike Sparta and wrestler Brittany Brown decided to do something about the deficiency. They pooled their resources, built a ring and began the arduous process of starting their own federation. The result of their hard work and long hours was the World Wrestling Alliance-New England (WWA).

Starting an independent wrestling federation is much like starting any other business; there has to be a need for the service or product, the capital to start it up and the workers necessary to keep it running. It also required the investment of a considerable amount of time and effort on the parts of all those involved just to get the federation off the ground.

There is promoting to be done, venue-to-venue scouting to find suitable arenas for shows and bargaining for deals with printers for advertising. All of that, while still monumentally important, is secondary to hiring talent. Without wrestlers, there is no show, and so the recruiting process begins. There are piles and piles of videos to go through from prospective wrestlers searching for another arena to show off what they can do. Each wrestler is studied carefully for consistency in performance, attitude and character. Finally, the promoters need to decide whether or not a wrestler will bring something to the ring that will make the show that much more spectacular.

However, even after a venue is secured and posters are made and a roster is selected, there is no guarantee that the federation will be a success. Something has to make your promotion stand out from all the others out there.

There are promoters whose only goal is to put on the bloodiest show they can, as often as they can. In these organizations, there is less regard for the welfare of their talent – because wrestlers are a dime a dozen and it’s not hard to find someone to replace the injured – and more interest in the almighty dollar. These are still entertaining shows, and there are federations like this that are successful. However, while these extreme federations put on a good, high-impact show, at the same time they sacrifice the quality entertainment that keeps people returning month after month, year after year. A wrestler can only put his body through so much before it rebels and says no more. And while there will always be someone younger and equally talented to step in and take a place on the roster, it is only a matter of time before wrestlers realize they’re not going to survive long in that kind of environment.

So, one thing was clear to these two entrepreneurs right from the start: in order for the WWA to be a success, they would have to consistently put on top-quality shows and have a roster of the best up-and-coming talent in the Northeast. Not only do they have some of the best independent wrestlers in the country (several members of their roster have been called up more than once as enhancement wrestlers for World Wrestling Entertainment), but they also have on their roster Danny Davis, a wrestler with the (former) World Wrestling Federation in the eighties, as well as members of the MTV show “Tough Enough,” – Danny from “Tough Enough 2” and Jonah from “Tough Enough 3.” With such talent, it’s hard to imagine that they would put on anything but a good show, and the WWA doesn’t disappoint.

Each show is high energy, hard-hitting excitement. There are feuds and there are storylines, and they make sense, which is perhaps the most important aspect. These storylines can carry over from show to show, and a newcomer to the WWA audience can listen to what’s being said by each wrestler and immediately understand why there is tension between them. A feud between Danny from “Tough Enough 2” and Jonah from “Tough Enough 3” makes sense because Danny was cut before the final episode, where it was decided who would receive WWE contracts, whereas Jonah made it all the way. There’s anger, resentment and plain hatred from Danny, and it’s easy for anyone to see that as soon as the two of them enter the ring.

Every show also promises the appearance of at least one current or former WWE talent. In fact, several of the wrestlers on the existing WWE roster got their start with the WWA, and it is common to see one of them return for a guest appearance with the alliance. Wrestlers like the Hardy Boyz, Kurt Angle, Edge, Steven Richards and A-Train have all made return stops to the WWA ring – both to entertain the fans and to thank the WWA for giving them one of their first breaks.

It is, perhaps, the wrestlers who benefit the most, though, when these superstars return to the WWA ring, for these WWE hopefuls recognize that having a superstar in the ring is an opportunity for them to learn what it takes to make it to the big leagues. It doesn’t matter who the guest is or how old they are or how long they have been wrestling. What matters is that they made it to the WWE, and any advice they can give, any tips that they have, are invaluable to independent wrestlers. Whoever the superstar is – whether they are a current or former WWE star – they have made it all the way, so they have done something right. Listening to their stories and watching them work is a sure way to pick up guidelines for making it in a business that has no problem discarding you like yesterday’s trash.

There is always something that can be learned, even by those who have been independent wrestlers longer than some WWE superstars have been alive.

Did Mike Sparta and Brittany Brown accomplish what they set out to do – create quality, family-oriented sports entertainment? Ask any of the fans who return each month to see their shows. It is obvious to anyone in the audience that much work goes into each and every moment that is presented for viewing. Is the WWA a financial success? As with any business, some days are better than others. Overall, the WWA has found many different types of success. It employs a full-time staff of five, and they contract with hundreds of wrestlers each year. Most importantly, they have learned that changes in the entertainment industry require an adjustment on their part to keep things running smoothly and to keep the fans happy.

Is the World Wrestling Alliance successful? It is in the eyes of this fan. But don’t take my word for it. The WWA puts on shows every month and April is no exception. Friday, April 11 finds the WWA in Randolph, Mass. and on Saturday, April 12, it will be in Pepperell, Mass.

On the Net: http://www.wwanewengland.com.

Emilie Duggan-Hicks is a Collegian Columnist.