UPW becomes an official WWE^® Talent Scout

Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) is happy to announce that the Southern California based promotion along with its highly regarded wrestling school, Ultimate University, recently signed on as an official talent scout for World Wrestling Entertainment^® (WWE), the world-wide leader in sports entertainment. 

Since its inception in 1998, Ultimate University (UU) has been at the forefront of the pro wrestling industry. The school has trained over 500 aspiring pro wrestlers. Over 20 of those dedicated individuals have been signed to WWE contracts. Many of today’s biggest Superstars now making waves in WWE first got their feet wet in the sports entertainment business while training at Ultimate University, and performing on UPW live events. Many others have been booked through UPW to appear in WWE television commercials, print adds, video game motion capture sessions, televised matches, dark matches (try outs) and as extras on WWE TV and pay-per-view broadcasts. UU is also an official American talent supplier for Japan’s Zero-One and Hustle pro wrestling promotions. Through its Ultimate Casting Division, UU has assisted its students in Hollywood, with bookings for commercials, TV shows, movies and live events. 

That being said, Ultimate University has established itself as The #1 Pro Wrestling School in the Western U.S. As a result of our impressive track record of finding and training tomorrow’s Superstars, WWE has enlisted UPW in an official capacity to discover and begin the training process for potential WWE Superstars. Consequently, Ultimate University puts its students in the direct view of top decision makers from WWE Talent Relations, and offers the fast track to becoming a WWE Superstar. 

For more information, please email info@upw.com and see about Ultimate University.

We at UPW are thankful for the honor of working with WWE, and are primed and ready to begin building tomorrow’s Superstars…today! 

Trademarks: The names of all World Wrestling Entertainment televised and live programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and wrestling moves and all World Wrestling Entertainment logos are trademarks which are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., and are used with permission. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

HHH at the OC Dojo!

HHH was recently at the OC Dojo to shoot a new commercial for BSN's EndoRush

UPW has helped WWE many times throughout the years for commercial deals, shoot locations and commercial talent.

So when UPW got the call for this commercial, the location was obvious: The OC Dojo.

UPW's Rick Bassman, Anthony Rosas and Melinda Ackerman coordinated the commercial project.

Ultimate University student standout Mark Wertzberger worked in-ring the entire day with HHH.

November 2006

Since signing with WWE as a referee, former UPW Senior Official Marty Rubalcaba has made the most of some incredible opportunities. After paying his dues for over ten years in UPW and many other independent wrestling promotions, Marty is truly living his dream. In a relatively short amount of time, Rubalcaba has stepped up to the plate, proved himself and has laid down the law in high-profile matches featuring not only today’s top Superstars, but also some of the biggest legends in wrestling history.

When Marty was assigned to the Raw brand, he was one step closer to achieving one of his big dreams in the wrestling business; to work with Shawn Michaels. That dream became realty during WWE’s summer tour of Australia. Rubalcaba was assigned a tag team match in which The Spirit Squad battled a dream team consisting of 16-Time World Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and none other than “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels!

Marty received yet another great honor while working in the land “Down Under”; he officiated a match in which the WWE Championship was on the line. Not only that, but the match was contested inside the confines of a 15 ft. high steel cage. The fact that the match pitted Edge against fellow UPW alum John Cena made the moment even sweeter and more emotional for Rubalcaba. Marty has since spanned the globe with WWE on a tour of Mexico and will head to Japan on an upcoming tour.

Once he returned to the U.S. from Australia, Marty was only a couple of weeks away from reaching another goal that he sacrificed for years to reach; he would work on a WWE pay-per-view event. As if that was not enough, Rubalcaba’s WWE pay-per-view debut was in one of WWE’s biggest shows of the year, Summerslam. Although he had already officiated some huge matches, nothing could have prepared Marty for the opportunity he would have at Summerslam. Rubalcaba was the referee in a contest that saw “The Legend Killer” Randy Orton take on The Immortal Hulk Hogan! Marty had this to say about working with arguably the biggest wrestling legend of all time. “Being in the ring when Hogan made his entrance was surreal. It felt like a dream sequence, like everything was in slo-motion. It was a very special to make my ppv debut working with Hogan and Orton. They were tremendous to work with.”

It is fitting that Marty was feeling right at home in WWE, because the company would then return home to “The World’s Most Famous Arena” Madison Square Garden on September 11. On that night, Rubalcaba once again obtained a huge goal. He often dreamed of working for WWE in MSG. He again worked with one of the most enduring wrestling legends of all time, Rowdy Roddy Piper. Piper teamed with The Highlanders to take on The Spirit Squad. Rubalcaba considered it to be a huge honor to work with a legend who headlined the first Wrestlemania in that very building. Marty mentions his conversation with Piper in the dressing room after the match, “I told Roddy that it was a huge honor to work with him in MSG. I told him that no matter what happens, I will have that moment. One day, I will be able to tell my grandchildren about it. Roddy was touched, and gave me a hug.”

As Marty continues to turn his dreams into reality, one goal remains clear. to work at Wrestlemania. While Rubalcaba continues own personal “Road To Wrestlemania”, here are some of Marty’s WWE career highlights to date. He was the referee for the following matches:

• Rowdy Roddy Piper & The Highlanders v The Spirit Squad (Raw @ MSG)

• Trish Stratus v Mikie James (Trish’s last match on Raw)

• John Cena v Edge WWE Championship Steel Cage Match

• DX v The Highlanders, Charlie Haas & Viscera, and Cade and Murdoch (Raw)

• Eugene & Hacksaw Jim Duggan v The Spirit Squad

• Jerry “The King” Lawler v Randy Orton (Raw)

• Hogan v Orton at Summerslam

• Shawn Michaels & Ric Flair v The Spirit Squad

• Kane v Umaga (Raw)

• Chavo Guerrero v Rey Mysterio (WWE Mexico tour)

• ...To be continued!

Marty is looking forward to a homecoming when WWE returns to Southern California on October 15 for a Raw / Smackdown Super Show television taping. Southern California fans, make sure to head to Staples Center to take in all the action, and to give Marty a warm welcome home!
 

Related Stories:

Anthony Rosas Interviews Marty Rubalcaba

UPW Senior Referee Marty Rubalcaba
signs with WWE 

Sylvester "Predator" Terkay signs with WWE

UPW is proud to announce that former NCAA National Champion wrestler (North Carolina State University) in the Heavyweight Division and UPW star turned professional fighter, Sylvester “Predator” Terkay has officially signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). 

Longtime UPW fans will remember the early days of Terkay’s pro wrestling career in which he competed as Sylvester “The Escapee”.  Terkay holds the honor of being the first ever UPW Heavyweight Champion.  He was crowned as the inaugural titleholder after winning a battle royal.  Sylvester turned a lot of heads with his hulking size mixed with astonishing athleticism and agility given his stature.  Representatives from WWE Talent Relations were among those impressed with Terkay’s potential.  As a result, the UPW stand out was signed to a WWE developmental contract in 1999.  Terkay’s contract came to an end in 2001, and Sylvester returned to UPW action.

Now known as “Predator”, Sylvester worked harder than ever, and became an international pro wrestling star representing UPW while competing in Japan’s Zero-One.  Predator earned the honor of being named the #1 Gaijin (non-Japanese wrestler) in Japan.  Terkay also became a 2-Time NWA/Zero-One U.S. Champion.

Never satisfied, Predator took on yet another challenge when he began training for Mixed Martial Arts fighting competition.  Terkay made his MMA debut in grand fashion by knocking his opponent Mauricio da Silva out in just 13 seconds in a high profile fight as part of the annual K-1 New Year’s Eve spectacular, K-1 Dynamite.  He then went on to earn impressive wins over Kristoff Midoux and Mu Bae Choi.

Terkay recently fought again on K-1 Dynamite.  Predator, who was undefeated on K-1’s New Year’s Eve spectaculars coming into this year’s show, was being touted as the underdog.  Predator was fighting in his first ever K-1 rules fight (Kickboxing), and on top of that, it was against Remy Bonjasky, the two-time Grand Prix Champion in 2003 & 2004!   Most experts anticipated Bonjasky to dominate the fight as he is much more experienced in this style, and it caters to the staples of his offense, including flying knees and kicks.  Terkay, a wrestler, utilizes his great size and strength against his opponents in most cases.  Predator surprised everyone by taking the fight to Remy.  Terkay seemed to dominate the action, but lost the fight in a controversial split decision.

Despite not coming away with a win, in a fight where all of the odds were against him, Predator showed great promise in his first K-1 rules fight.  Many insiders said for him to last three rounds with Bonjasky was a victory in itself.  But the fact that most people felt he actually won the fight means even more.  Predator certainly made his mark in the K-1 world.  With performances like these, ,any were touting Predator as the next big thing in K-1 prior to his signing with WWE.  Terkay will now have the opportunity to dominate in the squared circle.  Where will Sylvester end up?  Raw?  Smackdown?  ECW?

One thing is for certain, WWE Superstars better get ready, because Predator is coming!

UPW in WWE

 

The worldwide leader in sports entertainment, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) recently made several stops here in Southern California for live events and TV tapings. As has become a tradition over the years, several dedicated members of the UPW roster earned the opportunity to walk the isle and perform under the bright lights of WWE.

UPW fans on hand at The Pond in Anaheim, and watching at home on May 8 were no doubt excited to see some familiar faces. Tony “Babi Slymm” Drake was very impressive in one-on-one action with Eugene. Despite the fact that Drake fell victim to Eugene’s rendition of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s vaunted finisher, after a strong showing, it would not be a “Stunner” to see UPW’s favorite Gangsta in a WWE ring again in the future. The match can be seen on WWE Heat by clicking here.

Tommy Wilson and Kevin “Johnny Goodtime” Martenson had the rare opportunity to perform in a match on Raw. That is the good news. The bad news is that these two talented youngsters had the unenviable task of taking on The Samoan Wreaking Machine Umaga! Thankfully, both were able to walk from the ring after the carnage, but just barely!

The next day in San Diego saw three more talented hopefuls take a step toward living their dream. UPW Senior Referee Marty Rubalcaba was awarded the honor of laying down the law as the referee of a match between Funaki and Sylvan. As always, Marty called it down the middle and impressed many with his ability and dedication. Rumor has it that Marty was in no hurry to take off the Smackdown referee shirt he wore to the ring. Here’s hoping that he will be wearing a similar shirt quite often in the not so distant future.

Joey Ryan teamed with Mike “Kid Vicious” Wellington in tag team action against The Gymini. The match was part of Friday Night Smackdown! on UPW. Much like Wilson and Martenson, Ryan and Wellington may not have won, or even come close for that matter, but they did UPW proud anyway, and learned a lot from the experience. Look for more news about the on-going relationship between UPW and WWE very soon.

That's a Wrap!

UPW's finest appear with WWE Superstars on new commercial

This shoot comes just a month after Shane "Mako'a" Roberts', Lamar "Sabbath" Tinnin's and Mike "Outlaw Marshall Knox" Kirkhart's appearance with HHH on WWE's "Stacker 2" shoot and just a few weeks after the appearance of 8 of UPW's writers and Ultimate University's students with Kane on RAW.

UPW Superstars to Appear in WWF World Series Commercial!

From Left to Right* Back Row: Bradshaw, Edge, Kane, Tom Howard, Frankie Kazarian, Matt Hardy Front Row: Rick Bassman, Cubanito Ricky Reyes, Jeff Hardy

On August 3rd and 4th several UPW superstars partook in a commercial shoot that will air during the World Series promoting WWF's monthly PPV. The commercial depicts your average day at the ballpark with a little WWF "Attitude" thrown in. Among the participants in the commercial are Cubanito Ricky Reyes (Umpire/Mr. Bobblehead Mascot) Smelly (Baseball Player) Tom Howard (Baseball Player) and Frankie Kazarian (Baseball Player).

The WWF Superstars who took part in the shoot include Kane, The A.P.A., The Hardy Boys, and Edge.

It was announced earlier this week that "The Riggs Brothers", Jason and Johnny, have signed with World Wrestling Entertainment.

All of us at UPW know that they will do well, whether as a tag team or as singles wrestlers.  We are all very happy for them and wish them our very best!

UPW congratulates Mike Knox and Derrick Neikirk
on their signing with WWE

It was announced earlier today that UPW's "Outlaws": 
Mike "Knox" Hettinga and Derrick Neikirk have signed with World Wrestling Entertainment and will soon be relocating to WWE's new Atlanta territory. 

Says UPW's Rick Bassman, "In my opinion, Mike and Derrick will soon be on WWE television. They're both experienced in-ring workers, with excellent psychology, the size and look that WWE likes, and each has a great attitude.  They'll do well, whether as a tag team or as singles wrestlers.  We're all happy for them and wish them our very best!"

To Mike and Derrick, from everyone at UPW: 
"Congrats!  We look forward to seeing you soon on RAW or Smackdown!" 

Appearing at RAW June 2 and Smackdown June 3!

Ryan "Keiji" Sakoda & "Superfreak" Chris Mordetzky

sign to WWE!

September 11, 2003

UPW's Rick Bassman announced today that two of UPW's and Ultimate University's best and brightest, Ryan Sakoda and Chris Mordetzky, are joining the WWE roster.

Sakoda has been a solid contributor to the UPW roster for over 3 years, as one its most colorful and popular Superstars, "The Japanese Assassin, Keiji Sakoda."  In addition to shining at UPW, Keiji became a star in his own right at Zero-One in Japan.  Between trips to Japan, Ryan has also often filled in as an instructor at UPW's Ultimate University, lending a hand to guide some of today's most promising prospects in the business.

Mordetzky first joined Ultimate University at 17.  He left shortly thereafter, in a quest for self-improvement.  Chris returned to UU a year and a half ago with a vengeance and "Superfreak" quickly became one of UPW's most popular wrestlers.  Still early in his development, Chris has developed great dedication, toughness and possibly, the best physique in the business.

Along with others at UPW/Ultimate University, WWE  Talent Relations had been looking at both Ryan and Chris carefully over the past few months. After several dark matches for Ryan and pre-show workouts for Chris, as well as review of tapes and promotional materials for both, UPW Owner Bassman got the word late Wednesday from WWE's John Laurinaitis.

"Ryan and Chris are great guys," Bassman said.  They've overcome alot of challenges and both have worked very, very hard for this.  I'm confident that giver their toughness, personalities and talent, they'll go far in this business.  We'll absolutely, positively miss them here at UPW and Ultimate University, but I couldn't be any happier for them."

Over its nearly five year association with World Wrestling Entertainment, more UPW/Ultimate University talents  have gone on to WWE than any other promotion/school in the industry.  Meet those UPW stars here.

For more on Ryan Sakoda, click here.

For more on Chris Mordetzky, click here.

From everyone at UPW and Ultimate University, CONGRATULATIONS RYAN & CHRIS!