Anime Championship Wrestling

In August of 2006, Hakeem Johnson created a promotion called ACW, Anime Championship Wrestling. It is a promotion where anime characters of old and new compete in a wrestling format. As of today, Anime Championship Wrestling is the number one anime wrestling promotion in the CAW League. ACW forms Part of the Anime CAW Big 4 alongside PAWL, RCWF and Pride AC.

History
Hakeem Johnson has been an anime fan since the days of Dragonball Z and Pokemon. When he grew up, however, he got very distant from Anime. However, one summer day, as his brother were watching an anime music video on Vegeta, Hakeem Johnson thought about wrestling as well and figured if he would be able to make a promotion with anime AND wrestling. He told his brothers to write down twenty anime characters he can use for a promotion called Anime Wrestling Federation (at the time).

The initial plan was to do a weekly typed show. This would mean Hakeem would type the action and post it on his website. The plan :was set for so but then, one day, Hakeem Johnson stumbled across a promotion called NoDQ CAW on YouTube. He had never seen it before and watched and then became an avid viewer. Hakeem has a Day of Reckoning 2 game for Gamecube and thought that he could be able to do that. So now, plans had changed and AWF was going to be a video promotion show like NoDQ.

On July 1, 2006, Hakeem started to hype AWF by posting titantrons for Gaara, DX (Naruto & Gohan), and Sasuke Uchiha. Hakeem, a week later, changed the name Anime Wrestling Federation to Anime Championship Wrestling, known as ACW. This was due to another anime promotion with the name already.

ACW Shows
ACW has three shows: ACW Excel, ACW Impulse, and ACW Turbo. These shows are an hour long with wrestling matches, backstage segments, in ring segments, and recently, commercials.

ACW Excel
On July 29, 2006, Hakeem Johnson posted a show called ACW Excel. On this article posted, it has over 5,000 views on YouTube.

From July 29, 2006 to May 6, 2007, Excel used the WWE RAW arena on Day of Reckoning 2. From June 15, 200 to present, ACW Excel now uses the WWE Velocity arena to add it's "green" and "adredaline" feel towards everything.

The current theme song for ACW Excel is Across the Nation by Union Underground. The game used for Excel was Day of Reckoning 2 for the Nintendo Gamecube console. Now, announced from its return from Hiatus, it will be on Smackdown vs. RAW 2008 for the Playstation 2 console.

Roster

 * "The Avatar" Aang (Avatar: The Las Airbender) - Airbender (Reverse Twist of Fate), Dragon DDT (Jumping Reverse DDT)
 * Akuma (Street Fighter series) - Brimstone (Tombstone Piledriver), Darkness Pin, Turnbuckle Chokeslam
 * Davis (Little Fighter 2) - Knockout Punches
 * Ken Masters (Street Fighter) - Sidekick
 * "Mr. MVP" Dan Hibiki (Street Fighter) - Buzzsaw Kick
 * "The Assassin" Goh Hinogami (Virtua Figher series) - G5 (Electric Chair Drop)
 * "Rave Master" Haru Glory (Rave Master) - Rave Driver (Celtic Cross), Five Knuckle Shuffle
 * Ikki (Saint Seiya/Knights of the Zodiac) - Pegasus Plunge (One Leg-Holded Spinebuster)
 * "The Monk" Miroku (Inuyasha) - Monk Bottom (Rock Bottom), Peasant's Elbow (People's Elbow)
 * Neji Hyuuga (Naruto) - 64-Fold (Tajiri Combo)
 * Rock Lee (Naruto) - Cloverleaf
 * Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto) - Chakra Knock Out [CKO] (RKO), Sharingan Slam (Backdrop to Rock Bottom)
 * Seiya (Saint Seiya/Knight of the Zodiac) - Pegasus Plunge, Pegarana (Hurricarana)
 * Woody (Little Fighter 2) - Crossface (Crippler Crossface)
 * "Blue Spirit" Zuko - Red Eye (Pedigree), Anaconda Vice, Raging Flame (Backhand Blow)
 * Weregarurumon (Digimon) - None
 * Straight Cougar (s-CRY-ed) - None
 * Hiei (Yu Yu Hakusho) - Third Eye (Styles Clash), Falcon Arrow
 * Kinnikuman
 * Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)
 * Momochi Zabuza (Naruto) - Zabuza Bomb (Powerbomb), Clothesline from Hell
 * Donkey Kong
 * Solid Snake (Metal Gear)
 * Syrus Truesdale
 * Ultraman Tiga (Ultraman Tiga) - Tigarana (Hurricanrana from richocheting from ropes)
 * Takuya (Digimon) - Roll Up Pin
 * Cyborg (Teen Titans) - Protobomb (Spinning Powerbomb)
 * Speedy (Teen Titans) - Golden Arrow (Sweet Chin Music/Super Kick), Bow & Arrow
 * Kazuki Muto (Busou Renkin) - German Suplex Pin
 * Hibiki Tokai (Vandread) - Point Blank (Karate Kick to the face)
 * Ino Yamanaka (Naruto)
 * Lady Wulong
 * Sakura Kasugano (Street Fighter Alpha 2)

Champions

 * ACW Excel Champion - Haru Glory
 * ACW Intercontinental Champion - Sasuke Uchiha
 * ACW Tag Team Champions - Street Fighters (Ken Masters & Dan Hibiki)
 * ACW Glamour Champion - N/A

Title History

 * ACW Excel Championship


 * 1 "The Sand Shinobi" Gaara - Def. Haru Glory at ACW Fusion
 * 2 "The Monk" Miroku - Def. Gaara at ACW Animania I
 * 3 "Rave Master" Haru Glory - Def. Miroku at ACW Animania II


 * ACW Intercontinental Championship


 * 1 Hotspot - Def. Mugen at ACW Genesis
 * 2 Mugen - Def. Hotspot at ACW Animania I
 * 3 Sasuke Uchiha - Def. Mugen at ACW Animania II


 * ACW Excel Tag Team Championships
 * 1 Street Fighters (Ken Masters & Dan Hibiki) - Def. Team Guy (Neji Hyuuga & Rock Lee) at ACW Animania II


 * ACW Glamour Championship
 * N/A

ACW Impulse
On August 4th, 2006, Hakeem launched another show for the ACW promotion called Impulse. This was to give ACW a "Raw vs. Smackdown" feel and to see if he could grab more audiences with two shows.

From August 4th, 2006 to present, Impulse has used the WWE Smackdown arena to give it a "blue" and "cool" feel.

The current theme song for ACW Impulse is To Be Loved by Papa Roach. From August 4th, 2006 to May 10th, 2007, Impulse was operated on Day of Reckoning 2 as well. However, to expand the promotion and to bring in new people to ACW, Impulse had to move to Smackdown vs. RAW 2007 for the PS2 console, starting on June 29th, 2007 to present.

Roster

 * Chiatzou (Dragon Ball Z) - Area Code (619), Hurricarana Pin
 * Dennis (Little Fighter 2) - Whirlwind Kick (Spinning Kick)
 * "Full Metal Alchemist" Edward Elric (Full Metal Alchemist) - Alchemist DDT (Double Arm DDT), Spear
 * Gohan (Dragon Ball Z) - Degenerate Driver (Exploder)
 * Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece) - Gum Gum Blast (Combination Punch), Gum Gum Foot (Running Big Boot)
 * Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto) - Shonen Jump (Double Arm Facebuster)
 * Roronoa Zoro (One Piece) - Double Jeopardy (Leg Lock), Double Swords (Locks Legs Around Head and Chokes Out near turnbuckle)
 * "The Prince of Tennis" Ryoma Echizen (The Prince of Tennis) - Game Set Match (Spinning Tornado DDT)
 * Trunks (Dragon Ball Z) - T-Driver (Rikishi Driver/Fire Thunder)
 * Joe Higashi (Fatal Fury) - N/A
 * Ness (Earthbound/Mother/Super Smash series) - Mother Earthbound (Fameasser)
 * Lucas (Earthbound/Mother/Super Smash series) - Mother Earthbound (Fameasser)
 * "The Sand Shinobi" Gaara (Naruto) - Sand Claw (Iron Claw), Dark Hole (Muscle Buster)
 * Ryu (Street Fighter) - Trifecta Clothesline (Three Continuous Clotheslines)
 * Mugen (Samurai Champloo) - Jaded Just (Stunner), Field Goal (Shattered Dreams), Six Stomps (Six Stomps to the Groin)
 * Broly (Dragon Ball Z)
 * Sagat (Street Fighter)
 * Kankuro (Naruto) - Master Spear (GORE)
 * Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy series) - Final Fantasy (Spinning Body Suplex)
 * KYO (Samurai Deeper KYO) - Samurai Deeper Bomb (Double Arm Sit Down Powerbomb)
 * Choji Akimichi (Naruto)
 * Kiyo Takamine (Zatch bell)
 * Kai Hiwatari (Beyblade)
 * Rei Kon (Beyblade)
 * Rai Chou (Beyblade)
 * Hitmonchan (Pokemon)
 * Hitmonlee (Pokemon)

Champions

 * ACW Impulse Champion - Gohan
 * ACW Television Champion - Broly
 * ACW Impulse Tag Team Champions - White Tigers (Rei Kon & Rai Chou)
 * ACW Cruiserweight Champion - Ryoma Echizen

Title History

 * ACW Impulse Championship


 * 1 Robin - Def. Naruto Uzumaki at ACW Impulse 1
 * 2 Naruto Uzumaki - Def. Robin at ACW Impulse 4
 * 3 Beast Boy - Def. Naruto Uzumaki & Nightwing at ACW Animania I
 * 4 Gohan - Def. Beast Boy at ACW Animania II by cashing in his Road to Destiny privilege


 * ACW Television Championship


 * 1 Beast Boy - Def. Trunks at ACW Fusion
 * 2 Trunks - Def. Beast Boy & Speedy at ACW Impulse 4
 * 3 Speedy - Def. Trunks at ACW Impulse 5
 * 4 Gohan - Def. Speedy at ACW Animania I
 * 5 Edward Elric - Def. Gohan at ACW Anime Revolution
 * 6 Kakashi Hatake - Def. Edward Elric at ACW Impulse 20
 * 7 Broly - Def. Kakashi Hatake at ACW Animania II


 * ACW Impulse Tag Team Championships


 * 1 Straw Hat Crew - Def. Fire & Ice & White Tigers at ACW High Voltage 2007
 * 2 White Tigers - Def. Straw Hat Crew at ACW Royale Rumble 2008


 * ACW Cruiserweight Championship


 * 1 Ryoma Echizen - Def. Ultraman Tiga, Dennis, Chiatzou, and Kiba Inuzuka at High Voltage 2007

ACW Turbo
On the ACW website during August 2007, a new section was opened titled ACW Turbo. Folks were starstrucked as to whether it was another show, another CPV, another feature. This mystery would last for days until ACW announced three weeks later that ACW Turbo would be another brand for the ACW promotion. This new brand would have an "ECW" and "extreme" feel to it.

On September 16, 2007, ACW Turbo had made it's debut on YouTube. The arena it currently uses is the WWE RAW arena. Turbo is operated on Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain for the PS2 console.

Cancellation
Hakeem Johnson announced this year that due to poor viewers and interest, ACW Turbo will be canceled. Turbo future kis uncertain other than it being offcialy cancelled.

It's theme song is Beautiful People by Marilyn Mansion.

Roster

 * Choji Akimichi (Naruto)
 * Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy series) - Final Fantasy (Spinning Body Suplex)
 * Hibiki Tokai (Vandread) - Point Blank (Karate Kick to the face)
 * Hiei (Yu Yu Hakusho) - Third Eye (Styles Clash), Falcon Arrow
 * Ike (Fire Emblem series) - N/A
 * Inuyasha (Inuyasha) - Inudriver (Piledriver), Dragon Slayer (Knee breaker to the back of the head)
 * Jaden Yuki (Yu-Gi-Oh GX) - N/A
 * Kankuro (Naruto) - Master Spear (GORE)
 * Kazuki Muto (Busou Renkin) - German Suplex Pin
 * KYO (Samurai Deeper KYO) - Samurai Deeper Bomb (Double Arm Sit Down Powerbomb)
 * Marth (Fire Emblem series) - N/A
 * Momochi Zabuza (Naruto) - Zabuza Bomb (Powerbomb), Clothesline from Hell
 * Raimundo Pedrosa (Xiaolin Showdown) - Dragonsault (Lionsault), 450 Splash
 * Roy (Fire Emblem series) - N/A
 * Roy Mustang (Full Metal Alchemist) - Obelisk DDT (Snap DDT)
 * Takeshi Jin (I.G.P.X.) - IGPX Special
 * Takuya (Digimon) - Roll Up Pin
 * Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho) - Shotgun
 * Zane Truesdale (Yu-Gi-Oh GX) - Obelisk DDT (Snap DDT)

Champions

 * ACW Turbo Champion - Kazuki Muto
 * ACW Turbo Tag Team Champions - Obelisk (Roy Mustang & Zane Truesdale)

Title History

 * ACW Turbo Championship


 * 1 Momochi Zabuza - Def. Cloud Strife at ACW Turbo 1
 * 2 Kazuki Muto - Def. Momochi Zabuza & KYO at ACW Animania II


 * ACW Turbo Tag Team Championship


 * 1 Hibiki Tokai & Kazuki - Def. Obelisk at ACW Anime Revolution
 * 2 Obelisk - Def. Hibiki Tokai & Kazuki at ACW Royale Rumble 2008

ACW Click-Per-Views
ACW has click per views as well. In September 2006, ACW produced and showed their first click per view, Fusion. It was a double brand show (Excel & Impulse).

Due to personal lives, computer malfunctions, and delays, ACW sometimes does not follow and guarantee to follow the PPV order in a year but cycle through it nonetheless.

Every year, after ACW presents Animania, ACW will take a month and a half hiatus. This is to think of new storylines, new characters, to refresh the creative direction as well. Also, to check on ACW as a business as well.

CPV Schedule

 * Anime Revolution (All)
 * Royale Rumble (All)
 * Animania (All)
 * HIATUS
 * Genesis (Excel)
 * Victory (Impulse)
 * Fusion (All)
 * Ground Zero (Excel)
 * Apocalyspe (Impulse)
 * High Voltage (Excel)
 * No Boundaries (Impulse)

ACW On Demand


Recently, Hakeem Johnson has released a new section on the ACW website called ACW On Demand. ACW on Demand is a show that takes you backstage and gives your extra and special looks on what is happening on ACW. Some of it will recap the recent things going on in Excel, Impulse, Turbo, or even CPVs. Some will have some exclusive matches you can only see on ACW On Demand, and even some past shows, CPVs, interviews with stars, and more.

Jaden Yuki/Yugi Moto Backstage Fight
Before the inaugral debut of ACW Excel and Impulse took place, ACW had signed many superstars. Yugi Moto had alreay been signed before the debut. Jaden Yuki was signed next to compete on Impulse. But about a week before the debuts, there was some reports that Yugi and Jaden Yuki got into a backstage fight.

Jaden Yuki was reported to be very selfish, above others, and said he's waiting on NoDQ to "scoop him up". Yugi came in and told him that people like him will never make it far in the business. Jaden was said to have been insulted, got in Yugi's face, and said that "you're nobody just like your grandfather." Yugi told him to back off but Jaden pushed Yugi. Yugi then swung two left hooks on Jaden before wrestlers and staff could pull the two apart.

Two days after the fiasco, ACW released news on their website that Yugi Moto had been released from ACW and to wish him in his future endevours.

After the Impulse debut, ACW was not impressed with Jaden's presence in the ring in his match and backstage and was released shortly as well.

However, on August of 2007, ACW Turbo General Manager, Roger Smith, quietly signed Jaden Yuki back into ACW and into his brand.

World Wrestling Entertainment
To promote ACW, ACW posted titantrons of Gaara, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto & Gohan, representing DX, on YouTube. They reached a total of over 15,000 views together.

A week after Excel and Impulse debuted, ACW got two letters from the World Wrestling Entertainment. It basically stated that they took down the DX and Sasuke titantrons due to "copyright terms". Sauske's song was Stone Cold's Alliance song while Naruto/Gohan has DX's song.

Gaara's titantron, whose song has Samoa Joe's from TNA, still remains.

ACW vs. Other Anime Wrestling Feds
During ACW's early days, ACW had some competition during it's mainstay on YouTube.

It's first competitior was AGX, Anime Gaming to the Xtreme. It consisted characters of Final Fantasy (Cloud Strife), Kappa Mikey (Mikey, Zulu), Tiny Toons (Babs, Buster), and others.

People posted on both shows, anxious to see a "Monday Night War" to burst between the two. However, AGX suddenly closed when DanteBunny, the creator, had his account closed. He tried again with TCW, Tiny Toons Championship Wrestling, but stopped overall.

Others who saw ACW as the number one anime wrestling promotion wanted to compete with it and wanted to take it down. Other promotions like AWA, Anime Wrestling Association, and EAW, Extreme Anime Wrestling, were created as trying to have the same success as ACW and even tried competing with it. Just like AGX, EAW stopped posting shows. AWA hasn't been produced yet but is to be debuting in 2008.

DCW, Digital Championship Wrestling, and ACW have their competiton but a friendly one. Hakeem and Triple R are great friends and are even working on a Supershow between the two in the future.

When ACW moved to CAW Underground, it found another anime promotion called PAWL, Professional Anime Wrestling League. Hakeem considers PAWL his favorite anime wrestling promotion. PAWL has the same visuals ACW did in it's early days and has unknown superstars on it's roster. PAWL's creator is Kyle_Snyder.

RCWF Calling Out ACW
Around the mid year of 2007, another anime wrestling promotion had been made. RCWF, Rocket's Championship Wrestling Federation, and their creator, DJRocketDX, have "called out" ACW on a few things:


 * Apparently, Rocket was not happy how Hakeem and ACW launched ACW Turbo, which had Inuyasha in it's roster. This is a quote from Rocket:
 * "You Know, Turbo Is just going to be like ECW is to WWE. And dude, I don't mind but next time let me know when you are going to use certain anime characters. Inuyasha had already signed a year long contract to my fed, RCWF and now I hear he's going to be on Turbo? Man that's f***ed up. you're taking my superstars. All I'll have left are the divas, unless you're going to take them too." Apparently this was not meant as a threat as he was referring to Vintage ECW. Since the owner of RCWF was new to CAW wrestling, he did not realize that there were "repeat superstars", meaning that some anime superstars also appeared in other CAW federations.
 * Also, Rocket has interviewed it's superstars they have signed and some have talked on ACW. Here is part from an interview with DJ Rocket:
 * "Well, if they want to pick a fight with us, I say bring it. ACW is one of the best anime leagues out there and if they want to prove it, then I say bring it. But you see ACW can’t compete with RCWF, PAWL, DCW or any other Anime CAW fed, for one reason and one reason only: The complete and utter lack of a divas division. I mean PAWL has their divas headed up by their champ Ten-ten, DCW has Stripperella, Kim Possible and others, RCWF signed Sakura Haruno, Mai Shiranui, Rainbow Mika, and a ton of others, and what divas does ACW have? Just one and she rarely even appears. I’m talking of course about Terra. Terra, if you’re reading this, GET OUT OF ACW. You don’t even compete there, you just hide in the shadows. Do something useful and call Starfire and Raven and sign to RCWF or PAWL or something, you’re not doing s*** in ACW. Either convince ACW management to put in some more divas or get the f*** out, cause there’s no point in you staying there if you aren’t doing anything. Besides that fact Erika, ACW would be a worthy opponent for us."
 * DJ Rocket launched a challenge to the Champions of ACW:
 * "You guys are great champions and I'm sure you didn't make it to the top by halfassing it. But I want to see if you guys can take it to the next level. I'll talk to my guys, you talk with yours, and see if one day, we can have ourselves a Champion of Champions Match."
 * Another RCWF Superstar, Tenna Harasamma (RCWF Vixens Champion) launched a more subtle challenge to ACW Impulse's Terra.
 * "Terra, I respect you and I would like to see what you're made of. You and me for the Vixens' Championship. Just name the place and the date."
 * ACW wrestler Gohan has stated in an interview his concerns on RCWF:
 * "RCWF has been, ya know, shooting bullets at us, like as the younger brother poking at the big busy brother. RCWF looks very good but I need to see a show before I pass judgment. I think RCWF needs to focus on themselves rather than being ACW-lite or else it'll be like Coke compared to Diet Coke."

RCWF Owner Edgar Arostegui released recently the following statement: "I wish to address the challenges made by my superstars. Unfortunately myself or CEO/Chairman of the Board Raiden has no control over what our superstars might say regarding other federations. Personally I think rivalry is healthy, but some of our superstars have made it personal. We wish to apologize for any misunderstandings or any people offended. We wish good luck to ACW and any other Anime CAW Promotion in this ratings race for anime supremacy."

Nowadays there is a friendly rivalry between RCWF and ACW. Rumors are that a Megashow between the 2 leagues is in the works. In the meantime, the rivalry between the 2 will be put to the test at Eclipse Xtremo as ACW's Ryoma Echizen faces off against RCWF's The Associate.