Florida Championship Wrestling

Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) is a Professional wrestling promotion based on the former independent, Championship Wrestling from Florida promotion, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From 2008 to 2012, the promotion served as the official developmental territory for WWE. It was then in 2012 that the WWE officially bought out FCW and renamed it WWE NXT.
==History==
The promotion was started by Steve Keirn in 2007 to be WWE's second developmental territory when they ended their relationship with the Georgia-based Deep South Wrestling in early 2007. It became their sole developmental territory in early 2008 when they ceased affiliation with Ohio Valley Wrestling.
FCW's debut show was on June 26, 2007 at Tampa, Florida's Dallas Bull. A 21-man Battle Royal was held during the show, to crown the first ever FCW Southern Heavyweight Champion. The next year the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship was introduced, with Jake Hager becoming the first champion at a February 15 show after surviving a Battle Royal and defeating Ted DiBiase, Jr.. The FCW Florida Tag Team Championship was also introduced in February, with the Puerto Rican Nightmares (Eddie Colón and Eric Pérez) beating Steven Lewington and Heath Miller to win it in the finals of a one night tournament. The singles titles were later unified, keeping the "Florida Heavyweight" name.
Their weekly television program debuted on Bright House Sports Network on October 5, 2008.
On July 7, 2008, WWE confirmed that FCW was based on the original National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Championship Wrestling from Florida promotion, which operated from 1961 until 1987. On March 20, 2012, it was reported that WWE would cease operation at Florida Championship Wrestling. However, that report was later claimed as false as Triple H, the kayfabe COO and legit EVP of Talent and Live Events of WWE and FCW's owner Steve Keirn, stated that Keirn and WWE were "revamping" FCW, though the revamp had yet to be seen. In August 2012, WWE dropped the FCW name and began running all of its developmental events and operations under the WWE NXT banner.
==Championships==
*FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship
*FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
*FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship
*Queen of FCW
*FCW Divas Championship
*FCW Jack Brisco 15 Championship
==Former Staff==
Ring name 	Real name 	Role
Dusty Rhodes 	Dusty Rhodes 	Creative Staff
Joey Mercury 	Adam Birch 	Training Staff
Matt Martlaro 	Matthew Martlaro 	Creative Staff
Norman Smiley 	Norman Smiley 	Training Staff
Ricky Steamboat	Richard Blood, Jr.	Training Staff
Steve Keirn 	Steve Keirn 	President
Tom Prichard 	Tom Prichard 	Training Staff
==External links==
* Profile
de:Florida Championship Wrestling
Category:American wrestling promotions
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment
Category:Florida wrestling
Category:Defunct wrestling promotions
Category:Florida Championship Wrestling
Category:Promotions
Category:Florida based wrestling promotions