The pro wrestling scene in New York has to be among the most historic yet diverse of any territory. From being the foundation of global enterprise, World Wrestling Entertainment to the smallest of independent shows, NYC has a rich history in sports entertainment. The city also being the home of Hip Hop culture and rap music, one would think this would be a natural match made in heaven if they were to meet.
Enter “Lalo The Don” who in the early 90s decided to merge the two forms of entertainment to create the “Urban Wrestling League”, pro wrestling’s first hip hop themed pro wrestling show. Frustrated with the politics and biases of the era, Lalo created his own lane and left a trail for others to follow. In an era of body builders and giants, UWL focused on younger, smaller, faster wrestlers with street cred. Airing on a weekly basis on the largest cable access channel at the time, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Lalo provided hard hitting action along with a soundtrack of what would be considered today hip hop classics.
The UWL peaked in 1996 with a live show “Wrestlejam 96” at the Westside YMCA. Many urban themed wrestling groups have come and gone since UWL ended such as Dog House Wrestling and Urban Wrestling Federation, all with varied degrees of success. Lalo retired early due to health issues prior to the 2000s kicking in and missed out on a golden era of independent wrestling but found success in the music business. He cultivated a vast catalogue that includes such names as Nicki Minaj, Kool G Rap and Ice T while also collaborating with UWL brothers Burns Luciano and Julius Smokes. Both Burns (aka Shaolin) and Julius (aka J-Train) were discovered by Lalo for pro wrestling when both were artists so naturally they filmed a music video for “Urban Wrestling League” where Lalo chronologized the history of UWL in song form.
Lalo’s continued love for the game is noticeable in many of his other music videos when he worked with female wrestlers Melissa Santos, Marti Belle and Hana Kimura. Prior to her passing, it was Hana that led to Lalo being open to attend pro wrestling shows again for the first time in years including seeing her perform in Madison Square Garden and in Tokyo, Japan. Together they filmed two music videos and while in Japan, Lalo performed in the famed pro wrestling themed store Toudoukan and signed autographs at the legendary Ribera steakhouse.
One can only imagine how far the Urban Wrestling League may have gone had it not been during the pre social media era. There were wrestlers that found success such as Julius Smokes (ROH, MLW) Boogie Knights (ROH), Laython – Tower Of Torture (Dog House) and many others on the scene. Lalo recently has been spotted attending Outlaw Wrestling shows in Brooklyn alongside Hall of Famer, Homicide and actor/stuntman, Jay Lover. Unannounced, a somewhat disguised Lalo discreetly served as a special guest referee for the main event match of Loud East Wrestling (Homicide vs Jay Lover). In his first in-ring involvement in over 20 years he’s surrounded by friends and perhaps this is a tease for something bigger. In the meantime, what is not speculation is that there is an Urban Wrestling League soundtrack and documentary in the works. Seems fitting now that the UWL has joined the social media era.
music video
https://www.instagram.com/urbanwrestlingleague
Youtube
Urban Wrestling League – YouTube
