Rapid Pro Wrestling was an American wrestling promotion that existed from 1994 to 1998. It was based out of the Mid-Atlantic Area, and was one of four promotions, along with Danger And Violence Extreme, Philadelphia Power Pro Wrestling and Xtreme Fire Wrestling that all competed against each other in the famed East Coast Wars.
RPW was formed in 1992 by Preston Holt, one of the United States' earliest successful wrestling promoters, having run California Pro Wrestling from the early 1970's until the company's demise in 1983, along with being its top babyface superstar (Holt, however, considered himself long retired as an active competitor, and did not set foot in the ring in RPW). RPW was the third of the four East Coast promotions founded. It was the only one of the four promotions not to have its principal fan base in the Tri-State area, instead settling further south in the Mid-Atlantic region. It was also the only non-hardcore promotion involved in the East Coast Wars. Old-school promoter Holt did not follow his competitors into what he saw as disgraceful and dangerous promotional tactics focusing on raunchy angles and bloodbath matches. He did, however, present a "cutting edge" style that emphasized the in-ring abilties of the competitors, a style different from either the traditional setup of CPW and the other territorial promotions or the storyline-driven Sports-Entertainment model of the Supreme Wrestling Federation. The main star of the company was "Ice Man" Alex Braun, a former SWF star who found his niche in the hardcore scene.
RPW, along with XFW and PPPW, were eventually bought out by DAVE owner Phil Vibert. The champions of the four promotions faced off against each other in a one-night, four-man tournament to unify the titles in March 1998. Braun was unsuccessful, falling in the first round to DAVE champion and eventual tournament winner Johnny Martin. This tournament officially ended the East Coast Wars, and along with it, RPW.
Title History=[]
| Championship | Last Champion | Date won | Date aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPW Championship | Alex Braun | June 1997 |