National Wrestling Federation

National Wrestling Federation was a pro wrestling promotion operating in the United States, based in Buffalo, New York.

The NWF promotion was founded on January 1, 1970 by Pedro Martinez & Johnny Powers, and it ceased operations on September 1, 1994.

The National Wrestling Federation was a small outlaw territory created in 1970 by Johnny Powers and Pedro Martinez, running shows in the Northeastern Ohio region as well as in Western New York — in direct competition with the powerful WWWF. The NWF’s shows were distributed throughout various companies in partnership with the nascent New Japan Pro Wrestling, believed by some to be the first international television distribution network for wrestling. The original NWF would close in 1974.

Another company also called the NWF, likely named after the original company, would open in 1986 under different ownership in Robert Riskin, becoming one of the first indies of the era as the NWA’s power over their territories waned. This version of the NWF would also be propelled by international distribution, but closed in 1994 as capital investment eventually stopped. The second incarnation of the NWF, like many indie promotions of the time, now has its footage lost to time, though archived card info can still be found here.

National Wrestling Federation: Info