The Proving Ground match is based on the classic Battle Royal match, in which a number of wrestlers aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the floor. The winner of the event is the last wrestler remaining after all others have been eliminated.
Match Rules[]
The Proving Ground match differs from the classical Battle Royal as the contestants do not enter the ring at the same time but instead are assigned entry numbers. The match begins with the two wrestlers who have drawn entry numbers one and two, with the remaining wrestlers entering the ring at regular timed intervals of 90 seconds, according to their entry number.
The Proving Ground match commonly involves thirty wrestlers and lasts about an hour. Although most eliminations are caused by active participants, eliminations caused by other means have occurred, and have been ruled legitimate, including elimination from previously-eliminated participants and elimination from non-participants. Furthermore, if an injured wrestler is taken away by medical staff, he can return to the match as long as the match is still ongoing, but if the match ends without the injured wrestler returning, he is deemed eliminated.
Proving Ground matches are generally stipulated to involve no disqualifications.
Proving Ground match History[]
| Number | Event | Date | City | Venue | Winner | Entry Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EWA Ground Zero | 06/13/15 | Raleigh, NC | PNC Arena | Lewis Rivers | 30 |
| 2 | EWA Ground Zero II | 01/02/16 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center | Tommy Dreamer | 2 |
Proving Ground match Records[]
Most Victories[]
| Superstar | Amount of Wins | Seasons Won |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis Rivers | 1 | Season 1 |
| Tommy Dreamer | 1 | Season 2 |
Longest Time in a single Proving Ground match[]
Top 10 individual longest times. As of Season 2's Proving Ground match
| Number | Superstar | Time | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tommy Dreamer | 1:01:39 | Season 2 |
| 2 | Bobby Mitchell | 58:17 | Season 2 |
| 3 | Abyss | 28:38 | Season 1 |
| 4 | Ryan Knight | 21:10 | Season 2 |
(Note: Bold indicates the winner of that Proving Ground match)
Shortest Time in a single Proving Ground match[]
Top 10 individual shortest times. Only people with 1 minute or less are shown. As of Season 2's Proving Ground match
| Number | Superstar | Time | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Hennig | 0:05 | Season 2 |
| 2 | Low Ki | 0:06 | Season 2 |
| 3 | Billy Gunn | 0:10 | Season 1 |
| 4 | Devon | 0:38 | Season 2 |
| 5 | James Storm | 0:45 | Season 2 |
| 6 | Low Ki | 0:50 | Season 1 |
| 7 | Bobby Lashley | 0:53 | Season 1 |
| 8 | Awesome Kong | 0:57 | Season 1 |
Most Eliminations in a Single Proving Ground match[]
Top superstars with most eliminations in a single match. Only superstars with at least five eliminations are shown. As of Season 2's Proving Ground match
| Superstar | Number of Eliminations | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Bobby Mitchell | 8 | Season 2 |
| Ryan Knight | 6 | Season 2 |
| Sting | 5 | Season 1 |
| Tommy Dreamer | 5 | Season 2 |
| Undertaker | 5 | Season 1 |
Total Eliminations in cumulative Proving Ground matches[]
Top superstars with the most eliminations. Only superstars with at least six eliminations are shown. As of Season 2's Proving Ground match
| Superstar | Number of Eliminations | Seasons Competed |
|---|---|---|
| Bobby Mitchell | 8 | 1 |
| Sting | 7 | 2 |
Female Entrants[]
While not usually allowed to compete against Male Superstars, certain Starlets have entered the Proving Ground match
| Starlet | Proving Ground matches | Eliminations |
|---|---|---|
| Awesome Kong | 1 | 0 |