Prison wrestling consists primarily of live shows hosted in the prison yards, but once a year the prisons band together to put on a super-card, the Super Max Challenge Cup. In the months prior to the Super Max, the prisons start staging inter-promotional matches, the winners of which accrue points in the Super Max standings for their prisons. The leading three prisons assemble teams of four wrestlers to participate in the gruelling Super Max Challenge Cup.

The Qualifying Round
During the Qualifying Round of the Super Max Challenge Cup, the prisons compete in inter-prison bouts over the course of several months. Victories reward the prison with points, and the three prisons with the most points earn a berth at the Super Max Challenge Cup event.

  • Singles Match – 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.
  • Tag Team Match – 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.

Super Max Challenge Cup
The Super Max Challenge Cup is set up in a three round tournament format, which takes place in a single night at the Super Max Challenge pay-per-view event.

Round 1: Singles Matches (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)

  • All of the wrestlers compete in one singles match against an opponent from one of the other teams. Opponents are drawn at random shortly before the beginning of the round.

Round 2: Tag Team Matches (4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw, 0 points for a loss)

  • Each team divides its wrestlers into two tag teams, which compete against opposing teams. Prisons choose which of their wrestlers will form teams, but opponents are drawn randomly after the first round.
  • The prison with the lowest total points after Round 2 is eliminated.

Round 3: Elimination 8-Man Tag Team Match (8 points)

  • The top two teams face off against each other. When a wrestler is pinned, submitted, counted out, or disqualified, they are eliminated from the match and must return to the locker room. The last team with wrestlers remaining wins and earns 12 points.
  • The team with the most points after 3 rounds wins the Super Max Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup winner also receives a large cash bonus. The independent leagues use the Super Max Challenge to scout potential recruits.