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The NWA is the oldest and most storied wrestling promotion in history. The iconic NWA Heavyweight Championship was long considered the top prize in the game. Over its seventy-four-year history, the "Ten-Pounds of Gold" has been held by legends like Lou Thesz, Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, and Sting.Unfortunately, in the last several decades, NWA has been on the struggle bus. With the rise in popularity of WWE, WCW, ECW, and now AEW, NWA was left in the dust and is far down in the pecking order of wrestling promotions in North America.Smashing Pumpkins star Billy Corgan has made strides in his five years as the NWA owner and lead booker. However, Corgan has been under the microscope recently with questionable business decisions and even worse booking choices. This cacophony of disaster culminated with the NWA's most recent PPV, Hard Times 3. The company would see a new NWA Champion crowned in the unlikeliest of suitors, The Fox News personality and mid-carder of yesteryear, Tyrus.
Billy Corgan's NWA Had Positive Momentum At One Point
Due to his checkered history with TNA, wrestling fans were skeptical when Billy Corgan purchased the National Wrestling Alliance in 2017. To his credit, Corgan made significant strides when he took over the company. The top prize was held by the likes of Nick Aldis and Cody Rhodes, major stars and recognizable names in the wrestling world. NWA was also well-represented at the historic All-In PPV in 2018.
Corgan established a weekly YouTube Show, NWA Powerrr, which received critical praise. The company was building charismatic stars like Ricky Starks and Thunder Rosa, and skilled veterans like Aldis and Serena Deeb. Powerrr, of course, couldn't compete in viewership, but it had a base of fans, and when a banger of a match was produced, wrestling fans were eager to check it out.
When AEW was formed, the NWA Women's Championship was frequently featured on Dynamite. They garnered respect for the Empowerrr PPV, which featured an all-female card co-produced with Mickie James. The company was nowhere near its heyday, but NWA was a part of the wrestling aficionado's conversation.
Nick Aldis Leaves & Bad PR Plagues NWA
After the pandemic and the empty arena era, things have gone south for Corgan's NWA. Aside from the company not being a fiscal success, drama has piled up for the promotion. Their top star and long-running former champion, Nick Aldis, walked away from the company and asked for his release.
Aldis cited Corgan's disrespect for his wife, wrestling legend Mickie James, as the main reason for the exit. Corgan and the NWA were under fire when they opted not to rerun their Empowerrr PPV this year. Billy reasoned that last year's all-female show was a financial misstep and claimed that the current women's roster wasn't strong enough to merit an entire PPV. Unfortunately, that argument goes out the window when you book wrestlers like Tyrus (a terrible worker) in the main event of your PPV.
Nick Aldis went deeper in his criticism, though. In his interview with Sam Roberts, Aldis detailed his relationship with NWA and Billy Corgan. "Toxic" is a word used to describe the situation at The National Wrestling Alliance.
But, as they say, "the proof is in the pudding." Well, at Hard Times 3, Bill Corgan served up a massive bowl of pudding.
Tyrus Wins The NWA Heavyweight Championship At Hard Times 3
In a three-way match between Trevor Murdoch, Matt Cardona, and Tyrus, many expected the NWA Championship to go to Cardona. The former WWE and Impact star is easily the best wrestler in the bunch and well-respected in the wrestling community.
Instead, Corgan booked the worst wrestler of the three,Tyrus, as the new champion of the NWA. Tyrus' in-ring work is borderline unwatchable. He's slow and often looks lost or confused in his matches.
Additionally, Tyrus is a controversial Fox News analyst who has also been accused of sexual harassment. Fans were less than thrilled. Tyrus attacked his critics as part of the "woke mob." Whether you agree with Tyrus' political views or not, responding to justified criticism with nonsensical attacks is a quick way to alienate NWA's already dwindling fan base.
Corgan himself doubled down on his decision to strap up Tyrus. On Gerald Briscoe and JBL's podcast, Corgan explained, "Matt Cardona, who's recast himself on the independent scene as the star that he is versus Tyrus, who's, you know, 6'8, 375 pounds, versus Trevor Murdoch, who's 6'3 and another 350, I wanna see that match… If you don't wanna see stuff like that, don't watch the NWA because that's what I'm going to give you."
There's no way to sugarcoat it; Tyrus is a terrible wrestler. Now, he's easily the worst Heavyweight Champion in North America. Sadly, NWA is a punchline once again.
If Billy Corgan is trying to hook the Fox News audience, he must ask himself: is that the audience he wants? And what's the cost? Currently, it's cost the legitimacy of his prized championship - which is now viewed as nothing more than some hunks of gold on a piece of leather.