Nwa

[Guest evenflowDDT]

OK, I've only been watching wrestling for a little over a year (Feb. 2001), and even then, aside from the finish of WCW Greed and a scant few WCW PPVs ('94 and '99 Spring Stampedes), I've only watched WWF.  So, I know of the NWA by name but I don't know anything about it really.  So...

 

1) What exactly is its connection to WCW? I always thought it was WCW, but then I've read in some of SK's WCW PPV rants about NWA titles still being used.  So did it evolve into WCW and WCW just still used the belts, or did WCW evolve separately and the two just kinda linked up?

 

2) Is it still around today?

 

If anyone can answer these, or provide a link to a column/article that answers these and provides a short historical overview, I'd be thankful.

[Guest DragonflyKid]

The NWA has been a wrestling organization for over 100 years. When Turner bought the NWA he turned it into WCW so WCW was the NWA with a new name. There are still NWA organizations across the world that claim lineage to the original NWA but only in name as they are mostly regional promotions with no direct association with the old NWA's history.

[Guest]

check out www.kayfabememories.com for some fantastic info on the old nwa territories.  highly recommended.  hope this helps.

[Guest JHawk]

Well, that's not exactly true.  WCW was an NWA territory until 1993 or so.  Hard to explain, but I'll try.

 

The National Wrestling Alliance was a cooperative effort of most of the nation's top promoters, formed in 1948.  The idea was to have one World Champion that would travel each of the territories from time to time to take on the territory's top draw.  Vince McMahon Sr.'s Big Time Wrestling was part of this, as were promotions ran by Sam Muchnick and Fred Kohler, among others.  The confusion as to the origin is as follows:  Orville Brown, a midwest heavyweight champion, was awarded the NWA World Title in 1948.  He was scheduled to face Lou Thesz in Nov. 1949, but was in a car accident a few weeks prior that ended his career.  Thesz was awarded the title and at the time had some other title (which one I don't recall) whose lineage could be loosely traced back to the Frank Gotch world championship.  Even the NWA claims the old lineage while also acknowledging how they were formed.  Don't ask.

 

The main problem with the NWA was that promoters often disagreed about who should be the champion.  The WWA (not the curent one) was formed when Edouard Carpentier beat Thesz in 1957, but the NWA ruled that Thesz's loss was due to injury and therefore not worthy of a title change.  The AWA was formed in 1960 because somebody felt Verne Gagne should be World Champion.  Interestingly, the AWA made Pat O'Connor, then the NWA Champ, their first champion under the provision he defend against Gagne in 90 days--because they knew it wouldn't happen.  And of course, the W(W)WF was formed because they wanted Buddy Rogers as their champion and the NWA had put it back on Thesz.

 

Fast forward to 1990.  Two years prior, Turner had purchased Jim Crockett Productions, which most people considered to be buying the NWA because Crockett had basically been the man in charge.  He renames the wrestling product "World Championship Wrestling" but maintains the NWA champions.  By the end of 1990, he has all but phased the NWA name out of the limelight, but it's not really a big deal since aside from the World Title (held at the time by Sting), the NWA Board of Directors only recognized a handful of lighter weight titles that were largely defended in Japan or Mexico.  

 

Then things get confusing.  WCW more or less withdraws from the NWA on January 1, 1991.  Ten days later they officially recognize the "NWA" titles, including the World Title, as strictly "WCW" titles.  The NWA however is still recognizing Flair as champion.

 

March 21.  Tatsumi Fujinami pins Ric Flair in Tokyo and presumably wins the WCW title.  WCW rules the match a no-contest because Flair had been thrown over the top rope and says Flair is still champion.  But the NWA (which is still highly respected in Japan) is claiming Fujinami as their champion.  Flair pins Fujinami atSuperBrawl I two months later to settle the controversy.

 

That is short-lived as well, as Flair is stripped by WCW on July 1 for refusing to renew his contract.  But again, the NWA still recognizes Flair as champion until he makes his official WWF debut in September.

 

Of course, the NWA crowned a new champion in August of 1992 and the title was defended in WCW until WCW finally left the NWA for good in 1993.  But again, Flair was NWA champion at the time and was stripped when WCW withdrew from the NWA.  But since WCW was being managed like the Expos, however, they went ahead with the Flair-Rude match they'd been advertising for Fall Brawl and made no mention of it, simply omitting the letters "NWA" from the advertising and thus confusing the American public.

 

It's kind of a round about way of saying it, but here's the short version:

 

WCW was NOT the NWA, but appeared that way to casual fans because of the seamless way they went from having NWA champions to having WCW champions.  The NWA is still alive, although only old school fans like me and people who attend NWA shows seem to care.

 

Anybody can feel free to correct me or add things to it.  The RSPW FAQ explained this in great detail as well, and probably more clearlt.

[Guest]

NWA was always one of my favorite feds. I began watching it in 1989 at a very early age. Anyways, a lot of my favorite wrestlers were in that federation. The only other federations I liked were UWF(Bill Watts), WWWF(Vince McMahon Sr.),WWF(Vince McMahon Jr.), and WCW.

[Guest razazteca]

ECW was also part of the NWA but under the name of Eastern Champion Wrestling it became Extreme Champion Wrestling after a tourny for the NWA World Title which Shane Douglas drop after winning it at the tourny, ECW broke away from the NWA that night.

 

Right now I think that Wildside is the major NWA affialate on tv.  There are other NWA shows on tv but they are just regional, I think that Wildside is the only national televised NWA show.

 

The International World Title was one confusing event in WCW I think the last champ to hold this title was Vader before Flair unified the belts.

[Guest KC Evers]

In 1993, upon withdrawing from the NWA, WCW recognized the former NWA World Title as simply "The Gold Belt."  After Rick Rude defeated Ric Flair at Fall Brawl, WCW decided it needed a better name for the Championship so they redubbed it the "WCW International World Title."  Whatever.

 

Sting was WCW International World Champion in 1994 when WCW finally wised up and sucked it into the WCW World Championship held by Ric Flair, Flair beating Sting "unifying" the belts.  This of course was overshadowed by Hulkamania: WCW Edition seconds afterward....

 

That poor belt had a lot of names....

 

From 1984 to 1991, it was the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

 

In 1991, it became the physical representation of both the NWA AND WCW World Heavyweight Championships.

 

Later in 1991, Flair leaves with the belt and WCW makes its own Title.  Flair's belt is back to being the NWA World Heavyweight Title.  

 

Upon appearing on WWF Television soon after, it was referred to by Bobby Heenan and Ric Flair as the "Real World Title."

 

The NWA stripped Flair of the Championship afterwards and retained possession of the belt.

 

In 1992, it was won in a Tournament Final in Japan and was again the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

 

WCW, realizing that the NWA belt looked better than their WCW World Title belt hatched a clever little plan in making IT its World Title.  

 

In 1993, Ric Flair beat Barry Windham for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and afterward, WCW pulled out of their alliance with the NWA.  WCW decided to keep the belt for itself.

 

At this point, the belt became "The Gold Belt," or "The Big Gold Belt."

 

By the end of 1993, it is billed the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship.

 

In 1994, the belt is unified with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.  From here on in, the belt WCW had been using as its own World Title was done away with.  The former NWA World Heavyweight Title belt is now the NEW WCW World Heavyweight Championship belt.

 

In case you're wondering, at this point the NWA went back to using its previous model belt from 1983 as the NWA World Heavyweight Title.  But that doesn't matter here.

 

From June of 1994 until the WWF Survivor Series in 2001, the belt remains known as the WCW World Heavyweight Title (unless you count Hollywood Hogan calling it the NWO Belt).

 

With the WWF owning WCW and its Titles, after the Survivor Series PPV, the belt is renamed simply, "The World Title."  

 

In December 2001, the belt becomes part of a 2 Belt Unified Championship with the WWF's World Title belt.

 

Last Monday, the belt was laid to rest.

 

God bless the Big Gold Belt.

[Guest Risk]

Screw Vince Jr. and his monopoly.  He killed wrestling.

[Guest]

The NWA was not a federation like the WWF or WCW.

 

The NWA never held a card.

 

All the NWA was was a federation of promoters across the country. These promoters and their territories ran cards.

 

Ted Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions (which did include many territories Crockett purchased earlier), a single territory of the NWA.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Ahh... I understand it a lot better now.  Thanks to everyone who helped chip in, especially KC Evers and JHawk, since theirs were the most in-depth.

 

It's really a shame there is no more "big gold belt".  That was such a cool belt.  But then, it's also a shame how WCW stole it in the first place and made it into their belt.  Does this mean the WWF now owns the "rights" to the NWA "big gold belt"? If not, why not reproduce it for the current NWA champion?

[Guest Corey291]

Ahh... I understand it a lot better now.  Thanks to everyone who helped chip in, especially KC Evers and JHawk, since theirs were the most in-depth.

 

It's really a shame there is no more "big gold belt".  That was such a cool belt.  But then, it's also a shame how WCW stole it in the first place and made it into their belt.  Does this mean the WWF now owns the "rights" to the NWA "big gold belt"? If not, why not reproduce it for the current NWA champion?

WCW didn't steal the "Big Gold Belt".  It was RIC FLAIR that actually owned the belt during his 7th title reign in WCW.  When he left WCW to go to the WWF, he took the belt with him.  WCW bought the belt back from Flair shortly thereafter, and the belt had been the property of WCW ever since.

 

So in reality, WCW didn't steal anything.  

 

-Corey

COREY'S WRESTLING VIDEO ARCHIVES!

[Guest Tony149]

Flair had already owned the belt for years. Since the mid-'80s. NWA/WCW just used it as the World Title. Jim Crockett was in debt so he sold the belt to Flair. I think that's why Flair put $20,000 in a bond. Which WCW & Flair ended up fighting for when he (Flair) left in '91.

[Guest]

NO!!!

 

Flair never owned the belt.

 

Back in the day, the NWA world champ had to put $25,000 before he got the title. This was to ensure that the champ didn't screw the organization. The champ's money was put up in a CD and it drew interest. After the completion of the title reign, the money was given back to the now former champ.

 

Flair put up his $25,000 a few times and then left it with the offices. He knew that he'd get the belt back shortly after he lost it. No need to collect his money.

 

In 1991, Flair and Jim Herd had a big falling out. Herd demanded the belt. Flair demanded his $25,000 bond. Herd refused, saying he knew nothing about that. Flair told Herd that he wouldn't hand over the belt until he got his money (which had matured to about $35,000). Herd still refused. Flair told him the belt was going to be on WWF television.

 

Flair took the belt on TV and Herd/WCW sued for possession of it. The two sides eventually settled out of court for about $35,000.