Billy... err... William Patrick Corgan might have made the NWA awesome again

[BurningBeard]

It never even crossed my mind that NWA members would have tried to book the champion in that weird 1993 period. Christ, imagine Flair or Windham working a bingo hall in front of 50 people

[Dewar]

The best part of that is Coraluzzo threatening lawsuits because he could not get the NWA World Champion to come work a date in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in front of 300 people.

[Michael Sweetser]

Well, legally, they were supposed to be able to book the NWA World champion - it was part of being an NWA member/affiliate/whatever.

Part of the reason the NWA kicked out TNA in 2007 was because their first right of refusal for bookings and high prices made it nigh-impossible to book the NWA World champion (Christian Cage, while he was champion, ended up at $3K a shot, which was ridiculous).

As an associate NWA member, my short-lived promotion, NWA Washington, had put together Adam Pearce vs. "Rocket" Randy Tyler for the NWA World title for its debut show in 2009 before various issues kiboshed it (none that had to do with the NWA).

[Matt D]

41 minutes ago, CreativeControl said:

It never even crossed my mind that NWA members would have tried to book the champion in that weird 1993 period. Christ, imagine Flair or Windham working a bingo hall in front of 50 people

To be fair, have you seen WCW's attendance in 1992-3?

Here's exhibit A?

WCW @ Davie, FL - November 26, 1993 (700)
Frankie Lancaster defeated Mark Starr
2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Alexander Bagwell defeated Tex Slazenger & Shanghai Pierce
WCW TV Champion Lord Steven Regal defeated Paul Roma
Brian Pillman fought Steve Austin to a double count-out
WCW US Champion Dustin Rhodes defeated Paul Orndorff
Sting & Brian Pillman defeated Lord Steven Regal & Steve Austin
Ric Flair defeated Harley Race (sub. for injured WCW World Champion Vader)
WCW International World Champion Rick Rude defeated Ricky Steamboat (w/ Mayor Irv Rosenbaum)

[Raziel]

To be totally honest, Up until the nWo got rocking and rolling, WCW house shows were all pretty low.  I went to a few WCW House Shows in Philly in 94 and they weren't bigger than anything ECW was drawing at the same time.

[BurningBeard]

That WCW stat just goes to show you the beauty of perception. Here I am in 1993, a kid in the UK watching a syndicated wrestling programme and thinking they were a big company. Meanwhile, they can't even draw a 1000 people to a house show. 

Were their promoters and advertisers as bad as TNA's or something?

[Technico Support]

Why "NWA" promoters didn't just give up the ghost after Crockett took over booking the champion, and especially after selling to Turner, is beyond my comprehension.  The "NWA" as a group of affiliated promotions really died as soon as Crockett took control of the title and limited it to mostly his own shows.

Did any of them try to sue for championship bookings between 1987 (when it essentially became a "company title") and 1991 (when Flair was finally stripped)?

Were these promoters huge marks who really took NWA membership seriously or were they just trying to cynically squeeze a few more bucks out of a dead brand that might still have had some cachet with a few diehards?  I can tell you I lived through this period and the name "NWA" was a joke by the early/mid 90s.

 

[Raziel]

6 minutes ago, CreativeControl said:

That WCW stat just goes to show you the beauty of perception. Here I am in 1993, a kid in the UK watching a syndicated wrestling programme and thinking they were a big company. Meanwhile, they can't even draw a 1000 people to a house show. 

Were their promoters and advertisers as bad as TNA's or something?

WCW just didn't do big house show business outside of the old JCP territories.  Part of it was WWF had a better syndication market, thus better advertising, whereas WCWonly had Worldwide on Syndication.  Going from memory, Any time I watched Superstars or Wrestling Challenge, I was getting event reports when Philly and NYC were due on the loop, and we got promos and hype for the shows.  Over on Worldwide, we occasionally got word that WCW was running a Philly show, but we weren't getting lineups. 

[Wyld Samurai]

I believe one of the first things Boschoff did when he was named BMOC of WCW was to kill off the house shows since it didn't make any sense to keep losing money on it. Everyone kept telling him to do more house shows but he didn't see the reasoning when they were losing money just turning on the lights.

[Marty Sugar]

Fuck, if I'd have known the rule was simply "10% of the gate," I would book the NWA World Champion every damn month.

[Victator]

4 hours ago, Technico Support said:

Why "NWA" promoters didn't just give up the ghost after Crockett took over booking the champion, and especially after selling to Turner, is beyond my comprehension.  The "NWA" as a group of affiliated promotions really died as soon as Crockett took control of the title and limited it to mostly his own shows.

Did any of them try to sue for championship bookings between 1987 (when it essentially became a "company title") and 1991 (when Flair was finally stripped)?

Were these promoters huge marks who really took NWA membership seriously or were they just trying to cynically squeeze a few more bucks out of a dead brand that might still have had some cachet with a few diehards?  I can tell you I lived through this period and the name "NWA" was a joke by the early/mid 90s.

 

Flair was making defenses in World Class right up to when they left the NWA in 86. Flair made an appearance or two in Alabama and was in Florida occasionally. I think he made a defense for Don Owens in 88. 

Crockett was a problem but a lot of promotions were having problems that had nothing to do with getting the champion. 

I don't know why WCW was so opposed to working with smaller promotions. I think working with Smokey Mountain Wrestling could have helped WCW in a lot of ways. SMW was drawing in areas WCW could not, they could send talent to SMW to freshen up or get seasoning or get use of SMW talent. 

Or even a year later with ECW. But I guess its better to be mayor of a ghost town. 

[(BP)]

WCW wanted a working relationship with ECW, at least to help promote in the northeast. It was Heyman holding a grudge for getting fired and also not wanting his talent to get squashed on WCW television that killed it. 

[Web Conn]

The biggest heel in ECW was arguably Eric Bischoff and WCW.

[Wyld Samurai]

--

[Nice Guy Eddie]

2 hours ago, Web Conn said:

The biggest heel in ECW was arguably Eric Bischoff and WCW.

Pretty sure Bischoff would have been the biggest heel anywhere. He might have the most punchable looking face ever. The Miz might be a close second.

[Raziel]

Nah, it was ECW.  If Bischoff ever showed up in the ECW Arena the roof would've blown off the place like it did when Lawler and Sid showed up.

[Web Conn]

Now Miz would have been ECW Bockwinkel, his douche promo's, hot wife, "safe style" and red suits would have caused riots on every ECW show. But we are off topic. Back the NWA Adam Pearce was like the perfect guy to put the title on after they split from TNA. He's the perfect old school traveling champion. It was said how every many pages by someone that Cody would make a good traveling champion and another person said Davy Boy Smith Jr. IDK I think Bobby Fish would be a good traveling champ. Who is the ideal Traveling Champion not signed to anyone out there today? Is it Cody, based on his name recognition and workrate as of late?

[mattdangerously]

No way.  Sid and Lawler got over because even ECW fans know they're awesome.  Bischoff would have been lucky to get out of that bingo hall alive.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

29 minutes ago, Web Conn said:

Now Miz would have been ECW Bockwinkel, his douche promo's, hot wife, "safe style" and red suits would have caused riots on every ECW show. But we are off topic. Back the NWA Adam Pearce was like the perfect guy to put the title on after they split from TNA. He's the perfect old school traveling champion. It was said how every many pages by someone that Cody would make a good traveling champion and another person said Davy Boy Smith Jr. IDK I think Bobby Fish would be a good traveling champ. Who is the ideal Traveling Champion not signed to anyone out there today? Is it Cody, based on his name recognition and workrate as of late?

The best choice is probably Cody. Bulldog Jr. wouldn't be a bad second choice. I think Bobby Fish might be following Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole to nxt. I'd like to see either Future Shock or ReDRagon in nxt. The tag division needs it. 

[Web Conn]

Yeah I think Cody is the best choice right now, Keith Lee needs to build his stock up and he can be the one to take it off of Cody. I'd put the JR Heavyweight Championship on Lio Rush and have him wrestle all the top flippy guys in the country. I don't know I can fantasy book all day but we don't even know when and how this will all go down.

[Victator]

3 hours ago, (BP) said:

WCW wanted a working relationship with ECW, at least to help promote in the northeast. It was Heyman holding a grudge for getting fired and also not wanting his talent to get squashed on WCW television that killed it. 

I think the last part is reasonable. But they could have worked something out. I say this as someone who hates Heyman. 

 

38 minutes ago, Web Conn said:

Now Miz would have been ECW Bockwinkel, his douche promo's, hot wife, "safe style" and red suits would have caused riots on every ECW show.

Bock could work and Miz would need to bleed at some point. 

I would make Ryback NWA champion, he has a name, WWE could not kill off his aura. But they need someone who is famous but was not a full jobber in WWE. 

[mattdangerously]

If I were Corgan, I'd give New Japan a call and ask them pretty please if I could make someone on their roster the NWA champ while I figure out what the fuck I'm going to do with everything. (Davey Boy Jr needs something to do while his tag partner is injured, so why not?)  Let them put title matches on their shows for a while.  That way the title is at least somewhat visible again.  Then, when a real plan for the NWA was in place, put the belt on your touring champ.

[Web Conn]

Kenny Omega?

Bill Murray is free to take bookings. No bumps given no bumps taken brother.

[Victator]

It seems like they get cold feet with Japan, ever since Hashimoto tried to screw them. That was why Severn had to be brought in. 
 

Howard Brody is there doing some weird Montreal Finish. I guess to protect Hashimoto. 

[mattdangerously]

New Japan and Tharpe were running NWA title matches on Wrestle Kingdom shows pretty recently, though.