On November 12th two men stepped into the ring at Championship Wrestling from Hollywood to battle it out for the NWA Championship. It had been five years since that title had been defended in that promotion. The men were the champion Tim Storm and his challenger Nick Aldis, better known to the wrestling world as Magnus. It would probably not be incorrect to claim that the latter is more known to the wrestling audience than the former. I would like to say I am fairly knowledgeable when it comes to various wrestlers. I may not have seen them all wrestle, but I have a notion of who they are. When it comes to Tim Storm I must say I know nothing.
The fact that Billy Corgan, now going by William Patrick Corgan, purchased the National Wrestling Alliance has been the most people have been talking about the organization. Probably since it was paired with TNA. Corgan has been talking about a twenty-year plan for the Alliance but has been very secretive about what that actually means. When he was on the verge of buying Impact and acted as the president of that federation he was a lot more vocal. Maybe because Impact was more public, had a laundry list of issues, or had something he could work with. Maybe it’s as simple as him learning from his mistakes.
The fact that Billy Corgan, now going by William Patrick Corgan, purchased the National Wrestling Alliance has been the most people have been talking about the organization. Probably since it was paired with TNA. Corgan has been talking about a twenty-year plan for the Alliance but has been very secretive about what that actually means. When he was on the verge of buying Impact and acted as the president of that federation he was a lot more vocal. Maybe because Impact was more public, had a laundry list of issues, or had something he could work with. Maybe it’s as simple as him learning from his mistakes.
It is in the marketing that NWA will live again. It is how Storm is portrayed as an underdog champion. The man who has more in his rear view than front one. Corgan understands the importance of PR, he has a great mind for it. He can make the Alliance interesting again. The question is if he can get the wrestlers to back it up. The build-up can only do so much. The work in the ring has to be top class as well. Unfortunately, the Storm/Aldiss match was not. No matter how much the CWFH crowd chanted that they never wanted the match to end, or how awesome it was, it just wasn’t all it could have been.
Without a true top indy promotion, it might be a role that Corgan is looking for NWA to fill. Maybe he wants it to be that place where old wrestlers come to have their final run before they retire as well as a place for young talent to use as a springboard to launch their career. EVOLVE has been that place, being a funnel for NXT and at the same time giving those who have been future endeavoured a place to work their way back. Personally, I would like it if that were to happen. That the NWA was the one connecting point where all the indys could meet and battle. A tiered system as it were. Maybe that is the plan? Who knows? Maybe Tim Storm is the right man to carry the ten pounds of gold around America and the world, to make it relevant again. To give the rub to the top independent wrestlers. Not Storm, the championship itself. Corgan has announced that the NWA now is open for any takers, and they are lining up. So far none as interesting as Nick Aldiss, but we will just have to wait and see. See if the pieces of Corgan’s twenty-year plan will fall into place.
C. Marry Hultman loves wrestling and watches it all the time. He runs the website W.A.R.G, dedicated to popular culture, as well as the Wrestling Guild podcast where he reviews Impact.
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