Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Why I love the NWA: Innovation


I am a fan of the NWA, and I always have been.  Why?  One reason is because the NWA is always on the cutting edge of wrestling innovation.  WHAT?!?  I can almost hear the people yell in response that the NWA is the past, and to link the NWA with innovation is insane.  But just drop the assumptions and look at the proof. 

One example would be the popularity of foreign wrestling today thanks to the internet, especially Japanese wrestling.  The NWA was decades ahead in this respect.  The champ often went over and had matches with top Japanese stars and as early as 1991 we began to see them on WCW TV while it was still a part of the NWA and even the NWA hanging titles on them (Fujinami was advertised as the NWA World Champ).  One could make an easy argument that Japanese wrestling is so popular today thanks to the NWA. 

What about the popularity of ECW?  While I think Extreme wrestling was bad for the sport, it is undeniable that ECW had large appeal to a segment of fans.  The NWA was at the time without a TV show, and they were able to identify ECW as a place worthy of carrying the NWA World Title while ECW was in its infancy.  In 1994 they held a tournament and the champ was Shane Douglas.  Now we all know what happened as Douglad threw down the belt and NWA was damaged by a back stabbing Paul Heyman, but the fact remains that the NWA had seen the potential in the ECW when no one else did. 

How about MMA, and especially its incorporating many mixed marital arts moves into professional wrestling?  We see that a lot in popular wrestlers today like Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, but it was pioneered by the NWA.  In 1995 the NWA put its World Title on the Beast Dan Sevren, who was of UFC fame back when the UFC was still putting on shows in the single digits.  In fact long before Brock Lesnar became a UFC champ, Dan Sevren was simultaneously the NWA World Champ and The UFC Super Champ (before weight divisions).  Sevren used many MMA style moves and choke holds in his fights and for over a 1,000 days terrorized wrestlers in the NWA.  The NWA was way ahead of its day.

What about the popularity of cruiser weight wrestlers?  Well the NWA was out in front of that as well.  We see the NWA with a World Junior Heavyweight Title as far back as the 1940’s.  It did take a small break during some of the NWA lean years between 89 and 95, but they brought it back and put it on men like Ultimo Dragon and Jushin Liger.  It was a belt that pioneered and popularized giving smaller men a place on the card and a title to defend all their own.  This belt was reactivated in 1995 a year before WCW’s Cruiserweight title.  It seems probable that WCW copied the Junior Heavyweight Championship. 

Chikara too can be seen as a popular place of wrestling that had a large internet following, and the NWA was involved in that early on.  Chikara started in 2002, and by 2007 Mike Quackenbush was the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion.  He held that belt for 3 years, although it has to be admitted not defended as often as it needed to be.  The NWA has had some low periods, but they still deserve credit for being quickly on board a rising popular young company in Chikara and a great wrestler in Quackenbush. 

What about TNA?  It for a time was popular as an alternative to WWE, and had great potential as it was full of talented guys like Ron Killings, AJ Styles, and Christopher Daniels mixed with a few notable vets like Jeff Jarrett and later Sting.  The NWA was on board with TNA from the beginning.  In fact, one can argue that when Vince Russo was rehired was the beginning of the end of TNA as a good product, and it was the NWA who first recognized that and pulled their titles by mid-2007.  Once again the NWA was on the cutting edge of good wrestling, and when it was not good, they got out. 

What is next?  It is hard to say what will be popular next, but I think it is safe to say that the NWA will be on the cutting edge of that movement. 

Friday, April 18, 2014

TNA should just quit

TNA went from being a promising promotion to being an absolute joke.  It is unwatchable.  It is so set on being WWE that they have lost all direction as a wrestling promotion.  Authority story line on WWE = authority story line on TNA.  CM Punk walk out with title story line = AJ Styles walk out with title story line.  Daniel Bryan fan favorite wins the title = Eric Young fan favorite = wins title.  But at least in all of these the story lines were built up a little.  TNA did them simply because WWE did them.  No build up, no reason, and all of it with inferior wrestlers.  Instead of saying, how can we be different, they ask how can we be the same.  It makes for some of the worst wrestling ever.

Don't believe me?  Look at this PPV line up.
Eric Young vs. Magnus for the Title.  This is the main event.  This supposed to sell tickets.  Yikes.
Bully Ray vs. Bobby Rhode in a tables match.  I like Rhode, but Ray is so-so.  Ok match, but yikes.
Tigre Uno vs. Sanada for the X Division Title.  Best on the card, but both guys are unknowns. 
Angel and Hardy vs. Spud and ECIII.  Didn't Hardy just win a handicap match against these two? 
James Storm vs. Gunner in an I Quit match.  Second gimmick match.  Gunner should not be spotlighted.
Mr. Anderson vs. Sam Shaw in a "Committed Match" Third gimmick match and I don't even understand it.  Neither of these guys should be on the roster. 

Now, the PPV is not until April 26, but I don't see Austin Ares.  I don't see Samoa Joe.  Those are the two biggest stars in TNA.  I don't see Abyss.  There is also no American Wolves yet announced.  I am sure that Ares will end up facing MVP and the Wolves will get another title shot vs. Bro Mans, but still the fact that stuff is not in stone yet shows those guys are not getting featured on TV.  Gunner is stealing TV time from Austin Ares and Samoa Joe. 

And from a logic stand point didn't Samoa Joe lose a title match because of Abyss?  Where is the Joe vs Abyss match?  And what happened to Bobby Lashley?  Didn't he show up? 

This cannot continue.  Wrestling this bad and shows this bad have to be stopped.  There is real talent on this roster.  But, it is all being buried or misused.  This is hands down the worst wrestling company out there today.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

NWA matches of note

A couple of interesting things happening in the NWA.

First, the feud between Nitro and Lou Marconi continues in NWA-CIW.  Nitro is the champ again after beating Marconi on his home turf.  Marconi challenges again this weekend, and there is another scheduled meeting later in the month down in North Carolina.  As a side note, Nitro is about to embark on a tour of Germany in May.  Does he leave the National Title behind?  We will see.  One way or another I think the rivalry is about to come to an end.

Second, Jason "the Gift" Kincaid is putting the NWA Smoky Mountain title on the line in the Crockett Cup tournament.  This will involved a singles match followed by the six winners entering the ring to fight it out until only one is left.  The title is on the line the whole time, which means of the winner of the cup will ultimately be the NWA Smoky Mtn. Champ.  Kincaid is currently the longest reigning champion in any NWA territory.  Interestingly enough the NWA Junior Heavyweight champ, Chase Owens is in the Cup.  Owens just lost his Southern All Star title to Kincaid in February.  The two have a long standing rivalry that spans territories.

Anyway you cut it, I expect some news to come out of this weekend.


Monday, April 14, 2014

NWA World Title UPDATED AT BOTTOM

Kojima retained his title against Rob Conway in what is something of a surprise to me.  Not surprisingly the next night Kojima and Tenzan retained the World Tag Titles. 

I know that this is being built as an invasion of NWA and a feud, but it is hard for me to see it that way.  I will discuss this more in a future post about invasions, but if this an invasion then this is a disaster.  However, if this NJPW being part of the NWA then this is good.  Kojima is a highly thought of wrestler who has done some great stuff in Japan.  Worthy of the world title.  But the title cannot stay in Japan too long for the NWA to remain relevant.  And it appears it will not, at least in some form.

Kojima will defend against Wes Brisco on May 3rd.  It is good to see an increase in title defenses.  The title should never be dormant for too long.  It appears Kojima will defeat Brisco, and you have to like that as I am not a fan of Brisco.

Kojima is scheduled to come to the US on May 30 to Southern All Star Wrestling to make a title defense.  A second defense is scheduled on May 31 in Houston, the flag ship of the NWA.  Now, it does not have to be Kojima who walks away a winner on May 30th, but it is a good bet he does and comes back to Houston to defend the title.  Who has not yet been announced, but I would think Conway is still in the running since they are playing up a fast count angle.  Another could be Jax Dane. 

Dane is a powerhourse of a guy who has been trying on the gold as a Tag Team champ for the last few months.  He got to travel with Conway, while Conway had the belt.  So he learned how to be a champ.  He made several trips across the pond where he progressed into his latest singles victory over Tenzan this past weekend.  Dane was on the card supposed to have the World Title shot against then champ Kahagas the night Conway won it.  Dane was attacked by the Illuminati in a story line injury that led to the shot going to Dane's friend Conway.  It would make for some great story feud between Dane and Conway in Houston and one could then see how Dane could do with the belt.  He already has a few appearances to give him an in over in Japan, and has appeared in several NWA promotions as a tag champ recently giving him credit in those regions as well. 

Of course Bryan Wilcott could be an options as well as he just had a match with Kojima in Japan, which did not go over that well.  So hopefully not on this one.

It will be fascinating to see what happens.  It is good to see the NWA belt is making appearances in America again. 

Kojima is also scheduled to make a title defense in Las Vegas on June 2 at the Cauliflower Action Club, a group to help retired wrestlers which Bruce Thwarp is a part.  Perhaps then Kojima wins May 31st and June 2nd is the date to watch.  The May 31st match is against Houston Carson. 

Monday, April 7, 2014

Wrestlemania still a lot to prove

WrestleMania 30 felt a lot like WrestleMania 20, and will probably be as pointless in the end. 

WrestleMania 20 had one of those feel good moments for the fans and felt like a page turning only to find out HHH and Shawn Michaels were no where close to leaving town.  Eddie Guerro retained the WWE title that night and Chris Benoit won the World Title in a three way match against HHH and Shawn Michaels (this was the main event).  Crowd favorite Chris Benoit won, and Eddie came out too at the end and we saw confetti.  But Benoit's title run was over by August, Eddie's even quicker, and HHH and Shawn were still really in control.  WrestleMania 20 was supposed to be where the WWE went with the younger, popular, better wrestlers, but they did not.  So too, I think it will be with WrestleMania 30.

A lot of fan favorites won last night.  The younger independent wrestler did well.  Caesaro won the battle royal and Daniel Bryan won twice to claim the title.  AJ Lee even retained the Divas Title.  Yet, this is not a page turning moment where the WWE goes with the crowd favorite.  Don't expect a real run with the title.  Expect him to drop before or at Summer Slam.  Let us not forget that this should have already happened.  Bryan should have long ago been the champ.  WWE was forced into this, and they brought back Bautista.  Bray Watt still lost, and Cena is lurking.  And of course let us not forget CM Punk is not with the company. 

This is the worst part of Undertaker losing.  I personally always thought he should lose.  You go out on your back.  Still, this was not the time to do it.  This is the most shocking thing about last night, and the worst.  If he was going to go out on is back, last year was the year to do it.  CM Punk is the guy to let win.  Now, I get that last year with the death of Paul Bearer, Punk had to lose.  But maybe this was the way you get Punk to stay.  Instead of forcing him into a HHH match or a Kane match, give him another shot at the Undertaker.  Punk gets the win this time.  No one would have seen it coming.  Punk is the future, not Lesnar.  Lesnar is a part time nobody these days.  Undertaker should have put over the future of the company, not someone who was part of its past.  In fact a guy who quit the WWE at WrestleMania 20. 

So, I think by this time next year we are going to be looking at another Cena Main Event at WrestleMania, and Bryan will be forgotten.  WWE is a dollar short and a decade late.

NWA had a just as disappointing time this past weekend.  Kojima and Tenzan won the NWA world titles from the IronGodz when Tenzan pinned Jax Dane after a moonsault.  We had our first ever NWA World champ holding both belts with Conway, now the next guy does the same feat again.  Disappointing.  Although Conway vs. Kojima has been announced for April 12 and a rematch for the Tag title for the 13th.  I don't mind Tenzan and Kojima retaining the Tag Titles, but Conway has to come away with the World Title.  It is time to get it back in America.