NWA and Japan again . . .

The full show of Wrestling Kingdom is now up and advertised, and no Tiger Mask IV.  He has now been the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champ for several months with no title defenses.  None.  He is not on the 9 match card for the biggest show of the year.  What is the point of having what could be the most exciting belt in the NWA languishing in Japan on someone's mantle.  It is time to cut bait from NJPW.  By the way, Ring of Honor has a title match on the show that has little to nothing to do with the NJPW.  Both men are from Ring of Honor.  So, why be a third wheel?  NWA is growing at home and has a nice place in Britain that could host a World Junior champ to be sure.  No point in staying around for no real reason.

Raymond Rowe deserves a quick mention.  He does wrestle in Ring of Honor, but is gaining steam in the NWA.  Could he be a future World Champ?  He is currently the Branded Outlaw Heavyweight champ, and was for one week the Grand Warrior champion of Wrestling Revolution.  He defended the title once when former champ Danny Ramos cashed in a title shot and Rowe was unable to win two matches in one night.  He also had a great match with Smoky Mtn Heavyweight Champ, Jason Kincaid.  Kincaid capitalized on some distractions to hit Rowe with a second Grave of the Fireflies to win the match. 

Lots of big events to end the year, so keep your eyes open!

New Tag Team Champs again!

Usually title changes last for quite some time.  Tag titles included.  Yet, not this time.  The Heat Seekers lost the belts to a first time tag team, the Iron Empire consisting of Matt Rivera and Rob Conway.  This took place at a big NWA Mid South event at a Casino in Mississippi.  It was not a regular show, but a big event that also saw Jason Kincaid take on Matt Sydal.  Big venue, big event, with a big title change is always a good idea.

Overall I like the change.  The Heat Seekers always seemed like too small a team to carry World Title gold.  Sigmon and Eliott Russell are good together, but did not ever do anything with the US Belts to warrant a World title run.  Conway and Rivera are both big enough wrestlers to make it feel like a real World Tag Team Champion.  Rivera recently dropped the Western States title and Rob Conway has done it all for the NWA.  Conway is a previous World Tag Team Title holder with Jax Dane.  It included trips to Japan, which would be nice to see for the Iron Empire.  Matt Rivera is an up and coming guy and the NWA used Conway to help out Jax Dane.  Can you imagine what he could do for someone with the talent of Rivera? 

They don't have to go to Japan because after all these guys are pretty big in America.  Rivera wrestlers regularly in Vendetta Pro, where Conway seldom appears.  Conway is big in Branded Outlaw and the Indiana promotions where Rivera never appears.  Rivera has made some sporatic appearances in Louisana (Conway has not) and Conway some in East TN (where Rivera has not).  They have the nation covered.  It would be great to take the Tag Titles to Vendetta Pro and let the Classic Connection take a run at the titles. 

Either way, this is good for the NWA.  I hope quick title reigns do not become a wave of the future, but every now and then it is a great way to shake it up. 

Santana Garrett wins again and World Title Speculation

Well fears were unfounded this time as Santana Garrett successfully defended the NWA Women's Title and won a title vs. title match to gain the Wonder of Stardom Title in Japan.  She is going back in January, and it would not be unusual for her to drop the Wonder of Stardom title back, but she ought to be able to leave with the NWA Women's Title intact. 

And it is of note that Kahagas is going to appear at NWA SAW on November 14th.  Could it be that Kahagas is going to start a feud with NWA World Champ Jax Dane?  Dane will be taking on Jernigan, who is half the tag team champs for SAW.  Kahagas and Dane are the only two triple crown winners and a feud between them would be great.

Worrying about the NWA Women's title

Santana Garrett has been a great Women's Champ.  It is easy to say that she is the best thing going in Women's wrestling and a HUGE asset to the NWA.  She has just successfully defended the NWA Women's Title in Japan, which was the first time that has happened in 39 years.  She deserves kodos for that.  However, she is still in Japan and just signed a title vs. title match with Wonder of Stardom champ lo Sharai.  And the NWA has a real bad streak of just dropping World titles in Japan.

Garrett, in addition to the NWA world title, holds single titles in the Coastal Championship Wrestling, Championship Wrestling Entertainment, American Pro Wrestling Alliance, Belleview Pro Wrestling, Nova Pro Wrestling, Orlando Pro Wrestling, Ring Warriors, Shine Wrestling, Southern Championship Wrestling, USA Pro Wrestling, USA Wrestling Alliance, and Jersey Championship Wrestling.  She also is half the Tag Team champs in Women of Wrestling. 

If the NWA continues this drop all titles on trips to Japan, they may as well fold.  Santana Garrett needs to come home with the NWA Title.  Anything else is bad business. 

Thanksgiving Wrestling - NWA Smoky mtn.

Thanksgiving is always a hot bed of local wrestling, especially in the South.  But perhaps the hottest of them all this Thanksgiving is NWA Smoky Mtn.

Now, Smoky Mtn is putting on a Black Friday show that is going to feature a no DQ tag match between the US Tag Champs as Chris Richards and Jason Kincaid.  It will also have Vince Brett and more, but the real show is Nov. 21st in Kingsport.  Just listen to this card.

NWA World Champ Jax Dane will defend against NWA National Champ Arrick Andrews.  
- that match alone is worth seeing as two top title holders go head to head, but there is more.

NWA World Tag Team Champs the HeatSeekers take on Shawn Shultz and Toby Farley.  - It is a little disappointing that this is not billed as part of the Triple Main Event.  This is the WORLD TAG TITLES we are talking about.  And why the competition here is not a real tag team, Shawn Shultz is always fun to watch.

NWA SouthEastern Champ Jason Kincaid defends against Raymond Rowe.  - Now it is hard to see how Kincaid loses the belt, but Raymond Rowe is a legit star wrestling often on Ring of Honor and does hold the NWA Branded Outlaw Championship (or one of those Texas titles anyway).  It is going to be a good match and might set up more Raymond Rowe visits to Smoky Mtn.

Kid Kash vs. Chase Owens - This has potential and has been set up well.  It completes the Owens turn to being a face and Owens is one of the best wrestlers in the world.  With his new spot in New Japan Wrestling, Owens will be around a lot less.  So this may be the last chance to see Owens for a while.

NWA US Tag Team Champs Skylar Kruse and Axton Ray defend against the Cabal (Chris Richards and Travis Lee)  - This is one where I would say the champs are the underdogs.  Chris Richards and Travis Lee are literal giants and Kruse and Ray are small even for Smoky Mtn.  Yet, the contrast in styles has the potential to make this a good match.

Smoky Mtn TV Champ Ali Shabbaz defends against Jordan Kage, Vince Brett, and Bryan Motgomery.  - Four way matches always provide plenty of drama and potential.  Brett is the next big thing in Smoky Mtn, but the TV Title may simply hold him back.  He is without a story line right now.  Bryan Motgomery is a new guy and a bit of a wild card here.  Kage is the former champ and this is another way to continue his feud with Shabbaz, who himself is excellent in the ring. 

There are some other matches that feel like feud culminations so they should be good. If I lived in the area, I would be at this event.

NWA Texoma

There a lot of really great NWA organizations right now.  NWA Mid South is probably the best since it puts on weekly shows.  Among the monthly shows NWA Smoky Mtn. and Pro Wrestling Vendetta have long histories of greatness.  But NWA Texoma is gaining ground on all of them.

NWA Texoma has always worked well with the weekly shows of NWA Top of Texas.  Part of what makes working in the same alliance so nice is cross over.  Earlier this year NWA Texoma brought down some stars from the rather new NWA Mid West.  I took notice, but NWA Mid West was pretty new and not real regular yet.  Now they are and it is NWA Midwest's turn to host Texoma.  It looks to be an 8 man tag that will put the best of NWA Mid West such as Seth Allen against NWA Texoma stars APOC, Daniles, Dane Griffth, and also Tim Storm.  If done rightly this could set up a nice return date for the North American Champ, Storm at NWA Mid West.  It is good to see Texoma not just working with next door neighbor territories.  By the way NWA Mid West in that same show is having Vince Brett, a rising star in NWA Smoky Mtn.  It is good to see him appear in other promotions as he has the makings of a future NWA World Junior Heavyweight champ.  NWA Texoma also featured Badd Blood from the Pacific Northwest earlier this year too.

But that is not even the best part.  NWA Texoma, on the same show where Tenzan beat Tim Storm to retain the World Title, the Von Erichs 3G made their debut.  They took a shot at the Tag Titles, but failed to win the title.  The won the match by DQ, but no titles.  Well, this past week they hosted Freebirds Generations (also Jax Dane defended the NWA World Title).  This tag team features Tristin Hayze and Buddy Roberts Jr and they were escorted by Miranda Gordy.  Wow!  It seems pretty clear that Ross and Marshall Von Erich are headed to a show down with the Hayze and Roberts team in the future and probably at NWA Texoma. 

Add this to the fact that Charlie Haas is a regular on the shows and the local talent of people like Mike Foxx and Jake Logan and you have a great show every month.  Keep an eye on this promotion.  They are making serious waves! 

NWA Results and what to watch for

I found out about the results for Chris Target's match at NWA Texoma.  Target lost to NWA North American champ, Tim Storm.  Obviously then the Australian title was not on the line.  Good to see Target get a shot at a larger belt.

NWA National champ is out on the road, which is good to see.  He has a match with Badd Blood at NWA Circle City wrestling in November, which is good to see Arrick Andrews go to new territories.  I think he may have been scheduled for NWA Appalachia, but I think the show was canceled.  He also got a victory over Rob Conway at NWA SAW, which is a big win for Andrews. 

At that same SAW event Jax Dane defeated Greg Anthony to retain the World Title.  Now, I make no bones about it, I want Greg Anthony as the World Champ.  But, it is good to see Dane vs. smaller guys.  I worry about the always fight the large power guy.  See his match vs. Shane Taylor and upcoming match this Saturday vs. the Giant of Smoky Mtn. Wrestling.  Greg Anthony can go, and I hope they upload that match to You Tube.  It should be noted that Greg Anthony had already successfully defended his Southern Championship earlier in the show. 

Top of Texas does not appear to have an event this weekend, but next weekend is huge as Ryan Justice has a Fatal Four Way title defense. 

NWA Supreme has a benefit show.  It appears champ Texas Outlaw will be there. 

NWA Circle City Wrestling has an event this Sunday that will feature Too Cool.  Yes, that Too Cool.  Rob Conway will be there and Rhyno goes against Dru Skillz. 

NWA Wrestling Revolution features Brian Kendrick returning to take on South Texas Champ, Eric Shadows. 

NWA Smoky Mtn. has a show as well where the aforementioned World Title Jax Dane will take on Giant Arwen, or whatever his new name is.  Jason Kincaid defends his Southeastern Title against Nick Hammonds who is the Mountain Empire champ.  If Kincaid wins, it will be a 4 year title reign.  Kid Kash also takes on EZ Money for those who care about wrestlers who used to be TV. 

Some things to watch this week.