Walking With Ghosts

Origins of the National Wrestling Alliance
The building, the match, the belt.

 The Hotel President, Waterloo, IA (2022)

PART ONE: Walking with Ghosts: A Visit to the Birthplace of the NWA
The Hotel President in Waterloo, Iowa, hosted a group of regional wrestling promoters as they got together to form the National Wrestling Alliance in 1948. That building still stands and bears that name. Take a look inside and see where this famous meeting took place and who was there.

PART TWO: Waterloo: The First Ever NWA World Heavyweight Title Defense
Orville Brown defeats Joe Dusek in a match held hours after the National Wrestling Alliance is chartered in Waterloo, IA. Brown had been selected by the NWA's founding fathers in 1948 as the the organization's first champion, making the match the unofficial first defense of the NWA Championship. The NWA dignitaries were in attendance. See all the details.

PART THREE: Orville Brown and the First NWA Title Belt (1948)
On the night of the first unofficial NWA title defense, Midwest Wrestling Association champion Orville Brown successfully defended the title wearing the MWA belt to the ring. That very belt would later be modified to represent the new NWA organization's championship. See photos of the belt before and after, plus the rest of the story.

Orville Brown and the First NWA Title Belt (1948)

PART THREE IN THE 1948 NWA WATERLOO HISTORY SERIES
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

The NWA's early history with the various belts that represented their world heavyweight title is a bit odd, because even though the organization was formed in 1948, they didn't actually own their own title belt until 1959, as outlined in the book Crown Jewel (available on Amazon and from the Mid-Atlantic Gateway Book Store.) Before that, they used various belts that belonged to others.

In an earlier article, I wrote about my pilgrimage to the Hotel President in Waterloo, Iowa, and the historic events of July 18, 1948 at a wrestling card in that same city.  July 18, 1948, is a day that holds a special place in pro wrestling history, as a group of five Midwest wrestling promoters led by Iowa promoter Paul "Pinkie" George met at the Hotel President to forge the documents that chartered the National Wrestling Alliance. Later that night, they all attended a card at Waterloo's Electric Park that featured a heavyweight title defense by Orville Brown against Joe Dusek, a match which I argue was the first de facto defense of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

THE BELT
The first belt used as the NWA Heavyweight title belt was actually a modified belt created in 1936 that had been used to recognize an earlier claim to the world championship. It was the Midwest Wrestling Association (MWA) belt, and it was the belt worn into the ring in Waterloo on July 18, 1948 when champion Orville Brown defended against Joe Dusek. Brown was the MWA Heavyweight Champion at that time as recognized by the MWA based in Kansas City. But because of the events at the Hotel President earlier in that day, it was in a practical sense the first defense of the new National Wrestling Alliance title.

 

Screen capture / pbs.org

 

The MWA championship belt (seen in this late 1930s photo above with champion John Pesek's photo) was modified to represent the name of the new NWA organization by placing new plates that said "National" and "Alliance" over "Midwest" and "Association," the the original words cast on the belt.

Screen capture / pbs.org

If you look closely at the image above, you can see the two new National Alliance script plates attached where Midwest and Association were. That's champion Orville Brown's photo in the center oval.

ORVILLE BROWN AND LOU THESZ
Brown wore this modified belt as NWA World Champion until his career was tragically cut short by an automobile accident in late 1949, just weeks before a scheduled title unification match with Lou Thesz, who was also a claimant to the world title out of St. Louis. At that point Thesz was recognized as NWA champion. He began using his own world title belt that he had been presented by St. Louis promoter Tom Packs in 1937 (known commonly now as the "Thesz belt") to represent the NWA world title belt from that point forward. 

The "Thesz belt" was recognized as the NWA title belt until 1957 when Thesz stepped down as NWA kingpin, losing the title to his handpicked successor Dick Hutton. Thesz owned his belt and did not allow the NWA to keep using it as their title belt, taking it with him on tour of the far east. Hutton, known as the champion without a belt, briefly used promoter Al Haft's WLW-TV title belt as his championship belt during his reign. The NWA finally had their own belt made in 1959 (the belt covered in my book Crown Jewel), the first belt the NWA actually owned, presented to then champion Pat O'Connor.

For more on the Midwest Wrestling Association / National Wrestling Alliance belt, see this feature from the Antiques Roadshow on PBS.  Thanks to William Murdock for his assistance with this article. And thanks as always to Tim Hirnbaker and his book "National Wrestling Alliance."

Waterloo: The First Ever NWA World Heavyweight Title Defense

PROMOTERS ATTEND CARD OF "NATIONAL IMPORTANCE"
PART TWO IN THE 1948 NWA WATERLOO HISTORY SERIES
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

It certainly wasn't official, but I enthusiastically put forth the argument that the first ever defense of the National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight championship was on the very evening following the formation of that alliance.

In an earlier article, I wrote about my pilgrimage to the Hotel President in Waterloo, Iowa, while attending the 2022 Induction Weekend of the Tragos/Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. The Hotel President holds a significant place in pro wrestling history.  On July 18, 1948, a group of five Midwest wrestling promoters, led by Iowa promoter Paul "Pinkie" George, met there where they forged the documents that chartered the National Wrestling Alliance. But that wasn't all the group did on that historic day.  

That very Sunday evening, this group attended a wrestling card in Waterloo promoted by Pinkie's brother, Andy George. That card featured a world heavyweight title defense (Midwest Wrestling Association version) by Kansas City's Orville Brown against the top contender, Nebraska's Joe Dusek.  

The Waterloo Courier newspaper had several mentions in the week leading up to July 18 of the gathering to attend the matches at Warerloo's Electric Park, but no mention was made of the real reason they gathered along the shores of the great Cedar River, which was the meeting to discuss forming an official alliance.

SPECIAL GUESTS RINGSIDE
On the Friday before the Sunday wrestling card, the Courier reported that attending the matches would be a group of distinguished promoters including Fred Kohler of Chicago, Pinkie George of Des Moines, Max Clayton of Omaha, Sam Muchnick of St. Louis, George Simpson of Kansas City, and Wally Karbo representing Tony Stecher of Minneapolis. Karbo got a booking out of the trip, too, as the referee for the world title tilt between Orville Brown and Joe Dusek.

As it turned out, Simpson was not at the Waterloo combine, but Orville Brown was. Brown, while as champion, was also a partner in Simpson's Kansas City office. It isn't clear why Simpson wasn't there, but he would later be a signatory at the second meeting of these same promoters in Minneapolis in September.  

Fred Kohler also did not attend due to a prior commitment, but consented to the agreements made that day by telegram.

FIRST NWA TITLE DEFENSE
One of the covenants agreed to at the Waterloo meeting was that the allied promoters would recognize one single world heavyweight champion, Orville Brown. It is fair then to say that Brown's heavyweight title defense that night can be considered the first ever title defense of the National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship. It surely was not declared officially as such, but it was - - in essence - - exactly that. The Alliance had been formally founded and Brown had been named its champion only hours earlier. Brown walked into the ring against Dusek that night at Electric Park with the official recognition of the allied promoters as NWA world champion, even if the five people that met earlier in that Waterloo hotel conference room were the only ones who knew it at that point. 

Brown successfully retained his title that night. The undercard included Jr. Heavyweight champion Billy Goelz of Chicago topping Mashall Estep out of Missouri. Otto Kuss of Minneapolis took the opener from Nebraska's Danny Plechas. 

Promoter Andy George had called this event "a card of national importance" in the hype leading up to the July 18 program at Electric Park. Most of that hyperbole regarded the dignitaries attending the world title event. But even Andy was likely unaware of the significance of the main event that night in Waterloo. 

COMING UP NEXT
In PART THREE, the final post in this series, I'll take a look at the belt that likely was used as the first NWA title belt, modified from the Midwest Wrestling Association belt Orville Brown wore at the time of the chartering of the NWA.

See also: Part One - Walking with Ghosts: A Visit to the Birthplace of the NWA
 

* * * * *

BULLDOG PLECHAS
In an unrelated side note, I was delighted to see the name of "Bulldog" Danny Plechas on this card. Pleachas must have been somewhat of a memorable character throughout the years as Blackjack Mulligan would occasionally mention him in his local promos in the Mid-Atlantic area in the 1970s. Occasionally Plechas would sarcastically be included on a list of challengers Blackjack claimed he was willing to face for his U.S. title. Other times he would mention him as someone he'd had a fight with out behind the Mesquite Club at 1:00 AM on a Saturday night. For some reason, I remembered Bulldog Plechas and was happy to come across his name on such a historically significant card, even if the true historical significance really wasn't known at the time.   

*****

Special thanks to Tim Hornbaker and his book "National Wrestling Alliance."

Walking with Ghosts: A Visit to the Birthplace of the NWA

PART ONE IN THE 1948 NWA WATERLOO HISTORY SERIES
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

THE TIES THAT BIND
Waterloo, Iowa, stands as a beacon of history for both amateur and professional wrestling. It is the birthplace of the most famous and decorated American amateur and Olympic wrestler Dan Gable, and is the home of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The Dan Gable Museum is also home to the George Tragos - Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame which recognizes wrestlers with an amateur background that went on to make a substantial contribution in professional wrestling. 

The Hotel President building in downtown Waterloo, Iowa.
Photograph by Dick Bourne

Waterloo is also the birthplace of the National Wrestling Alliance, once professional wrestling's largest coalition of cooperating promoters across the United States and around the world. In 1948, Iowa promoter Paul "Pinkie" George and four other Midwest promoters met in the Gold Room of the beautiful Hotel President in downtown Waterloo and formed the articles that chartered the National Wrestling Alliance. That building, near the banks of the Cedar River, still stands today.

Park Avenue entrance into the Main Lobby of the Hotel President
Photograph by Dick Bourne

There is an ironic link tying the Hotel President to the Dan Gable Museum, and therefore linking both the amateur and professional sides of Waterloo's wrestling history. The manager of the hotel at the time of the promoter's gathering in 1948 was a man named Lark Gable, who was Dan Gable's grandfather. That unlikely connection just blows me away.

Vintage ashtray and promotional tourism flyer from the Hotel President, both circa 1940s.
Notice the hotel manager's name, Lark Gable, grandfather of legendary wrestler Dan Gable.
Photograph by Dick Bourne

THE FOUNDING FATHERS & THE CRADLE OF THE ALLIANCE
The Hotel President, on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1928 and first opened on January 10, 1929. It is no longer a hotel. It has been redeveloped as a federally subsidized apartment complex for senior citizens. Los Angeles based Huntley Witmer, the company that most recently redeveloped the building in 2015, had the wisdom to change the name back to the name of the original building, with restoration of the original lobby, helping to preserve its spot in pro wrestling history, even if that history is largely lost through the sands of time.

The lobby of the Hotel President in the 1940s.
Photo from a vintage promotional tourism flyer.

The lobby looks much as it did in the 1940s, with the lobby atrium largely untouched and the wood railing around the second floor mezzanine thought to be original, standing just as it was on July 18, 1948 when the small group of Midwest promoters met there.

Lobby of the Hotel president after 2015 renovations and restoration.
Photo courtesy ApartmentGuide.com

 

That group in 1948 was led by Iowa sports promoter Paul "Pinkie" George, based out of Des Moines, who organized this meeting and hosted it as well. As a result, he is considered by historians as "the father of the NWA." George was a successful promoter in many different areas, including professional basketball, baseball, boxing, and wrestling. 

Joining Pinkie George that day in Waterloo were:

Max Clayton (Omaha, Nebraska)
Orville Brown (Kansas City, KS)
Sam Muchnick (St. Louis., MO)
Wally Karbo (representing Tony Stetcher, Minneapolis, MN)

Fred Kohler, the promoter in Chicago, IL, was part of the group but did not attend the July 18 meeting, but consented to the agreements made at the meeting by telegram. 

The group voted approval to several statutes, including recognizing one world champion, Orville Brown (who was also the promoter in Kansas City.) Brown is therefore recognized as the very first heavyweight champion of the NWA. (It's worth pointing out that the NWA traces its title lineage from Brown all the way back to George Hackenschmidt in 1905, generally regarded as the first ever professional wrestling champion.)

Sadly, there is no designation or commemoration on the site of this historically significant event that changed the course of pro-wrestling history. I would imagine that not a single person living or working in that building today has any clue of that history. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

WALKING WITH GHOSTS
While attending the 2022 Tragos-Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, I took the opportunity to travel just across the Cedar River to see and photograph the Hotel President. I wanted to get inside if possible, but my first attempt made late one evening proved futile, as all the doors were locked. The next day, I, along with my buddy Matty Montcalm made a second attempt and this time we were able to enter the lobby and make our way up a side staircase that led to the second floor mezzanine and the entrance to what remains of the original Gold Room, where the promoters met in 1948.

Looking out through the doors of the only room left that has a connection to the spot
where the NWA promoters gathered in 1948, across the mezzanine into the atrium
of the Hotel President lobby.
Photograph by Dick Bourne

 

As we entered that room, walking through the large wooden doors, I will admit I got cold chills, thinking about those five men gathering in that very place and making agreements that would literally change the course of professional wrestling history. it was a cool moment.

COMING UP NEXT
In my next story in this series (Waterloo: The First Ever NWA World Heavyweight Title Defense), I'll take look at the professional wrestling card that took place later that same evening at historic Electric Park in Waterloo. It was attended by the group of promoters who earlier that day formed the National Wrestling Alliance, which made the local news.

 ***

Special thanks to Tim Hornbaker and his book "National Wrestling Alliance"

David Crockett to Appear at Crockett Cup 2022

The National Wrestling Alliance announced today (3/9/22) that David Crockett, member of the legendary Crockett family that promoted wrestling and other entertainment events for decades, will be appearing for both nights of the 2022 Crockett Cup Tournament held this year in Nashville, TN.

His appearance for the NWA follows several appearances he made this winter for AEW Wrestling when the company toured some of the key cities in the old Mid-Atlantic territory, including Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh.

Obviously, the Crockett family participation lends great credibility to the NWA's efforts to revive the Crockett Cup, one of the most remembered and celebrated events in the final years of Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s. The tournament is named for the patriarch of the Crockett family, Jim Crockett, Sr., who first promoted wrestling in the early 1930s. He was a pillar of the Charlotte community and a longtime stalwart member of the National Wrestling Alliance from the 1950s until his death in 1973.

The modern-day NWA revived the Crockett Cup tournament in 2019 in Charlotte, where David's sister Frances and younger brother Jackie both appeared to present the trophy during that evening. The 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. 

The tournament returns for 2022 on March 19 and 20 at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. The NWA World Heavyweight Championship and other NWA titles will also be on the line during the event.  

For ongoing up-to-date details on the event, follow the NWA on Twitter (@NWA)  or on Facebook. For tickets visit https://www.simpletix.com/e/nwa-crockett-cup-tickets-99885.

Debbie Ringley at the Crockett Foundation Talks About the 2019 Crockett Cup

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Late edit: The NWA has announced that the Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) will be competing (!) in the 2019 Crockett Cup.  Also, they plan to announce the seeding for the tournament this Tuesday 4/9.) 

Later this month the National Wrestling Alliance will present the 2019 NWA Crockett Cup, bringing back the tournament that was originally presented by Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-to-late 1980s. (Event is Saturday 4/27: More information.)

The tournament was originally named the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup in honor of the longtime promoter of pro-wrestling and other entertainment events in the Carolinas and Virginias going all the way back to 1935.

The tournament was discontinued after the Crockett family sold their business to media mogul Ted Turner in November of 1988. In 2017, The Crockett Foundation in Charlotte revived the idea of a tournament in the family name promoting the Crockett Foundation Cup in conjunction with Classic Pro Wrestling, an independent promotion in eastern Virginia. That tradition continued with Charlotte area PWX Wrestling at BB&T Ballpark in 2018.

Now the Crockett Cup returns as part of the modern day NWA, working with Ring of Honor Wrestling as well as the Crockett Foundation to present the tournament on a national stage once again.

 Event Tickets  |  VIP Experience Tickets  |  Dinner with Aldis/Scurll/Mack Tickets

I recently conducted a makeshift "email interview" with Debbie Ringley about how the tournament came together. Debbie is the granddaughter of Jim Crockett, Sr. (daughter of Frances Crockett and John Ringley) and president of the Crockett Foundation in Charlotte, a charitable organization helping veterans and service animals.


Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Your family has been out of the wrestling business now for over 30 years, as hard as that is to believe. You now have this opportunity to continue the Crockett tradition in pro wrestling with the renewal of the Crockett Cup. It’s very exciting for fans, especially those of us that go back in time a bit. How did all of this come together with the NWA and Ring of Honor Wrestling?

Debbie Ringley: David Lagana with the NWA came to the Crockett Cup that was held by PWX Wrestling at BB&T Ballpark last summer. He brought [NWA World Champion] Nick Aldis with him as part of the main event that night. The conversation pretty much started through follow up emails and conversations following that meeting.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Were you aware that the National Wrestling Alliance was in the middle of a renaissance? Or did this hit you out of nowhere?

Debbie Ringley: I did not know that it even still existed. I have found out that if wasn’t exactly being taken care of in the way it should have been, but I believe the new owner has the respect for the organization that it deserves.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: The annual tournament that your family put on from 1986-1988 honored your grandfather, Jim Crockett, Sr.  Will the new tournament honor his legacy as well? Or will it be more to honor the family business broadly and their legacy in wrestling, and specifically in Charlotte?

Debbie Ringley: From what I understand, it will be a more broad look at my family’s legacy.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: I see that they have announced that several stars from JCP in the 1980s will be making appearances at the Crockett Cup: Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock & Roll Express), Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, as well as Jim Cornette and all three members of the Midnight Express: Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane. Many of these same wrestling legends are also “tag team partners” with the Crockett Foundation. What other presence will the Crockett Foundation have at the event itself?

Debbie Ringley: We will be there with all of our swag and of course the books you were so kind to help us put together.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Will this show benefit the charitable work of Crockett Foundation in any way?

Debbie Ringley: Yes. The NWA has said they will be making a donation to the Crockett Foundation that night. I have heard through the grapevine that Billy Corgan (the new owner) is a big fan of veterans organizations.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: Will any other members of the Crockett family (your mom or your uncles) be involved in any way?

Debbie Ringley: I hope so but nothing has been confirmed as of this date.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway: What have been some recent activities and events connected with the Crockett Foundation and what do you have upcoming in 2019?

Debbie Ringley: In July we will have our annual Crockett Foundation Night at BB&T Ballpark. We will also be attending TMPT Con 3 in Richmond, VA on May 18, 2019. There are about 3 other things that will be announced in the coming months.

Mid-Atlantic Gateway:  Thanks Debbie! David and I look forward to seeing you there that night. It's very exciting to see the Crockett Cup return, especially to the Charlotte area.

Debbie Ringley: Thank you, Dick. See you there!

* * * * *
The 2019 Crockett Cup presented by the NWA, ROH, and the Crockett Foundation, will take place Saturday night, April 27, at Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC, just northeast of Charlotte. Tickets are on sale now. There will also be several other special events surrounding the tournament including a fanfest Saturday afternoon where you take pictures and get autographs of the NWA wrestling legends in attendance that day including Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (the Rock & Roll Express), Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, as well as Jim Cornette and all three members of the Midnight Express: Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane!

Nick Aldis will defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship that night (as is tradition with the Crockett Cup tournaments of the 1980s). There is a special dinner to be held the night before (Friday April 26) with Aldis as well his opponent Marty Scurll, and NWA National Heavyweight Champion Willie Mack.

For links to Twitter and Facebook information about the Friday dinner, Saturday afternoon fanfest, and Crockett Cup event Saturday night, visit our Crockett Cup update page on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway or the specific links below.

Follow the NWA (@nwa), the NWA World Champion Nick Aldis (@RealNickAldsis), and Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) on Twitter.


Support the Crockett Foundation by visiting their online store, filled with lots of wrestling goodies. For more information on the Crockett Foundation, visit https://crockettfoundation.com 

Midnight Express, Rock & Roll Express, Magnum T.A., and Nikita Koloff to Appear at the Crockett Cup 2019

BREAKING | Legends of the @NWA & Jim Crockett Promotions are coming to #CrockettCup

The Midnight Express (Lane, Condrey & Eaton)@TheJimCornette@therealmagnumta@RealRickyMorton@TheRobertGibson@NikitaKoloff1

Tickets on Sale tomorrow via @RingOfHonorhttps://t.co/F9d6QpGPbS pic.twitter.com/wVmkKF4Psf

— NWA (@nwa) February 5, 2019

Jim Crockett, Jr. and Bill Watts at the Crockett Cup (1986)

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

My friend Rob Riddick once told me that one of his favorite trips was to New Orleans in April of 1986 for the inaugural Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup tag team tournament. George Napolitano, through the assistance of Tony Schiavone in the Crockett office, made it possible for him to get credentials.

Ironically, it would be an event where he wasn't allowed to shoot many of the matches, since they limited the number of photographers that could shoot ringside, and those would be the guys like Napolitano, Bill Apter, and the photographers from Japan. But what made the trip so memorable for him was that he was able to get this shot.

Rob told me he was walking through one of the long hallways in the Super Dome before the evening session and noticed Jim Crockett and Bill Watts having a conversation in front of a set where they had the Crockett Cup trophy on display in front of a huge board with the tournament brackets. He worked up the nerve to interrupt them and asked them could he get a picture, sensing the rare opportunity to get them together in such a setting. Watts told him, "I don't have my jacket with me." Rob assured him that wasn't a problem in the slightest.

Without being asked, the two reached up and each held the trophy for the photograph which Rob told me was one of his all-time favorites given these two giants in wrestling together for that rather historic show.


THE CROCKETT CUP RETURNS
This April the National Wrestling Alliance, in conjunction with the Crockett Foundation and Ring of Honor Wrestling, will bring back the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. The original event, promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s, only lasted three years, from 1986-1988. The company was sold to Ted Turner late in 1988.

When Jim Crockett, Jr. announced that the NWA had selected New Orleans to host the inaugural tournament in 1986, he told fans that it was his dream to host the tournament in the home city of Crockett Promotions, Charlotte, NC. Mr. Crockett never got to fulfill that dream, but the modern day NWA is about to come close for him.

The 2019 tournament will be held in Concord, NC, just outside Charlotte, at Cabarrus Arena. The venue has been host to several ROH events over the last few years. We'll be following news of the Crockett Cup closely and look forward to seeing that event return to the landscape of pro-wrestling.

Follow the NWA on Twitter at @NWA.

Official NWA Ten Pounds of Gold Pin

Photo: Mid-Atlantic Gateway

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Check out this beautifully detailed pin of the main plate of the famous "Ten Pounds of Gold" NWA World Championship title belt.

The lapel pin is large with two fasteners on the back, measuring at 1 3/4" wide by 1 7/16" tall.

The detail is amazing. It was manufactured in partnership with the NWA by Lapel Yeah.

The pin was first sold at the NWA's "pop up" show in Clarksville, TN. My guess is they will be on sale online at some point (and may be already.) We'll provide details as we come across them on how you can order one for yourself.

Update on availability: The pins are now on sale by the NWA on Ebay.

In another exciting development, the NWA recently announced that they will be bringing back the Im Crockett Crockett Sr. Memorial tag team tournament (the Crockett Cup), in conjunction with the Crockett Foundation and Ring of Honor Wrestling. The event will be April 27, 2019, at Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC, just outside Charlotte, NC. We'll be following that exciting news as well.

Follow the NWA on Twitter at @NWA.

The NWA Championship at Harley Race's WLW Night of Champions 4

March 9, 2019 Moscow Mills, MO
World League Wrestling's Night of Champions 4 will be the biggest event in the St. Louis area for 2019. Mark it on your calendar to witness the best pro-wrestling in St. Louis!

Ticket Information

Nick Aldis makes some Mid-Atlantic Magic in latest episode of NWA's "Ten Pounds of Gold"

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

There is so much to love about this video recently released by the NWA. It's another in an ongoing series called "Ten Pounds of Gold" produced by David Lagana.

NWA President Billy Corgan and reigning NWA World champion Nick Aldis walk us through everything currently going on with the NWA, including an announcement about things upcoming.

But the real magic for me was hearing Aldis talk about what it was like driving down I-85 and passing all those great old Mid-Atlantic/Crockett cities like Raleigh and Greensboro. As the man currently holding the NWA title you could feel how keenly aware he was that he was literally traveling in the same pathways of the giants that came before him, those who had held that same title.

There was also a magic moment (thankfully captured on video) where Aldis and former legendary champion Harley Race reunited. Aldis was a trainee at Race's wrestling academy many years ago, but they met again that night with Aldis now holding the title that Race himself held for so many years. Seeing how gracious both Aldis and Race were to each other was priceless. One man showing respect for the other who had laid the foundation; the other showing respect for the man who now carries the torch.

There is also nice footage of Aldis's recent defense against Jake Hager (aka Jack Swagger in the WWE and Jake Strong in Lucha Underground) at the annual WrestleCade event in Winston-Salem over the traditional Starrcade weekend of Thanksgiving. Hager takes care to put over the NWA title, too.

We continue to enjoy and look forward to these great videos and particularly like the feel of tradition and respect (as well as a bit of warm nostalgia) involved in making the NWA great again.

* * * * *
Follow the "Ten Pounds of Gold" series on the NWA's YouTube Channel.
You can also follow the principals on Twitter: @nwa (National Wrestling Alliance), @billy (Billy Corgan), and @Lagana (David Lagana.)

From the video description on YouTube: The return to provenience of the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance in 2018 is tied to the legacy created by men like Harley Race and others who held the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship (AKA The Ten Pounds of Gold).   Current reigning NWA Champion Nick Aldis has carried the tradition as well as the President of the NWA - William Patrick Corgan.  

NWA 70th Anniversary: Aldis-Cody II

NWA Title Match: Cody Rhodes vs. The Mack!

It's been fun following along with the direction of the "reborn" NWA and its champion Cody Rhodes. Cody recently defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Willie Mack, who is one of our favorites on Lucha Underground.

Stranger Than Fiction: The Ten Pounds of Gold

NWA World Champion Cody Rhodes in Hollywood

"Thunder and Lightning": Aldis vs. Rhodes for the Ten Pounds of Gold

Watching the moments before Aldis and Rhodes locked up, I had chills running up and down my back.

Beautifully produced video by Dave Lagana.

Congratulations to everyone involved for making this one of the true magic moments in the modern era, and a game changer for "independent" wrestling.

The book about the original 1973-1986 Belt

All In on the NWA Championship

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

It's been amazing to watch: the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the single most prestigious title in all of pro-wrestling in the years I grew up as a wrestling fan, becoming a serious touring world championship once again.

There is a real sense of renewal through its connections with its past. From the renewed emphasis on the term "ten pounds of gold", to an old-school heel champion, to the title being defended in places where it never had been before, most recently in China. Mix in nods to the organizaton's heritage, the champions that came before like Race, Brisco, and Flair, and it all just works.

I've only recently become aware of this rebirth of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. It is nice to see the title being treated with respect again. I don't know much about NWA owner Billy Corrigan but I've developed a great deal of respect for him based on how he has been working to bring the NWA title back to world wide prominence.

It is, of course, likely going to be a long journey. Keep in mind, he is doing this without television. There are local TV shows that promote it hard, "Championship Wrestling from Hollywood" being the best example. The folks there, most visibly David Marquez, have been involved with the NWA for many years.

The way they are getting this done right now is almost exclusively through social media. Producer Dave Lagana has done a great job in producing short-form videos that appear on multiple social media platforms. These range from promotional interviews, to behind the scenes features, to highlights of angles and title matches. I love these shorter features, almost like vignettes. They've become habit forming, and I eagerly look forward to the next video to pop up.

NWA World Champion Nick Aldis
(Photo from SEScoops.com)

It's fun to follow champion Nick Aldis travel to different independent promotions all over the country and all around the world, some large, some small, defending the title against that indy's top guy. It's reminiscent of the old territory days in a way. The traveling world champion defending the ten pounds of gold. 

I had a friend recently ask me rhetorically, "Why do they even bother? No one is going to ever challenge the WWE." My response is, "Why does that have to be the goal?" The most enjoyable wrestling to me by far is that niche product that is trying to do their own thing, and not resemble the WWE. Check out fan enthusiasm for small groups like MLW, Wrestle Circus, or Lucha Underground. How about a 30-minute sellout of over 10,000 seats for the upcoming "All In" show? (More on that in a minute.) Watching the NWA make its champion and its title actually mean something, focusing only on champion and the belt via the great short-form videos, is what is making the NWA story work right now.

Which brings us to "All In 2018", the huge independent wrestling show in Chicago later this summer. NWA World Champion Nick Aldis will defend the NWA title against challenger Cody Rhodes, son of former 3-time NWA World champion "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. It is very likely to be the main event. Regardless of the outcome, that exposure will do wonders for the renewed credibility of the title. There is a great opportunity for a great story to be written there.

Aldis is a great heel. And with a Rhodes challenging for the NWA title in front of over 10,000 fans in Chicago - - breathing new life into this storied championship - - well, I'm definitely ALL IN on that.

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NWA YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/NWA
NWA Twitter (@NWA): https://twitter.com/nwa
All In 2018 Twitter: https://twitter.com/all_in_2018