AEW & Impact & 9 Other Times Promotions Have Worked Together
When Kenny Omega needed a friend to help win the AEW World title, Impact head Don Callis aided him to defeat Jon Moxley. It signaled the time-honored tradition of different wrestling promotions working together. It happened during the territory days as well as throughout The Attitude Era and beyond.
Related: 5 Veterans Who Found New Life Life In AEW In 2020 (& 5 Young Stars Who Emerged)
Promotions working together is always something that can peak fan interest. Dream matches are almost instantly discussed. In some cases, some of these team ups have produced some of the most memorable moments in history, as well as some really great PPV action.
10 AEW & Impact
The latest pair of promotions to join forces are also two of newest promotions in the industry- All Elite and the Anthem owned iteration of Impact. It began as Kenny Omega challenged Moxley for the AEW title. Omega’s friend, fellow Winnipeger, and Impact co-executive VP Don Callis would interfere and help Omega win the title.
It’s a relationship that has actually lasted long before both companies existed. Omega’s uncle, The Golden Sheik is the man who broke Callis into the business.
9 WWE & ECW
As WCW began to start getting ahead of WWE in the ratings, the company was open to having more partnerships. The partnership with ECW began with Heyman and several of his guys showing up at In Your House: Mind Games.
Related: 10 Times WWE Obviously Ripped Off ECW
It only grew from there to include several invasions on Raw, Jerry Lawler famously showing up at WrestlePalooza ‘97. The relationship included a talent exchange that saw guys like Al Snow reinvigorate their careers. Once ECW closed its doors, Heyman headed for WWE and the Hardcore Revolution was purchased and repackaged under the WWE auspices.
8 ROH & New Japan
The partnership between Ring Of Honor and New Japan has launched several marquee “War Of The Worlds” events over the past six years, as well as having members of The Bullet Club on both sides of the world.
It also helped bolster the early careers of Shinsuke Nakamura, as well as make stars out of Adam Cole and Jay Lethal. Most recently the two co-prompted the 2019 G1 Supercard from MSG during WrestleMania 35 weekend, the first time in decades a non-WWE promotion’s show emanated from the hallowed halls of The Garden.
7 WWE & AAA
In January 1997, the WWE had found themselves in quite a predicament. With the Attitude Era at least a full year away, the company was getting soundly beaten by WCW in the ratings and their top babyface got booed out of MSG at Survivor Series, while the New York faithful cheered the nasty Sid on - even as he abused HBK’s friend Jose Lothario.
But the Royal Rumble was emanating from San Antonio, Shawn’s hometown. To help sell tickets for the show, on top of the big rematch at the Alamodome, the WWE struck up a partnership with AAA, and was able to use some of their big stars in the Rumble match. Superstars like Hector Garza, Heavy Metal, and Perro Aguayo worked during the undercard while legends like Mil Mascaras worked during the Rumble match.
6 WCW & New Japan
For many years, WCW truly felt like a global federation, thanks in part to partnerships with companions like New Japan. Wrestlers like Jushin Thunder Liger and The Great Muta became household names in America. Before The Bullet Club had membership across two promotions, the New World Order had a Japanese contingent that included Masahiro Chono.
The partnership also produced what is now several of the rarest events out there - the WCW/NJPW Supershows that are currently not on the WWE Network or New Japan World as well as the largest wrestling crowd ever assembled for Collision In Korea.
5 AWA, CWA & WCCW
As the WWE began to grow in prominence during the eighties, several promoters opposed Vince McMahon’s vision and refused to do business with him. Verne Gagne and the AWA; Fritz Von Erich and World Class; and CWA co-owned by Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler felt it was a good idea to combine forces and take part in the AWA’s only PPV event, Superclash III.
The event was headlined by Lawler taking on Kerry Von Erich and unifying the federations. Unfortunately the event was not a good effort. Couple that with Verne not paying the talent what was agreed upon, and WCCW and CWA shortly broke off ties, Jarrett and Lawler bought out Fritz and the USWA was born.
4 WWE & Great Britain Indies
Several years ago when the WWE had decided to open up a second PC, the United Kingdom was chosen as its destination. But rather than export some of their Florida based roster in North America, Triple H, William Regal, and the rest of the talent scouts sought after talent from all over the UK.
Related: 5 Ways NXT UK Is Actually Better Than NXT (& 5 Ways It Isn’t)
The partnership has helped launch the careers of Rhea Ripley, WALTER, and Pete Dunne. There are also some of the best of the NXT UK stars across feds like Progress and ICW on the Network.
3 TNA & NWA
When Shane Douglas threw down the NWA title, becoming the ECW champion, it effectively ended any chance for the once powerful governing body of wrestling to regain any sort of real prominence in the industry. However, the company never folded and even to this day is fumbling along, now with Billy Corgan as the principle owner.
Way back in 2002 when the Jarretts and Bob Ryder started TNA, the little promotion that could and would utilize the former’s initials and title belts. Combined, NWA-TNA had five years together, allowing R-Truth to become NWA Champion, as well as AJ Styles. Thanks to the designation, AJ becomes only the third man behind Ric Flair and Buddy Rogers to hold both the NWA and WWE titles.
2 TNA & New Japan
“Okato,” anyone? For anyone who paid attention the backstage ongoings of the Carter Administration of TNA, fans would realize quickly how the partnership with New Japan might have opened doors, if the company thought to actually open them.
Related: New Japan: 10 Wrestlers Vince Had No Idea What To Do With
Firstly, Jeff Hardy was sent over to participate at WrestleKingdom 6 at one of his most intoxicated times. Perhaps another reason that the partnership didn’t last long was the fact that TNA allowed the Dudleys to defend their IWGP tag titles and drop the belts without the New Japan brass having a say in the booking of their titles.
1 WWE & USWA
During the early years of Jerry Lawler’s WWE run, he also concurrently still ran the Memphis territory, the USWA. It eventually became a no brainer that The King would be able to have his boss and fellow coworkers show up for angles. To some, the WWE and USWA partnership is just a mere footnote, but dig a little deeper and it becomes apparent that it set up several big things that carried over into the WWE eventually.
For one, Lawler was a massive heel everywhere else on WWE TV, but of course the conquering hero in Memphis, like a certain pink and black clad Hitman. The inter company feud also gave birth to a heel Vince McMahon, setting the stage for the future Mr. McMahon character.
