How Billy Corgan Made NWA The Most Laughable Wrestling Promotion In The World, Explained

Highlights

• The NWA, once a governing body for independent wrestling, now exists as its own promotion under Billy Corgan's ownership.
• Nick Aldis' departure from NWA was due to poor creative direction, disrespect towards his wife, and management issues.
• NWA's reputation suffered with the championship reign of Tyrus, who was seen as an embarrassing world champion, and Billy Corgan's controversial statements have further alienated fans.

Before the WWE rose to the top of the business, there was the National Wrestling Alliance, a governing body of independent wrestling promotions. Over time, the NWA shrank and lost its influence over the wrestling world as the territories effectively became defunct. Now the NWA exists as its own promotion. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan purchased the company in 2017 and began running programs for it in 2019. They currently have two weekly shows: NWA Powerrr and NWA USA, both available to watch on YouTube.

RELATED: Nick Aldis & 9 Other Longest Reigning World ChampionsMany wrestling fans appreciate the preservation of the NWA. Its set design is very retro and makes a nice tribute to '70s and '80s pro wrestling. The NWA also helped in the rise of several wrestling stars, including Thunder Rosa, Ricky Starks, and LA Knight. Unfortunately, the promotion as a whole has been reduced to a laughingstock. This is the result of poor management, terrible booking decisions, and Corgan’s big mouth.

Nick Aldis’ Departure From The NWA

On December 9, 2017, Nick Aldis became the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. He went on to single handedly carry the company for the next several years. Aldis was the ideal champion for NWA; he brought a retro, classy vibe to the company that felt very much like a throwback to the wrestling legends who made NWA great. Soon enough, Nick Aldis’ name became synonymous with modern-day NWA.

Everything changed on August 29, 2021, when Aldis lost the Ten Pounds of Gold to Trevor Murdoch. He was in the company for another year working as a singles and tag team competitor. Then, in November 2022, Aldis shocked the wrestling world when he revealed he’d asked for his release from NWA.

Aldis took to Instagram and revealed that he’d long been embarrassed by the creative direction of NWA. In addition, he felt Billy Corgan was very disrespectful to his wife, fellow pro wrestler Mickie James. Aldis was consequently suspended for his criticism. He officially departed from NWA in January 2023 and has since appeared for IMPACT Wrestling. WWE is rumored to have an interest in Aldis as well. In any case, a return to NWA by Aldis seems all but out of the question.

Tyrus Wins The Ten Pounds Of Gold In NWA

Murdoch was undoubtedly a downgrade from Nick Aldis, but things only got worse for NWA. On November 22, 2022, Murdoch lost the Ten Pounds of Gold to Tyrus, an old, out-of-shape man who regularly appears on FOX News to spout bigoted rhetoric.

Few things can be more embarrassing for a wrestling promotion than having someone like Tyrus as its world champion. Fans immediately lost the little faith they had in the company, and people who might’ve tuned in for an episode were immediately turned off by this clumsy, mean-spirited oaf of a champion. Tyrus can’t even run the ropes properly, and yet Billy Corgan made him the face of his company. It was, by all accounts, a disastrous championship reign.

RELATED: Every WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Ranked Worst To BestOn August 28, 2023, Tyrus lost the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship to former WWE superstar EC3. While it was a relief to have the Ten Pounds of Gold out of Tyrus’ hands, the damage had already been done to NWA’s reputation.

Billy Corgan’s Big Mouth Gets NWA In Trouble

The last piece of NWA’s fall from grace is the owner of the company, Billy Corgan. The rockstar-turned-wrestling promoter has a habit of running his mouth and pissing people off. Corgan is also very hardheaded when it comes to his vision for NWA; he’s made it a point to tell media outlets that “fans don’t book the NWA.” While it’s a good thing for a promoter to have faith in their creative vision, comments like these often come across as simply ignoring fan input and not caring about their feelings. For someone trying to sell tickets, a reputation of not caring about fans can be business-killing.

Another instance of Billy Corgan shooting himself in the foot came shortly after Tyrus won the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship. Corgan responded to fans’ disappointment in Tyrus’ championship reign by infamously saying, “If you’re not gonna watch [Tyrus], then you’re not a wrestling fan.” Fans were understandably very annoyed with this response. They took their grievances to social media and further buried the NWA’s chances of growing its audience.

Despite NWA’s laughable reputation and fans’ lack of faith in the promotion, Corgan is still assured that NWA is “positioned to be the next big company.” We at The Sportster wish him the best of luck with that endeavor.