The Cross-Promotional Battle Between The NWA World Champion & WWE Champion, Explained
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In the world of professional wrestling, cross-promotion matches have always been a rare and exciting occurrence. These are matches where wrestlers from different promotions compete against each other, often to determine the true champion of the industry. One such match took place on July 4th, 1982, at the Atlanta Omni for a Georgia Championship Wrestling event, when WWE Champion Bob Backlund took on NWA World Champion Ric Flair in a forgotten but significant match that remains one of the greatest cross-promotion moments in wrestling history.
The Forgotten Forbidden Door Between WWE & NWA
At the time, Backlund was the reigning WWE Champion, having won the title from Superstar Billy Graham in 1978. Flair, on the other hand, had been the NWA World Champion since September 1981 and was already making a name for himself as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. The match was promoted by Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), one of the biggest wrestling promotions in the southern United States at the time. Backlund's technical wrestling skills were on full display, as he grappled with Flair and executed several impressive takedowns. Flair, on the other hand, relied on his speed and agility to counter Backlund's moves and keep him off balance. The match was a masterclass in professional wrestling, with both wrestlers showing why they were considered to be among the best in the business. While many would expect Backlund to have won the match as he was in his dominant and historic 2100-day WWE title reign, the match ended in an unexpected way.
RELATED: How Vince McMahon Saved Ric Flair From Being Financially Broke
The much-anticipated high-profile wrestling match between two of the biggest champions of their respective promotions was held and lasted for approximately 20 minutes. To ensure that both wrestlers remained powerful and no one suffered a loss of status, the match ended in a double count-out. This thrilling encounter between the WWE Champion and the NWA Champion was one of the last WWE vs. NWA matches as the WWE would eventually withdraw from the National Wrestling Alliance in 1983, thus marking the end of an era.
WWE Might Open The Forbidden Door Again
Vince McMahon, who had been the driving force behind the company's creative direction for several decades, has stepped aside from his role, leaving Triple H in charge. With Triple H at the helm, there is a renewed sense of excitement among wrestling fans worldwide. One of the most exciting prospects is the possibility of more cross-promotion matches. In the past, such events were exceedingly rare, as each promotion jealously guarded its talent and its brand identity. However, under Triple H's leadership, there is a growing sense of openness and willingness to collaborate.
RELATED: Ric Flair Says WWE & AEW Won't Hire Him Because "I'm Too Good At What I Do"
One such example is IMPACT Wrestling's Mickie James appearing at the 2022 Royal Rumble. James was the reigning Knockouts Champion in IMPACT Wrestling at the time and made an appearance at the event with her championship belt in tow. Another notable instance of cross-promotion occurred when AEW stars Bryan Danielson, Paul Wight, and Chris Jericho wished John Cena well on his 20th WWE anniversary celebration. Furthermore, Chris Jericho, a former WWE superstar, and current AEW wrestler, appeared on Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions on the WWE Network. This appearance is yet another example of the growing willingness among wrestlers and promotions to collaborate and work together. While most of these ingress instances did happen when Vince was still in charge, now that Triple H has the control, alongside WWE and UFC merging under Endeavor, the crossover possibilities are endless.
