National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance is a group of independent professional wrestling promotions, in operation since 1948. Prior to the 1980's, it acted as a governing body for pro wrestling, operating the 'franchise'-like "territory" system.
Territories
All the member federations had a monopoly over their given territory; the member federations would all recognize the NWA World Heavywieght Championship as their highest title. Wrestlers, like Ric Flair, who held an NWA Title, could also go on tours of member federations.
What this meant is that any member territory who broke the NWA's rules faced expulsion, and thus risked missing out on having wrestlers with household names appear in their territories. Similarly, if another promoter began performing shows in an NWA member federation's territory, all the NWA members were obligated to send their best talent across to fend off the threat. Unofficially, threats of violence or physical retaliation may have reportedly been used against promoters who disregarded the territory system.
Thus the NWA used a "carrott and stick" approach to maintaining the territory system. For most promoters under the NWA umbrella, the benefits of membership were well worth the dues.
Former Member Federations
Some prominent former NWA member promotions included:
Decline and Fall of the Territory System
Video tape trading and cable television paved the way for the death of the NWA. WWF promoter Vince McMahon used these, and talent raids, to turn his northeastern territory into a national federation. To compete against this threat, various promoters attempted to co promote shows under the Pro Wrestling USA banner. However, this fell apart and the AWA began broadcasting weekly shows on ESPN.
Meanwhile, to hold off the threat of the WWF, promoter Jim Crockett Promotions decided to unify the NWA, and create a national federation, by buying out all the member promotions. However, by 1988 this led him to bankruptcy, and he sold off his collection of NWA members to Ted Turner as World Championship Wrestling. In 1991, the flagship WCW realised the NWA needed it more than it needed the NWA, and left. WCW continued, however, to claim the NWA's lineage.
After the AWA's bankruptcy, and ECW leaving, the NWA was a shell of its former self. Through the mid to late '90's, the all-but-forgotten organization was left with a small collection of independent federations during the peak of the monday night ratings wars between the WCW and WWF.
The NWA Today
An NWA territory, Total Nonstop Action is now their biggest claim to fame, holding their cards weekly on Pay Per View. NWA:TNA takes the place of WCW and ECW as a federation with an international audience at the pinnacle of the NWA.
Referenced By
Extreme Championship Wrestling | Jim Crockett Promotions | Michael Hegstrand | N.W.A. | NWA:TNA | NWATNA | Niggaz With Attitude | Pro Wrestling USA | Pro wrestler | Professional wrestling | Road Warrior Hawk | Total Nonstop Action | Universal Wrestling Federation | WWF (wrestling) | WWWF | World Championship Wrestling | World Class Championship Wrestling | World Wrestling Entertainment | World Wrestling Federation | World Wrestling Federation/History
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