Does WWE Own NWA?

Does WWE Own NWA?

There has been a lot of confusion and speculation surrounding the ownership of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and its relation to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). In this article, we will delve into the details and provide clarity on this matter.

The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)

The NWA is one of the oldest professional wrestling organizations in the world. It was established in 1948 and has seen many ups and downs over the years. The NWA operates as a governing body for various regional wrestling promotions, allowing them to recognize a single world champion.

Throughout its history, the NWA has had numerous member promotions from around the world. These promotions work together to promote their events under the NWA banner, sharing talent and resources.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

The WWE is perhaps the most well-known professional wrestling promotion globally. It was founded in 1952 as Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd., which later became known as World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and eventually evolved into WWE.

Understandably, with their success and dominance in the industry, WWE has acquired several smaller wrestling promotions over the years. This has led to confusion regarding their relationship with NWA.

WWE’s Relationship with NWA

To clarify, WWE does not own the NWA. The NWA operates independently as an alliance of various regional promotions. However, there have been instances where WWE has collaborated or had working relationships with certain NWA member promotions or talent.

• Alliance with Smoky Mountain Wrestling: In the early 1990s, WWE had a working relationship with Jim Cornette’s Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion. This collaboration allowed talent to appear on both WWE and Smoky Mountain Wrestling shows.
• Past NWA Champions in WWE: Throughout history, several wrestlers who held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship have also competed in WWE.

  Names like Ric Flair, Harley Race, and Dusty Rhodes have all had successful runs in both promotions.

• Partnership with ECW: In the late 1990s, WWE formed an alliance with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which was an NWA member promotion at the time. This partnership allowed ECW talent to appear on WWE programming and vice versa.

It’s important to note that these collaborations or relationships were specific to certain promotions or individuals and did not result in WWE gaining ownership of the NWA as a whole.

The Future of NWA

The NWA continues to operate independently, with its member promotions showcasing their events under the NWA banner. In recent years, under the leadership of Billy Corgan – best known as the frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins – the NWA has seen a resurgence and gained attention for its nostalgic yet innovative approach to professional wrestling.

In conclusion, while WWE has had collaborations or working relationships with certain member promotions of the National Wrestling Alliance throughout history, they do not own or control the NWA as a whole. The NWA operates independently as an alliance of various regional wrestling promotions, continuing its legacy as one of the oldest wrestling organizations in history.