Continuing the history of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 1988 to 1994, the organization faced significant challenges and a steady decline in influence. During this period, the NWA struggled to maintain relevance after the loss of its most prominent member, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), which had been sold to Ted Turner and transformed into World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The NWA’s response to these challenges included forming new alliances and partnerships with smaller promotions, but its overall prominence in the wrestling world continued to wane, culminating in the pivotal moment when Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) broke away from the NWA.
1988-1990: The NWA After WCW's Formation
Loss of Jim Crockett Promotions and Creation of WCW:
After Ted Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988 and renamed it World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the NWA lost its most powerful member promotion. Initially, WCW retained its affiliation with the NWA and continued to recognize the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, but it operated increasingly independently, with Turner seeking to develop WCW into a national brand separate from the traditional NWA territory system.
NWA Struggles to Maintain Relevance:
The loss of WCW meant that the NWA had to rely on its remaining smaller member promotions. These promotions, such as Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW), Continental Wrestling Association (CWA), and Jim Cornette’s Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW), lacked the national television exposure and financial resources necessary to compete with the now dominant WWF and the emerging WCW.
The NWA board continued to recognize the NWA World Heavyweight Championship as the top prize in wrestling, but without the backing of a major promotion, the title began to lose prestige.
Focus on Regional Promotions and Smaller Territories:
The NWA began to focus more on regional promotions and smaller territories. These included promotions like Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) (originally part of the NWA before its transformation into Extreme Championship Wrestling) and Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan, which briefly held affiliations with the NWA to help bolster their credibility.
The NWA attempted to use this network of smaller promotions to maintain a foothold in the wrestling industry, but it became increasingly difficult to gain significant attention without a national presence.
1990-1993: The NWA's Declining Influence
WCW Withdraws from the NWA (1991-1993):
In 1991, WCW decided to create its own WCW World Heavyweight Championship and began to distance itself from the NWA. WCW officially withdrew from the NWA in 1993, taking with it a large portion of the NWA's remaining prestige and television exposure.
The withdrawal of WCW left the NWA without a major promotion, further diminishing the organization’s influence. The NWA World Heavyweight Championship continued to be defended in smaller territories, but it was no longer a featured title on a national scale.
Revitalization Efforts and Title Tournaments:
In the early 1990s, the NWA sought to revitalize its image by organizing tournaments for vacant titles and fostering alliances with international promotions. For example, in 1992, the NWA and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) partnered for a series of events in Japan, where the NWA World Heavyweight Championship was defended.
Despite these efforts, the lack of a strong central promotion or national TV presence meant the NWA’s efforts to rebuild largely failed to capture the attention of the broader wrestling audience.
The Emergence of ECW and the NWA’s Last Major Hope:
In 1992, Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) was founded in Philadelphia by Tod Gordon and became a member of the NWA. Initially, ECW was just another NWA-affiliated promotion, but under the guidance of booker Paul Heyman (also known as Paul E. Dangerously), it began to develop a distinct, more extreme style.
ECW’s blend of hardcore wrestling, edgy storylines, and local talent quickly gained a passionate fan base in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, making it a potential new flagship for the NWA. By 1993, ECW was starting to grow in popularity, and the NWA began to see it as a critical partner in its efforts to regain national prominence.
1994: The NWA World Title Tournament and ECW's Breakaway
NWA World Title Tournament in 1994:
In August 1994, the NWA organized a tournament to crown a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. The title had been vacant for some time, and the NWA aimed to use this tournament as a way to restore prestige to its championship.
The tournament was held at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, with ECW heavily involved in promoting and organizing the event. ECW's top star, Shane Douglas, was a participant in the tournament and reached the finals.
Shane Douglas Rejects the NWA Title:
On August 27, 1994, Shane Douglas won the tournament by defeating 2 Cold Scorpio in the final match. After being presented with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt, Douglas famously threw the belt to the ground. He then delivered a passionate speech in which he rejected the NWA title, declaring himself the new ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
Douglas’s speech criticized the NWA as a "dead" organization and an anachronism in modern wrestling. This act of defiance and rejection of the NWA title was a turning point, effectively severing ECW's ties with the NWA and signaling the birth of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) as an independent entity.
Formation of Extreme Championship Wrestling:
Following Shane Douglas's rejection of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, ECW rebranded itself as Extreme Championship Wrestling. Under Paul Heyman’s leadership, ECW embraced a hardcore wrestling style, adult-oriented storylines, and a rebellious attitude that differentiated it from both the WWF and WCW.
This breakaway marked the end of the NWA's attempt to reestablish itself as a major force in professional wrestling. ECW would go on to become a cult favorite and a legitimate third national promotion during the 1990s, while the NWA continued to struggle for relevance.
Impact and Legacy of the NWA from 1988-1994
Loss of Major Promotions and Prestige:
The period from 1988 to 1994 was marked by a dramatic decline in the NWA’s influence. The withdrawal of WCW and the breakaway of ECW left the NWA without a major national promotion. The NWA’s traditional territorial model was no longer viable in the face of the rapidly changing wrestling landscape dominated by the WWF and WCW.
Shifting to Smaller Promotions and Alliances:
The NWA continued to exist by affiliating with smaller regional promotions, but these efforts were insufficient to restore its former prominence. The NWA’s lack of a national television deal, combined with its declining roster of top talent, rendered it largely irrelevant on the national stage.
Symbolic End of an Era:
Shane Douglas's rejection of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1994 symbolized the end of the NWA’s relevance as the central governing body of professional wrestling. It marked the death knell for the NWA’s ambitions to compete with the WWF and WCW as a significant player in the wrestling industry.
NWA's Continued Existence in a Diminished Role:
Despite its decline, the NWA continued to exist as a brand and a loose coalition of smaller promotions. It eventually rebuilt itself as a niche organization, focusing on supporting independent wrestling and maintaining its historic lineage, even as its role in the broader wrestling landscape was greatly diminished.
The period from 1988 to 1994 represents a time of dramatic transformation and decline for the NWA. The breakaway of ECW in 1994, coupled with WCW’s earlier departure, left the NWA a shell of its former self, struggling to find a new identity in a rapidly changing wrestling industry.
Comments