What Happened to NWA Wrestling

The National Wrestling coalition ( or NWA wrestling for short) is the oldest and biggest recognized body for promoting and ruling assorted independent wrestling championships across the country. Simply put, NWA wrestling is the big dog when it comes to the world of wrestling; bearing the scarring of the profession since WWII.

Yet as time passed, the NWA’s power and influence in the world of wrestling had slowly given way to other wrestling bodies. Given the gigantic grip it once had in the forty’s thru to the 80′s, it might be tough to imagine that the biggest hall of heroes’ banquet has allowed the competition to take much of what it held.

So here’s the query : what precisely occurred to NWA wrestling?

The Beginning
In the late 40′s, the NWA took the lead in organizing regional wrestling matches. Each territory in the United States (Japan included) had their own promoter highlighting matches when and where they were required. The NWA would then bring the wrestling stars to the area where these promoters operated in, and would set the standards for wrestling positions, rankings and championship belts: heavyweight champion, tag team champions, junior heavyweight champion, world heavyweight champions, and others.

This was the highlight of NWA’s presence in the wrestling business – few other wrestling bodies could match the sheer scope of NWA’s regional scope. Yet the NWA became complacent with its broad state reach, and had failed to properly adapt to changes that occurred over time.

The Decline
One of the most damaging changes that hit NWA wrestling was the rise of videos and cable TV that the eighty’s brought with it. The attraction of nationally-renowned wrestling stars appearing in the region began to fade as their appearances became commonplace thanks to satellite television.

The result: the ‘greatness’ of the stars were questioned as their supposed talent in wrestling was carefully examinated and critiqued on TV. Add that to the fact that their performances on cable TV became something so common, and you have the regional appearances of the stars was no longer a major event. They failed to draw the support of the crowds as time passed; prompting the NWA to give ground to other wrestling bodies.

Why it occurred
The NWA had simply been unable to acclimatize to the technological advances that changed the face of professional wrestling forever. Political screw ups to properly negotiate for and maintain lucrative partnerships with other wrestling bodies had further impeded its expansion.

NWA wrestling still holds a big presence in the wrestling scene, from world championship wrestling and junior heavyweight championships, to tag team championships. But this presence is not as robust or as strong or as powerful as the weight of other wrestling associations: proof that even the biggest of setups can lose ground when unready for the inevitable tide of change.
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