The NWA: Then, Now, Forever

With its 70th anniversary show on the horizon, the National Wrestling Alliance has found itself thrust back into the spotlight. The NWA has once again become a major part of the wrestling consciousness, owed almost entirely to its unique presence online spearheaded by its YouTube series “Ten Pounds Of Gold,” which chronicles the current champion’s travels all over the world in defense and promotion of his title.

In a world where everything is meticulously documented and dissected on podcasts and websites like this one, a ravenous fan can consume and predict with some certainty every move that a promotion may make. With that in mind, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and its holder offer the wrestling world an almost nonexistent opportunity in today’s climate.

They offer surprises.

By remaining truly independent, run by a select few of the wrestling elite and tying the title to no one promotion, the powers that be have written a nearly century’s long story, one that lends recognition and respect to the title and its subsequent holders. “The best in your promotion may hold your title, but the best in the world holds ours.” This approach to storytelling and kayfabe puts the holder and wrestling fans as a whole in a unique position. It can and will go anywhere, whether it be Progress Wrestling in the U.K. or Championship Wrestling in Hollywood, you never know where or when the holder’s music will hit and the “ten pounds of gold” will enter the ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwkiiSyJoME

The current champion is held to a higher standard. They must believably be able to outwork anyone in whatever locker room they find themselves in. Or at least out talk them. It is a rare set of skills even amongst the world’s most charismatic wrestlers.

It is rarer still to find two champions in one family. Cody “The American Nightmare” Rhodes won the World Heavyweight Championship at “All In,” when he defeated then-champion Nick Aldis almost 40 years after his father Dusty “The American Dream” Rhodes won the title for the first time. In the moments after the pin, alone in the middle of the ring surrounded by 11,000 screaming fans, Cody dropped to the mat and buried his face in his arms. This win above all others meant everything to him. He had secured his name next to his father’s in the record books and cemented the Rhodes family dynasty. The title is built on tradition and a deep respect for the art form of professional wrestling – there is no family more deeply rooted in respect and tradition than the Rhodes family.

With names like Flair, Von Erich, Steamboat and Rhodes having held the title, the rejuvenation of the NWA and its physical representation serves to cement their place in history, not establish it. The NWA has no loyalties and makes no promises. If you’re really, really good, you may get a shot. Whether or not you can keep it and for how long is up to you.

Cody has already successfully defended against Willie Mack of Ring Of Honor, Lucha Underground and House of Hardcore fame. Now he’ll be granting Nick Aldis a rematch for the NWA World Heavyweight Title at the 70th anniversary show in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday.