Roundtable: NWA Into The Fire

Have you been following the NWA’s weekly series? If so, what do you think of it?

David Gibb: I was watching (and enjoying) Powerrr until the controversy. Now I’m staying away.

Sam Gladen: It has been solid, entertaining wrestling done in a style not seen anymore. It’s a great show that knows exactly what it is and isn’t going to get in its own way.

Steven Jackson: NWA Powerrr is brilliant. Fresh, exciting and fantastic free viewing, it is one of the best wrestling shows around at the moment. If you’ve not watched any episodes yet, go out of your way to watch them. You won’t be disappointed!

Chad Gelfand: I haven’t been following the NWA’s weekly series, but I have seen some clips of it, and the throwback presentation is unique and different from other companies today.

John Corrigan: I’ve gotten so hooked that I actually watch it live now. It stands out from every other promotion, has fun characters and the most compelling storyline in all of wrestling at the moment.

Jack Goodwillie: I have. You can get my thoughts on the first episode in this article, and much of what I said still rings true. They’ve carved out a nice niche for themselves as a conceptual alternative, and I’d be curious to see what kind of up and coming talent are knocking down the door to get some exposure and show what they can do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te3bgqh3Foo

Who has stood out the most to you so far?

Gibb: I shudder to say it, given the other compliments recently visited upon him, but Trevor Murdoch has felt like a man with something big to prove and something huge left to give the wrestling business.

Gladen: The easy answer is the Question Mark. He has gotten over so huge with the studio audience in such a short amount of time; it’s really awesome to see. Obviously, I have a soft spot for my Texas indie wrestling peeps like Thunder Rosa and Ricky Starks, who the NWA seem to be building for a huge push.

Jackson: Without a doubt, Nick Aldis. There are several reasons for this: 1. He’s British, so obviously my allegiances lie with him. 2. He has cut some of the best promos of the modern era. 3. He has brought the stock of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship back up to heights not seen since the late 1980s. It is the Nick Aldis Show, and that is not a bad thing!

Gelfand: Eddie Kingston. He’s a guy who, when I see clips of his promos pop up, I’ll always stop and watch them. There’s just ruggedness and realism that he brings to his promos that make you believe every word that he is saying.

Corrigan: Tim Storm. The man is fascinating. He’s this old, rugged veteran with a kind heart, who risked it all to win his title back…and failed. What he does after the failure has me on the edge of my seat. Plus, he looks like Agent Tench from Mindhunter.

Goodwillie: It’s the presentation. It looks like a parody of an 80’s studio wrestling program, but because of a demand for it and how seriously the in-ring product is taken on the show, we (the consumer) take it seriously as a result. What a concept! The cuts, the camera angles, the promo style: all these things make NWA Powerrr a viable alternative. I’m also enjoying some of the new talent I’ve been exposed to. I’m a BIG Thunder Rosa fan, Ricky Starks has a bright future and I’m beginning to see why many are calling Tim Storm one of the top modern babyfaces in wrestling. Plus, Eli Drake has never been presented better (DUMMY/YEAH!).

How do you feel about the Jim Cornette controversy?

Gibb: The line Cornette dropped was racist, dated and not especially funny in a hypothetical, fictional world where it wasn’t racist and dated. I’m bummed he said it, more bummed it made air, and most bummed that senior leaders associated with the company have tweeted support for equally ugly worldviews.

Gladen: Everything that can be said about Jim Cornette by a white dude in his 20s has been said. It was a gross statement, his response to people’s outrage was worse and he has been removed. This isn’t the first time his unwillingness to learn new things has gotten him in trouble and it won’t be the last. I’m sure we’ll see him pop up somewhere in the future and say something stupid again.

Jackson: The Jim Cornette controversy could have been avoided in several ways, and Jim has done himself no favors with what he said. He has/had a great weekly gig on NWA programming – his bread and butter – and he went and ruined it by saying an outdated and foolish comment that has nothing to do with wrestling. I completely agree with the NWA letting Jim Cornette go, and although I’m still a Cornette fan, I do not want to hear him on commentary for a very long time. Jim sadly shot himself in the foot, and he has to face the consequences.

Gelfand: Cornette got what he deserved, but the NWA needs to be held accountable as well for letting that racist joke air in the first place on a show taped weeks in advance. Lagana’s apology also left a lot to be desired as well. This is a situation where I feel the NWA fumbled its handling of it. They were right to let Jim Cornette go, though, because, with a guy like Cornette, a situation like this was bound to happen again.

Corrigan: The whole thing was blown out of proportion. After hours of calling matches, Cornette went to his well of quips and pulled one out that he’s used many times before. He meant no malice – it was simply a joke and an analogy to build up Trevor Murdoch, who resembles the man he originally used the phrase for, Big Bubba Rogers. It’s not surprising that people on Twitter were outraged; that’s just the society we unfortunately live in now. What is surprising is that Dave Lagana submitted to the outrage, even after having no issue with the line in the first place. The hypocrisy is what offends me, and I won’t be supporting the NWA financially because of it.

Goodwillie: After hearing both sides of the story, it’s a damn shame and nobody is without blame. Cornette has used the joke before, true, but with as bright as he is, you have to wonder why he couldn’t have used another line or just skirted around it altogether. Do I think it was in poor taste? Possibly. But as a professional, one thing you learn is that if you’re ever not sure of something, to find a workaround. Avoid the situation altogether.

As for the Dave Lagana and the NWA, it did not need to come to this. With a simple click of a button and Command+T (trim) shortcut, this situation could have been avoided altogether. That Cornette says Lagana didn’t see anything wrong with the line itself looks especially bad for them giving into public outcry and relieving Corny of his duties. It really is quite the paradox. Billy Corgan, who has appeared on InfoWars, has repeatedly positioned himself as an opponent of outrage culture and cancel culture. That said, he also has a company to run and a brand to build. For that reason, it’s not implausible that we see Cornette back with the NWA at some point down the road, but like I said, between Cornette, the NWA and the fans who made his dismissal possible, nobody is blameless.

#BREAKING
Joining the @NWA Broadcast team starting at #IntoTheFire is… @StuBennett
Order the PPV now at a special price – https://t.co/QnudYUSokE #NWAPowerrr – https://t.co/ZXdA5sbcyy pic.twitter.com/B4Dgr9MOJG
— NWA (@nwa) December 3, 2019

Will you be watching the Into The Fire pay-per-view?

Gibb: Skipping it. (See above.)

Gladen: I probably won’t get the chance to see it live, but I will watch it. Thankfully, NWA Powerrr is niche enough even among wrestling fans that I shouldn’t have to worry much about spoilers.

Jackson: Due to the time difference here in the U.K.., I sadly won’t be watching the PPV. But it looks a good card.

Gelfand: I haven’t been watching the show weekly, so I most likely will not be watching the PPV.

Corrigan: Nope. I’ll be at a Christmas party donning my trusty Booty O’s ugly sweater.

Goodwillie: Yes. Not sure if it will be live or some sort of replay, but I will be curious as to how well NWA can put a bow on storylines and deliver in a live capacity.

From #NWAPowerrr, the full promo from @RealNickAldis as why he picked @JamesStormBrand and why he made his choice of @TimStormNWA for her ref for #IntoTheFire
Pre-Order now before Saturdayhttps://t.co/euEpjMsctR pic.twitter.com/ZUOsJDzZe1
— NWA (@nwa) December 6, 2019

Who wins: James Storm or Nick Aldis?

Gibb: Aldis. He’s been portrayed as the main character of the show (at least up through what I’ve seen), and James Storm has made a career of being the guy who gets close.

Gladen: Nick Aldis has been an incredible champion for the NWA and helped bring the brand back to prominence. That being said, all good things must come to an end and the best thing for the NWA at this moment with its new show, is to put the strap on a new face. James Storm wins the Ten Pounds of Gold.

Jackson: This is a really, really hard choice on a number of different levels. I’m a huge fan of James Storm, but as mentioned earlier, I’m a British man and have to be behind Nick Aldis. However, as I feel he has truly paid his dues and thoroughly deserves his moment, I would like to see James Storm win the NWA title, and lead the NWA into 2020 and the new decade. Sorry Nick!

Gelfand: From what I’ve seen, Aldis does a great job carrying himself as the champion and making the title feel important, so I would stick with him as being the champion and face of NWA.

Corrigan: First of all, Storm being selected as Aldis’ challenger was disappointing. Despite the NWA’s effort to piece together a conspiracy storyline on the most recent episode, there has been hardly any buildup to warrant this as the main event of such a crucial pay-per-view. Even more disappointing is Storm choosing Brian Hebner as the referee for the first fall. The intrigue in this match lies in two factors: Kamille being given the night off by Aldis, and Aldis choosing Storm as the second referee. I smell shenanigans and say Storm escapes with the title.

Goodwillie: If you’ve been watching the show, you’d know that Nick Aldis has been positioned as the alpha and omega of NWA, whereas James Storm has been more of a utility player who can take a loss when needed. Because of that, it’ll be a pretty routine victory for Aldis, but expect there to be somewhat of a focus on Kamille as well, who has teased a turn on past episodes.