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Post by corndog on Jul 22, 2008 1:51:02 GMT -5
I have been wanting to do this poll for a while. The NWA title has been passed around more times than the drunk single girl that comes to everyones parties. The National Wrestling alliance was formed in 1946 and had many great champions such as Gene Kiniski, Pat O' Conner, Lou Thesz, Ric Flair, Harley Race, Dusty Rhoades, and many others. From the time of it's origin up until Hulk Hogan's first WWF title reign it was viewed as the top championship in the US, if not the world. It was regularly defended in Japan(unlike the WWF title) and all over North America. However in 1988 Ted Turner bought out Jim Crockett Promotions and got the NWA title with it. In 1991 WCW renamed the title and the NWA championship was abandoned(also Flair brought the belt to the WWF). Then it resurfaced on the indy scene, and was used in an organization called Eastern Championship Wrestling(we all know what that became.) However after a couple years ECW also abandoned the title and then shortly after the NWA started doing their own shows again. Then later on TNA used the belt and then the NWA stripped them of the title. So what I want to know is the NWA world title still a meaningful belt, maybe not what it was, but atleast a legit championship that has some great history. Or is it all a lie and the NWA died after Jim Crockett and Eddie Graham folded their operations?
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Johnny B. Decent
Patti Mayonnaise
Had one once
Everybody's Favorite Arizonian.
Posts: 31,076
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Post by Johnny B. Decent on Jul 22, 2008 1:52:10 GMT -5
I would like to say it does.
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Post by Arsis Black on Jul 22, 2008 2:01:28 GMT -5
Nope
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Post by Zombie Pig on Jul 22, 2008 2:32:10 GMT -5
It hasn't meant anything since Douglas threw it down... Probably before that. With TNA it was just the TNA title with the NWA name.
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Post by corndog on Jul 22, 2008 2:40:36 GMT -5
So far most people say no, I figured this would happen.
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Post by Rocky Van Heineken on Jul 22, 2008 3:21:11 GMT -5
I thought the NWA Title had been worthless for quite some time.
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Post by tmc1982 on Jul 22, 2008 3:50:31 GMT -5
What made the NWA title stop being relevant if you ask me in a nutshell: *Jim Crockett arguably monopolizing the belt when he was trying to make his promotion (under the NWA umbrella, since he was also the president) a national entity to compete with Vince McMahon.
*Ted Turner buying Jim Crockett Promotions and slowly, but surely phasing the NWA name out in favor of what would become the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. It ultimately got to a point in which the NWA needed WCW (and the national TV exposure that TBS provided them) than the other way around.
*The whole mess following Jim Herd firing Ric Flair (without him actually losing the belt in the ring) and Flair later, going the WWF's TV shows with "The Big Gold Belt".
*WCW (once Eric Bischoff took over the day-to-day operations) pretty much putting the belt on anybody they pleased (during the infamous "Disney Tapings") without the NWA's prior approval. I believe that this is what ultimately led WCW to break away from the NWA.
*Shane Douglas throwing the belt down and talking about how he didn't want to be the torch bearer of an organization that "died" seven years prior. That incident really cost the NWA a ton of crediblity.
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Post by VRM: LET'S GO BLUESHIRTS!! on Jul 22, 2008 12:39:41 GMT -5
When Ted Turner bought JCP and made WCW, the NWA became pointless
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Peeetah
Hank Scorpio
BANG
Posts: 5,399
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Post by Peeetah on Jul 22, 2008 13:34:08 GMT -5
Considering it's usually defended in front of crowds of about 6 half of whom are just homeless people using the arena as a cheap place to get out of th cold.
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hollywood
King Koopa
the bullet dodger
The Green Arrow has approved this post.
Posts: 11,122
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Post by hollywood on Jul 22, 2008 13:44:17 GMT -5
It's about as meaningful as the top belt for your average local indy fed.
Sure, it's a shame it came to that considering it's so-called history. But the NWA really has no one to blame for that but themselves.
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Post by Sir Bill of Chainsawberg on Jul 22, 2008 14:37:51 GMT -5
As much as the misguided, old-school NWA mark in me wants to say "yes," that belt's probably as worthless now as an '86 Yugo hubcap.
Hell, I didn't even know the belt was still around until I heard about TNA back when it was in its infancy. Sad, eh?
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Post by The Summer of Muskrat XVII on Jul 22, 2008 14:39:21 GMT -5
I still say it still means something, ask Adam Pearce if it means anything, or Corino, as those are both guys who held it during down times.
I still consider it the 2nd best indy title in the US, behind ROH.
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Jeff
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 7,074
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Post by Jeff on Jul 22, 2008 14:58:42 GMT -5
It means more than other indy titles because of its lineage but thats about it.
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Post by Bobby Womack on Jul 22, 2008 15:16:57 GMT -5
I still say it still means something, ask Adam Pearce if it means anything, or Corino, as those are both guys who held it during down times. i wouldnt say those are exactly impartial sources, especially pearce since last i heard he was holding that title, im sure a guy whos biggest accomplishment is winning the birmingham hotdog eating contest would say that title is a big deal as well, but that doesnt mean it is anyway i still love the nwa title for the great names that held it and the great matches that were held in its honor, but in the same way i'd still love one of my relatives if they became a homeless crackhead too, not that the nwa title is the homeless crackhead of pro wrestling belts but to most people it hasnt meant anything since 94, i didnt give up on it til 98 and then had a small glimmer of hope for it with tna a few years later, but since tna dropped it, its been solidified as the "we'll use this for its lineage until we make it big and wont give a shit about it afterward" title
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Post by Panda Powers on Jul 22, 2008 15:19:41 GMT -5
I still say it still means something, ask Adam Pearce if it means anything, or Corino, as those are both guys who held it during down times. I still consider it the 2nd best indy title in the US, behind ROH. To be fair, the belt for my jeans are pretty close to my heart but at the end of the day is still pretty pointless
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Post by jfbop37 on Jul 22, 2008 15:26:44 GMT -5
I still say it still means something, ask Adam Pearce if it means anything, or Corino, as those are both guys who held it during down times. I still consider it the 2nd best indy title in the US, behind ROH. And THAT'S why I voted no. I started watching wrestling before Hulkamania started up (at least the WWF version) and for all the promotions I watched and followed at the time (Georgia, Central States, Mid-South, and World Class) the NWA title was THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. Now, its not even bigger than a niche indy fed. As to when it started to lose its luster, Jim Crockett takes a good chunk of the blame because I think it was his monopolizing of the title that gave World Class, UWF, and even Central States an excuse to break away from the NWA and call their belts "world titles."
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The OP
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
changed his name
Posts: 15,785
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Post by The OP on Jul 22, 2008 16:11:34 GMT -5
It depends. What are you really asking? It's certainly not considered the top North American title by any stretch, so it certainly doesn't mean what is used to mean. However, the NWA champion has to be considered a much bigger success in the business than John Curtainjerker who works the opening match on an indy card.
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Post by corndog on Jul 23, 2008 13:22:15 GMT -5
It depends. What are you really asking? It's certainly not considered the top North American title by any stretch, so it certainly doesn't mean what is used to mean. However, the NWA champion has to be considered a much bigger success in the business than John Curtainjerker who works the opening match on an indy card. I obviously am not asking if it is the top belt in North America. What I am asking is do you think the belt is legit. Would you still consider it the same championship that Ric Flair held 20 years ago, or the same belt Lou Thesz held 50 years ago? I think the NWA title lost it's top spot in '88(I don't care if Hogan was the WWF champ at the time, the NWA title still meant more back then.) But after all the controversy do you still link it back to the old champs or is it a lie and the NWA title died at a certain time(between 88 and 94).
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Post by James McCloud IS John Godot on Jul 23, 2008 13:26:37 GMT -5
The connection is real, it's just that its heyday is gone. Just like a sports team whose greatest glories are long behind it. The champion is still, in kayfabe, the best wrestler representing the NWA. It's the NWA itself that's the issue.
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Joekishi
Fry's dog Seymour
Posts: 20,490
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Post by Joekishi on Jul 23, 2008 16:58:12 GMT -5
It means as much as the AWA title.
Though having an NWA tilte beltbuckle or watch would be cool
Seriously somebody needs to do Wrestling Belt watches
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