Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis has announced that he has re-signed with the promotion. He appeared recently on Busted Open Radio and spoke about his decision.

“I can confirm that I have extended my agreement with the NWA. I have re-signed. It’s a good day in terms of looking ahead to a great new year for the NWA and for me,” said Aldis. “There is a lot going on in the business and it’s nice to be in a good position, but ultimately, respect goes a long way and from the first conversation that Billy and I ever had regarding the NWA and my career and our working relationship together, I’ve had nothing but absolute respect from him, more so than any person I’ve worked with in my career. I can’t wait to see what else we come up with.”

The NWA has also announced several broadcasting changes. A new show titled NWA USA will premiere this Saturday on YouTube. Nick Aldis stated on last night’s broadcast of Powerrr that he will be an ambassador on the show. It will focus on up-and-coming talent looking to make a name for themselves.

The NWA have also announced “NWA All Access” on FITE TV. More details on the program will be revealed soon.

H/T to Fightful for the above transcriptions.

Raven recently took to social media to praise the NWA locker room. The 2x ECW World Champion noted that he just finished his first set of tapings working with the promotion. This included the Hard Times 2 PPV from Atlanta’s GPB Studios.

“Just did Tv for my good friend Billy Corgan as a producer, & I also did some on camera work for the new 2nd show he’s starting. I gotta say, no hyperbole, it’s one of the best locker rooms I’ve ever been in! But that’s bc of Billy, bc it starts at the top. Looking forward to the ride!”

NWA Hard Times 2 Results

The NWA recently presented Hard Times 2 on Saturday, December 4th:

• NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship Match: Trevor Murdoch defeated Mike Knox
• NWA World Women’s Championship Match: Kamille defeated Melina
• Fatal Four Wat Match For NWA Women’s World Tag Team Championship: The Hex defeated Missa Kate & Natalia Markova and Kylie Rae & Tootie Lynn and Paola Blaze & Jennacide
• Qualifying Gauntlet Match For NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Homicide defeated Alex Taylor, Ariya Daivari, CW Anderson, Darius Lockhart, Jeremiah Plunkett, Jamie Stanley, Kerry Morton, Luke Hawx, PJ Hawx, Sal Rinauro, Victor Benjamin, and Ricky Morton
• Impact Knockouts Championship Match: Mickie James defeated Kiera Hogan
• ROH World Tag Team Championship Match: OGK defeated Aron Stevens & Kratos
• No DQ, No Time Limit NWA World Television Championship Match: Tyrus defeated Cyon
• NWA World Tag Team Championship Match: La Rebelión’s Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450 defeated The End’s Odinson and Parrow
• NWA National Heavyweight Championship Match: Chris Adonis (c) defeated Judais
• Matthew Mims defeated Jax Dane
• Austin Aries defeated Rhett Titus
• Nick Aldis defeated Thom Latimer
• Colby Corino defeated Doug Williams

On NWA Powerrr this week (From FITE TV), Nick Aldis and Doug Williams reunited their British Invasion tag-team from TNA. They will be entering the NWA’s tag-team division along with the new team of JTG and Dirty Dango (FKA Fandango). Trevor Murdoch addressed Matt Cardona’s appearance at Hard Times 2 but was interrupted by Aaron Stevens. NWA Powerrr airs most Tuesdays at 6:05 PM on FITE TV.

At the conclusion of NWA’s Hard Times 2 PPV, Matt Cardona appeared and attacked NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Trevor Murdoch. Following the show, correspondents from FITE TV caught up with Cardona and asked him why he aligned with Mike Knox and beat down Murdoch.

“I came just to cheer on Trevor,” Cardona said. “Trevor and I go way back. We used to ride together, we used to work out in the gym together believe or not. He was not happy to see me. I don’t know if he’s upset that he hasn’t had an action figure in over a decade, that’s not my fault.”

Cardona also spoke about aligning with Mike Knox at the end of the PPV. Knox attacked Murdoch, allowing Cardona to hold up the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for a moment.

“Mike Knox, people don’t understand the history I have with Mike Knox. We’ve been best friends for over a decade, almost two decades. So, the Pope puts his hands on Mike Knox, of course I’m going to intervene.”

Cardona also spoke about Mick Foley, who came out at the end of the PPV as well. Foley told Cardona he was an embarrassment to Long Island.

“Mick Foley comes out trash talking me. Mick, are you just following me everywhere? Stop, stop following me, bro. I’m the king, the deathmatch king and the king of Long Island.”

Cardona’s full comments can be heard in the Tweet below:

The Pope (Elijah Burke) has released a statement after an injury scare at the NWA Hard Times 2 PPV Saturday night. According to a report from PW Insider, Pope went limp after being thrown into the steel steps during the show-closing angle with Matt Cardona, Mike Knox, and Trevor Murdoch.

As fans were filing out, Burke was still be attended to. He was then taken to hospital with a suspected concussion. He was released from hospital the following morning and is said to be doing okay. NWA has said he won’t be doing anything physical during the NWA Powerrr tapings this week.

Pope released a statement on social media regarding his injury.

“As many of you know I was recently taken by ambulance to a hospital in Atlanta following NWA Hard Times 2. I would like to assure you that all is 100% well with Pope. In wrestling we take our bumps & bruises while continually forging ahead. However, today there are certain protocols in effect to ensure the well being of performers like myself and getting medically evaluated and cleared is one of them,” Pope wrote.

“I’d like to thank the ENTIRE NWA family, many who gave up hours of their own time to ensure Pope’s safety. Thank You ~PHS.”

The NWA Hard Times 2 PPV featured not only a number of interesting matches but it also saw a few former WWE stars making surprise appearances at the show.

The first of them was the wrestling legend Mick Foley who brought the Christmas spirit with him. He said he is keeping a close eye on the show and warned the talents against crossing the line.

Dirty Dango also made his debut for the promotion during the Hard Times 2 PPV. He showed up with JTG after the tag team titles match.

The bout saw La Rebelión defeating The End to retain their championships. Dango and JTG pointed at the winners from the curtain before heading to the back.

Though probably the most impactful debut of the night was of Matt Cardona. He showed up after Trevor Murdoch defeated Mike Knox to retain the NWA worlds heavyweight championship in the main event of Hard Times 2.

Cardona pretended to come out to congratulate Murdoch. This allowed Knox to hit Murdoch with a low blow. The whole incident upset Mick Foley.

The hardcore legend sent Da Pope after Cardona but Pope was taken out by the former WWE star. Matt Cardona then got in the ring and held up the world title, to make his intentions clear and end the show.

• Matt Cardona On Potential WWE Return

NWA presented the Hard Times 2 PPV from the GPB Studios in Atlanta, Georgia tonight. The event featured several highlight moments.

The show saw the current NWA heavyweight champion Trevor Murdoch retaining his title against Mike Knox in a singles match while Chris Adonis retained the national heavyweight title against Judais in a one on one encounter.

NWA titles were not the only championships defended during the event. Both the Impact Knockouts title and ROH tag team titles were put on the line as well.

The show also featured surprise appearances from a number of former WWE stars including Matt Cardona among others. Here are the quick results of the PPV:

NWA Hard Times 2 Quick Results:

• NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship Match: Trevor Murdoch defeated Mike Knox
• NWA World Women’s Championship Match: Kamille defeated Melina
• Fatal Four Wat Match For NWA Women’s World Tag Team Championship: The Hex defeated Missa Kate & Natalia Markova and Kylie Rae & Tootie Lynn and Paola Blaze & Jennacide
• Qualifying Gauntlet Match For NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Homicide defeated Alex Taylor, Ariya Daivari, CW Anderson, Darius Lockhart, Jeremiah Plunkett, Jamie Stanley, Kerry Morton, Luke Hawx, PJ Hawx, Sal Rinauro, Victor Benjamin, and Ricky Morton
• Impact Knockouts Championship Match: Mickie James defeated Kiera Hogan
• ROH World Tag Team Championship Match: OGK defeated Aron Stevens & Kratos
• No DQ, No Time Limit NWA World Television Championship Match: Tyrus defeated Cyon
• NWA World Tag Team Championship Match: La Rebelión’s Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450 defeated The End’s Odinson and Parrow
• NWA National Heavyweight Championship Match: Chris Adonis (c) defeated Judais
• Singles Match: Matthew Mims defeated Jax Dane
• Singles Match: Austin Aries defeated Rhett Titus
• Singles Match: Nick Aldis defeated Thom Latimer
• Singles Match: Colby Corino defeated Doug Williams

In 2019, Billy Corgan’s NWA brought back the Crockett Cup for the first time since 1988. PCO and Brody King won the one-night tournament. Nick Aldis recently confirmed that the Crockett Cup will be returning in 2022.

“The plan is for The Crockett Cup to be in Nashville this year,” Aldis said in an interview with Wrestling Inc. “One of the things I’ve enjoyed in my time with the NWA was the ability to breathe new life into things which have a tremendous amount of history and tradition attached to them, but haven’t always been celebrated in that respect. They were always things people talked about in the past tense.”

The NWA will return to PPV tonight for Hard Times 2. Trevor Murdoch defending the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Mike Knox will headline the show. The full lineup is below:

• NWA World Heavyweight Championship
  Trevor Murdoch (c) vs Mike Knox
• NWA World Women’s Championship
  Kamille (c) vs Melina
• Nick Aldis vs Thom Latimer
• Knockouts Championship
  Mickie James (c) vs Kiera Hogan
• NWA World Tag Team Championships
  La Rebelión (Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450) (c) vs. The End (Odinson and Parrow)
• NWA World Television Championship
  Tyrus (c) vs Cyon
• NWA World Women’s Tag Team Championships
  The Hex (Allysin Kay and Marti Belle) (c) vs. Kylie Rae and Tootie Lynn vs. TBA and Natalia Markova
• NWA National Championship
  Chris Adonis (c) vs Judais
• ROH World Tag Team Championships
  The OGK (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) (c) vs. Aron Stevens and JR Kratos
• NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship qualifying match
  Austin Aries vs Rhett Titus
• Colby Corino vs Doug Williams
• Jax Dane vs. Matthew Mims
• NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship qualifying match
  Alex Taylor vs. Ariya Daivari vs. CW Anderson vs. Darius Lockhart vs. Homicide vs. Jeremiah Plunkett vs. Jamie Stanley vs. Kerry Morton vs. Luke Hawx vs. PJ Hawx vs. Sal Rinauro vs. Victor Benjamin vs. TBD (Pre-Show)

The National Wrestling Alliance presents NWA Hard Times 2 on Saturday, December 4th from GPB Studios in Atlanta, GA. The event will stream on FITE pay-per-view.

NWA President Billy Corgan has announced the complete lineup for this historic event. In addition to the full match card, there are also a few newsworthy items to report:

• The NWA is bringing back the Junior Heavyweight championship, a title that was first introduced in 1945.
• The Ring of Honor Tag Team Championships will be defended on the show
• Mick Foley will be in attendance as a special guest

Hard Times 2 Matches

The following is the complete match card for NWA Hard Times 2:

• NWA World Heavyweight Champion Trevor Murdoch vs. Mike Knox

• NWA Women’s World Champion Kamille vs. Melina

• NWA Television Champion Tyrus vs. Cyon in a No Time Limit, No DQ match. Pope will serve as the special guest referee.

• Nick Aldis vs. Thom Latimer in a Grudge Match.

• NWA National Champion Chris Adonis vs. Judais with James Mitchell

• World Tag Team Champions La Rebellion vs. The End

• Women’s World Tag Champions The Hex vs. vs. Kylie Rae & Tootie Lynn vs. Natalia Markova & Lady Frost [Update: Lady Frost has been pulled from the PPV.]

• Mickie James vs. Kiera Hogan

• Colby Corino vs. Doug Williams

• Austin Aries vs. Rhett Titus (Junior Heavyweight Qualifying Match)

• 12-Man NWA Junior Heavyweight Qualifying Gauntlet for the returning NWA Junior Heavyweight Title.

• ROH World Tag Team Champions OGK vs. Aron Stevens & Kratos

Plus, there will be a special appearance by hardcore legend Mick Foley and an in-ring tribute to women’s wrestling legend, Jazz.

If you’re in the Atlanta area, tickets are still on sale for Hard Times 2 at Eventbrite.

The National Wrestling Alliance has confirmed 4 big matches for NWA Hard Times 2, the upcoming pay-per-view event from GPB Studios in Atlanta, GA.

Trevor Murdoch will defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time on the show.

An angle took place on last night’s NWA Powerrrr Surge show. They showed highlights of what happened after By Any Means Necessary went off their air. The footage showed Murdoch taking photos with fans inside a steel cage after the show ended when Mike Knox stormed the ring and locked the cage. He assaulted Murdoch with a chair and shortly after, it was announced that Knox will challenge Murdoch for the title on the PPV.

Already confirmed for the show is Kamille defending the NWA World Women’s Championship against Melina. Tyrus will also defend the NWA Television title against the masked Cyon.

The End (Parrow & Odinson) won a tag team title tournament that concluded on last night’s show as well. They’ll challenge La Rebelion (Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450) on the PPV as well.

NWA Hard Times 2 Matches

The following matches are signed for NWA Hard Times 2 on Saturday, December 4th:

• NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Trevor Murdoch (c) vs Mike Knox
• NWA World Women’s Championship: Kamille (c) vs Melina
• Television Championship: Tyrus (c) vs Cyon
• NWA World Tag Team Championships: La Rebelion (Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450) (c) vs The End (Parrow & Odinson)

Former Impact Knockouts champion and current NWA star Taryn Terrell has joined a class action lawsuit against the Biltmore Hotel in Miami. The suit alleges that she was sexually assaulted by massage therapist, Oscar Ojeda, in 2017, while staying at the hotel.

Ojeda was arrested in May and charged with battery based on statements from Terrell and one other victim. In total, 4 women are alleging the massage therapist touched them inappropriately.

“I may be a wrestler, I may be a stunt woman. I may be all of those things but at the end of the day I am a human and when someone invades your intimate private space it is not okay,” she said to NBC 6 Miami.

“The Biltmore’s top priority is ensuring the well-being and safety of our guests,” said the hotel in a statement. They also noted that Ojeda is no longer working with them in any capacity.

Terrell’s suit against the hotel alleges that Ojeda continued to work there despite a previous complaint against him being lodged. As a result of Ojeda’s continued employment at the hotel, two other women were then assaulted as well.

Terrell’s interview with NBC 6 Miami is below:

Terrell was with WWE from 2007 until 2010. She was then with Impact/TNA from 2012 until 2017. Terrell started with the NWA earlier this year where she has both worked on commentary and wrestled.

Gail Kim shared a very emotional moment with Awesome Kong at the NWA EmPowerrr PPV when the latter announced her retirement from pro wrestling during a segment. Turns out the moment between the two was as real as it could get and the TNA Hall Of Famer did not know about the announcement of her friend beforehand.

Kim revealed this information during a recent appearance on the Battleground podcast. She said that she found out about it at the same time as all the fans:

“Honestly, I didn’t know she was gonna stay in the ring that night, I found out at the same time as all the fans watching that she was retiring. Yeah, Mickie and I both.”

The NWA EmPowerrr saw Gail Kim coming out to cut a promo but she was interrupted by Taryn Terrell and two other female stars. Awesome Kong then made a surprise appearance at the show. She came to the aid of her long-term rival and friend.

After clearing the house, Kong grabbed the mic and told the former knockouts champion that she was her greatest foe. She then said that there was no other way to end her career then being in the ring with Kim.

• Gail Kim Lashes Out At WWE Over “Wasting” Asian Female Talent

Billy Corgan has responded to Ric Flair’s WWE references at NWA 73.

Flair made his return to the NWA this past Sunday night (Aug. 29). Flair spoke to the crowd inside Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri. Flair thanked Corgan for the opportunity and apologized to his family for being on the road so much during his reign as the NWA’s golden goose.

During his promo, Flair also name-dropped a lot of WWE talents. Flair was quite complimentary of the likes of Randy Orton, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and others. He even thanked Vince McMahon.

During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Corgan was asked if he knew Flair would make as many WWE references as he did.

“No, but you know what, Ric said, ‘What do you want me to say?’ I said, ‘Ric, you’re Ric Flair, you can say whatever you want.’ He went, ‘Really?’ I said, ‘Yeah, talk about whatever you want. I trust you.’ He said, ‘I want to speak from my heart. I’ve been thinking about what I want to say and it teared me up, thinking about it.’ I said, ‘Do your thing.’ That’s it. That’s what we’re about.

“Ric Flair has earned the right to step through those ropes and say whatever the damn hell he wants. I asked Ric, ‘Did you wrestle here?’ He said, ‘Many times. (I wrestled) Harley, Dusty, Blackjack.’ He rattled off twenty names and I was like ‘oh my God.’ Of course he can step in the ring and say whatever he wants. You don’t think he’s earned that? I do. I don’t care what anyone else thinks with their company. In my company, Ric Flair can say whatever the damn hell he wants.”

Flair has wasted little time exploring his options after being let go by WWE. He appeared at AAA’s TripleMania event, accompanying Andrade “El Idolo” to the ring for his match against Kenny Omega. Reports have claimed that Flair is likely AEW bound but he says he hasn’t heard a word from Tony Khan.

The National Wrestling Alliance has announced details of their next special event.

Hot off EMPOWERRR & NWA 73 this past weekend, we now know the “where” and the “when” regarding the NWA’s next pay-per-view.

NWA President Billy Corgan appeared on Busted Open Radio Tuesday morning and spoke with hosts Dave LaGreca & Bully Ray. Corgan revealed NWA Hard Times 2 will take place Saturday, December 4th from Atlanta’s GPB Studios.

You can hear audio of Corgan’s appearance on Busted Open here:

The first NWA Hard Times pay-per-view took place in January 2020. The event saw the return of the NWA’s beloved television championship. That title was won by Ricky Starks, who currently wrestles for AEW. Tyrus is the current champion.

Visit our NWA News section for much more on the National Wrestling Alliance, including NWA EMPOWERRR and NWA 73.

At NWA’s 73rd Anniversary Show last night, new tag champs were crowned. La Rebelión, the team of Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450, defeated the defending champions Aron Stevens and Kratos to successfully capture the NWA World Tag Team Championships.

La Rebelión ended Aron Stevens and JR Kratos’ ten-month reign when Bestia 666 got Kratos out of the way with a moonsault from the top rope, following which Bestia and Mecha Wolf hit Stevens with Mark of the Beast and won by pinfall. La Rebelión have become the first wrestlers born in Mexico and Puerto Rico to hold the NWA tag titles.

Konnan, who was at their corner, took the mic after their victory and said that he’s proud of the winners who became the new NWA World Tag Team Champions as well as the fact that they’re the first champs who are born in Mexico and Puerto Rico. He also gave a shout-out to the women wrestlers from the night prior at NWA EmPowerrr. Allysin Kay and Marti Belle (aka The Hex) became NWA’s first Women’s Tag Team Champions by defeating KiLynn King and Red Velvet in the finals of the tag title tournament.

This is not the first time that La Rebelión has captured tag title gold. In 2019, they won The Crash Tag Team Championships from AEW’s The Lucha Brothers. They would hold on to the titles until dropping it in February 2020 to the freelance tag team Los Traumas.

In the main event of the show, Trevor Murdoch defeated Nick Aldis to capture the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship for himself. The important week for NWA has ended with two back-to-back pay-per-view events, starting with the first-ever all-female event NWA Empowerr and then the 73rd Anniversary Show. Ric Flair also made an appearance on the anniversary show where he thanked many in the wrestling industry including WWE and Vince McMahon.

Ric Flair made his appearance at the NWA’s 73rd Anniversary Show where he heaped praise for a bunch of wrestling personalities with Billy Corgan included. The Nature Boy thanked Billy Corgan for inviting him to the event and for contributing to the industry.

Billy Corgan is excited to work with Ric Flair and called him the biggest legend in wrestling. “Ric Flair, I don’t know if there’s a bigger legend in wrestling, right? You could say Vince McMahon but Vince McMahon, although he has wrestled, he’s an owner and a personality first and a professional wrestler second, and I think he would agree with that,” Corgan told Metro.

“Ric is the most decorated story and probably most mainstream thing, to this date, in professional wrestling which is pretty incredible considering how long he’s been in the business.”

Corgan said that Flair did a lot to promote the show, even beyond his contractual obligations. He also noted that Flair has a lot of opportunities now and he should explore all of them. Corgan added that he would love to have Flair on board to work with him.

“He has so many opportunities and I think he should explore all these opportunities. I’m glad to be in business with him on this, of course I would love to have him back.”

Corgan also told a story from his childhood when he would watch wrestling and wonder why Ric Flair’s on-screen persona made him care feel anger. “I remember watching RIc Flair on television and thinking, “Who is this guy?” Ten years old, you’re watching going, “Who is this guy? What’s he talking about, and why does he make me angry when he talks? Why do I care that he’s riding around in a jet?”

Corgan said that these attributes of Flair have stuck with him ever since he was a child, and he sees the same qualities in Trevor Murdoch, who just became the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Ric Flair appeared on National Wrestling Alliance’s 73rd Anniversary Show on Sunday night where he cut an emotional promo and thanked Triple H, Vince McMahon, among others on the show. The 10-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion also thanked his wife, NWA president Billy Corgan, AEW president Tony Khan on the show among other WWE stars like Randy Orton, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho.

Ric Flair first thanked his wife Wendy and said that whenever he fell down, she was there to pick him up. Just like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Steve Austin, and everybody else were there to pick him up.

The Nature Boy thanked Vince McMahon by stating that he loves him, and McMahon is the reason why he’s here. Flair also added that McMahon is not going to watch this but he’s going to hear about it. Flair added that Vince would say, “Ric Flair’s back where he belongs, with anybody he wants to be with on a given night.”

Flair also thanked Billy Corgan for inviting him to the event and then also mentioned Tony Khan for changing the wrestling scene.

Flair continued, by thanking Hunter for reminding him every time that he’s Ric Flair and for not giving up on him. He also thanked Shawn Michaels for carrying him to a great retirement match at WrestleMania XXIV. The NWA Hall of Famer also added that he wanted Randy Orton to break hi record of capturing the World Title 16 times, though he thinks Charlotte Flair would be able to catch up eventually soon. He mentioned names like Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold who grew up on the NWA.

Related: Trevor Murdoch is the New NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion

For months now Trevor Murdoch has been hunting Nick Aldis. Going into NWA 73 this weekend, the journey had reached its peak. The outcome was simple. Either Trevor Murdoch would win the NWA title, or he would retire from professional wrestling.

The stage was set for an epic confrontation, and ultimately, Trevor Murdoch emerged victorious to cap off the ultimate Cinderella story. Ending Nick Aldis’s reign at 1043 days.

The victory capped off a monumental weekend for the NWA. Two successive days of PPV wrestling, including the first-ever all-female PPV Empowerrr the night before. After Trevor Murdoch’s victory, his family joined him in the ring, swiftly followed by none other than Ric Flair. Flair cut a great promo praising both Murdoch and Nick Aldis.

The victory marks the first reign as  NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion for Trevor Murdoch, who previously captured the NWA National Championship in 2020, after making a return to professional wrestling following his early retirement.

Many fans will remember Murdoch from his run in the WWE. There he was a former tag-team champion alongside Lance Cade. He also enjoyed a successful career on the independent circuit.

Trevor Murdoch Completes His Cinderella Story Comeback

In recent years, the wrestling world has seen numerous amazing comebacks. Daniel Bryan, Edge, CM Punk and now possibly Paige. However, while not as high profile, the resurgence of Trevor Murdoch should surely be added to that list.

In 2018 Murdoch retired from professional wrestling. Now, he has one of the most prestigious titles the industry has known around his waist. His deep ties to Harley Race are no secret, with Murdoch regularly working at the Harley Race Wrestling Academy. He had also previously stated that one of his driving motivations for making his return to wrestling and joining the NWA was to honor the memory of his friend.

Trevor Murdoch is officially recognized as the 98th NWA World Heavyweight champion. Who his first challenger will be remains to be seen, however, a rematch with Aldis is surely on the cards?

Mickie James and the NWA presented Empowerrr last night from the Chase ballroom in St. Louis. Ronda Rousey was watching the show and posted her comments to social media throughout the evening.

Rousey was particularly impressed with the Knockouts championship match between Deonna Purrazzo and Melina. Purrazzo was able to make Melina tap after focusing on Melina’s leg for much of the contest.

Melina responded to Rousey’s comments as well.

Following the Knockouts title match was the finals in the 4-team tournament for the NWA Women’s Tag Team Championships. The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle) came out the victors and new champs after defeating Red Velvet and KiLynn King.

The nights main event was the NWA Women’s Invitational Cup. The 10-person Gauntlet match was won by Chelsea Green. Rousey sent out her congratulations to Green and praised the PPV overall.

The NWA returns to PPV tonight. The NWA 73rd Anniversary show will also air from the Chase Ballroom in St. Louis.

• NWA World Heavyweight Championship vs Career
  Nick Aldis (c) vs Trevor Murdoch
• NWA World Women’s Championship
  Champion vs Invitational Cup Winner
• NWA National Championship
  Chris Adonis (c) vs James Storm
• NWA World Tag Team Championships
  Aron Stevens and JR Kratos (c) vs. La Rebelión (Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450)
• Thom Latimer vs. Crimson vs. Tim Storm
• Tyrus, The Masked Man, and Jordan Clearwater (with Austin Idol) vs. Da Pope and The End (Odinson and Parrow)
• #1 Contender National Championship
  12-Person Battle Royal

Chelsea Green came out as the winner from the NWA EmPowerrr’s main event last night. The NWA Women’s Invitational Cup featured a gauntlet-style match with ten other competitors where the winner would earn an NWA World Women’s Championship match against Kamille at the NWA 73rd Anniversary Show. Besides Green, the other competitors of the match included names such as Lady Frost, Tootie Lynn, Jamie Senegal, Debbie Malenko, Bianca Carelli, Jennacide, Masha Slamovich, Thunder Kitty and Kiera Hogan.

Chelsea Green and Kiera Hogan started the match and then the other competitors entered in two minute intervals. Green won the match after eliminating Tootie Lynn at last by using a ripcord elbow and going for the pinfall with the unprettier, earning herself a Women’s World Championship opportunity at the upcoming 73rd NWA Anniversary event on Sunday, where she will challenge Kamille. After the match, Green hugged Lynn and raised her arm. The other women’s wrestlers came to ringside too and celebrated with each other, congratulating the winner.

Related: NWA EmPowerrr Quick Results: Kamile vs. Leyla Hirsch

NWA 73rd Anniversary Show

Here is the card for the NWA 73rd Anniversary Show, which takes place from Chase’s Khorassan Ballroom in St. Louis, Missouri:

• NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis vs. Trevor Murdoch
• NWA National Champion Chris Adonis vs. James Storm
• NWA Tag Team Champions Aron Stevens & Kratos vs. La Rebelion (Mecha Wolf & Bestia 666)
• Mickie James vs. Kylie Rae
• NWA Women’s Championship: Kamille vs. Chelsea Green
• Thom Latimer vs. Crimson vs. Tim Storm
• Tyrus, Masked Man, & Jordan Clearwater vs. Da Pope, Odison, & Parrow
• 12-Man Battle Royal to determine NWA National Title number one contender: Competitors TBA

The show will be available to stream on Fite.

Read more: Chelsea Green: AEW Would Benefit From Signing Female Free Agents

While Mickie James served as an executive producer for NWA’s all-women EmPowerrr PPV, she is still a free agent according to president Billy Corgan. The wrestling promotion posted a video of Corgan chatting with the former women’s champion on their YouTube channel ahead of their historic PPV this Saturday night.

During the interview, the NWA president revealed James’ status with the promotion. Billy Corgan claimed that Mickie has not signed a talent deal with his company:

“What people don’t understand is that Mickie James is a free agent. Our deal here with the NWA is Mickie’s coming in to co-promote this event, and we will be co-promoters on this event. But, you have not signed a talent deal with the NWA.

And that is not a work, that’s straight-up shoot. Because that is what you want. and as her friend, I said ‘I think that makes sense’. because you should have all the power and you should do as you wish and what’s best for your family”

• Awesome Kong Announces Retirement From Wrestling On NWA EmPowerrr

The female star was released from her WWE contract back in April this year. She made her NWA debut in June and was announced as the executive producer for NWA’s first-ever all-female event.

This revelation makes things interesting as it means that James is free to do other things after tonight’s EmPowerrr event. We will have to wait and see if she continues her relationship with the company after this or shows up at a different promotion.

Veteran wrestling star Awesome Kong has announced her retirement from pro wrestling during a surprise appearance at NWA EmPowerrr. TNA Hall Of Famer Gail Kim made an unannounced appearance during the all-women PPV. She tried to cut a promo but Kim was confronted by Taryn Terrell, Jennacide, and Paola Blaze.

Kong, who has had several feuds with the veteran TNA star over the years then also made a surprise appearance on the show. She made the save for Gail Kim and took out the three interrupting women.

After this segment, the former WWE star grabbed a mic and told Kim that she was her greatest foe. The former Knockouts champion claimed that there was no other way to end her career than being in the ring with Gail Kim. She then announced her retirement saying she was done:

The 43-year-old started her wrestling career in 2002. Awesome Kong went on to wrestle for promotions such as Ring Of Honor, All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling, and more. Though she is probably best known for her stints in Impact Wrestling and WWE between 2007 to 2016.

She competed under the ring name Kharma in WWE but didn’t win any titles. She had a couple of runs with the Knockouts title in TNA under the ring name Awesome Kong. She also made several appearances for AEW in the past couple of years.

NWA EmPowerrr has wrapped up.

The event took place earlier tonight (Aug. 28). The action was held inside the Khorassan Ballroom of the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri. Our own Ella Jay and Samira were on the scene for NWA EmPowerrr.

The main event of NWA EmPowerrr was the Women’s Invitational gauntlet match. Also featured on the card was an NWA Women’s Title match between champion Kamille and Leyla Hirsch. Also on the card was an Impact Wrestling Knockouts Title match between titleholder Deonna Purrazzo and Melina.

History was also made at NWA EmPowerrr. For the first time since the 1980s, new NWA Women’s Tag Team Champions were crowned.

Peep the results below.

• Chelsea Green wins Women’s Invitational gauntlet match
• Kamille def. Leyla Hirsch to retain the NWA Women’s Championship
• Allysin Kay and Marti Belle def. Red Velvet and KiLynn King to win the NWA Women’s Tag Titles
• Deonna Purrazzo def. Melina to retain the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Championship
• Red Velvet and KiLynn King def. The Freebabes (Jazzy Yang and Miranda Gordy) to advance to the finals of the NWA Women’s Tag Title tournament.
• Allysin Kay and Marti Belle def. Renee Michelle and Sahara 7 to advance to the finals of the NWA Women’s Tag Title tournament
• Diamante def. Chik Tormenta and Kylie Rae in a triple threat match

The NWA presents two pay-per-view events this weekend – EmPowerrr and 73 – from the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, MO. 

EmPowerrr takes place on Saturday while 73 goes down on Sunday. The shows will begin at 7:00 pm ET. 

National Wrestling Alliance will present its first-ever all-women’s show with the Inaugural NWA Women’s Invitational Cup as its main event. The headliner for 73 will be NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis vs. Trevor Murdoch. 

The pay-per-view events can be purchased with the price tag of $39.99 via the FITE app. The shows will begin at 7:00 pm ET. Here is the final card. 

NWA EmPowerrr Card

• Main Event: The Inaugural NWA Women’s Invitational Cup – Lady Frost (begins at #1), Tootie Lynn, Chelsea Green, Jamie Senegal, Debbie Malenko, Bianca Carelli, Jennacide, Thunder Kitty, Masha Slamovich, Kiera Hogan (The winner of the ten-woman Gauntlet will challenge the NWA World Women’s Champion the next night at NWA 73)
• NWA World Women’s Champion Kamille vs. Leyla Hirsch 
• Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo vs. Melina 
• The FreeBabes (Miranda Gordy, Hollyhood Haley J, Jazzy Yang) vs. KiLynn King and Red Velvet – NWA World Women’s Tag Team Titles Tournament
• Hell on Heels (Renee Michelle, Sahara 7) vs. The Hex (Allysin Kay, Marti Belle) – NWA World Women’s Tag Team Titles Tournament
• The Hex or Hell on Heels vs. Red Velvet and KiLynn King or The Freebabes – NWA World Women’s Tag Team Titles Tournament Finals
• NWA’s Kylie Ray vs. AAA’s Chika Tormenta vs. AEW’s Diamante
• Paola Mayfield vs. Kenzie Paige
• Skye Blue vs. Christi Jaynes

NWA 73 Card

• NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis vs. Trevor Murdoch
• NWA National ChampionChris Adonis vs. James Storm
• NWA Tag Team Champions Aron Stevens & Kratos vs. La Rebelion (Mecha Wolf & Bestia 666)
• Mickie James vs. Kylie Rae
• NWA Women’s Championship: Kamille or Leyla Hirsch vs. NWA Invitational Winner at Empowerrr
• Thom Latimer vs. Crimson vs. Tim Storm
• Tyrus, Masked Man, & Jordan Clearwater vs. Da Pope, Odison, & Parrow
• 12-Man Battle Royal to determine NWA National Title number one contender: Competitors TBA

Since leaving WWE, Mickie James has been a woman on the rise. Yet to get back into the ring in an active capacity, she has wasted no time in continuing her trailblazing role behind the scenes.

Much has been made about her involvement in the upcoming NWA PPV Empowerrr. The first all-female PPV in NWA history. Mickie James is acting as a producer for the event. She also confirmed that she will not be performing in order to give other women the chance to shine.

Talking during an appearance on the Shining Wizards podcast, Mickie James spoke about how she set about scouting for the show. Wanting to focus on lesser-known talent and those that have not had a steady push.

“I really had to be cognizant of the fact of, you know, who the girls that were all wrestling on [AEW] Dark matches, or different things, you know?… Because I did say that I wanted to give new women opportunities – women who you haven’t necessarily seen, and sometimes you see the same women – not that they don’t deserve it and they’re getting those opportunities for a reason. But you get to see a lot of the same girls show up everywhere…but not really get pushed per se. So I was like, well, here’s a cool opportunity for me to not only define the NWA women’s roster and to start hand kind of selecting and start really seeing who’s going to be in the NWA women’s locker room as a whole.” Mickie James explained.

Mickie James Wants to Help Build the Next Generation of Female NWA Stars

For Mickie James, the Empowerrr PPV is about more than just putting female wrestlers in the spotlight for one night. It is about building up the next generation of female wrestlers. Giving them a stage where they get the attention they deserve.

Mickie James has been a pioneer in women’s wrestling since day one. No matter where she has gone in her career, she has represented women’s wrestling and pushed boundaries in what can be done.

During her career, Mickie James has won 23 different titles across numerous promotions. She is held in high regard by those in the industry. Outside of wrestling, she has earned a degree in Business Administration. This has no doubt helped tremendously in her transition to a more backstage focused role in NWA.

Billy Corgan believes that Mickie James played a crucial role in repairing the relationship between NWA and Impact Wrestling.

The “Forbidden Door” has taken on a life of its own. While the phrase began to hint at Hiroshi Tanahashi of NJPW challenging Chris Jericho for the AEW Championship, other promotions have joined in on the fun over the past year. NWA and Impact Wrestling in particular have been enjoying success through cross-promotion.

When Corgan was ousted from Impact Wrestling and went on to take over NWA, any thought of cross-promotion between the two companies seemed out of the question. Things have changed, however, and Corgan told the folks at The Battleground Podcast that Mickie deserves props.

“Well I think it’s all credit to Mickie, you know, she was the one that had the relationships to go back and kind of reopen that door, which from my end was closed due to some business stuff that had gone on. Then, Pat Kenney, who works behind the scenes in talent relations, has a long-standing relationship with people in IMPACT. I think it just kind of mended the fence and we found some business to do together and they’ve been a great partner in this.

“Obviously, Deonna Purrazzo’s gonna be on the pay-per-view, and it’s a real honor. Let’s not forget, I worked for that championship, so that championship means a lot to me. So to have it on an NWA show is a great honor and it’s a tribute to everybody involved to help put it together. Because, I think it’s now very obvious, you know, everybody calls it the forbidden door, but I’ve been saying it for years, you know, the future of the wrestling business is really great people working together, putting together these Supercards.”

NWA will be running an all-women’s PPV event on Saturday night (Aug. 28). The PPV will feature an NWA Women’s World Title match and an Impact Wrestling Knockouts Title match. New NWA Women’s Tag Team Champions will also be crowned through a tournament.

Mickie James will serve as the executive producer for NWA Empowerrr.