The National Wrestling Alliance continued to grow this week as the World League Wrestling promotion is now an official NWA territory. In a statement, the NWA announced the inclusion of the Missouri-based WLW, the fifth regional promotion to join the NWA in the last two years.

WLW was founded by Harley Race over a quarter of a century ago and has been active ever since. Trevor Murdoch, a former NWA World Champion and current Tag Champion who began his career in WLW before arriving in WWE, shared his excitement for the news and the connection to Race in a statement:

“When you thought of NWA back in the day, you thought of Harley Race. It was a company had a lot of pride and respect for… As the student of Harley Race and representative of him throughout my career, it feels good that I can do this for World League Wrestling and bring these two together.”

As an official territory, the NWA will recognize all NWA WLW champions going forward. Additionally, a talent-sharing agreement will benefit both promotions, according to Murdoch.

“We are going to be a developmental system for the NWA to find some of the top, young talents that have not been seen, that might not be getting opportunities they deserve.”

Race, an eight-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, isn’t the only huge name tie to WLW which has always worked with legends like ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage, and Meng/Haku. WLW joins other companies to become NWA territories, including Exodus Pro, which made the move in October 2023.

Murdoch is one of several major players in the NWA, which includes Mike Knox, Kenzie Page, Max the Impaler, and reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champion Thom Latimer. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on the NWA and its continued efforts to expand with territories across the United States.

Could Trevor Murdoch have done more in WWE? Perhaps, but only if he had lost a considerable amount of weight.

Murdoch debuted on WWE TV in 2005 as part of a tag team with Lance Cade, who he would become a three-time WWE World Tag Team Champion with.

Murdoch was released from his contract in 2008 and would go on to compete for TNA Wrestling and more recently the NWA.

Flabby

Last year, Murdoch won his first of two NWA World Heavyweight Championships, dethroning Nick Aldis, who had been the face of the company since its 2017 relaunch.

In June of this year, Murdoch would regain the title (which he’d lose to Tyrus at NWA Hard Times 3) but the wrestler has always hoped for a main event run.

Speaking on Foley is Pod, Mick Foley recalled a discussion between Murdoch and then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon about trying to get a push.

“Trevor told me that he once sat down with Mr. McMahon and said ‘what can I do to catch your eye? What can I do to get to the next level?’ And Vince looked at him and said ‘I hate that pasty, flabby body of yours.’ It’s kind of tough when you’re dealing with a weak genetic hand. That’s something I know a little about.

“I hate that pasty, flabby body of yours.”

Vince McMahon to Trevor Murdoch.

Foley added that despite these comments, he is pleased that Murdoch finally reached that top spot, albeit years later with the NWA.

“He was Trevor Rhodes back then, because he did look a bit like Dusty. He was a really good effective babyface. He just wanted a chance to do something… To become that guy [is difficult.] But he did. He bulked up.”

Of course, Murdoch’s success in the NWA has only come about due to the booking of Billy Corgan, who has an opposite approach to body types than McMahon according to Foley.

“Billy likes the big brawlers on top. That’s the good thing about having a company that’s yours to run. You get to decide the talent you want to see there [on top.]”

Chris Jericho

Murdoch’s WWE name comes from Dick Murdoch, the legendary brawler who was known for his hard-hitting wrestling style and once dominated in New Japan.

On the podcast, Foley explained how decades ago, Japanese audiences expected the heavy American wrestler, and that’s something Chris Jericho took on board in 2017.

“Now, he [Trevor Murdoch] has that look that Japan liked in the 80s. Stan Hansen-esque. So when Jericho went over to face Kenny Omega, Jericho specifically put on weight because in his mind, that’s what Japanese fans saw as an American main eventer. It is really interesting to see the way his mind works.”

In his first non-WWE match since July 1999, Jericho faced Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in January 2018, which Omega would win.

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?

Trevor Murdoch is the new number one contender for the NWA title. One of the most prestigious titles in all of wrestling. It is a title that lost its way, but under the guidance of Nick Aldis, it has regained its reputation.

Aldis has held the NWA belt for almost 1000 days, in his second reign as champion. It is the longest individual reign since Dan Severn held the title for 1479 days starting in 1995.

Last week on NWA Powerr, the next challenger for Aldis’s title was decided with a Battle Royal. Murdoch outlasted all other participants and survived a two on one attack right at the end to claim victory.

Talking after the match, Trevor Murdoch was overcome with emotion. Tearfully, he spoke about Harley Race – another legendary champion. Citing Race as an idol of his, Murdoch vowed to win the gold in his memory.  

Nick Aldis and Trevor Murdoch will square off at the upcoming NWA PPV When Our Shadows Fall on June 6^th.

Regardless of the odds, Aldis will not be in for an easy ride, Murdoch has won fifteen championships through his career, including being a three-time WWE Tag Team champion with Lance Cade.

It will not be easy for Murdoch to claim victory. Aldis is an established champion, a fantastic heel and has been of great credit to the NWA. It would cap a wonderful story for Trevor Murdoch, following his return to wrestling in 2019.

The National Wrestling Alliance recently brokered a deal with the United Wrestling Network (Championship Wrestling from Hollywood/Arizona/Memphis) to promote joint weekly PPV shows. The 3rd such event aired last night from Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California.

The main event of the show saw Trevor Murdoch defeat Aron Stevens to become the new NWA National Heavyweight Champion.

Previous main events in the weekly PPV series have seen Nick Aldis successfully defend against Mike Bennett w/Maria Bennett and Thunder Rosa defending her belt against Priscilla Kelly.

NWA National Heavyweight Championship History

Trevor Murdoch is now the 59th wrestler to win the title. He begins the 86th reign in the title’s 40-year lineage. He is the 5th title-holder in the current era. Previous recent champions include Aron Stevens, Colt Cabana, James Storm, and Willie Mack.

Austin Idol is the inaugural title-holder, having won the belt in 1980 and holding it for 221 days. His reign is second to only Ron Garvin’s 233-day reign from 1984-85 as the longest single reign in the 1980s. The title was deactivated from 1986 until 1997.

Ricky Murdock holds the record with 817 days as champion for his two title reigns in the 2000s. Willie Mack was the first title-holder in the William Patrick Corgan era of the National Wrestling Alliance.

• Update On The Future Of NWA Power

Trevor Murdoch was trained by Harley Race and now spends his time as a trainer for the Harley Race Wrestling Academy in Eldon, Missouri. He revealed on his Facebook page recently that WWE paid for Race’s last flight back to Missouri when insurance wouldn’t.

“I just wanted to put this out there. Harley needed to be transferred from Atlanta to St.Louis. He needed to take a Med flight because he was in rough shape. Medicare wouldn’t help him. A call was made to WWE and 10 mins later it was paid in full. Vince McMahon never blinked an eye. He wanted to make sure Harley was taken care of,” Murdoch’s statement reads.

“Thank you Vince, you gave me 2 more days with Harley.
#ThankYouWWE 
#EveryoneShouldKnow“

Harley Race On How He Wants To Be Remembered

YouTube channel Boston Wrestling MWF recently published a video of Harley Race talking about how he wants to be remembered.

“I think by my peers I’m going to be remembered as a guy who says it as it is,” Race says in the video. “And by the fans, I want to be remembered as a fan of all of you. Because if it was not for you around the world, none of this would be happening for me, for him, for him, or anyone else involved in it. This whole business revolves around you people.”

• Harley Race Passes Away At 76

– NXT star Hideo Itami is in Japan this week to promote WWE’s live events tour of the country scheduled for next month. After recently undergoing shoulder surgery, Itami will be out of action 6-8 months.

– Daniel Bryan is scheduled to for tonight’s WWE RAW. Bryan announced last night that his in-ring career is not over and will likely be there to promote his new DVD/Blu-Ray set, which will be released tomorrow.

– Big Show is currently backstage at the site of tonight’s RAW. No word on if he’ll be appearing on TV, but he’s expected to be back in action soon.

– There is currently no timeframe for Rusev’s return. He injured his foot at last week’s SmackDown tapings.

– Former WWE Superstar Trevor Murdoch has been working for Harley Race’s World League Wrestling promotion, which is based out of Missouri.

(Source: PWInsider.com)

– John Cena is celebrating his 37th birthday today. He was born on April 23, 1977.

– According to video game site Abandonia.com, the classic 1995 ‘WWF WrestleMania – The Arcade Game’ has been classified as ‘abandonware’ and is now fair use to download for free.

– The latest “Where Are They Now?” feature at WWE.com looks at former WWE tag team champion Trevor Murdoch.

– WWE Hall of Famer appears to be joining the cast of the upcoming action movie “The Expendables 4,” according to ExpendablesPremiere.com. This would mark Hogan’s onscreen reunion with Sylvester Stallone for the first time since Rocky III back in 1982. Most of the shooting will take place in Bulgaria.

Back in October, a fan asked Hogan why he wasn’t a part of Expendables 3. He responded:

@CarlGartley expendables 4 , they have already cast 3 brother. HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) October 23, 2013

Former Two Time WWE Tag Team Champion Trevor Murdoch sat down with Who’s Slamming Who host Tommy Fierro in the VOC Nation ITR Radio Network to discuss the WWE Network, CM Punk walking out, Daniel Bryan, and much more.

Here are plenty of quotes and highlights from the Trevor Murdoch interview:

The WWE Network:  “I think it’s a great idea.  The WWE Network gives the younger generation an opportunity to see what real wrestling was.  It also reintroduces people like Roddy Piper and Ric Flair to the younger generation.  I think it’s a great think and I’m really glad to be a part of it.”

The potential loss of PPV royalties to talent:  “From the fans’ perspective, paying $40 less for a PPV is great.  From a talent’s perspective, I think that (they) lose money.  (Talent) is in this not only because we love wrestling, but also because we need to provide for our families.  Once you put the PPVs on the Network, you lose the DVD sales and merchandising aspects that you had before.”

Whether or not he was notified of his appearances on the WWE Network:  “I wasn’t called or notified.  Not even a letter.  I really don’t care though; I’m glad they put my stuff on there. It keeps my name out there.  It’s great for wrestlers that aren’t with the company anymore.  You don’t get forgotten.”

Whether he watches the current product:  “I don’t follow it closely.  I DVR it, watch what entertains me, and I fast forward what doesn’t.  What gets me fired up about the WWE is that they have such a huge pool of talented wrestlers that the whole show could be fantastic (but it’s not).  I remember when I was a kid, I used to hang on every single thread; now it doesn’t seem like that.”

His favorite parts of the current product:  “I love tag team wrestling.  I’m a big fan of what’s going on with the Usos, the Rhoades Brothers, and the Shield.  I’m also a huge fan of Cesaro.  He’s not your typical heel; he’s a guy that you love to hate, and that’s rare.”

Daniel Bryan:  “Anyone that knows Daniel knows that he’s one of the hardest working guys in the locker room.  It’s good to see that finally the cream rises to the top.  He deserved that, he’s earned it, and he’s the right man for the position.  You don’t always get what you want in life, but if you want it bad enough, you have to keep going at it.  It’s very parallel to real life.  It’s not WWE’s job to give people what they want right then and there.  It’s WWE’s job to draw people into their next TV program.  That what they’ve done:  They’ve carried people over Monday to Monday with their storyline.”

CM Punk’s departure:   “It’s all speculation based upon my experience with the WWE and with Punk, but the WWE has a very bad habit of not following through with storylines.  That’s probably one of the reasons that Punk stepped away.  He knows the fans aren’t stupid.  He came into WWE with a fantastic following, but WWE didn’t understand it and kept him in developmental longer than they should have.  He kept fighting and finally got onto the main roster and proved himself to the WWE office and the (sarcastic) ‘fantastic’ writing staff.  They think that whatever they put out there, they can shove down the fans throat and they’ll buy it.  They have a very contorted view of the wrestling business.”

His current whereabouts:  “Everybody thinks that getting to the WWE is the hardest part.  In my opinion, staying there is the hardest part.  Being relavant is the hardest part.  Letting the office know that you can draw money is the hardest part.  Before I got into the wrestling business, I was working from daylight to dark, and as soon as I got released I was working from daylight to dark.  I wrestle on the weekends, but my wife’s family has a heavy equipment business (and I work there).  I see so many guys that are only a few years older than me and are walking hunched over, constantly in pain; I feel blessed that I got out relatively healthy.”

Who’s Slamming Who with Tommy Fierro streams live Thursday nights at 7PM ET on the VOC Nation IN THE ROOM Radio Network, worldwide at vocnation.com, and simulcast onthebradyhicks.com.

The following are highlights from a recent interview with former WWE Superstar Trevor Murdoch:

On what WWE thought about CM Punk when he first came in to the company: “I’m not going to name any names but when Punk was in developmental there were a lot of people bagging on him. They were like who is this guy? Tattooed up with a Pepsi symbol on his arm, what they thought was a Pepsi symbol on his arm and him being an internet sensation and indy sensation. They really couldn’t see the big picture the connection that he has with the fans when he goes out there. How much hard work he puts in his craft and when he steps out that curtain how much hard work he puts out there.”

On the differences in wrestling now as compared to when he was growing up: “The wrestling end of it is changing daily it’s not the sport that it was when I was younger following it. It’s more towards the entertainment end of it and that’s a machine you really can’t stop unless the fans change that…and what I mean by fans is that they all have to get together and speak loud and clear and let them know that’s what they want. Everything they (WWE) do on TV is based on what they do for viewership and it’s up to us as fans to change that. I respect the WWE and all it has done for me.”

Check out the complete interview online at BlogTalkRadio,com/peoplewhoknowgoodwrestling.

— Melina is returning to her roots as she has been announced for Wrestling All Star Pros’ upcoming tour of Mexico. The multi-time champion is of Mexican descent.

Other former WWE talent scheduled for the tour taking place Nov. 4-20 include Vladimir Kozlov, Chris Masters, Tommy Dreamer, Carlito, The Boogeyman, Super Crazy, Eugene, Trevor Murdoch, Jillian Hall, Serena, Mr. Aguila and referee Marty Elias.

Details on the tour are available here.

— “Future Legend” Melissa Anderson (a/k/a Alissa Flash and Raisha Saeed) has launched a page on Facebook.

— David Hart Smith will be at the Big Time Wrestling events in Newark, California on Oct. 14, 2011 and Dec. 9, 2011.

Former WWE superstar Trevor Murdoch, partner of the late Lance Cade, recently had a series of tryout matches with WWE and told Pitch.com that he will be returning to the company soon after being released back in July 2008.

Read More: Trevor Murdoch Says He Is Returning To WWE

Unfortunately for Murdoch, his chance to return to WWE has fallen through – and he’ now considering quitting the industry entirely as a result.

He wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday:

“Well I got a call from Johnny Ace saying they weren’t going to go threw with my contract. He told me “budget cut’s”. I say bullsh**. I think I’m done with pro wrestling. Anybody know of any job opening’s?”

Former WWE superstar Trevor Murdoch, partner of the late Lance Cade, recently had a series of tryout matches with WWE and tells Pitch.com that he will be returning to the company soon after being released back in July 2008.

Here are some highlights of what Murdoch said about:

His Recent WWE Tryouts: “They went great actually. The first night I wrestled Evan Bourne. The second night I wrestled Jey Uso. My concern going back wasn’t the wrestling part. It was there’s a lot of new faces on the WWE roster. They’re almost all new faces. And I was concerned that I was going to get back there and on one was going to know me or everyone was going to snub me a little bit. “Who’s this guy?” and “he’s just going to try to take our spot.” But when I went back, everyone was super nice and were extremely respectful and excited to see me. It was a very welcoming experience. Not to mention that I had two really good matches.”

What It’s Like To Make It Back To WWE: “I’ve been doing this since I was 18 years old. So I’m at an age where when I went to WWE the first time I was 25 years old and I’m really excited that I’m still at a young enough age that I’m going to be able to go back and do some good things on TV. My [5-year-old] son is now old enough to see me and understand that daddy is on TV and he loves pro wrestling. So I’m fired up to be able to get back to working on TV again for sure.”

What His Role Will Be When He Returns: “I’m kind of an open book and can do whatever I gotta do to have a good time but also to put on some good matches and also focus more on the sports entertainment side rather than just the pro wrestling. When I went in the first time, I wouldn’t say I was naive, but I was more focused on the just the wrestling part. Whereas, now that I’m a little bit older and I look back on it … I’m going to focus just as much on the entertainment part as I am the wrestling part. The last time I was there, I was like, I was trained by Harley Race. The cream will rise to the top. I’m a pro wrestler. As long as I have great matches, everything will be fine. That’s only one part of it.”

— Former WWE Superstar Trevor Murdoch worked a dark match prior to tonight’s SmackDown taping in Nashville, Tennessee, losing to Jey Uso.

Murdoch received minimal reaction from the audience and and cut a brief promo on Tennessee prior to the bout. The WWE World Tag Team Champion controlled the match’s early going, but Uso came back with a flurry of offense and won in approximately three minutes with the Snuka splash.

Murdoch also worked a dark match prior to last night’s Raw taping in Knoxville, Tennessee, losing to Evan Bourne.

— Eric Watts, who was eliminated on last night’s episode of WWE Tough Enough, commented on the result on Twitter.

“Thanks to everyone for supporting me up to this point. We’re just getting started,” he wrote. “I know EXACTLY what I have to do. KEEP WATCHING THE SHOW!”

— SmackDown Superstar William Regal turns 43 years old today while WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana turns 58.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

— Former WWE World Tag Team Champion Trevor Murdoch worked a dark match prior to tonight’s Raw taping in Knoxville, Tennessee. He lost to Evan Bourne.

Murdoch was was released from his contract with WWE on July 3, 2008.

— Matches taped tonight in Knoxville, Tennessee for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:

* Chris Masters vs. Drew McIntyre

* Vladimir Kozlov vs. Zack Ryder

— The Golf Canada’s 2011 Team Ambassadors for Golf Fore the Cure has announced that Trish Stratus will take part in the program to bring awareness to breast cancer.