National Wrestling Alliance: A Return to Glory

[Wildfire1324]

Date: April 24th, 2006
Location: The conference room of the law firm of Duey, Cheatum, and Howe, primary legal representation of the new NWA President, Mr. J. Nelson.

"So it is agreed then gentlemen, that as of May 1st, 2006, the National Wrestling Alliance will cease recognition of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and reclaim our World Heavyweight and World Tag Team Championships from that organization. Our lawyers have thoroughly examined the agreement with them and have concluded that this is completely within our rights. Their asinine and archaic booking style is destroying the tiny shred of credibility that our titles have left. Even worse, they are ruining what may be the last chance for our industry to avoid a total WWE/Sports Entertainment monopoly. They have had every opportunity to succeed and are ruining it with selfish booking, spotlighting has-beens and their stupid six-sided ring."

Judging by the shocked looks on their faces, their attention was clearly all mine. I was running my very first board meeting since I had been voted the new NWA president and my stomach was in knots. I had achieved a small level of success as the promoter of NWA: Empire State and was able to parlay that into a spot on the board very quickly. It was easy to please an organization that has had such little success over the last several years. My favorite pastime during meetings was to continually badmouth the failing TNA experiment. Through a combination of astute observations about the direction of the industry, combined with the ability to compromise and work with all the different factions within the NWA, and some good old fashioned sucking up thrown in for good measure, I managed to ascend to the presidency of the NWA with little opposition in a few short years. The board, which consisted mostly of tired old men with nothing in the way of fresh ideas, never knew what hit them when I took over. If they had a clue as to the scope of my vision, there is no way they would have elected me to this post. I pressed on despite the knot in my stomach.

"This business has reached the point of no return gentlemen. The time is ripe for us to try one last time to reclaim our spot in the national spotlight. TNA is dying on the branch and the return of ECW could be their death knell. Ring of Honor has no ambition to be anything more than what it is, a small niche product. The WWE may be stale and tired but they are still financially dominant. Vince has ten times more resources than all of our little fiefdoms combined. He has taken professional wrestling to the masses, from coast to coast and around the world. He succeeded where the oldest sanctioning body in the sport has failed. I have taken the reigns of this organization as it lays nearly dormant on its deathbed! The failings of this board and its predecessors have led us to this point, the brink of extinction while a crazy old man reaps the rewards of what should have been ours. The mistakes that have been made in the past are numerous and catastrophic. Over the years this Alliance has lost control of the WWF, WCW, twice mind you, World Class, the AWA and the ultimate indignation, Eastern Championship Wrestling. Shane *bleeping* Douglas wins our title and tosses it out like yesterday garbage, igniting the flame of Extreme Championship Wrestling at the expense of our heritage! How do we respond? Do we come out fighting and crush Paul Heyman's band of misfits and rejects? No! We go out and crown a string of nameless independent wrestlers as our "World" Champion in craptastic venues that make that bingo hall in Philadelphia seem like Roman Colosseum! Someone should have pulled the goddamn plug on the NWA right then and there. Finally in a desperate attempt to cling to life, we hand over our titles to TNA where it might as well have been renamed the Jeff Jarrett Heavyweight Championship! Lou Thesz must be turning over in his grave seeing what a joke his title has become! Under my watch, this will stop and it stops now. As of May 1st, 2006, the National Wrestling Alliance shall rise again or die trying! Its better to burn out than fade away but I don't intend to fail! Under my leadership, we shall grow and prosper. Our territories will become the greatest training system this sport as ever seen and they shall feed the main roster with talent for years to come. We shall re-emerge as a national power and save this industry from the WWE and TNA once and for all or we go out in a final blaze of glory. Gentlemen, I'm proud to say that thanks to my negotiations, the NWA will soon have national television clearance as the FUSE network debuts our new flagship show, NWA FUSION!"

The jaws of the board collectively hit the floor. Few of them knew what the Fuse network even was but this they couldn't ignore, the NWA was going to once again have national cable exposure in less than a month. The questions came pouring out. How will we do this? We don't have a roster! We don't have a staff! Where will we tape from? What the hell is Fuse? How could you attempt this without consulting us first? Are there any more onion bagels?

"I will answer all of your questions in due time but first let me introduce you to the voices of NWA FUSION. First, I'm pleased to introduce one of the most underrated play-by-play men in the business, Mr. Scott Hudson. Second, I'm thrilled to introduce a man who needs no introduction, a man who is NWA through and through, the always outspoken, Mr. James E. Cornette!"

As soon as Hudson and Cornette walked into the conference room, I knew a good chunk of their doubts went out the window. Hudson is a solid, professional announcer while Cornette is an absolute legend of the business. His presence alone alleviated the bulk of their concerns. They were even more pleased when I told them that Jim would be overseeing the creative aspects of the company with myself. In addition, the Board was pleased to find out that the top NWA official, Rudy Charles has spurned a more lucrative offer to become TNA's senior referee and was instead staying loyal to the NWA. I had them all, hook, line and sinker. Now I just had to make this all work. Easier said than done but there was no turning back now. We had work to do and a sport to save.