Wrestling History Message Forum

[SuperNaturalX]

Why was the NWA not in Europe? Until recently, and Hammerlock UK joined, there does not seem to be a promoter in Europe that was a member of the NWA. Why was that?

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Dunno about these days, but Europe used to have different rules (rounds, etc.) and different styles.

[edgehead1984]

Wasn't Wanz part of the NWA for awhile??

[Antonia_Inoki]

Basically, a clash of styles and rules, yes. and no, cwa was never an nwa member. There are the rounds, the cards (like in soccer), and the mat-heavy shooting style of Europe (with notable exceptions). not everybody was willing to adapt.

[Dan Poutsma]

Before Hammerlock, the NWA had at least one other European member and that was Catch Schober out of Hannover Germany. They're listed on the roll call from the 1979 annual meeting in Las Vegas. Don't know how long they were a member. In the minutes from that meeting, it states that their promoter Edmund Schober asked the NWA to help him out with talent for an annual tournament he holds every year, at which point it is suggested that if he has any particular wrestler in mind to contact their home booking office.

[Antonia_Inoki]

The Hannover tournament used to be the biggest draw in Germany once, especially when they had gimmick matches and/or foreign talent. I never heard that it was part of the NWA, but it was independent from CWA definitely.

Also, what about "Kaiser" Franz Schumann? I know he is not paying his membership fee now, but wasn't he a regular member once?

[Dan Poutsma]

Schumann applied and was accepted, but the last thing I heard was that there was still some paperwork that needed to be sorted out before it was made official. I don't know exactly what happend, but it all broke down for whatever reason and I don't think he ever formally got in, although I believe he continues to (or at least did) promote shows under the banner of "NWA Germany" without the sanction of the Alliance.

[SuperNaturalX]

[QUOTE=Antonia_Inoki]Basically, a clash of styles and rules, yes. and no, cwa was never an nwa member. There are the rounds, the cards (like in soccer), and the mat-heavy shooting style of Europe (with notable exceptions). not everybody was willing to adapt.[/QUOTE]


Rounds? cards? what in the blue...? Call me a silly American, but I am 100% lost on that.

[Antonia_Inoki]

in Europe wrestling matches used to be in rounds, like in boxing, with fixed rest periods. i say used to cause now its usually done the american way. in Germany there also was the idea of cards, which was from soccer originally: you didnt get disqualified on the spot if you did something wrong, you were shown a yellow card. if you commited another foul, you were shown the red card and disqualified. MMA events use similar rules, but without the pieces of cardboard. they give you two "opportunities" to mess up, do it a third time, you're out.

[Dan Poutsma]

Stampede used to go by the card system. And the AWF that was around in the mid-90s had rounds.

[BadNews]

Bruce Hart saw the penalty card system when he was doing shows for Schober. He added a third card, the black card on top of the red. which was ok for america but wouldnt have worked in germany.

[SuperNaturalX]

I forgot abut the AWF and the rounds, man, wonder why did that promotion not work?

[Peru-Yakuza]

[QUOTE=SuperNaturalX]I forgot abut the AWF and the rounds, man, wonder why did that promotion not work?[/QUOTE]

They probably wanted too much too soon with the TV deal (it being on/off impaired them from having a steady flow of cards), plus they were promoting old talent, which isn't my idea of revolutionary.
Although I liked the fact that people who were considered jobbers in major promotions (Scott Putski, Jeff Gaylord, Southern Posse, New SST) had at least a chance...

[SpirituXBomba]

[QUOTE=edgehead1984]Wasn't Wanz part of the NWA for awhile??[/QUOTE]

Wanz was a part of the American Wrestling Association. He was the AWA World Champion there for a minute. & when He started promoting cards in Germany for Continental Wrestling Association/Alliance, He Brought Leon Big Van Vader White Over there to work for him.

[SpirituXBomba]

[QUOTE=SuperNaturalX]I forgot abut the AWF and the rounds, man, wonder why did that promotion not work?[/QUOTE]

Yeah. It's like boxing under Queen of Box Burry rules or something like that.