Interesting interpretation of NWA World Title history...

[Slickster]

<a href='http://www.patrickriley.com/NWA/World.html' target='_blank'>http://www.patrickriley.com/NWA/World.html</a>

I found this interpretation of NWA Title history to be very interesting. This site counts the WCW International Title as the real NWA Title. This idea, while in opposition to official NWA records, makes sense in my opinion because

a) the belt still had the heritage of the NWA Title and
B) because there was no other NWA Champion during that time period.

In fact, this site's version of events leaves the NWA Title vacant only from June to August of 1994, keeping the belt active an additional 11 months. (Of course, it also gives Rick Rude 3 reigns as NWA champ and Hiroshi Hase now has one.)

What do you think of this idea of NWA Title history?

<a href='http://www.patrickriley.com/NWA/World.html' target='_blank'>http://www.patrickriley.com/NWA/World.html</a>

[The Crowbar King]

I don't think it's all that interesting due to the fact that it's flat out WRONG...

[The Crowbar King]

Dan, you're effective... Work your magic on this thread...

[Dan Poutsma]

When WCW left the NWA, they gave up any and all legal rights to promote or advertise any match as being for the NWA World heavyweight title. The fact that the same belt was used is irrelevant because belts are not titles; they merely symbolize them. If the NWA no longer officially sanctioned that belt as the trophy physically representing their title, then you can't rightfully say that whoever held it after the fact is the "real" NWA champion. So all WCW did was use a belt which no longer had NWA sanctioning behind it to create a brand new title.

[Slickster]

I understand you point about the physical belt itself (ol' Big Goldy), but the point I'm trying to make is that this title has the lineage of the NWA title without the actual NWA name.

Much like the Boston/Omaha/etc. splinters of the original world heavyweight title held by Thesz, this title continues the lineage of the preceding belt due to circumstances outside the ring. It didn't lose any of the NWA Title's prestige, as it was defended by top-level guys in the MEs of PPVs and in Japan. It was the same title (and physical belt), just under a different name.

If the NWA would recognize this part of their history, then their World title would actually have a bit more credibility, as it was defended around the world and on PPV instead of lying dormant for over a year.

[The Crowbar King]

Sorry Slickster, but the NWA title was vacant from 09/1993 to 08/1994 and really 11/1994... Your interpretation is wrong due to the reasons that Dan stated...

[Dan Poutsma]

*sigh*

They're not the same. Big Goldy = physical property of World Championship Wrestling, Inc.
NWA World heavyweight title = intellectual property of the National Wrestling Alliance. The moment the NWA decided that Flair was no longer their champion, the lineage, heritage, or whatever you wanna call it was broken and the physical belt ceased to represent it. All WCW did was take said belt (which they legally owned and no longer had the official sanctioning of the NWA behind it) and used it to create a brand new title, despite what you or anybody else may say about it. They didn't actually "rename" the NWA title anything because the NWA title wasn't theirs TO rename. That's the whole point! The physical 'NWA' World championship belt may have belonged to them, but the actual honor of bestowing the title of "NWA World heavyweight champion" upon a given individual did not. So how can you legitimately claim that you "renamed" a championship when the honor of bestowing said title legally belongs to somebody else and you have no right to it whatsoever?

[edgehead1984]

<!--QuoteBegin-Slickster+--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Slickster)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I understand you point about the physical belt itself (ol' Big Goldy), but the point I'm trying to make is that this title has the lineage of the NWA title without the actual NWA name.  

Much like the Boston/Omaha/etc. splinters of the original world heavyweight title held by Thesz, this title continues the lineage of the preceding belt due to circumstances outside the ring. It didn't lose any of the NWA Title's prestige, as it was defended by top-level guys in the MEs of PPVs and in Japan. It was the same title (and physical belt), just under a different name.  

If the NWA would recognize this part of their history, then their World title would actually have a bit more credibility, as it was defended around the world and on PPV instead of lying dormant for over a year.[/quote]

I don't think it would add any crediblity, firstly how would they describe the end of Sting's Reign??? Secondly, I don't think there would be much prestige gained, except for some of the wrestlers who held it...Hase???The NWA has nothing to gain, IMV.

Even if they wanted to add said history to the title, they could not because the WWE would have rights to said history based on their purchase of WCW's intellectual property. If I'm wrong please correct me.

[Dan Poutsma]

<!--QuoteBegin-edgehead1984+--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (edgehead1984)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Even if they wanted to add said history to the title, they could not because the WWE would have rights to said history based on their purchase of WCW's intellectual property. If I'm wrong please correct me.[/quote]

You're right. WWE legally owns the rights to substantially all of WCW's intellectual property, which would include the WCW Int'l World title and the history associated with it. So I think they would have a legitimate case for a lawsuit should the NWA happen to rewrite it's own title history and decide to incorporate it. Then again, WWE and WCW haven't hesitated at all to infringe on the NWA's intellectual property over the years by perpetuting their own alleged "NWA/WCW" World title history. Only difference though is WWE is a huge corporate conglomerate that has the money and clout to sustain a lengthy legal battle, while the modern day NWA is just a bunch of indy promoters who don't really have jack squat and are just living off of the organization's past laurels. So it's not really worth it for the NWA to take any such action that may potentially prompt a legal battle with the almighty Vince McMahon unless they plan on shooting themselves in the head by spending a heapload of money they don't have.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Come on, guys. You know where to discuss this topic:

<a href='http://www.puroresu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2535' target='_blank'>http://www.puroresu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2535</a>