NWA double standard.

[One to Remember]

If WCCW, ECW, and the WWF had to rduce their titles to regional titles what I don't understand is how WCW avoided it. If they can have a World title from 1991-1993 whats the point of asking the NWA BOD about reactivating titles?

[Dan Poutsma]

Here's what I understand.

WCW expressed interest in bringing back the NWA name after dropping references to it from their shows more than a year prior. Word is the original plan was for them to just start calling the WCW World champion the NWA World champion again (rumors began flying about this shortly after Jim Herd was named NWA president, stripped Flair of the title after he went to the WWF, and allegedly gave NWA championship recognition to WCW champ Lex Luger), but they decided all of the name changing would be too confusing to the fans. So it was decided to have tournaments to crown a separate NWA World champion and separate NWA World tag team champions, although the latter ended up being unified with the WCW tag title anyway. In addition, they had invested a lot of time and effort into building "WCW" as an independant brand name that people had become familiar with and to completely change everything back to "NWA" again would be a total waste of the money they spent doing that. So the NWA name was only brought back in limited fashion.

My guess as to why the WCW title continued to be called a "world" title in direct violation of NWA by-laws is because the NWA was really in no position at the time to do anything about it. Aside from WCW and New Japan using the name, they had virtually no exposure whatsoever. That was pretty much all they had going for them, so why bite the hand that is feeding you?

[HORRORSHOW]

Didn't WWF bring back the NWA about seven or so years ago? I think they had Cornette leading the group, with Jeff Jarrett as the NWA champ, Barry Whindam thrown in the mix, and The Heavenly Bodies (or well dunn...I cant remember) wearing the NWA tag belts? Maybe it was just an angle, but hey, figured I'd add something to the pot.

[Dan Poutsma]

It was in early 1998. Cornette felt the WWF lacked traditional wrestling and brought in the NWA.

Jarrett beat Windham to become the NWA North American champion. NWA officials Howard Brody and Dennis Coralluzzo were on hand and Jarrett pinned Barry (who would later joined the group) after a tennis racket shot while the ref was jawing with Coralluzzo.

The Rock 'N Roll Express were brought in as the NWA World tag team champions. The ended up losing the belts to the Headbangers, who in turn lost them to the New Midnight Express of Bob Holly and Bart Gunn after Cornette dumped the R 'N R's. Dan Severn also came in as the NWA World champion.

Needless to say, the whole thing flopped. Jarrett ended up dumping the NWA and went back to his old "Double J" gimmick with Tennessee Lee (Robert Fuller, aka Col. Rob Parker in WCW) as his manager. Severn broke from Cornette after a short time and the New Midnights split up after facing each other in the Brawl For All, although they went onto drop the tag titles on a Greg Price promoted NWA show in the Carolinas to The Border Patrol.

[Dan Poutsma]

I forgot to mention that former Crockett NWA ref Tommy Young played a part in the angle too. He officiated a tag title match between the Rock 'N Rolls and Headbangers, which was of course under NWA rules and ended when he called for an over the top rope DQ. He was also supposed to ref a rematch, but got ejected by a WWF ref and that's when the 'Bangers won the title.