NWA President Billy Corgan was on the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho where he and Chris Jericho discussed the current state of the NWA. Corgan explained how WWE and AEW have helped the NWA.
“People get lost in the throwback thing, even the way we’re doing studio wrestling. Trust me, when I’m having meetings behind the scenes, nobody’s talking about the past,” Corgan pointed out. “They want to know about the present and the future, and the great thing is is WWE getting those big contracts from NBC and FOX, you guys killing it on Turner, that makes those meetings a lot easier for me.
“Typical LA meeting, ‘Where does this go? I get the history, but where does this go.’ Show me the money, and I’m like, point, point, point. There’s a lot of room here. I believe and I think you do, wrestling is at its best when there’s a lot of stuff going on. Fans are churned up. Lots of people talking. I just posted a picture when there was an event in ’78.
“It was Harley Race vs. Superstar [Billy Graham]. I think it was in Miami, outdoor stadium. It was WWWF vs. the NWA. I mean, those moments are still possible, and I believe when somebody figures out, whether it’s Triller, or William Morris or Showtime, if they can get everybody non WWE under the same tent, that event will rival anything the Death Star can do. And I got no bone to pick with the Death Star.”
Corgan also discussed the current model of mainstream wrestling. He explained where he sees wrestling’s content model going.
“I’m a little suspicious, and I mean this respectfully, I do think that the 52 weeks a year content model is a little played out, and I do think that maybe wrestling is due for, let’s call it, more of a mini series,” Corgan said. “For example, I’m being silly but AEW’s gonna do Fight Island for three months, and it’s gonna be different vibe, different rules. And it’s kind of like a different series with different outcomes. That might bring in a more of a general audience who doesn’t want to watch episodic 52-week storylines.
“Maybe you guys take a break from one thing, do something else for a while. Obviously, that’s not the Turner deal. I’m sort of talking out of school, but point is, is I do think there’s different ways to generate content in this new world that will appeal to different people for different reasons. So I see it as more of an asymmetrical content model. Obviously, the flagship idea, if somebody comes in, writes you have big checks, you do 52 weeks a year. I wouldn’t say no, but I don’t necessarily think that’s in the best interest.”
