Billy Corgan shot down talk that his National Wrestling Alliance was finished due to COVID and the resignation of Vice-President Dave Lagana after a #SpeakingOut allegation. Now we know the next step for the iconic promotion.
BREAKING: The United Wrestling Network, @nwa & @Thunder_Inc are partnering to launch a new, live, weekly wrestling PPV series on national cable / satellite TV and streaming on @FiteTV!
— United Wrestling Network (@unitedwrestling) August 10, 2020
“United Wrestling Network’s Primetime LIVE” will premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 9 pm ET. pic.twitter.com/KBnIGqnNIO
United Wrestling Network looks to be run by David Marquez, the promoter of Championship Wrestling from Hollywood promoter who’s worked with the NWA since Corgan bought it in 2017. Both he and Billy are quoted in the official announcement.
“I’m pleased that we are finally able to announce some good news, and in partnering with United Wrestling Network we’ll be able to get back to work with what promises to be top-tier matchups, and soon,” said NWA Owner William Patrick Corgan. “It goes without saying that 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, and our goal in re-establishing in-ring NWA action was to make sure that our talent would be protected working within the now established safety protocols, as well as delivering consistent, high quality content like our vaunted shows NWA POWERRR, and ‘Ten Pounds of Gold’. But this will be more than just a weekly, live PPV broadcast, as we plan on shooting additional content for the NWA YouTube channel and our Patreon subscribers. My goal here is simple: to provide the best contests possible with the greatest talent available, carrying on the great legacy of the National Wrestling Alliance as an independent governing body. And in that we hope to feature at least one championship match on every live broadcast.”
UWN: Primetime LIVE Executive Producer David Marquez added, “To me, ‘UWN: Primetime LIVE’ is a pro wrestling fan’s dream come true. I’ve always wanted to produce a joint program that would feature the baddest and best pro wrestlers from different promotions on the same broadcast. This fan first way of thinking should allow us to present match-ups that you might not normally ever see on weekly television. There may be a time when you see someone from Championship Wrestling from Hollywood go against someone from Chicago’s Freelance Wrestling, or even fighters out of the NJPW LA Dojo versus West Coast Pro Wrestling. A major goal we have is to take newer up-and-coming athletes and present them in a way that hasn’t been done on a nationally televised show before. With this incredible new platform and opportunity to let the greatest talent shine on a worldwide stage, we are poised to create new superstars! Factor in the NWA Champions and the stars of NWA POWERRR and beyond, all converging for some of the most exciting programming possible. In my 30 years in both television production and promoting wrestling, this project will be the biggest of my career.”
The first 90 minute edition of Primetime LIVE will be available on Tues., Sept. 15 at 9 p.m. Eastern on cable & satellite PPV, and Fite.TV. The series, “a grand showcase of acclaimed talent and competitors from all regions and different promotions across the globe in their quest to settle real-life feuds and attain championship glory – with an emphasis on the NWA and UWN Championships,” will film at at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. The announcement links to the facilities COVID protocols while emphasizing the priority being placed on the health of wrestlers and production crew. It’s not clear if fans will be attendance, but it’s doubtful California would allow that within the next month, so probably not.
No price point is mentioned, but there will be a Spanish language stream available.
Even an affordably priced PPV is probably a tough sell in the current market, but the NWA product was a welcome alternative before coronavirus lockdowns began in March. Hopefully they can attract enough buyers to remain a player.