National Wrestling Alliance

The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is the governing body for various NWA Championships and a group of independent professional wrestling promotions. The NWA has been in operation since 1948. Prior to the 1980s, it acted as the sole governing body for most of pro wrestling, operating as the "franchise"-like "territory" system.

Territories
During its heyday, all the member promotions of the NWA had a monopoly over their given territory; the members of the NWA would all recognize the NWA World Heavyweight Championship as their highest title. Wrestlers, like Ric Flair, who held the NWA Title, could also go on tours of member promotions.

What this meant is that any member territory who broke the NWA's rules faced expulsion, and thus risked missing out on having wrestlers with household names appear in their territories. Similarly, if another promoter began performing shows in an NWA's territory, all the NWA members were obligated to send their best talent across to fend off the threat. Reportedly, threats of violence or physical retaliation were used against promoters who disregarded the territory system.

Thus the NWA used a "carrot and stick" approach to maintaining the territory system. For most promoters under the NWA umbrella, the benefits of membership were well worth the dues.

American national promotions

 * The now-defunct original American Wrestling Association (AWA) promotion was a member until 1960, but continued to attend the annual Board of Directors meetings and kept a close relationship with the NWA until 1986.
 * The World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), the forerunner to today's WWE (formerly WWF), was at various times an NWA member, or de facto member (The NWA would cooperate with the WWF in an NWA storyline in 1998 which featured former Jim Crockett promotion stars as part of the NWA faction). The angle involved Jim Cornette as the manager with wrestlers Jeff Jarrett, Barry Windham, Rock-N-Roll Express, and New Midnight Express.
 * The forerunners to the now defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) were members of the NWA until 1993. These include:
 * Jim Crockett Promotions
 * Georgia Championship Wrestling (See Jim Crockett Promotions)
 * Championship Wrestling From Florida
 * Heart of America Sports Attractions Inc
 * Mid South Sports withdrew to become the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and later was bought out by Jim Crockett Promotions
 * Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was originally Eastern Championship Wrestling, an NWA member (ECW was revived recently as a WWE brand).
 * United States Wrestling Association and its forerunners:
 * Pro Wrestling USA
 * World Class Championship Wrestling
 * Continental Wrestling Association
 * Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) was an NWA member promotion up until their withdrawal in 2004. Soon after, they received the license to the rights for the NWA World Heavyweight & World Tag Team Championship belts.

Regional promotions

 * St. Louis Wrestling Club, headed by Sam Muchnick (two time president of the N.W.A.), which also produced the famous Wrestling at the Chase TV program.
 * Pacific Northwest Wrestling
 * Ed Farhat Promotions, which did business in Detroit as "Big Time Wrestling", was a member until owner Ed Farhat (who also wrestled as The Sheik) was expelled for violating NWA rules by appearing in an "outlaw territory" as a wrestler.
 * National Wrestling Federation (Buffalo)
 * Continental Wrestling Federation and its forerunners:
 * Southeastern Championship Wrestling
 * Continental Championship Wrestling
 * Southwest Championship Wrestling was a member from 1978 to 1983.
 * Ohio Valley Wrestling was a member until 2001, when it became a developmental league for WWE

Mexican promotions

 * Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre (now CMLL) was a member until the late 1980s

Japanese promotions

 * Japan Wrestling Association, originally owned by Rikidozan, until 1973.
 * All Japan Pro Wrestling from 1973 to the late 1980s.
 * New Japan Pro Wrestling has been a NWA member at various points, from 1975 to 1985 (only for control of the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship), from 1992 to 1993 (for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship), and since 2004, although the NWA connection is rarely emphasized (for NWA World junior heavyweight title control).
 * During the 1990s and early 2000s, NWA membership was scattered among a few independent promotions: International Wrestling Association of Japan (1994-96); Wrestle Yume Factory (1995-97), Universal Fighting Organization (1999-2000); and Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE (2001-04).

Carribean promotions

 * World Wrestling Council, owned by Carlos Colon and based in Puerto Rico; WWC/Capitol Sports was an NWA member from 1973 until 1987.
 * International Wrestling Association, founded in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñonez is also based in Puerto Rico (and for a short time promoting also in Japan) and left the NWA in 2001.

Canadian promotions

 * Frank Tunney Sports, operated by Frank Tunney and based in Toronto. Tunney served as NWA president in the early 1960s. This promotion was an NWA member until 1984, when it joined forces with Vince McMahon's WWF
 * NWA All Star Wrestling, co-owned by Gene Kiniski and Sandor Kovacs (sold to Al Tomko in the late 1970s) and based in Vancouver, British Columbia; it was an NWA member until 1985, when it withdrew to become the Universal Wrestling Alliance
 * Stampede Wrestling, owned by Stu Hart and based in Calgary, Alberta; Stampede was part of the NWA until the early 1980s
 * Canadian Wrestling Federation, owned and operated by the now last NWA President, Ernie Todd; it was an NWA member until 2005, when Todd resigned as NWA President, withdrawing the CWF, and joined AWA Superstars of Wrestling, run by Dale Gagne
 * Eastern Sports Association, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and run by Al Zinck; this NWA member ran in the Canadian Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) during the summer months until 1977

Decline and fall of the territory system
Video tape trading and cable television paved the way for the eventual death of the NWA's regional business, as fans could now see for themselves the plot holes and inconsistencies between the different regional storylines, and the presence of stars like Ric Flair on TV every week made their special appearances in each region less of a draw. World Wrestling Federation (WWF) promoter Vince McMahon used these gathering trends, and talent raids, to turn his northeastern territory into a national federation. To compete against this threat, various NWA promoters, along with the AWA, attempted to co-promote shows under the Pro Wrestling USA banner. However, this eventually fell apart, and the AWA ended up in possession of the group's ESPN timeslot, and used it to broadcast its own weekly shows.

Meanwhile, to hold off the threat of the WWF, promoter Jim Crockett Promotions decided to unify parts of the NWA, and create a national federation, by buying out some of the member promotions (or, in some cases, allowing them to quietly die out and simply absorbing their rosters). However, by 1988 this led him to bankruptcy, and he sold off the promotion to Ted Turner's Turner Broadcasting as World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1991, the flagship WCW realized the NWA needed it more than it needed the NWA, and left. WCW continued, however, to claim certain aspects of the NWA's lineage. To make matters even more confusing, WCW spent much of 1992 and 1993 recognizing its own WCW World Champions in addition to the resurrected NWA Titles. In September of 1993, WCW severed its NWA connections for good, due to a lawsuit over whether or not WCW had the right to select NWA champions without supervision.

After the AWA's bankruptcy, and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) leaving, the NWA was a shell of its former self. Through the mid to late '90s, the all-but-forgotten organization was left with a small collection of independent federations during the peak of the Monday night ratings wars between the WCW and WWF.

The NWA today
There is still a group of promoters which hold membership in the NWA and continue to use the NWA name, although (with the exception of New Zealand's Steve Rickard) no members are holdovers from the membership of the promotion's "glory days" of the 1940s-1980s.

In order to join the NWA, a promoter must have been operating for at least one year in a territory uncontested by any other NWA member, and their application must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors, although there are numerous exceptions to this bylaw currently within the organization. The presidency of the NWA was dissolved and the duties of the office assumed by the Board of Directors following the resignation of Ernie Todd, the promoter of NWA: Canadian Wrestling Federation, in August 2005. On his promotion's site,, not only does he explain his reasons for resigning from the NWA and its Board of Directors, but he states that he will be joining AWA Superstars of Wrestling. In light of Mr. Todd's departure from the NWA, a couple users on the NWA's message board,, have posted ramblings and rantings that Mr. Todd has posted not only on his promotion's website, but on an indy message board. Other members on the NWA's message board have posted their thoughts on Ernie's departure and his decision to join the AWA. They criticize what Mr. Todd and the AWA President, Mr. Dale R. "Gagne" Gagner have been up to. It was announced on the NWA's website on Monday, October 10, 2005, that current NWA legal council Bob Trobich would become the new Executive Director to the NWA. As the new NWA Executive Director, Trobich will be the primary contact and decision maker for all NWA business.

Hall of Fame

 * Main article: NWA Hall of Fame 

Current major promotions
The NWA brand name has been seen most prominently in recent years in conjunction with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), a former NWA member promotion started by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett in 2002 that later withdrew from the NWA in 2004. TNA was originally based in Nashville, Tennessee before moving to Orlando, Florida in 2004. TNA ran weekly pay-per-views for over two years before securing a national television deal with Fox Sports Net in June 2004 and Spike TV in 2005. When TNA secured the deal with Fox Sports Net, they began switching to a more conventional monthly PPV model. In addition, TNA have featured popular wrestlers such as Sting who have never appeared in WWE. In late 2003 the Jarretts sold a majority of their interest in the company to Panda Energy International, and then in 2004 negotiated a new deal to license the NWA name and the use of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and NWA World Tag Team Championship for ten years.

The most visible NWA member promotion in the United States in recent times was undoubtedly NWA Wildside, which aired 300 consecutive weeks of syndicated television before closing in April 2005, when the promoter, Bill Behrens, signed a deal to work as a television syndicator for WWE.

The largest and most successful member promotion of the NWA was New Japan Pro Wrestling, which is the second largest and most profitable wrestling promotion in the world after WWE. NJPW is sanctioned by NWA member the legendary Antonio Inoki, who at times has also sanctioned Zero One and Universal Fighting Organization as NWA promotions. NJPW holds events consistently throughout Japan, and has also run shows in Europe and the United States.

World Championships
Upon its founding in 1948, the NWA Board of Directors recognized only three championships as world titles. There were however no rules within the organization preventing individual members promoting titles in other divisions as world titles. Only the first two are still recognized by the Board.
 * NWA World Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (not an official NWA Title)

NWA promoters from EMLL in Mexico began promoting two more championships as World Titles, which were essentially regional titles controlled by EMLL. When EMLL withdrew from the organization in the 90's, the titles were no longer officially sanctioned by the NWA, however they were still promoted as NWA sanctioned titles by EMLL. In Lucha Libre, titles generally stay with their holder when that competitor leaves a region or company. This practice, has caused theses titles, along with the Light Heavyweight Championship, to be accepted as "world titles" in Japan and Mexico. Weight limits for the titles are loosely followed by Lucha Libre promotions.
 * NWA World Middleweight Championship (not an official NWA Title)
 * NWA World Welterweight Championship (not an official NWA Title)

In 1992, after decades of regional tag team championships being labeled as world titles by various promoters, the NWA held a tournament to crown the first Board of Directors recognized World Tag Team Champions. The tournament was conducted by member promotion WCW, which continued to recognize the NWA Mid-Atlantic/WCW version of the Tag Team Championship as well.
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship

Prior to 1992, many NWA promoters sanctioned a regional version of a tag team championship as the "World Championship". Although named as world titles, none of the titles were sanctioned as the official world title by the Board of Directors, and were technically regional championships. The Mid-Atlantic version, promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions, became widely accepted as the legitimate World Title when many promotions began folding, or being bought out by JCP. With this consolidation, the Mid-Atlantic version became known as the World Tag Championship, although it was not technically recognized as such by the Board of Directors. It was, however, recognized as such by kayfabe magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated. As JCP evolved into World Championship Wrestling, this version of the title would become known as the WCW World Tag Team Title.
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic Version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)
 * NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)

The following titles were also called "World Championships", but were actually just regional or company titles.
 * NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic/World Class Championship Wrestling)
 * NWA World Television Championship (Mid-Atlantic Version)
 * NWA World Brass Knuckles Championship (Tennessee Version)
 * NWA World Women's Championship
 * NWA World Women's Tag Team Championship
 * NWA World Midget's Championship
 * NWA Independent World Heavyweight Championship

National Championships

 * NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA American Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA American Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA North American Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version) (defunct)
 * NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (defunct)
 * NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version) (defunct)
 * NWA North American Tag Team Championship
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Mid-Atlantic/Georgia/WCW Version) (defunct-now a WWE Title)
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Chicago version) (defunct)
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Central States version) (defunct)
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (defunct)
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (defunct)
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (defunct)
 * NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (defunct)
 * NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic/Georgia/WCW Version) (defunct)
 * NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Northeast version) (defunct)
 * NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (defunct-renamed NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship in 1980)
 * NWA United States Women's Championship (defunct)
 * NWA National Heavyweight Championship (US Version)
 * NWA National Tag Team Championship (US Version)
 * NWA National Television Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version) (defunct)
 * NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Halifax version) (defunct)
 * NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (defunct)
 * NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version) (defunct)
 * NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) (defunct)
 * NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (defunct)
 * NWA Ireland Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Ireland Tag Team Championship
 * NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Scottish Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA United Kingdom Junior Heavyweight Championship

Regional Championships

 * NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Arizona Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Arkansas Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (defunct)
 * NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA California Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Central States Television Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Colorado Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Florida Television Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Florida Bahamian Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Florida X Division Championship
 * NWA Florida Women's Championship
 * NWA Florida Junior Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Florida Southern Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Georgia Junior Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Georgia Southern Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Georgia Television Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Heartland State Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Heritage Heavweight Championship
 * NWA Idaho Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Illinois Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Indiana Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Iowa Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Louisiana Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship
 * NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Midwest X Division Championship
 * NWA Midwest Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Midwest Women's Championship
 * NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Mid-Atlantic Women's Championship
 * NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Mountain State Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Mountain State Light Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Mountain State Tag Team Championship
 * NWA New England Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA New England Junior Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA New England Tag Team Championship
 * NWA New England Television Championship
 * NWA New England Colonial Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA New England Brass Knuckles Championship
 * NWA New England Women's Championship
 * NWA New England X Division Championship
 * NWA New York Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Oklahoma Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Oregon Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Pacific International Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Pacific Coast (San Francisco) Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Pacific Coast (San Francisco) Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Pacific Coast (Vancouver) Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Pacific Coast (Vancouver) Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Pacific Northwest Television Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Shockwave Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Shockwave Internet Championship
 * NWA Shockwave Cruiser X Championship
 * NWA Shockwave Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Shockwave Women's Championship
 * NWA Southeast Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southeast Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southeast Continental Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southeast Television Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southeast United States Junior Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southeast Alabama Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southeast Alabama Junior Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southern Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (defunct)
 * NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (defunct)
 * NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Gulf Coast version) (defunct)
 * NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Knoxville version) (defunct)
 * NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (defunct-renamed AWA Southern Tag Team Championship)
 * NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (defunct)
 * NWA Southern Women's Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southwest Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Southwest Junior Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Tennessee Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Tennessee Southern Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA United Kingdom Central Counties Championship
 * NWA Virginia Alpha Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Virginia Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Virginia Junior Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Virginia Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Western States Heritage Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Wildside Hardcore Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Wildside Light Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Wildside United States Heavyweight Championship (defunct)
 * NWA Wisconsin Heavyweight Championship
 * NWA Wisconsin Tag Team Championship
 * NWA Wisconsin X Division Championship