A view from a DKM: What the “New” NWA shouldn’t do
With the recent changes at the top of the NWA a lot rumors about what the new regime has planned have been circulating and on the message board a lot of people have been saying what they think should be done.
As is my style, I’m going to look at this from a different angle; I’m going to look at what they shouldn’t do, in my opinion.
1. Add new members (or licensees) for the sake of adding new promoters. Over the years we have seen plenty of one and done promotions come and go. Some manage to make it to two or three shows. We have also seen established international promotions come and go when things didn’t “go their way”. The NWA needs to focus on establishing a solid group of growing local promotions who are willing to book NWA Board titles not because they are forced to but because they want to (i.e. it is beneficial for them to book them).
2. Find a “name” to put the world title on and ignoring talent that has been working their way up. Let’s be honest. Most “names” don’t draw what they charge. I have talk to multiple promoters who will tell you the quickest way for a promoter to go out of business is to start booking “names.” WWE and TNA are products bigger than any one, two or ten wrestlers. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan could headline a WWE PPV and draw 10s of thousands to the live show. Put them in NWA Somewhere and they might draw 1000, 500, or even less. If Adam Pearce has proved anything he has proved you don’t need to be from the Big Two to get over.
3. Use “shock and awe” to get people “talking.” Contrary to popular belief not all publicity is good publicity. Ask the restaurant that had a hepatitis scare or the bar caught dealing drugs. Putting the title on Ric Flair, Dan Severn or even the Sheik might get people talking but most won’t be in a good way and doesn’t do anything for the long term. “Shock and Awe” is about right now and once it wears off everything goes back to the way it was.
So that’s my advice, of course we all know advice is worth what you pay for it.