Organizational structure of the NWA
Since its inception, which took place on July 18, 1948, the National Wrestling Alliance had a fixed organizational structure, which it had largely borrowed from the National Wrestling Association . This saved the NWA costs, as it used a proven and well-known system.
President / Executive Director
Until 2005, the highest authority in the National Wrestling Alliance was the NWA Presidency, created in July 1948 . This represented the NWA to the outside world and the NWA president almost always belonged to another affiliate of the wrestling umbrella organization .
In the internal structure of the NWA, the NWA President had no real power. This was in the hands of the promoters who were represented there in the BoD . Between 1948 and 2005, the NWA had a total of 23 presidents. At the annual meeting of the NWA it was decided to abolish the "NWA Presidency" and to replace it with a managing director, the Executive Director . This should be neutral and not belong to a structure of the NWA. As the main representative of the Pro Wrestling Organization, LCC, Robert Trobich was managing director of the NWA until 2012. He was replaced by his partner David Baucom in 2012 . He lost a lawsuit against the promoter Bruce Tharpe in August of the same year . He bought the Pro Wrestling Organization, LCC and incorporated it into his own organization ( International Wrestling Corp, LCC ). Under Tharpe, the Executive Director was replaced in favor of the NWA President. Tharpe is the de facto owner of the NWA as a multi-income holder .
Board of Directors
The National Wrestling Alliance is still not a wrestling promotion in the true sense of the word. It is a loose amalgamation of various promotions organized under a common banner .
This cleverly circumvented US antitrust law by deliberately leaving the sub-organizations of the NWA autonomous in their freedom of action.
The Board of Directors , which is the executive board of the National Wrestling Alliance, has been formed since 1948 from all the promoters belonging to the NWA . In addition to the owners of the main promotions , the so-called major promotions , it also included most of the owners of the associated promotions, the local promotions .
Since September 25, 1948, a distinction has been made between “normal” and “associated members”. In the Board of Directors only those promoters were represented, which is also the booking in the regions had taken over.
In the course of the reorganization of the NWA at the end of the 1990s, which became necessary due to the abandonment of the territorial principle that had prevailed until then, only the owners of the NWA main doctorates (the chief bookers) and the law office have been on the Board of Directors there since 2000 Robert K. Trobich represented. The current board of directors is composed as follows:
- Joseph Cabibbo ( NWA Midwest )
- Mike Porter ( NWA Main Event )
- Danny McClain ( NWA Battlezone )
- Alvin Minnick ( NWA Mid-South )
- Rick O'Brien ( NWA Virginia )
- Robert K. Trobich (NWA Legal Office)
- Bruce Tharpe ( NWA World Class )
Personnel costs
On July 18, 1948, the promoters present decided that the personnel costs of the so-called " NWA Affiliates ", the sub-organizations, should be kept as low as possible.
So they decided on a uniform payment of the actors and a lending system with an open roster .
This meant that all wrestlers under the NWA contract got exactly the same pay. The holders of a championship received a higher fee for the duration of their scheduled reign, which was graded according to the rank of the title held.
This ingenious distribution system now made it possible for all affiliates to let the other's top stars perform at their place, as there was no longer a fixed roster, which would have made this difficult. Only for the respective champions had to pay the lender, depending on the title held, a staggered down payment if they were committed to another promotion , as they were permanently employed in the promotions for the duration of their reign.
This inexpensive rental system was later copied and used by the other wrestling promotions .
A second meeting was now scheduled for the fall of 1948, where further questions regarding the structure of the National Wrestling Alliance should be clarified.
Separation between NWA full members and associated organizations
The second meeting of the National Wrestling Alliance, decided at the July meeting, took place on September 25, 1948 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
There it was decided by those present to differentiate between the “official members” and the “associated members”. The former were the full members with voting rights in the NWA board . These now consisted of the bookers from a certain region and were responsible for compliance with the guidelines and rules adopted by the NWA. These now formed the NWA Board of Directors.
The latter were the affiliated members who were officially allowed to organize under the NWA banner , but otherwise had no say. At the September meeting it was also determined that an annual board meeting would take place. This should take place in a territory of an NWA affiliate .
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
At their meeting on July 18, 1948, the promoters present agreed that the National Wrestling Alliance should establish a joint NWA World Heavyweight Championship and defend it nationally and globally. Furthermore, further NWA titles should follow in the subsequent period, the award of which should be carried out and controlled by the respective championship committees .
The basic program that was agreed upon at the meeting came from Fred Kohler , who transmitted it by telegram, as he was unable to attend.
It comprised 9 points. The first three points and point 9 are listed here in extracts.
"1. That this organization is a cooperative wrestling group, where every member is free to shape their existing territories as they want without the interference of another group member; and at no time should they have to pay the booking fees to individual group members or to any other person.
2. All existing areas of the group members are respected by the organization and legally protected as a whole from outside parties. Group members will do everything in their power to help one another with employees.
3. This organization will only recognize one heavyweight and one junior heavyweight champion and will at no time charge champions recognized by this group for any contested wrestling match (sig!) Other than the usual 10%. It is also agreed: that said champions should make substantial deposit contributions, the amount of which is decided by a member vote. US $ 5,000 bail for Heavyweight Champion - Orville Brown. US $ 1,000 deposit for the Junior Heavyweight Champ - Billy Goelz. (This is an insurance cover that is forfeited to this group if said champions fail to compete or refuse to defend their title.) […]
9. The organization acts as its own commission, as a wrestling police force, and all wrestlers, that harm wrestling or if a club from this group suspends a wrestler, then this suspension will be accepted by the whole group. "
Two NWA World Champions / National Wrestling Association affiliation
In the Midwest, there was now the paradox that two NWA titles with equal rights were held there. On the one hand that of the National Wrestling Association , owned by Lou Thesz , and on the other hand that of the National Wrestling Alliance.
The basis for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship was MWA World Title used. So it was converted into the new NWA title on July 14, 1948, four days before the NWA founding meeting.
The former reigning MWA champion Orville Brown , who competed with Sonny Myers , became the first holder of the NWA title . This wore since November 3, 1947 for the "Alliance" banner, the World Title National Wrestling Association . With the introduction of the new NWA World Championship , in October 1948, and the establishment of Brown as the official NWA champion, Myers was stripped of the title. For this, the NWA and explicitly Paul George were later called to account by Myers .
Orville Brown now repeatedly called for a title union match between Thesz and him. Corresponding storylines have now been worked out to prepare this title union.
But shortly before this should take place, Orville Brown was seriously injured in a car accident on November 1, 1949.
After lengthy negotiations between the National Wrestling Association and the National Wrestling Alliance which eventually became NWA Championship for vacant explained.
Finally, all involved agreed that the previous World Champion of the National Wrestling Association , Lou Thesz , should be granted the NWA title on November 27, 1949 without a fight. With the title union of both NWAs in Persona by Lou Thesz, the National Wrestling Association was included in the "Alliance" -NWA and now formed an NWA affiliate with equal rights .
At the second NWA meeting on September 25, 1948, the basic program adopted in July was expanded to include a further agreement.
This now consisted of 11 points and three comments. Item 4 stated that Orville Brown was the legal owner of the NWA World Title .
Championship Committees
In March 1952, the NWA board decided to introduce six committees: These were responsible for developing the respective storylines of the title matches and for compliance with them.
Championship committee table
| Surname | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| World Heavyweight Championship Committee | NWA World Title |
| Junior Heavyweight Championship Committee | NWA Cruiserweight Title |
| Membership Committee | Member recruitment and support |
| Rules Committee | Development and revision of the NWA set of rules |
| Grievance Committee | Processing of complaints received |
| "Ed Lewis" Committee | Special payments to deserving wrestlers or for the promotion of particularly talented young wrestlers |
Notes and individual references
- ↑ Brody replaced Jim Crockett as Vice President. This was ruled out in 1995 after Crockett failed to pay his outstanding membership fees.
- ↑ Trobich, first Executive Director and not a member of an affiliate .
- ↑ Last Executive Director of the NWA.
- ^ Under Tharpe the title "NWA President" was reintroduced.
- ↑ Tim Hornbaker: National Wrestling Alliance , p. 17
- ↑ Tim Hornbaker: National Wrestling Alliance , p. 23