NWA Wildside
 | |
| Acronym | NWA: Wildside |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 1999 |
| Defunct | April 2005 |
| Style | American Wrestling |
| Headquarters | Cornelia, Georgia |
| Founder(s) | Steve Martin |
| Owner(s) | Bill Behrens |
| Formerly | National Championship Wrestling NWA Georgia |
NWA Wildside was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cornelia, Georgia, with an office in Atlanta, Georgia, operating between September 1999 and April 2005.[1] It was originally formed when National Championship Wrestling merged with NWA Georgia. While in operation, NWA Wildside was one of the main affiliates of the National Wrestling Alliance, a group that dates back to 1948. It also served as a developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling.[2]
History
Wildside was originally named National Championship Wrestling in 1997 and was owned by Steve Martin, who often made appearances on the wrestling card. In December 1999 NCW merged with NWA Georgia to form NWA Wildside under the ownership of Bill Behrens.[3]
WCW development territory
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) hired NWA Wildside to serve as its development territory and sent their Power Plant wrestlers like Shannon Moore, Jamie Noble, Sean O'Haire, Mark Jindrak and Elix Skipper to compete in the company. WCW hired several NWA Wildside talent for their shows including A.J. Styles and Frank "Air" Paris.
Wrestlers such as Onyx, David Young and Rick Michaels appeared on World Wrestling Federation tapings. With the establishment of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, various NWA Wildside stars such as Styles, Abyss (Prince Justice), Young, Onyx, Slim J, Joey Corman, Hotstuff Hernandez, Jason Cross, Jimmy Rave, Altar Boy Luke, Matt Sydal, Delirious, and Tony Mamaluke appeared for the company.[4]
Television
Wildside's weekly one-hour TV show aired nationally and was available to as much as 40% of the United States at its peak.
In late 2004, Wildside was broadcast by The Wrestling Channel in the United Kingdom giving them a transatlantic audience.[3]
Demise
In April 2005, NWA Wildside closed down, after producing 300 consecutive weeks of television, as a result of owner Behrens accepting a job with World Wrestling Entertainment. NWA Wildside was replaced by NWA Anarchy, a promotion operating in the same arena using similar talent.[4]
On September 9, 2017, NWA Wildside held a reunion show at The Landmark Arena in Cornelia, Georgia featuring over 50 alumni from the Wildside years including Bad Attitude, New Jack, Tank, Iceberg and A.J. Styles.
Championships
Champions listed are the final champions in Wildside.
- NWA Wildside Heavyweight Championship — Onyx
- NWA Wildside Junior Heavyweight Championship — Slim J.
- NWA Wildside Tag Team Championship — Iceberg and Tank
- NWA Wildside Television Championship — Brandon P
- NWA Wildside United States Heavyweight Championship — Rainman (unified with NWA Wildside Heavyweight Championship)
Alumni
See also
- List of National Wrestling Alliance territories
- List of independent wrestling promotions in the United States
References
- ^ "National Wrestling Alliance Wildside (NWA Wildside)". Cagematch. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
- ^ "NWAWildside.com". www.nwawildside.com. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
- ^ a b "NWA-Wildside.com - About". www.nwawildside.com. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
- ^ a b "NWA Wildside Facts for Kids | KidzSearch.com". wiki.kidzsearch.com. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
