Photo: National Wrestling Alliance
This past weekend at Mission Pro Wrestling Shoot To Thrill, NWA commentator Joe Galli picked up the victory over Chris Sifuentes. As the rivalry with the radio personality now behind him, Galli’s attention is now focussed on a huge week for the National Wrestling Alliance: the week leading up to EMPOWERRR and NWA 73.
With NWA hosting their first all-women’s event followed the night after by the promotion’s 73rd anniversary – both happening at Chase Park Plaza, no less – the NWA is being met with an excited fanbase and record media coverage. I asked Joe if the excitement in the locker room matches the excitement outside of it.
On the media coverage NWA is receiving for returning to the Chase.
“We are getting the most media coverage that we’ve ever got. That’s including the participation that we had at All In. That’s including the Crockett Cup that we did in North Carolina. What is happening in St. Louis is drawing all kinds of press. And it’s not just gentlemen like yourself, Zak, no offense, but it’s spreading in the traditional media that a lot of wrestling doesn’t really get. I mean, WWE will get it because they’re WWE, and they’re gonna sell out the AT&T Center in San Antonio, for a RAW taping. And so they’ll be able to send whoever, you know, Randy Orton to every morning show, and they’ll give him 10 minutes.
But for us as this little niche company that’s rising and trying to make something, the first time there’s wrestling at the Chase in 37 years, we have reporters from Rolling Stone, Forbes, every local paper that’s there, every little television station wants to spot there. And so that’s really showing the interest that people have in our product and people who work in NWA and the people who are wrestling at EMPOWERRR at NWA 73 at our NWA power tapings.”
On what the NWA roster is saying about wrestling at the Chase
“In just talking about it, they’ve all said basically the same thing, that they can’t believe that they’re going to be wrestling at the Chase, that they’re going to be a part of this historic moment that they’re, you know, potentially could be the re-crowning of the NWA world’s women’s Tag Team Championship belts. You’ve got some amazing competitors that are there. Some of them have very long lineages with the National Wrestling Alliance, and they understand that this is a huge opportunity.
“We’re having wrestlers from AAA come in, we’re having wrestlers from Impact Wrestling come in. At the same time, all of those institutions have their own pay-per-views. I won’t speak for anyone. But my assumption is they feel that this is special. This is different. And this is unique. And it’s something that I think people will talk about for a while.
“They know that what we’re doing at the Chase is going to be very special, it’s going to be very different. It’s a major undertaking. It’s gonna look different than anything you’ll ever see in professional wrestling today. So it’s, I think that there’s the level of excitement between our staff and our talent. I mean, we’re chomping at the bit to be there.“
NWA EMPOWERRR airs on August 28th with NWA 73 the following night, both at 8PM EST on FITE
Please credit Zak Ralph or The Smark & Friends Podcast with any of the above highlights and transcriptions. Thank you!