Since 2019, the National Wrestling Alliance has worked very hard to promote “wrestling as it’s meant to be.” With the upcoming double pay-per-view held in St. Louis, MO, this is the time to shine for its signature event, NWA 75.
Obviously, this weekend will feature a lot of wrestling from various promotions (one might say that this weekend is lousy with PPVs). Slamwrestling.net will provide live coverage at The Chase Park Plaza, but here is what you can expect to take place on FITE.TV.
(Author’s Note: For the sake of brevity, some shows covered here will just be what is scheduled to take place on FITE. Anything involving the pre-shows I will gloss over for now, but will give its proper due once inside the hallowed Khorassan Ballroom)
So let’s start with…
Night One of NWA 75
Courtesy of the NWA.
Matt Cardona Open Challenge Invitational
The Story So Far: It’s been over six months since Cardona graced the NWA. After losing the Ten Pounds of Gold due to injury, he’s lost to Rolando Freeman, then to Tyrus, and lost his Cardona Family and some say his way. He wants to come back to save the NWA, and this open challenge is a great way to see if he is Alwayz Ready.
Courtesy of the NWA.
No DQ Match: Tim Storm vs. Jax Dane (with Chris Silvio, Esq.)
The Story So Far: Storm and Dane have been a part of the NWA before the Lightning One era and each man has held the Ten Pounds of Gold. Great rivals and bitter enemies, Dane and Storm have recently taken different paths in the NWA, with the latter working color commentary alongside Joe Galli at NWA Powerrr. On a recent show, Dane took umbrage with Storm’s assessment and challenged him to a match, and Mama Storm’s baby boy will once again lace up the boots and step into the squared circle.
My Prediction: This is a classic “Land of the Big Uglies” type of match, but due to shenanigans from Silvio, expect Dane to pop the trunk on Storm.
Courtesy of the NWA.
NWA World Tag Team Championship: La Rebelión (Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf) (c) (with Vampiro) vs. Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage and Damage, with Aron Stevens)
The Story So Far: It wasn’t that long ago when Stevens and JR Kratos held the NWA Tag Team belts, but La Rebelion spoiled things for them by beating them for the straps at NWA 73. MechaWolf and Bestia 666 have been the team to beat since arriving in the NWA, and if you believe Stevens, he has been planning their demise. Now working as a manager, he put together a formidable tag team of Carnage and Damage. Evoking memories of DOOM and The Road Warriors, Blunt Force Trauma looks to be stiff competition and could be the ones to take the tag titles away, even with Vampiro at ringside.
My Prediction: La Rebelion has been dominant, but after The Crockett Cup it might be time for Blunt Force Trauma to show the luchadors Decimation and Annihilation. How long they hold the belts is another thing, which we’ll touch on in Night Two.
Courtesy of the NWA.
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kerry Morton (c) (with Ricky Morton) vs. Colby Corino (with Jamie Stanley)
The Story So Far: Kerry Morton won the Junior Heavyweight belt from Homicide at Hard Times 3 and has successfully defended the belt at every chance he got. Over time, Morton started taking shortcuts in matches and then went full douchenozzle with his dad, Ricky Morton, following suit. Colby Corino tried to get a shot at the title but fell short, and then left to pursue things with WWE. When things didn’t pan out, he came back to Crockett Cup 2023 and won a chance to face Morton with the title on the line.
My Prediction: I would like to see Corino get the belt and have an incredible run, in order for Morton to work more with The Southern Six in acquiring more hardware in the NWA.
Courtesy of the NWA.
Three-way match for the vacant NWA National Heavyweight Championship: JR Kratos vs. Odinson vs. “Thrillbilly” Silas Mason (with Pollo Del Mar)
The Story So Far: Since EC3 dropped the title to pursue the Ten Pounds of Gold (more on that later), the National title has been vacant. All three men have a stake in the match, but none more than the Thrillbilly himself. Once a fan favorite with his woman Del Mar at his side, he has spurned her after night one of The Crockett Cup to hang with Morton and Alex Taylor to form The Southern Six.
My Prediction: Odinson and Kratos are great in their own right going into this match, and this looks to be a sleeper favorite, but expect Mason to finally attain the title with a little Southern help.
The Burke Invitational Gauntlet for an NWA World Women’s Championship match: Allysin Kay vs. CJ vs. Heather Monroe vs. MJ Jenkins vs. Ruthie Jay vs. Samantha Starr vs. Sierra vs. Taylor Rising vs. The WOAD vs. Participants TBA
The Story So Far: This is taking place to see who will challenge the holder of the NWA Women’s title on night two of NWA 75. Kay is among the more recognizable names and the holder of The Burke early into the Lightning Era of NWA. Others in this invitational include NWA staples like Starr, Jay, CJ, and Sierra, alongside some other promising names in the indies like Monroe, Rising, and the WOAD. There are still other names to be announced and it leaves one to wonder who will be up to the challenge of taking The Burke.
My Prediction: This one is a pick ’em. As other names have yet to be announced, it’s hard to say who would be a good contender. I say, let the chips fall where they may, and Godspeed whoever faces the holder of The Burke. But if I must make a choice, I’ll pick Monroe as she has proven herself in the indies and in promotions like Championship Wrestling from Hollywood to be a true contender.
Courtesy of the NWA.
No Limits match for the NWA World Women’s Championship: Kamille (c) vs. Natalia Markova
The Story So Far: What can be said of The Brickhouse that has yet to be covered? Hold The Burke for over 800 days and counting, few have been able to face Kamille on equal footing, but none have come close to taking the belt from her. Markova has tried twice already but those opportunities slipped through her fingers. However, she stated on the recent NWA Powerrr that she found Kamille’s Achilles heel and will exploit it at the PPV.
My Prediction: I do believe there should be someone who can take The Brickhouse to the limit, but I don’t believe it will be The Crush that does it, no matter how many chances or weaknesses she’s claimed to have discovered.
Besides, Kamille will be busy on Night Two. Let’s not lie.
Now we jump to…
Night Two of NWA 75
Courtesy of the NWA.
NWA World Women’s Tag Team Championship: M95 (Madi Wrenkowski and Missa Kate) (c) vs. Empowered (Ella Envy and Kylie Page) (with Roxy)
The Story So Far: Madi and Kate have been dominant as the Women’s tag champs since they wrested the belts from the squared circle equivalent of the Heathers. Pretty Empowered have tried by hook and by crook to reclaim what was once theirs, and now they have that chance.
My Prediction: I love Madi and Kate as a tag team, but I also love it when a face team is chasing the belt, so let the tomfoolery commence with Envy and Kylie using dirty tricks to grab the belts away from M95.
Courtesy of the NWA.
NWA World Tag Team Championship: La Rebelión (Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf) or Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage and Damage) (c) vs. Knox and Murdoch (Mike Knox and Trevor Murdoch)
The Story So Far: We talked about who my prediction is for earning the Tag straps that night. Now let’s talk about Murdoch and Knox who not only reconciled their past differences but formed a dominant tag team that went all the way to claim the coveted Crockett Cup but did so at the expense of Blunt Force Trauma. If they do claim the straps from La Rebelion, this would make sense as the rubber match to redeem their loss from the PPV.
My Prediction: I kinda hope this is the match that takes place, and this looks to be the favorite of NWA 75, let alone the second night of the PPV. As for who wins? It’s a toss ‘em, so by the power vested in my trusty coin, it comes up Knox and Murdoch taking the titles.
NWA World Women’s Championship: Kamille or Natalia Markova (c) vs. Burke Invitational Gauntlet winner
The Story So Far: We already spent time on who will win between Markova and Kamille, so let’s talk about who could potentially face Kamille. I predicted Monroe to win the Invitational, and if this goes according to plan, this has all the makings of another great title fight as both women can bring the smoke.
My Prediction: As much as I respect the Killer BAE, this is just going to be another notch on the belt of The Brickhouse.
NWA United States Tag Team Championship: The Country Gentlemen (AJ Cazana and Anthony Andrews) (c) vs. Daisy Kill and Talos or The Fixers LLC (Jay Bradley and Wrecking Ball Legursky with Matt Vine)
The Story So Far: Cazana and Andrews are the other great tag team in the NWA, having won the belts in front of an appreciative Tennessee crowd. They have fended off many challengers, including the previous holders of the US Tag titles, The Fixers. But other contenders like Kill and Talos want to make a name for themselves as well. The match to see who will face The Gentlemen will be determined on the Night One pre-show.
My Two Predictions: As far as who wins on the pre-show, I say it’ll be The Fixers LLC with an assist from Vine. After that, expect Cazana and Andrews to do the Gentlemanly thing and fix Bardley and Legursky’s little red wagon.
And the Main Event of both nights will be a…
Courtesy of the NWA.
Bullrope match for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship: Tyrus (c) vs. EC3
The Story So Far: Since claiming the Ten Pounds of Gold in a three-way match between Trevor Murdoch and Matt Cardona after he cashed in his NWA Television title, Tyrus has been a very visible champion, and when he has defended the belt, he has looked imposing. He’s mostly been seen on the FOX News show Gutfeld brandishing the title, as challengers have been few and far between.
Enter EC3.
Since coming into the NWA, The Over Man has done everything to create his own narrative in the NWA, which included holding the NWA National Championship. During a successful title defense against “Thrillbilly” Silas Mason, he dropped the belt so that he could assume “his final form” as NWA Heavyweight champion. But Tyrus threw in a couple of stipulations. First, in honor of his mentor Dusty Rhodes, he made this a bullrope match that The American Dream once made famous. Second, if Tyrus were to lose the title, he stated he would retire from in-ring competition.
My Prediction: Despite whatever controversy you’re mad at Tyrus, he has put more eyeballs as NWA champion with his role on Gutfeld. Granted, he is no Nick Aldis, but he has carried himself as a behemoth of a champion. The problem has been the challengers being so few and far between have made the title run somewhat lackluster. EC3 stepping up on the biggest night of the double PPV with the stipulations ups the ante and the intrigue. It seems only right that The Over Man assumes his final form and carries the Ten Pounds of Gold because he’s Over…Man.
As for Tyrus…I’m sure he’ll be okay on TV.