In a bit of laziness and just being a little busy I continue to double up on the NWA Power episodes, but now with Crockett Cup on the radar in April we know where we are heading next. With a few months between Hard Times and Crockett Cup there is plenty of time to put a lot of build into various matches for the big PPV including the tournament to determine 2020 Crockett Cup winners. 

So much had changed from episode 15 to episode 16 with three champions being crowned at "Hard Times" at the end of January. With Thunder Rosa, Eli Drake/James Storm, and Ricky Starks all holding gold the gold has effectively changed the dynamic of the NWA in 2020. The main focus of episode 16 was setting up Nick Aldis vs Marty Scurll or at least taking the next step toward a match between them. Also it seems like Eddie Kingston and The Pope have unfinished business as do Aron Stevens and Trevor Murdoch.

This isn't an exaggeration that it is hard to put into words how good Thunder Rosa vs Allysin Kay's rematch was on this episode of NWA Power. Seeing both Matt Cross and Caleb Konely working to give a new faces an opportunity to break through. You would figure that Matt Cross and Caleb will eventually be in the picture against Ricky Starks in the future. Seeing an expanded role for May Valentine and them seemingly continue the feud between Sal Rinauro and Royce Issacs is a very interesting turn of events. 

After being on vacation late last week I fell behind by a week on NWA Power and that's why we double up on the episodes this week. Again I mention that a little bit more character development for the Women's division would be nice and I can forgive them for the missteps, because I am very intrigued by Colt Cabana vs Ken Anderson. As far as the Television title tournament it isn't a surprise to see Zicky Dice continue on in the tournament, but I would love to see more of Caleb Konely in the future. The reason I wasn't surprised to see Dice move on is that he clearly has bankable talent and is the type of person that easy to hate which makes him a good person to try and build up. 

Looking big picture within the picture of NWA Worlds Championship and Nick Aldis it was an interesting sight having Ricky Starks go the distance with Aldis and give him a big rub against the champion. The Starks vs Aldis match would end up setting up a shocking debut and a main event six man tag with incredible implications. Also keeping in mind that Hard Times is right around the corner brings up two questions first being if they will have a recap show like they did before "Into the Fire" and how the card will shape up outside of the TV Title tournament. 

​As always wrestling gives us both great memories and memories we try and forget, but with the amount of moments worth remembering that have happened we are bound to forget some. The same could be said about some talent that were very much underrated during their career or never at the top of a company during a run this unfortunately makes it easier for fans to forget certain talent. These two are very different talent and had two very different careers while they worked in this great business. Sometimes we encounter those that deserve to be remembered and acknowledged. I would like to wish a very big Happy Birthday to all who are celebrating their special day today and especially to the one featured below.​

Nerd Note: Even though CW Anderson isn't really known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance likely do to his time in the NWA being during the mid 1990's. Either way though Anderson is a former NWA World Tag Team Champion with Pat Anderson winning the gold in September 1996. 

After a very busy holiday week I have finally caught up on programming from NWA and things are getting intense. Heading into the first PPV "Into the Fire" there were a lot of questions, because the card was basically pieced together only a few weeks before the event. This though it seems like they're doing a bit better with piecing together the "Hard Times" card ahead of time. With the arrival of Stricly Business and a shift back to Aldis vs Storm is interesting enough but this time we have a different dynamic with some Rock N Roll included this time. 

In all honesty, there is nobody more entertaining or interesting in NWA more than Eli Drake. This man has been on the money recently, and just soak up his chances to be in front of the crowd and doing something they wont forget. I am enjoying the progression of the TV Title tournament and will go more in depth with my thoughts at another time. My main focus is the women's division and how there is very little explanation to why we are we are with the trios and it feels too much like it's a one sided battle. Ashley Vox, Marti Belle, and ODB are secondary pieces in a rivalry that could just include Melina or Thunder Rosa and be as good as it is right now. 

However, if they spent a little time and elaborated on Marti's reasons for turning on someone she was friends with for over a decade, and not just "she hurt my feelings and didn't believe in me." Give her some character and allow to simmer and develop over the course of a few weeks and months. The same can be said for Ashley Vox  who is an unknown commodity and anytime it seems like they're building sympathy for her she loses. In reality how can you gain investment in someone if they never win matches ever I know this could change, but this could change and should be something that changes in 2020. 

After an incredible event last weekend for the first NWA PPV event it was a fantastic way to end off the year and take another step forward in the momentum they have been building since the fall. There is no doubting that this was an action packed episode of the best hour of wrestling on Youtube and we were introduced to some new faces. With the announcement that the NWA Television Title will be returning and there will be a tournament taking place to crown the new champion. The finals will be taking place on January 24 at the Hard Times PPV event. 

The first point worth noting is that Marty Scrull has showed up in the NWA and shocked the fans as nobody expect the "Villain" to chose NWA over AEW and WWE. In my opinion, this could be a shorter deal to make due of a free agent and grab some more attention of a major name. I've said it before and will again just how surprised I was when I saw Rock N Roll Express became nine time tag team champions and retained the gold at "Into the Fire" my only question is where to next for the legends of the squared circle. 

For the first time in a while I have criticism of the program, because they are already teasing some tension between the trio of Marti Belle, Melina, and Thunder Rosa. This trio had only come together very recently and I feel as though burning this bridge so soon would be a waste of what could've been a drawn out rivalry. The only way this really makes sense is if it leads to some character development for Marti Belle who needs a little more depth to her character after recently turning heel on her friend Allysin Kay. One other note to take down is what happened between Anderson and Eli Drake as these two had a brutal brawl to headline an action packed hour of wrestling and a great way to start off the new season. 

Last weekend the NWA graced us with there first PPV event called "Into the Fire" and it allowed them to go out on a high note. It was interesting to find out that the NWA Power television show will be a seasonally show likely ending the season each season before PPV events like they did with "Into the Fire." I for one was shocked to see that Rock N Roll Express retained the gold as I thought they would lose it right back to Wild Cards. I'm pretty happy to see that they are given the chance to get one more run with the Tag Team gold as this in a way is a thank you to them for all they've done for the NWA over the years. Now with the rebirth of the NWA underway it's fitting to give one of the greatest tag team one last ride. Plus I'd like to see them against the Dawson Brothers or Outlaw Inc. as both teams would have an interesting dynamic with the legends in my opinion. 

The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, the flag bearer, the "National Treasure" Nick Aldis will be continuning to hold the NWA flag into 2020. The highlight of the night was the match at the top of the marquee James Storm got his fair chance against Nick Aldis. However, everything changed after the match when a "Villain" made his return to NWA changing the dynamic. For the last few months a lot has been made about the upcoming contract issues with Ring of Honor and the biggest star included in those issues was Marty Scurll. For those who might remember Marty made his debut at the Crockett Cup in April against Nick Aldis the only difference this time is that he is signed with the NWA and not ROH. It is unclear who will get a title shot next though with Eli Drake getting a big win against Ken Anderson on this night as well. 

For the first time these words can cross my lips this Saturday Night live from GPB Studio in Atlanta, GA the National Wrestling Alliance will hold their first PPV event since their days attached to Impact Wrestling. Since the outset of NWA Power back in October we have been building to Saturday, December 14 and we are almost there and it's getting hotter every day. The marquee match for the event is a two out of three falls match with two referees Brian Hebner & Tim Storm as the officials for the contest. The main event at "Into the Fire" will be NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion "National Treasure" Nick Aldis vs "Cowboy" James Storm one on one.

I've been thinking out loud for weeks after watching NWA Power and as every other possible challenger got partnered up with someone else it became clear that James Storm was the only likely choice for Nick Aldis to defend his championship against. Both these men have come along way since their days in Impact Wrestling and in all honesty Nick Aldis has become the star that everyone knew he would be. In my opinion, Nick Aldis is the biggest box office draw not attached to WWE or AEW. Below is the card for Into the fire this Saturday night: Check out Fite.tv to order "Into the Fire" 

Into the Fire: 

Trevor Murdoch vs The Question Mark 

NWA National Championship: 
(c) Colt Cabana vs Aron Stevens vs Ricky Starks 

Ashley Vox & Allysin Kay vs Melina, Thunder Rosa or Marti Belle 

Eli Drake vs Ken Anderson 

NWA World Tag Team Championship: 
(c) Rock N Roll Express vs The Wild Cards

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship: 2 out of 3 Falls 
(c) Nick Aldis vs James Storm 

Well first things first, comparing this week to last week is a no contest. This week's episode of NWA Power was leaps and bounds better than the previous weeks episode and exactly how they should've done the recap episode. The one thing I don't really understand is why not have a show next week or why didn't they have the recap show before the PPV as opposed to not having a show before the PPV. I understand that these episodes were tapped at the end of September and in early October so it's been a while since they tapped everything. Speaking of "Into the Fire" check out an updated card for the upcoming event: 

I have been a wrestling fan for over twenty years at this point and I never thought I would have the opportunity to see Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson winning championship gold in a semi major wrestling promotion. Also a major announcement for the main event adding a special stipulation to a highly anticipated match between James Storm and Nick Aldis. 

NWA World Tag Team Championship: 
(c) Rock N Roll Express vs The Wild Cards 

Trevor Murdoch vs Question Mark

Allysin Kay and Ashley Vox vs Melina, Marti Belle or Thunder Rosa 

Grudge Match: 
Eli Drake vs Ken Anderson 

Triple Threat Match for NWA National Championship: 
(c) Colt Cabana vs Ricky Starks vs Aron Stevens 

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship: 2 out of 3 Falls Match (Two Referees) 
(c) Nick Aldis vs James Storm 
 

Now I have no problem with a recap show taking place to allow fans to catch up on recent goings on especially if the company did something that is worth revisiting. However, when it comes to spending an entire show on just video packages to set up an upcoming PPV instead of just using programming featuring wrestling. For the last few weeks I have been trying to predict the matches and it is official that the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship will be 2 out of 3 falls as Nick Aldis collides with James Storm. One note I have to make is the match on this show is in my opinion pointless and they would've been better off having an extra match from a previous taping air instead of a random match that felt like a waste of time. 

This recap show also gave us matches to look forward to next week as Wild Card will defend the World Tag Titles against Rock N Roll Express which will be an incredible sight in itself as I've never seen a match including Rock N Roll that would be considered modern and never thought I would. Speaking of next week National Champion Colt Cabana will collide with top contender Ricky Starks in a non-title. Plus the next chapter in the saga including Nick Aldis and Kamille. Remember "Into the Fire" takes place live from GPB Studio on December 16 the event can be purchased on the Fite.TV for $24.95 or pre-order for $19.99.

As always when Tuesday rolls around I look forward to only one thing and that is the newest episode of NWA Power. As more details arrive about the newest television coming next year for the NWA called Circle Squared until then we will just focus on NWA Power. Seeing names like Ricky Starks and Trevor Murdoch being featured in such a prominent way is something that makes NWA Power stick out as unlike anything else you can find in wrestling. 

One thing that did catch my attention on this weeks episode is that the card for "Into the Fire" seems to finally be coming together. After this week it is clear for me that Thunder Rose will be the challenger for Allysin Kay at the event. Also in an unexpected turn of events Rock N Roll Express challenge Wild Card for the Tag Team Titles. In the last few months it has become extremely clear that any doubter of Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson need to rethink there stance, because Rock N Roll can more then still go unlike most active competitors. 

On the other end I still am unsure about who could be the next challenger for Nick Aldis and "Sweet Charlotte" at "Into the Fire." Even though it seems that Eli Drake and Mr. Anderson will be busy that night, but James Storm is still free for the show at least right now and is still my pick to take on Aldis. I will also point out that I never expected that Question Mark would've gotten anywhere close to getting over as quickly as he has, but there is no question that the fans have fallen in love with Question Mark.