Ten Wrestlers Who Should Challenge For The NWA World Championship

Recently, the National Wrestling Alliance has gotten more attention in the last two months than it has in the past seven years. Not since Adam Pearce and Colt Cabana did the Seven Levels Of Hate series has the NWA and the NWA World Championship had a buzz around it. The buzz has started from an unlikely source.

NWA World Champion Tim Storm had a match with Nick Aldis (formerly known as Magnus) and it has generated a buzz. New NWA owner Billy Corgan and Dave Lagana have produced some nicely down YouTube videos to promote the match. While I personally didn’t find the match to be all that great, I certainly appreciated the story telling aspect of it.

Storm was able to retain the championship and there has since been an open challenge issues for anyone that wants to challenge for the NWA World Championship. There have been many wrestlers who have stated they want a shot. Storm is likely going to be appearing at a House of Hardcore show and Combat Zone Wrestling.

With the open challenge being issues it got me thinking about some wrestlers who could be a good fit to challenge for the NWA World Championship. Here’s my list of ten wrestlers that would make for an interesting match, or a great NWA World Champion. There’s not specific order.

MJF
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is an up and coming independent wrestler who works for CZW and many other top independent promotions. He’s a young, brash, arrogant heel who would work well with an older, old fashioned wrestler like Tim Storm. I don’t want anyone to blow this out of proportion, but MJF would make a great NWA World Champion because he reminds me a lot of a modern day Ric Flair. Now, I’m not saying his in-ring ability or story telling is near what the Nature Boy had. However, what I am saying is that MJF is a heat magnet. He walks into the arena and instantly gets great heat from the crowd. He’s a guy I could see touring the country as NWA World Champion and fighting off various top faces. His character could give fans hope and then snatch it away. It’s an old way of doing business, but it seems to work rather well.

Brian Cage
Cage looks like an absolute star. He has the look and he’s a powerhouse. It kind of blows my mind that he isn’t on national television just for his look alone. He’s an impressive specimen and the NWA could use him as a special attraction. He’s a larger than life person and if given the proper build, he could be a successful champion touring all over the country.

Jeff Cobb
The NWA has a history of having champions that were great wrestlers. Cobb has been wrestling since 2009 and within the last few years he’s gotten a lot of attention since working for EVOLVE and Lucha Underground. Cobb wrestled in the 2004 Summer Olympics representing Guam. Cobb would be a good NWA World Champion and bring a focus back to wrestling to the belt.

Keith Lee
Lee is a recent newcomer to wrestling in terms of being a known name. He’s been working for EVOLVE, PWG and Crash in Mexico. He would be a good selection because he could be groom into being recognized as an NWA original to a mainstream audience. Much like everyone else that has been mentioned. From what I’ve seen of Lee he’s an enjoyable talent and tremendous amount of upside.

Jimmy Jacobs
NWA has always been presented as by the books professional wrestling, or at least that’s been my perception. Since Jacobs has been recently fired from the WWE for being unprofessional and his characters in the past have been unique, he’d make an interesting anti-establishment champion. Being a champion of a promotion that you’re the complete opposite and hate. You’re looking to end the NWA. Jacobs touring the country battling people who are trying to save the NWA. I could buy into something like that.

Chuck Taylor
Taylor is arguably the definition of a traveling independent wrestler who waited over a decade before getting his break with ROH with his team Best Friends with Trent. His story of winning the PWG World Championship could have a similar effect if he were to win the NWA World Championship. Taylor is a very entertaining wrestler who can be comedic but serious, too. He is an underrated wrestler and a story could be told with him. His struggles, his accomplishments and his goal to be NWA World Champion.

Trent Barretta
I’ve been a fan of Trent’s since his WWE days and over the past couple of years he has really stood out with his risk taking antics. He’s been absolutely great in NJPW and has risen up the ranks in the heavyweight division. Trent is more than capable in the ring and he’s able to get sympathy from viewers with the moves he does and his ability to sell. He can play the underdog role very well but also a serious contender. I kind of get a Bret Hart vibe from him if Bret was a high flyer, too.

James Storm
He has recently left Impact Wrestling and is a recognizable name. Storm is a family man similar to Tim Storm. They could go that route that James wants to take care of his family as a world champion, something he had a brief taste of in Impact Wrestling. Corgan has a relationship with James, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cowboy in the NWA for a challenge.

Colt Cabana
As mentioned earlier, Cabana helped bring attention back to the NWA with his memorable feud with Adam Pearce several years ago. Considering the NWA is gaining momentum, Cabana could make his return and say that he is the original man to bring life back to the NWA. Cabana really impressed me with his run in the NWA and was some of the most serious stuff I’ve seen from the historically comedic wrestler.

Candice LeRae
Some people may not agree with this and find it to be completely random. I think wrestling fans are getting to a point where they’d accept a female as a World Champion. Yes, I know there are women championships, but I think if a wrestling company were to give a female the heavyweight championship historically given to men, that it would be a great moment. Candice is an incredible talent and has had some absolutely brutal moments in PWG. She’s likable and talented. I think she’d carry the NWA banner very well and lead the charge for a new era in professional wrestling. Some may not agree with the idea, but I think it would be great and make the NWA standout from everyone else.
Who are some people you’d like to see challenge for the NWA World Championship?

Thanks for reading.