 | ||
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is a professional wrestling governing body which has historically been the largest league of independent wrestling promotions in the world also referred to as "territories" as they each generally covered and controlled a certain geographic location. The territories are all independent professional wrestling promotions who are loosely affiliated with each other through their membership of the NWA and at time cross promote wrestlers or championships from other promotions. From 1974 up until the mid-1980s the Territories were very well defined and was able to sanction/influence wrestling promoters outside the NWA, but since the expansion of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and the secession of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1991 the NWA has less influence on non-NWA members.
Contents
1948–1993
The following promotions joined the NWA between its founding in 1948 and the 1993 reorganization following the withdrawal of World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
† indicates a founding member of the NWA.
Since 1993
The following promotions joined the NWA after the 1993 reorganization, and have since withdrawn or ceased operations.
Territories pulling out
Professional wrestling territories over the years have pulled out. Notable ones include WCCW, (World Class Championship Wrestling,WWWF (Known as WWE nowadays) and ECW (transitioned from Eastern Championship Wrestling, to Extreme Championship Wrestling) These promotions and various others have taken the chance in order to work alone and become bigger.
There is a difference between territories and independent promotions. Independent promotions work alone, some collaborate and recognize other promotions such as the partnership of Ring of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). After the past few decades, independent promotions have become more popular than territories. They still operate to this day.