Billy Corgan is confident that the NWA and wrestling itself will grow.
Corgan previously worked in TNA and became the promotion's president. Following his departure, he went on to buy the National Wrestling Alliance in 2017, and he has been at the helm of the company ever since. During his time as the NWA President, Corgan has had to deal with a number of obstacles, including the COVID-19 pandemic that turned the business on its head. Now, Corgan continues to lead the promotion forward at a time when the business continues to evolve and WWE is facing an uncertain future amid rumors of a potential sale.
Speaking on the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, Corgan shared his belief that wrestling's best days are ahead of it. He noted that the NWA used to be a massive company, but WWE has reached even greater heights. That being said, he stated that there's still room for growth, and that's why, in the event of a potential sale, WWE is an appealing investment for prospective buyers.
“Quote me on this in ten years. I think wrestling's biggest days are still ahead. As big as the NWA was, Vince made it bigger. People look at that and say, ‘Wow, that was massive.’ Yes, of course, WWE’s massive. But compared to UFC, compared to the NWA, there’s still room for growth. That’s why people are out looking at the WWE on the open market for sale because people realize there’s growth to go," Corgan said.
Co-host Andrew Zarian noted one wouldn’t want to invest in the wrestling industry if was seemingly flat, and Corgan noted that it was when he bought the NWA in 2017. He stated that the business is booming now, and there's a genuine opportunity for growth. Corgan shared his belief that wrestling's best days are ahead of it, and he referenced some of the ways that the business is changing.
“It was flat when I bought [NWA] five years ago, and now I get business people sending me stuff all the time, saying they can’t believe some of these earning reports they see from WWE, and I always write them back saying, ‘I told you, I’m not insane. This is not some kind of weird hobby. There’s a growth vector here.’ So what I would say to people in the [wrestling bubble] is stay focused on the fact that wrestling’s best days as a business, if you love the business, you love the performers, the best days are ahead of it. You see tension there with brand. The story with Sasha [Banks], leaving WWE and being on The Mandalorian, I mean, you see the rise of individual brands. Brock Lesnar of course left, went to UFC, became a bigger brand, and he raised his value, and works a part-time schedule for Vince, where 20 years ago they wouldn’t have allowed that. Those are small signs of what’s coming, and that includes Jake Paul coming in and stuff like that, or Bad Bunny," Corgan said.
The NWA President went on to state that the opportunity for wrestling to reach a larger platform on a global scale is unprecedented. He named social media as an important factor in that potential. Corgan also noted that he personal believes that the NWA can rise to a level that is even greater than the promotion of the past.
"The opportunity of wrestling to grow to an even bigger global platform and a larger global audience is unprecedented, and digital is very much a part of that, social media is a part of that. So stay focused on that. While you want to get into every little turf conversation, or you don’t understand why Billy’s over here in the corner doing what he’s doing, understand that my personal faith and my investment in it is I believe that the NWA can rise up to a level that is even greater than the NWA before. Now if you look at what I’m doing now, you’re gonna say he’s totally insane. But that’s what they said about my band and my musical life, and here I am, 35 years later, still going. So that’s how I feel about it, and I think there’s plenty of empirical that suggests that everything is still trending upwards," Corgan said.
Corgan previously stated that interest in the NWA as a property had increased by "probably 500%" in the last year. Check out his comments here.
Jordan Clearwater recently praised Corgan's mind for the industry. Click here to see what he had to say.
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