WWE and AEW aren’t the only ones enjoying wrestling’s prohibited fruits.
In 2024, inter-promotional cooperation is a growing trend in professional wrestling. Whether referred to as the Forbidden Door, Prohibited Portal, Restricted Gateway, or other playful names, the collaboration between wrestling companies is reshaping the genre’s landscape. The National Wrestling Alliance is also embracing this trend through its ongoing territory expansion.
Recently, the NWA emphasized its commitment with a press release highlighting its partnership with Fight The World Wrestling (FTW) during their NWA vs. FTW Showdown event on June 21. That night, Thom Latimer successfully defended the NWA National title against FTW contender The Real Drago. In addition, AJ Francis retained his TNA Digital Media Championship by defeating up-and-coming NWA star Alex Misery.
According to the NWA’s Chief Operating Officer Joe Galli, events like Showdown are part of the organization’s efforts to expand its reach by partnering with top independent promotions domestically and abroad to bring its audience the best action possible. In the statement, Galli said, “This is part of a concerted effort to not only pay homage to the history, legacy, and tradition of the National Wrestling Alliance, but also bring our fans the most exciting in-ring action and widest array of established and up-and-coming talents in pro wrestling today.”
Under the leadership of Billy Corgan, the NWA revived its traditional territory system in 2023, incorporating new promotions like Ohio’s Exodus Pro (NWA Exodus Pro Midwest) and Tennessee’s Joe Cazana Promotions (NWA-JCP Southeast). In May, the NWA partnered with Puerto Rico’s World Wrestling Council (WWC). Also that month, NWA World Heavyweight Champion EC3 represented the company at All Japan Pro Wrestling’s (AJPW) Super Power Series, where he retained his title by defeating AJPW’s Ryuki Honda at Korakuen Hall in Japan.
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