Published on August 22nd, 2022 | by Darren Paltrowitz
0Mike Knox On Wrestling At “NWA 74,” Life After WWE, Long-Term Wrestling Friendships, Doc Gallows & Becoming A Realtor
Founded in 1948, the National Wrestling Alliance — or NWA, for short — is one of the oldest and most prestigious professional wrestling brands in the world. In 2017, GRAMMY-winning international recording artist and producer William Patrick Corgan (a.k.a. Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins) purchased the NWA with the intention of reinventing the brand for the modern era whilst still honoring the legacy of its heyday in the 1980s. Beginning with the critically-acclaimed Ten Pounds Of Gold docu-series, the NWA has since expanded its programming to include two weekly broadcasts (NWA Powerrr and NWA USA) and six annual pay-per-views. All of those events and more are available via NWA All Access, the company’s paid subscription service via Triller’s FITE streaming platform.
On August 27 and 28, 2022, the NWA will continue to honor the history of its storied 74 years existence by returning to St. Louis for NWA 74, a two-day, pay-per-view event and arguably NWA’s biggest event of 2022; NWA 74 will air live on the FITE TV streaming platform for $39.99 for both nights, as a stand-alone purchase, and via the earlier-referenced $49.99 NWA All Access annual pass. As part of NWA Outreach — the company’s ongoing effort to help the communities it travels to — the NWA recently announced that it was offering complimentary tickets to some of the patients at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital and their families. In conjunction with this, on the morning of August 27, 2022, a group of NWA stars will visit patients and their families at the hospital. Per the NWA 74 event at the Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta itself, its matches will include major stars (e.g. Bully Ray, Matt Cardona, Taya Valkyrie, EC3, Tyrus), up-and-coming wrestling stars (e.g. VSK, Madi Wrenkowski, Flip Gordon, KiLynn King) and wrestling legends (e.g. Baby Doll, Austin Idol, Father James Mitchell) alike.
On August 22, 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mike Knox, as embedded below. As part of NWA 74, Knox will be taking on the earlier-mentioned Bully Ray in a Tables Match. Knox first came onto my radar in the early 2000s when he wrestled as part of WWE’s ECW brand. Knox’s time in WWE would find him feuding with and/or wrestling alongside numerous greats (e.g. CM Punk, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio). After leaving WWE, Knox moved on to TNA Wrestling — now IMPACT Wrestling — where was part of two notable factions, Aces & Eights and The Menagerie. Knox made a big return to wrestling in 2021, debuting as part of the NWA’s NWA Power: By Any Means Necessary event. We spoke about Knox’s past, present and future in wrestling, beyond his surprising newer career as a realtor. Simply put, he may be the most pleasant wrestler I have ever spoken with.
More on Mike Knox and the NWA can be found online by clicking here, here and here.