10 Things We Learned From NWA Worlds Champion Nick Aldis (Exclusive Interview)
"I don't want to celebrate mediocrity anymore."
From a punchline to a headline.
That was the moniker of the National Wrestling Alliance when it premiered NWA Powerrr last October 8. And much like the NWA name has been revitalised and rejuvenated, leading the charge for the organisation is the likewise revitalised and rejuvenated Nick Aldis.
As the NWA Worlds Champion, Aldis is carrying the company and doing all that he can to bring a sense of prestige and quality to both that title and to the greater NWA brand. It's not like Aldis is doing this single-handedly, of course, for so many people have been knocking it out of the park since Billy Corgan and Dave Lagana went about sparking fresh life into the NWA name. But as the Worlds Champion, the National Treasure is the undoubted poster boy and leader of this new dawn for the National Wrestling Alliance.
We were lucky enough to sit down and grab a few hours in the champ's company recently to discuss a whole range of topics - from resurrecting the NWA, to reinvigorating his career, to becoming one of the best acts in the business, to his time in TNA, to the wrestling landscape and tastes of today, and so, so much more.
To give you a snippet of just some of the things we talked about with the NWA Worlds Champion, here then are ten things we learned from chatting to Nick Aldis.
10. He Wants To See Joe Hennig In The NWA
When you have the name and pedigree of being the son of 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig and the grandson of Larry 'The Axe' Hennig, surely it would make all the sense in the world to play up this heritage and embrace the real-life history that cannot be manufactured. For whatever reason, WWE opted not to push this element too hard with Joe Hennig.
Even though he competed in the FCW developmental system under the name, Hennig was bafflingly rebranded as Michael McGillicutty ahead of turning up on the second season of NXT. He did manage to get the slightly better name of Curtis Axel in May 2013 as a nod to his father and grandfather, yet fans were still confused as to why WWE just didn't go all-in on the Joe Hennig name. And for Nick Aldis, not only does he likewise agree with the bewilderment of fans, but he sees the former Intercontinental Champion as somebody he wants to bring to the National Wrestling Alliance.
Upon being asked which, if any, of the recently released WWE stars he'd like to see in the NWA - in addition to mentioning how he'd like to butt heads with EC3 - Aldis enthused, "For Joe Hennig to get the Ten Pounds of Gold treatment and get that long-form story, really do a deep dive on what this would mean to him, the family history and the title. I would love us to get our hands on Joe Hennig, even if it was just for a short period of time. I feel like I could make magic with Joe Hennig."
Aldis and Hennig actually have previous, with both men being part of a Harley Race training camp back in 2007.