Billy Corgan On Growth Of Women’s Wrestling, Acquiring Mildred Burke’s NWA Title Belt

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Billy Corgan discussed acquiring WWE Hall of Famer Mildred Burke’s NWA title, the growth of women’s wrestling, and much more. Here are some of the highlights:

Billy Corgan on acquiring Mildred Burke’s title and wanting to honor her legacy: “As it pertains to female wrestling on the international stage, it begins with Mildred Burke. She is the one who defined it, and we are still in her shadow. A title defines a wrestler’s journey. In many ways, it is the source of their power. In Burke’s case, it was proof that she accomplished a feat extremely rare. This secures that her legacy and story will be told going forward…..I want to share the belt with the public. So many of wrestling’s treasures aren’t on display. This was a rare opportunity to reclaim a very important piece of the NWA’s past. Burke’s legacy runs so deep, and we intend to embrace her journey overcoming endless obstacles to rise to absolute heights on the world stage.”

On Burke’s role in the growth of women’s wrestling: “Mildred’s story is so timely,” said Corgan. “Everything we are currently seeing, whether it’s women main-eventing Dynamite on national television or Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair headline at WrestleMania, it all goes back to one person, and that’s Mildred Burke. As steward of this legacy, it’s our responsibility to honor how we got here. She connects to the history of the NWA, which we are reinventing in the 21st century, so we’re doing more than just restoring her legacy. She’s riding shotgun with us.”