More on the NWA Lawsuit and Changes Coming

Credit: Larry Goodman an: Pwinsider.com

In return for dismissal of the lawsuit being brought against it, the National Wrestling Alliance (Pro Wrestling Organization LLC) has agreed to relinquish the brand to a coalition of NWA member led by R. Bruce Tharpe.
Tharpe, the owner of Brownsville-based NWA World Class, had filed a suit against then Executive Director Bob Trobich and the NWA Board of Directors alleging insurance fraud and financial mismanagement.

Along with Tharpe, co-plaintiff Chris Ronquillo and NWA Board member Fred Rubenstein have been identified as the key players in the coalition.

The fallout from the power shift has begun. Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling (NWA affiliate through Slim Baucom) and PWX (NWA East/Jim Miller) have already announced their departures from the NWA.

The status of NWA Georgia territory owner Bill Behrens is yet to be determined. Among the promotions that maintain NWA affiliation through Behrens are two (NWA Anarchy and NWA Rampage Pro Wrestling) that have television. RPW has also featured multiple appearances by NWA world champions over the last year.

Court proceedings in Brownsville had not been favorable to the NWA. At a March hearing, Judge Arturo McDonald affirmed the Texas court’s jurisdiction over the defendants. Although no longer an NWA member, Texas resident Ken Taylor was named in the suit, thus providing grounds for the state court in Texas to have jurisdiction. Trobich was later held in contempt of court and sanctioned $500 a day by Judge McDonald for failing to appear and answer questions about the NWA bank account. Judge McDonald then denied the NWA’s request to move the case to arbitration. The NWA Board was facing a costly legal battle that they could ill afford if they chose to defend the case in Texas.

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