NWA Samhain HOT TAKE

NWA Samhain: Wrestling's Darkest Night - Join us for a night of intense battles as the NWA's top competitors face off in a night of chaos and mayhem. Don't miss the gruesome showdowns and blood-soaked action - only on FITE!

The National Wrestling Alliance has been the nervous system for professional wrestling for 75 years, birthing the entire modern body of the sport. No matter what fans love about the modern day presentation of pro wrestling, it is the current result of the Butterfly Effect that began when the first promoters of the NWA met in Waterloo, Iowa at the Gold Room of the Hotel President.

In that historic collaboration, Paul L. "Pinkie" George, Max Clayton, Orville Brown, Sam Muchnick and Wally Karbo created the spine of the book that is professional wrestling, one that continues to add new chapters daily, a book that will never end as long as there are men and women striving to be the best grapplers they can be and who dream of championship glory.

But no one at that fateful meeting on July 18, 1948 considered championship gory. Nor did they consider that one day in the far-flung future of 2023, that that wiccan holiday of Samhain would come to intersect with the NWA, its unsatiated dark hunger magnified by the mystical might of Jim Mitchell. For the stars of the National Wrestling Alliance, the road to stardom and glory runs through hell and on Saturday October 28th, hell cascades into Cleveland, Ohio for the first-ever NWA SAMHAIN, promised to be the most horrific and violent event presented in the entirety of the National Wrestling Alliance's history - live on FITE!

If there was ever a time when the boundaries of the supernatural could indeed infect the National Wrestling Alliance, it would be now. October is the month of the macabre and the NWA is undergoing a major upheaval in the wake of EC3's NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship victory over Tyrus at NWA 75. Having sent Tyrus reeling into retirement, EC3 now leads a new National Wrestling Alliance, helping to resurrect the territory system and boldly charging into the dark abyss of the unknown, seeking to retain his Ten Pounds of Gold against all challengers.

At NWA Samhain, EC3 may be entering familiar territory in Cleveland, but once he steps into the ring, he will be far from home, facing the challenge of the mighty Thom Latimer. The international star has relinquished the NWA World Television Championship after being goaded by EC3 to come for the Worlds Heavyweight Championship.

In reality, perhaps not even the ever-confident EC3 has realized what monstrosity he has unleashed. Latimer, accompanied by his wife, the most dominant woman in modern day NWA history, former Women's World Champion Kamille, has his back against the wall - and that makes him a dangerous man, indeed.

Latimer has battled for The Worlds Heavyweight Championship before and he's even battled EC3 in the past, but he's never been able to accomplish his goal of those three glorious seconds where shoulders are pinned to the mat, allowing him to rise up as the conquering new champion. At NWA Samhain, there's no telling what Latimer will be willing to do to finally stand tall and enter the Pantheon of NWA Champions.

Of course, the other side of that coin is the reality that EC3 has already risen to prominence after many years of turmoil in the professional wrestling world and now, he's not going to relinquish that power and glory without giving the fight of his life. These two massive stars will collide head on to climax the most unpredictable night in the history of the NWA, Samhain, live on FITE.

The spirit of Halloween will certainly be felt on October 28th at Samhain and without the legend of witches and the sad story of Salem, MA, what would halloween be? Well, the modern female athlete is certainly no harlequin but yet is perhaps far, far more formidable and fierce than the monsters of yore.

Take NWA Women's World Champion Kenzie Paige, who literally shocked the world and made it stand still on its axis when she accomplished the unthinkable, defeating Kamille for the title after over two years of utter, incredible dominance. For Paige to begin the NWA 75 weekend losing her Women's TV Championship, then enduring the Mildred Burke Gauntlet to move on to upend Kamille was one of the most incredible stories of 2023, requiring cunning, luck and sheet gusto.

But for Paige to retain her championship at Samhain live on FITE, she'll require even more as she faces the challenge of the NWA's Five Star Athlete Ruthie Jay head on. Trained by the monstrous Gangrel, Ruthie Jay is no stranger to enduring the horrific grind of training in order to force herself to ascend to the next level, sharpening steel against steel. Incredibly gifted with not just poise in the ring but awe-inspiring aerial offensive maneuvers, Jay has been racking up massive wins all across the country and has become a truly beloved NWA star since her debut.

At Samhain, Ruthie Jay has the chance to end the issues between her and Paige that have been heating up for months, dating back to the Crockett Cup - and to put herself in the immortal time capsule of the NWA in the process. Will Paige enlist the help of her sister Kylie and the rest of Pretty Empowered to assist in a championship win? If so, who can Jay call upon to back her up on such an unforgiving evening? The world will learn firsthand at NWA Samhain on October 28th.

When it comes to the violence quota of professional wrestling, a lot of blood has been spilled and a lot of bones have been broken under the National Wrestling Alliance banner, but never before October 28th has there been a Knights of the Round Table Tables match. The direct result of the machinations and perhaps insanity of Aron Stevens, the winning team will be the ones to put their opponents through a round table, a reflection back in time to the days of noble knights charging forth hoping to slay the dragon and rescue the queen.

It may be impossible, however, to slay the dragons who hold the NWA World Tag Team Championships in their brooding, intense hands. Blunt Force Trauma, Carnage and Damage, have decimated everyone in their wake, leaving cities plundered and destroyed. Having captured the World Tag Team Championships, the hunters have broken all wrestling tropes and remained the hunters, seeking out all competition to beat down and take out under Stevens' purview.

At NWA Samhain, Blunt Force Trauma will once again take on former NWA Worlds Champion Trevor Murdoch and Mike Knox after their previous battle resulted in a disqualification when a steel chair became part of the equation. At NWA Samhain, there will be no rules, no restrictions and the only thing that will be encouraged is utter destruction until there is only one team standing at the Undisputed NWA World Tag Team Champions.

For Murdoch and Knox, this is the final step on the journey they embarked upon the second they united to win the 2023 Crockett Cup - but will this be the latest bitter disappointment for Murdoch, still trying to rally since losing the NWA Worlds Title, or the breakout moment Knox has always dreamed of for his own career? NWA Samhain could be the road to heaven for these proud grapplers, or it could prove to be the nightmarish hellscape from which they can never escape…

Colby Corino has risen to become the proud fighting and defending NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion as well as one of the most well rounded and talented second generation stars of this or any other era of NWA professional wrestling. Having captured that prestigious champion from Kerry Morton at Hard Times 3, Corino must now contend with the challenge of Joe Alonzo, a brash competitor who has battled the likes of the legendary Homicide, shocked the world by defeating him at NWA 75 and even more shocking, has lived to tell the tale.

While Corino has found his golden ticket to glory, Alonzo is seeking to do the same at Corino's expense and in order to do so, will have to wrestle the match of his life. Corino has evolved over the years into one of the absolute best professional wrestlers to emanate from the Mid-Atlantic region and has been in the zone over the last year. For Alonzo to capture the title, he's going to have to capitalize on a rare mistake or attempt something unthinkable. NWA Samhain will once again present the best Junior Heavyweight competitors in the world and put them center-ring with the entire FITE world watching!

The NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship will also be up for grabs at Samhain in Cleveland on October 28th as Natalia Markova, coming off one of the most physically grueling and violent matches of her career against Kamille at NWA 75, will unite with Taylor Rising in an attempt to rebel against Pretty Empowered as they seek to wrest the Championships against from Kylie Paige and Ella Envy. Pretty Empowered have all but defined the championships since they were instituted under NWA President William Patrick Corgan's regime but can even they hope to turn back the powerful might of Markova and Rising at Samhain? Will the Empowered dynasty fall?

Lucha libre legend Vampiro will lead former NWA World Tag Team Champions La Rebellion, Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf into a true twisted dark carnival as they enter a six man tag team war with The Insane Clown Posse's Violent J and his Brothers of Funstruction, Yabo and Ruffo. The twisted clowns have made their goal of destroying La Rebellion and running Vampiro out of the National Wrestling Alliance known, sparking an unholy war between these two violent, psychopathic factions that can only be resolved in battle at NWA Samhain live on FITE.

NWA Samhain will also feature a vicious submission bout with Jax Dane set to battle former MMA competitor Blake "Bulletproof" Troop as they seek to make the other man humble and submit. New NWA World Television Champion Matthew Mims and The Southern Six, led by Kerry Morton, will be in action.

Of course, Jim Mitchell will be the host of the festivities, a dark and demented emcee and the entire world knows that if Jim Mitchell is near, the monstrous fright of the devastating NWA Women's World Television Champion Max the Impaler cannot be far away, waiting for their next victim to crush, crumble and chomp. If anyone would be at home at NWA Samhain, it's certainly going to be Max…

NWA Samhain has promised to bring the blood, the violence and the insanity that has defined the modern day presentation of The National Wrestling Alliance and allow it to erupt like a volcanic explosion, unleashing all of the NWA's greatest and gruesome competitors with a bloodlust for revenge, championships and victories like never before. Lock your doors. Shutter your windows. NWA Samhain is coming and the only safe refuge isn't a cabin in the woods, but your FITE devices as once again, the unholy tag team of the NWA and FITE bring you all the tricks and treats, live as they happen. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Mike Johnson is the lead reporter for PWInsider.com and has been writing about professional wrestling since 1996. He can be found on Twitter @MikePWInsider and MikeJohnsonWrites.com.