NWA Hard Times

NWA Hard Times (stylized as Hard × Times) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). It took place on January 24, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia at the GPB Studios. The show featured a tournament to crown a new NWA World Television Champion, which was won by Ricky Starks. The event also featured wrestlers from Ring of Honor, including Dan Maff, and Villain Enterprises members Marty Scurll and Flip Gordon.

NWA Hard Times
Promotional poster featuring Tim Storm, Nick Aldis, Kamille, and the NWA World Television Championship belt
PromotionNational Wrestling Alliance
DateJanuary 24, 2020[1][2]
CityAtlanta, Georgia[1][2]
VenueGPB Studios[1][2]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous
Into the Fire		 Next →
Crockett Cup

Production

Background

During the December 15, 2019 Into the Fire pay-per-view (PPV), the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) announced that their next PPV would be held on January 24, 2020 and be called "Hard Times".[1][2] At the same time the NWA announced they were reintroducing the NWA World Television Championship with a new champion being crowned at the PPV on FITE TV.[1][2]

Storylines

Hard Times featured ten professional wrestling matches, with different wrestlers who were involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heels or faces as they engaged in a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match.[3] Season 2 of NWA's weekly flagship program, Power, featured storylines leading up to the pay-per-view.

On the December 17, 2019 episode of the NWA's weekly show, Power, it was revealed that all World Television Championship tournament matches would have a 6 minute, 5 second time limit.[4][5] The time limit was an homage to the 6:05 PM start time of NWA Power as well as a tribute to the original start time for NWA's World Championship Wrestling that ran from the 1970s to 1992.[6][7] Announced participants included: Ricky Starks, Eddie Kingston, The Question Mark, Colt Cabana, Tim Storm, Nick Aldis, Zicky Dice, Caleb Konley, Dave Dawson, Zane Dawson, Trevor Murdoch, and Thom Latimer. The first two tournament matches announced were Starks vs. Kingston and The Question Mark vs. Cabana. Starks defeated Kingston via pinfall in 4:10, and The Question Mark defeated Cabana via pinfall in 3:05 with both matches airing on the December 23 episode of Power.[8] On the January 1, 2020 episode of Power, Aldis refused to enter his tournament match against Tim Storm and ordered fellow Strictly Business member Royce Isaacs to take his place. Storm defeated Isaacs via pinfall in 4:26.[9] On the January 7 episode of Power, Tim Storm clarified that these were qualifying matches and that six competitors would move on to the first round of the NWA World Television Championship tournament. He also announced there would be two additional spots open in the first round for competitors not currently on the NWA roster. Zicky Dice defeated Caleb Konley via pinfall in 4:43 later in the show.[10] The tournament bracket was unveiled on the January 14 episode of Power. Zane Dawson def. Dave Dawson via pinfall in 3:56 later in the same episode.[11] On the January 21 episode of Power, Trevor Murdoch defeated Thom Latimer via pinfall in 3:30. Zane Dawson dropped out of the tournament due to a hand injury, and an 8-man Last Chance Gauntlet match was held to determine the new competitor to fill the spot. The eight competitors were C.W. Anderson, Caleb Konley, Josephus, Colt Cabana, Dave Dawson, Aron Stevens, Sal Rinauro, and Ken Anderson. Anderson won when he pinned Cabana, his last remaining opponent. Anderson attacked Cabana after the match. Later in the same episode, the final two competitors in the first round of the tournament were named: Matt Cross from the independent circuit and Dan Maff from Ring of Honor.[12]

At Into the Fire, NWA Worlds Champion Nick Aldis was confronted by Marty Scurll after his title defense. In response, Aldis and the Strictly Business stable attacked Scurll and his Villain Enterprises teammates at Ring of Honor's (ROH) Saturday Night at Center Stage and Honor Reigns Supreme events. On January 14, the NWA announced that Aldis would face Villain Enterprises' Flip Gordon in an interpromotional match at Hard Times.[13]

Results
No. Results[14] Stipulations Times
1 Trevor Murdoch defeated The Question Mark NWA World Television Championship tournament first round match[15] 3:08
2 Dan Maff defeated Zicky Dice NWA World Television Championship tournament first round match[15] 2:35
3 Ricky Starks defeated Matt Cross NWA World Television Championship tournament first round match[15] 3:50
4 Eli Drake and James Storm defeated The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) (c) and The Wild Cards (Royce Isaacs and Thom Latimer) (with Kamille and May Valentine) Triple threat tag team match for the NWA World Tag Team Championship[12] –
5 Thunder Rosa defeated Allysin Kay (c) Singles match for the NWA World Women's Championship[12] 18:05
6 Trevor Murdoch defeated Dan Maff NWA World Television Championship tournament semifinal match[15] 3:27
7 Ricky Starks defeated Tim Storm NWA World Television Championship tournament semifinal match[15] 4:43
8 Scott Steiner defeated Aron Stevens (c) (with The Question Mark) by disqualification Singles match for the NWA National Championship[12] 6:30
9 Nick Aldis (c) defeated Flip Gordon NWA vs. ROH interpromotional match for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship[13] 15:20
10 Ricky Starks defeated Trevor Murdoch Tournament final match to determine the new NWA World Television Champion[15] 9:20
  • (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match

NWA World Television Championship Tournament
Qualifiers

NWA Power

First Round

Hard Times

Semifinals

Hard Times

Final

Hard Times

        
Tim Storm Pin[9]
Royce Issacs1 4:26
Tim Storm Bye3[16]
Ken Anderson2 --
Dave Dawson 3:56
Zane Dawson Pin[11]
Tim Storm 4:43
Ricky Starks Pin[16]
Eddie Kingston 4:10
Ricky Starks Pin[8]
Ricky Starks Pin[16]
Matt Cross 3:50
Bye --
Bye --
Ricky Starks Pin[16]
Trevor Murdoch 9:20
Zicky Dice Pin[10]
Caleb Konley 4:43
Zicky Dice 2:35
Dan Maff Pin[16]
Bye --
Bye --
Dan Maff 3:27
Trevor Murdoch Pin[16]
The Question Mark Pin[8]
Colt Cabana 3:05
The Question Mark 3:08
Trevor Murdoch Pin[16]
Trevor Murdoch Pin[12]
Thom Latimer 3:30

1 ^ Replaced Nick Aldis when Aldis refused to enter and ordered fellow Strictly Business member Isaacs to take his place.
2 ^ Replaced an injured Zane Dawson when Anderson won an 8-man Last Chance Gauntlet match to fill the spot.
3 ^ Anderson was not "medically cleared" to compete giving Tim Storm a bye as a result.

gollark: https://stats.osmarks.net/d/2VpAanYMz/ircd?orgId=1
gollark: They're on grafana.
gollark: Not even APIONET is safe from graphing.
gollark: <@213674115700097025> Have you heard of potatOS?
gollark: It's not really enough.

See also

References
  1. MacDonald, Josiah (December 14, 2019). "NWA Into the Fire Live results: Nick Aldis vs. James Storm". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  2. Powell, Jason (December 14, 2019). "NWA Into The Fire results: Powell's live review of Nick Aldis vs James Storm in a best of three falls match for the NWA Championship, Rock & Roll Express vs. Wild Cards for the NWA Tag Titles, Colt Cabana vs. Aron Stevens vs. Ricky Starks for the NWA National Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  3. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  4. Csonka, Larry (December 17, 2019). "Csonka's NWA Powerrr Review 12.17.19". 411Mania. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  5. "Video: NWA Power episode 10 - 'The Villain Effect'". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  6. Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.226)
  7. "WCW Saturday Night 1992". The History of WWE. Retrieved November 5, 2019. 4/4/92 - the debut of the renamed Saturday Night show
  8. James, Joseph (December 23, 2019). "NWA Powerrr Recap (12/23): Television Title Tournament Begins, Nick Aldis Confronts Ricky Morton". wrestlinginc.com. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  9. Macdonald, Josiah (January 1, 2020). "NWA POWER RESULTS: TIM STORM VS. ROYCE ISAACS". f4wonline.com. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  10. Powell, Jason (January 7, 2020). "1/7 NWA Powerrr results: Powell's review of NWA Champion Nick Aldis vs. Ricky Starks in a non-title exhibition match, Zicky Dice vs. Caleb Konley in a TV Title tournament qualifying match, ODB vs. Thunder Rosa". prowrestling.net. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  11. Powell, Jason (January 14, 2020). "1/14 NWA Powerrr results: Powell's review of "Team Aldis" Scott Steiner, Royce Isaacs, and Thom Latimer vs. "Team Morton" Robert Gibson and two partners, Zane Dawson vs. Dave Dawson in an NWA TV Title tournament qualifier, Melina vs. Ashley Vox, Eddie Kingston and Homicide vs. Aron Stevens and Question". prowrestling.net. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  12. Powell, Jason (January 21, 2020). "1/21 NWA Powerrr results: Powell's review of the season two finale featuring Nick Aldis vs. Ricky Morton for the NWA Championship, Thom Latimer vs. Trevor Murdoch in an NWA TV Title tournament qualifier, final hype for Friday's NWA Hard Times PPV". prowrestling.net. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  13. Currier, Joseph (January 14, 2020). "NICK ALDIS VS. FLIP GORDON SET FOR NWA HARD TIMES PPV". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  14. Powell, Jason (January 24, 2020). "NWA Hard Times results: Powell's live review of the NWA TV Title tournament, Nick Aldis vs. Flip Gordon, Aron Stevens vs. Scott Steiner for the NWA National Title, Allysin Kay vs. Thunder Rosa for the NWA Women's Title, NWA Tag Title Triple Threat". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  15. @NWA (January 14, 2020). "BREAKING | Brackets revealed for #NWATVTitle Tournament". Twitter. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  16. Ravens, Andrew (January 24, 2020). "NWA Hard Times PPV Results". sescoops.com. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
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