Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics has provided an update on the trademark dispute between the National Wrestling Alliance and AEW, at a time when the latter is preparing to crown its first-ever National Champion.
Despite promos on social media and the 11/5 edition of Dynamite citing the title’s origin in the “territorial era of wrestling,” the NWA currently has its own National Title that has been revived at various times since its last appearance on TBS.
In fact, the NWA National Championship is currently held by Mike Mondo, who raised his concerns with AEW announcing a title by the same name.
Other complaints on social media point to the new title being retaliation over the trademark litigation surrounding “Shockwave,” following AEW’s attempts to trademark the name for a future show that has yet to launch as of this writing.
NWA used the name for their own events as early as 2020, a brand that was used regularly on their YouTube channel at a time when NWA Powerrr was seemingly on hiatus.
A trademark application by AEW led to the NWA filing an application of its own, noting the name had been used in business prior to AEW’s attempt to apply.
Neither company has issued a statement on the matter, nor have they responded to requests for comment on what appears to be an ongoing situation.
As for the National Championship, it should be noted that trademark registrations and/or applications do not appear to be in place by AEW, the NWA, or any other entity to protect the name or variations tied to a championship title belt, potentially a sign that the descriptive nature of the phrase may make it difficult to register.