Nick Aldis has built a solid team around him, and his NWA World heavyweight championship. If we’ve learned anything over the years in today’s wrestling, a champion has to have a solid ensemble cast around him. From the days of the Four Horsemen, and The Dangerous Alliance, to today’s La Faccion Ingobernable, and The Foundation, someone simply has to have the champion’s back! Nick Aldis, realizing this fact, has built a nice ensemble in the National Wrestling Alliance that he calls “Strictly Business”. This crew consists of Thomas Latimer, a former World tag team champion, a beast of a man. At 6’3” and 231lbs, he tears through the competition in a scary fashion. Now that he’s broken into the singles division of the NWA, it has to be said, can anyone stop him? Standing by Latimer’s side is his lovely girlfriend, and powerhouse wrestler in the women’s division, the “Brickhouse,” Kamille. Although being called just “an associate” at this time, the veteran grappler Chris Adonis is right by the side of each of these members, and has quickly won the NWA National Heavyweight title after associating with Strictly Business. Adonis, even bigger than Latimer, at 6’4” and 257lbs seems to be the “enforcer” of the faction, powering through anyone that’s pointed out to him, holding that traditional title belt high, as he does so. While I am not wanting to cause waves in a faction that I am a fan of, a supporter of, the question has to be asked. Does the “Real” World champion really mean what the title of his faction clearly says? Is everything “Strictly Business?” Aldis stirred the pot a little just a few weeks ago on NWA Power when he plainly stated that “Strictly Business” could branch out, and consists of wrestlers outside of the NWA. He also stated that no one’s position within the faction is “safe.” This lead to Kamille clearly being frustrated with Aldis, insisting that her man, Thom Latimer is already “World title” worthy. Nick Aldis has yet to answer this statement clearly, other than to say Kamille misinterpreted him. My question though is, did she? As Aldis builds this stable, will he decide that those who get too close to being a title contender, no longer deserve a spot in “Strictly Business?” This is pure speculation on my part, there’s no direct evidence of this…yet. However; as I study NWA Power, it seems to be the conclusion that Kamille is concerned about. Will Nick Aldis prove us all wrong, and show us that in the NWA it is “Strictly Business,” and give title shots to anyone that is worthy of them? Even if those that are worthy are stablemates of his, Thom Latimer, or Chris Adonis? Or will Aldis remove anyone that gets too close to “sweet Charlotte” from Strictly Business for reasons that he will drum up on his own, in an attempt to distract the fans, and the NWA ranking committee, from those who threaten his reign the most? I’m nearly certain Aldis will call this article “Click bait,” but I’m sorry champ….this is Strictly Business. Adam Leavelle, "The Wrestling Snob," tries to tell you why he NEEDS wrestling to be done "right."I could sum this article up quickly by answering the headline with the statement “Because she is legit as f**k,” but I’ll elaborate a little. Thunder Rosa is currently one of the most popular female wrestlers in the world today, and she got that way by presenting herself as a legitimate fighter. While she’s an attractive woman, she doesn’t shake her ass, or wear revealing gear, to get herself over to the sexually starved male wrestling demographic. Thunder Rosa has an aura that screams “ass kicker.” You just believe that she’s legitimately tough, and is a wrestler so she can beat people up. Rosa is not using wrestling to get into acting, or to further her modeling career. She’s not looking to be named the sexiest women in wrestling, or shooting to make everyone’s “Hottest wrestlers” list. It likely helps that shortly after making her wrestling debut, Thunder Rosa made a tour of World Wonder Ring Stardom. Simply known by most as Stardom, that company has a huge reputation as having the best female wrestlers in the world. Shortly after Stardom, she became a big part of Lucha Underground, gaining more experience, and working with solid television production. With short stints in Women of Honor, and WOW Women of Wrestling, Rosa continued to gain a larger following, and a bigger reputation as an amazing wrestler. She made another tour of Japan, always a very good thing, this time with Stardom rival promotion, Tokyo Joshi Pro, where she became the very first non-Japanese talent to win a title in that promotion. When she returned, she was quickly signed by the re-emerging National Wrestling Alliance, and there, Rosa’s stock shot way up. She quickly challenged the much larger, Allison Kay, for the women’s title, and defeated her for it, becoming the first Mexican born wrestler to ever hold that title. Rosa held that title for ten months, then losing to another women’s standout, Serena Deeb. Rosa then made her debut in All Elite Wrestling, immediately becoming a main event star in there women’s division. She challenged Deeb for the NWA title on Dynamite, only to be cheated out of the victory by Britt Baker, who Rosa later faced, and defeated, in a wild and crazy unsanctioned “lights out” match, which was heavily praised by most wrestling critics across the world. That match just further cemented Rosa as being as legit as they come. Also trained in mixed martial arts, and singed with “Combat America’s” and having fought in one MMA fight to date, there is no doubt that Thunder Rosa is what women in wrestling should be about. Legitimate fighters, out to beat people up, on their way to winning championship titles. It’s a simple formula that not too many understand these days. Thankfully we have Thunder Rosa out there showing everyone how it’s done. Rosa’s current feud with Kamille, in the National Wrestling Alliance, is one of the hottest, and best presented wrestling angles in the business currently. If you want women’s “Wrestling Done Right,” look no further than Thunder Rosa! When I look at this beautiful championship title belt, it reminds me of wrestling back when it was serious, when it was believable, when it was a sport. When I look at this championship title belt, I think of real men, men like Harley Race, Jack Briscoe, and Ric Flair. I think of men that gave their all to try and capture this title as well, men like David Von Erich, Magnum TA, and Barry Windham. When I look at this championship title belt, I think of prestige, and remember a time when I wasn’t ashamed to be a fan of professional wrestling. When I look at this championship title belt, I think of WTBS and the 6:05pm show, where men like Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, defended the world television title in ten minute matches, that didn’t have a single drop kick in them, but were still better than any match you see on TV today. When I look at this championship title belt, I think of Starcade, The Great American Bash, and The War Games! When I look at this championship title belt, I don’t think of overly choreographed matches that look more like cheerleader competitions than a fight. When I look at this championship title belt, I don’t think of goofy comedy segments, or spots, that are meant to parody what wrestling used to be, rather than making me believe it’s real. When I look at this championship title belt, I think of The National Wrestling Alliance, the company that used to define what professional wrestling really was. My plea to today’s NWA is to please be the NWA of old. My plea to today’s NWA is to look at your championship title belt and make it your mission to make all of us fans feel the way we used to feel about it, and the way we want to feel about it again! La Faccion Ingobernable is the hottest heel stable in wrestling today. Coming into a place like Ring of Honor, and taking over the way that they have, is admirable on many levels. While I am not a fan of their “ungovernable” approach, to utilize it as they have, in Ring of Honor, a company founded on the principles of honorable, and respectful professional competition, is a feather in their cap, for sure. Many wrestling stables have been compared to the greatest stable of all time, The Four Horsemen, and most don’t pass the sniff test. While no one in “LFI,” is like anyone else that was ever a “Horseman,” their approach is almost exactly the same. La Faccion Ingobernable members are capable of defeating any opponent, on any given night, fair and square, in the middle of the ring. Yet they often chose to cheat, manipulate, and twist the rules. They are known for gang warfare, and proudly admit to wanting to humiliate their opponents more than they want to defeat them in a wrestling match. Ring of Honor World champion Rush, is one of the hottest young wrestlers in the world today, and could be having classic matches with many different opponents, but instead chooses to be propped up by his “familia,” much like the infamous Ric Flair chose to do in his prime. Dragon Lee is the workhorse of LFI, can hang with anyone, and really comes across as an “enforcer.” Kenny King is the Outsider that has found his place among family, that includes Bestia del Ring, is the well-seasoned vet, and a legit father figure! Top all of that off with Amy Rose, as their official manager and you have something special. Again, while I am not comparing styles to the great Four Horsemen, I am comparing the approach that LFI is using to dominate Ring of Honor. Jim Crockett Promotions was my all-time favorite wrestling period, and I can clearly see similarities. I mean if you want to be a dominating heel stable, it would be smart to copy the style and efforts of the original Four Horsemen. One thing that the Horsemen never had though was a legitimate, solid, well oiled, stable of “good guys” as protagonists. While many good guys teamed up to face the Horsemen throughout the 1980’s, there was never a group as tightly bound, and driven, to do what was right by wrestling, by JPC, or by the NWA, as the Horsemen were in doing whatever they wanted to do. This is something that Ring of Honor has, that is making all the difference in the storyline, in the angle, of La Faccion Ingobernable. The Foundation, Jonathan Gresham, Jay Lethal, Tracy Williams, and Rhett Titus are a well-oiled, strongly united, driven, and passionate stable that stands in the face of LFI, drawing a line, and daring them to cross it. Once crossed, The Foundation will never cower, never back down, never give up, and not turn on each other. I would argue that the more strength that LFI gains, the more determined The Foundation is to set things right. Ring of Honor has something the Four Horsemen never had, they have a stable of good guys determined to “do wrestling right!” Next week these two stable square off in the ring. On March 22nd, four days before ROH’s 19th anniversary show, La Faccion Ingobernable take on The Foundation in an 8 man tag match on ROH TV. If you want to see what I am taking about in this article, if you want to see one of the best heel stables in wrestling today get something the Four Horsemen never had, tune in with me, tune in to ROH TV for Wrestling Done Right! |
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