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Where oh where will CM Punk appear next?
Will he roll through Survivor Series, getting in the face of anyone from Seth Rollins to Roman Reigns, or even just walking out at the end of the show as Cult of Personality plays over the PA? Or will he return at, say, AEW Full Gear or even at the first TNA show of 2024, Hard To Kill, with Scott D'Amore having a clear interest in employing the “Best in the World?”
How about the NWO?
Crazy? Eh, maybe a little bit, as NWO isn't exactly drawing huge audiences online or in person, but in the humble opinion of the legacy brand's owner, Billy Corgan, what his company lacks in money, it more than makes up for in the ability to have a good time.
“Many people behind the scenes have asked me, ‘Should we make a play for Punk? Have you reached out to Punk?' The answer, in terms of reaching out, is no. I respect him a lot. He deserves top money. He's a top star. That sounds almost self-defeating, ‘You're almost admitting that you wouldn't want him.' No, trust me, the NWA would go hand over fist to have Phil walk through the door and be part of the NWA, even for a pay-per-view,” Billy Corgan said on Mat Men with Andrew Zarian via Fightful.
“What I would say to Phil, and I'm not trying to use this as an open forum, I'm saying to you what I would say to Phil, and again, I have not reached out, and I certainly know how to get in touch with him. What I could say to him is, he would have a lot of fun in the NWA. I think Phil, the person, loves professional wrestling. He's had his public confrontation… I'm very similar, I got sued by a record company for $150 million. I eventually made a deal with them and continued working for them. I've had massive battles behind the scenes with every segment of the record and touring business, some of which aren't public. I have a reputation in rock ‘n roll, behind the scenes. If Phil, the person, has a rep with whoever, he doesn't have that rep with me because I feel I understand where he's coming from.”
All things considered, if Punk were to show an interest in appearing for NWA, even if it was just for a single show, Corgan would have to run at it, as that show alone would likely draw the biggest number both at the gate and on Pay-Per-View buys of any NWA show he's ever booked, especially if it was his first show back post-AEW. Whether that would actually happen, however, is fully in Phil Brooks' corner, as he has to decide what's next for his professional wrestling career.
Chris Jericho gives his two cents on Billy Corgan and the NWA.
While public perception of Billy Corgan and the NWA is mixed to say the least, as they did book Tyrus for an expansive title run, how do performers in the business feel about the Smashing Pumpkins frontman-turned-wrestling GM? Well, Chris Jericho was asked that very question on The Allison Hagendorf Show and let it be known that he's a fan of what Corgan is doing.
“He owns the NWA, he's done a fairly good job of building that company up. I like talking to Billy because he's probably the only guy, there are a couple of others, but at the highest of levels, that has done this and understands the sacrifice of both,” Chris Jericho said via Fightful. “He does the Pumpkins whenever he wants, and I do wrestling whenever I want, but I think the passion project is NWA, and the passion project is Fozzy, and to see both of them grow is gratifying. Billy, a very smart guy, very fun to talk to, very much an original, unique. Not a pat on the back, but ‘Good for him' when I heard he bought that company because I know he has such a passion for wrestling. If you do, then go for it. Make it happen.”
Though it's kind of hard to look at NWA as a passion project when one considers it employs dozens of wrestlers and serves as a crucial stepping stone between traditional indie feds and bigger companies like AEW, WWE, and Impact, with performers like LA Knight, Ricky Starks, and Thunder Rosa all earning their big breaks based off of performances at the promotion, for Corgan, it sort of is. While that may soon change, considering their reported new deal with the CW, it's clear the SP song-slinger has found his niche and is doing his best to share with fans what he loves.
