Aron Stevens gives his all in the ring, no matter what the circumstances are.
Recently, WrestleZone spoke with former NWA World Tag Team Champion Aron Stevens. During the interview, Stevens was asked about the NWA putting more focus on its streaming deal with The CW and moving away from the traditional pay-per-view format.
Stevens said the shift doesn’t affect his character inside the ring. He will remain the same wrestler he has always been, which is doing everything he can to make the fans happy.
“I am the same person at a television studio, or an arena in this case. Like that I am in Madison Square Garden. Every time I go through the curtain people get everything I have. Whether I’m wrestling, even if I’m mad and I don’t want to be there or whatever. When I go through that curtain, there is no ifs ands or buts. The fans and the people I work for, I am going to give every single thing as a performer.
“I’m going to use every bit of knowledge I have. Channel every bit of talent I have to ensure the fans get their money’s worth and remember me. And that’s the all of the talent’s attitude. Oh yeah, it’s just a TV match or a pay-per-view, and look, pay-per-view matches, yeah there’s a few more steel chairs, but that doesn’t mean you don’t put everything you have into everything you are doing. And that’s something that we are trying to instill from the top down in NWA.”
Stevens said that it doesn’t matter if it’s a dark match or a TV match, you should be smart in the ring and make whatever you do the best it can be.
Aron Stevens is convinced that NWA never lost its loyal fanbase
Stevens also mentioned that NWA is growing as a company, and their loyal fanbase has always stuck with them. Some fans, as Pritchard mentioned, might feel left out because the pay-per-view model is gone. But as Stevens pointed out, the NWA believes this will only create more interest in their product, and they are seeing those gains at live events.
“Where we are going as a business model? Again, I think you just illustrated it best: ‘Alright, let’s check this out.’ Because if we can create a product that is entertaining enough, and we appear to be doing that. Live attendance, I mean, we, did like 3,000 people in Dothan, Alabama. We did just over 2000 in Sarasota, Florida, and we’re like, ‘What?!’ You know, the letters mean something.”
Stevens is well aware that the company has faced obstacles in recent years. However, the core fans have stuck with them, and the NWA is creating a unique TV product.
Aron Stevens highlights how NWA is different
“And what we are doing as a company in the Lightning One era, as it is called, we have had ups and downs. But we have persevered. And we’ve done it together, and we have done it by sticking to the vision. And although there have been times for whatever reason, the public said, ‘I don’t know.’ We never lost our core fan base,” he explained.
“And again, we’re not WWE. We are not trying to be a watered-down version of WWE, which is what a lot of promotions do. Most promotions don’t have the financial resources,” Stevens explained. “And if they do, they don’t allocate the resources into the right places, to create a product that’s appealing. When you’re flipping through the channels and you see WWE, the colors pop. Everything is just so vibrant.”
Aron Stevens pointed out that there are other companies that try to be a WWE-esque promotion, but they don’t have the resources or go about it the wrong way. He says the NWA has an easy to follow format where good meets evil and they have something for everyone.
“What we’ve done in NWA we have created our own thing. Like, we are not WWE Lite, or Diet WWE. We are the NWA and we are wrestling. It’s North American television professional wrestling,” he noted. “I’m talking characters; we have good guys and bad guys, good girls and bad girls. Protagonist, antagonist, if that’s a little more appropriate for this time. But, hey, you’re going to see conflict resolution. There’s gonna be an issue. There’s going to be athleticism.”
“If you look at some of the talent we have — look at Colby Corino, I’d put him up against anyone in AEW in terms of what he does as a performer. We have Mecha Wolf, who is internationally a huge star. And then again, Trevor Murdoch and Mike Knox, how do these guys even fit in the same company? But you know what? They do,” he added. “Because, WWE [might say] ‘we want all stud athletes,’” Stevens noted. “That’s wonderful. You know has stud athletes? The NFL, the NBA, Major League Baseball. We want characters, we want a variety show.”
Watch our full interview with Aron Stevens below:
What is your take on NWA’s deal with the CW?
