Billy Corgan Believes WWE Merging With UFC Is Good News For The NWA

Following WrestleMania 39, Endeavor announced a WWE-UFC merger would be taking place later this year with both entities coming together to form a new company. While the buzz has been mostly positive surrounding the partnership of these two combat sports behemoths, that includes the perspective of The Smashing Pumpkins frontman and National Wrestling Alliance owner Billy Corgan. According to him, the deal is good for not only the parties involved, but also his promotion specifically and wrestling as a whole.

"Believe it or not, it's actually really good for the NWA," Corgan told Chicago's WGN Radio 720. "First of all, WWE has always been very positive about what I'm trying to do and very supportive, even if it's behind the scenes."

A lifelong wrestling fan, Corgan started his own Chicago-based independent promotion called Resistance Pro in 2011. Four years later, he became the Senior Producer of Creative and Talent Development for TNA Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling), though he'd leave just over a year later following a string of contractual disputes. He would purchase the NWA in May of 2017, operating as the owner ever since.

Corgan knows he has to grow his own audience, but with the WWE-UFC merger, it's more obvious than ever how profitable professional wrestling can be. "Their growth, and the fact that they just had this massive sale, tells a lot of people who don't really believe in professional wrestling as an entertainment product, it suddenly — people start to look at what I'm doing and think 'Okay, he's not that crazy. There actually is a business there, and it's growing,'" he added. "...It's a real growth business even though it's been around for over 100 years."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WGN Radio 720 with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.