NWA Powerrr Review - March 23, 2021

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Strictly Business Addressed Their Opponents

As I mentioned in my Back for the Attack review, I love the move to kick off the show with a Nick Aldis promo in typical NWA fashion. It was a staple of Powerrr pre-pandemic and I always looked forward to them. Aldis, Latimer and Kamille discussed the events of Back for the Attack and established that Latimer isn't done with Pope and the TV title. They also set the stage nicely for the main event. The guy who's doing the interviews now is very good (and I'm pretty sure he was already involved with the NWA), but I'd remiss if I didn't mention that I miss David Marquez.

Kamille def. Alex Gracia

I thought Gracia's appearance here would be a sign that AEW would be lending the NWA some of its talent, but there was no mention of Gracia's work with the company and matches on Dark. In fact, I don't think she's under contract to the company, and the connection here was that she's a pupil of Thunder Rosa. Kamille continues to improve and show signs of potential. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see her take the NWA World Women's Championship from Serena Deeb when the time comes.

Tyrus and Austin Idol Interrupted NWA Television Champion Pope

Pope is a super talented talker and, as I've said before, I have no idea why he hasn't been on a major stage in recent years outside of serving as a commentator for IMPACT. He's perfect in the role of TV Champion (a lot like Ricky Starks was a year ago) and cut another excellent promo here. Unfortunately, I have zero desire to see him feud with Tyrus eventually. I like Idol being used as a manger, but Tyrus is the wrong guy for that spot.

Fred Rosser def. Matt Cross and Marshe Rockett in an NWA Television Championship No. 1 Contender's Three-Way Match

Rosser is the former Darren Young. Meanwhile, I believe I've seen Rockett in action in IMPACT or elsewhere before, while Cross has been with the NWA for a while now. All three of these guys are skilled and thus this was a fun three-way. They kept the pace moving and each of them had their time to shine. Rosser is a good pickup for the NWA and I'm excited to see him and Pope clash for the TV title.

Mike Parrow def. Jordan Clearwater

I've heard of Parrow before, but this was my first time seeing him wrestle. He did not disappoint. Clearwater has worked a few matches for the NWA and could be a breakout star eventually, but Parrow should be one to watch. He was dominant throughout this outing and made short work of Clearwater. I'd like to know more about him in the weeks to come, but this was a solid start for him in the NWA.

Thunder Rosa Declined Melina's Offer

I've read reports indicating that, despite her loss at Back for the Attack, Rosa will be sticking around in the NWA and that can't be seen as anything but a positive. She still needs work on the mic, but I appreciated that you could tell this wasn't scripted. As for Melina, it was rumored she signed with WWE/NXT last year, and although she denied it, I still assumed she'd end up there. Apparently not, but their loss is the NWA's gain. I'm curious where this story is leading considering they were at odds before the pandemic.

Chris Adonis and Strictly Business (NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis and Thom Latimer) def. NWA TV Champion Pope and NWA World Tag Team Champions Aron Stevens and Kratos

I honestly forgot that Stevens and Kratos were the NWA World Tag Team Champions. They won the titles at a Shockwave taping late last year but didn't defend them at Back for the Attack. That said, it was weird that they teased tension here. I don't care for the team because it was never explained why they joined forces in the first place, so if this leads to them dropping the belts to another team, then so be it. This was one of the longest matches I've ever seen on Powerrr​ and it was enjoyable for what it was. The focus was on Stevens and Kratos, but while heels stayed strong, I wish we got a better idea of who's next to challenge Aldis for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship.

Overall Show

It felt like it was back to business as usual for the NWA, which is both a good and a bad thing. The good thing is that they're already building new feuds coming off Back for the Attack and attempting to pick up where they left off. The bad thing is that outside of introducing a few fresh faces, there wasn't one major moment from this edition of Powerrr that would encourage new or even old viewers to come back (let alone pay for it on FITE TV). I know not a ton ever happened during Powerrr's original run, but the re-debut should have been a bigger deal. On a side note, Velvet Sky sounded too quiet on commentary, but she did well. I'm stoked Powerrr has returned after a year-long hiatus, but they need to do a better job of enticing people to tune in, generating buzz and making up for everyone who left over the last year. At the end of the day, we have "Into The Fire" by Dokken back as the opening song, so I can't complain!