Darius Lockhart departed from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) after a brief stint in the company last year. Lockhart had previously competed for the company at the TV tapings in December of 2021 for NWA USA.
Speaking on a recent edition of the “MuscleManMalcolm” podcast, Lockhart explained his decision to part ways with Billy Corgan’s promotion, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On first being contacted by the NWA to come in: “So to make it short, I’ll try to give you guys the pins here. I tweeted what I tweeted. Everyone else tweeted what they tweeted, and I think the NWA social media team took notice, and it was getting more traction than some of the stuff they were posting already about. So they said, ‘Hey, we gotta talk to the office about this. We’re interested.’ So they talked to the office, and eventually they asked me to come out to Nashville. I came out to Nashville to talk to them, and I talked to Pat Kenney, and a couple days later, Nick Aldis called me on the phone and told me they would love to work with me. They wanted me to be a lynchpin of their new show they were launching. It’s very hard to launch a new show. You need lynchpins, you need people to build around, and they were looking for that, and I felt if I’m able to become someone, not only a new face here, but someone they can build around, and someone that can make something maybe it’s not what I came here for, but if I can turn it into a diamond, then it looks better on me. So I accepted the challenge.”
On his time with the company: “I was promised, well, not promised, but told that there was room for elevation, that if I were to put on the size, because they like their heavyweights to be heavyweights, and I was a little smaller at the time. I wasn’t really eating a lot. I was really going through a depressive episode, a lot of grief from my father passing a few months. So I understood where they were coming from. They like their heavyweights to be heavyweights. But putting on size is something I wasn’t not used to. I could do it. So if you put on the size in the future, maybe let’s talk about a little elevation of me doing what I came here to do. They were receptive to it at first, at least Pat Kenney was. We showed up for the tapings, I cut the NWA promo that people like to talk about to me a lot. I did the promo, it went viral, it went good. I thought, from all the DMs and the legends walking up to me and putting it over, I thought, ‘Well, we got something here. Now it’s kind of undeniable.’ But they tried to deny it [laughs].”
On talking with Billy Corgan and his exit: “Basically, I was asking what direction we were going, and there was no really good answers. By the time we got to the pay-per-view, I asked for a sitdown with Billy Corgan, and he let me know that the story that I was there to tell, that everyone wanted to see me tell and everyone was interested in tuning into NWA to hear and watch, was not the story he wanted to tell. He just told me, he said, ‘I’m interested in that story.’ He saw me as a tag guy at best. He felt that I was undersized, and he said he can’t let the fans book the show, he books the show. That was the answer I got. I looked him in the face and I said, ‘Okay, good talk.’ I knew when I walked away that that was gonna be my last weekend trying to work with them because I wasn’t gonna spend time sitting there, trying to change Billy Corgan’s mind. I had better things to do with my time [laughs].
“So it was just like, if you don’t want to make money, that’s your thing, but respectfully, we can part ways amicably, and that’s what I chose to do. I’m not above walking away from something that doesn’t serve me. It was kind of my personal choice. I’m not gonna sit here and spin wheels, trying to prove something wrong to you, so let’s just move on. Everyone’s got their opinion. Billy has his. Maybe Tyrus made a better world champion than I would have. Who’s to say? But we move on. At the end of the day, I’m not crying that I didn’t get to make Billy Corgan a million dollars. We can do that here, and we can do it in our own pockets. So let’s move on.”
In other news, you can check out the latest edition of “Being The Dark Order” below:
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Darius Lockhart’s Departure from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA): An Inside Look
Darius Lockhart, a talented professional wrestler, recently made headlines with his departure from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Lockhart had a brief stint with the company in 2021, competing at the TV tapings for NWA USA in December. In a recent interview on the “MuscleManMalcolm” podcast, Lockhart opened up about his decision to part ways with Billy Corgan’s promotion and shared some interesting insights.
Lockhart shed light on how his journey with the NWA began. He revealed that after he and other wrestlers tweeted about their desire to work with the company, the NWA social media team took notice. The traction their tweets gained caught the attention of the NWA office, leading to Lockhart being invited to Nashville for discussions. Lockhart met with Pat Kenney and later received a call from Nick Aldis, who expressed the company’s interest in working with him. Lockhart saw this as an opportunity to become a lynchpin of their new show and accepted the challenge.
During his time with the NWA, Lockhart had high hopes for his career progression. He was told that there was room for elevation if he put on more size, as the company preferred heavyweights. Lockhart admitted that he was going through a depressive episode and grieving the loss of his father, which affected his eating habits and size. Despite this, he believed that if he could fulfill their size requirements, he could achieve his goals within the company. However, things didn’t go as planned.
Lockhart mentioned that although Pat Kenney initially seemed receptive to his ideas, things changed when they arrived for the tapings. Lockhart’s NWA promo gained significant attention and positive feedback, leading him to believe that they had something special. However, the company tried to deny its success. Lockhart expressed his disappointment in the lack of clear direction and answers regarding his future with the NWA.
The turning point came when Lockhart requested a sitdown with Billy Corgan, the owner of the NWA. During their conversation, Lockhart discovered that the story he wanted to tell, which had garnered interest from fans, was not the story Corgan envisioned. Corgan saw Lockhart as a tag team wrestler at best and believed he was undersized for the company’s standards. Corgan made it clear that he booked the show and didn’t want the fans dictating its direction. Lockhart realized that changing Corgan’s mind would be futile and decided to part ways amicably.
Lockhart emphasized that he wasn’t willing to waste his time trying to prove himself to someone who didn’t see his potential. He acknowledged that everyone has their opinions, and he respected Corgan’s decision. Lockhart concluded by stating that he had better things to do with his time and was confident in his ability to succeed elsewhere.
While Lockhart’s departure from the NWA may have been disappointing for fans who saw his potential, it serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by wrestlers in the industry. Lockhart’s story highlights the importance of finding the right platform that aligns with one’s goals and values. As he moves forward in his career, Lockhart remains determined to make a name for himself and achieve success on his own terms.
In conclusion, Darius Lockhart’s departure from the National Wrestling Alliance sheds light on the complexities of the wrestling industry. Lockhart’s decision to part ways with the NWA was driven by a lack of alignment with the company’s vision for his career. As he continues his journey, Lockhart remains focused on pursuing opportunities that allow him to showcase his talent and fulfill his potential.