A Renfrewshire-based company in Scotland has come under threat from US media giants after a global enterprise decided to use their name and tagline.
Global media giants World Wrestling Entertainment have recently announced their plans to launch WWE:NXT, the NXT Generation of wrestling. This has since been a cause for concern for Scottish promotion NXT Wrestling, a local company who risk getting squashed in favour of the multi-million dollar WWE headed by Vince McMahon.
NXT Wrestling was announced in 2006 and launched in 2007 as a way of giving young men with dreams their chance to break free from their lives and live for a few moments in the spotlight. NXT and it's associated promotion the Scottish Wrestling Alliance have strived to bring quality family entertainment to towns and halls across the West of Scotland, culminating in the struggle to bring an ailing genre into the spotlight with events in Kelvin Hall, and has helped raise funds for charities including Torkhill Childrens Foundation.
When WWE announced their new brand as NXT, using the same tagline 'NXT Generation' and emphasis on developmental talent, staff and employee's began to worry when they woke up to the new on Wednesday morning.
"We have had no direct contact from WWE regarding this matter but we welcome any conversation or resolution they would like to put forward." Commented Peter Murphy, owner of the Scottish Wrestling Alliance
"Everyone at the Scottish Wrestling Alliance is honoured that WWE have decided to name their latest product after SWA's feeder programme, NXT. We would like to assure our fans that the original NXT is still leading the way for trainees in Scotland and the shows on 6th February, Spittal Community Centre, Rutherglen, 19th February, Bargarran Community Centre, Erskine, March 6th, Viewpark Community Centre, Uddingston and March 19th, Links Community Centre, Cumbernauld are all still due to go ahead as advertised."
After long and careful planning, SWA:NXT made it’s debut in January 2007 as a promotion designed to showcase up and coming talent within Scotland in conjunction with SWA’s Area 52 wrestling school. In 2009 NXT Wrestling split from the Scottish Wrestling Alliance to stand on it’s own two feet, taking it’s own creative direction in September last year.
The goal within the company is to give younger talent an opportunity to showcase their abilities and get noticed. Several of our NXT talents over the years have gone on to work across the UK, gain international interest and win NWA Heavyweight championships. NXT promoted shows across the West of Scotland with our next event scheduled this weekend, February 6th in Rutherglen which features some fresh young talent who have risen through the ranks of their training facility and earned their place on the event.
