NWA Boss Billy Corgan Says Wrestling Must Escape Its Niche To Go Mainstream
Wrestlezone · Bibonsinha · 2026-08-20T01:04:56+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Billy Corgan believes pro wrestling is close to entering another major growth period. However, he feels the industry needs to make one key change first. According to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) owner, wrestling needs to stop being seen as a niche form of entertainment and return to its place as a mainstream product.
Wrestling has gone through many ups and downs over the years. Nevertheless, with major promotions growing, bigger events attracting global audiences, and immense media coverage, many believe the business is entering another strong era. Corgan shares that belief and thinks wrestling still has a lot of room to grow.
Billy Corgan believes wrestling is very close to becoming mainstream
Speaking on the Battleground Podcast, the NWA owner discussed the role streaming platforms could play in wrestling’s future. He noted that making matches available online has helped the company reach new viewers and introduce more people to wrestling.
Corgan also highlighted a key element that is shaping the wrestling industry. He mentioned WWE becoming part of the larger corporate structure after its merger with TKO Group Holdings.
“I think since we’ve seen the sale of WWE to WME, which is also owns UFC, I think you’re gonna see now wrestling finally enter the core mainstream of entertainment. It’ll be up there with Broadway theater and everything else. It’s something that obviously very popular, generates a lot of money for partners that it has. I think it also sort of attracts more talent. Personally, I think wrestling’s best days are ahead. I love the era I grew up in; I think it was a fantastic time for professional wrestling. But, I think what’s to come, you see what WWE’s able to do with 80,000 people in a stadium for WrestleMania and all that stuff,” Corgan explained (H/T: Fightful Select).
He also explained that he respects the passionate fan base that supports today’s wrestling scene. But he believes the industry should not only focus on a small group of dedicated fans.
“My pitch is always the same. It’s a mainstream product. It’s meant to be a mainstream product,” Corgan said.
Corgan pointed out that wrestling has recently moved toward becoming more of a niche product. He invoked a comparison with independent music scenes where artists have loyal fans but may not reach a larger audience.
“I know it’s very trendy right now for wrestling to be treated as a niche product, where a smaller and smaller fan base pays more and more to watch a very specific kind of wrestling. And I get that. It’s very similar to the dynamics of independent music, where a band has a weird mustache, a bunch of people like them, and they can’t really write hit songs, but everyone says how great it is,” Corgan said.
He compared wrestling to blockbuster movies, which become successful because they appeal to fans from all backgrounds. For Corgan, the best wrestling product should connect with both young fans watching for the first time and longtime supporters who have followed the industry for years.
“You have to find a product that reaches everyone, from a five-year-old kid who understands what they’re watching at the most fundamental level, to, in my case, an 81-year-old Belgian woman who didn’t even speak English but who liked professional wrestling. I think that’s when wrestling is at its best. The best times are still to come,” Corgan explained.
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