Billy Corgan appeared on today’s Busted Open Radio to promote the Hard Times 3 pay-per-view. During the discussion, Corgan talked about the situation with Nick Aldis.
He said, “Nick Aldis and I entered into a business relationship five years ago where we bet on one another. That proved to be a good bet. He’s been the highest paid talent in the NWA the entire time, without question. He knows that. He’s had a lot of say, not only over the company but also with how he was booked. That’s transparent. Why is a man, who a week ago, emailed us to say, ‘Thanks for everything you’ve done, I’m going to kind of move on.’ Cool. He gave his notice, privately, we didn’t do anything. Did we retaliate or leak some rumor? No, we didn’t say anything. We have shows booked, Nick is on the card. He’s doing interviews for the pay-per-view. Why is a guy who is so disgruntled doing interviews? We’re in business, right? “
“A couple of days ago, he does a video where he says, ‘I’m opting out of my contract.’ He does it publicly. I wouldn’t do business that way, but it’s his choice. I didn’t like it, but okay, he’s leaving in 55 days. Do your business and go out the door. Hopefully, we’ll do business down the road. Then, he starts blasting the product. I want to remind everybody that everything that he’s said, I’ve been hearing that stuff for years. It’s not like I heard it and got sensitive. Why in a pay-per-view week, with a talent who is leaving the company, does he decide to start blasting me and the product, 55 days before he’s out and he can do whatever he wants to do? Why does he have to bury the locker room and the product? Again, I’ve heard all of this stuff privately for years. These are not new criticisms. He and I have battled about the product for years and he’s helped make the product better with those battles. This is not a sensitive reactionary thing. How do I, as the leader of this company, allow a key talent, the most highly visible talent in the company, up until he opens his mouth and tells people he’s leaving, blast the company? He’s still under contract and being paid. We didn’t take his money. I can’t have a guy like that show up because what message does that send to the locker room. There are a lot of people in the locker room not happy about this. They have to do their job. Why is the focus not on Matt Cardona, Tyrus, Trevor Murdoch, Kamille, KiLynn King, or Chelsea Green? The focus is on Nick Aldis, who is not on the show anymore.”
Corgan stated that he is unaware of the angle Aldis is working:
“I don’t understand what the point is. Why is he working an angle when he’s leaving? Why is he using NWA’s good name or my good name to get himself over in a way that is not necessary? If he’s everything he thinks he is, go into the free market like any free agent and test your mettle. He’s working something. I don’t know what he’s working, but he’s willing to sacrifice me and the NWA to prove something or get something going or get out early to go do something because someone has given him an ‘iggy’ of ‘hey, if you can get out early.’ This is not cool. He’s a paid talent and under contract. He didn’t come to us privately and say, ‘I’d like to get out early for XYZ.’ I’ve been in those situations. I can deal with those things. I used to tell Nick in the early days of the NWA, ‘if Vince (McMahon) calls you tomorrow and wants you, I’ll release you out of your contract.’ Why is a guy like that, me, who is willing to let a guy go to chase bigger opportunities, why does this guy have to go and burn down the company 50 something days out when he can just leave in 50 days?”
When Corgan removed Aldis from NWA 74, they were working an angle, but it has now unfortunately turned into a shoot:
“When a person goes scorched earth, where do you go back? When I was on a few months ago and went off on Nick, we were working, that was an angle we were working. All plans were Nick was going to stay with the company in 2023. We were going to pit against each other and we talked about maybe I turn and would be with him. We talked about all kinds of scenarios for 2023. We started building up this heat. Part of what feeds into this story now is a worked story. Everything has been totally cool. He told me over and over what he didn’t like. I told him what I liked and didn’t like, and basically said, ‘If you don’t like it, you can go and start your own company.’ This is the NWA, this is my company, I invest my time and money to work on the NWA as something I care about. That’s it. It’s all transparent. I would prefer that the last image you have of Nick Aldis in the NWA ring is his hand raised. He didn’t want to do business the right way. He went into business for himself and now we’re in a position where we have to defend. What are we defending? Nick Aldis doesn’t like the NWA. Okay. Let the people that are here go out and prove why he’s wrong. It’s not complicated.”
For those who missed it, click here for Corgan’s comments claiming Tony Khan took credit for Mickie James’ success.
You can listen to the complete podcast below:
(h/t to Wrestling News for the transcription)
