EC3 is trying to find the right platform for the NWA, his title, and his challengers.
The NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard ahead of his two international title defenses on July 6 in France and July 7 in Italy.
EC3 is emphasizing the “world” part of World Champion with his title reign, which is a “mutual vision” he shares with NWA President Billy Corgan. EC3 has defended his title in Australia and Japan, and he wants to keep giving challengers around the world the platform they deserve.
“We have a mutual vision. WPC and I. We are both minded. We are both geniuses, we are both eccentric characters, to say the least. As far as the title defenses, the Overman World Title World Tour, I’m taking this on. I mean, I’m putting a lot of effort into my own brand, my own self. Not my own brand per se,” he clarified, “but putting myself out there and putting myself into these positions to kind of find the right promotions, find the right opponents, platform. Find the right countries to visit, check a few boxes off my own itinerary at the same time.”
A shared vision
EC3 credited Dory Funk Jr.’s wife, Marti Funk, with facilitating the All Japan partnership. He believes collaborations like that are what the NWA has been trying to create, and ones the wrestling world has been asking for.
“I had a wonderful time over at All Japan. I cannot wait to go back. From there, I came back to the States, defended the title a few more times. Went back on an airplane, I went over to Australia and defended the title over there against a wonderful talent named Keegan [Brettle]. He likes to drink beer. Imagine that. Came back here, defended the title a couple of times,” he explained. “Ran our own NWA Exodus show, the Territory of the NWA. The first territory, the best territory.
“And now I’m going to Italy. I’m going to France. I mean, the idea of a World Championship is to take over the world. And the conquests, the great inspirations I have from the Caesars to the Napoleans to the Alexanders,” EC3 said. “When the reality, this title needs to be worldwide. And the talent that challenge for it need to be platformed. So I think it’s a shared vision between myself, WPC, The NWA, and probably wrestling in general.”
EC3’s role at NWA 76
NWA 76 is on the horizon and while he still has two title defenses before it happens, EC3 has certain expectations about the anniversary event in Philadelphia. EC3 highlighted many credible challengers on the NWA roster. However, he believes Thom Latimer, the current NWA National Champion, will eventually find his way into the world title picture.
“In-house is probably where the worthy opponent would lie. So, the NWA [roster], there’s a lot of brimming young talents. But there are a very few that I think are on the cusp that can challenge for something so great at such a premiere event, But, it’s hard for me to not know where this is going to go. Because I know Thom Latimer, who is one of my favorite opponents — mostly because I beat him all the time. But he’s one of my favorite opponents because he is truly one of the best wrestlers in the world. I’ve said that on countless interviews and I will continue to say it.”
It’s okay to be number two
He credited Latimer as one of the best wrestlers in the world, but EC3 also said it’s OK for Latimer to be his “number two” in the grand scheme of things.
“Him as the National Champion, it seems likely that his time to cash in would coincide with NWA 76. I can’t see anything preventing him from trying to cash in and defeat me,” EC3 noted.
“I can only see that the exact same conclusion will take place and it’s taken place at NWA Samhain when this year I defeated him, or the Crockett Cup last year where I defeated him. Though he is one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, I am the greatest living wrestler alive. Somebody has to be number two and you know, it’s unfortunate that it has to be him,” EC3 explained.
“[It’s unfortunate] that we had to coincide on this same time frame, in this same company, in this same dimension that somebody that is so good and so talented, may never become World Heavyweight Champion because I will never lose it. But that is the brakes,” he noted. “And I mean… personally, it would be a defeat to me, but it’s okay to be number two. So I assume Thom Latimer is going to cash in.”
Watch our full interview with EC3 below:
