Billy Corgan – “I Was Warned About Nick Aldis”
Billy Corgan has lashed out at Nick Aldis accusing the star of working an angle to get out of his NWA contract early following his suspension.
On November 6th, a report went out that Nick Aldis gave the NWA his notice and that he’d be a free agent by New Year’s Day. However, that announcement was supposed to be restricted on Aldis’ social media but instead reached a far wider audience than originally intended.
Following that, an update went out noting that the NWA suspended Aldis following the announcement. Aldis was pulled from previously-scheduled appearances for NWA Hard Times 3 and Revolution Rumble on November 12th, and 13th, respectively.
Now NWA owner Billy Corgan, speaking on Busted Open Radio, has laid bare his astonishing frustrations with the man who fronted the company as NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion for a combined 1,309 days:
“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. 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.”
Billy Corgan then explained why he felt he had no choice but to suspend Nick Aldis and says there are plenty of people in the NWA locker room unhappy with the situation:
“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 don’t invite him. He’s still 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. It’s not animosity, it’s just, why are we doing this?”
Corgan then added that he believes that Nick Aldis is working an angle with the possible intention of trying to get released from his NWA deal early:
“It’s just talking about these things in public. I don’t understand what the point is. Why is he working an angle when he’s leaving? Why is he using the 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.”
Billy Corgan then added that he had been warned about Nick Aldis before signing the English star for his NWA:
“I was warned about this Nick Aldis before I signed Nick Aldis. As long as I gave Nick Aldis what he wanted, he was cheesecake and flowers. Now, I’m meeting the Nick Aldis that I was warned about, that people in other companies warned me about when I signed him. If that makes me a dummy, I don’t think so. It’s been a good play overall. Does this leave a sour taste in my mouth? Of course.”