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NWA Wildside started as a collaboration between two strong up and coming Indy federations, Steve Martin's National Championship Wrestling (NCW) and Bill Behrens NWA Georgia. According to Dan "The Dragon" Wilson, the voice of Wildside and historian, Martin had a crop of hungry young talent who were all just a bit insane. Many of these wrestlers would put their bodies and careers on the line just to gain exposure. Wrestlers like Rick Michaels, David Young, Kid Kash, J.C. Dazz, Scottie Wrenn, K-Krush (who we all know as K-Kwick), The Hardies, Bull Buchanan, Shannon Moore and Venom (Joey Abs in the WWF) had the tools necessary to make it to the big time. However, these same wrestlers did not really have a place to gain exposure as the WWF, WCW and ECW were holding it down at the time of wrestling's biggest boom to date. As is normally the case, many of these wrestlers left NCW and went to the big three promotions. Keeping his lineup fresh, Martin's NCW still continued to build its unique brand of talent, despite not having a place to showcase them.
Here is where Bill Behrens comes in. Behrens had been very successful in the past when it came to wrestling. Serving as a TV syndicator for USWA, Smokey Mountain Wrestling and even both the WWF and WCW, Behrens had vast knowledge and experience behind him. In the late 90's, along with Bret Prentice, the two started a company called Music City Wrestling. Eventually, Behrens left to form his own promotion, NWA Georgia. NWA Georgia used a similar formula that made Music City Wrestling a success (Memphis old school wrestling with lots of blood and deep personal angles) and built it around a different group of wrestlers (Bart Sawyer, Billy Black, Joel Deaton, Tiger Khan and more). In September of 1999, Martin and Ricky Michaels of NCW approached Behrens about helping them get the exposure they wanted for so long. NWA Wildside was born.
NCW and NWA Georgia combined as one organization called NWA Wildside. The promotion was a blend of the old and the new and was syndicated through the America One Network on 150 markets nationwide. Wildside evolved as many of the older wrestlers began leaving the promotion over the next two years to make way for the hot younger talent. Wildside was so big, that in November of 2000, WCW signed it to be their only farm league system. Stars like Kwee Wee, Mike Sanders, Sean O'Haire, Chuck Palumbo, Sean Stasiak, Mark Jindrak, David Flair, Tank Abbot, Jamie Knoble, and Shane Helms (The Hurricane) as well as other future stars, were sent to Wildside by WCW for training and experience. David Flair became a better wrestler because of this and was actually picked up by the WWF with a developmental contract. Wildside stars, EZ Money, Air Paris and A.J. Styles all received WCW contract and many other Wildside stars received tryouts. Wildside lost many of its new stars when Vince McMahon bought WCW and took many of the developmental talent to his farm leagues at Ohio Valley Wrestling and Heartland Wrestling Association.
Still, Wildside got the exposure it wanted and were a recognized name in the sport of wrestling. After WCW closed shop, Wildside was able to sign one of their old bookers and a former WWF booker, Ed Ferrara and even saw WCW announcer Scott Hudson join the ranks with Dan Wilson and former ECW interviewer, Steve Prazak. Many wrestling stars come by for brief appearances, too. However, what makes Wildside tick, besides having championships that date back to the old Georgia promotion days of Dusty Rhodes and Wahoo McDaniel, are its stars of tomorrow. Jeremy Lopez is a star from Osaka Pro Wrestling in Japan and a student of the Malenko Dojo. A.J. Styles in the next big star. According to Wilson, the world has never seen a more innovative young athlete. The young star has renamed the Shooting Star Press, the Shooting Styles Press and a finisher that is indescribable finisher called The Styles Clash (I will try to describe it later). Onyx is a hot African-American superstar that is built like a truck, with huge muscles, aerial abilities and charisma that drives the fans wild. Jason Cross made his name by actually copying A.J. Styles and using it against him. J.C. Dazz is a great heel and can fly, but prefers to use his technical superiority on the mat. TNT is a hot tag-team fresh out of Shawn Michaels' Academy and The Lost Boys are a sinister, much darker version of the Hardy Boys. There are many more stars on the roster and when they come together, they put on a show that is just too incredible to believe.