[4][6] Along with introducing Sabu to Las Vegas audiences, the NWC was one of the first promotions in the U.S. to feature Rob Van Dam in a prominent position.

[3][7] In addition to a weekly television series,[4] the promotion sold out both The Silver Nugget and Aladdin Hotel & Casino several times during its initial 1994–95 run.

The NWC made pro wrestling headlines in 1995 when The Ultimate Warrior agreed to make an appearance for the company after nearly three years in self-imposed exile.

Warrior's abrupt departure weeks later, and his erratic behavior leading up to their debut event, is blamed for causing the NWC's first bankruptcy.

[5] The promotion was backed financially by Al Rodriguez[8] and colorful Las Vegas businessman James "Buffalo Jim" Barrier.

The undercard also featured a match between Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and Nailz[1] in one of their earliest appearances on the independent circuit after their release from the World Wrestling Federation.

[3] The success of this first show encouraged Martin to move the NWC to the Silver Nugget Pavilion which would remain the promotion's home arena for most of its original run.

While the show only drew 550 fans, the Desert Death match between Sabu and Cactus Jack was rated 4 stars by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

[14] JYD, who was in the process of moving to Las Vegas, made a number of appearances for the promotion[3] which ended up being his last major run as an in-ring competitor.

The NWC attracted another sell-out crowd to the Silver Nugget Casino on February 11, the featured bout being Terry Funk and Virgil in a branding iron match, prompting the Wrestling Observer to call the promotion one of "the hottest indie groups" in the country.

[19] This included hosting "The Doctor's Office" on Slammin' TV, a comedy interview segment heavily influenced by the WWF's Piper's Pit, which was not popular with either the audience or wrestlers.

They dominated the NWC's tag team division, wowing crowds with their Suicide Bomber finisher,[22] and remained undefeated throughout their three years with the company.

Bobby Bradley was a great tag team partner because he could do so many cool moves and we complimented each other with our action and you wouldn't expect it from him based on just his look, his shape.

[26] It was a match on the undercard, however, that aroused controversy when Virgil's opponent, The Thug, came out to the ring dressed in a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) hood.

[24] He and Martin agreed to form a new parent company, Ultimate Creations, which was to be officially announced on the promotion's upcoming first anniversary show.

[25][40] Martin also looked into bringing Big Van Vader to the NWC after the wrestler was suspended (and ultimately fired) by World Championship Wrestling.

Martin received a call from Warrior about 15 minutes before his first interview and claimed his car had broken down while driving from his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

When Warrior finally checked into the Aladdin Hotel at 6:00 PM, about 12 hours after his scheduled arrival, he put a block on his phone which prevented the promoter or anyone else from contacting him.

Warrior missed another round of public appearances including one for Ultrazone, a major sponsor for Slammin' TV, which had brought out 300 fans.

Virgil was named as Neidhart's opponent in the main event[25] and an impromptu $10,000 battle royal involving the entire NWC roster was added[39] but they failed to satisfy the audience.

[25][42] Harry Simon, then a correspondent for the Pro Wrestling Torch, recalled the audience's reaction at the show's conclusion: After the card, people were throwing things in the ring as [T.C.

Besides the bad feelings resulting from The Warrior's "no show", the KKK storyline was also ill-received and caused one wrestling fan to ask: "How tasteless can a promotion get?

[29] On the opposite end of the spectrum, The Ultimate Warrior was voted third runner-up for the PWI Comeback of the Year award by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

[50] According to Bryan Alvarez, the best match on the card was reportedly a tag team bout between Mexican luchadors Damian and D.Dog versus Super Boy and Principe Indu from Asistencia Asesoría y Administración.

In the double main event, Sabu retained his title against Kama and Virgil in a Triangle Steel Cage match, while Johnny "Psycho" Paine and The Iron Sheik fought to a double-disqualification.

On the undercard, defending NWC Tag Team Champions Aerial Assault (Bobby Bradley and Rob Van Dam) defeated Super Boy and Principe Hindu.

[52] Despite its best efforts, the NWC was unable to recapture the cult following it enjoyed in previous years: Martin's little independent group was actually doing pretty well and getting an ever-improving following among the Las Vegas locals.

[5] The NWC made its official debut on March 27, 1997, with the main event featuring Sabu and then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dan Severn in a Street Fight match.

[56] Martin had hopes of running regular shows in Sacramento, Stockton and Bakersfield, California but was ultimately unable to secure a television deal to air the promotion's weekly series.

The Sacramento Bee reported that an arrangement with one station fell through at the last minute because the executives felt a "Steel Cage War with Weapons" match might offend viewers.