Pedro Martínez (no relation to the baseball player) owned the original National Wrestling Federation, which operated from 1970 to 1974.

During the original version of the NWF, popular performers included Johnny Powers, Ernie Ladd, Waldo Von Erich, Chief White Owl, Hans Schmidt, the Mighty Igor, Luis Martinez, Ron Sanders, Dusty Rhodes, Tony Parisi, Tony Marino, the Stomper, Ben Justice, the Love Brothers, Dick the Bruiser, Blackjack Lanza, Dr. Moto, Mitsu Arakawa, and Bulldog Brower.

Raskin felt that the NWF should move the television tapings from the Easton, PA VFW Hall to various locations around the east coast.

As the women's division became established, Wendi Richter (who along with Cyndi Lauper helped the WWF bring attention to ladies wrestling once again) was defeated in a questionable fashion in Madison Square Garden by The Fabulous Moolah and left the organization.

On February 28, 1991, Raskin promoted a supercard at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, as part of a one-night NWF tour of Athens, Greece.

The television show expanded to Sports Channels and broadcast stations across the country and appeared in foreign markets in Europe, South and Central America and Asia.

As the company grew, creative differences began to split the organization and several in the front office left to pursue other ventures.