AEW’s introduction of its new AEW National Championship on AEW Dynamite this week has stirred up tension with the NWA.
As noted, the inaugural AEW National Champion will be decided by a Casino Gauntlet match at the upcoming AEW Full Gear pay-per-view at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on November 22, 2025. The only confirmed participants for the match thus far are The Hurt Syndicate duo of “The Almighty” Bobby Lashley and “The Standard of Excellence” Shelton Benjamin.
Not because of the belt itself, but due to a brewing ongoing legal dispute over the name ‘Shockwave.’
While both companies have ties to versions of the “National” title, with NWA’s dating back to the 1980s, there is no trademark conflict over that name.
The real issue stems from AEW’s attempt last year to trademark “AEW: Shockwave” for a potential TV show, a name the NWA had already used for YouTube programming in 2020 and again this year in 2025.
The NWA formally opposed AEW’s trademark filing back in June, claiming long-term prior use of “Shockwave” and even sent AEW a cease-and-desist letter, which elicited a legal response from AEW (see documents via Instagram post embedded below).
AEW has since denied the NWA’s claims and argued that the name isn’t confusingly similar.
According to NWA talent, the timing of the newly introduced AEW National Championship announcement may have been a retaliatory move connected to the ongoing ‘Shockwave’ legal dispute, an allegation AEW has not addressed publicly.
The ongoing AEW vs. NWA legal case is now before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, with a resolution not expected until sometime in 2026.
We will keep you posted here at WrestlingHeadlines.com as updates regarding the ongoing issues between AEW and NWA continue to surface.
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) November 6, 2025
