In September 2024, AEW filed a trademark application for the term “Shockwave,” intending to launch a new show under that name. However, this plan has not yet materialized due to an opposition filed by the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) in June.
The NWA claims it has common law rights to the term “Shockwave” dating back to the first season of their show, which aired in December 2020.
According to WrestleNomics, the trademark dispute is ongoing. The NWA submitted its own trademark application on September 23, 2024, just 17 days after AEW’s application.
The NWA asserts that it has been using the name “NWA Shockwave” continuously since 2020 and notes that its predecessors used the term “Shockwave” for many years prior to that. In opposition, the NWA’s lawyers stated that they had sent a legal letter to AEW, demanding that AEW abandon its Shockwave trademark. The NWA successfully registered “Shockwave” in June, while AEW’s application remains active.
AEW responded to the NWA’s opposition on July 15, denying the NWA’s claims and arguing that its own application should proceed.
AEW contends that the NWA has not used the term “Shockwave” continuously and that the trademarks are not confusingly similar, asserting that AEW’s use of the term would not harm the NWA.
Brandon Thurston noted that, as of now, the dispute has not been resolved, and it could turn into a lengthy process.
