The NWA Anniversary Show is a professional wrestling event held by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The first event was held in 1998 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NWA's founding in 1948. The event then continued to be held annually until 2005. It has later been held periodically, with shows in 2008 and 2018, before becoming a regular yearly event starting in 2021.[1]
On May 8, 2026, the NWA announced that the NWA 78th Anniversary Show would take place on July 25, 2026, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This would be the second time in three years that the NWA Anniversary Show took place in the venue.[2][3]
At the Crockett Cup, Natalia Markova retained the NWA World Women's Championship against Sirena Veil. However, she was immediately attacked by TV-MA's Gretta, allowing Markova's longtime rival Tiffany Nieves to invoke her Burke Invitational Gauntlet title opportunity – something she had won earlier that night – and capture the championship.[5] Now looking for revenge, the NWA announced on June 22 that Markova would face Gretta at the NWA 78th Anniversary Show.[6]
For over three months, Daisy Kill had been feuding with Eric Smalls, which began after Smalls defeated Kill in a humiliating fashion at the December 13, 2025 taping of NWA Powerrr.[7] Kill has repeatedly tried to get back at Smalls ever since, only to be humiliated every time. Two months later at the February 21 taping, Kill defeated Smalls in a Lethal Ladder match where a Shanghai pain stick was suspended above the ring. Smalls was the one to retrieve the weapon first, but Kill would hit a low blow on Smalls to win the match.[8] At the Crockett Cup, Smalls would defeat Kill in a Kiss My Boots match; while he technically adhered to the stipulation afterward, Kill would then hit Smalls with another low blow.[9] After not much interaction between the two, aside from a post-match incident on the June 6 episode of NWA Powerrr where Smalls stole Kill's jacket,[10] the former would hold an open challenge two weeks later, where he was soundly beaten by Big Cuzzo. Kill would later come out and take his jacket back, revealing he hired Big Cuzzo to finish Smalls off once and for all.[11] On June 29, the NWA announced that Kill and Smalls would face off one more time at the 78th Anniversary Show in a dog collar match.[12]
