When Lagana was gone from NWA, Robert Anthony made his way into the organization.
Present day, Robert Anthony is an agent and on-screen talent for the National Wrestling Alliance. He was portraying the role of ‘Cyon’ and went on to have a run as National Champion.
On his Podding With Ego podcast, Anthony shared that he wanted to make his way into NWA earlier than he did. He tried to get into NWA pre-pandemic, but says then-Vice President, David Lagana, did not like him. After Lagana resigned from his role following sexual assault allegations, Anthony joined the organization. He was asked to come onboard as Cyon.
I tried to get into the NWA a year or so before the pandemic. He (Billy Corgan) was the owner but he had another guy doing Simon Diamond/Pat’s job. (David) Lagana, yes, and Lagana hated me, because I was Billy’s friend… I could tell right off the bat that Lagana wanted to be Billy’s wrestling friend, but he didn’t really want us around (Billy’s other friends). So when I hit up NWA, there was really nothing for me and this was the time of NWA 70, I believe… Lagana told me they had nothing for me so I took the booking with Warrior Wrestling. I believe I was wrestling (Brian) Pillman (Jr.) that day and three days before 70, Lagana hit me up and he goes, ‘Hey, we have an opportunity for you.’ Basically a tryout pre-show, and I was like, ‘Hey man, it’s three days. This is Tennessee. I already took a thing’ and he goes, ‘Man, you come to me and asked for an opportunity and now that I give you one, it’s a bad look’ and I could tell what he was doing. He was, like, burying me, saying, I gave your buddy an opportunity. He said no and then when he said that to me, I sent him a screenshot of him saying, ‘Hey, there’s nothing for you at 70. Maybe somewhere in the future.’ I was like, ‘Hey, what you’re saying right now makes no sense because I asked for an opportunity and you told me no. Here’s the screenshot. Then, you talk to me in three days and then try to guilt trip me?’ I literally said all this to him… Oh, we’ll get to that (where Lagana is present day), because I have no ill will. It’s a Gabe Sapolsky situation with Lagana and me basically.
He ghosts me when I call him out on his bullsh*t. I’m like, ‘You’re painting me out to be this bad guy when in reality, I have the proof of what you’re doing to me right now. You’re basically doing this so you can be the only wrestling friend…’ I smartened him (Corgan) up right away because here’s the thing, he thinks I’m Billy’s wrestling friend. Billy was at my wedding, Billy came to the hospital when my son was born. We’re more than just wrestling friends. We’re friends. When NWA’s over with and he’s not running wrestling anymore, we’ll still be friends. So it’s not like a f*cking business thing with me. I wanted to be in NWA to tell a story. Lagana f*cked that off. Pandemic happens, all this sh*t, Lagana gets canceled. Lagana gets canceled because he was using his quote-unquote power to solicit from other female and male wrestlers. So now he’s gone. So that’s why he’s gone… He’s one of those guys, he’s one of those creeps. So he’s out of there, right? So as soon as he gets out of there, guess who comes back in? Robert Anthony is back in but now Robert Anthony isn’t Robert Anthony. He’s asked to be ‘Cyon’ (he laughed).
Anthony spoke in-depth about how he feels about the Cyon character and how the idea was introduced to him. For more on that, click here.
If the quote in this article is used, please credit Podding With Ego with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription.
