History NWA World Heavyweight Championship

1 history

1.1 history
1.2 world wide wrestling federation
1.3 jim crockett promotions / world championship wrestling
1.4 eastern/extreme championship wrestling (1993 - 1994)
1.5 smoky mountain wrestling , united states wrestling association
1.6 world wrestling federation
1.7 independent circuit
1.8 total nonstop action wrestling (2002 - 2007)
1.9 reclaiming glory

1.9.1 ring of honor
1.9.2 pearce , cabana

history
early history

the belt used represent nwa world heavyweight championship (established 1948) recognized national wrestling alliance (being held aloft five-time champion adam pearce). flag of australia , canadian red ensign can seen on belt s strap

every year, nwa world heavyweight champion travel each territory , defend title against territories top contender or champion. purpose of world champion make top contender , still hold title. nwa board of directors, composed of territory owners, decided when title changed hands via vote. late 1950s, however, system began break down. lou thesz continued hold title, other popular wrestlers such verne gagne became frustrated on lack of change. there disputes on number of appearances champion make in different regions.

on june 14, 1957 in chicago, lou thesz defended world title against canadian wrestler Édouard carpentier in 2 out of 3 falls match. thesz , carpentier split first 2 falls. in third fall, thesz disqualified referee ed whalen raised carpentier s hand in victory. nwa later voided title change based on disqualification. thesz defeated carpentier disqualification in montreal rematch on july 24. had been planned nwa present thesz , carpentier rival champions in different cities following similar pattern successful title dispute matches between thesz , leo nomellini. carpentier able make appearances in champion while thesz on overseas tour. however, result of various disputes within nwa, carpentier s manager, wrestling promoter eddie quinn, left organization in august making carpentier unavailable nwa. organization dealt situation announcing 71 days after carpentier s win in chicago did not recognize carpentier s win , had never recognized it. quinn started promoting carpentier true nwa world champion based on match thesz. in 1958, quinn started shopping carpentier around promoters interested in leaving nwa. victory on carpentier give local champion credible claim world championship of wrestling.

verne gagne, had been trying become nwa world heavyweight champion time, defeated carpentier in omaha, nebraska on august 9, 1958. recognized title change nwa affiliate promotions later evolve american wrestling association (awa) in 1960. disputed version of nwa world heavyweight title later known world heavyweight championship (omaha version). title unified awa world heavyweight championship on september 7, 1963. awa title continued exist until awa ceased operations in 1991.

the boston nwa affiliate known atlantic athletic commission arranged match between killer kowalski , carpentier in 1958. kowalski s victory created after known acc world heavyweight title , later big time wrestling (boston) world title active until 1975, later reforming in 2000s.

the nawa/wwa in los angeles recognized carpentier nwa champion in july 1959 part of gradually splitting nwa. on june 12, 1961, carpentier lost match freddie blassie created basis wwa world heavyweight championship (los angeles version). title ceased exist when wwa returned nwa on october 1, 1968.

world wide wrestling federation

diagram showing evolution of nwa world heavyweight championships wwf/wwe , wcw championships

the world wide wrestling federation (wwwf), later evolved world wrestling entertainment, major wrestling promotion in northeast united states in 1960s. vincent j. mcmahon s capitol wrestling corporation, precursor wwwf, seceded national wrestling alliance variety of reasons including selection of nwa world heavyweight champion , number of dates wrestled champion in promotion. ostensibly, dispute on nature boy buddy rogers losing nwa world heavyweight championship lou thesz in 1 fall instead of best-of-three — format in nwa world heavyweight championship matches traditionally decided @ time. capitol wrestling corporation executives held majority control on nwa while in nwa board of directors @ time. following lou thesz s world heavyweight championship win, capitol wrestling corporation seceded national wrestling alliance , became world wide wrestling federation. nature boy buddy rogers recognized first wwwf world heavyweight champion.

jim crockett promotions / world championship wrestling

when ric flair won nwa world title in 1981, traveled other nwa territories , defended belt. drop belt , regain it, nwa board of directors decided. on more 1 occasion, flair lost , regained belt without official sanctioning of nwa. in cases (such case of jack veneno), these switches ignored. however, of 1998, nwa recognized flair-race switches had occurred in march 1984 in new zealand , singapore.

as 1980s drew close, jim crockett promotions (the main nwa territory) made failed bid go national , filed bankruptcy in attempt compete wwf. turner broadcasting purchased company, because high rated program on wtbs cable station. completing deal in november 1988, turner began changing company world championship wrestling (wcw). wcw stayed in nwa, turner phased out nwa name. nwa organization existed on paper @ point; on television portrayed nwa world heavyweight championship became wcw world heavyweight championship late 1990.

due falling out wcw executive vice-president jim herd, flair fired wcw on july 1, 1991 while still being recognized nwa world heavyweight champion. flair took nwa belt him, because wcw , herd had not returned $25,000 bond flair had paid on belt. match held vacated wcw world heavyweight championship within 2 weeks of departure, no mention made of nwa title. flair stripped of nwa world heavyweight championship nwa board of directors shortly after signed wwf in september 1991; board had reconstituted, members had gone out of business or been bought out jcp/wcw. flair displayed big gold belt on wwf television, calling himself real world s heavyweight champion. after winning wwf championship, real world s heavyweight champion angle dropped. wcw, had subsequently filed lawsuit against wwf prevent them using big gold belt on television, dropped action. belt returned wcw.

ric flair in seoul, south korea

during flair s departure wcw, company had made new wcw world title belt. after year hiatus, nwa board authorized wcw , new japan pro wrestling hold tournament decide new nwa world champion using big gold belt, owned wcw. turner s company still maintained wcw world championship, having 2 world heavyweight titles present in same promotion. tournament won japanese wrestler masahiro chono. 1992 1993, nwa belt defended in japan , on wcw television. flair returned wcw , regained belt barry windham in july 1993; same year, wcw recognized ric flair-tatsumi fujinami nwa title changes in 1991. disputes between wcw management , nwa board reached breaking point in summer of 1993 on variety of issues, not least of storyline wcw have title switched rick rude.

on september 1, 1993, wcw withdrew membership nwa kept title belt owned. court battle decided wcw not continue use letters nwa describe or promote belt, did possess right physical title belt , historical lineage goodwill agreement between prior boards of directors , wcw (and prior incarnation jim crockett promotions). per ruling, title belt dropped recognition being nwa world heavyweight title continued billed world heavyweight championship wcw. after, big gold belt defended without company affiliation, being referred big gold belt short time, until became known wcw international world heavyweight championship. title recognized championship of fictitious entity known wcw international , served replacement nwa board, until title unified main wcw title.

despite losing wcw flagship program, nwa picked new members , remained in existence legal entity. after year, organization scheduled tournament crown new champion, , brought domed globe belt 70s 80s represent new champion.

eastern/extreme championship wrestling (1993 - 1994)

after wcw withdrew nwa, eastern championship wrestling (ecw) territory became televised wrestling show still within nwa. such, nwa decided hold tournament vacated nwa world heavyweight championship through ecw. tournament held @ ecw arena in august 1994 , won ecw heavyweight champion shane douglas. (at time, ecw title considered regional title). douglas appeared proud become nwa world heavyweight champion, until turned , threw belt down , started slandering nwa, picked ecw heavyweight title belt , proclaimed himself ecw world heavyweight champion. thereafter ecw withdrew nwa , became extreme championship wrestling. in 2005, ecw documentary forever hardcore, douglas claimed part of reason decided toss down nwa belt because of derogatory , slanderous comments then-nwa head dennis coralluzzo had allegedly been making regarding professionalism.

smoky mountain wrestling , united states wrestling association

despite blow organization, nwa held tournament in november 1994; in cherry hill, new jersey hosted promoter dennis coralluzzo , smoky mountain wrestling. tournament won chris candido , title recognized , defended in such independent promotions smoky mountain wrestling , united states wrestling association. holding belt few months, dropped belt ultimate fighting championship s (ufc) dan severn in february 1995. severn held belt continuously 4 years, made sporadic defenses due ufc commitments. although severn had attempted go traveling champion route done former champions thesz, dory funk, jr., harley race, , terry funk, competition level relatively minor due lack of strong territories.

world wrestling federation

in 1998, ufc hall of famer dan severn became part of jim cornette s nwa faction in wwf. trying in national spotlight, nwa made deal vincent k. mcmahon appear on wwf television. part of cornette s nwa stable nwa north american champion jeff jarrett, winning vacant title defeating barry windham on monday night raw. nwa s deal wwf never accomplished intended purpose , mcmahon ended it. nwa belt went being defended on independent circuit , remaining nwa territories.

independent circuit

in 1999, severn lost title former olympic judoka naoya ogawa, , title picture became more competitive. champions nonetheless remained wrestlers independents, regardless of whether north america (severn, mike rapada, sabu), asia (ogawa, shinya hashimoto), or europe (gary steele). situation continued until 2002, when severn able regain title hashimoto in japan, albeit controversy.

total nonstop action wrestling (2002 - 2007)

in 2002, jeff , jerry jarrett formed nwa:total nonstop action (nwa:tna). jarretts worked out licensing deal nwa , affiliated promotion nwa world heavyweight , tag team titles. while working out cable deal, jarretts put nwa:tna on weekly pay-per-view. nwa world heavyweight champion @ time, dan severn, unable appear on inaugural tna card, , stripped of nwa title. ken shamrock declared new nwa world heavyweight champion after winning gauntlet gold battle royal. in 2004, nwa:tna withdrew nwa, retained rights use nwa world heavyweight , tag team titles on shows while being obliged adhere rulings of nwa board of directors. agreement ended on may 13, 2007 tna creating own championships.

reclaiming glory

on may 22, 2007, nwa announced through statement on official website, , through video posted on youtube, tournament, entitled reclaiming glory, fill title vacancy left after end of nwa s relationship tna wrestling. sixteen men competed championship, adam pearce winning belt defeating brent albright on september 1, 2007 in bayamón, puerto rico. pearce active in defending championship, suffered same problems had plagued new nwa in past. lack of stable promotions within nwa made difficult have traveling champion, of pearce s defenses took place in nwa pro promotion owned david marquez , john rivera. pearce s main foe in defenses sean x-pac waltman, , 2 wrestled numerous times on title. later, pearce resumed feud albright, both men exchanging number 1 contendership.

ring of honor

blue demon jr., first mexican champion of title, championship belt

on june 7, 2008 @ ring of honor (roh) pay per view, pearce revealed nwa world heavyweight championship @ conclusion of match, making officially recognized in ring of honor. following event announced on june 27, ring of honor world champion, nigel mcguinness take on nwa world heavyweight champion, pearce title title @ battle supremacy in dayton, ohio. match ended in disqualification when nwa rule of throwing opponent on top rope enforced, therefore both men retained respective titles, causing crowd in dayton chant dusty finish .

brent albright defeated adam pearce in new york, new york @ roh death before dishonor vi event on august 2, 2008 win nwa world heavyweight championship. first time title changed hands in new york city. on september 20, 2008, pearce began second reign champion defeating albright @ ring of honor glory honor vii event in philadelphia, pennsylvania. lose title 1 month later blue demon, jr. in mexico city.

pearce , cabana

on march 14, 2010, pearce ended blue demon jr. s 505-day reign champion emerging victorious on him , phill shatter in match in charlotte, north carolina. pearce held title full year before colt cabana defeated him @ taping of championship wrestling hollywood on march 6, 2011. cabana held title forty-eight days himself until sheik beat him in jacksonville, florida @ nwa pro wrestling fusion event.

on july 11, 2011, nwa announced stripping sheik of world championship refusing make title defense against pearce. defense, sheik claimed never told about, take place during ohio state fair on july 31. instead, four-way match signed put pearce, #1 contender, against nwa national heavyweight champion chance prophet, nwa north american champion shaun tempers, , jimmy rave vacant title. pearce won , became champion fourth time. once again, lost belt cabana, defeated him @ championship wrestling hollywood taping on april 8, 2012.

shortly thereafter cabana , pearce began facing each other in series of matches dubbed 7 levels of hate best of 7 series. fourth match of series two-out-of-three falls contest held on july 21, 2012, in kansas city, missouri. nwa sanctioned match world championship match , pearce emerged victorious become five-time world champion.

with both wrestlers @ 3 victories, final match of series scheduled october 27, 2012 in melbourne, australia @ nwa warzone wrestling event. pearce wanted nwa sanction match world title match, had done earlier. nwa, however, refused , did not want pearce , cabana go forward match. did anyway, cabana winning match. pearce , cabana both broke kayfabe after match, pearce saying cabana rightful champion , cabana saying did not want title past , future. pearce declared did not want title either , left in ring 2 exited arena.