The following champion history features the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship.
Title history[]
Mid-America / CWA[]
Silver marks in the history indicate periods of unknown lineage.
NLT — No later than
| Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddy Rogers | 1 | NLT May 1957 | ||
| Mighty Atlas | 1 | NLT April 1958 | ||
| Tor Yamata | 1 | April 24, 1958 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Len Rossi | 1 | NLT July 1971 | ||
| Tony Charles | 1 | NLT June 1972 | ||
| Don Kent | 1 | NLT October 1974 | ||
| Jackie Fargo | 1 | January 4, 1975 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Don Kent | 2 | January 1975 | ||
| Luke Graham | 1 | February 5, 1975 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Don Kent | 3 | April 1975 | ||
| Luke Graham | 2 | May 7, 1975 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Harley Race | 1 | 1975 | ||
| Magnificent Zulu | 1 | NLT September 1975 | ||
| Harley Race | 2 | September 9, 1975 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jackie Fargo | 2 | NLT December 1975 | ||
| Dick Steinborn | 1 | NLT March 1976 | ||
| Roger Kirby | 1 | NLT June 1976 | ||
| Bob Armstrong | 1 | August 14, 1976 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Big Bad John | 1 | September 1976 | ||
| Bob Armstrong | 2 | September 25, 1976 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Roger Kirby | 2 | October 1976 | ||
| Tommy Rich | 1 | NLT November 1976 | ||
| Russian Stomper | 1 | January 1977 | ||
| Ken Lucas | 1 | February 13, 1977 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| The Executioner | 1 | April 15, 1977 | Huntsville, Alabama | |
| Jackie Fargo | 3 | May 28, 1977 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Title vacated in 1977 when Fargo was injured. | ||||
| Lanny Poffo | 1 | October 9, 1977 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | Defeated Dennis Hall in a tournament final to win the vacant title. |
| Don Kent | 4 | December 10, 1977 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Randy Savage | 1 | January 3, 1978 | Birmingham, Alabama | |
| Dutch Mantel | 1 | March 26, 1978 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Don Garfield (Don Fargo) | 1 | May 21, 1978 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 2 | May 28, 1978 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Whipper Watson, Jr. | 1 | July 12, 1978 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 3 | July 22, 1978 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Blue Yankee | 1 | August 12, 1978 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Title vacated in September 1978 after a match against Dutch Mantel. | ||||
| Mexican Angel | 1 | September 20, 1978 | Nashville, Tennessee | Won a 13-man tournament to win the vacant title. |
| Dutch Mantel | 4 | November 11, 1978 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Randy Savage | 2 | November 11, 1978 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Bobby Eaton | 1 | NLT February 1979 | ||
| Chris Colt | 1 | April 29, 1979 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Ron Garfield | 1 | May 23, 1979 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Dennis Condrey | 1 | June 2, 1979 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | Defeated Gorgeous George, Jr. |
| Dutch Mantel | 5 | October 20, 1979 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Bobby Eaton | 2 | October 24, 1979 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Chris Colt | 2 | November 25, 1979 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Bobby Eaton | 3 | December 1979 | ||
| Gorgeous George, Jr. | 1 | February 17, 1980 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Bobby Eaton | 4 | February 1980 | ||
| Tojo Yamamoto | 1 | NLT February 1980 | ||
| Steve Travis | 1 | NLT April 1980 | ||
| Roger Mason (Roger Smith) | 1 | April 5, 1980 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| Rocky Johnson | 1 | May 10, 1980 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | |
| The Great Togo | 1 | May 1980 | ||
| Robert Gibson | 1 | June 25, 1980 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Bobby Eaton | 5 | July 23, 1980 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| Title abandoned in October 1980 when Jerry Jarrett took over the Mid-American titles from Nick Gulas. Jarrett revived the title as part of the Continental Wrestling Association in 1981. | ||||
| Ron Bass | 1 | NLT July 1981 | Awarded the title. | |
| Steve Keirn | 1 | July 6, 1981 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Bugsy McGraw | 1 | August 24, 1981 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Steve Keirn | 2 | September 7, 1981 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 6 | September 21, 1981 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Title vacated and inactive after Mantel wins the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship on October 26, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee. The title was reactivated in April 1982. | ||||
| Dream Machine | 1 | April 19, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 7 | May 17, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Bobby Eaton | 6 | May 24, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| King Cobra | 1 | May 31, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 8 | July 5, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Bobby Eaton | 7 | July 12, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Bill Dundee | 1 | July 1982 | ||
| Dutch Mantel | 9 | September 6, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jesse Barr | 1 | November 15, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 10 | November 22, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Apocalypse | 1 | November 29, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jacques Rougeau | 1 | December 5, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Sabu the Wildman | 1 | December 27, 1982 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jacques Rougeau | 2 | January 2, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Bobby Eaton | 8 | January 10, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Title vacated in January 1983. | ||||
| Bobby Eaton | 9 | February 14, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | Defeated Sweet Brown Sugar in a tournament final to win the vacant title. |
| Sweet Brown Sugar | 1 | February 25, 1983 | Tupelo, Mississippi | |
| Bobby Eaton | 10 | February 28, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | This was a loser leaves town match. Sweet Brown Sugar would reappear as the masked Stagger Lee. |
| Stagger Lee | 2 | March 7, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Frankie Laine | 1 | July 4, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 11 | July 18, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Buddy Landel | 1 | August 15, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Stagger Lee / Koko Ware | 3 | August 22, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | Ware removed his mask before the match with Landel. |
| Buddy Landel | 2 | September 10, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Terry Taylor | 1 | December 1, 1983 | Lexington, Kentucky | |
| Randy Savage | 3 | December 26, 1983 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jerry Lawler | 1 | April 9, 1984 | Lexington, Kentucky | The title may have been vacated since Lawler also held the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship when he won the Mid-America title. |
| Korstia Korchenko | 1 | November 19, 1984 | Memphis, Tennessee | Defeated Jacques Rougeau. |
| Mike Sharpe | 1 | NLT December 17, 1984 | ||
| Jimmy Valiant | 1 | February 11, 1985 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Man Mountain Link | 1 | July 1985 | Awarded the title. | |
| Jerry Lawler | 2 | July 15, 1985 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Title vacated when Lawler wins the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship on July 29, 1985 in Memphis, Tennessee. | ||||
| Koko Ware | 4 | August 12, 1985 | Memphis, Tennessee | Defeated Bota the Witch Doctor in a tournament final to win the vacant title. |
| Bota the Witch Doctor | 1 | August 1985 | ||
| Koko Ware | 5 | September 1985 | ||
| Harley Race | 3 | October 7, 1985 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Tom Branch | 1 | November 1985 | Kansas City, Missouri | |
| Koko Ware | 6 | November 16, 1985 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Buddy Landel | 3 | January 21, 1986 | Louisville, Kentucky | |
| Dirty Rhodes (Roger Smith) | 2 | February 2, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Buddy Landel | 4 | February 18, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 12 | April 7, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Rip Rogers | 1 | May 19, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Dutch Mantel | 13 | June 16, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Title vacated in July 1986 when Mantel left the area. | ||||
| Tracy Smothers | 1 | August 11, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Boy Tony (Tony Falk) | 1 | October 7, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Tracy Smothers | 2 | October 20, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Big Bubba | 1 | October 27, 1986 | Memphis, Tennessee | Also held CWA/AWA International Heavyweight Championship. |
| Bubba vacated the title in November 1986. | ||||
| The Great Kabuki | 1 | November 1986 | Jackson, Tennessee | Defeated Paul Diamond in a tournament final. |
| Title vacated in December 1986 when Kabuki left the area. | ||||
| Moondog Spot | 1 | May 1987 | Billed as champion on arrival. | |
| Jeff Jarrett | 1 | May 11, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Moondog Spot | 2 | May 25, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | Won the title by disqualification. |
| Jeff Jarrett | 2 | June 1, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Moondog Spot | 3 | June 8, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jeff Jarrett | 3 | June 22, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Carl Fergie | 1 | September 7, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jeff Jarrett | 4 | September 14, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jimmy Jack Funk (Jesse Barr) | 2 | November 2, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jeff Jarrett | 5 | November 9, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Jerry Lawler | 3 | December 7, 1987 | Memphis, Tennessee | |
| Lawler also defeats Manny Fernandez on December 7, 1987 to win the CWA/AWA International Heavyweight Championship and unifies the two titles with his AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship to create the CWA Heavyweight Championship. | ||||
NWA Main Event[]
NLT — No later than
| Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title revived by the NWA for use in NWA Main Event in 2001. | ||||
| Kory Williams | 1 | March 17, 2001 | Nashville, Tennessee | Defeated Doug Gilbert to win the revived title. |
| Title vacated in June 2001 when Williams leaves the promotion. | ||||
| Rex Sexton | 1 | December 25, 2002 | Columbia, Tennessee | Won a battle royal, last eliminating Mikey Woods, to win the vacant title. |
| Mike Woods | 1 | March 22, 2003 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Kory Williams returns to the promotion in May 2003, claiming to still be champion, since he was never defeated for the title. | ||||
| Kory Williams | 2 | June 20, 2003 | Columbia, Tennessee | Defeated Woods to become undisputed champion. |
| Mike Woods | 2 | September 13, 2003 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Lonestar | 1 | November 8, 2003 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Tommy Capone | 1 | April 3, 2004 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Mike Woods | 3 | May 3, 2004 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Buzz Dupp | 3 | July 17, 2004 | Columbia, Tennessee | Won the title by forfeit. |
| Mike Woods | 4 | NLT January 2005 | ||
| L.A. Player | 1 | January 8, 2005 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Mike Woods | 5 | NLT September 2005 | ||
| Kevin Rhodes | 1 | October 7, 2005 | Springfield, Tennessee | |
| Title vacated NLT March 31, 2006. | ||||
| J.T. Quest | 1 | April 1, 2006 | Columbia, Tennessee | Defeated Jason Cain to win the vacant title. |
| Larry Cooter | 1 | April 29, 2006 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| J.T. Quest | 2 | May 20, 2006 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Steve O | 1 | July 22, 2006 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| J.T. Quest | 3 | November 4, 2006 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Lee Condry | 1 | December 23, 2006 | Columbia, Tennessee | Won a four-corners survival match. |
| Johnny Swinger | 1 | April 13, 2007 | Columbia, Tennessee | |
| Lee Condry | 2 | April 14, 2007 | Columbia, Tennessee | |