NWA United National Championship/Champion history

Title history[]

#:	Name(s):	Reigns:	Date:	Location:	Notes:
1	Dale Lewis	1	October 1970	St. Louis, Missouri	Won a tournament to crown the first champion.
2	Pantera Negra	1	October 23, 1970	Los Angeles, California
3	John Tolos	1	November 20, 1970	Los Angeles, California
4	Ray Mendoza	1	December 4, 1970	Los Angeles, California
5	John Tolos	2	March 1971	n/a	Tolos returned the championship when the NWA decided the referee used a fast count during his title defense against Mendoza.
6	Antonio Inoki	1	March 26, 1971	Los Angeles, California
Vacated on December 13, 1971 when Inoki is fired from the JWA, the promotion to which he had brought the title from the United States.
7	King Krow	1	January 1972	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada	Defeated Sailor Thomas in a fictitious tournament final.
8	Seiji Sakaguchi	1	February 11, 1972	Los Angeles, California
9	The Sheik	1	September 6, 1972	Tokyo, Japan
10	Seiji Sakaguchi	2	September 7, 1972	Osaka, Japan
11	Johnny Valentine	1	February 3, 1973	Yokohama, Japan
12	Akihisa Takachiho	1	March 8, 1973	Sano, Japan
Deactivated on April 14, 1973 when the JWA closed.
13	Jumbo Tsuruta	1	August 28, 1976	Tokyo, Japan	Defeated Jack Brisco in an AJPW tournament final to revive the championship.
14	Billy Robinson	1	March 5, 1977	Akita, Japan
15	Jumbo Tsuruta	2	March 23, 1977	Miami, Florida
16	Dick Murdoch	1	February 23, 1980	Kagoshima, Japan
17	Jumbo Tsuruta	3	March 5, 1980	Kuroiso, Japan
18	Abdullah the Butcher	1	October 13, 1980	Nagoya, Japan
19	Jumbo Tsuruta	4	January 22, 1981	Nirasaki, Japan
20	Harley Race	1	August 1, 1982	Tokyo, Japan
21	Jumbo Tsuruta	5	October 24, 1982	Kitami, Japan
Vacated on June 17, 1983 so Tsuruta could focus on winning the NWA International Heavyweight Championship.
22	Ted DiBiase	1	October 14, 1983	Sasebo, Japan	Defeated Jerry Lawler in a tournament final via forfeit; wrestled Genichiro Tenryu for his first title defense instead.
23	Michael Hayes	1	January 28, 1984	Athens, Georgia
24	David Von Erich	1	February 3, 1984	Dallas, Texas
Vacated on February 10, 1984 when Von Erich dies of an apparent heart attack.
25	Genichiro Tenryu	1	February 23, 1984	Tokyo, Japan	Defeated Ricky Steamboat in a tournament final.
Voluntarily vacated in February 1986 when Tenryu is pinned by Yoshiaki Yatsu in a tag team match.
26	Genichiro Tenryu	2	April 26, 1986	Ōmiya-ku, Japan	Defeated Ted DiBiase in a tournament final. Tenryu won the PWF Heavyweight Championship on March 9, 1988.
27	Stan Hansen	1	July 27, 1988	Nagano, Japan	Also won the PWF Heavyweight Championship.
28	Jumbo Tsuruta	6	April 18, 1989	Tokyo, Japan	Retained the NWA International Heavyweight Championship and won the PWF Heavyweight Championship and the UN Championship.
Title was unified with Tsuruta's NWA International Heavyweight Championship and with Hansen's PWF Heavyweight Championship and UN championship to create the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship.