The following champion history features the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Promotions Defended In | ||||
National Wrestling Alliance | 1948-2002 | |||
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | 2002-2007 | |||
National Wrestling Alliance | 2007-present |
Champion history[]
Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
---|---|---|---|---|
Orville Brown | 1 | January 5, 1948 | Des Moines, Iowa | In July 1948, the current version of National Wrestling Alliance is founded and Brown is recognized as the first NWA World champion. |
Lou Thesz | 1 | November 27, 1949 | N/A | Awarded when Brown suffers career-ending injuries in an automobile accident on November 1. The title is also unified with the World Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association). Thesz became the Undisputed Champion of all of wrestling by winning the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium World Heavyweight Title, the only remaining major World Championship at the time other than the NWA World Title, on May 21, 1952. |
Whipper Billy Watson | 1 | March 15, 1956 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | N/A |
Lou Thesz | 2 | November 9, 1956 | St. Louis, Missouri | N/A |
Édouard Carpentier† | # | June 14, 1957 | Chicago, Illinois | Carpentier was awarded the title by disqualification when Lou Thesz could not continue the match due to a back injury. For 71 days, the NWA recognized the title as being in dispute between Carpentier and Thesz. When Carpentier's manager, promoter Eddie Quinn, left the NWA in August 1958, the NWA retroactively announced that Carpentier had never won title and had no claim on it. |
Lou Thesz | 2 | July 24, 1957 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Thesz won a rematch against Carpentier by disqualification on July 24, 1957. Carpentier's claim to the title was considered withdrawn after 71 days when Montreal promoter Eddie Quinn quit the NWA in August 1958. Some territories such as Boston (AAC), Nebraska and Los Angeles (NAWA) continued to recognize Carpentier. Nebraska later recongized Verne Gagne when he defeated Carpentier in Omaha. The AAC recognized Killer Kowalski when he defeated Carpentier in Boston. The NAWA/WWA in Los Angeles recognized Carpentier as World Champion in July 1959 and recognized Freddie Blassie as champion when he defeated Carpentier in 1961. |
Dick Hutton | 1 | November 14, 1957 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | N/A |
Pat O'Connor | 1 | January 9, 1959 | St. Louis, Missouri | The AWA, under Verne Gagne, seceded from the NWA and declared O'Connor their first AWA World Champion in May 1960. This was considered a compromise gesture by the AWA given that Gagne held Édouard Carpentier disputed version of the title. O'Conner was given 90 days to defend the AWA title against number one contender Gagne and when he did not, the title was awarded to Gagne. |
Buddy Rogers | 1 | June 30, 1961 | Chicago, Illinois | N/A |
Bruno Sammartino† | # | August 2, 1962 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Refused to accept the strap because Rogers had wrestled with an injury. |
Buddy Rogers | 1 | August 2, 1962 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Rogers regains the title, as a result of Sammartino not accepting it. |
Bobo Brazil† | # | August 18, 1962 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Bobo Brazil refused the title because of a groin injury that Rogers had claimed to have. However, on September 6, 1962, Brazil is declared the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion because a doctor had determined that Rogers hadn't suffered an injury. |
Buddy Rogers | 1 | October 30, 1962 | N/A. | N/A. |
Lou Thesz | 3 | January 24, 1963 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Promoters in the northeast United States refuse to recognize Rogers' one-fall loss to Lou Thesz, thus breaking away from the NWA to form a new promotion, the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Rogers is declared the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion soon after. |
Gene Kiniski | 1 | January 7, 1966 | St. Louis, Missouri | N/A. |
Dory Funk, Jr. | 1 | February 11, 1969 | Tampa, Florida | N/A. |
Harley Race | 1 | May 24, 1973 | Kansas City, Missouri | N/A. |
Jack Brisco | 1 | July 20, 1973 | Houston, Texas | N/A. |
Giant Baba | 1 | December 2, 1974 | Kagoshima, Japan | N/A. |
Jack Brisco | 2 | December 8, 1974 | Toyohashi, Japan | N/A. |
Terry Funk | 1 | December 10, 1975 | Miami, Florida | N/A. |
Harley Race | 2 | February 6, 1977 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | N/A. |
Dusty Rhodes | 1 | August 21, 1979 | Tampa, Florida | N/A. |
Harley Race | 3 | August 26, 1979 | Orlando, Florida | N/A. |
Giant Baba | 2 | October 31, 1979 | Nagoya, Japan | N/A. |
Harley Race | 4 | November 7, 1979 | Amagasaki, Japan | N/A. |
Giant Baba | 3 | September 4, 1980 | Saga, Japan | N/A. |
Harley Race | 5 | September 9, 1980 | Ohtsu, Japan | N/A. |
Tommy Rich | 1 | April 27, 1981 | Augusta, Georgia | N/A. |
Harley Race | 6 | May 1, 1981 | Gainesville, Georgia | N/A. |
Dusty Rhodes | 2 | June 21, 1981 | Atlanta, Georgia | N/A. |
Ric Flair | 1 | September 17, 1981 | Kansas City, Missouri | Wrestled to a double countout against WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund on July 4 1982 in Atlanta, GA. |
The Midnight Rider (Dusty Rhodes) † |
# | February 9, 1982 | Ohtsu, Japan | Rhodes, wrestling under a mask as The Midnight Rider due to being under suspension in Florida, returned the title belt when NWA President Bob Geigel asked the Midnight Rider to unmask or return the belt (NWA rules of the time forbade masked wrestlers from holding the World Heavyweight title). |
Ric Flair | 1 | February 9, 1982 | Tampa, Florida | N/A |
Jack Veneno † | # | September 1982 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | N/A. |
Ric Flair † | 1 | September 7, 1982 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | N/A |
Carlos Colón† | # | January 6, 1983 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | N/A. |
Ric Flair † | 1 | January 23, 1983 | Miami, Florida | N/A |
Victor Jovica† | # | February 8, 1983 | Couva, Trinidad | N/A. |
Ric Flair † | 1 | February 1, 1983 | Manatí, Puerto Rico | N/A |
Harley Race | 7 | June 10, 1983 | St. Louis, Missouri | N/A |
Ric Flair | 2 | November 24, 1983 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Won the title at Starrcade in a Steel Cage Match. |
Harley Race | 8 | March 21, 1984 | Wellington, New Zealand | N/A. |
Ric Flair | 3 | March 23, 1984 | Kallang, Singapore | N/A |
Kerry Von Erich | 1 | May 6, 1984 | Irving, Texas | N/A. |
Ric Flair | 4 | May 24, 1984 | Yokosuka, Japan | N/A |
Dusty Rhodes | 3 | July 26, 1986 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Won the title at The Great American Bash. |
Ric Flair | 5 | August 9, 1986 | St. Louis, Missouri | N/A |
Ron Garvin | 1 | September 25, 1987 | Detroit, Michigan | N/A |
Ric Flair | 6 | November 26, 1987 | Chicago, Illinois | Won the title at Starrcade. |
Ricky Steamboat | 1 | February 20, 1989 | Chicago, Illinois | Won the title at Chi-Town Rumble. |
Ric Flair | 7 | May 7, 1989 | Nashville, Tennessee | Won the title at Wrestle War. |
Sting | 1 | July 7, 1990 | Baltimore, Maryland | Won the title at The Great American Bash. |
Ric Flair | 8 | January 11, 1991 | East Rutherford, New Jersey | N/A |
Tatsumi Fujinami | 1 | March 21, 1991 | Tokyo, Japan | Won the title at WCW-New Japan Supershow I. |
Ric Flair | 9 | May 19, 1991 | St. Petersburg, Florida | Won the title at SuperBrawl. Flair was stripped of the title upon signing with the World Wrestling Federation on September 8 1991. |
Masahiro Chono | 1 | August 12, 1992 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Rick Rude in tournament final. |
The Great Muta | 1 | January 4, 1993 | Tokyo, Japan | Won at WCW-New Japan Supershow III. Muta's IWGP Heavyweight Championship was also on the line. |
Barry Windham | 1 | February 21, 1993 | Asheville, North Carolina | Won the title at SuperBrawl III. |
Ric Flair | 10 | July 18, 1993 | Biloxi, Mississippi | Won the title at Beach Blast 1993. |
Vacated | N/A | N/A | N/A | Vacated when World Championship Wrestling withdraws from the NWA. WCW recognizes Flair as their WCW International World Heavyweight Champion. |
Shane Douglas | 1 | August 27, 1994 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Defeated 2 Cold Scorpio in tournament final. |
Vacated | N/A | N/A | N/A | Vacated when Douglas refused the NWA Title in favor of the Eastern Championship Wrestling Title, a title which he already was in possession of. ECW withdraws from the NWA, and becomes Extreme Championship Wrestling. |
Chris Candido | 1 | November 19, 1994 | Cherry Hill, New Jersey | Defeated Tracy Smothers in tournament final. |
Dan Severn | 1 | February 24, 1995 | Erlanger, Kentucky | Won at a Smoky Mountain Wrestling event. |
Naoya Ogawa | 1 | March 14, 1999 | Yokohama, Japan | N/A |
Gary Steele | 1 | September 25, 1999 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Pinned Ogawa in a three-way match also involving Brian Anthony. |
Naoya Ogawa | 2 | October 2, 1999 | Thomaston, Connecticut | N/A |
Vacated | N/A | July 2, 2000 | N/A | N/A |
Mike Rapada | 1 | September 19, 2000 | Tampa, Florida | Defeated Jerry Flynn in tournament final. |
Sabu | 1 | November 14, 2000 | Tampa, Florida | N/A |
Mike Rapada | 2 | December 22, 2000 | Nashville, Tennessee | N/A |
Steve Corino | 1 | April 24, 2001 | Tampa, Florida | N/A |
Held up | N/A | October 13, 2001 | N/A | Title is held up on October 13 following a match against Shinya Hashimoto. |
Shinya Hashimoto | 1 | December 15, 2001 | McKeesport, Pennsylvania | This was a four-way iron man match, also involving Steve Corino, Dylan Knight and Gary Steele. |
Dan Severn | 2 | March 9, 2002 | Tokyo, Japan | Match ended in controversy, as the referee gave a fast count. |
Vacated | N/A | May 28, 2002 | N/A | Severn is stripped of the title for the Kayfabe reason of refusing to make a title defense in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. NWA World Heavyweight Championship is made exclusive to TNA. |
Ken Shamrock | 1 | June 19, 2002 | Huntsville, Alabama | Defeated Malice in the finals of a Gauntlet for the Gold. |
Ron Killings | 1 | August 7 2002 | Nashville, Tennessee | N/A |
Jeff Jarrett | 1 | November 20, 2002 | Nashville, Tennessee | Unified the title with the WWA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Sting on May 25 2003 in Auckland, New Zealand. |
A.J. Styles | 1 | June 11, 2003 | Nashville, Tennessee | This was a three-way match, also involving Raven. |
Jeff Jarrett | 2 | October 22, 2003 | Nashville, Tennessee | N/A |
A.J. Styles | 2 | April 21, 2004 | Nashville, Tennessee | This was a Steel Cage match. |
Ron Killings | 2 | May 19, 2004 | Nashville, Tennessee | This was a four-way match, also involving Raven and Chris Harris. |
Jeff Jarrett | 3 | June 2, 2004 | Nashville, Tennessee | This was a King of the Mountain match, also involving A.J. Styles, Raven, and Chris Harris. |
A.J. Styles | 3 | May 15, 2005 | Orlando, Florida | Won the title at Hard Justice. |
Raven | 1 | June 19, 2005 | Orlando, Florida | This was a King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary, also involving Abyss, Monty Brown, and Sean Waltman. |
Jeff Jarrett | 4 | September 15, 2005 | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | Won the title at a Border City Wrestling event. |
Rhino | 1 | October 23, 2005 | Orlando, Florida | Won the title at Bound for Glory. He won the right to face Jarrett in a Gauntlet for the Gold match after designated challenger Kevin Nash fell ill and withdrew. |
Jeff Jarrett | 5 | October 25, 2005 | Orlando, Florida | Aired November 3 on iMPACT!. |
Christian Cage | 1 | February 12, 2006 | Orlando, Florida | Won the title at Against All Odds. |
Jeff Jarrett | 6 | June 18, 2006 | Orlando, Florida | This was a King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary. Jarrett won due to interference by referee Earl Hebner. Jim Cornette stripped Jarrett of the belt later that week, then returned it to him the following week on the condition that he face the winner of a #1 contender match being held at Victory Road on July 16 2006. |
Sting | 2 | October 22, 2006 | Plymouth, Michigan | Won the title at Bound for Glory. |
Abyss | 1 | November 19, 2006 | Orlando, Florida | Won the title at Genesis. |
Christian Cage | 2 | January 14, 2007 | Orlando, Florida | This was a Three-Way Elimination match at Final Resolution, involving Abyss and Sting. |
Vacated | N/A | May 13, 2007 | N/A | Christian Cage is stripped of the championship on May 13 when the NWA and TNA sever their business relationship. The NWA regains control of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. |
Adam Pearce | 1 | September 1, 2007 | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Defeated Brent Albright in the finals of the Reclaiming the Glory Tournament. Pearce competed as a substitute for Bryan Danielson, who defeated Pearce in the semifinals but withdrew from the tournament due to a detached retina. |
Brent Albright | 1 | August 2, 2008 | New York City, New York | Won at Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor VI. |
Adam Pearce | 2 | September 20, 2008 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Won the title at Ring of Honor's Glory By Honor VII. |
Blue Demon Jr. | 1 | October 25, 2008 | Mexico City, Mexico | N/A |
Adam Pearce | 3 | March 14, 2010 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Defeated Blue Demon Jr. and Phil Shatter in a three-way match. |
Colt Cabana | 1 | March 6, 2011 | Hollywood, California | N/A |
The Sheik | 1 | April 23, 2011 | Jacksonville, Florida | N/A |
Adam Pearce | 4 | July 31, 2011 | Columbus, Ohio | win against Shaun Tempers, Chance Prophet and Jimmy Rave in a 4-way match |
Colt Cabana | 2 | April 8, 2012 | Glendale, California | N/A |
Adam Pearce | 5 | July 21, 2012 | Kansas City, Missouri | This was a Two Out of Three Falls match. It was match four of a seven-match series between Cabana and Pearce. |
Vacated | N/A | October 27, 2012 | Melbourne, Australia | Pearce stepped down as the champion, after the NWA refused to allow him to defend the title against Colt Cabana. |
Kahagas | 1 | November 2, 2012 | Clayton, New Jersey | Won an elimination match for the vacant title by last eliminating Damien Wayne. Match also featured Chance Prophet, Jason Kincaid, Lance Erikson, Anthony Nese, Papadon, Biggie Biggs, and Lance Anoa'i. Kahagas was the reigning NWA National Heavyweight Champion at the time of his victory. |
Rob Conway | 1 | March 16, 2013 | San Antonio, Texas | Conway replaced an injured Jax Dane and defeated Kahagas for the title. |
Satoshi Kojima | 1 | January 4, 2014 | Tokyo, Japan | N/A |
Rob Conway | 2 | June 2, 2014 | Las Vegas, Nevada | N/A |
Hiroyoshi Tenzan | 1 | February 14, 2015 | Sendai, Japan | N/A |
Jax Dane | 1 | August 29, 2015 | San Antonio, TX | N/A |
Tim Storm | 1 | October 21, 2016 | Sherman, Texas | N/A |
Nick Aldis | 1 | December 9, 2017 | Sewell, New Jersey | N/A |
Cody | 1 | September 1, 2018 | Chicago, Illinois | Defeated Nick Aldis at ALL IN event |
Nick Aldis | 2 | October 21, 2018 | Nashville, Tennessee | Defeated Cody at the NWA 70th Anniversary Show |
Trevor Murdoch | 1 | August 29, 2021 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
Matt Cardona | 1 | February 12, 2022 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
Vacated | N/A | June 11, 2022 | Knoxville, Tennessee | Matt Cardona was required to vacate the championship due to him not being able to defend the title as a result of an injury. |
Trevor Murdoch | 2 | June 11, 2022 | Knoxville, Tennessee | Won in a Four Way Match at NWA Alwayz Ready that also included Nick Aldis, Samuel Shaw and Thom Latimer. |
Tyrus | 1 | November 12, 2022 | Chalmette, Louisiana | Won in a Triple Threat Match at NWA Hard Times that also included defending champion Trevor Murdoch and Matt Cardona. |
EC3 | 1 | August 27, 2023 | St. Louis, Missouri | Won in a Bull Rope Match at NWA 75 Night 2, where Tyrus' career was also on the line. |
Thom Latimer | 1 | August 31, 2024 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |