Title history[]
| Wrestler:
|
Reigns:
|
Date:
|
Place:
|
Notes:
|
| Johnny Powers |
1 |
1970 |
Los Angeles, California |
Defeats Freddie Blassie to become inaugural champion
|
| Waldo Von Erich |
1 |
November 20, 1971 |
Akron, Ohio |
|
| Dominic DeNucci |
1 |
December 8, 1971 |
Buffalo, New York |
|
| Waldo Von Erich |
2 |
January 5, 1972 |
Buffalo, New York |
|
| Ernie Ladd |
1 |
June 9, 1972 |
Cleveland, Ohio |
|
| Abdullah the Butcher |
1 |
June 24, 1972 |
Akron, Ohio |
Reign interrupted by Victor Rivera for under a month
|
| Johnny Valentine |
1 |
October 19, 1972 |
Cleveland, Ohio |
Stripped of title in January 1973
|
| Jacques Rougeau |
1 |
January 24, 1973 |
Buffalo, New York |
Defeats Waldo Von Erich in finals of tournament for the vacant title
|
| Johnny Valentine |
2 |
August 1973 |
Location unknown |
|
| Johnny Powers |
1 |
1973 |
Location unknown |
Powers takes the title to Japan with him on a tour with Tokyo Pro Wrestling
|
| Antonio Inoki |
1 |
December 10, 1973 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Inoki vacates the title on February 12, 1975 as refusal of an NWF ordered defense against Tiger Jeet Singh
|
| Tiger Jeet Singh |
1 |
March 13, 1975 |
Hiroshima, Japan |
Singh defeats Inoki for the vacant title
|
| Antonio Inoki |
2 |
June 26, 1975 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Ordered by the NWA to stop referring to belt as a world title at annual NWA meeting on August 7, 1976
|
| Stan Hansen |
1 |
February 8, 1980 |
Tokyo, Japan |
|
| Antonio Inoki |
3 |
March 3, 1980 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Title held up after a defence on April 17, 1981 against Stan Hansen ends in a no contest
|
| Antonio Inoki |
4 |
April 23, 1981 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Inoki vacates the title following the match to enter the NJPW IWGP League
|
| Title Inactive
|
| Yoshihiro Takayama |
1 |
January 4, 2003 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Defeats Tsuyoshi Kosaka in a tournament for the vacant title at Wrestling World
|
| Shinsuke Nakamura |
1 |
January 4, 2004 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Nakamura officially unifies NWF title with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestling World
|
