The NWA United States Tag Team Championship, formerly known as the WCW United States Tag Team Championship, is a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the United States-based National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). It was formerly defended in Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The title is only contestable by male tag teams and in tag team matches. Being a professional wrestling championship, it is not won legitimately; it was instead won via a scripted ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of a storyline. In 1986, NWA President and JCP owner Jim Crockett, Jr. introduced the championship (under the name "NWA United States Tag Team Championship") by announcing a tournament for the newly created title, which was won by Krusher Khruschev and Ivan Koloff on September 28, 1986. Since its establishment, JCP was a subsidiary of the NWA, and as a result, most title defenses occurred under JCP-promoted events.
In 1988, Crockett sold JCP to Ted Turner, who established WCW as its successor; however, the title continued to be defended under the NWA name until January 1991, when WCW withdrew as a subsidiary to the NWA. The final champions under the NWA name were The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott). Following WCW's withdrawal, the title was renamed the "WCW United States Tag Team Championship", and The Steiner Brothers were recognized as the first champions as a result of never losing the original NWA United States Tag Team Title. On July 31, 1992, WCW stripped the final champions, The Barbarian and Dick Slater, of their titles and retired the championship for unknown reasons.
On July 19, 2022, the NWA announced that it was reviving the championship, with new champions being crowned in a Battle Royal at NWA 74, a match that was won by The Fixers (Jay Bradley & Wrecking Ball Legursky).
Overall, there were 19 reigns among 15 tag teams, all of which occurred in the United States. Twelve reigns occurred under the NWA's version of the championship, while eight occurred under WCW's version. Although there were actually 19 reigns, The Steiner Brothers' final NWA United States Tag Team Championship reign is recognized as the first WCW United States Tag Team Championship reign, which makes it seem as if there were 20 reigns. However, this reign is not considered to be a new reign in the title's history because The Steiner Brothers never originally lost the titles. From the information known, The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane)'s first reign was the longest in the title's history at 346 days, while The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers)' second reign was the shortest, at 19 days. The Midnight Express also held the most reigns overall as a tag team and individually, with three.
Combined reigns by length[]
Team[]
Rank | Team | # of Reigns | Combined days |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane (The Midnight Express) |
3 | 505 |
2 | Rick and Scott Steiner (The Steiner Brothers) |
1 | 146 |
3 | Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes (The Fabulous Freebirds) |
2 | 124 |
4 | Brian Pillman and The Z-Man | 1 | 96 |
5 | Ron Garvin and Barry Windham | 1 | 95 |
6 | Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers (The Fantastics) |
2 | 94 |
7 | Terry Taylor and Greg Valentine | 1 | 90 |
8 | Todd Champion and Firebreaker Chip (The Patriots) |
1 | 85 |
9 | Krusher Khruschev and Ivan Koloff | 1 | 72 |
10 | Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers (The Young Pistols) |
1 | 70 |
11 | Kevin Sullivan and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams | 1 | 64 |
12 | Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner | 1 | 62 |
13 | The Barbarian and Dick Slater | 1 | 36 |
14 | Big Josh and Ron Simmons | 1 | 34 |
15 | Dick Murdoch and Ivan Koloff | 1 | 18 |
Individual[]
Rank | Wrestler | # of Reigns | Combined days |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bobby Eaton | 3 | 505 |
1 | Stan Lane | 3 | 505 |
2 | Rick Steiner | 2 | 208 |
3 | Scott Steiner | 1 | 146 |
4 | Jimmy Garvin | 2 | 124 |
4 | Michael Hayes | 2 | 124 |
5 | Brian Pillman | 1 | 96 |
5 | The Z-Man | 1 | 96 |
6 | Ron Garvin | 1 | 95 |
6 | Barry Windham | 1 | 95 |
7 | Bobby Fulton | 2 | 94 |
7 | Tommy Rogers | 2 | 94 |
8 | Ivan Koloff | 2 | 90 |
8 | Terry Taylor | 1 | 90 |
8 | Greg Valentine | 1 | 90 |
9 | Todd Champion | 1 | 85 |
9 | Firebreaker Chip | 1 | 85 |
10 | Krusher Khruschev | 1 | 72 |
11 | Steve Armstrong | 1 | 70 |
11 | Tracy Smothers | 1 | 70 |
12 | Kevin Sullivan | 1 | 64 |
12 | "Dr. Death" Steve Williams | 1 | 64 |
13 | Eddie Gilbert | 1 | 62 |
14 | The Barbarian | 1 | 36 |
14 | Dick Slater | 1 | 36 |
15 | Big Josh | 1 | 34 |
15 | Ron Simmons | 1 | 34 |
16 | Dick Murdoch | 1 | 18 |
See also[]
- NWA World Tag Team Championship
- List of NWA World Tag Team Champions
- National Wrestling Alliance
- Jim Crockett Promotions
- Champion history - History of the wrestlers who have held the belt.
- Title matches - Matches in which the title was defended.
- Champion Gallery - A gallery of all champions.