NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship

NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship
Details
Promotion Central States Wrestling and St. Louis Wrestling Club (through 1986)
NWA Midwest (2002-2012)
NWA Central-States Championship Wrestling (since 2014)
Date established October - December 1899 (original)
September 16, 1972 (current)
Current champion(s) Jay Howard
Other name(s)
Missouri Heavyweight Championship

The NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship was the secondary singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's St. Louis Wrestling Club and Central States Wrestling promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. It was usually dominated by the area's top star, Harley Race, and as such it was considered a "stepping stone" to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (although only Race, Terry Funk, Kerry Von Erich and Ric Flair made it; Gene Kiniski and Dory Funk, Jr. were already former World Champions upon winning the Missouri title). A version of the Missouri Championship has been documented to exist in 1899, 1921, 1933 to 1934, 1937, 1947, 1950, and 1954 to 1955, but it was only in 1972 that a serious championship was established. Prior to the creation of the NWA the championship was not recognized outside of the region and used by regional promoters, it is even possible that competing Missouri Heavyweight Championships existed. The championship was abandoned in 1986, as the Central States promotion was being consolidated under Jim Crockett Promotions in order to counter the World Wrestling Federation's national expansion. NWA Midwest revived the title in 2002 and promoted it until 2012. On March 29, 2014 the new NWA Central-States Championship Wrestling promotion brought the Missouri Championship back.

Pre National Wrestling Alliance Title history

Key
Symbol Meaning
# The overall championship reign
Reign The reign number for the specific set of wrestlers listed.
Event The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title changed hands
— Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
  Indicates periods of unknown lineage
(NLT) Indicates that the championship changed hands "No Later Than" a certain date.
# Wrestler Reign Date Days
held		 Location Event Notes
1 George Baptiste 1 October 1899 (NLT) [Note 1] [Note 2] Live event Records are unclear as to whom he defeated.
2 Jake Reed 1 1921 [Note 3] [Note 2] Live event Defeated Lloyd Carter to win the championship. Unclear if Carter was the champion or if this was a tournament final.
3 Jake Ross 1 March 6, 1930 705 Chillicothe, Missouri Live event Defeated Charles Santen to win the championship, unclear if Santen was the champion or if this was a tournament final.
4 Fred Peterson 1 February 9, 1932 [Note 4] [Note 2] Live event  
5 Billy Wolf 1 March 1934 [Note 5] [Note 2] Live event  
6 Lou Thesz 1 June 18, 1937 [Note 6] Kansas City, Missouri Live event Defeated Warren Bockwinkel to win the championship

National Wrestling Alliance Title history

Key
Symbol Meaning
# The overall championship reign
Reign The reign number for the specific set of wrestlers listed.
Event The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title changed hands
— Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
  Indicates periods of unknown lineage
(NLT) Indicates that the championship changed hands "No Later Than" a certain date.
# Wrestler Reign Date Days
held		 Location Event Notes
1 Tommy O'Toole 1 March 10, 1950 35 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event Defeated Sonny Myers in a 10-man tournament final.
2 Sonny Myers 1 April 14, 1950 273 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
3 Ron Etchison 1 January 12, 1951 14 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
4 Sonny Myers 2 January 26, 1951 7 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
5 Ron Etchison 2 February 2, 1951 7 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
6 Ray Eckert 1 February 9, 1951 20 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
7 Ron Etchison 3 March 1, 1951 99 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
— Vacated N/A June 8, 1951 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated, reason undocumented
8 Sonny Myers 3 February 1, 1952 14 [Note 2] Live event  
9 Joe Dusek 1 February 15, 1952 273 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
10 Sonny Myers 4 November 14, 1952 42 [Note 2] Live event  
11 Ron Etchison 4 December 26, 1952 155 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
— Vacated N/A May 30, 1953 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated, no reason documented
12 Sonny Myers 5 December 18, 1953 14 [Note 2] Live event  
13 Bob Orton 1 January 1, 1954 63 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
14 Ray Eckert 2 March 5, 1954 33 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
— Vacated N/A April 7, 1954 N/A N/A N/A Championship held up due to a controversial ending of a match against Sonny Myers
15 Sonny Myers 6 April 9, 1954 43 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event Defeated Ray Eckert to win the vacant championship.
16 Larry Hamilton 1 May 22, 1954 167 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
17 Ron Etchison 5 November 5, 1954 308 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event  
— Vacated N/A September 9, 1955 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated, reason not documented
18 Joe Dusek 2 April 1956 [Note 7] Sedalia, Missouri Live event  
— Vacated N/A September 19, 1956 N/A N/A N/A Championship inactive.
19 Harley Race 1 September 16, 1972 91 St. Louis, Missouri Live event Defeated Pak Song in a tournament final for the revived championship.
— Vacated N/A December 16, 1972 N/A N/A N/A Championship held up after a match against Johnny Valentine
20 Johnny Valentine 1 January 19, 1973 22 St. Louis, Missouri Live event Defeated Harley Race in a rematch.
21 Terry Funk 1 February 10, 1973 34 St. Louis, Missouri Live event [1]
22 Gene Kiniski 1 March 16, 1973 211 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
23 Harley Race 2 October 13, 1973 223 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
24 Dory Funk, Jr. 1 May 24, 1974 273 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
25 Harley Race 3 February 21, 1975 427 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
26 Bob Backlund 1 April 23, 1976 217 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
27 Jack Brisco 1 November 26, 1976 259 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
28 Dick Slater 1 August 12, 1977 184 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
29 Ted DiBiase 1 February 12, 1978 14 St. Louis, Missouri Live event [2]
30 Dick Murdoch 1 February 26, 1978 138 St. Louis, Missouri Live event [3]
31 Dick the Bruiser 1 July 14, 1978 246 St. Louis, Missouri Live event [4]
32 Dick Murdoch 2 March 17, 1979 62 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
33 Dick the Bruiser 2 May 18, 1979 56 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
34 Dick Murdoch 3 July 13, 1979 133 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
35 Kevin Von Erich 1 November 23, 1979 154 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
36 Ken Patera 1 April 25, 1980 210 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
37 Ted DiBiase 2 November 21, 1980 315 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
38 Jack Brisco 2 October 2, 1981 21 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
39 Ken Patera 2 October 23, 1981 70 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
40 Dick the Bruiser 3 January 1, 1982 259 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
41 Harley Race 4 September 17, 1982 128 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
42 Kerry Von Erich 1 January 23, 1983 82 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
43 Jerry Blackwell 1 April 15, 1983 28 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
44 Harley Race 5 May 13, 1983 28 St. Louis, Missouri Live event [5]
— Vacated N/A June 10, 1983 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated when Champion Harley Race won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship[6]
45 Ric Flair 1 July 15, 1983 63 St. Louis, Missouri Live event Defeated David Von Erich in a tournament final.
46 David Von Erich 1 September 16, 1983 112 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
47 Harley Race 6 January 6, 1984 315 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
48 Jerry Blackwell 2 November 16, 1984 259 St. Louis, Missouri Live event  
49 Harley Race 7 August 2, 1985 [Note 8] St. Louis, Missouri Live event [7]
— Vacated N/A February 1986 N/A N/A N/A Championship retired when Jim Crockett Promotions bought the St. Louis Wrestling Club. Crockett also bought Central States Wrestling in September.

NWA Midwest Title history

Key
Symbol Meaning
# The overall championship reign
Reign The reign number for the specific set of wrestlers listed.
Event The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title changed hands
— Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
# Wrestler Reign Date Days
held		 Location Event Notes
1 Gary Jackson 1 July 27, 2002 311 St. Robert, Missouri Live event Defeated Steve Stone after the title was revived by NWA Midwest.
— Vacated N/A June 3, 2003 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated due to lack of defenses.
2 Shane Somers 1 June 17, 2003 0 Rolla, Missouri Live event Defeated Dingo, John Epperson, Tony Luza, Rick Norris and Yukon Eric, Jr. in a six-way match.
— Vacated N/A June 17, 2003 N/A N/A N/A Somers was immediately stripped of the title by Missouri State Commissioner Carl Lauer for using an illegal chokehold.
3 Shane Somers 2 June 17, 2003 115 Rolla, Missouri Live event Teamed up with The Mad Hatter, pinned John Epperson, who was teaming with Ricky Murdock, in a tag team match.
4 Ricky Murdock 1 October 10, 2003 169 Parkersburg, West Virginia Live event Won the title at the NWA 55th Anniversary Show. Murdock's NWA National Heavyweight Championship was also at stake.
5 Shane Somers 3 March 27, 2004 [Note 9] Plato, Missouri Live event  
— Vacated N/A 2005 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated, reason not documented.
6 Abyss 1 December 7, 2005 384 Lawrence, Kansas Live event Defeated Tyler Cook to win the vacant championship
— Vacated N/A December 26, 2006 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated, reason not documented.
7 Dingo 1 January 19, 2007 1,001 St. Joseph, Missouri Live event Defeated Kraig Keesman, Mark Sterling and Jeremy Wyatt in a four-way match.
8 Davey Vega 1 October 16, 2009 [Note 10] Glen Carbon, Illinois Live event  
— Vacated N/A 2010 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated as Davey Vega could not commit to NWA Midwest events.
9 Jeremy Wyatt 1 April 30, 2011 11 Caseyville, Illinois Live event Defeated Uhaa Nation, Jonathan Gresham and Trent Stone in a four-way match.
— Vacated N/A May 11, 2011 N/A N/A N/A Jeremy Wyatt won the NWA Central States Championship
10 KC Karrington 1 June 10, 2011 455 Glen Carbon, Illinois Live event Defeated Dan Walsh in tournament final.
11 Makaze 1 September 7, 2012 55 Glen Carbon, Illinois Live event Defeats Karrington, Dan Walsh, and Trent Stone in a 4-way match.
— Vacated N/A November 1, 2012 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated when Dynamo Pro Wrestling withdraws from the NWA.

Central-States Championship Wrestling Missouri Title history

Key
Symbol Meaning
# The overall championship reign
Reign The reign number for the specific set of wrestlers listed.
Event The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title changed hands
— Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign
# Wrestler Reign Date Days
held		 Location Event Notes
1 Elvis Aliaga 1 March 29, 2014 8 Richland, Missouri Live event Wins 10 man over the top rope battle royal to capture vacant title.
— Vacated N/A April 6, 2014 N/A N/A N/A Championship held up after Aliaga's controversial battle royal victory.
2 Elvis Aliaga 2 June 21, 2014 350 Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri Live event Won a four-man gauntlet match that included the final four men eliminated from the original battle royal.
3 Evan Morris 1 June 6, 2015 77 Rolla, Missouri Live event  
4 Mitch Johnson 1 August 22, 2015 196 Newbern, Tennessee Live event Won when Morris was attacked by a mysterious masked man.
5 Evan Morris 2 March 5, 2016 112 St. Robert, Missouri Live event  
6 Deven Spade 1 June 25, 2016 100 Warsaw, Missouri Live event  
— Vacated N/A October 3, 2016 N/A N/A N/A Championship vacated by Spade due to his holding two major championships in the same territory.
7 Jay Howard 1 October 29, 2016 105 Newburg, Missouri Live event Howard won a mini tournament for the vacated championship by defeating Mitch Johnson in the finals.
8 Karim Brigante 1 February 11, 2017 608+ Lebanon, Missouri Live event Brigante becomes the first Italian national to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The date the championship was won and later lost has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted more than 1 day but it is impossible to say how long exactly.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The location of the match was not captured as part of the championship documentation.
  3. ↑ The date the championship was won and later lost has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted more than 1 day but it is impossible to say how long exactly.
  4. ↑ The date the championship was won has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between 21 days and 51 days
  5. ↑ The date the championship was won has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between 751 days and 781 days
  6. ↑ The date the championship was vacated has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted more than 1 day but it is impossible to say how much more.
  7. ↑ The date the championship was won has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between 142 days and 171 days
  8. ↑ The date the championship was vacated has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between 183 days and 210 days
  9. ↑ The date the championship was vacated has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between 280 days and 629 days
  10. ↑ The date the championship was vacated has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between 77 days and 441 days

References

General references
  • Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2006). "(Kansas and Western Missouri) West Missouri: NWA Missouri Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 254. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. (through 2000)
  • "Missouri Heavyweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  1. ↑ Hoops, Brian (February 10, 2017). "DAILY PRO WRESTLING HISTORY (02/10): MASA SAITO WINS AWA GOLD AT THE TOKYO DOME". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  2. ↑ Hoops, Brian (February 12, 2017). "On this day in pro wrestling history (Feb 12): Christian Cage wins gold in TNA". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  3. ↑ Hoops, Brian (February 26, 2017). "Daily pro wrestling history (02/26): Verne Gagne wins AWA title on his birthday". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ Hoops, Brian (July 14, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (July 14): Bruiser & Crusher vs. Stevens & Bockwinkel, Gagne vs. Superstar, Lex Luger wins WCW title, Snuka wins ECW title, Sting wins TNA belt". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ Hoops, Brian (May 13, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 13): Rick Martel wins AWA gold, Kurt Angle wins TNA title, Nash & Hall beat one man to win tag titles". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  6. ↑ F4W Staff (June 10, 2015). "ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY (JUNE 10): HARLEY RACE BEATS RIC FLAIR FOR NWA TITLE, JERRY BLACKWELL TURNS BABYFACE". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  7. ↑ Hoops, Brian (August 2, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history: Ron Simmons makes history by winning WCW World title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.