Title history
Symbol |
Meaning |
No. |
The overall championship reign |
Reign |
The reign number for the specific wrestler listed. |
Event |
The event in which the championship changed hands |
N/A |
The specific information is not known |
— |
Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign |
[Note #] |
Indicates that the exact length of the title reign is unknown, with a note providing more details. |
# |
Wrestler |
Reign |
Date |
Days held |
Location |
Notes |
1 |
Dale Lewis |
1 |
October 1970 |
[Note 1] |
St. Louis, MO |
Won a tournament to crown the first champion. |
2 |
Pantera Negra |
1 |
October 23, 1970 |
7001280000000000000♠28 |
Los Angeles, CA |
|
3 |
John Tolos |
1 |
November 20, 1970 |
7001140000000000000♠14 |
Los Angeles, CA |
|
4 |
Ray Mendoza |
1 |
December 4, 1970 |
[Note 2] |
Los Angeles, CA |
|
5 |
John Tolos |
2 |
March 1971 |
[Note 3] |
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 |
7002262000000000000♠262 |
Los Angeles, CA |
- |
Vacated |
- |
December 13, 1971 |
- |
N/A |
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 |
[Note 4] |
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Defeated Sailor Thomas in a fictitious tournament final. |
8 |
Seiji Sakaguchi |
1 |
February 11, 1972 |
7002208000000000000♠208 |
Los Angeles, CA |
|
9 |
The Sheik |
1 |
September 6, 1972 |
7000100000000000000♠1 |
Tokyo, Japan |
10 |
Seiji Sakaguchi |
2 |
September 7, 1972 |
7002149000000000000♠149 |
Osaka, Japan |
11 |
Johnny Valentine |
1 |
February 3, 1973 |
7001330000000000000♠33 |
Yokohama, Japan |
12 |
Akihisa Takachiho |
1 |
March 8, 1973 |
7001370000000000000♠37 |
Sano, Japan |
- |
Deactivated |
- |
April 14, 1973 |
- |
N/A |
Deactivated on April 14, 1973 when the JWA closed. |
13 |
Jumbo Tsuruta |
1 |
August 28, 1976 |
7002189000000000000♠189 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Defeated Jack Brisco in an AJPW tournament final to revive the championship. |
14 |
Billy Robinson |
1 |
March 5, 1977 |
7001180000000000000♠18 |
Akita, Japan |
|
15 |
Jumbo Tsuruta |
2 |
March 23, 1977 |
7003106700000000000♠1,067 |
Miami, FL |
|
16 |
Dick Murdoch |
1 |
February 23, 1980 |
7001110000000000000♠11 |
Kagoshima, Japan |
|
17 |
Jumbo Tsuruta |
3 |
March 5, 1980 |
7002222000000000000♠222 |
Kuroiso, Japan |
|
18 |
Abdullah the Butcher |
1 |
October 13, 1980 |
7002101000000000000♠101 |
Nagoya, Japan |
|
19 |
Jumbo Tsuruta |
4 |
January 22, 1981 |
7002556000000000000♠556 |
Nirasaki, Japan |
|
20 |
Harley Race |
1 |
August 1, 1982 |
7001840000000000000♠84 |
Tokyo, Japan |
|
21 |
Jumbo Tsuruta |
5 |
October 24, 1982 |
7002236000000000000♠236 |
Kitami, Japan |
- |
Vacated |
- |
June 17, 1983 |
- |
N/A |
Vacated on June 17, 1983 so Tsuruta could focus on winning the NWA International Heavyweight Championship. |
22 |
Ted DiBiase |
1 |
October 14, 1983 |
7002106000000000000♠106 |
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 |
7000600000000000000♠6 |
Athens, GA |
|
24 |
David Von Erich |
1 |
February 3, 1984 |
7000700000000000000♠7 |
Dallas, TX |
- |
Vacated |
- |
February 10, 1984 |
- |
N/A |
Vacated on February 10, 1984 when Von Erich dies of an apparent heart attack. |
25 |
Genichiro Tenryu |
1 |
February 23, 1984 |
[Note 5] |
Tokyo, Japan |
Defeated Ricky Steamboat in a tournament final. |
- |
Vacated |
- |
February 1986 |
- |
N/A |
Voluntarily vacated in February 1986 when Tenryu is pinned by Yoshiaki Yatsu in a tag team match. |
26 |
Genichiro Tenryu |
2 |
April 26, 1986 |
7002823000000000000♠823 |
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 |
7002265000000000000♠265 |
Nagano, Japan |
Also won the PWF Heavyweight Championship. |
28 |
Jumbo Tsuruta |
6 |
April 18, 1989 |
5000000000000000000♠0 |
Tokyo, Japan |
Retained the NWA International Heavyweight Championship and won the PWF Heavyweight Championship and the UN Championship. |
- |
Unified |
- |
April 18, 1989 |
- |
N/A |
Title was unified with Tsuruta's NWA International Heavyweight Championship and with Hansen's PWF Heavyweight Championship and UN championship to create the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. |
List of combined reigns
Rank |
Wrestler |
# of Reigns |
Combined Days |
1 | Jumbo Tsuruta | 6 | 2,270 |
2 | Genichiro Tenryu | 2 | 1,532 - 1,559 |
3 | Seiji Sakaguchi | 2 | 357 |
4 | Stan Hansen | 1 | 265 |
5 | Antonio Inoki | 1 | 262 |
6 | Ted DiBiase | 1 | 106 |
7 | Abdullah the Butcher | 1 | 101 |
8 | Ray Mendonza | 1 | 87 - 112 |
9 | Harley Race | 1 | 84 |
10 | Akihisa Takachiho | 1 | 37 |
11 | Johnny Valentine | 1 | 33 |
12 | Pantera Negra | 1 | 28 |
13 | Billy Robinson | 1 | 18 |
14 | John Tolos | 2 | 14 - 39 |
15 | King Krow | 1 | 11 - 41 |
16 | Dick Murdoch | 1 | 11 |
17 | David Von Erich | 1 | 7 |
18 | Michael Hayes | 1 | 6 |
19 | The Sheik | 1 | 1 |
20 | Dale Lewis | 1 | 0 - 22 |
- ↑ The exact date that Dale Lewis won the championship is uncertain, which puts the title reign at between 5000000000000000000♠0 and 7001220000000000000♠22 days.
- ↑ The exact date that John Tolos won the championship is uncertain, which puts the title reign at between 7001870000000000000♠87 and 7002112000000000000♠112 days.
- ↑ The exact date that John Tolos won the championship is uncertain, which puts the title reign at between 5000000000000000000♠0 and 7001250000000000000♠25 days.
- ↑ The exact date that King Krow won the championship is uncertain, which puts the title reign at between 7001110000000000000♠11 and 7001410000000000000♠41 days.
- ↑ The exact date that Genichiro Tenryu vacated the championship is uncertain, which puts the title reign at between 7002709000000000000♠709 and 7002736000000000000♠736 days.
References
- ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.