WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship

The WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship was a singles title used sporadically in the World Wide Wrestling Federation between 1963 and 1976. During the variable periods in which it was used, the title served as the promotion's secondary singles championship to the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. After the title was retired for good, it was replaced, after a three year interval with the WWF North American Heavyweight Championship as the promotion's secondary title.

This article is about the United States Championship that was in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1963 until 1976. For the United States Championship currently defended in WWE, see WWE United States Championship.
WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship
One version of the belt that represented the championship in the 1960s and 1970s
Details
PromotionWWWF
Date established1963
Date retired1976

Prior to Capitol Wrestling leaving the National Wrestling Alliance and becoming the WWWF, the company hosted a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship for several months in 1960-1961. The only known holder of this title was Buddy Rogers, who vacated the title upon winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Pat O'Connor in Chicago in June 1961.[1]

This title has no connection to the current WWE United States Championship, the lineage of which dates back to the NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Championship originally created in 1975 in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. The full name listed on the physical belt did read World Wide Wrestling Federation U.S.A. Heavyweight Championship.[2]

Title history
Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days
1 Bobo Brazil April 6, 1963 House Show California 1 63 Bobo Brazil is recognized as the first WWWF United States Heavyweight Champion [3][1]
2 Johnny Barend June 8, 1963 House Show Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1 31   [3][1]
3 Bobo Brazil July 9, 1963 House Show Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2 64   [3][1]
4 Johnny Barend September 11, 1963 House Show Baltimore, Maryland 2 41   [3][1]
5 Bobo Brazil October 22, 1963 House Show Newton Square, Pennsylvania 3 1,335   [3][1]
6 Ray Stevens June 18, 1967 House Show [Note 1] 1 67   [3][1]
7 Bobo Brazil August 24, 1967 House Show Trenton, New Jersey 4 29   [3][1]
8 The Sheik September 22, 1967 House Show Detroit, Michigan 1 429   [3][1]
9 Bobo Brazil November 24, 1968 House Show [Note 1] 5 57   [3][1]
10 The Sheik January 20, 1969 House Show Boston, Massachusetts 2 21   [3][1]
11 Bobo Brazil February 10, 1969 House Show Washington D.C. 6 687   [3][1]
— Vacated December 29, 1970 — — — — Championship vacated because of injury [3][1]
12 Pedro Morales January 7, 1971 House Show Los Angeles, California 1 32 Defeated Freddie Blassie in a tournament final [3][1]
— Vacated February 8, 1971 — — — — Pedro Morales vacated the WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship after winning the WWWF Championship [3][1]
13 Bobo Brazil February 19, 1971 House Show Harrisburg, PA 7 1,837 Brazil was awarded the title by the WWWF. [3][1]
— Deactivated March 1, 1976 — — — — Brazil was the final champion after the WWF abandoned the title on March 1, 1976 [3][1]

Combined reigns
Rank Wrestler No. of reigns Combined days
1Bobo Brazil74,072
2The Sheik2450
3Johnny Barend272
4Ray Stevens167
5Pedro Morales132

See also

Footnotes
  1. The location of the championship change has not been found documented.

References
  1. "United States Heavyweight Title - World Wide Wrestling Federation ( 1963 - 1970s ) World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2003/07 - )". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  2. WWWF U.S. Heavyweight Title - Bleacher Report.com
  3. Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (1994). "United States: 19th Century & Widely defended Titles - NWA, WWF, AWA, IWA, ECW, NWA WWWF United States Heavyweight Title [McMahon]". Wrestling Title Histories (3 ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 27. ISBN 0-9698161-1-1.
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