Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship

Last updated

Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship
Magnum TA, 1984.jpg
Magnum T. A. posing with the championship belt in 1984
Details
Promotion Mid-South Wrestling Association
Date establishedJune 23, 1969
Other name(s)
  • NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State)
  • MSWA North American Heavyweight Championship
Statistics
First champion(s)Chuck Karbo
Most reigns Bill Watts (9 reigns)
Longest reignBill Watts
(404 days)
Shortest reign Nikolai Volkoff
(1 day)
Oldest champion The Great Zimm (At least 43 years, 90 days)
Youngest champion Ted DiBiase (22 years, 320 days)
Heaviest champion Ernie Ladd (325 lb (147 kg; 23.2 st))
Lightest champion Terry Taylor (225 lb (102 kg; 16.1 st))

The Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in the Mid-South Wrestling Association from 1979 until the promotion became the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986. The title was retired then in favor of the UWF Heavyweight Championship. The promotion was originally a member of the National Wrestling Alliance referred to as NWA Tri-State, hence the title was originally the Tri-State version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship from 1969 to 1979.

Contents

Title history

Wrestler:Times:Date:Location:Notes:
NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version)
Chuck Karbo1June 23, 1969 Los Angeles Wins a tournament to become the first champion.
Danny Hodge 1August 15, 1969 Little Rock, AR
Chuck Karbo2October 6, 1969
Danny Hodge2October 21, 1969Little Rock, AR
Chuck Karbo3October 23, 1969
Tarzan Baxter1October 31, 1969 Oklahoma City, OK
The Spoiler 1February 17, 1970Little Rock, AR
Danny Hodge3March 1970
The Spoiler2March 20, 1970Oklahoma City, OK
Bill Watts 1April 12, 1970 Tulsa, OK
Dusty Rhodes 1May 21, 1971 Shreveport, LA
Bill Watts2October 1971Sometime before October 19, 1971.
The Stomper 1March 1972
Bill Watts3April 19, 1972
Dale Lewis 1May 15, 1972Shreveport, LA
Bill Watts4May 22, 1972Shreveport, LADeclared vacant in the Tri-State area in August 1973 when Watts leaves the area; Watts continues to defend in Florida and Georgia.
Tri-State version while Watts was in Georgia/Florida
Tank Morgan 1November 12, 1973Shreveport, LADefeats Dewey Robertson in tournament final for Tri-State Version.
Rip Tyler1February 11, 1974Shreveport, LARecognized champion in Tri-State.
Apache Bull Ramos 1April 1974Recognized champion in Tri-State.
Buddy Colt 1May 3, 1974Defeats Watts in Florida/Georgia version. [1]
Bob Armstrong 1June 8, 1974Recognized Champion in Florida/Georgia and still champion as of February 1975.
Armand Hussian1July 29, 1974Shreveport, LARecognized champion in Tri-State.
Skandor Akbar 1December 1974Shreveport, LARecognized champion Tri-State and still champion as of may 14, 1975.
Buddy Colt2February 1975Recognized champion in Florida/Georgia.
Bill Watts5February 21, 1975Awarded Florida/Georgia version when Colt is injured in a plane crash.
Danny Miller1May 14, 1975 Jackson, MS Recognized champion in Tri-State.
Dick Murdoch 1June 5, 1975 New Orleans, LA Recognized champion in Tri-State.
Killer Karl Kox 1October 28, 1975Shreveport, LARecognized champion in Tri-State.
Bill Watts6November 26, 1975Jackson, MSDefeats Kox to end the dispute. Has been recognized as champion in Florida and Georgia to unifies the Tri-State version.
The Spoiler3November 9, 1976Shreveport, LA
The Brute 1November 23, 1976Awarded after defending title for The Spoiler.
Ted DiBiase 1December 1976
The Great Zimm 1February 1977 Shreveport, LA
Dick Murdoch 2March 1, 1977Shreveport, LA
Stan Hansen 1May 2, 1977Tulsa, OK
Bill Watts7June 20, 1977 Tulsa, OK
Dick Murdoch3August 4, 1977
Jerry Oates1August 1977 Albuquerque, NM
Dick Murdoch4November 6, 1977 Shreveport, LA
Ernie Ladd 1February 14, 1978Shreveport, LA
Paul Orndorff 1May 29, 1978Tulsa, OK
Ernie Ladd2June 1978
Paul Orndorff2June 1978
Stan Hansen2July 1978
Paul Orndorff3July 29, 1978 Baton Rouge, LA
Ernie Ladd3August 15, 1978
Ray Candy 1November 17, 1978Shreveport, LA
Ernie Ladd4December 25, 1978 New Orleans, LA Wins by forfeit.
Mr. Wrestling II 1February 16, 1979 Atlanta, GA Became MSWA Title in August 1979.
Renamed Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship
Mike George 1September 5, 1979Shreveport, LAWrestling II is still/again billed as champion in Georgia as of October 19, 1979. [2]
Bill Watts8December 4, 1979 Baton Rouge, LA
Mike George2December 6, 1979?Title returned.
Bill Watts9January 5, 1980 Alexandria, LA
Mike George3January 19, 1980Alexandria, LA
Ted DiBiase2February 1, 1980Shreveport, LA
The Grappler 1September 19, 1980Shreveport, LA
Jake Roberts 1June 30, 1981Shevreport, LA
Paul Orndorff4July 4, 1981New Orleans, LA
Ted DiBiase3November 1, 1981 Lake Charles, LA
Paul Orndorff5January 6, 1982Shreveport, LAAired on Mid-South TV January 9, 1982. This match had a special stipulation where disqualification would count as a pinfall. Orndorff wins the match due to outside interference by Bob Roop.
Ted DiBiase4January 6, 1982Shreveport, LAAired on Mid-South TV January 9, 1982. DiBiase regained the belt via disqualification when Orndorff attacked him with the belt immediately after the match.
Bob Roop 1March 17, 1982Shreveport, LA
Junkyard Dog 1June 21, 1982New Orleans, LA
Ted DiBiase5June 23, 1982Shreveport, LA
Stagger Lee (Junkyard Dog)2November 25, 1982New Orleans, LAJYD lost loser-leaves-town for 90 days match & returned as masked Stagger Lee.
VacatedFebruary 1983Vacated when Stagger Lee "left the area" (Junkyard Dog's 90-day suspension ended). Mr. Olympia won a 12-man tournament for the vacated title on March 21, 1983, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The decision was reversed, and the title held up, when it was revealed that the pin was counted with Junkyard Dog face-down on the mat.
Junkyard Dog3April 16, 1983New Orleans, LADefeats Mr. Olympia in rematch
Butch Reed 1July 16, 1983New Orleans, LA [3]
Magnum T. A. -October 12, 1983Shreveport, LA Junkyard Dog was the special guest referee appointed by Mid-South match maker Grizzly Smith. Junkyard Dog was supposed to be Reed's opponent as the fans had picked the Dog in an applause contest to face Reed for the title but Reed instead refused to defend the title against the Dog and instead picked Magnum T. A. who was in the same applause contest. Butch Reed filed a protest with Mid-South and Mid-South would reverse the match decision on October 24, 1983, citing that Butch Reed did not have the authority to pick his own opponent, therefore that match never happened, the next title match of Magnum T. A. vs Nikolai Volkoff was also stricken from the record, and the title was returned to Reed. That announcement was aired on Mid-South TV October 29, 1983.
Nikolai Volkoff -October 24, 1983New Orleans, LAMid-South would strike this match from the record on October 24, 1983. That announcement was aired on Mid-South TV October 29, 1983.
Butch Reed2October 24, 1983New Orleans, LAAired on Mid-South TV October 29th, 1983. Title returned after Magnum's victory is reversed.
Junkyard Dog4October 26, 1983Shreveport, LAAired on Mid-South TV October 29th, 1983. Dusty Rhodes was the special guest referee appointed by Mid-South.
Mr. Wrestling II2March 12, 1984New Orleans, LA
Magnum T. A.1May 13, 1984Tulsa, OK
Ernie Ladd5October 16, 1984Shreveport, LA
Brad Armstrong 1December 5, 1984Shreveport, LA
Ted DiBiase6January 16, 1985Shreveport, LA [4]
Terry Taylor 1March 13, 1985Shreveport, LA
The Nightmare 1May 22, 1985Shreveport, LAAired on Mid-South TV May 30th, 1985.
Dick Murdoch5August 10, 1985New Orleans, LA
Butch Reed3October 14, 1985New Orleans, LA
Dick Slater 1January 1, 1986Tulsa, OK
Held up after match against Jake Roberts on January 31, 1986, in Houston, Texas.
Jake Roberts2February 14, 1986 Houston, TX Wins rematch.
Dick Slater2February 23, 1986Oklahoma City, OK
Hacksaw Jim Duggan 1March 16, 1986Oklahoma City, OKDefeats Buzz Sawyer, who was defending for Slater.
Title retired in May 1986 as Mid-South Wrestling Association becomes the UWF.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AWA World Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE. The championship was generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participants execute worked finishes rather than contend in direct competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AWA World Tag Team Championship</span> Professional wrestling tag team championship

The American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWA National Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The NWA National Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the U.S.-based, National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

The NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship was a singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's St. Louis Wrestling Club and Central States Wrestling promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. It was considered a "stepping stone" to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship was a secondary professional wrestling championship that was used and defended from 1964 though 1983. Initially, the championship originated in the NWA affiliated Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. During this time, it was referred to as the NWA Gulf Coast Louisiana Heavyweight Championship until 1972. Beginning in '72, the title was used in the NWA affiliated NWA Tri-State then was called the NWA Tri-State Louisiana Heavyweight Championship from 1972 until 1979. In 1979, however, wrestler and promoter "Cowboy" Bill Watts purchased the Tri-State territory and renamed it Mid-South Wrestling Association. Although Watts kept close ties with the NWA for purpose of having access to wrestling talent, he withdrew Mid-South from the NWA and, as a result, renamed all of the promotion's championships accordingly.

In professional wrestling, the UWF Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship contested in the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and its predecessor, Mid-South Wrestling. The title was established in 1979 as the Mid-South Tag Team Championship, renamed the UWF Tag Team Championship in 1986, and abandoned the following year when the UWF was acquired by Jim Crockett Promotions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship was a major title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and is now the major title in NWA Florida Wrestling Alliance. It started in 1937 and was abandoned in 1949. It was picked back up in 1966 by CWF and lasted until 1987 when the company was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions. In 1988, the newly created Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), soon renamed Pro Wrestling Federation (PWF), picked it back up in 1988 and it continued its lineage through NWA Florida, until they ceased operations in 2006. In 2009, Pro Wrestling Fusion revived the title until they left the NWA in 2011. For several months in 2012, a new Championship Wrestling from Florida affiliated with the NWA, briefly reviving the title until NWA Florida Underground Wrestling took over the championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCWA World Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The WCWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship promoted by the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex area–based World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA). The championship was originally created in June 1966 by WCWA's predecessor NWA Big Time Wrestling (BTW), billed as the local version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship before being renamed the NWA American Heavyweight Championship in May 1968. In 1982, Big Time Wrestling rebranded themselves as "World Class Championship Wrestling" (WCCW) and the championship was renamed the WCCW American Heavyweight Championship. In 1986 WCCW withdrew from the National Wrestling Alliance, creating the World Class Wrestling Association, replacing the WCCW American Heavyweight Championship with the WCWA Heavyweight Championship, replacing the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship as the top title recognized by the promotion. In 1989, the WCWA championship was unified with the AWA World Heavyweight Championship to become the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship as WCWA merged with the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) to become the United States Wrestling Association. In 1990 WCWA split from the USWA, but the promotion folded without determining a WCWA World Heavyweight Champion. As it is a professional wrestling championship, the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship was not won by actual competition, but by a scripted ending to a match.

The NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight Championship was a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship contested in Big Time Wrestling from 1959 until 1980. It was first introduced as the Chicago version of the championship and contested on shows produced by Fred Kohler Enterprises before moving to Detroit six years later. While the National Wrestling Alliance recognized only one World Heavyweight Champion, there were multiple "NWA United States Heavyweight Champion"s, as many NWA-affiliated promotions/"territories" across the U.S. each had its own version of an "American" or "United States" championship. For most such territories -- including Detroit -- the U.S. Title was the promotion's primary singles championship. Over its history, the title was held by stars including Bobo Brazil, The Sheik, Wilbur Snyder, Johnny Valentine, and multi-time AWA World Heavyweight Champions Verne Gagne and Dick the Bruiser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today. The title has used a variety of different names over the years, which consists of initial changes to represent the various companies that have controlled the title at different times. Originally, it was simply known as the Texas Heavyweight Championship until its name was changed after the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance in 1948. For most of the title's existence, at least until the early 1990s, it was defended almost exclusively within the Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio areas of Texas. From the 1930s to the mid-1960s, these cities and the surrounding towns were within the territory operated by Ed McLemore, which was known simply as Southwest Sports, Inc. at the time. After McLemore's death, the territory came under the control of Fritz Von Erich and was renamed as Big Time Wrestling. However, the promotion would be renamed World Class Championship Wrestling in the early 1980s, which is the name the territory is best remembered under today. The championship remained an NWA affiliated title until February 1986.

The NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) was a major title in the NWA's Alabama territory known as Southeastern Championship Wrestling. It existed from 1972 until 1988 when the promotion became the Continental Wrestling Federation. This title had two divisions of it, the "Northern Division" and the "Southern Division", with the Northern Division being the predominant one. The Southern Division was the continuation of the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Championship. Please see that title history for the Southern Division title history.

The WWC North American Tag Team Championship, also known as the Puerto Rican version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions. The promotion, still in operation today, is based out of Puerto Rico and was a National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate until 1988. This title was the third NWA sanctioned championship to use the "NWA North American Tag Team Championship" name and, while its name suggests it was a title defended across the continent, it was actually only used within the Puerto Rico territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The GCW Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Georgia Championship Wrestling professional wrestling promotion. It started in 1964 and was unified in 1981 with the NWA National Heavyweight Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top championship, the Calgary version of the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship, was abandoned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW), which promoted shows in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, and occasionally other areas in the northwestern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship</span> Professional wrestling tag team championship

The NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington.

The NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's Los Angeles territory, known officially as NWA Hollywood Wrestling, from 1968 until the promotion closed in 1982. The title was first established in 1967 as a secondary championship in NWA Hollywood's predecessor, Worldwide Wrestling Associates. Although the name of the title implies that it was defended throughout North, Central and South America, it was rarely defended outside of Southern California. As a result, the title was essentially a regional title rather than a national one. A number of NWA affiliated promoters at various points over the years have used their own regional versions or variations of "national" championships for the purpose of giving crowds the idea that the company was larger than it actually was, or that the company was the biggest or most successful within the ranks of the National Wrestling Alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship</span> Professional wrestling tag team championship

The NWA Mid-America Tag Team championship was a tag team title promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion NWA Mid-America that ran more or less exclusively in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, United States, from the 1940s until 1980. Originally the NWA Mid-America promoted their version of the NWA World Tag-Team titles but when they became defunct in 1977 the "Mid-America" title became the main title for the promotion. The titles were reactivated in 2001 under NWA Nashville's patronage and continued to exist until 2011 when they were again abandoned.

The NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title for lighter wrestlers, board-controlled by the National Wrestling Alliance since December 1949.

References

  1. F4W Staff (May 3, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history: Low Ki Vs. Dewitt, Punk wins OVW title, Mutoh wins IWGP belt, Bret wins NA title, Dibiase & Dr. Death, Sheik, Watts, Fargos". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 11, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. Hoops, Brian (September 5, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history: Gagne vs. Crusher loser leaves town, Von Erichs vs. Freebirds, Young Bucks vs. Machine Guns". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  3. Hoops, Brian (July 16, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (July 16): Dusty Rhodes Vs. Ernie Ladd, Reed Vs. JYD, Bash in Huntington Beach". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  4. Hoops, Brian (January 16, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/16): Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton win WCW Tag Team Titles". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online . Retrieved January 18, 2019.