NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version)

Last updated

NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary)
NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version).png
Original version of the championship belt
Details
Promotion Stampede Wrestling
Date establishedNovember 1, 1946
Date retired1972
Statistics
First champion(s)Al Mills
Most reignsDave Ruhl (8 reigns)
Longest reignAl Mills
(1,578 days)
Shortest reignSammy Burg
(1 day)
Heaviest champion Abdullah the Butcher (430 lb (200 kg; 31 st))

The Calgary version of the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship was established in 1946, and became the top championship in Stampede Wrestling when that promotion opened in 1948; it held that status until 1972, when the title was vacated and later abandoned after the last champion, Dave Ruhl, was injured. [1]

Contents

Title history

Key
No.Overall reign number
ReignReign number for the specific champion
DaysNumber of days held
No.ChampionChampionship changeReign statisticsNotesRef.
DateEventLocationReignDays
 1 Jack Taylor 1 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 1]  Records are unclear on how Jack Taylor became champion [2]
—N/A——
 2  Earl McCready  April 20, 1933 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1  [Note 1]  Also won the British Empire Title; still champion on October 19, 1934 and February 7, 1935. [2]
—N/A——
 3 Jack Forsgren November 28, 1936 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 2]    [2]
—N/A——
 4 Pat Meehan February 10, 1939 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1  [Note 3]  Lost to Earl McCready on January 11, 1940 in Vancouver, may have been a non-title match [2]
—N/A——
 5 Al Mills November 1, 1946 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1  [Note 4]  Defeated Chief Thunderbird; also defeated Billy Watson on February 28, 1950 in Edmonton, Alberta to be recognized as Dominion Heavyweight champion by Stampede Wrestling. [2]
—N/A——
 6  Ski Hi Lee  February 26, 1951 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 1 8 Also billed as Western Canadian Title. [2] [3]
 7 Al Mills March 6, 1951 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 2 56 Also billed as Western Canadian Championship. [2]
 8 Jack McDonald May 1, 1951 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 1 7   [2]
 9 Al Mills May 8, 1951 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 3 266   [2]
 10  Ski Hi Lee  January 29, 1952 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 2 7   [2]
 11 Al Mills February 5, 1952 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 4 98 Recognized as champion in the '52 Official NWA Newsletter. [2]
 12 Bob Langevin May 13, 1952 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 1 28 Won by forfeit when Mills no-showed a title match. [2]
 13 Mr. X June 10, 1952 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 1 477   [2]
 14 Al Mills September 30, 1953 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 5  [Note 1]  Still/again champion as of October 21, 1953. [2]
—N/A——
 15 Lou Newman October 18, 1954 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 1  [Note 1]  Tournament for the vacant title. [2]
—N/A——
 16  George Gordienko  June 4, 1955 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1 9 Defeated Adrien Baillargeon in tournament final for what was billed as "Alberta Gold Belt". [2]
—N/A——
 17  George Gordienko  June 13, 1955 Stampede showLethbridge, Alberta 2  [Note 5]  Defeated Earl McCready [2]
—N/A——
 18 Lou Newman October 18, 1955 Stampede showEdmonton, Alberta 1 176 Defeated Al Mills [2]
 19  George Gordienko  April 11, 1956 Stampede showRegina, Saskatchewan 3  [Note 6]  Still champion as of March 10, 1956 [2]
—N/A——
 20  Johnny Valentine  December 17, 1956 Stampede showN/A 1 51   [2]
 21  Sammy Berg  February 6, 1957 Stampede showSaskatoon, Saskatchewan 1 0 Title is stripped from Valentine and awarded to Berg as a result of a disputed decision on a January 30, 1957 match. [2]
 22  Johnny Valentine  February 6, 1957 Stampede showSaskatoon, Saskatchewan 2 37   [2]
 23 John Paul Henning March 15, 1957 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1  [Note 1]    [2]
—N/A——
— Vacated  1957(NLT)———— Championship vacated for undocumented reasons [2]
 24  Whipper Billy Watson  1958 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 1]  Won a tournament [2]
—N/A——
 25  Johnny Valentine  January 1959 Stampede showN/A 3  [Note 1]  Unknown who he defeated for the title. [2]
 25.5 vacated 1959N/AN/A Championship vacated for undocumented reasons [2]
 26  John Foti  June 5, 1959 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1  [Note 7]  Defeated Charro Azteca in 8-man tournament final. [2]
—N/A——
— Vacated  July 14, 1959(NET)———— Championship vacated for undocumented reasons [2]
 27  Dave Ruhl  November 13, 1959 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1 336 Defeated Al Mills [2]
 28 Cyclops October 14, 1960 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1  [Note 8]    [2]
—N/A——
 29  Ed Francis  January 1961 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 9]  Unknown whom Francis defeated for the title. [2]
 30 John Smith February 24, 1961 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1 105   [2]
 31  John Foti  June 9, 1961 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 2  [Note 10]    [2]
—N/A——
 32  Killer Kowalski  November 17, 1961 Stampede showN/A 1 112 Recognized as N.A.W.A. Canadian champion; unknown whom Kowalski defeated for the title. [2]
 33 Czaya Nandor March 9, 1962 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1  [Note 11]    [2]
 34 Alexis Bruga March 1962 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 12]    [2]
 35 Czaya Nandor March 23, 1962 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 2  [Note 13]    [2]
 36  Killer Kowalski  May 1962 Stampede showN/A 2  [Note 14]    [2]
 37 Czaya Nandor May 12, 1962 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 3 55   [2]
 38  Killer Kowalski  July 6, 1962 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 3  [Note 15]    [2]
—N/A——
 39  Waldo Von Erich  March 9, 1964 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 1]  Unknown whom Von Erich defeated for the title and still/again champion as of July 6, 1964. [2]
—N/A——
 40  Don Leo Jonathan  1964 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 1]  Unknown whom Jonathan defeated for the title. [2]
 41  Stan Stasiak  1965 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 1]    [2]
 42  Don Leo Jonathan  1965 Stampede showN/A 2  [Note 1]    [2]
 43  Sweet Daddy Siki  1965 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 1]    [2]
 44  Dave Ruhl  1966 Stampede showN/A 2  [Note 1]    [2]
 45  The Beast  1966 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 1]    [2]
 46  Dave Ruhl  December 6, 1966 Stampede showN/A 3  [Note 16]    [2]
 47  Stan Stasiak  March 1967 Stampede showN/A 2  [Note 1]    [2]
 48  Luther Lindsay  1967 Stampede showN/A 1  [Note 1]    [2]
 49  Stan Stasiak  June 5, 1967 Stampede showN/A 3 22   [2]
 50  Dave Ruhl  June 27, 1967 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 4 2   [2]
 51  Stan Stasiak  June 29, 1967 Stampede showSaskatoon, Saskatchewan 4 5   [2]
 52  Dave Ruhl  July 4, 1967 Stampede showSaskatoon, Saskatchewan 5 136   [2]
 53  Archie Gouldie  November 17, 1967 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1 −254   [2]
 54  Ox Baker  March 8, 1967 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1 7   [2]
 55  Waldo Von Erich  March 15, 1967 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 2  [Note 17]    [2]
—N/A——
 56  Dave Ruhl  December 2, 1967 Stampede showN/A 6 755   [2]
 57 Danny Lynch December 26, 1969 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1 14   [2]
 58  Dave Ruhl  January 9, 1970 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 7 21   [2]
 59 Abdullah the Butcher  January 30, 1970 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1 21   [2]
 60  Billy Robinson  February 20, 1970 Stampede showCalgary, Alberta 1  [Note 1]    [2]
 61  Dave Ruhl  1971 Stampede showN/A 8  [Note 1]    [2]
— Vacated  1972———— Rhul was injured and the championship was abandoned [2]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 The length of this championship reign is too uncertain to calculate.
  2. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 804 days.
  3. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 2,821 days.
  4. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 1,578 days.
  5. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 127 days.
  6. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 250 days.
  7. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 39 and 161 days.
  8. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between −287 and −257 days.
  9. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 390 and 420 days.
  10. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 161 days.
  11. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 13 days.
  12. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 13 days.
  13. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 39 and 50 days.
  14. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 12 days.
  15. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 612 days.
  16. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 85 and 115 days.
  17. ↑ The date the championship was either won or lost is uncertain, which means this specific reign lasted between 1 and 262 days.

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References

  1. ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN   0-9698161-5-4.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 "TBD". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved April 13, 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.
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