NWA National Tag Team Championship

Last updated
NWA National Tag Team Championship
NWA National Tag Team Championship.png
The championship belt
Details
Promotion Georgia Championship Wrestling
Date establishedNovember 27, 1980
Date retiredJanuary 1, 1986
Statistics
First champion(s) The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy)
Final champion(s) The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson
Most reignsThe Fabulous Freebirds and The Road Warriors (3 reigns)
Longest reignArn and Ole Anderson (248 days)
Shortest reign King Kong Bundy and Masked Superstar (4 days)

The NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986. The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts, and Terry Gordy) won a tournament to determine the first champions, defeating Stan Frazier and Robert Fuller in the final. They were introduced as the Georgia and National Tag Team Champions and carried a trophy to the ring representing the National title as they wore belts which represented the Georgia title.

Contents

The National Tag Team Championship continued to be represented by a trophy until Thanksgiving Night in 1981, when the promotion awarded newly made belts (modeled after the old Georgia tag team belts, which the National title replaced) to the winners of its annual turkey night tag team tournament. The father and son duo of Bob and Brad Armstrong defeated Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in the final to win the vacant NWA National Tag Team Championship.

When World Wrestling Entertainment (then called the World Wrestling Federation)'s Vince McMahon bought Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc.'s TV timeslot (after GCW's contract with TBS expired without renewal: Black Saturday), the titleholders were Ron Garvin and Jerry Oates. After Oates and Garvin refused to sign with McMahon, McMahon discontinued the title.

A new wrestling promotion -- containing some former Georgia Championship Wrestling personnel -- Championship Wrestling from Georgia reactivated the title, and recognized Garvin & Oates as the titleholders, keeping the Georgia Championship Wrestling lineage unbroken. Jim Crockett Promotions bought the TBS wrestling timeslot from the WWF in 1985 -- and Championship Wrestling from Georgia (including CWG's Saturday morning TBS timeslot, as well) -- kept the title active. The title was written out of JCP storylines when titleholders Ole Anderson & Arn Anderson were stripped of the belts, and JCP replaced them by establishing its 'new' United States Tag Team Championship, and a tournament to crown its 'first' champions. [1]

Title history

Key
No.Overall reign number
ReignReign number for the specific team—reign numbers for the individuals are in parenthesis, if different
DaysNumber of days held
No.ChampionChampionship changeReign statisticsNotesRef.
DateEventLocationReignDays
 1  The Fabulous Freebirds
(Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy)
 November 27, 1980 live event Atlanta, Georgia 1 60Defeated Stan Frazier and Robert Fuller in tournament final.
 2  Ted DiBiase and Stan Frazier  January 26, 1981 live event Augusta, Georgia 1 5
 3  The Fabulous Freebirds
(Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy)
 January 31, 1981 live event Atlanta, Georgia 2 130
 4  Ted DiBiase (2) and Steve Olsonoski  June 10, 1981 live event Marietta, Georgia 1 26
 5  Terry Gordy (3) and Jimmy Snuka  July 6, 1981 live event Augusta, Georgia 1 83Tommy Rich and Ted DiBiase defeated Gordy and Snuka on July 19, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia, but the belts were returned after the NWA found out that Michael Hayes counted the pinfall.
 6  Michael Hayes (3) and Otis Sistrunk  September 27, 1981 live event Atlanta, Georgia 1 13
Vacated  October 10, 1981Sistrunk quit the company, date listed is first TV taping without Sistrunk.
 7 The Armstrongs
(Bob and Brad Armstrong)
 November 26, 1981 live event Atlanta, Georgia 1 57Defeated Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in tournament final and won a $30,000 cash prize.
 8  Super Destroyer and Masked Superstar  January 22, 1982 live event Columbus, Georgia 1 45
 9  Super Destroyer (2) and Big John Studd  March 8, 1982 live event N/A 1 116Masked Superstar gave his half of title to Studd.
 10  The Fabulous Freebirds
(Michael Hayes (4) and Terry Gordy (4))
 July 2, 1982 live event Chattanooga, Tennessee 3 58
 11  The Wild Samoans
(Afa and Sika)
 August 29, 1982 live event Atlanta, Georgia 1 125
Vacated  January 1, 1983Storyline was that the Samoans refused to defend against Tommy Rich and Paul Orndorff, in reality they left GCW for the World Wrestling Federation.
 12  The Road Warriors
(Animal and Hawk)
 June 11, 1983 live event Atlanta, Georgia 1 176Won a fictitious tournament.
 13 The Sawyers
(Buzz and Brett Sawyer)
 December 4, 1983 live event Canton, Ohio 1 55
 14  The Road Warriors
(Animal and Hawk)
 January 28, 1984 live event Athens, Georgia 2 99Awarded the championship when Buzz Sawyer was fired.
 15  King Kong Bundy and Masked Superstar (2) May 6, 1984 live event Atlanta, Georgia 1 4 [2]
Vacated  May 10, 1984Masked Superstar was said to be injured, to cover for him working in Japan.
 16  The Road Warriors
(Animal and Hawk)
 May 20, 1984 live event Atlanta, Georgia 3 45Defeated Junkyard Dog and Sweet Brown Sugar in a tournament final.
 17  Ron Garvin and Jerry Oates July 4, 1984 live event Columbus, Georgia 1 79After the WWF purchased GCW on Black Saturday, a successor promotion, Championship Wrestling from Georgia, kept the titles on Garvin & Oates.
 18  The Hollywood Blonds
(Rip Rogers and Ted Oates)
 September 21, 1984 live event Atlanta, Georgia 1 44
 19  The Lighting Express
(Brad Armstrong (2) and Tim Horner)
 November 4, 1984 live event N/A 1 6
Vacated  November 10, 1984Horner was injured and unable to defend the championship
 20 The Long Riders
(Bill Irwin and Scott Irwin (3))
 November 18, 1984 live event Atlanta, Georgia 1 54Defeated Brad Armstrong and Jacques Rougeau in a tournament final, also won a $100,000 cash prize.
 21  Ole Anderson and Thunderbolt Patterson  January 11, 1985 live event Cleveland, Ohio 1 78
Vacated  March 30, 1985Ole Anderson turned on Thunderbolt Patterson and broke up the team.
 22  The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
(Ole Anderson (2) and Arn Anderson)
 April 28, 1985 live event Charlotte, North Carolina 1 248Defeated Patterson and Manny Fernandez in a match where both Ole and Patterson's half of the titles were at stake, with Arn becoming the new title holder.
Deactivated January 1, 1986Ole was injured by the Road Warriors and Dusty Rhodes in a match; replaced with the NWA United States Tag Team Championship.

See also

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References

  1. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN   0-9698161-5-4.
  2. F4W Staff (May 6, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 6): Verne Gagne Vs. Danny Hodge, 1st Annual Von Erich Parade of Champions show". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 10, 2017.