| NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco) | |||||||||||
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| Details | |||||||||||
| Promotion | NWA San Francisco Big Time Wrestling | ||||||||||
| Date established | November 1960 | ||||||||||
| Date retired | January 1981 | ||||||||||
| Other name(s) | |||||||||||
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The NWA San Francisco United States Championship was a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship that was defended in NWA San Francisco and, later, Big Time Wrestling. The title, which originated as the American Wrestling Alliance United States Championship and was renamed in 1968, existed from 1960 until 1981. [1]
| Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Wrestling Alliance United States Heavyweight Championship | ||||
| Ray Stevens | 1 | November 1960 | Awarded | |
| Bob Ellis | 1 | November 11, 1960 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Ray Stevens | 2 | May 1961 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Vacated | July 1962 | Stevens broke his ankle in cart racing. | ||
| Pepper Gomez | 1 | July 1962 | Windsor, ON | defeated Freddie Blassie. |
| Ray Stevens | 3 | February 23, 1963 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Wilbur Snyder | 1 | April 20, 1963 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Ray Stevens | 4 | June 29, 1963 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Dominic DeNucci | 1 | January 25, 1964 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Ray Stevens | 5 | February 29, 1964 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Kinji Shibuya | 1 | October 25, 1964 | Honolulu, HI | |
| Bobo Brazil | 1 | October 16, 1965 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Kinji Shibuya | 2 | November 13, 1965 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Bill Watts | 1 | February 19, 1966 | San Francisco, CA | [2] |
| Ray Stevens | 6 | March 11, 1967 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Bearcat Wright | 1 | December 2, 1967 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Kinji Shibuya | 3 | February 17, 1968 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Bearcat Wright | 2 | April 13, 1968 | San Francisco, CA | |
| King Curtis Iaukea | 1 | July 4, 1968 | ? | |
| Ray Stevens | 7 | September 14, 1968 | San Francisco, CA | Promotion rejoins the NWA in 1968 during Stevens' reign. |
| Renamed NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) | ||||
| King Curtis Iaukea | 2 | May 10, 1969 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Ray Stevens | 8 | June 7, 1969 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Vacated | August 1969 | Stevens broke his leg while racing. | ||
| Pat Patterson | 1 | August 9, 1969 | San Francisco, CA | Defeated Pedro Morales to win vacant title. |
| Ray Stevens | 9 | July 11, 1970 | San Francisco, CA | Lost a match to Patterson in Anchorage, Alaska on September 22, with Patterson announced as the new champion to the local audience. It's unclear whether this result was announced by the promotion to its audience at large as having occurred or having been overturned. [3] |
| Paul DeMarco | 1 | June 5, 1971 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Peter Maivia | 1 | July 31, 1971 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Paul DeMarco | 2 | September 18, 1971 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Rocky Johnson | 1 | November 5, 1971 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Pat Patterson | 2 | February 12, 1972 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Held Up | December 7, 1972 | Title held up after match against Great Mephisto | ||
| Great Mephisto | 1 | February 17, 1973 | Defeated Patterson after several rematches failed to end with winner. | |
| Pat Patterson | 3 | April 28, 1973 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Moondog Mayne | 1 | December 29, 1973 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Peter Maivia | 2 | October 12, 1974 | San Francisco, CA | |
| The Brute | 1 | January 15, 1975 | San Francisco, CA | [4] |
| Pat Patterson | 4 | April 5, 1975 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Angelo Mosca | 1 | July 7, 1975 | San Jose, CA | |
| Pat Patterson | 5 | September 7, 1975 | Sacramento, CA | |
| Mr. Fuji | 1 | February 7, 1976 | San Francisco, CA | [5] |
| Vacated | February 12, 1977 | Fuji left the area. | ||
| Pat Patterson | 6 | March 12, 1977 | San Francisco, CA | Defeated Alexis Smirnoff in tournament final. |
| Alexis Smirnoff | 1 | April 16, 1977 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Dean Ho | 1 | July 16, 1977 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Bob Roop | 1 | September 17, 1977 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Vacated | December 1977 | Bob Roop fired. | ||
| Dean Ho | 2 | January 14, 1978 | Won tournament. | |
| Don Muraco | 1 | April 1, 1978 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Moondog Mayne | 2 | May 27, 1978 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Roddy Piper | 1 | June 24, 1978 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Moondog Mayne | 3 | July 14, 1978 | ? | |
| Vacated | August 13, 1978 | Mayne killed in auto accident. | ||
| Buddy Rose | 1 | September 16, 1978 | San Francisco, CA | Defeated Dean Ho in tournament final. |
| Vacated | 1979 | Rose suspended. | ||
| Ron Starr | 1 | March 3, 1979 | San Francisco, CA | Defeated Roddy Piper in tournament final. |
| Buddy Rose | 2 | May 11, 1979 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Ron Starr | 2 | June 8, 1979 | San Francisco, CA | Defeated Johnny Mantell when Rose refused to wrestle. |
| Bob Sweetan | 1 | October 23, 1979 | San Francisco, CA | |
| George Wells | 1 | December 29, 1979 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Ed Wiskoski | 1 | June 7, 1980 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Ron Starr | 3 | August 9, 1980 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Bob Sweetan | 2 | October 13, 1980 | San Francisco, CA | |
| Vacated | October 1980 | Sweetan left the area. | ||
| Dusty Rhodes | 1 | November 8, 1980 | San Francisco, CA | Defeated Dick Slater for the vacant title. |
| Title Retired | January 1981 | Promotion closed; Mid-Atlantic version becomes the undisputed NWA US Championship after this date | ||
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Patterson won the match, thus regaining the heavyweight championship belt from Stevens, but left the ring before the decision was announced. The referee, left too, to investigate a foul by Patterson alleged by the crowd, but never returned to inform the announcer of the decision.
