NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship

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NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship
NWA Western States Title 2015.png
The current NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship belt, introduced by NWA Vendetta Pro Wrestling in 2015. Identical to the NWA Western States Heritage Championship belt used from 1987-1989.
Details
Promotion Western States Sports [1]
Vendetta Pro Wrestling, January 2015 [2] - September 2017 [3]
Date established1969
Date retired1981 (Western States Sports)
September 2017 (Vendetta Pro Wrestling)
Statistics
First champion Dory Funk, Sr.
Most reigns Terry Funk (12 reigns)

The NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, Western States Sports. [1]

Contents

The title was in use from 1969, when it replaced Amarillo's version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, [4] through the promotion's 1981 closure. [5]

The title was revived in 2015 by NWA Vendetta Pro Wrestling, with a new champion being crowned via a tournament held in Santa Maria, California. This was an eight-man, single-elimination tournament, won by "Loverboy" Matt Riviera. [6] Though created as a "new" title, all previous champions have received recognition. [2]

The original title was not related to the NWA Western States Heritage Championship, which was used in Jim Crockett Promotions from 1987 to 1989, though the 2015 version does use the same title belt design, and as such, is often referred to as the Western States "Heritage" Championship. [7]

Title retired once again as of September 8, 2017 when titleholder Rik Luxury defeated Vendetta Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Apostle Judah Mathew to unify the two titles into the new Vendetta Pro Wrestling Western States Heavyweight Championship. [3]

Title history

Silver areas in the history indicate periods of unknown lineage. An (n) indicates that a title changes occurred no later than the listed date.

Wrestler:Times:Date:Location:Notes:
Dory Funk, Sr. 1June 12, 1969 Amarillo, Texas Funk was the final holder of the Amarillo version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship and awarded the title when it was replaced.
Tex McKenzie1November 13, 1969Amarillo, TexasBy forfeit after Funk suffers arm injury previous night in Lubbock, Texas.
The Beast 1November 24, 1969Amarillo, Texas
Ricky Romero 1February 2, 1970 El Paso, Texas
Title vacated on February 20, 1970 when Romero wins the Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Championship.
Terry Funk 1March 19, 1970Amarillo, TexasThe match ends with a controversial decision when two referees award the victory to each man.
The Beast2March 1970 (n)Awarded back sometime after March 26, 1970 and defends in Abilene, TX on March 27, 1970.
Terry Funk2May 7, 1970 Amarillo, Texas [8]
Bull Ramos 1July 1, 1970 Lubbock, Texas [9]
Terry Funk3July 7, 1970Amarillo, Texas
Pak Song1July 16, 1970Amarillo, Texas
The Spartan (Ricky Hunter) 1February 25, 1971Amarillo, Texas
The Spartan (Ricky Hunter)2April 14, 1971Amarillo, Texas
Terry Funk4April 29, 1971Amarillo, Texas
Mr. Wrestling (Gordon Nelson)1June 21, 1971 (n)Amarillo, TexasSometime after May 6, 1971.
Terry Funk5June 28, 1971 Abilene, Texas
Ciclón Negro 1July 6, 1971 Odessa, Texas
Terry Funk6August 3, 1971Odessa, Texas
Pak Song2August 5, 1971Amarillo, Texas
Terry Funk7August 12, 1971Amarillo, Texas
Ciclón Negro2August 26, 1971Amarillo, Texas
Dory Funk2September 9, 1971Amarillo, Texas
Title vacated when Funk is injured during the match. Ciclón Negro and Terry Funk wrestle to a draw for the vacant title on September 16, 1971 in Amarillo, Texas.
Ciclón Negro3September 30, 1971Amarillo, TexasDefeats Terry Funk.
Lord Alfred Hayes 1December 2, 1971Amarillo, Texas
Duke Myers1March 13, 1972Abilene, TexasMaybe held up after this match.
Lord Alfred Hayes2March 20, 1972 Abilene, Texas Maybe for the held-up title.
Ciclón Negro4June 13, 1972 Odessa, Texas
Lord Alfred Hayes3June 20, 1972Odessa, Texas
Ciclón Negro5June 29, 1972Amarillo, Texas
Lord Alfred Hayes4July 6, 1972Amarillo, Texas
Dory Funk3August 16, 1972Lubbock, Texas
Lord Alfred Hayes5August 21, 1972 Abilene, Texas Billed as Champion.
Ciclón Negro6August 31, 1972Amarillo, Texas
Terry Funk8November 1972 (n)Possibly on November 12, 1972 in Clovis, New Mexico.
Karl Von Steiger 11972 (n)
Ricky Romero21973 (n)
King Curtis Iaukea 11973 (n)
Ciclón Negro7July 6, 1973Abilene, Texas
Terry Funk9July 10, 1973 (n)
Kung Fu Lee 1October 18, 1973Amarillo, Texas
Title held up Against Terry Funk.
Terry Funk10October 25, 1973Amarillo, TexasDefeated Kung Fu Lee in a rematch.
Buck Robley1January 24, 1974 Clovis, New Mexico
Terry Funk11March 3, 1974Clovis, New Mexico
Karl Von Steiger2March 1974 (n)
Bob Backlund 1March 9, 1974Amarillo, Texas
Dick Murdoch 1May 10, 1974
Bob Backlund2May 22, 1974Lubbock, Texas
Karl Von Steiger3May 23, 1974Amarillo, Texas
Dick Murdoch2May 30, 1974Amarillo, Texas
Title vacant in June 1974 after winning the NWA International Title.
Siegfried Stanke 1July 4, 1974Amarillo, TexasDefeats Akio Sato in a 4-man tournament final.
Akio Sato 1August 16, 1974
Siegfried Stanke2August 24, 1974
Bob Backlund3September 4, 1974
Killer Karl Kox 1September 10, 1974Odessa, Texas
Bob Backlund4September 11, 1974Lubbock, TexasMaybe billed as champion.
Jim Dillon1September 19, 1974Amarillo, TexasDefeated Killer Karl Kox.
Terry Funk12October 17, 1974Amarillo, Texas
Title vacated when Funk left for Florida in April 1975.
Bobby Jaggers 1June 11, 1975Lubbock, TexasDefeats Nick Kozak 4-man a tournament final.
Ray Candy 1July 30, 1975Lubbock, Texas
Bruiser Brody 1October 17, 1975Lubbock, Texas
Scott Casey 1December 18, 1975Amarillo, Texas
Jerry Brisco 1April 16, 1976Amarillo, Texas
Scott Casey2June 4, 1976Lubbock, Texas
Tank Patton1October 13, 1976Abilene, Texas
Super Destroyer1February 24, 1977Amarillo, Texas
Doug Somers 1April 7, 1977Amarillo, Texas
Bull Ramos2September 1977 (n) Wichita Falls, Texas
Ricky Romero3December 15, 1977Amarillo, Texas
Roger Kirby1April 14, 1978 (n)
Ricky Romero4July 21, 1978 (n)Sometime after June 27, 1978; still champion as of August 10, 1978.
Title vacated.
Bob Morgan1February 28, 1980Amarillo, TexasDefeats Larry Lane in tournament final.
Larry Lane1March 6, 1980Amarillo, TexasWon a tournament.
Bob Morgan2March 7, 1980Amarillo, Texas
Title vacated.
Ricky Romero5August 27, 1981Amarillo, TexasDefeated Doug Somers in a tournament final after the initial match on August 20, 1981 ends with DDQ.
Title retired in 1981 when the promotion closed. Revived in 2015 by Vendetta Pro Wrestling.
Matt Riviera1January 17, 2015 Santa Maria, California Defeated Brian Kendrick in a tournament final. [6]
Jeff Jarrett 1May 15, 2015 King City, California [7]
Matt Riviera2May 17, 2015 Chowchilla, California [10]
Ricky Ruffin1October 30, 2015Santa Maria, California
Rik Luxury1May 20, 2016Santa Maria, California
On September 8, 2017, Luxury defeated Apostle Judah Mathew to claim his Vendetta Pro Wrestling Heavyweight title, unifying it with his NWA Western States title to form the Vendetta Pro Wrestling Western States Heavyweight Championship [3]

2015 NWA Western States Championship Tournament

January 17, 2015 - Santa Maria, California [11]

First Round Semifinals Finals
         
1 Brian Kendrick
8 Ricardo Rodriguez
Brian Kendrick
Jody Kristofferson
4 Chris Masters
5 Jody Kristofferson
Brian Kendrick
Matt Riviera
2 Rik Luxury
7 Billy Blade
Rik Luxury
Matt Riviera
3 Americos
6 Matt Riviera

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Pro-Wrestling Title Histories: Amarillo". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
  2. 1 2 "NWA Western States Championship" . Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Vendetta Pro Wrestling Western States Heavyweight Championship". vendettaprowrestling.com. September 12, 2017.
  4. "N.W.A. North American Heavyweight Title (Amarillo)". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved December 19, 2007. Replaced with Western States Heavyweight Title.
  5. "N.W.A. Western States Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
  6. 1 2 "National Wrestling Alliance Western States Heavyweight title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "New Western States Heritage Champion". Alliance-Wrestling.com. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  8. F4W Staff (May 7, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 7): Jeff Jarrett ends David Arquette's WCW title reign, Nick Bockwinkel Vs. Ray Stevens". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 10, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. Hoops, Brian (July 1, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (July 1): Ric Flair stripped of WCW title, Von Erich win WCCW Tag titles". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  10. "Riviera regains Western States Heritage at Vendetta Pro". Alliance-Wrestling.com. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  11. "Reflexion 2015 / NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship Tournament". vendettaprowrestling.com.