USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||||||||||
Details | |||||||||||
Promotion | United States Wrestling Association | ||||||||||
Date established | December 13, 1988 | ||||||||||
Date retired | November 1997 | ||||||||||
|
The USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from the American Wrestling Association. The title was unified on December 13, 1988, when AWA World Champion Jerry Lawler defeated WCWA World Champion Kerry Von Erich in a unification match.
The title was primarily recognized by and defended in the United States Wrestling Association until 1997, when the company ceased operations. However, the AWA withdrew its recognition of the championship shortly after the unification match when Lawler was stripped of the AWA world title. The title was also contested in a non-televised match prior to the World Wrestling Federation's King of the Ring event in 1993. [1]
No. | Overall reign number |
---|---|
Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
Days | Number of days held |
No. | Champion | Championship change | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | ||||
1 | Jerry Lawler | December 13, 1988 | SuperClash III | Chicago, Illinois | 1 | 109 | Lawler, the reigning AWA World Heavyweight Champion, defeated Kerry Von Erich to win the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship. This results in the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship being formed. In January 1989, he was stripped of the AWA title by the AWA, ending the AWA title's connection with the USWA Unified World Heavyweight title. Lawler continues to be recognized as the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion by the USWA. On January 10, 1989, Dutch Mantell appeared to defeat Lawler to win the title after guest referee Ricky Morton (who had been paid off by Mantell) helped Mantell win by knocking Lawler's feet off the ropes in Mantell's pinfall attempt. The CWA Championship Committee reversed the decision the following week, returning the title to Lawler | [2] [3] |
2 | Master of Pain | April 1, 1989 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 24 | The WCWA World Heavyweight Championship was held up in April 1989. Regardless, the USWA continues to recognize the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship. At this point, the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was not unified with either the AWA or World Class World Heavyweight Championships; consequently, the influential Pro Wrestling Illustrated outright refused to recognise the Unified championship as a separate title in its own right. [4] | [2] [3] |
3 | Jerry Lawler | April 25, 1989 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 181 | On April 14 Lawler defeats Kerry Von Erich to win the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship again. Lawler claims to still be champion in AWA and wins the USWA Unified World Heavyweight title on April 25 | [2] [3] |
4 | The Soultaker | October 23, 1989 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 14 | This title change was not recognised in the Texas/World Class branch of the USWA | [2] [3] |
5 | Jerry Lawler | November 6, 1989 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 3 | 54 | [2] [3] | |
6 | King Cobra | December 30, 1989 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 9 | This title change was not recognised in the Texas/World Class branch of the USWA | [2] [3] |
7 | Jerry Lawler | January 8, 1990 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 4 | 49 | [2] [3] | |
8 | Jimmy Valiant | February 26, 1990 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 14 | This title change was not recognised in the Texas/World Class branch of the USWA | [2] [3] [5] |
9 | Jerry Lawler | March 12, 1990 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 5 | 47 | [2] [3] | |
10 | Jimmy Valiant | April 28, 1990 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 7 | This title change was not recognised in the Texas/World Class branch of the USWA | [2] [3] |
11 | Jerry Lawler | May 5, 1990 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 6 | 44 | [2] [3] [6] | |
12 | Snowman | June 18, 1990 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 70 | [2] [3] | |
— | Vacated | August 27, 1990 | — | — | — | — | Snowman no-shows title defense. (World Class Championship Wrestling ends business relationship with USWA in September 1990, ending the WCWA title's connection with the USWA Unified World Heavyweight title. Regardless, the USWA continues to recognize the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship) | [2] [3] |
13 | Jerry Lawler | October 8, 1990 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 7 | 28 | Defeated Austin Idol in tournament final | [2] [3] |
14 | Terry Funk | November 5, 1990 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 126 | [2] [3] | |
15 | Jerry Lawler | March 11, 1991 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 8 | 140 | [2] [3] | |
16 | Awesome Kong | July 29, 1991 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 14 | [2] [3] [7] | |
17 | Jerry Lawler | August 12, 1991 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 9 | 14 | [2] [3] | |
18 | The Dragon Master | August 26, 1991 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 7 | [2] [3] | |
19 | Jerry Lawler | September 2, 1991 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 10 | 84 | [2] [3] | |
20 | Kamala | November 25, 1991 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 7 | [2] [3] | |
21 | Jerry Lawler | December 2, 1991 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 11 | 5 | [2] [3] | |
— | Vacated | December 7, 1991 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated after a match against Kamala | [2] [3] |
22 | Kamala | December 9, 1991 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 55 | Won rematch | [2] [3] |
— | Vacated | February 2, 1992 | — | — | — | — | Championship vacated after match against Koko B Ware | [2] [3] |
23 | Kamala | February 10, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 3 | 14 | Won rematch | [2] [3] [8] |
24 | Koko B. Ware | February 24, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 21 | [2] [3] [9] | |
25 | Kamala | March 16, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 4 | 49 | [2] [3] | |
26 | Jerry Lawler | May 4, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 12 | 42 | Defeated Eddie Gilbert on June 8, 1992 to win the GWF World Heavyweight Championship, supposedly unifying the two championships although Gilbert had been stripped of the championship previously | [2] [3] |
27 | Eddie Gilbert | June 15, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 28 | [2] [3] | |
28 | Ricky Morton | July 13, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 7 | [2] [3] | |
29 | Eddie Gilbert | July 20, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 63 | [2] [3] [10] | |
30 | Junkyard Dog | September 21, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 21 | [2] [3] | |
31 | Butch Reed | October 12, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 5 | [2] [3] | |
32 | Todd Champion | October 17, 1992 | "USWA show" | Cleveland, Ohio | 1 | 16 | Announced as having won a match, storyline to cover for Butch Reed leaving USWA | [2] [3] |
33 | Jerry Lawler | November 2, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 13 | 35 | [2] [3] | |
34 | Koko B. Ware | December 7, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 7 | [2] [3] | |
35 | Jerry Lawler | December 14, 1992 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 14 | 140 | [2] [3] | |
36 | Papa Shango | May 3, 1993 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 49 | Previously held the championship under the ring name "The Soultaker" | [2] [3] [11] |
37 | Owen Hart | June 21, 1993 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 14 | [2] [3] | |
38 | Jerry Lawler | July 5, 1993 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 15 | 70 | [2] [3] | |
39 | Tatanka | September 13, 1993 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 7 | Tatanka worked for the WWF at the time, and was undefeated. | [2] [3] |
40 | Jerry Lawler | September 20, 1993 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 16 | 21 | Lawler pinned Tatanka in a six-man tag team elimination match and the title changed hands due to a pre-match stipulation. | [2] [3] |
41 | Randy Savage | October 11, 1993 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 40 | [2] [3] | |
— | Vacated | November 20, 1993 | — | — | — | — | The USWA and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) temporarily end co-promotion | [2] [3] |
42 | Jeff Jarrett | November 22, 1993 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 28 | Won a battle royal | [2] [3] |
43 | Jerry Lawler | December 20, 1993 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 17 | 42 | [2] [3] | |
44 | Eddie Gilbert | January 31, 1994 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 3 | 7 | [2] [3] | |
45 | Jerry Lawler | February 7, 1994 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 18 | 7 | [2] [3] [12] | |
46 | Eddie Gilbert | February 14, 1994 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 4 | 39 | [2] [3] [13] | |
47 | Jerry Lawler | March 25, 1994 | USWA show | Senatobia, Mississippi | 19 | 113 | [2] [3] | |
48 | Sid Vicious | July 16, 1994 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 205 | Won by forfeit | [2] [3] [14] |
49 | Jerry Lawler | February 6, 1995 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 20 | 19 | [2] [3] | |
50 | Bill Dundee | February 25, 1995 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 37 | [2] [3] | |
51 | Razor Ramon | April 3, 1995 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 28 | [2] [3] [15] | |
52 | Jerry Lawler | May 1, 1995 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 21 | 189 | [2] [3] | |
53 | Ahmed Johnson | November 6, 1995 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 44 | [2] [3] | |
54 | Jeff Jarrett | December 20, 1995 | USWA show | Tunica, Mississippi | 2 | 73 | [2] [3] | |
— | Vacated | March 2, 1996 | — | — | — | — | Vacated after Jarrett suffered a back injury | [2] [3] |
55 | Jerry Lawler | March 4, 1996 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 22 | 4 | Defeated Mabel in tournament final | [2] [3] [16] |
— | Vacated | March 8, 1996 | — | — | — | — | Vacated after a match against Bill Dundee | [2] [3] |
56 | Jerry Lawler | April 5, 1996 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 23 | 15 | Lawler won rematch | [2] [3] |
57 | Jeff Jarrett | April 20, 1996 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 3 | 95 | Jarrett won with the help of referee Frank Morrell | [2] [3] |
58 | Jerry Lawler | July 24, 1996 | USWA show | West Helena, Arkansas | 24 | 37 | [2] [3] | |
59 | Sid Vicious | August 30, 1996 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 2 | 3 | [2] [3] | |
60 | Jerry Lawler | September 2, 1996 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 25 | 32 | [2] [3] | |
61 | The Colorado Kid | October 4, 1996 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 43 | [2] [3] | |
62 | Jerry Lawler | November 16, 1996 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 26 | 119 | [2] [3] | |
63 | Tank | March 15, 1997 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 7 | [2] [3] | |
64 | Jerry Lawler | March 22, 1997 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 27 | 21 | [2] [3] [17] | |
65 | King Reginald | April 12, 1997 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | 15 | [2] [3] | |
66 | Jerry Lawler | April 27, 1997 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 28 | 103 | [2] [3] | |
67 | Dutch Mantel | August 8, 1997 | USWA show | Memphis, Tennessee | 1 | [2] [3] [Note 1] | [2] [3] | |
— | Deactivated | November 2, 1997 | — | — | — | — | USWA closed | [2] [3] |
Rank | Wrestler | No. of reigns | Combined days |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jerry Lawler | 28 | 1764 |
2 | Sid Vicious | 2 | 208 |
3 | Jeff Jarrett | 3 | 196 |
4 | Eddie Gilbert | 4 | 137 |
5 | Terry Funk | 1 | 126 |
6 | Kamala | 4 | 125 |
7 | Dutch Mantel | 1 | 85-114 |
8 | Snowman | 1 | 70 |
9 | The Soultaker/Papa Shango | 2 | 63 |
10 | Ahmed Johnson | 1 | 44 |
11 | The Colorado Kid | 1 | 43 |
12 | Randy Savage | 1 | 40 |
13 | Bill Dundee | 1 | 37 |
14 | Koko B. Ware | 2 | 28 |
Razor Ramon | 1 | 28 | |
16 | Master of Pain | 1 | 24 |
17 | Jimmy Valiant | 2 | 21 |
Junkyard Dog | 1 | 21 | |
19 | Todd Champion | 1 | 16 |
20 | King Reginald | 1 | 15 |
21 | Awesome Kong | 1 | 14 |
Owen Hart | 1 | 14 | |
23 | King Cobra | 1 | 9 |
24 | Ricky Morton | 1 | 7 |
Tank | 1 | 7 | |
Tatanka | 1 | 7 | |
The Dragon Master | 1 | 7 | |
28 | Butch Reed | 1 | 5 |
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.
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.
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.
The GWF Light Heavyweight Championship was the secondary title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was defended on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN.
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.
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 Big Time Wrestling in 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.
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 AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship was a major professional wrestling title in the Continental Wrestling Association during the 1970s and 1980s. The title is part of a long lineage that was started when the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship, in use since 1939, was renamed the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) in 1974. The title's name changed again in 1978, when it was renamed the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship due to a partnership with the American Wrestling Association. It was also called the Mid-Southern Heavyweight Championship in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and its sister publications, in order for this title to not be confused with Championship Wrestling from Florida's version of the title.
The USWA World Tag Team Championship was the primary professional wrestling tag team championship promoted by the Memphis, Tennessee-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA). The Continental Wrestling Association and World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA) merged in 1989 to form the USWA. In the merger the USWA replaced both the WCWA World Tag Team Championship and the CWA Tag Team Championship with the USWA version. The promotion awarded Cactus Jack and Scott Braddock the championship after they won the WCWA championship on August 4, 1989. The USWA closed in 1997, with PG-13 as the final champions. There were a total of 116 reigns in the eight year lifetime of the championship.
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.
The WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship was the secondary professional wrestling tag team championship promoted by the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex area-basedWorld Class Wrestling Association (WCWA). The championship was originally known as the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship from its creation in 1942 until 1981. The championship was revived in 1987 as the WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship, and used until 1990, when it was abandoned as WCWA was merged with the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) to become the United States Wrestling Association. The name was also used for a title by NWA Southwest from 1998 to 2011, also known as the NWA Southwest Texas Tag Team Championship. As it is a professional wrestling championship, it is won not by actual competition, but by a scripted ending to a match.
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.
The Pacific Wrestling Federation (PWF) World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and one of the three titles that make up the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. It was created in 1973 by All Japan owner Giant Baba, after he won a series of ten matches against Bruno Sammartino, Terry Funk, Abdullah the Butcher, The Destroyer, Wilbur Snyder, Don Leo Jonathan, Pat O'Connor and Bobo Brazil.
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 CWA Heavyweight Championship was a major professional wrestling title defended in the Championship Wrestling Association. It was created through the unification of the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight, AWA Southern Heavyweight and CWA/AWA International Heavyweight championships.
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.
The NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Southern Division) was originally the primary singles championship for Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling and was originally named the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Championship. As the name indicates the title was recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as a local title promoted in the Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi region from 1957 until 1977 when its name was changed for the Southern Division of Southeast Championship Wrestling. In 1980 the title was abandoned and the Northern division of the NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship became the main title of SECW.
The Georgia version of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Southern Heavyweight Championship was a secondary singles championship used in Georgia Championship Wrestling off-and-on from 1948 to 1972. The title is one of many versions of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. Other versions have been used in Florida and the Tennessee cities of Knoxville and Memphis.
The NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling regional championship in Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling (GCCW). It was a secondary title, complementing the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Championship, and one of several state championships recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance. The title was deactivated with the retirement of "Cowboy" Bob Kelly on September 3, 1976.
June 13, 1993 - WWF King of the Ring
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)