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The original version NWA National Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986. In spite of its name, the championship was never defended on a national basis but, rather, it was used only within the territorial region in which Georgia Championship Wrestling ran its operations.

In 1984, Vince McMahon's Titan Sports, Inc. (which operated under the World Wrestling Federation brand name) bought Georgia Championship Wrestling, Inc. The National champion at the time of the sale was The Spoiler (Don Jardine). Spoiler went to work for the WWF and was briefly recognized by that company as National Heavyweight Champion.

Meanwhile, a rival group with NWA sanctioning began in Georgia. This group was called Championship Wrestling from Georgia. They awarded the NWA National Heavyweight Championship to Ted DiBiase (proclaiming that he had won the title from The Spoiler, which actually wasn't the case except for storyline purposes).

In 1985, Jim Crockett Promotions purchased the TBS Saturday night and Sunday night television slots from the WWF and began production on a new era of "World Championship Wrestling." JCP essentially consolidated Championship Wrestling from Georgia (taking over that group's Saturday morning time slot as well) and began to recognize their championships.

Eventually Crockett held a unification match between his company's United States champion and the National champion. The U.S. champ won and that version of the National title was abandoned.

Beginning in 1997, the NWA Board of Directors reactivated the NWA National Heavyweight Championship. Unlike the original version, the current NWA National Heavyweight Championship is defended in various NWA affiliated promotions throughout the United States.


Title history

Original version (1980–1986)

Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes:
Jack Brisco 1 October 1980 . Defeated Terry Funk in a tournament final to become the first champion.
Mongolian Stomper 1 December 6, 1980 Atlanta, Georgia .
Steve Olsonoski 1 May 29, 1981 Atlanta, Georgia .
Masked Superstar 1 August 15, 1981 Columbus, Georgia .
Tommy Rich 1 September 28, 1981 Augusta, Georgia .
Masked Superstar 2 November 25, 1981 Atlanta, Georgia .
Tommy Rich 2 January 17, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia .
Ron Bass 1 March 15, 1982 Augusta, Georgia .
Tommy Rich 3 April 19, 1982 Augusta, Georgia .
Buzz Sawyer 1 May 2, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia .
Paul Orndorff 1 June 20, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia .
Vacated . 1982 . Orndorff vacated the title to train for a World Title match.
Super Destroyer 1 August 29, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia Won a tournament to win the vacant title.
Paul Orndorff 2 October 3, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia .
Masked Superstar 3 October 17, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia .
Paul Orndorff 3 November 17, 1982 Atlanta, Georgia .
Killer Karl Kox 1 1982 .
Tommy Rich 4 1983 . .
Paul Orndorff 4 March 1983 . .
Killer Tim Brooks 1 March 20, 1983 Atlanta, Georgia .
Larry Zbyszko 1 March 20, 1983 Atlanta, Georgia Bought the title from Brooks for $25,000
Vacated April 30, 1983 . Zbyszko was stripped of the title by NWA President Bob Geigel for buying it.
Larry Zbyszko 2 June 5, 1983 Atlanta, Georgia Defeated Mr. Wrestling II in a tournament final to win the vacant title.
Brett Wayne 1 September 25, 1983 Atlanta, Georgia .
Ted DiBiase 1 November 18, 1983 Cleveland, Ohio .
Brad Armstrong 1 February 18, 1984 Atlanta, Georgia .
The Spoiler 1 April 12, 1984 Wheeling, West Virginia .
Brad Armstrong 2 May 4, 1984 Marietta, Georgia .
The Spoiler 2 July 1, 1984 Atlanta, Georgia .
Ted DiBiase 2 July 14, 1984 Macon, Georgia This was a phantom match after The Spoiler went to the World Wrestling Federation.
Ron Garvin 1 October 11, 1984 Baltimore, Maryland .
Black Bart 1 June 1, 1985 Atlanta, Georgia The match also had a Loser Leaves Town stipulation
Terry Taylor 1 September 22, 1985 Atlanta, Georgia .
Buddy Landel 1 November 28, 1985 Greensboro, North Carolina Won at Starrcade.
Dusty Rhodes 1 December 19, 1985 Atlanta, Georgia Rhodes was awarded the title in a phantom match after Landel was fired due to his drug problem.
Tully Blanchard 1 March 4, 1986 Spartanburg, South Carolina .
Wahoo McDaniel 1 August 28, 1986 Los Angeles, California .
Nikita Koloff 1 September 28, 1986 Atlanta, Georgia .
Title retired September 28, 1986 Atlanta, Georgia The title was unified with the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, which Koloff won from Magnum T.A. on August 17, 1986 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Revived version (1997–)

Wrestler Times Date Location Notes
Big Slam 1 1997 . Title was awarded after the NWA revived it.
Salvatore Sincere 1 July 18, 1997 Raeford, North Carolina .
Vacated October 11, 1997 . .
Doug Gilbert 1 March 27, 1998 Mount Holly, New Jersey Defeated Barry Windham and Rocco Rock in a three-way match to win the vacant title.
Stevie Richards 1 August 22, 1998 Mount Holly, New Jersey .
Doug Gilbert 2 October 24, 1998 Cherry Hill, New Jersey Won the title in an eight-man tag team steel cage match at the NWA 50th Anniversary Show.
Don Brodie 1 January 15, 2000 Memphis, Tennessee .
Kevin Northcutt 1 April 14, 2000 North Richland Hills, Texas .
Stone Mountain 1 September 13, 2000 Athens, Georgia .
Terry Knight 1 November 4, 2000 Cornelia, Georgia Defeated Jesse Taylor on November 18, 2000 in Cornelia, Georgia to unify the NWA Wildside United States Heavyweight Championship.
Don Brodie 2 January 12, 2001 Greenville, Mississippi .
Vacated August 2001 . Title vacated after Brodie is injured in an automobile accident.
Kevin Northcutt 2 August 22, 2001 . Northcutt was awarded the title.
Hotstuff Hernandez 1 October 13, 2001 St. Petersburg, Florida Won the title at the NWA 53rd Anniversary Show.
Shinya Hashimoto # May 23, 2002 Tokyo, Japan
Hotstuff Hernandez 1 May 2002 . Title returned to Hernandez after Hashimoto refuses it. The NWA later claimed that Hashimoto and Hernandez's match in Japan was not for the title.
Ricky Murdock 1 January 11, 2003 Greenville, Mississippi Also won the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship on October 10, 2003, defeating Shane Somers at the NWA 55th Anniversary Show in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Spyder 1 October 15, 2004 Winnipeg, Manitoba Won the title at the NWA 56th Anniversary Show.
Vacated October 8, 2005 Nashville, Tennessee Spyder stripped of the title when he no-shows a title defense.
Ricky Murdock 2 October 8, 2005 Nashville, Tennessee Defeated Conscience and The Juggulator in a three-way match at the NWA 57th Anniversary Show to win the vacant title.
Vacated March 31, 2006 Lebanon, Tennessee Title held up after a match against Big Bully Douglas, due to interference from Kory Williams.
Big Bully Douglas 1 April 1, 2006 Columbia, Tennessee Defeated Murdock in a rematch to win the held up title.
Kory Williams 1 September 30, 2006 Lebanon, Tennessee .
Chance Prophet 1 May 5, 2007 Salyersville, Kentucky Stripped of the title on October 12, 2007 by the NWA Board of Director due to injury.
Pepper Parks 1 October 20, 2007 Lebanon, Tennessee Defeats Kory Williams in a match to determine the new champion.
Crusher Hansen 1 April 18, 2008 McKeesport, Pennsylvania .
Phill Shatter 1 January 17, 2009 McKeesport, Pennsylvania
Chance Prophet 2 February 11, 2011 Franklinville, New Jersey
Kahagas 1 March 29. 2012 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Vacated November 14, 2012 Title vacated after Kahagas wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Damien Wayne 1 January 5, 2013 Nashville, North Carolina Defeated Chance Prophet and Lance Erikson in a three-way match to fill the vacant title.
Vordell Walker 1 June 14, 2013 Millersville, Tennessee
Damien Wayne 2 August 2, 2013 Millersville, Tennessee
Nitro 1 September 14, 2013 Toledo, Ohio
Lou Marconi 1 March 1, 2014 Williamston, NC
Nitro 2 March 22, 2014 Hillsdale, MI
Lou Marconi 2 March 23, 2014 Toledo, OH
Nitro 3 April 5, 2014 Carolina Beach, NC
Lou Marconi 3 July 7, 2014 Carolina Beach, NC
Jax Dane 1 February 6, 2015 Millersville, TN
Vacated May 28, 2015 Title vacated, and separated from the North American title, after Jax Dane suffered an injury.
Arrick Andrews 1 July 11, 2015 Cookeville, TN Defeats Chase Owens in an eight-man tournament final.
Vacated January 2, 2016 Andrews announced that he had suffered a knee injury in a hunting accident that would keep him out of wrestling for 8 months, and forfeited the title. A battle royal was set for January 9 to fill the vacancy.
John Saxon 1 January 9, 2016 Dyersburg, TN Won a battle royal for the vacant title.
Greg Anthony 1 January 30, 2016 Dyersburg, TN
Mustang Mike Beadle 1 July 2, 2016 Morgan City, LA This was a steel cage match.
Greg Anthony 2 July 9, 2016 Dyersburg, TN
Jake Logan 1 September 17, 2016 Amarillo, Texas
Greg Anthony 3 October 29, 2016 Dyersburg, TN
Damien Wayne 3 November 19, 2016 Gallatin, TN
Kahagas 2 February 3, 2017 Franklin, KY

Previous Designs

See also

References

External links

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