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The NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship was the primary singles championship in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919. The title has generally been defended in New Zealand, most often in Christchurch, Tauranga, Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand.
Title History[]
Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Place: | Notes: |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gisborne Katene | 1 | 1919 | Defeated Frank Findlay for the title, but later declared vacant. | |
Ike Robin | 1 | March 17, 1925 | Auckland, New Zealand | Title is vacated when Robin retires in 1926. He is credited as the first officially recognized heavyweight champion. |
Tom Alley | 1 | 1929 | ||
Stanley Pinto | 1 | 1930 | May have defeated Alley in tournament final in Wellington on November 23, 1931. | |
Title history unrecorded. | ||||
George Walker | 1 | 1931 | Walker retired on November 23, 1937, and the title was vacated. | |
Dean Detton | 1 | August 22, 1938 | Auckland, New Zealand | Defeated Lofty Blomfield for the title, but was later vacated in August 1938. |
Lofty Blomfield | 1 | September 10, 1938 | Auckland, New Zealand | Defeated Pat Fraley for the title. He later defeated title claimant Dean Detton in Auckland on August 27, 1938, and won championship tournament to become undisputed champion in October 1938. Blomfield held the title for over a decade until his retirement on June 7, 1949. |
Ken Kenneth | 1 | June 22, 1949 | Originally awarded the title, Kenneth was stripped in June 1958 for not defending the belt for over a year. | |
Dick Hrstich | 1 | June 11, 1958 | Christchurch, New Zealand | Defeated Fred Wright for the title. Later vacated in October 1959 when Hrstich leaves the country. |
Keita Meretana | 1 | September 3, 1959 | Tauranga, New Zealand | Defeated Lofty Binnie for the title. |
Ken Kenneth | 2 | June 1960 | Auckland, New Zealand | Title vacated in October 1960 when Kenneth leaves the country. |
Al Hobman | 1 | October 26, 1960 | Wellington, New Zealand | Defeated John DaSilva for the title. |
Steve Rickard | 1 | 1963 | ||
Peter Maivia | 1 | August 3, 1964 | Auckland, New Zealand | |
Steve Rickard | 2 | August 6, 1964 | Wellington, New Zealand | |
Al Hobman | 2 | 1964 | ||
John DaSilva | 1 | September 7, 1967 | Wellington, New Zealand | Title declared vacant in 1979 when DaSilva begins wrestles overseas. |
Siva Afi | 1 | April 23, 1978 | Defeated John DaSilva in tournament final to win title. | |
Steve Rickard | 3 | 1983 | ||
Title is vacated. | ||||
Rip Morgan | 1 | September 8, 1983 | Auckland, New Zealand | Defeated Samoan Joe in tournament final to win title. |
Title history unrecorded. | ||||
Bruno Bekkar | 1 | September 1985 | Won title in tournament final. | |
Johnny Garcia | 1 | |||
Bruno Bekkar | 2 | December 12, 1987 | Auckland, New Zealand | |
Johnny Garcia | 2 | November 26, 1988 | ||
Bruno Bekkar | 3 | 1990 | ||
A.J. Freeley | 1 | November 22, 1992 | Freeley is still billed as the heavyweight champion as of January 1999. |