National Wrestling Alliance
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
WON BY
Orville Brown
DATE
July 14, 1948
LOCATION
Waterloo, Iowa, USA
*The NWA - National Wrestling Alliance was founded on this date, and Brown, a champion in multiple territories, was recognized as the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion
Lou Thesz
Billy Watson
Lou Thesz (2)
Dick Hutton
Pat O'Connor
Buddy Rogers
Lou Thesz (3)
Gene Kiniski
Dory Funk Jr.
Harley Race
Jack Brisco
Giant Baba
Jack Brisco (2)
Terry Funk
Harley Race (2)
Dusty Rhodes
Harley Race (3)
Giant Baba (2)
Harley Race (4)
Giant Baba (3)
Harley Race (5)
Tommy Rich
Harley Race (6)
Dusty Rhodes (2)
Ric Flair
Harley Race (7)
Ric Flair (2)
Kerry Von Erich
Ric Flair (3)
Dusty Rhodes (3)
Ric Flair (4)
Ron Garvin
Ric Flair (5)
November 27, 1949
March 15, 1956
November 9, 1956
November 14, 1957
January 9, 1959
June 30, 1961
January 24, 1963
January 7, 1966
February 11, 1969
May 24, 1973
July 20, 1973
December 2, 1974
December 9, 1974
December 10, 1975
February 6, 1977
August 21, 1979
August 26, 1979
October 31, 1979
November 7, 1979
September 4, 1980
September 9, 1980
April 27, 1981
May 1, 1981
June 21, 1981
September 17, 1981
June 10, 1983
November 24, 1983
May 6, 1984
May 22, 1984
July 26, 1986
August 9, 1986
September 25, 1987
November 26, 1987
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Tampa, Florida, USA
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Houston, Texas, USA
Kagoshima, Japan
Toyohashi, Japan
Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tampa, Florida, USA
Orlando, Florida, USA
Nagoya, Japan
Amagasaki, Japan
Saga, Japan
Otsu, Japan
Augusta, Georgia, USA
Gainesville, Georgia, USA
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Irving, Texas, USA
Yokosuka, Japan
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Chicago, Illinois, USA
*In October 1988, WCW - World Championship Wrestling was founded and became the flagship promotion of the NWA. At that time, control of the championship was given to WCW
Ricky Steamboat
Ric Flair (6)
Sting
Ric Flair (7)
February 20, 1989
May 7, 1989
July 7, 1990
January 11, 1991
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
*Stripped of the title on September 8, 1991, after he left WCW and the NWA
Masahiro Chono
August 12, 1992
Tokyo, Japan
*Defeated Rick Rude in a tournament final to win the vacant title
The Great Muta
Barry Windham
Ric Flair (8)
January 4, 1993
February 21, 1993
July 18, 1993
Tokyo, Japan
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Biloxi, Mississippi, USA
*WCW withdrew from the NWA on September 1, 1993. On September 15, 1993, Flair was officially stripped of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and instead recognized as the first WCW International Heavyweight Champion
Shane Douglas
August 27, 1994
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
*Defeated 2 Cold Scorpio in a tournament final to win the vacant title at an ECW - Eastern Championship Wrestling event. Immediately, Douglas threw the belt down, vacated the title, and announced ECW's name change to Extreme Championship Wrestling and the elevation of his ECW Heavyweight Championship to be the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
Chris Candido
November 19, 1994
Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA
*Defeated Tracy Smothers in a tournament final to win the vacant title
Dan Severn
Noaya Ogawa
Gary Steele
Naoya Ogawa (2)
February 24, 1995
March 14, 1999
September 25, 1999
October 2, 1999
Erlanger, Kentucky, USA
Yokohama, Japan
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Thomaston, Connecticut, USA
*Vacated the title on July 2, 2000, in order to focus on his upcoming mixed martial arts fight against Rickson Gracie
Mike Rapada
September 19, 2000
Tampa, Florida, USA
*Defeated Jerry Flynn in a tournament final to win the vacant title
Sabu
Mike Rapada (2)
Steve Corino
November 14, 2000
December 22, 2000
April 24, 2001
Tampa, Florida, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Tampa, Florida, USA
*The title was held up on October 13, 2001, after Corino and Shinya Hashimoto fought to a no-contest
Shinya Hashimoto
December 15, 2001
McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA
*Defeated Gary Steele and Shinya Hashimoto in a round robin tournament to win the vacant title
Dan Severn (2)
March 9, 2002
Tokyo, Japan
*Stripped of the title on May 28, 2002, for refusing to defend it on the inaugural TNA - Total Nonstop Action event. At this time, the newly formed TNA became the NWA's flagship promotion and was given control of the title
Ken Shamrock
June 19, 2002
Huntsville, Alabama, USA
*Defeated Malice to win the vacant title
Ron Killings
Jeff Jarrett
AJ Styles
Jeff Jarrett (2)
AJ Styles (2)
Ron Killings (2)
Jeff Jarrett (3)
AJ Styles (3)
Raven
Jeff Jarrett (4)
Rhyno
Jeff Jarrett (5)
Christian Cage
Jeff Jarrett (6)
Sting (2)
Abyss
Christian Cage (2)
August 7, 2002
November 20, 2002
June 11, 2003
October 22, 2003
April 21, 2004
May 19, 2004
June 2, 2004
May 15, 2005
June 19, 2005
September 15, 2005
October 23, 2005
October 25, 2005
February 12, 2006
June 18, 2006
October 22, 2006
November 19, 2006
January 14, 2007
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Orlando, Florida, USA
Orlando, Florida, USA
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Orlando, Florida, USA
Orlando, Florida, USA
Orlando, Florida, USA
Orlando, Florida, USA
Plymouth, Michigan, USA
Orlando, Florida, USA
Orlando, Florida, USA
*Stripped of the title on May 13, 2007, after TNA withdrew from the NWA
Adam Pearce
September 1, 2007
Bayamon, Puerto Rico
*Defeated Brent Albright in a tournament final to win the vacant title
Brent Albright
Adam Pearce (2)
Blue Demon Jr.
Adam Pearce (3)
Colt Cabana
The Sheik
August 2, 2008
September 20, 2008
October 25, 2008
March 14, 2010
March 6, 2011
April 23, 2011
New York City, New York, USA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Mexico City, Mexico
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
West Hollywood, California, USA
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
*Stripped of the title on July 31, 2011, for refusing to defend it against Adam Pearce
Adam Pearce (4)
July 31, 2011
Columbus, Ohio, USA
*Defeated Chance Prophet, Jimmy Rave, and Shaun Tempers in a four-way match to win the vacant title
Colt Cabana (2)
Adam Pearce (5)
April 8, 2012
July 21, 2012
Glendale, California, USA
Kansas City, Kansas, USA
*Adam Pearce and Colt Cabana competed in a best-of-seven series which concluded on October 27, 2012. The NWA refused to allow the title to be on the line in the final match, although both competitors requested it. The match took place, and Cabana won, but both competitors refused the title afterwards, and it was then declared vacant and Pearce left the NWA
Kahagas
November 2, 2012
Clayton, New Jersey, USA
*Defeated Biggie Biggs, Chance Prophet, Damien Wayne, Jason Kincaid, Lance Anoa'i, Lance Erikson, Papadon, and Tony Nese in an elimination match to win the vacant title
Rob Conway
Satoshi Kojima
Rob Conway (2)
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Jax Dane
Tim Storm
Nick Aldis
Cody Rhodes
Nick Aldis (2)
Trevor Murdoch
Matt Cardona
March 16, 2013
January 4, 2014
June 2, 2014
February 14, 2015
August 29, 2015
October 21, 2016
December 9, 2017
September 1, 2018
October 21, 2018
August 29, 2021
February 12, 2022
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Tokyo, Japan
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Sendai, Japan
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Sherman, Texas, USA
Sewell, New Jersey. USA
Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Oak Grove, Kentucky, USA
*Vacated the title on June 11, 2022, due to being injured
Trevor Murdoch (2)
June 11, 2022
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
*Defeated Nick Aldis, Sam Shaw, and Thom Latimer in a four-way match to win the vacant title
Tyrus
EC3
Thom Latimer
Silas Mason
November 12, 2022
August 27, 2023
August 31, 2024
August 16, 2025
Chalmette, Louisiana, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Huntington, New York, USA