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The WCWA World Heavyweight Championship

A Historical Analysis of a Pivotal Professional Wrestling Title.

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Introduction

Championship Overview

The WCWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship promoted by the Dallasโ€“Fort Worth metroplex-based World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA). Its lineage traces back to the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Texas version), established in June 1966 by NWA Big Time Wrestling (BTW), the precursor to WCWA.

Evolution of the Title

Over the years, the championship underwent several name changes reflecting the evolving landscape of professional wrestling promotions in the region. It was known as the NWA American Heavyweight Championship, then the WCCW American Heavyweight Championship, before becoming the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1986 when WCCW withdrew from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). This title effectively replaced the NWA World Heavyweight Championship as the premier championship within the promotion.

Unification and Retirement

In 1989, the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, leading to the creation of the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship as WCWA merged with the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) to form the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). Although WCWA later split from USWA, the promotion folded without crowning a new WCWA World Heavyweight Champion, marking the deactivation of the title around 1990.

Championship Lineage

From NWA Roots

The championship's origins lie with Fritz Von Erich, who introduced it as the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Texas version) in 1966. He was its first recognized champion. The title was later renamed the NWA American Heavyweight Championship in May 1968, and subsequently the WCCW American Heavyweight Championship in 1982 following the rebranding of World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW).

The WCWA Era

Upon WCCW's departure from the NWA in 1986, the WCCW American Heavyweight Championship was replaced by the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship. Rick Rude was recognized as the inaugural WCWA World Heavyweight Champion on February 21, 1986, transitioning from his reign as the final WCCW American Heavyweight Champion. This marked the pinnacle of championship recognition within the WCWA.

Unification and Dissolution

The championship's final chapter involved its unification with the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. Jerry Lawler, holding both titles, became the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion. Following WCWA's merger into USWA and subsequent split, the promotion ceased operations around 1990, leaving the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship officially deactivated.

Key Statistics

Notable Records

The championship's history is marked by several significant achievements and distinctions, primarily associated with the Von Erich family and other prominent wrestlers:

  • First Champion: Fritz Von Erich (as NWA United States Heavyweight Champion)
  • Final Champion: Jerry Lawler
  • Most Reigns: Fritz Von Erich (20 reigns across its various iterations)
  • Longest Reign: Fritz Von Erich (375 days for his fifth reign as NWA American Heavyweight Champion)
  • Shortest Reign: Fritz Von Erich (less than 1 day, June 14, 1982, vacating immediately)
  • Oldest Champion: Fritz Von Erich (52 years)
  • Youngest Champion: Mike Von Erich (20 years, 5 months, 2 days)
  • Heaviest Champion: King Kong Bundy (450 lb / 200 kg)
  • Lightest Champion: Mike Von Erich (200 lb / 91 kg)

Contextual Notes

It is important to note that professional wrestling championships are awarded through predetermined outcomes, not legitimate competition. The "wins" and "losses" reflect scripted storylines designed to advance narratives and create compelling characters. The statistics presented here are based on these historical records within the context of professional wrestling entertainment.

Comprehensive Title History

Reign Details

The following table details the history of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship and its predecessors, including dates, champions, and reign lengths.

Key
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
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Texas version)
1 Fritz Von Erich June 6, 1966 House show Texas 1 3 Defeated Brute Bernard to become the first champion [1]
Johnny Valentine June 9, 1966 House show Texas 1 56 [1]
3 Fritz Von Erich August 4, 1966 House show Texas 2 133 [1]
Vacated December 15, 1966 Championship history is unrecorded from August 4, 1966 to December 15, 1966. [1]
4 Fritz Von Erich December 15, 1966 House show Texas 3 97 [1]
4 Brute Bernard March 1967 House show Texas 1 5 Sometime after March 22, 1967 [1]
5 Fritz Von Erich March 27, 1967 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 4 375 [1]
6 The Spoiler April 5, 1968 House show Houston, Texas 1 1 [1]
โ€” Vacated April 1968 Title held up due to interference by manager Gary Hart [1]
NWA American Heavyweight Championship
7 Fritz Von Erich June 3, 1968 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 5 1 Von Erich won a rematch against The Spoiler [1]
8 Kenji Shibuya 1968 House show Texas 1 1 [1]
9 Fritz Von Erich July 26, 1968 House show Houston, Texas 6 258 [1]
10 Baron Von Raschke April 10, 1969 House show N/A 1 19 [1]
11 Fritz Von Erich April 29, 1969 House show N/A 7 3 [1]
12 Johnny Valentine May 2, 1969 House show Houston, Texas 2 30 [1]
13 Fritz Von Erich June 1969 House show N/A 8 1 [1]
14 Johnny Valentine June 9, 1969 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 3 56 [1]
15 Fritz Von Erich August 4, 1969 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 9 1 [1]
โ€” Vacated August 5, 1969 Title held up after match against Johnny Valentine in Dallas, TX due to interference by Wahoo McDaniel [1]
16 Fritz Von Erich October 21, 1969 House show Dallas, Texas 10 94 Von Erich won a rematch against Johnny Valentine [1]
17 Johnny Valentine January 23, 1970 House show Houston, Texas 4 21 [1]
18 Fritz Von Erich February 13, 1970 House show Houston, Texas 11 94 [1]
19 Boris Malenko May 18, 1970 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 1 15 Defeated Mil Mรกscaras in tournament final [1]
20 Fritz Von Erich June 2, 1970 House show Dallas, Texas 12 1 [1]
21 Baron von Raschke June 1970 House show Texas 2 1 [1]
22 Fritz Von Erich June 14, 1970 House show Texas 13 187 [1]
23 Toru Tanaka December 18, 1970 House show Houston, Texas 1 66 [1]
24 Fritz Von Erich February 22, 1971 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 14 1 [1][7]
25 Toru Tanaka February 23, 1971 House show Dallas, Texas 2 10 [1]
26 Wahoo McDaniel March 5, 1971 House show Houston, Texas 1 281 [1][8]
27 The Spoiler December 11, 1971 House show San Antonio, Texas 2 196 [1]
28 Billy Red Lyons June 24, 1972 Parade of Champions Irving, Texas 1 14 [1]
29 Johnny Valentine July 8, 1972 House show Corpus Christi, Texas 5 237 [1]
30 The Missouri Mauler March 2, 1973 House show Chicago, Illinois 1 158 Awarded when Valentine goes to Japan [1]
31 Fritz Von Erich August 7, 1973 House show Dallas, Texas 15 231 [1]
32 The Texan March 26, 1974 House show Dallas, Texas 1 21 [1]
33 Fritz Von Erich April 16, 1974 House show Dallas, Texas 16 228 [1]
34 Vacant November 30, 1974 House show Dallas, Texas 2 After a match against Blackjack Lanza [1]
35 Blackjack Lanza December 2, 1974 House show Texas 1 27 [1]
36 Fritz Von Erich December 29, 1974 House show Dallas, Texas 17 736 [1]
37 Bruiser Brody January 3, 1977 House show Atlanta, Georgia 1 99 [1]
38 Fritz Von Erich April 12, 1977 House show Dallas, Texas 18 1 [1]
39 Bruiser Brody April 13, 1977 House show Dallas, Texas 2 103 [1]
40 Captain USA July 25, 1977 House show Fort Worth, Texas 1 67 [1][9]
41 Ox Baker September 30, 1977 House show Houston, Texas 1 73 [1]
42 Fritz Von Erich December 12, 1977 House show Fort Worth, Texas 19 273 [1]
43 Bruiser Brody September 11, 1978 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 3 105 [1]
44 Kevin Von Erich December 25, 1978 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 1 97 [1]
45 The Spoiler April 1, 1979 House show Puerto Rico 3 42 [1]
46 Wahoo McDaniel May 13, 1979 House show Houston, Texas 2 20 [1][10]
47 The Spoiler June 2, 1979 House show Houston, Texas 4 64 Awarded due to injury to Wahoo McDaniel [1][11]
48 El Halcรณn August 5, 1979 House show Dallas, Texas 1 63 [1]
49 The Spoiler October 7, 1979 House show Dallas, Texas 5 54 [1]
50 Bruiser Brody November 30, 1979 House show Houston, Texas 4 33 [1]
51 Ox Baker January 2, 1980 House show San Francisco, California 2 10 [1][12]
52 Kevin Von Erich January 12, 1980 House show Dallas, Texas 2 99 [1]
53 Toru Tanaka April 20, 1980 House show Dallas, Texas 3 8 [1]
54 Kevin Von Erich April 28, 1980 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 3 21 [1]
55 Gino Hernandez May 19, 1980 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 1 74 [1]
56 El Halcรณn August 1, 1980 House show Houston, Texas 2 14 [1]
57 Gino Hernandez August 15, 1980 House show Houston, Texas 2 127 [1]
โ€” Vacated December 20, 1980 Title held up after match against Kevin Von Erich [1]
58 Kerry Von Erich December 28, 1980 House show Dallas, Texas 1 4 Subbed for injured Kevin and won rematch against Hernandez [1]
59 Ken Patera 1981 House show Texas 1 1 [1]
60 The Masked Superstar 1981 House show Texas 1 1 [1]
61 Kerry Von Erich 1981 House show Texas 2 1 [1]
62 Ernie Ladd May 11, 1981 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 1 24 [1][13]
63 Kerry Von Erich June 4, 1981 House show New Orleans, Louisiana 3 113 [1]
64 The Great Kabuki September 25, 1981 House show Lawton, Oklahoma 1 92 [1]
65 Bugsy McGraw December 26, 1981 House show Columbus, Ohio 1 72 [1]
WCCW American Heavyweight Championship
66 Kerry Von Erich March 8, 1982 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 4 58 [1]
67 King Kong Bundy May 5, 1982 N/A Lawton, Oklahoma 1 30 [1][14]
68 Fritz Von Erich June 4, 1982 Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show Irving, Texas 20 0 [1][5][6]
โ€” Vacated June 4, 1982 Fritz won the title in his retirement match and vacated it immediately [1][5][6]
69 King Kong Bundy June 15, 1982 House show N/A 2 82 Awarded when Fritz retired [1]
70 Kevin Von Erich September 5, 1982 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 4 138 [1][15]
71 Terry Gordy January 21, 1983 House show Dallas, Texas 1 42 [1]
72 Kevin Von Erich March 4, 1983 House show Dallas, Texas 5 129 [1]
โ€” Vacated July 11, 1983 House show Title held up after match against Jimmy Garvin [1]
73 Jimmy Garvin July 25, 1983 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 1 122 Won rematch against Kevin Von Erich[9] [9]
74 Chris Adams November 24, 1983 Thanksgiving Star Wars Dallas, Texas 1 31 [1][16][17]
75 Jimmy Garvin December 25, 1983 Christmas Star Wars Dallas, Texas 2 36 [1][18]
76 Chris Adams January 30, 1984 Wrestling Star Wars Ft. Worth, Texas 2 63 [1][19]
77 Jimmy Garvin April 2, 1984 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 3 2 [1]
78 Chris Adams April 4, 1984 House show Texas 3 1 [1]
79 Jimmy Garvin April 1984 House show Texas 4 18 [1]
80 Gino Hernandez May 18, 1984 House show San Juan, Puerto Rico 3 77 [1]
81 Mike Von Erich August 3, 1984 House show Dallas, Texas 1 31 [1]
82 Gino Hernandez September 3, 1984 Labor Day Star Wars Ft. Worth, Texas 4 56 [20] [1][21]
83 Kerry Von Erich October 29, 1984 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 5 102 [1]
84 Chris Adams February 8, 1985 House show Dallas, Texas 4 147 Aired February 16, 1985 on WCCW Episode #164 [1]
85 Iceman King Parsons July 5, 1985 House show Dallas, Texas 1 122 [1]
86 Rick Rude November 4, 1985 House show Ft. Worth, Texas 1 242 On the March 1, 1986 episode of WCCW (Episode #218), WCWA representative Ken Mantell declares Rude the WCWA World Champion. [2]
WCWA World Heavyweight Championship (February 21, 1986)
87 Chris Adams July 4, 1986 Independence Day Star Wars Dallas, Texas 5 77 Highlights aired on WCCW Episode #237 [2][22]
88 Black Bart September 19, 1986 House show Dallas, Texas 1 23 After Adams leaves WCWA, Bart is awarded the title with kayfabe explanation that he "won the title out on the West Coast" (Los Angeles). Aired on WCCW Episode #248 [2]
89 Kevin Von Erich October 12, 1986 3rd Cotton Bowl Extravaganza Dallas, Texas 6 313 Match aired on WCCW Episode #251 [2][23][24]
90 Al Perez August 21, 1987 House show Dallas, Texas 1 198 Won by forfeit [2]
91 Kerry Von Erich March 6, 1988 House show Dallas, Texas 7 19 [2]
92 Iceman King Parsons March 25, 1988 House show Dallas, Texas 2 44 [2]
93 Kerry Von Erich May 8, 1988 5th Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions Irving, Texas 7 168 [25] [2][26][27]
94 Jerry Lawler October 23, 1988 House show Memphis, Tennessee 1 12 [2]
95 Kerry Von Erich November 4, 1988 House show Dallas, Texas 8 35 [2]
96 Tatsumi Fujinami December 9, 1988 House show Tokyo, Japan 1 1 Won by TKO when Von Erich was bleeding too heavily to continue [2]
97 Kerry Von Erich December 10, 1988 House show N/A 9 3 Fujinami refuses the title and returned it to Von Erich [2]
98 Jerry Lawler December 13, 1988 SuperClash III Chicago, Illinois 2 113 Lawler, the reigning AWA Champion, defeated WCWA Champion Kerry Von Erich to unify the titles. In January 1989, Lawler was stripped of the AWA title but was continued to be recognized as USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion by WCWA and CWA. [2][28][29]
โ€” Vacated April 5, 1989 House show WCWA declares the title vacant after a match against Kerry Von Erich. [2]
99 Jerry Lawler April 14, 1989 House show N/A 3 505 Lawler defeats Kerry Von Erich in rematch. On April 25, Lawler also regains the USWA title. [2]
โ€” Deactivated September 1990 World Class Championship Wrestling ends business relationship with USWA and later closes down.

Explanatory Notes

Clarifications

The following notes provide context for the championship's history:

  • Predetermined Outcomes: Professional wrestling outcomes are scripted. The championship reigns and statistics reflect these predetermined storylines rather than legitimate athletic achievements.
  • Uncertain Dates: For some reigns, the exact dates are not definitively recorded, leading to potential variations in reign length calculations. The provided data reflects the best available historical information.
  • Title Lineage Complexity: The championship's evolution through various name changes (NWA United States Heavyweight, NWA American Heavyweight, WCCW American Heavyweight, WCWA World Heavyweight) highlights the dynamic nature of wrestling promotions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the latter half of the 20th century.

Related Information

Further Reading

For additional context on the promotions and individuals associated with the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship, consult the following:

  • National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)
  • United States Wrestling Association (USWA)
  • World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW)
  • The Von Erich Family

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References

References

  1.  The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship was recognized by all NWA territories as the champion would travel the US to visit the promotions.
  2.  One of the dates for this championship is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 1 and 52 days.
  3.  One of the dates for this championship is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 30 and 37 days.
  4.  One of the dates for this championship is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 4 and 131 days.
  5.  One of the dates for this championship is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 505 and 534 days.
A full list of references for this article are available at the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship Wikipedia page

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