List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions

The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. It is the promotion's premier title.

Championship Stats

  • NWA currently recognizes 102 individual World's Heavyweight Championship reigns.[1][2]
  • The inaugural champion was Orville Brown.
  • The longest reigning champion is Lou Thesz, who held the title from November 27, 1949 to March 15, 1956, for a total of 2,300 days (6 years, 3 months, and 16 days)
  • Thesz also holds the record for longest combined reigns at 3,749 days.
  • Shane Douglas has the record for the shortest reign as champion, for less than 1 day.
  • Ric Flair holds the record for most reigns with 9.
  • The youngest champion is Chris Candido who won the title at the age of 22.
  • The oldest champion is Tim Storm, who won it at the age of 51.

Current Reigning Champion

Thom Latimer is the current champion in his first reign. He won the title by defeating EC3 at NWA 76th Anniversary Show on August 31, 2024, in Philadelphia.

Origins of the NWA World Championship

The lineage of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship traces back to the original recognized 1905 Real World Championship through its lineage in the recognition of Orville Brown as the first official NWA World Heavyweight Champion in 1948.

Orville Brown

Orville Brown was recognized as the inaugural NWA World Heavyweight Champion in 1948.[3] Prior to the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Brown held the Midwest Wrestling Association (MWA) World Heavyweight Championship and unified various Midwest and regional titles, establishing himself as a dominant force in the territory.[4]

Everett Marshall

Before Brown, Everett Marshall was a prominent holder of the MWA World Heavyweight Championship during the 1930s and early 1940s.[5] Marshall was considered one of the top stars of his era and helped lay the groundwork for the unification of titles under the NWA banner.[6]

John Pesek

In the 1920s, John Pesek claimed a version of the World Heavyweight Championship after defeating Joe Stecher.[7] Pesek was recognized as the world champion in the Midwest and was noted for his strong legitimacy, having defeated numerous top competitors and earning a reputation as nearly unbeatable.[8]

Joe Stecher

A dominant figure from approximately 1915 to the early 1920s, Joe Stecher was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion.[9] He was one of the key legitimate champions following Frank Gotch’s era and maintained a high level of prominence in the sport.[10]

Ed “Strangler” Lewis

Ed Lewis was a four-time World Heavyweight Champion and one of the most popular and influential wrestlers of the 1920s.[11] His career featured numerous high-profile feuds with contemporaries such as Joe Stecher and Stanislaus Zbyszko, contributing significantly to professional wrestling’s growth.[12]

Stanislaus Zbyszko

In 1925, Stanislaus Zbyszko defeated Wayne Munn to claim the World Heavyweight Championship, reasserting the legitimacy of the title after a period criticized for "worked" or predetermined outcomes.[3] Zbyszko is often seen as a transitional figure bridging early wrestling and the modern era.[13]

Frank Gotch

Frank Gotch became the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion after defeating George Hackenschmidt in 1908 and again in 1911.[14] Gotch’s reign solidified the World Heavyweight Championship as a prestigious and highly sought-after prize in the United States.[8]

George Hackenschmidt

George Hackenschmidt is recognized as the first World Heavyweight Champion in professional wrestling history, winning the title in 1905 by defeating Tom Jenkins.[15] Known as a Greco-Roman wrestling powerhouse, Hackenschmidt is considered the sport’s first global superstar.[16]

1905-1957 lineage

  • 1. George Hackenschmidt
  • 2. Frank Gotch
  • 3. Stanislaus Zbyszko
  • 4. Ed “Strangler” Lewis
  • 5. Joe Stecher
  • 6. John Pesek
  • 7. Everett Marshall
  • 8. Orville Brown (NWA Championship established)
  • 9. Lou Thesz
  • 10. Whipper Watson
  • 11. Lou Thesz
  • 11.5 Leo Nomellini (the first potential splinter, however it didn’t create any new championship lineages because Nomellini didn’t loose any title matches before Thesz defeated him at rematch.
  • 11.5 Lou Thesz (Lou Thesz regains championship in rematch.)
  • 12. Édouard Carpentier (this was disputed and created the first splinter of the NWA World Championship because between June 14, 1957 and the rematch on July 22, 1957; Carpentier lost to other contenders. Creating Five separate title lineages including the Thesz rematch.)

Splinters & Unifications

Throughout the National Wrestling Alliance's history, there have been several unrecognized title changes involving the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship. These disputed matches resulted in the splintering of the championship and the creation of several rival world championships, some of which evolved into the origin of major promotions' top titles as recognized world title status.

1964: Buddy Rogers vs. Lou Thesz

The most well-known example occurred on January 24, 1963, when Buddy Rogers lost the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to Lou Thesz. The circumstances surrounding the match led to internal disagreements within the NWA. Several member promotions withdrew and refused to acknowledge Rogers lost. This event became the origin to the formation of what would become the WWE Championship on April 25, 1963.

1957: Édouard Carpentier and the First Lineage Break

In 1957, Édouard Carpentier defeated Lou Thesz in a controversial match, resulting in the first major break in the world heavyweight championship lineage that had remained unbroken since George Hackenschmidt was recognized as the first legitimate world champion in 1905.[17] The dispute over Carpentier's victory led to the creation of multiple regional versions of the world championship, including the Los Angeles Carpentier version, the Montreal Carpentier version, and the Omaha Carpentier. All three promotions also withdrew from the Alliance to organize the North American Wrestling Alliance (NAWA).[18] The Atlantic Athletic Commission (AAC) in Boston also recognized Carpentier as the new World Champion, but did not withdraw from the Alliance. Because of this disagreement; the AAC uniquely recognized the NWA and NAWA world champions simultaneously in Boston. As NAWA Champion Carpentier lost to Killer Kowalski in 1958. This disputed victory by Kowalski jettisoned the formation of the new Boston World Championship and earned Kowalski a new nickname as “Killer of Championships”. The Los Angeles version later became the foundation for the Los Angeles World Wrestling Association (WWA) World Championship,[19] and the Indianapolis WWA World Championship.[20] The Montreal version evolved into the Canadian International Association (IWA) World Championship,[21] while the Omaha version eventually served as the basis for the American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Heavyweight Championship.[18]

1962: Bobo Brazil's Victory

Bobo Brazil is widely regarded as the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling history, following his victory over Buddy Rogers in 1962 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[22] Initially, Brazil refused the title after Rogers claimed he had only lost because he wrestled Brazil while injured. However, when a doctor revealed that Rogers was not injured, Brazil reversed his decision and claimed he was champion, reigning simultaneously with Rogers for 73 days. Rogers subsequently reunified the lineage from Brazil by winning their rematch on October 30, 1962, effectively resolving Brazil’s claim to the NWA World Championship. Although the NWA Board of Directors did not officially recognize the title changes, Brazil's brief reign has gained historical significance over time. Like Bobo Brazil’s circumstances, Bruno Sammartino and Killer Kowalski also claimed NWA world title victories from beating Buddy Rogers in September 1962, but Rogers unified Kowalski’s claims back with the NWA championship in a November 1962 rematch before the controversial loss to Lou Thesz in 1963. Bruno’s claim didn’t return to the Orville Brown lineage until 2001 because his claim to Rogers’ NWA championship was unified with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) Championship in 1964. In January 1968, Brazil finally did officially become recognized as a world champion when he defeated Buddy Austin for the WWA World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles version), which was based on the disputed Édouard Carpentier NWA lineage.

Reunification of Lineages

In 1960, Édouard Carpentier united IWA championship with the WWA championship and informally reunified Los Angeles and Montreal versions of the world title by practicality. Both groups jointly recognized Carpentier as World Champion by 1960 and combined their lineage to the WWA Los Angeles version.[23] Then in 1964 the Los Angeles version was split twice again: first in 1964 by Dick the Bruiser, who created the WWA Indianapolis version, and later that same year in Japan, where the JWA World Title was established by beating the WWA Champion. In 1965, Luke Graham unified the WWA Los Angeles Title back with the JWA’s title claims. In December 1968, Bobo Brazil fully unified the WWA Los Angeles version with the NWA World Championship in a match with Gene Kiniski. The NWA also unified the WWA Indianapolis World title in 1983, when Ric Flair beat Nick Bockwinkel. These NWA vs. WWA unification matches in 1968 and 1983 effectively reunited the 1957 Carpentier Los Angeles and Montreal lineages with the original 1948 Orville Brown NWA lineage. The Boston Version was absorbed by the WWWF Championship by practicality after the AAC disbanded in 1975 and the promoter, Marty Demarco began promoting the WWWF Championship at The Boston Garden for Vince J. McMahon. Finally getting reunited with the Los Angeles, Montreal, and Orville Brown heritage in 2002 when the WWF world championship unified with the WCW world championship.[24] At the time, the WWWF was itself a member of the NWA, having rejoined the alliance in 1971 and remaining until 1983.[25]

The Boston Version of the World Championship

The Boston World title itself predates the NWA, tracing its heritage to Boston promoter Paul Bowser’s AWA Boston, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Jim Londos.[25] Boston became the AAC after joining the NWA as an original member in 1948 but kept its world championship active. After 1958, the AAC was often branded locally as Big Time Wrestling until 1975, when the AAC ceased operations. The final recognized AAC champion was Gypsy Joe Gonzales. There was no official unification [26] The NAWA also dissolved in 1959 as a casualty of the Boston world title. Los Angeles withdrew itself from the NAWA and officially established the WWA instead. Insisting WWA Champion Carpentier’s undefeated status from June 1957 lasted until to June 1961.[26] Wrestling historians generally do not view the Boston version as a significant splinter of the NWA, WWA, or NAWA lineages, largely due to its regional nature and lack of international defenses. Additionally, The AAC maintained nominal membership in the NWA and continued to acknowledge the NWA World Champion.[27]

1993–1994: WCW Withdrawal and Second NWA Vacancy

In September 1993, a dispute arose when WCW attempted to appoint Rick Rude as NWA World Champion. The NWA Board of Directors rejected the proposal and voted not to recognize Rick Rude as the next champion, prompting WCW to withdraw from the alliance. This led to a prolonged vacancy in the NWA title, tarnishing its world championship status.[28] The first attempt to fill the vacancy, a 1994 tournament held ended controversially when Eastern Championship Wrestling champion Shane Douglas won the NWA World Title and immediately discarded it; declaring himself the Extreme World Champion instead.[29] This action was the origin of Extreme Championship Wrestling and gave the new ECW World Title a claim to world title status. The NWA responded by holding a second tournament in 1994 and crowned Chris Candido, marking the linear beginning of the modern version of the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship.[30]

WCW and WWF Unification

Because the NWA title was inactive and rarely defended internationally during the modern period, some historians argue that the original Orville Brown lineage continued through Ric Flair. WCW continued using the iconic "Big Gold Belt" and defended it under several names, including first as the World Championship, then the WCW World Championship, and later the WCW International World Championship. At the same time, the WCW International World Championship coexisted alongside the WCW Heavyweight Championship in World Championship Wrestling, similar to how the WWE Championship and the WWE Universal Championship coexisted within World Wrestling Entertainment.[31] In 1994, WCW unified its two titles at Clash of the Champions XXVIII. The unified WCW World Championship would later merge with the WWF World Championship in 2001 following WWF’s purchase of WCW, creating Chris Jericho the first Undisputed World Champion since 1964. This lineage continues today as the WWE Undisputed Championship. WWE also acquired ECW’s assets in 2001 and later incorporated the Douglas lineage into its world championship lineage. On September 2, 2002 WWE severed its Orville Brown Lineage with the WWE Championship; awarding the lineage to the newly created WWE World Championship using the old “Big Gold” belt design; that became synonymous with the NWA world title in the 80s and WCW world title in the 90s. The title history of the 2002 championships was traced back to the 1905 “Real World Championship” through the 1994 WCW World Heavyweight Championship, back to the 1993 WCW International Championship, back to the 1957 NWA Championship through the Lou Thesz lineage that the NWA connected to Orville Brown and traced all the way back to George Hackenschmidt. HHH was awarded as the first WWE World Champion this title was defended for 11 years. The final Champion was John Cena. In 2013 Randy Orton unified both titles again and the Orville Brown Lineage was back with the WWE Undisputed Championship. In 2016 WWE created a new World Title called the Universal Championship with a brand new lineage. This new title was later unified with the WWE Undisputed Championship by Roman Reigns in 2022 becoming the Universal WWE Undisputed Championship. In 2023 WWE introduced a new world championship called the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, this title is distinct from the previous World Heavyweight Championship that was unified with the WWE Championship that was created in 2002 in 2013, but was traced back to the 1947 Orville Brown Lineage. WWE currently connects the Orville Brown lineage with the Universal WWE Undisputed Championship held by John Cena since April 20, 2025.

First NWA Vacancy: 1991

The first NWA World Heavyweight Championship vacancy in 43 years of history occurred in 1991, when Ric Flair left WCW while still NWA champion to join the WWF. The WWF was no longer a member of the Alliance in 1991 and the NWA stripped Flair of the title, citing breach of recognition rules. A tournament was held and won by Masahiro Chono.[32] This lineage was later reunified when Flair defeated Barry Windham in 1993 to win back the NWA title. Windham had been part of the Chono lineage. Historians argue that Flair unified the Orville Brown and Buddy Rogers lineages by winning the WWF World Championship at the 1992 Royal Rumble, having never lost the NWA title. While competing in WWF, Flair continued to claim to be the "Real World Champion" and wore the "Big Gold Belt" that was used to represent the NWA World Heavyweight Championship since February 14, 1986, when it first debuted during an episode of World Championship Wrestling. Notably, the WWF World Championship also experienced its first vacancy in 1991, and the vacancy wasn’t filled until the same 1992 Royal Rumble event also by Ric Flair. WWE does not recognize the 1992 unification because WCW stripped Flair of the world title on July 1, 1991, and the NWA followed by stripping Flair of any NWA title claims on September 8, 1991. WWE only acknowledges the unification to have taken place in 2001.[33]

Modern Lineage Debates

There remains ongoing debate regarding whether the current NWA World Heavyweight Championship represents the original Orville Brown lineage, or if it should be viewed as a new lineage beginning with Chris Candido's 1994 tournament win. The title starting with Candido’s reign had not been consistently defended internationally (except Mexico) during the 1990s and 21st century, contributing to a diminished perception of its "world" status.[34] Meanwhile, WCW titles were regularly defended in Europe, Japan, Canada, and Mexico, further legitimizing the WCW claim to the original NWA lineage. Both the WWE Undisputed Championship and the modern NWA Championship can claim the lineages back to Orville Brown.

AWA/Omaha Lineage

The AWA World Heavyweight Championship originally stemmed from the Omaha version of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, making it the only major disputed claim that was never formally reunified with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship lineage that began with Orville Brown in 1948. As a result, the historical continuity of the original 1905 World Championship remains nonlinear. Following the closure of the American Wrestling Association (AWA), several former champions have continued to make symbolic claims to the title:

  • Larry Zbyszko, the final officially recognized AWA World Champion, has occasionally asserted symbolic recognition of the title.[35]
  • Jerry Lawler maintains his claim to the AWA title, having never lost it in the ring after winning the championship at SuperClash III in 1988.[36][37]
  • Stan Hansen also holds a minor, disputed claim among fans. He was stripped of the title in 1986 after refusing to lose to Nick Bockwinkel, forfeiting the belt rather than being defeated in a match. Hansen did defend the AWA World Title several times in 1986 in All Japan Pro Wrestling. When the AWA threatened legal action in June 1986, Hansen reportedly ran over the championship belt with a truck or tractor and mailed it back to the promotion, significantly damaged, in July. After returning the damaged belt, there is no record of Hansen publicly asserting that he remained the champion in any official capacity.[38][39][40]

Potential Reunification of WWE or NWA Lineages with the Omaha Carpentier Lineage

In 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) acquired the trademarks and video library of the AWA from the Gagne family, reportedly for $3 million, thereby gaining full control of AWA-related intellectual property and archival footage.[41][42] Despite owning the AWA’s assets, WWE has not taken any official steps to unify the AWA title with its current Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Opportunities for a symbolic unification existed in 2003 and again in 2008; however, no official or storyline-based unification occurred. A symbolic unification remained plausible since Zbyszko, Lawler, and Hansen were still semi-active or recognized as WWE Hall of Fame legends. However, no such unification was attempted by either WWE or current NWA officials. As a result, the Omaha/Carpentier lineage remains historically and symbolically separate from both WWE's World Championship lineage and the current NWA World Title lineage—effectively severing any linear connection to the 1905 George Hackenschmidt unified "Real World Championship."

Disputed Reigns

Several disputed title changes were later reversed by the NWA Board of Directors but remain recognized by fans and some wrestling promotions. These disputes did not result in the creation of rival championships but continue to be a subject of historical debate.

Famous Disputes

  • Hulk Hogan defeated Harley Race in 1979 in a match some sources describe as a world title victory.[43]
  • Ric Flair had several disputed losses that were not officially recognized by the NWA:
    • To the Midnight Rider in 1982
    • To Jack Veneno in 1982
    • To Carlos Colón in 1983
    • To Victor Jovica in 1983
    • To Harley Race in New Zealand in 1984
    • At SuperBrawl I in 1991

Although these title changes were not officially recognized, they occurred in front of large audiences and were covered by local media. Photos and video footage of these events have resurfaced in recent years, further supporting fan recognition. In 2024, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) began acknowledging Ric Flair as a 21-time World Champion, aligning with fan perspectives and independent historical research.[44] Under this perspective, Flair would be considered a 13-time NWA World Champion, as opposed to the 8 reigns officially recognized by the NWA. If these reigns were formally recognized, it would also adjust historical counts for other wrestlers:

  • Hulk Hogan would rise from 12 to 16 world title reigns
  • Harley Race from 8 to 10 NWA reigns

WCW did recognize two of Flair’s disputed victories: the 1984 New Zealand matches against Race and the 1991 SuperBrawl I unification match. However, neither WWE nor the current NWA recognizes these additional reigns by Flair, Hogan, or Race.

Self-Recognized Title Counts

  • Ric Flair has long claimed to be a 21-time World Champion.
  • Harley Race self-identified as a 9-time World Champion.
  • Hulk Hogan only acknowledged himself as a 12-time World Champion prior to his death on July 24, 2024, and never recognized disputed NWA or AWA title reigns. He did, however, recognize his IWGP victory over Antonio Inoki.

Neither WWE nor NWA counts the IWGP title in Hogan’s official tally. Only New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) recognizes Hogan as a 13-time world champion, listing:

  • 6 WWE Championship reigns
  • 6 WCW World Championship reigns
  • 1 IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign

Hogan also has two additional disputed WCW title victories:

If WWE were to recognize the two WCW victories, the 1983 IWGP title, the 1979 NWA match, and two AWA title wins from 1982 and 1983, Hogan’s total would increase to 18 world championships.

Other Disputed Champions

Other debated NWA World Champions include:

Both allegedly defeated Ric Flair in unrecognized title matches, though evidence is limited and neither wrestler publicly contested the NWA’s reversal of the outcomes.

Title history

Names

Name Years
NWA World Heavyweight Championship July 14, 1948 – October 21, 2016
NWA World's Heavyweight Championship October 21, 2016 – present

Reigns

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
Days recog. Number of days held recognized by the promotion
N/A Unknown information
† Championship change is unrecognized by the promotion
<1 Reign lasted less than a day
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days Days recog.
National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)
1 Orville Brown July 14, 1948 N/A Waterloo, IA 1 501 501 On July 14, 1948, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) was founded in Waterloo, Iowa and Brown was recognized as the first official NWA World Heavyweight Champion. At the time of the founding of the NWA, Brown already held the Midwest Wrestling Association's World Heavyweight Championship and the Iowa version of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship; during Brown's reign, the two championships were unified into the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. [a][45]
2 Lou Thesz November 27, 1949 N/A N/A 1 1,941 2,300 Awarded when Orville Brown suffered career-ending injuries in an automobile accident on November 1, 1949. Thesz had earlier won the National Wrestling Association's World Heavyweight Championship on July 20, 1948 from Wild Bill Longson. Thesz became the undisputed champion of all of wrestling by winning the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium's World Heavyweight Championship, the remaining major world championship at the time other than the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Baron Michele Leone on May 21, 1952. [b]
† Leo Nomellini March 22, 1955 House show San Francisco, CA 1 115 — Nomellini defeated Lou Thesz by countout in the second fall and disqualification in the third fall. The California Athletic Commission recognized the title change by disqualification, but both wrestlers continued to claim the title.
† Lou Thesz July 15, 1955 House show St. Louis, MO 244 — Thesz defeated Leo Nomellini in a rematch.
3 Whipper Billy Watson March 15, 1956 House show Toronto, ON 1 239 239 Watson won the match and the championship by count out. [c]
4 Lou Thesz November 9, 1956 House show St. Louis, MO 2 217 370 Thesz won the match and the championship by count out. [d]
† Édouard Carpentier June 14, 1957 House show Chicago, IL 1 40 — Carpentier was awarded the title when Lou Thesz could not continue the match due to a back injury. In some territories, Thesz continued to be recognized as NWA World Heavyweight Champion, while in others Carpentier was billed as the champion. [e]
† Lou Thesz July 24, 1957 House show Montreal, Quebec 113 — Thesz won a rematch against Édouard Carpentier by disqualification. The NWA initially continued to recognize Carpentier as the champion, but voided any recognition of Carpentier as champion when he withdrew the claim for the title when Eddie Quinn, Carpentier's promoter in Montreal, quit the NWA in August 1958. Some territories such as Boston's Atlantic Athletic Commission (AAC), Los Angeles' North American Wrestling Alliance (NAWA, later WWA), and the Nebraska promotions continued to recognize Carpentier as NWA World Heavyweight Champion. The AAC recognized Killer Kowalski as world champion when he defeated Carpentier in Boston. Nebraska later recognized Verne Gagne as world champion when he defeated Carpentier in Omaha. Los Angeles recognized Freddie Blassie as world champion when he defeated Carpentier in 1961. [f]
5 Dick Hutton November 14, 1957 House show Toronto, ON 1 421 421 [g]
6 Pat O'Connor January 9, 1959 House show St. Louis, MO 1 440 903 [h]
† Gene LeBell March 24, 1960 House show Amarillo, TX 1 <1 — After LeBell defeated Pat O'Connor, he struck a Texas wrestling commissioner with the championship belt and the decision was reversed. [46][47][48]
† Pat O'Connor March 24, 1960 House show Amarillo, TX 2 463 — The title was returned to O'Connor due to the nature of the championship match.
7 Buddy Rogers June 30, 1961 House show Chicago, IL 1 145 573
† Bruno Sammartino August 2, 1962 House show Toronto, ON 1 <1 — On August 2, 1962, Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers in Toronto, but refused to accept the title because Rogers had wrestled with an injury. [49]
† Buddy Rogers August 2, 1962 House show Toronto, ON 2 16 — The title was returned to Rogers after Sammartino refused the title due to Rogers' injury. [49]
† Bobo Brazil August 18, 1962 House show Newark, NJ 1 73 — Brazil refused the title because of a groin injury that Buddy Rogers had claimed to have. However, on September 6, 1962, Brazil was declared champion because a doctor had determined that Rogers had not suffered an injury. This title change is not currently recognized by the NWA.
† Buddy Rogers October 30, 1962 House show Toledo, OH 3 86 —
† Killer Kowalski November 21, 1962 House show Montreal, Quebec 1 61 — Kowalski defeated Buddy Rogers on November 21 in Montreal after Rogers broke his ankle in the first fall. He was only recognized as champion in some states such as Texas until January 21, 1963 when he lost a rematch to Rogers in New York City. Kowalski disputed that Rogers had won the title during the rematch, arguing that the match had not been for the title. The NWA does not recognize any of Rogers' losses, with only one title reign counted for Rogers.
† Buddy Rogers January 21, 1963 House show New York City, NY 4 3 —
8 Lou Thesz January 24, 1963 House show Toronto, ON 3 1,079 1,079 [i]
† Buddy Rogers January 24, 1963 N/A N/A 5 77 — Promoters in the Northeastern United States refused to recognize Buddy Rogers' one-fall loss to Thesz, thus breaking away from the NWA to form the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Rogers continued to defend the championship in the WWWF until he was declared the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion on April 11.
9 Gene Kiniski January 7, 1966 House show St. Louis, MO 1 1,131 1,131 [j]
10 Dory Funk Jr. February 11, 1969 House show Tampa, FL 1 1,563 1,563 [50]
11 Harley Race May 24, 1973 House show Kansas City, KS 1 57 57 [51]
12 Jack Brisco July 20, 1973 House show Houston, TX 1 500 500 [52]
13 Giant Baba December 2, 1974 House show Kagoshima, Japan 1 7 7 This was a two-out-of-three-falls match. [53]
14 Jack Brisco December 9, 1974 House show Toyohashi, Japan 2 366 366
16 Harley Race February 6, 1975 House show Canada 2 926 926
† Hulk Hogan as “Terry Boulder” May 24, 1979 Rip Hewes Stadium Dothan, AL 1 3 0 Hulk as Terry Boulder pinned Race in-front of 8,000 fans. Local TV stations and wrestling announcers reported that Boulder won the championship. [54]
† Harley Race May 27, 1979 Board of Directors Meeting n/a 2 86 424 Harley Race protested Hulk’s victory because during the course of the match Hogan threw Race over the top rope. This was against NWA rules at the time. After an investigation, the board of directors sided with Harley Race. NWA President Bob Geigel ordered the division reverse in Race’s favor; winning by disqualification and ordered Hulk to return the championship to Harley Race. The NWA decreed Race’s reign was not interrupted and strikes the title change from the record book. [55]
17 Dusty Rhodes August 21, 1979 House show Tampa, FL 1 5 5
18 Harley Race August 26, 1979 House show Orlando, FL 3 66 66
19 Giant Baba October 31, 1979 House show Nagoya, Japan 2 7 7
20 Harley Race November 7, 1979 House show Amagasaki, Japan 4 302 302
21 Giant Baba September 4, 1980 House show Saga, Japan 3 5 5
22 Harley Race September 9, 1980 House show Ōtsu, Japan 5 230 230
23 Tommy Rich April 27, 1981 House show Augusta, GA 1 4 4
24 Harley Race May 1, 1981 House show Gainesville, GA 6 51 51
25 Dusty Rhodes June 21, 1981 House show Atlanta, GA 2 88 88
26 Ric Flair September 17, 1981 House show Kansas City, KS 1 145 631 Former champion Lou Thesz was the special referee.
† The Midnight Rider February 9, 1982 House show Miami, FL <1 — On February 9, 1982 in Miami, The Midnight Rider (Dusty Rhodes under a mask due to being under suspension in Florida) defeated Ric Flair for the title, but he returned it when then-NWA President Bob Geigel asked Rider to unmask or return the championship belt as NWA rules at the time forbade masked wrestlers from holding it. [56]
† Ric Flair February 9, 1982 House show Miami, FL 150 — The championship was returned to Flair.
† Jack Veneno September 7, 1982 House show Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1 <1 — Veneno defeated Ric Flair in Santo Domingo. As Veneno refused to defend the title outside his native country, the title was returned to Flair on the same day. [k]
† Ric Flair September 7, 1982 House show Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 121 — [k]
† Carlos Colón January 6, 1983 House show San Juan, Puerto Rico 1 4 — Colon's WWC World Heavyweight Championship was also on the line. This title change is not recognized by the NWA. [l]
† Ric Flair January 10, 1983 House show Miami, FL 29 — This was a fictional match; this title change is not recognized by the NWA. On February 8, 1983, Victor Jovica defeated Flair to win the championship during a World Wrestling Council (WWC) event in Trinidad and Tobago, but the decision was reversed three days later because Jovica's feet were on the ropes during the pin. Due to the nature of the pin, neither the NWA nor the WWC recognized Jovica as champion.
27 Harley Race June 10, 1983 House show St. Louis, MO 7 167 167
28 Ric Flair November 24, 1983 Starrcade Greensboro, NC 2 117 164 This was a steel cage match. Former champion Gene Kiniski was the special referee.
† Harley Race March 20, 1984 House show Wellington, New Zealand 8 3 — This title change was not authorized by the NWA. This title change was recognized by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1993 until 2001, and has been occasionally recognized by the NWA since 2015. [57][58][59][60][2]
† Ric Flair March 23, 1984 House show Kallang, Singapore 44 — This title change was not authorized by the NWA. This title change was recognized by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1993 until 2001, and has been occasionally recognized by the NWA since 2015. [57][58][59][2]
29 Kerry Von Erich May 6, 1984 1st Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions Irving, TX 1 18 18 This match had no time limit and the title could change hands on a disqualification; Kerry pinned Flair to win the title.
Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP)
30 Ric Flair May 24, 1984 House show Yokosuka, Japan 3 793 793 [51]
31 Dusty Rhodes July 26, 1986 The Great American Bash Greensboro, NC 3 14 14 By early 1985, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) controlled many NWA territories and attempted going national, thus limiting championship matches primarily to performers under contract with JCP.
32 Ric Flair August 9, 1986 House show St. Louis, MO 4 412 412
33 Ron Garvin September 25, 1987 World Wide Wrestling Detroit, MI 1 62 62 Aired September 26, 1987 on tape delay.
World Championship Wrestling (WCW)
34 Ric Flair November 26, 1987 Starrcade Chicago, IL 5 452 452 On November 21, 1988 the NWA's flagship promotion Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased by Ted Turner and renamed World Championship Wrestling (WCW). This further limited championship matches to performers primarily within the company.
35 Ricky Steamboat February 20, 1989 Chi-Town Rumble Chicago, IL 1 76 76
36 Ric Flair May 7, 1989 WrestleWar Nashville, TN 6 426 426
37 Sting July 7, 1990 The Great American Bash Baltimore, MD 1 188 188
38 Ric Flair January 11, 1991 House show East Rutherford, NJ 7 69 69 After this title win, Flair was also recognized as the first WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
39 Tatsumi Fujinami March 21, 1991 Starrcade in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 1 59 59 Briefly defended along with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This title change was originally ignored in the United States. [58][61]
40 Ric Flair May 19, 1991 SuperBrawl I St. Petersburg, FL 8 112 112 This title change was originally ignored in the United States, presenting Flair's reign as one continuous reign. [58]
— Vacated September 8, 1991 — — — — — Ric Flair was stripped of the title upon signing with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). [58]
41 Masahiro Chono August 12, 1992 G1 Climax 1992 Day 5 Tokyo, Japan 1 145 145 Chono defeated Rick Rude in the final of the G1 Climax tournament.
42 The Great Muta January 4, 1993 Fantastic Story in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 1 48 48 Muta's IWGP Heavyweight Championship was also on the line.
43 Barry Windham February 21, 1993 SuperBrawl III Asheville, NC 1 147 147 [62]
44 Ric Flair July 18, 1993 Beach Blast Biloxi, MS 9 59 59 [63][64]
— Vacated September 15, 1993 — — — — — WCW withdrew from the NWA on September 1, 1993. Dropping any mentions of the NWA name, WCW retained the physical title belt, which continued to be defended as the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship. The NWA declared their championship vacant. [65][66]
National Wrestling Alliance/Pro Wrestling Organization LLC
45 Shane Douglas August 27, 1994 NWA World Title Tournament Philadelphia, PA 1 <1 <1 Douglas defeated 2 Cold Scorpio in tournament final. [67]
— Vacated August 27, 1994 NWA World Title Tournament Philadelphia, PA — — — Shane Douglas, immediately upon winning it, refused the NWA championship and declared the ECW Championship, of which he was already in possession, to be a world championship. ECW then withdrew from the NWA. [67]
46 Chris Candido November 19, 1994 NWA World Heavyweight Title Tournament Cherry Hill, NJ 1 97 97 Candido defeated Tracy Smothers in tournament final. [m]
47 Dan Severn February 24, 1995 House show Erlanger, KY 1 1,479 1,479 [68][69]
48 Naoya Ogawa March 14, 1999 Battle in the Hama Ring Yokohama, Japan 1 195 195 [70]
49 Gary Steele September 25, 1999 NWA 51st Anniversary Show Charlotte, NC 1 7 7 Gary Steele pinned Ogawa in a three-way match, also involving Brian Anthony.
50 Naoya Ogawa October 2, 1999 House show Thomaston, CT 2 274 274
— Vacated July 2, 2000 — — — — — Ogawa vacated the championship to focus on training for his scheduled (but later cancelled) mixed martial arts fight against Rickson Gracie.
51 Mike Rapada September 19, 2000 Tango in Tampa Tampa, FL 1 56 56 Rapada defeated Jerry Flynn in tournament final. [71]
52 Sabu November 14, 2000 Night of Decisions Tampa, FL 1 38 38
53 Mike Rapada December 22, 2000 Christmas Chaos Nashville, TN 2 123 123
54 Steve Corino April 24, 2001 House show Tampa, FL 1 172 172
— Vacated October 13, 2001 NWA 53rd Anniversary Show St. Petersburg, FL — — — The championship was held up after a Corino vs. Shinya Hashimoto title match ended in a no contest due to Corino being unable to compete after sustaining a head injury.
55 Shinya Hashimoto December 15, 2001 Clash of the Champions McKeesport, PA 1 84 84 This was three matches held round robin style; Gary Steele vs. Steve Corino, Gary Steele vs. Shinya Hashimoto, and Steve Corino vs. Shinya Hashimoto. Hashimoto won the round robin matches. [72]
56 Dan Severn March 9, 2002 Vast Energy Tokyo, Japan 2 80 80 [72]
— Vacated May 28, 2002 — — — — — Dan Severn was stripped of the title after refusing to defend the championship on the inaugural NWA: Total Nonstop Action pay-per-view.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)
57 Ken Shamrock June 19, 2002 Weekly pay-per-view event #1 Huntsville, AL 1 49 49 In June 2002, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) worked out a licensing deal with the NWA to control and feature the NWA Championship. Shamrock defeated Malice to win the title.
58 Ron Killings August 7, 2002 Weekly pay-per-view event #8 Nashville, TN 1 105 105
59 Jeff Jarrett November 20, 2002 Weekly pay-per-view event #22 Nashville, TN 1 203 203 Jarrett unified the title with the WWA World Heavyweight Championship during this reign. [73][74]
60 A.J. Styles June 11, 2003 Weekly pay-per-view event #49 Nashville, TN 1 133 133 This was a three-way match, also involving Raven.
61 Jeff Jarrett October 22, 2003 Weekly pay-per-view event #67 Nashville, TN 2 182 182
62 A.J. Styles April 21, 2004 Weekly pay-per-view event #91 Nashville, TN 2 28 28 This was a steel cage match.
63 Ron Killings May 19, 2004 Weekly pay-per-view event #95 Nashville, TN 2 14 14 This was a four-way match, also involving Chris Harris and Raven.
64 Jeff Jarrett June 2, 2004 Weekly pay-per-view event #97 Nashville, TN 3 305 305 This was a King of the Mountain match, also involving A.J. Styles, Chris Harris, and Raven. Ron Killings defeated Jarrett on the June 23 weekly pay-per-view event for the title, but due to issues surrounding the title change, the title was held up, before Vince Russo gave Jarrett the title back.[75]
65 Ray González April 3, 2005 Juicio Final 2005 San Juan, Puerto Rico 1 <1 <1 González pinned Jarrett on April 3 in San Juan, but the decision was reversed after the match due to an unauthorized referee counting the pinfall while the originally sanctioned referee was knocked out. Title change was ignored by TNA but was retroactively recognized by the NWA in 2015. [76]
66 Jeff Jarrett April 3, 2005 Juicio Final 2005 San Juan, Puerto Rico 3 42 42 The title was returned to Jarrett due to the nature of the championship match. The NWA regards this as a continuation of Jarrett's third reign rather than the start of his fourth reign.[76]
67 A.J. Styles May 15, 2005 Hard Justice Orlando, FL 3 35 35 Tito Ortiz was the special referee. [77]
68 Raven June 19, 2005 Slammiversary Orlando, FL 1 88 88 This was a King of the Mountain match, also involving Abyss, Monty Brown, and Sean Waltman. [78]
69 Jeff Jarrett September 15, 2005 International Incident Windsor, ON 4 38 38 This was a "Raven's Rules" match. [79]
70 Rhino October 23, 2005 Bound for Glory Orlando, FL 1 2 2 Rhino won the right to face Jeff Jarrett in a Gauntlet for the Gold match after designated challenger Kevin Nash fell ill and withdrew. Tito Ortiz was the special referee. [80]
71 Jeff Jarrett October 25, 2005 Impact! Orlando, FL 5 110 110 Aired November 3, 2005 on tape delay.
72 Christian Cage February 12, 2006 Against All Odds Orlando, FL 1 126 126 [81]
73 Jeff Jarrett June 18, 2006 Slammiversary Orlando, FL 6 126 126 This was a King of the Mountain match, also involving Abyss, Ron Killings, and Sting. [82]
74 Sting October 22, 2006 Bound for Glory Plymouth, MI 2 28 28 Kurt Angle was the special outside enforcer. This was a Title vs. Career match where Sting put his career on the line. [83]
75 Abyss November 19, 2006 Genesis Orlando, FL 1 56 56 Abyss defeated Sting by disqualification after Sting pushed the referee. [84]
76 Christian Cage January 14, 2007 Final Resolution Orlando, FL 2 119 119 This was a three-way elimination match, also involving Sting. [85]
— Vacated May 13, 2007 — — — — — Christian Cage was stripped of the championship when the NWA ended its business agreement with TNA.
National Wrestling Alliance/Pro Wrestling Organization LLC
77 Adam Pearce September 1, 2007 House show Bayamón, Puerto Rico 1 336 336 Pearce defeated Brent Albright in the finals of the Reclaiming the Glory tournament. Pearce competed as a substitute for Bryan Danielson, who defeated Pearce in the semifinals but withdrew from the tournament due to a detached retina. Danielson was the special referee. [86]
78 Brent Albright August 2, 2008 Death Before Dishonor VI New York City, NY 1 49 49 [87]
79 Adam Pearce September 20, 2008 Glory By Honor VII Philadelphia, PA 2 35 35 [88][89]
80 Blue Demon Jr. October 25, 2008 House show Mexico City, Mexico 1 505 505 [90]
81 Adam Pearce March 14, 2010 House show Charlotte, NC 3 357 357 This was a three-way elimination match, also featuring Phill Shatter. [91]
82 Colt Cabana March 6, 2011 NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood West Hollywood, CA 1 48 48 Aired April 2, 2011 on tape delay. [92]
83 The Sheik April 23, 2011 Subtle Hustle Jacksonville, FL 1 79 79 [93]
— Vacated July 11, 2011 — — — — — The Sheik was stripped of the championship for refusing to defend against Adam Pearce on July 31, 2011. [94]
84 Adam Pearce July 31, 2011 NWA at the Ohio State Fair Columbus, OH 4 252 252 Pearce defeated Chance Prophet, Jimmy Rave, and Shaun Tempers in a four-way match to win the vacant championship. [95]
85 Colt Cabana April 8, 2012 NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood Glendale, CA 2 104 104 Aired April 29, 2012 on tape delay. [96]
National Wrestling Alliance/International Wrestling Corp.
86 Adam Pearce July 21, 2012 Metro Pro Wrestling Kansas City, KS 5 98 98 Aired September 23, 2012 via tape delay. This was a two-out-of-three falls match and was match four of a seven-match series between Pearce and Colt Cabana. During this reign, ownership of the NWA World Championship and the NWA itself was transferred from Pro Wrestling Organization LLC to the International Wrestling Corp. [97]
— Vacated October 27, 2012 NWA Warzone Wrestling 14 Berwick, Victoria, Australia — — — Adam Pearce left the NWA and resigned as champion after the organization refused to allow him to defend the title in the concluding match of his seven-match series against Colt Cabana. The match did take place with Cabana winning, but both wrestlers refused the title in the aftermath. [98]
87 Kahagas November 2, 2012 Wrath of Champions Clayton, NJ 1 134 134 Kahagas won an elimination match for the vacant title by last eliminating Damien Wayne. Match also featured Chance Prophet, Jason Kincaid, Lance Erikson, Anthony Nese, Papadon, Biggie Biggs, and Lance Anoa'i. Kahagas was the reigning NWA National Heavyweight Champion at the time of his victory. [99]
88 Rob Conway March 16, 2013 A Monster's Ball San Antonio, TX 1 294 294 Conway replaced an injured Jax Dane and defeated Kahagas for the championship. [100]
89 Satoshi Kojima January 4, 2014 Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome Tokyo, Japan 1 149 149 [101]
90 Rob Conway June 2, 2014 Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion Show Las Vegas, NV 2 257 257 [102]
91 Hiroyoshi Tenzan February 14, 2015 The New Beginning in Sendai Sendai, Japan 1 196 196 [103]
92 Jax Dane August 29, 2015 World War Gold San Antonio, TX 1 419 419 [104][105]
National Wrestling Alliance/Lightning One Inc.
93 Tim Storm October 21, 2016 House show Sherman, TX 1 414 414 On October 1, 2017, Billy Corgan's company Lightning One, Inc. purchased the NWA, including the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. During this reign, the NWA's licensing model was abolished and championship matches were limited primarily to performers under contract with Lightning One, Inc. Additionally, the title was renamed to the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship
94 Nick Aldis December 9, 2017 Cage of Death 19 Sewell, NJ 1 266 266 [106]
95 Cody September 1, 2018 All In Hoffman Estates, IL 1 50 50 [107]
96 Nick Aldis October 21, 2018 NWA 70th Anniversary Show Nashville, TN 2 1,043 1,043 This was a two-out-of-three falls match. [108]
97 Trevor Murdoch August 29, 2021 NWA 73rd Anniversary Show St. Louis, MO 1 167 167 This was a Title vs. Career match where Murdoch put his career on the line. [109]
98 Matt Cardona February 12, 2022 PowerrrTrip Oak Grove, KY 1 119 119 Aired via tape delay on the March 8, 2022 episode of NWA Powerrr. [110]
— Vacated June 11, 2022 Alwayz Ready Knoxville, TN — — — Cardona vacated the title due to an injury.
99 Trevor Murdoch June 11, 2022 Alwayz Ready Knoxville, TN 2 154 154 Defeated Nick Aldis, Thom Latimer, and Sam Shaw in a four-way match for the vacant title. [111]
100 Tyrus November 12, 2022 Hard Times 3 Chalmette, LA 1 288 288 This was a three-way match, also involving Matt Cardona. [112]
101 EC3 August 27, 2023 NWA 75th Anniversary Show St. Louis, MO 1 370 370 This was a Bullrope match with Tyrus's wrestling career on the line as well. [113]
102 Thom Latimer August 31, 2024 NWA 76th Anniversary Show Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1 337+ 337+ Aired on tape delay on October 1, 2024 as an episode of NWA Powerrr. [114]

Combined reigns

Inaugural champion Orville Brown
Three-time champion Lou Thesz
Record nine-time champion Ric Flair
† Indicates the current champion
<1 The reign is shorter than one day.
Rank Wrestler No. of
reigns 		Combined days
1 Lou Thesz 3 3,749
2 Ric Flair 9 3,119
3 Harley Race 7 1,800
4 Dory Funk Jr. 1 1,563
5 Dan Severn 2 1,559
6 Nick Aldis 2 1,309
7 Gene Kiniski 1 1,131
8 Adam Pearce 5 1,078
9 Jeff Jarrett 7 1,006
10 Pat O'Connor 1 903
11 Jack Brisco 2 866
12 Buddy Rogers 1 573
13 Rob Conway 2 551
14 Blue Demon Jr. 1 505
15 Orville Brown 1 501
16 Naoya Ogawa 2 469
17 Terry Funk 1 424
18 Dick Hutton 1 421
19 Jax Dane 1 419
20 Tim Storm 1 414
21 EC3 1 370
22 Trevor Murdoch 2 321
23 Tyrus 1 288
24 Thom Latimer † 1 337+
25 Christian Cage 2 245
26 Whipper Billy Watson 1 239
27 Sting 2 216
28 A.J. Styles 3 196
Hiroyoshi Tenzan 1 196
30 Mike Rapada 2 179
31 Steve Corino 1 172
32 Colt Cabana 2 152
33 Satoshi Kojima 1 149
34 Barry Windham 1 147
35 Masahiro Chono 1 145
36 Kahagas 1 134
37 Ron Killings 2 119
Matt Cardona 1 119
39 Dusty Rhodes 3 107
40 Chris Candido 1 97
41 Raven 1 88
42 Shinya Hashimoto 1 84
43 The Sheik 1 79
44 Ricky Steamboat 1 76
45 Ron Garvin 1 62
46 Tatsumi Fujinami 1 59
47 Abyss 1 56
48 Cody Rhodes 1 50
49 Brent Albright 1 49
Ken Shamrock 1 49
51 The Great Muta 1 48
52 Sabu 1 38
53 Giant Baba 3 19
54 Kerry Von Erich 1 18
55 Gary Steele 1 7
56 Tommy Rich 1 4
57 Rhino 1 2
58 Ray González 1 1
59 Shane Douglas 1 <1

Footnotes

  • Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "United States: 19th century & widely defended titles – NWA, WWF, AWA, IWA, ECW, NWA: NWA World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories: Professional Wrestling Champions Around the World from the 19th Century to the Present. Waterloo, ON: Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  1. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Orville Brown 1948/07 Recognized as the first champion when the National Wrestilng Alliance is founded in 48/07 in Waterloo, IA by Pinkie George with five other promoters."
  2. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Unifies following titles to become the Undisputed World Heavyweight champion:
    • National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight title, having defeated Bill Longson on 48/07/20 in Indianapolis, IN
    • National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight title, awarded on 49/11/27 when champion Orville Brown is injured in an automobile accident on 49/11/01 before a unification match scheduled on 49/11/25 in St. Louis, MO
    • Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium version of the world title, defeating Baron Michele Leone on 52/05/21 in Los Angeles, CA."
  3. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Whipper Billy Watson 56/03/15 Toronto, ON"
  4. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Lou Thesz [2] 56/11/09 St. Louis, MO"
  5. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Edouard Carpentier # 57/06/14 Chicago, IL"
  6. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Lou Thesz # 57
    Carpentier withdraws his claim to the title when Montreal promoter Eddie Quinn leaves NWA; NWA voids all recognition of Carpentier as champion"
  7. ^ 'Dick Hutton 57/11/14 Toronto, ON"
  8. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Pat O'Connor 59/01/09 St. Louis, MO"
  9. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Lou Thesz [3] 63/01/24 Toronto, ON
    Promoters in northeast refuse to recognize Rogers' one-fall loss to Thesz and start World Wide Wrestling Federation with Rogers as the first WWWF World Heavyweight champion"
  10. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 15 "Gene Kiniski 66/01/07 St. Louis, MO"
  11. ^ a b Duncan & Will (2000) p. 17 "Flair allows himself to be pinned by Jack Veneno to avoid the riot from the audience, but the title is returned to Flair"
  12. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 17 "Carlos Colon # 1983/01/06 San Juan, PR"
  13. ^ Duncan & Will (2000) p. 19 "Chris Candido 1994/11/19 Cherry Hill, NJ Defeats Tracy Smothers in tournament final."

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