NWA World Heavyweight Championship

Orville Brown

07.14.1948 - 11.27.1949

- The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) was founded on this date, and Brown was recognized as the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion

 

Lou Thesz

11.27.1949 - 03.15.1956

 

Billy Watson

03.15.1956 - 11.09.1956

 

Lou Thesz (2)

11.09.1956 - 11.14.1957

 

Dick Hutton

11.14.1957 - 01.09.1959

 

Pat O'Connor

01.09.1959 - 06.30.1961

 

Buddy Rogers

06.30.1961 - 01.24.1963

 

Lou Thesz (3)

01.24.1963 - 01.07.1966

 

Gene Kiniski

01.07.1966 - 02.11.1969

 

Dory Funk Jr.

02.11.1969 - 05.24.1973

 

Harley Race

05.24.1973 - 07.20.1973

 

Jack Brisco

07.20.1973 - 12.02.1974

 

Giant Baba

12.02.1974 - 12.09.1974

 

Jack Brisco (2)

12.09.1974 - 12.10.1975

 

Terry Funk

12.10.1975 - 02.06.1977

 

Harley Race (2)

02.06.1977 - 08.21.1979

 

Dusty Rhodes

08.21.1979 - 08.26.1979

 

Harley Race (3)

08.26.1979 - 10.31.1979

 

Giant Baba (2)

10.31.1979 - 11.07.1979

 

Harley Race (4)

11.07.1979 - 09.04.1980

 

Giant Baba (3)

09.04.1980 - 09.09.1980

 

Harley Race (5)

09.09.1980 - 04.27.1981

 

Tommy Rich

04.27.1981 - 05.01.1981

 

Harley Race (6)

05.01.1981 - 06.21.1981

 

Dusty Rhodes (2)

06.21.1981 - 09.17.1981

 

Ric Flair

09.17.1981 - 06.10.1983

 

Harley Race (7)

06.10.1983 - 11.24.1983

 

Ric Flair (2)

11.24.1983 - 05.06.1984

 

Kerry Von Erich

05.06.1984 - 05.24.1984

 

Ric Flair (3)

05.24.1984 - 07.26.1986

 

Dusty Rhodes (3)

07.26.1986 - 08.09.1986

 

Ric Flair (4)

08.09.1986 - 09.25.1987

 

Ron Garvin

09.25.1987 - 11.26.1987

 

Ric Flair (5)

11.26.1987 - 02.20.1989

- World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was founded in October 1988, and at that time, control of the championship was given to WCW

 

Ricky Steamboat

02.20.1989 - 05.07.1989

 

Ric Flair (6)

05.07.1989 - 07.07.1990

 

Sting

07.07.1990 - 01.11.1991

 

Ric Flair (7)

01.11.1991 - 03.21.1991

 

Tatsumi Fujinami

03.21.1991 - 05.19.1991

 

Ric Flair (8)

05.19.1991 - 09.08.1991

 

VACANT

09.08.1991 - 08.12.1992

- Ric Flair was stripped of the title after leaving WCW and the NWA

 

Masahiro Chono

08.12.1992 - 01.04.1993

- defeated Rick Rude in a tournament final to win the vacant title

 

The Great Muta

01.04.1993 - 02.21.1993

 

Barry Windham

02.21.1993 - 07.18.1993

 

Ric Flair (9)

07.18.1993 - 09.15.1993

 

VACANT

09.15.1993 - 08.27.1994

- WCW withdrew from the NWA on September 1, 1993.  WCW retained the physical belt, and Flair continued as the WCW International World Heavyweight Champion, while the NWA championship was declared vacant

 

Shane Douglas

08.27.1994 - 08.27.1994

- defeated 2 Cold Scorpio in a tournament final to win the vacant title.  Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) was set to be given control of the title at this point, but Douglas immediately vacated the title, announced ECW's withdrawal from the NWA, and the renaming of Eastern Championship Wrestling to Extreme Championship Wrestling.  Douglas was then declared to be the ECW World Heavyweight Champion

 

Chris Candido

11.19.1994 - 02.24.1995

- defeated Tracy Smothers in a tournament final to win the vacant title

 

Dan Severn

02.24.1995 - 03.14.1999

 

Naoya Ogawa

03.14.1999 - 09.25.1999

 

Gary Steele

09.25.1999 - 10.02.1999

 

Naoya Ogawa (2)

10.02.1999 - 07.02.2000

 

VACANT

07.02.2000 - 09.19.2000

- Naoya Ogawa vacated the title in order to focus on training for mixed martial arts

 

Mike Rapada

09.19.2000 - 11.14.2000

- defeated Jerry Flynn in a tournament final to win the vacant title

 

Sabu

11.14.2000 - 12.22.2000

 

Mike Rapada (2)

12.22.2000 - 04.24.2001

 

Steve Corino

04.24.2001 - 10.13.2001

 

VACANT

10.13.2001 - 12.15.2001

- the title was held up after a controversial title defense between Steve Corino and Shinya Hashimoto

 

Shinya Hashimoto

12.15.2001 - 03.09.2002

- defeated Gary Steele and Steve Corino in a round robin tournament to win the vacant title

 

Dan Severn (2)

03.09.2002 - 05.28.2002

 

VACANT

05.28.2002 - 06.19.2002

- Dan Severn was stripped of the title due to refusing to defend it on the inaugural Total Nonstop Action (TNA) event

 

Ken Shamrock

06.19.2002 - 08.07.2002

- defeated Malice to win the vacant title.  At this time, control of the title was given to Total Nonstop Action (TNA)

 

Ron Killings

08.07.2002 - 11.20.2002

 

Jeff Jarrett

11.20.2002 - 06.11.2003

 

AJ Styles

06.11.2003 - 10.22.2003

 

Jeff Jarrett (2)

10.22.2003 - 04.21.2004

 

AJ Styles (2)

04.21.2004 - 05.19.2004

 

Ron Killings (2)

05.19.2004 - 06.02.2004

 

Jeff Jarrett (3)

06.02.2004 - 05.15.2005

 

AJ Styles (3)

05.15.2005 - 06.19.2005

 

Raven

06.19.2005 - 09.15.2005

 

Jeff Jarrett (4)

09.15.2005 - 10.23.2005

 

Rhyno

10.23.2005 - 10.25.2005

 

Jeff Jarrett (5)

10.25.2005 - 02.12.2006

 

Christian Cage

02.12.2006 - 06.18.2006

 

Jeff Jarrett (6)

06.18.2006 - 10.22.2006

 

Sting (2)

10.22.2006 - 11.19.2006

 

Abyss

11.19.2006 - 01.14.2007

 

Christian Cage (2)

01.14.2007 - 05.13.2007

 

VACANT

05.13.2007 - 09.01.2007

- Christian Cage was stripped of the title after TNA withdrew from the NWA

 

Adam Pearce

09.01.2007 - 08.02.2008

- defeated Gary Albright in a tournament final to win the vacant title

 

Brent Albright

08.02.2008 - 09.20.2008

 

Adam Pearce (2)

09.20.2008 - 10.25.2008

 

Blue Demon Jr.

10.25.2008 - 03.14.2010

 

Adam Pearce (3)

03.14.2010 - 03.06.2011

 

Colt Cabana

03.06.2011 - 04.23.2011

 

The Sheik

04.23.2011 - 07.11.2011

 

VACANT

07.11.2011 - 07.31.2011

- The Sheik was stripped of the title for refusing to defend it against Adam Pearce

 

Adam Pearce (4)

07.31.2011 - 04.08.2012

- defeated Chance Prophet, Jimmy Rave, and Shaun Tempest in a four-way match to win the vacant title

 

Colt Cabana (2)

04.08.2012 - 07.21.2012

 

Adam Pearce (5)

07.21.2012 - 10.27.2012

 

VACANT

10.27.2012 - 11.02.2012

- Adam Pearce vacated the title after he left the NWA

 

Kahagas

11.02.2012 - 03.16.2013

- defeated Anthony Nese, Biggie Biggs, Chance Prophet, Damien Wayne, Jason Kincaid, Lance Anoa'i, Lance Erikson, and Papadon in an elimination match to win the vacant title

 

Rob Conway

03.16.2013 - 01.04.2014

 

Satoshi Kojima

01.04.2014 - 06.02.2014

 

Rob Conway (2)

06.02.2014 - 02.14.2015

 

Hiroyoshi Tenzan

02.14.2015 - 08.29.2015

 

Jax Dane

08.29.2015 - 10.21.2016

 

Tim Storm

10.21.2016 - 12.09.2017

 

Nick Aldis

12.09.2017 - 09.01.2018

 

Cody Rhodes

09.01.2018 - 10.21.2018

 

Nick Aldis (2)

10.21.2018 - 08.29.2021

 

Trevor Murdoch

08.29.2021 - 02.12.2022

 

Matt Cardona

02.12.2022 - 06.11.2022

 

VACANT

06.11.2022 - 06.11.2022

- Matt Cardona vacated the title due to being injured

 

Trevor Murdoch (2)

06.11.2022 - 11.12.2022

- defeated Nick Aldis, Sam Shaw, and Thom Latimer in a four-way match to win the vacant title

 

Tyrus

11.12.2022 - 08.27.2023

 

EC3

08.27.2023 - 08.31.2024

 

Thom Latimer

08.31.2024