The Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship was the major singles professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

 championship

Championship (professional wrestling)

A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...

 in the National Wrestling Alliance

National Wrestling Alliance

The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...

's Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 territory, Championship Wrestling Florida. It existed from 1962 until 1987, when the title was abandoned. It was revived by NWA Florida in 1996. At various times, different NWA affiliated promotions used their own regional version of the title including promotions based in Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

, and the Carolinas.

Title history

Wrestler:	Times:	Date:	Location:	Notes:
Eddie Graham Eddie Graham Edward Gossett was a professional wrestler. He was also the promoter and booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and President of the NWA in the 1970s. His son, Mike Graham, was also a professional wrestler.-Career:Edward F...	1	March 17, 1962	Tampa, Fla.	Won tournament
Vacated		May 24, 1962	Graham injured
Boris Malenko Boris Malenko Lawrence J. Simon better known by his ring name Boris Malenko, was an American professional wrestler who wrestled for the American Wrestling Association and National Wrestling Alliance in the 1960s and 1970s...	1	July 25, 1962		Awarded (Malenko injured Graham to cause the title to become vacant)
Eddie Graham	2	November 29, 1962	Jacksonville, Fla.
Hiro Matsuda Yasuhiro Kojima was a professional wrestler and the trainer of Hulk Hogan, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, Keiji Mutoh, and many other professional wrestlers. He was better known as Hiro Matsuda, an identity he adopted while competing in the southern U.S., inspired by earlier wrestlers...	1	February 19, 1963	Tampa, Fla.
Eddie Graham	3	August 1, 1963	Jacksonville, Fla.
Bob Orton Bob Orton Robert Dale "Bob" Orton was an American professional wrestler. He was also known as Bob Orton, Sr. to distinguish him from his son, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr...	1	December 28, 1963	Jacksonville, Fla.
Bob Ellis	1	March 3, 1964	Tampa, Fla.
Bob Orton	2	June 4, 1964	Jacksonville, Fla.
Tarzan Tyler	1	December 29, 1964	Tampa, Fla.
Stripped		April 1965	Title stripped
Bob Orton	3	June 17, 1965	Jacksonville, Fla.	Won tournament
Tarzan Tyler	2	February 24, 1966	Jacksonville, Fla.
Missouri Mauler Larry Hamilton Larry "Rocky" Hamilton , known by his ringname The Missouri Mauler, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance as well as Florida Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions, becoming a mainstay of the latter promotion throughout the 1960s.One of...	1	March 8, 1966	Tampa, Fla.
Johnny Weaver Johnny Weaver Kenneth Eugene Weaver was a professional wrestler and wrestling commentator in the National Wrestling Alliance, better known by his ring name, Johnny Weaver...	1	1967	Florida
Missouri Mauler	2	1967	Florida
Johnny Weaver	2	July 1968	Charlotte, NC
Red Bastien Red Bastien Rolland Bastein is a former professional wrestler, better known as Red Bastien.-Professional wrestling career:He took part in football and swimming in high school and broke in on Midwest carnivals, fighting local toughs and learning wrestling the hard way. Turning professional, he began in...	1	July 1968	Florida
Missouri Mauler	3	January 1969	Florida
Jack Brisco Jack Brisco Freddie Joe Brisco was an American professional wrestler, better known as Jack Brisco or Uvalde Slim. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance , becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco...	1	February 11, 1969	Tampa, Fla.
Missouri Mauler	4	1969	Florida
Jack Brisco	2	July 8, 1969	Tampa, Fla.
Vacated		November 1969		Brisco left for Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Danny Miller	1	January 3, 1970	Tampa, Fla.
Missouri Mauler	5	January 13, 1970	Tampa, Fla.
Bob Orton	4	March 3, 1970	Tampa, Fla.
Dale Lewis	1	April 11, 1970	Jacksonville, Fla.
Hiro Matsuda	2	June 16, 1970	Tampa, Fla.
Great Mephisto	1	August 13, 1970	Tampa, Fla.
Hiro Matsuda	3	October 2, 1970	Tallahassee, Fla.
Great Mephisto	2	November 5, 1970	Jacksonville, Fla.
Rene Goulet	1	February 9, 1971	Tampa, Fla.
The Grappler (Johnny Walker)	1	March 23, 1971	Tampa, Fla.
Terry Funk Terry Funk Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...	1	April 14, 1971	Miami, Fla.
Dick Murdoch Dick Murdoch Hoyt Richard "Dick" Murdoch was an American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:A second-generation wrestler, the son of 1950s Texas wrestler Frankie Hill Murdoch, Dick Murdoch grew up with fellow second-generation wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, watching their fathers...	1	April 21, 1971	Tampa, Fla.
Jack Brisco	3	June 8, 1971	Tampa, Fla.
Held Up		September 1971		Held up after match with Dick Murdoch
Bobby Duncum Bobby Duncum Bobby Duncum may refer to:*Bobby Duncum, Sr., wrestler*Bobby Duncum, Jr., American wrestler...	1	October 7, 1971	Tampa, Fla.	Won tournament
George Gaiser	1	October 14, 1971	Tampa, Fla.
Bobby Shane	1	November 23, 1971	Tampa, Fla.
Held Up		February 15, 1972		Title held up after match with Tim Woods
Tim Woods	1	February 29, 1972	Tampa, Fla. (won rematch)
The Zodiac Bob Orton Robert Dale "Bob" Orton was an American professional wrestler. He was also known as Bob Orton, Sr. to distinguish him from his son, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr...	5	June 24, 1972	Jacksonville, Fla.
Dale Lewis	2	July 1972	Florida
The Zodiac	6	August 1, 1972	Tampa, Fla.
Tim Woods	2	August 12, 1972	Tampa, Fla.
Buddy Colt	1	September 5, 1972	Tampa, Fla.
Tim Woods	3	September 19, 1972	Tampa, Fla.
Buddy Colt	2	October 31, 1972	Tampa, Fla.
Tim Woods	4	November 21, 1972	Tampa, Fla.
Buddy Colt	3	December 18, 1972	Orlando, Fla.
Mark Lewin Mark Lewin -Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...	1	January 9, 1973	Tampa, Fla.
Buddy Colt	4	February 6, 1973	Tampa, Fla.
Mr. Kleen	1	February 28, 1973	Miami, Fla.
Paul Jones Paul Jones (wrestler) Paul Jones is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance 's Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.-Career:...	1	March 12, 1973	Orlando, Fla.
Ron Fuller Ron Fuller (wrestler) Ronald Welch is a retired professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Ron Fuller and Tennessee Stud. He is the elder brother of Robert Fuller...	1	April 10, 1973	Tampa, Fla.
Johnny Valentine Johnny Valentine Johnny Valentine was a professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame for his achievements in wrestling...	1	June 26, 1973	Tampa, Fla.
Bill Dromo	1	August 1973	Florida
Dusty Rhodes Dusty Rhodes (wrestler) Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...	1	1973	Florida
Jos LeDuc Jos LeDuc Michel Pigeon was a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Jos LeDuc. Wrestling with a lumberjack gimmick, he debuted in Stampede Wrestling with his kayfabe brother, Paul LeDuc...	1	1973	Florida
Dusty Rhodes	2	January 1974	Florida
Pak Song	1	1974	Florida
Jerry Brisco Gerald Brisco Floyd Gerald "Jerry" Brisco is a former American professional wrestler, and prior to June, 2009, worked as a road agent for WWE on its Raw brand....	1	1974	Florida
Bill Watts Bill Watts William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...	1	1974	Florida
Jos LeDuc	2	1974	Florida
The Stomper	1	1974	Florida
Bob Armstrong Bob Armstrong Joseph Melton James is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States...	1	1974 or 1975	Florida
The Stomper	2	1975	Florida
Pepper Gomez	1	1975	Florida
Killer Karl Krupp Killer Karl Krupp George Momberg , better known by the ring name Killer Karl Krupp, was a Dutch-born professional wrestler famous during the 1970s and early 1980s.-Early life:...	1	July 1975	Florida
Mike George	1	1975	Florida
Killer Karl Krupp	2	1975	Florida
Dusty Rhodes	3	1975	Florida
Harley Race Harley Race Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...	1	1975	Florida
Jerry Brisco	2	1975	Florida
Masked Destroyer Killer Kowalski Władek "Killer" Kowalski was a Canadian professional wrestler. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the NWA and WWF, and was a known heel wrestler...	1	October 1975	Florida
Billy Robinson Billy Robinson Billy Robinson is a British professional wrestler and catch wrestling instructor. Robinson was well known in Japan where he has trained mixed martial arts fighters in catch wrestling...	1	December 29, 1975	Florida
Assassin Jody Hamilton Joseph "Jody" Hamilton is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1"...	1	1976	Florida
Steve Keirn Steve Keirn Stephen "Steve" Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from...	1	November 1976	Florida
Ox Baker Ox Baker Douglas A. Baker better known professionally as Ox Baker, is an American former professional wrestler and actor, and was feared for his dreaded finishing move, the Heart Punch, sometimes called the "Hurt Punch", after Baker's famous catchphrase "I love to hurt people!" He has appeared in several...	1	1976 or 1977	Florida
Dusty Rhodes	4	1977	Florida
"Superstar" Billy Graham	1	1977	Florida
Steve Keirn	2	1977	Florida
Ivan Koloff	1	1977	Florida
Pedro Morales Pedro Morales Pedro Morales is a retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He began his wrestling career as a teenager in 1959 and continued through to the late 1980s...	1	1977	Florida
Dick Slater Dick Slater Richard Van Slater , better known by his ring name "Dirty" Dick Slater, is a retired American professional wrestler who wrestled in the 1970s, 1980s, and mid 1990s for various promotions including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling .Slater began wrestling with Mike...	1	March 1978	Florida
Dusty Rhodes	5	June 18, 1978	Miami, Fla.
Dick Slater	2	1978	Florida
Jerry Brisco	3	1978	Florida
The Spoiler Don Jardine Don Jardine was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as "The Spoiler".-Career:Jardine began wrestling in the mid-1950s,making his wrestling debut in 1955 at the age of 15...	1	1978	Florida
Wahoo McDaniel Wahoo McDaniel Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...	1	1978	Florida
Dick Slater	3	November 12, 1978	Florida
Terry Funk	2	December 30, 1978	St. Petersburg, Fla.
Thor the Viking Scott Irwin Scott K. Irwin was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tag team with his brother Barney "Bill" Irwin.-Debut and the World Wide Wrestling Federation:...	1	January 20, 1979	St. Petersburg, Fla.
Jimmy Garvin Jimmy Garvin James Williams is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name "Gorgeous" Jimmy "Jam" Garvin and as a member of the legendary Fabulous Freebirds....	1	1979	Florida
Ernie Ladd Ernie Ladd Ernest "Ernie" Ladd , nicknamed "The Big Cat" was an American collegiate and professional football player and a professional wrestler.-Pro Football career:...	1	1979	Florida
Sweet Brown Sugar Skip Young Galton W. Young, better known as Skip Young and Sweet Brown Sugar was an American professional wrestler who competed on the Southeastern regional promotions during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s in Florida Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling and the National...	1	October 1979	Florida
Leroy Brown	1	1979 or 1980	Florida
Dusty Rhodes	6	April 1980	Florida
Vacated		July 1980		Rhodes wins NWA World Title NWA World Heavyweight Championship The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
Dick Slater	4	August 3, 1980	Florida
Vacated		1981		Slater left area
Sweet Brown Sugar	2	February 4, 1981	Ft. Myers, Fla.
Rene Goulet	2	April 21, 1981	Tampa, Fla.
Barry Windham Barry Windham Barry Clinton Windham is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and the son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan. He is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling ....	1	1981	Florida
Bobby Jaggers Bobby Jaggers Bobby Jaggers is a retired professional wrestler.-In wrestling:*Finishing moves**Elbow drop**Reversed neckbreaker-Championships and accomplishments:...	1	August 1981	Florida
Jack Brisco	4	1981	Florida
David Von Erich David Von Erich David Alan Adkisson was an American professional wrestler who competed as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich...	1	December 26, 1981	St. Petersburg, Fla.
Derek Draper	1	July 16, 1982	Lakeland, Fla.
Sweet Brown Sugar	3	July 25, 1982	Orlando, Fla.
Jimmy Garvin	2	August 11, 1982	Florida
Dusty Rhodes	7	October 31, 1982	Florida
Kevin Sullivan Kevin Sullivan (wrestler) Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...	1	November 22, 1982	West Palm Beach, Fla.
Vacated		1982	Title vacant
Barry Windham	2	December 1982	Florida	Defeated Greg Valentine Greg Valentine John Wisniski, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.-Training:...  in tournament final
Frank Dusek	1	March 17, 1983	Tampa, Fla.
Ron Bass Ronald Herd Ronald Heard is a former American professional wrestler, best known under the name Ron Bass. His gimmick was a Texan cowboy who entered World Wrestling Federation rings to the sound of a bullwhip.-Career:...	1	April 30, 1983	Ft. Myers, Fla.
Mike Rotunda Mike Rotunda Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda is a former American professional wrestler, perhaps best known under the name Irwin R. Schyster or I.R.S. for short. He is currently signed with WWE working as a road agent and making occasional appearances on WWE shows as Irwin R...	1	September 24, 1983	St. Petersburg, Fla.
Ron Bass	2	November 23, 1983	Miami, Fla.
Mike Rotunda	2	May 1984	West Palm Beach, Fla.
Angelo Mosca Angelo Mosca Angelo Mosca is a former Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler. He is also known by the wrestling nicknames King Kong Mosca and The Mighty Hercules...	1	May 30, 1984	Tampa, Fla.
Jim Neidhart Jim Neidhart James Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...	1	August 12, 1984	Oklahoma City, OK
Pez Whatley Pez Whatley Pezavan Whatley was a professional wrestler in the 1980s and early 1990s who wrestled primarily under the ring name Pez Whatley.-Career:...	1	August 25, 1984	Sarasota, Fla.
Kevin Sullivan	2	September 19, 1984	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Pez Whatley	2	September 22, 1984	Miami, Fla.
Rick Rude Richard Rood Richard Erwin Rood , better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, including World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation , in the 1980s and 1990s.Among other accolades, Rude was a four-time world...	1	January 16, 1985	Tampa, Fla.
Brian Blair Brian Blair Brian Leslie Blair is a local politician in Florida, who gained fame as a professional wrestler especially as a part of the Killer Bees.-Career:...	1	April 10, 1985	Tampa, Fla.
Hercules Hernandez Ray Fernandez Raymond Fernandez was a professional wrestler who primarily wrestled in Florida and Texas before joining the World Wrestling Federation. He was best known by the ring name Hercules Hernandez or simply Hercules...	1	May 26, 1985	Orlando, Fla.
Vacated		July 1985		Hernandez fired for dressing room fight with Wahoo McDaniel
Rick Rude	2	July 21, 1985	Orlando, Fla.	defeated Mike Graham in tournament final
Wahoo McDaniel	2	October 2, 1985	Tampa, Fla.
Lex Luger Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...	1	November 19, 1985	Tampa, Fla.
Jesse Barr	1	January 15, 1986	Tampa, Fla.
Lex Luger	2	February 14, 1986	Orlando, Fla.
Masked Superstar Bill Eadie Bill Eadie is a professional wrestler who has competed under the names of Ax as part of Demolition and The Masked Superstar...	1	July 22, 1986	Tampa, Fla.
Lex Luger	3	July 29, 1986	Tampa, Fla.
Kevin Sullivan	3	January 16, 1987	Daytona, Fla.
Bad News Allen Allen Coage Allen James Coage was an American professional wrestler with the WWF and Stampede Wrestling among many other companies, better known by his ring names Bad News Brown and Bad News Allen. He was also the 1976 Olympic bronze medal winner in judo, in the heavyweight division...	1	January 31, 1987	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Kevin Sullivan	4	February 18, 1987	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Title Retired		March 1987		Title abaondened after promotion purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
Title revived by NWA Florida
Chris Stephenson	1	September 2, 1996	?
Vacated		1999	Title vacant
Steve Corino Steve Corino Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994...	1	October 15, 2002	Boyertown, PA	Defeated Jack Victory Jack Victory Kenneth "Ken" Rinehurst is an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name, Jack Victory. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1998 and 2001.-Career:Rinehurst debuted in 1985 in the Universal Wrestling Federation...  in tournament final
Mike Sullivan Mike Sullivan (wrestler) Mike Sullivan is an American professional wrestler who competes in Southeastern independent promotions including Full Impact Pro, Future of Wrestling, International Professional Wrestling and NWA Florida...	1	March 20, 2004	St. Petersburg, Fla.
Vacated		August 2004		Sullivan injured
Scoot Andrews	1	September 4, 2004	Clearwater, Fla.	Defeated Lex Lovett
Lex Lovett Lex Lovett Wayne Meyer is an American professional wrestler, known by his ringname Lex Lovett, who competes in Southeastern independent promotions such as Independent Pro Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated NWA Florida as well as having toured the Middle East, Europe and Asia.From 2003...	1	October 9, 2004	Brandon, FL Brandon, Florida Brandon is a census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 103,483.-Founding:...
Vacated		June 10, 2005
Bully Douglas	1	July 26, 2005	Lebanon, TN Lebanon, Tennessee Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
Chase Stevens Chase Stevens Chase Stevens is an American professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling where he was a member of The Naturals alongside his tag team partner Andy Douglas.-Career:...	1	October 26, 2005	Lebanon, TN
Vacant		November 12, 2005	Lebanon, TN
Kory Williams	1	November 12, 2005	Lebanon, TN
Vacant		February, 2006
Ace Rockwell	1	March 26, 2010	Nashville, TN

See also

• Florida Championship Wrestling
• National Wrestling Alliance
  National Wrestling Alliance
  The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...