NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship
Encyclopedia
The NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship was the secondary singles championship in the National Wrestling Alliance
's St. Louis Wrestling Club
and Central States Wrestling
promotions in the 1970's and 1980's. It was usually dominated by the area's top star, Harley Race
, and as such it was considered a "stepping stone" to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
(although only Race, Terry Funk
, Kerry Von Erich
and Ric Flair
made it; Gene Kiniski
and Dory Funk, Jr.
were already former World Champions upon winning the Missouri title).
Previous versions existed in 1899, 1921, 1933 to 1934, 1937, 1947, 1950, and 1954 to 1955, but it was only in 1972 that a serious championship was established. It was shelved in 1986, as the Central States promotion was being consolidated under Jim Crockett Promotions
in order to counter the World Wrestling Federation
's national expansion. NWA Midwest revived the title in 2002 and it is still defended to this day.
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 St. Louis Wrestling Club
St. Louis Wrestling Club
The St. Louis Wrestling Club was a professional wrestling promotion based in St. Louis, Missouri. It was owned and operated by Sam Muchnick. The promotion was a flagship member of the National Wrestling Alliance, and promoted primarily in the St. Louis area. It was colloquially referred to within...
and Central States Wrestling
Heart of America Sports Attractions
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
promotions in the 1970's and 1980's. It was usually dominated by the area's top star, 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...
, and as such it was considered a "stepping stone" to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
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...
(although only Race, 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...
, Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Gene Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring names Kerry Von Erich, The Modern Day Warrior, and The Texas Tornado and was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers...
and Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
made it; Gene Kiniski
Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
and Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...
were already former World Champions upon winning the Missouri title).
Previous versions existed in 1899, 1921, 1933 to 1934, 1937, 1947, 1950, and 1954 to 1955, but it was only in 1972 that a serious championship was established. It was shelved in 1986, as the Central States promotion was being consolidated under 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:...
in order to counter the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's national expansion. NWA Midwest revived the title in 2002 and it is still defended to this day.
Title history
Silver areas in the history indicate periods of unknown lineage. An next to a date indicates that a title change occurred no later than the date listed.| Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Baptiste | 1 | October 1899 | ||
| Jake Reed | 1 | 1921 | ||
| Fred Peterson | 1 | October 1933 | ||
| Billy Wolf | 1 | 1934 | ||
| Lou Thesz Lou Thesz Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was a United States professional wrestler and 18-time world heavyweight champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. Combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days , longer than anyone else in history... |
1 | June 18, 1937 | Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
|
| Ron Etchison | 1 | October 17, 1947 | St. Joseph, Missouri Saint Joseph, Missouri Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St... |
|
| Sonny Myers | 1 | November 7, 1947 | St. Joseph, Missouri | |
| The title was vacated between 1947 and 1950. | ||||
| Tommy O'Toole | 1 | March 10, 1950 | St. Joseph, Missouri | |
| 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 | February 1954 | ||
| Ron Etchison | 2 | January 1955 | ||
| The title was inactive between 1955 and 1972. | ||||
| 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 | September 16, 1972 | St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
|
| The title was held up after a match against Johnny Valentine on December 16, 1972 in St. Louis, Missouri. | ||||
| 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 | January 19, 1973 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| 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 | February 10, 1973 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Gene Kiniski Gene Kiniski Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta... |
1 | March 16, 1973 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Harley Race | 2 | October 13, 1973 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Dory Funk, Jr. Dory Funk, Jr. Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional... |
1 | May 24, 1974 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Harley Race | 3 | February 21, 1975 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Bob Backlund Bob Backlund Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion... |
1 | April 23, 1976 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| 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 | November 26, 1976 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| 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 | August 12, 1977 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Ted DiBiase Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career... |
1 | February 12, 1978 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| 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 | February 26, 1978 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Dick the Bruiser William Afflis William Fritz Afflis , best known as Dick the Bruiser, was an American football player and professional wrestler.-Early life:... |
1 | July 14, 1978 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Dick Murdoch | 2 | March 17, 1979 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Dick the Bruiser | 2 | May 18, 1979 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Dick Murdoch | 3 | July 13, 1979 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Kevin Von Erich Kevin Von Erich Kevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in... |
1 | November 23, 1979 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Ken Patera Ken Patera Ken Patera is a former professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and Strongman competitor.-Weightlifting/Strongman career:Patera is a former Olympic weightlifter and American powerlifter... |
1 | April 25, 1980 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Ted DiBiase | 2 | November 21, 1980 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Jack Brisco | 2 | October 2, 1981 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Ken Patera | 2 | October 23, 1981 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Dick the Bruiser | 3 | January 1, 1982 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Harley Race | 4 | September 17, 1982 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Kerry Von Erich Kerry Von Erich Kerry Gene Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring names Kerry Von Erich, The Modern Day Warrior, and The Texas Tornado and was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers... |
1 | January 23, 1983 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Jerry Blackwell Jerry Blackwell Jerry Blackwell was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. Blackwell competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest, but withdrew early in the competition due to an injury... |
1 | April 15, 1983 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Harley Race | 5 | May 13, 1983 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| The title was vacated on June 10, 1983, when Race won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 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... from Ric Flair in St. Louis, Missouri. |
||||
| Ric Flair Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world.... |
1 | July 15, 1983 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| 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 | September 16, 1983 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Harley Race | 6 | January 6, 1984 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Jerry Blackwell | 2 | November 16, 1984 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Harley Race | 7 | August 2, 1985 | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| The title was retired in February 1986 when 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:... bought the St. Louis Wrestling Club St. Louis Wrestling Club The St. Louis Wrestling Club was a professional wrestling promotion based in St. Louis, Missouri. It was owned and operated by Sam Muchnick. The promotion was a flagship member of the National Wrestling Alliance, and promoted primarily in the St. Louis area. It was colloquially referred to within... . Crockett also bought Central States Wrestling Heart of America Sports Attractions Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa... in September. |
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| Gary Jackson | 1 | July 27, 2002 | St. Robert, Missouri St. Robert, Missouri St. Robert is a city in Pulaski County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,760 at the 2000 census. It is a gateway community to the United States Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Fort Leonard Wood. It is named after the local Catholic parish, whose patron saint was an... |
|
| Jackson was stripped of the title on June 3, 2003 due to lack of defenses. | ||||
| Shane Somers Shane Somers Shane Somers, also known by his ring name "ShowTime" Shane Somers, is an American professional wrestler. Somers held the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship three times and has also held the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship... |
1 | June 17, 2003 | Rolla, Missouri Rolla, Missouri Rolla is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States, midway between the larger cities of St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The population in the 2010 United States Census was 19,559.It is the county seat of Phelps County... |
|
| Somers was immediately stripped of the title by Missouri State Commissioner Carl Lauer for using an illegal chokehold. | ||||
| Shane Somers | 2 | June 17, 2003 | Rolla, Missouri | |
| Ricky Murdock | 1 | October 10, 2003 | Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg, West Virginia As of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing... |
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| Shane Somers | 3 | March 27, 2004 | Plato, Missouri Plato, Missouri Plato is an incorporated village in northwestern Texas County, Missouri, United States. It is located about twenty miles northwest of Houston, Missouri and ten miles south of Fort Leonard Wood on Route 32. Plato had an estimated population of 1,430 in 2000.... |
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| The title was vacated in 2005. | ||||
| Abyss Chris Parks Christopher J. "Chris" Parks , better known by his ring name "The Monster" Abyss, is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling... |
1 | December 7, 2005 | Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County... |
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| The title was vacated on December 29, 2006. | ||||
| Dingo | 1 | January 19, 2007 | St. Joseph, Missouri | |
| Davey Vega | 1 | October 16, 2009 | Glen Carbon, Illinois Glen Carbon, Illinois Glen Carbon is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States, 23 km northeast of St. Louis. The population was 12,934 at the 2010 census.-History:... |
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| Jeremy Wyatt | 1 | April 30, 2011 | Caseyville, IL | |