PWG World Championship
Encyclopedia
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling
world championship
in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
professional wrestling promotion
. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches
, in which participants execute scripted
finishes rather than contend in direct competition.
, Germany
and Orpington
, England
. The title has also been defended in Japan
in the Dragon Gate
promotion, as well as in the United Kingdom
in 1PW and again on PWG's European Vacation II tour in Paris, France, Portsmouth, England and Essen, Germany, with it recently being defended in Queensland, Australia. Bryan Danielson and Davey Richards
are the only individuals to have held the PWG World Championship, FIP World Heavyweight Championship
and the ROH World Championship
.
, who won the championship by defeating Joey Ryan in the finals of a sixteen man tournament on August 30, 2003 at PWG's Bad Ass Mother 3000 - Stage 2 event. At 425 days, Chris Hero
's only reign is the longest in the title's history. Bryan Danielson
is the shortest reigning champion in history by vacating it immediately after winning it for the second time. Frankie Kazarian, Human Tornado
, Bryan Danielson, Kevin Steen
and El Generico
hold the record for most reigns, with 2. As of , El Generico is the current champion in his second reign, after defeating Kevin Steen in a ladder match
on October 22, 2011, to win the title. Overall, there have been 19 reigns among 14 different wrestlers.
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...
world 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 Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is a professional wrestling promotion that is run by wrestlers themselves as it was created by Southern California wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Joey Ryan, Scott Lost, Super Dragon, and Top Gun Talwar...
professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches
Professional wrestling match types
Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....
, in which participants execute scripted
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
finishes rather than contend in direct competition.
History
The title became known under its current name in February 2006, when PWG had a two-event European Vacation tour stopping in EssenEssen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The title has also been defended in 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...
in the Dragon Gate
Dragon Gate
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling,...
promotion, as well as in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1PW and again on PWG's European Vacation II tour in Paris, France, Portsmouth, England and Essen, Germany, with it recently being defended in Queensland, Australia. Bryan Danielson and Davey Richards
Davey Richards
Wesley David Richards is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Davey Richards.Richards is currently under contract with Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH World Champion, but also wrestles for several companies on the independent circuit, including Pro Wrestling...
are the only individuals to have held the PWG World Championship, FIP World Heavyweight Championship
FIP World Heavyweight Championship
The FIP World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Full Impact Pro promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in FIP. The title was introduced on September 25, 2004 at FIP's "Emergence: Part Two" event as the FIP...
and the ROH World Championship
ROH World Championship
The Ring of Honor World Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Ring of Honor. The championship has also been through other companies in cooperation with ROH through the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance , the governing body of many independent wrestling...
.
Reigns
The inaugural champion was Frankie KazarianFrankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, who won the championship by defeating Joey Ryan in the finals of a sixteen man tournament on August 30, 2003 at PWG's Bad Ass Mother 3000 - Stage 2 event. At 425 days, Chris Hero
Chris Hero
Chris Spradlin is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Hero. He is a mainstay of many independent wrestling promotions, including Ring of Honor, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as well as Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
's only reign is the longest in the title's history. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
is the shortest reigning champion in history by vacating it immediately after winning it for the second time. Frankie Kazarian, Human Tornado
Human Tornado
Craig Williams , better known by his ring name, Human Tornado, is an American retired professional wrestler. His character was that of a stereotypical 1970s blaxploitation street pimp. He performed primarily on the Californian independent circuit, most prominently for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, the...
, Bryan Danielson, Kevin Steen
Kevin Steen
Kevin Steen is a Canadian professional wrestler, currently performing for various promotions on the independent circuit, most notably California-based Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor.-Professional wrestling career:...
and El Generico
El Generico
Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name El Generico. Sebei uses the gimmick of a luchador from Mexico...
hold the record for most reigns, with 2. As of , El Generico is the current champion in his second reign, after defeating Kevin Steen in a ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
on October 22, 2011, to win the title. Overall, there have been 19 reigns among 14 different wrestlers.