IWCCW Heavyweight Championship
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The ICW / IWCCW Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship of International World Class Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1995 where IWCCW closed down operations. Since the ICW/IWCCW championships were not given "world title status" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, this championship was seen as a regional championship, although it was considered the top singles championship of the promotion. [1].
Initially ICW’s main title was the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship, through a talent exchange program and a close working relationship between ICW and WWC the Universal Title was promoted in the New England area as the main ICW title without ever mentioning the WWC name, nor was it presented as a title owned by ICW. When the arrangement came to an end in 1985 a specific “ICW Heavyweight Championship” was created with the lineage of the WWC Universal title during the time of the working relationship.
In 1993 the then champion Tony Atlas along with a number of IWCCW wrestlers left the company leaving the title vacant and only used sporadically between 1993 and 1995 where the promotion closed.
[edit] Title history
[…] Means champion lineage is uncertain at this period in time
NLT means “No later than”
Wrestler: | Times: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carlos Colón | 1 | 1984 | Carlos Colón was the WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion when ICW was founded and recognized as the first champion to represent ICW. | |
Dory Funk, Jr. | 1 | February 27, 1985 | Bangor, ME | This marked the first (and, to date, only) time that the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship changed hands outside of Puerto Rico. |
Held up | May 18, 1985 | Bayamón, PR | Held up after a match against Carlos Colón. This marked the end of the ICW/WWC joint title lineage | |
Joe Savoldi | 1 | NLT April 1, 1986 | Joe Savoldi is the first champion to be recognized as the “ICW Heavyweight Champion | |
Phil Apollo | 1 | NLT March 1, 1987 | Joe Savoldi | |
Vacant | NLT October 1, 1987 | Title is vacated when Phil Apollo leaves the promotion | ||
Joe Savoldi | 2 | October 1, 1987 | Joe Savoldi wins a battle royal to claim the vacant title. | |
Moondog Spike | 1 | 1988 | ||
Joe Savoldi | 3 | 1988 | ||
”Lord” Jonathan Boyd | 1 | December 28, 1988 | ||
Joe Savoldi | 4 | January, 1989 | Presque Isle, ME | |
Tony Atlas | 1 | February 11, 1989 | Presque Isle, ME | |
Vic Steamboat | 1 | July 24, 1990 | Middletown, NY | |
Tony Atlas | 2 | April 19, 1991 | S. China, ME | |
Vacant | NLT March 1, 1993 | Title is vacated when Tony Atlas leaves ICW. | ||
Tito Santana | 1 | February 9, 1994 | Yardville, NJ | Defeats Greg Valentine to win the vacant title |
Greg Valentine | 1 | March 3, 1995 | Orwigsburg, PA | |
Koko B. Ware | 1 | June 2, 1995 | Chattanooga, TN | Is awarded the title when Greg Valentine does not show for a scheduled title defence. |
[edit] References
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.