NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version)
| NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit) |
| Details |
| Promotion |
NWA Detroit |
| Date established |
September 3, 1953 |
| Date retired |
October, 1980 |
| Other name(s) |
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Chicago)
|
|
|
The NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight Championship was a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title. It was known as the Chicago version from 1953 until 1959 and was later renamed the Detroit version from 1959 until 1980.[1] While the National Wrestling Alliance recognized only one World Heavyweight Champion, there were a number of different versions of the United States Championship recognized in various NWA territories across the country. Most NWA promotions had some version of an "American" or "United States" titles and, like these other titles, the Detroit version was the primary singles championship within the NWA Detroit promotion. Over the course of its existence, the title was held by well known names such as Bobo Brazil, The Sheik, Wilbur Snyder, Johnny Valentine, and multi-time AWA World Heavyweight Champions Verne Gagne and Dick the Bruiser.
Title history
| Wrestler: |
Times: |
Date: |
Location: |
Notes: |
|
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Chicago Version)
|
| Verne Gagne |
1 |
September 3, 1953 |
Chicago, IL |
Awarded the title |
| Wilbur Snyder |
1 |
April 7, 1956 |
Chicago, IL |
| Hans Schmidt |
1 |
October 19, 1956 |
Chicago, IL |
| Wilbur Snyder |
2 |
February 19, 1957 |
Chicago, IL |
| Dick the Bruiser |
1 |
December 14, 1957 |
Chicago, IL |
| Verne Gagne |
2 |
April 12, 1958 |
Chicago, IL |
|
splits his own version into Minneapolis version, later renamed AWA United States Championship
|
| Wilbur Snyder |
3 |
November 15, 1958 |
Chicago, IL |
| Angelo Poffo |
1 |
December 27, 1958 |
Cincinnati, OH |
|
Renamed NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version)
|
| Wilbur Snyder |
4 |
May 2, 1959 |
Detroit, MI |
| Dick the Bruiser |
2 |
May 23, 1959 |
Detroit, MI |
| Bob Ellis |
1 |
June 2, 1960 |
Windsor, Ontario |
| Dick the Bruiser |
3 |
June 11, 1960 |
Detroit, MI |
| Bobo Brazil |
1 |
January 28, 1961 |
Detroit, MI |
| Dick the Bruiser |
4 |
February 28, 1961 |
Detroit, MI |
| Fritz Von Erich |
1 |
December 1, 1961 |
Detroit, MI |
| Wilbur Snyder |
5 |
1962 |
? |
| Dick the Bruiser |
5 |
June 2, 1962 |
Detroit, MI |
| Lord Athol Layton |
1 |
August 4, 1962 |
? |
| Fritz Von Erich |
2 |
June 9, 1963 |
Detroit, MI |
| Lord Athol Layton |
2 |
July 20, 1963 |
Detroit, MI |
| Fritz Von Erich |
3 |
October 19, 1963 |
Detroit, MI |
| Johnny Valentine |
1 |
June 13, 1964 |
Detroit, MI |
| The Sheik |
1 |
February 6, 1965 |
Detroit, MI |
| Bobo Brazil |
2 |
August 1967 |
? |
| The Sheik |
2 |
October 1967 |
? |
| Bobo Brazil |
3 |
July 29, 1971 |
Detroit, MI |
| Pampero Firpo |
1 |
August 12, 1972 |
Detroit, MI |
| Bobo Brazil |
4 |
August 19, 1972 |
Detroit, MI |
| Pampero Firpo |
2 |
October 28, 1972 |
Detroit, MI |
| Bobo Brazil |
5 |
December 23, 1972 |
Detroit, MI |
| The Sheik |
3 |
December 30, 1972 |
Detroit, MI |
| Bobo Brazil |
6 |
January 13, 1973 |
Detroit, MI |
| The Sheik |
4 |
January 27, 1973 |
Detroit, MI |
| Johnny Valentine |
2 |
July 7, 1973 |
Detroit, MI |
| The Sheik |
5 |
July 21, 1973 |
Detroit, MI |
| Johnny Valentine |
3 |
1973 |
? |
| The Sheik |
6 |
September 1973 |
? |
| Tony Marino |
1 |
March 2, 1974 |
Detroit, MI |
| The Sheik |
7 |
March 16, 1974 |
Detroit, MI |
| Bobo Brazil |
7 |
January 25, 1975 |
Detroit, MI |
Awarded when Sheik no-shows title defenses |
| Abdullah the Butcher |
1 |
February 8, 1975 |
Detroit, MI |
| Bobo Brazil |
8 |
April 19, 1975 |
Detroit, MI |
| The Sheik |
8 |
July 5, 1975 |
Detroit, MI |
| Mark Lewin |
1 |
September 27, 1975 |
Detroit, MI |
| "Bulldog" Don Kent |
1 |
November 1, 1975 |
Detroit, MI |
| Mark Lewin |
2 |
December 1975 |
? |
| Vacated |
|
February 14, 1976 |
|
Title vacant |
| Bobo Brazil |
9 |
April 21, 1976 |
|
Awarded when Brute Bernard was injured before tournament final |
| The Sheik |
9 |
May 15, 1976 |
Detroit, MI |
| Pampero Firpo |
3 |
July 17, 1976 |
Detroit, MI |
| Don Kent |
2 |
October 16, 1976 |
Detroit, MI |
| Gino Hernandez |
1 |
January 8, 1977 |
Detroit, MI |
| The Sheik |
10 |
April 2, 1977 |
Detroit, MI |
| Ox Baker |
1 |
September 1977 |
Detroit, MI |
| The Sheik |
11 |
between 1977 & 1980 |
? |
| Mighty Igor |
1 |
between 1977 & 1980 |
? |
| The Sheik |
12 |
May 3, 1980 |
Detroit, MI |
| Title Retired |
|
October 1980 |
|
Promotion closes, Sheik takes title to International Championship Wrestling |
See also
References
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.