British Welterweight Championship

The British Welterweight Championship is the welterweight title competed for throughout the British wrestling circuit.

Many versions of the British Welterweight Championship exist in the independent circuit of the United Kingdom at any given time but the scene is usually dominated by one companies version. When another company becomes dominant the title often manages to unify itself or is brought into that company.

History

A British Welterweight Championship was first set up in 1938 under All-In rules and won by Harold Angus. The Mountevans Committee in 1947 called for the establishment of a British Welterweight Title and so recognised the still-incumbent All In titleholder Angus as champion. This lineage was recognised by Joint Promotions following its 1952 formation. The title would later be transplanted to All-Star Wrestling following champion Danny Collins' defection in the late 1980s, where it would remain active until the mid-1990s. In the 21st century, revivals of the title have been hosted by The Wrestling Alliance in 2000-2003 and Revolution British Wrestling in 2003-2005 before most recently being contested for in LDN's Academy/Spirit League since 2006.

The title first became recognised by RBW in August 2003, when a decider contest was held between Spud and Jack Hazard which saw Spud crowned RBW's first British Welterweight Champion. The last RBW holder would be Kid Regis who would hold the belt at the time of RBW's eventual closedown in late 2005.

Regis continued to defend the Welterweight Championship on the indy circuit, eventually losing it to Tex Benedict in 2006 in LDN, who in turn lost it to current champion Alan Travis in 2008.

Title histories

This is the combined list of different versions of the British Welterweight Titles, each of which was probably the most significant version at the time. Each version may or may not be connected to another. However, all title changes are either actual or "official" unless indicated otherwise.

British independent circuit (1938-1953)

Wrestler: Reign: Date: Place: Notes:
Harold Angus 1 1938 Champion under 'All-In' rules, granted recognition as incumbent champion by Mountevans Committee in 1947. Vacated in 1948 when Angus dies following a firearms-related accident.
Mick McManus 1 1949 Defeats Eddie Capelli.
Jack Dempsey 1 1951
Alan Colbeck 1 ??/05/1952 Defeats Les Stent.

Joint Promotions (1953-1989)

Wrestler: Reign: Date: Place: Notes:
Tony Lawrence 1 1953
Jack Dempsey 2 1953
Mick McManus 2 05/01/1957 London
Jack Dempsey 2 23/04/1958 London Vacated in October 1966 when Dempsey temporarily retired due to illness.
Alan Sargeant 1 26/11/1966 Hemel Hempstead Defeats Alan Wood in tournament final.
Jim Breaks 1 06/11/1967 Leeds
Alan Sargeant 2 ??/09/1968
Brian Maxine 1 30/09/1969 Croydon May have won the title earlier in the month and defend against Sarjeant on this day; vacates in June 1971 after winning the middleweight title.
Vic Faulkner 1 20/07/1971 Croydon Defeats Adrian Street.
Jim Breaks 2 31/05/1976 Bradford
Vic Faulkner 2 28/08/1976 Manchester
Jim Breaks 3 09/03/1977 Buxton
Vic Faulkner 3 05/07/1977 Leicester Title immediately held up by Joint Promotions because of the interference by Bert Royal.
Jim Breaks 4 30/11/1977 London Defeats Faulkner in rematch.
Dynamite Kid 1 25/01/1978 Preston Vacant in 1979 when Kid left the country.
Jim Breaks 5 27/06/1979 London Defeats Steve Grey in 8-man tournament final.
Alan Dennison 1 11/06/1980 London
Jim Breaks 6 29/03/1983 Croydon
Steve Grey 1 25/05/1982 Croydon
Alan Dennison 2 21/06/1982
Jim Breaks 7 29/03/1983 Croydon May have won the title from Dennison before this date.
Alan Dennison 3 29/04/1983
Jim Breaks 8 09/12/1983 Barnsley
Danny Collins 1 21/03/1984 Croydon
Steve Grey 2 21/06/1984 Malvern
Danny Collins 2 22/06/1984 Bath
Steve Grey 3 21/08/1984 Malvern
Danny Collins 3 01/11/1984 Mandchester
Sid Cooper 1 23/05/1985 Bristol
Danny Collins 4 26/08/1985 Takes title to All Star circa 1988
Title vacated on 04/07/1989 when Collins wins the heavy middleweight title.

All Star Wrestling (1989-1993)

Wrestler: Reign: Date: Place: Notes:
Mal Sanders 1 21/12/1989 Bristol Defeats Steve Grey.
Doc Dean 1 25/10/1990 Southampton
Blondie Barrett 1 17/12/1991 Chelmsford
Doc Dean 2 18/07/1992 Norwich
Steve Prince 1 09/10/1993 Croydon May have been in October.

The Wrestling Alliance (2002-2003)

Wrestler: Reign: Date: Place: Notes:
Jonny Storm 1 17/01/2002 Southampton Defeated Jody Fleisch.
Jody Fleisch 1 03/10/2002 Southampton
Jonny Storm 2 27/11/2002 Plymouth
Title abandoned with TWA's closure in 2003.

Revolution British Wrestling (2003-2005)

Wrestler: Reign: Date: Place: Notes:
Spud 1 30/08/2003 Defeated Jack Hazard in a match to be crowned first champion
Ross Jordan 1 07/12/2003
Sammy Ray 1 27/03/2004
Ross Jordan 2 24/07/2004 Chingford, London
Kid Regis 1 05/02/2005 Chingford, London
RBW closes in late 2005, Regis continued to claim title (as detailed below).

LDN Academy (2006-present)

Wrestler: Reign: Date: Place: Notes:
Tex Benedict 1 04/06/2006 Walthamstow, London Defeats Kid Regis, thus keeping continuity with RBW version
Alan Travis 1 20/09/2008 Hanley, Staffordshire

References