NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship
Encyclopedia
The NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship started in 1979. It was formed by a split in lineage from the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
caused by the first retirement of champion Nelson Royal the same year. The first champion, Steve Keirn
, was recognized as World champion only by Florida, Los Angeles
, and New Japan Pro Wrestling
. This version was eventually taken to the latter promotion by Tatsumi Fujinami
, who already held the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
.
In 1981 champion Chavo Guerrero Sr. left NJPW to go back to the United States, only to come back to Japan under the banner of All Japan Pro Wrestling
, where it was renamed the International Junior Heavyweight Championship to avoid confusion and (along with being given a new belt design) in general line with AJPW's NWA titles. The championship became the cornerstone of AJPW's junior heavyweight division
until its eventual replacement by the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
, which kept the belt design.
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
caused by the first retirement of champion Nelson Royal the same year. The first champion, Steve Keirn
Steve Keirn
Stephen "Steve" Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from...
, was recognized as World champion only by Florida, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
. This version was eventually taken to the latter promotion by Tatsumi Fujinami
Tatsumi Fujinami
is a Japanese professional wrestler who is famous for his gimmick as "The Dragon." He is the one who is credited for inventing the Dragon Sleeper and the Dragon Suplex...
, who already held the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
The WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.-Title history:-External links:*...
.
In 1981 champion Chavo Guerrero Sr. left NJPW to go back to the United States, only to come back to Japan under the banner of All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
, where it was renamed the International Junior Heavyweight Championship to avoid confusion and (along with being given a new belt design) in general line with AJPW's NWA titles. The championship became the cornerstone of AJPW's junior heavyweight division
Cruiserweight (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a cruiserweight is a wrestler weighing 220 lb and less, sometimes 215. The older term junior heavyweight, which was used to describe the division, is more favored in Japan, where many titles for lighter-weight competitors are called junior heavyweight titles...
until its eventual replacement by the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The All Japan Pro Wrestling World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight The All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling...
, which kept the belt design.
Title history
| #: | Name(s): | Reigns: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Keirn Steve Keirn Stephen "Steve" Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from... |
1 | December 10, 1979 | Los Angeles, California, United States Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
Defeated Chavo Guerrero in a decision match to be recognized as NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's... in Los Angeles. |
| 2 | Tatsumi Fujinami Tatsumi Fujinami is a Japanese professional wrestler who is famous for his gimmick as "The Dragon." He is the one who is credited for inventing the Dragon Sleeper and the Dragon Suplex... |
1 | February 1, 1980 | Sapporo, Japan | Also held the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship The WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.-Title history:-External links:*... , but defended them separately. |
| 3 | Mike Graham | 1 | February 15, 1980 | Hollywood, Florida Hollywood, Florida -Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of... , United States |
Recognized as World Champion in Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... . |
| 4 | Tatsumi Fujinami | 2 | April 4, 1980 | Kawasaki Kawasaki, Kanagawa is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area.... , Japan |
|
| Vacated in June 1980 when Fujinami was injured. | |||||
| 5 | Kengo Kimura Kengo Kimura Seiei Kimura is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Kengo Kimura and for his many years working for New Japan Pro Wrestling in Japan.-Japan Wrestling Association :... |
1 | July 2, 1980 | Kita Kyushu Kitakyushu, Fukuoka is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. It is midway between Tokyo and Shanghai.- Demographics :Kitakyūshū has a population of just under one million... , Japan |
Defeated Bret Hart Bret Hart Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College... in a decision match. |
| 6 | Chavo Guerrero | 1 | October 3, 1980 | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan |
|
| 7 | Gino Hernandez Gino Hernandez Charles Eugene Wolfe, Jr. was a professional wrestler better known by his ring name Gino Hernandez. His in-ring nickname was "The Handsome Half-Breed" -Career:... |
1 | February 27, 1981 | Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... , United States |
|
| 8 | Chavo Guerrero | 2 | September, 1981 | n/a | |
| 9 | Atsushi Onita Atsushi Onita Atsushi Onita is a Japanese former politician and active professional wrestler best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling... |
1 | March 7, 1982 | Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009... , United States |
Billed as International champion in 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:... . |
| 10 | Sangre Chicana Sangre Chicana Sangre Chicana is the ring name of Mexican professional wrestler Andrés Durán Reyes . Reyes made his professional wrestling debut in 1973, wearing a red mask with a gold stripe, under the name Lemus. A year later he changed his name to Sangre Chicana but kept the mask with the golden stripe... |
1 | April 11, 1982 | Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Guadalajara, Jalisco Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality... |
Recognized as World champion in Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre. |
| 11 | Atsushi Onita | 2 | April 30, 1982 | Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... , Mexico |
|
| The title held up on July 30, 1982, after a match against Chavo Guerrero that ended in a no decision. The National Wrestling Alliance 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... and All Japan Pro Wrestling All Japan Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :... rename the title the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship. Onita and Guerrero had several rematches. |
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| 12 | Atsushi Onita | 3 | November 4, 1982 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Chavo Guerrero in rematch. |
| Vacated on April 15, 1983 when Onita broke his leg during a match against Hector Guerrero Hector Guerrero Héctor Manuel Guerrero Llanes is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, better known simply by his paternal name, Héctor Guerrero... . |
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| 13 | Chavo Guerrero | 3 | May 26, 1983 | Tenryu Tenryu, Shizuoka was a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.Tenryū was founded on November 3, 1958.On July 1, 2005 Tenryū, along with the town of Haruno, from Shūchi District, the towns of Hosoe, Inasa and Mikkabi, all from Inasa District, the towns of Sakuma and Misakubo, the village of Tatsuyama,... , Japan |
Defeats Ultra Seven in tournament final. |
| 14 | Mighty Inoue | 1 | February 26, 1984 | Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
|
| 15 | Dynamite Kid | 1 | June 8, 1985 | Takamatsu Takamatsu, Kagawa is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island... , Japan |
|
| 16 | Kuniaki Kobayashi Kuniaki Kobayashi Kuniaki Kobayashi is a retired Japanese Junior Heavyweight professional wrestler. He wrestled numerous acclaimed matches against the first two Tiger Masks: Satoru Sayama and Mitsuharu Misawa.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :... |
1 | June 13, 1985 | Koga Koga -People:* Koga is a Japanese kuge family name* Harue Koga was a Japanese painter active in the Taishō period* Hiroyasu Koga, Yukio Mishima's kaishakunin* Masao Koga, was a Japanese composer, guitarist and pop musician... , Japan |
|
| 17 | Tiger Mask II Mitsuharu Misawa was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling . From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, as All Japan Pro Wrestling had purchased the rights of the Tiger Mask gimmick from New Japan Pro Wrestling... |
1 | August 31, 1985 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Vacated on June 1986 when Tiger Mask graduates to the heavyweight division. The title was replaced with AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship The All Japan Pro Wrestling World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight The All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling... . |
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| 18 | Hirooki Goto Hirooki Goto is a Japanese professional wrestler. He has wrestled primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling since his debut.-Career:Goto attended Kokushikan University, where he took part in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. Upon graduating, Goto qualified to join New Japan Pro Wrestling, but left the... |
1 | March 4, 2007 | Mexico City, Mexico | Defeated Shocker José Luis Jair Soria José Luis Jair Soria is a Mexican professional wrestler, who wrestles under the name Shocker. He has in the past branched out into the United States, working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.-Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre :... in a tournament final to revive the title for Toryumon Mexico. |
| Vacated on September 7, 2007 when Goto graduates to the heavyweight division. | |||||
| 19 | Super Delfin | 1 | November 9, 2008 | Osaka, Japan | Defeated Último Dragón in a decision match to revive title. |
| 20 | Último Dragón | 1 | November 22, 2008 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| 21 | Hajime Ohara Hajime Ohara Hajime Ohara is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Smash. Ohara worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in Mexico for several years as part of his training mixing the Lucha Libre style of Mexico with the Japanese Puroresu style of wrestling.-Mexico:Hajime Ohara trained for... |
1 | December 14, 2008 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| 22 | Mineo Fujita | 1 | October 1, 2009 | Tokyo, Japan | Won the title at Dradition Pro Wrestling's Dream Impact IV. |
See also
- All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestlingis a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
- AJPW World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipAJPW World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe All Japan Pro Wrestling World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, contested exclusively among junior heavyweight The All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling...
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...