World Heavyweight Championship
Encyclopedia
The World Heavyweight Championship is the name given to certain championships
in professional wrestling
. Although various professional wrestling promotion
s have used the term "world heavyweight championship", it is almost exclusively used as a moniker for the championship that is under competition between the top contenders of major organizations. The territorial nature of early professional wrestling
, in which promotions would each operate in different regional territories across the nation, suggested that few organizations could promote
a World Heavyweight Championship, in the sense that the title could theoretically be defended against any challenger anywhere in the world. However, with the emergence of professional wrestling in mainstream
and popular culture
during the 1980s professional wrestling boom, many organizations grew to receive national and international exposure and thereby gained the platform to promote worldwide.
in 1905 and Frank Gotch
in 1908. Established in 1948, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
of the National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) directly traces its lineage to these reigns, thus making it the oldest active world title. With many regional territories appearing across the United States
, the NWA was formed in 1948 as a governing body
in professional wrestling, operating as a talent and brand name franchiser for the territory system. Though promotions that were members of the NWA retained their ownership and recognition of its champions, they were to recognize the NWA World Heavyweight Championship as the premier title over their own. The American Wrestling Association
(AWA) was formed in 1960 from NWA territories that began to secede from the NWA during the late 1950s. Unilaterally, the AWA established the AWA World Heavyweight Championship
and awarded the recognition to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O'Connor
only to later rule that O'Connor had forfeited the title to the AWA's Verne Gagne
. The title along with the AWA became inactive in 1990 and was officially decommissioned in 1991. The NWA World Heavyweight Championship has since served as the foundation from which other world titles have originated. Consequently, titles that spun off
from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship lineage, are connected to the historical reigns of Georg Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch as well.
WWE is currently home to two such active world titles; the WWE Championship
and World Heavyweight Championship
. The WWE Championship was introduced in 1963 when Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the precursor to WWE, seceded from the NWA and became World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). The WWWF World Heavyweight Championship was thus established as being produced from the NWA title when recognition was awarded to Buddy Rogers after he had lost the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to Lou Thesz
. WWWF was renamed to World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979 and the title became known as the WWF World Heavyweight Championship and later simply the WWF Championship.
Similarly, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
of World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) was introduced in 1991 and was established when the recognition was awarded to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair
, thus being produced from the NWA title. WCW seceded from the NWA in 1993 and became a rival promotion to the WWF, growing into mainstream
prominence along with them and eventually being involved in a television ratings war
. Meanwhile, due to WCW's secession from the NWA, WCW opted to recognize Ric Flair's NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign at the time of the secession as the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship
, which was then used for a fictitious WCW subsidiary until it was decommissioned in 1994. Ultimately, WCW was bought-out
by the WWF, and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship was unified
with the WWF Championship in 2001. Chris Jericho
become the final WCW Champion and the subsequent WWF Champion, defeating The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin
respectively.
The WWF Championship became the Undisputed Championship
in professional wrestling with no other prominent world title to dispute the claim until 2002. The WWF was renamed to WWE and its title became the WWE Undisputed Championship while WWE was divided into franchises
or "brands" known as Raw
and SmackDown, which act as complementing promotions under WWE. The WWE Undisputed Championship was then designated to a single brand, becoming simply the WWE Championship after the World Heavyweight Championship
was created, spun off from the WWE Undisputed Championship, and established while being designated to the other brand. The World Heavyweight Championship was thus indirectly produced from the NWA title.
In 2006, WWE became home to another world title that had also spun off from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship; the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
. Originally of Extreme Championship Wrestling
(ECW), the ECW World Heavyweight Championship was first introduced in 1992 in Eastern Championship Wrestling, the precursor to ECW. However, it was officially established in 1994 and produced from the NWA title when the promotion seceded from the NWA and became Extreme Championship Wrestling after Shane Douglas
relinquished the NWA World Heavyweight Championship immediately after winning it and instead proclaimed himself the ECW World Heavyweight Champion. After ECW closed in 2001, its assets were subsequently purchased by WWE, and in 2006, the franchise was relaunched as a WWE brand complementary to Raw and SmackDown with the title being recommissioned and designated to the brand. The brand and title would continue to operate until 2010.
In Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA), a promotion founded in 2002, NWA titles held a dominant role through an agreement, which allowed the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to be operated within the promotion after TNA's NWA affiliation had ended in 2004. The agreement was abruptly voided in 2007 and Christian Cage was stripped of the title by the NWA.
TNA then introduced the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
and awarded the recognition to Kurt Angle
while also recognizing NWA reigns recorded in TNA. Also founded in 2002, Ring of Honor
(ROH) is a promotion that grew from the independent circuit
of professional wrestling to become one of the major organizations. Originally introduced as the ROH Championship in July 2002, the title became established as the ROH World Championship
a year later in May 2003.
Due to the term "world heavyweight championship" being applicable to any World Heavyweight Championship in general or to a specific one in particular, this often creates confusion over which championship is being referenced when the term is used. This is often the case when noting the accomplishments of Ric Flair
, who is recognized by WWE as being a 16-time World Heavyweight Champion. The actual reference is made to Flair's accumulated NWA, WCW, and WWE Championship reigns.
Other championships have also been referred to as simply "world titles" despite not being World Heavyweight Championships. These often include championships with various classifications, including stipulation-based
or weight class. Examples of such championships include the ROH World Television Championship
and NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
.
Other championships have also been referred to as simply "heavyweight titles" despite not being World Heavyweight Championships. This is because they include the heavyweight class but are not considered world-wide. Examples include the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, the World Wide Wrestling Federation U.S.A. Heavyweight Championship, the WWF North American Heavyweight Championship
and the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship.
Promotions can also recognize subordinate titles to World Heavyweight Championships that are often designated as regional, national, or international championships. Examples of these subordinate titles include the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship
, WWE United States Championship
, and WWE Intercontinental Championship
, which are regional, national, and international subordinates respectively.
As of ,
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 professional wrestling
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...
. Although various 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...
s have used the term "world heavyweight championship", it is almost exclusively used as a moniker for the championship that is under competition between the top contenders of major organizations. The territorial nature of early professional wrestling
History of professional wrestling
Professional wrestling in the United States, up until the late 1920s, was viewed as a legitimate sport. Across the country there were "iron men" who would stand in the center of the ring, usually at state fairs, and literally shout out a challenge to anyone with the nerve to enter the ring...
, in which promotions would each operate in different regional territories across the nation, suggested that few organizations could promote
Promotion (marketing)
Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....
a World Heavyweight Championship, in the sense that the title could theoretically be defended against any challenger anywhere in the world. However, with the emergence of professional wrestling in mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
and popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
during the 1980s professional wrestling boom, many organizations grew to receive national and international exposure and thereby gained the platform to promote worldwide.
History
Most of the well-recognized World Heavyweight Championships today are derived from the first recognized version held by Georg HackenschmidtGeorg Hackenschmidt
Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt was an early 20th-century Estonian strongman and professional wrestler, and the first free-style heavyweight champion of the world. He launched his professional career in Russia and lived most of his life in London, England, where he gained the nickname of 'The...
in 1905 and Frank Gotch
Frank Gotch
Frank Alvin Gotch was an American professional wrestler of German ancestry, the first American to win the world heavyweight free-style championship, and credited for popularizing professional wrestling in the United States...
in 1908. Established in 1948, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
of 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...
(NWA) directly traces its lineage to these reigns, thus making it the oldest active world title. With many regional territories appearing across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the NWA was formed in 1948 as a governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
in professional wrestling, operating as a talent and brand name franchiser for the territory system. Though promotions that were members of the NWA retained their ownership and recognition of its champions, they were to recognize the NWA World Heavyweight Championship as the premier title over their own. The American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
(AWA) was formed in 1960 from NWA territories that began to secede from the NWA during the late 1950s. Unilaterally, the AWA established the AWA World Heavyweight Championship
AWA World Heavyweight Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
and awarded the recognition to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O'Connor
Pat O'Connor (wrestler)
Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era...
only to later rule that O'Connor had forfeited the title to the AWA's Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
. The title along with the AWA became inactive in 1990 and was officially decommissioned in 1991. The NWA World Heavyweight Championship has since served as the foundation from which other world titles have originated. Consequently, titles that spun off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship lineage, are connected to the historical reigns of Georg Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch as well.
WWE is currently home to two such active world titles; the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
and World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. The WWE Championship was introduced in 1963 when Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the precursor to WWE, seceded from the NWA and became World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). The WWWF World Heavyweight Championship was thus established as being produced from the NWA title when recognition was awarded to Buddy Rogers after he had lost the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to Lou Thesz
Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was a United States professional wrestler and 18-time world heavyweight champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. Combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days , longer than anyone else in history...
. WWWF was renamed to World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979 and the title became known as the WWF World Heavyweight Championship and later simply the WWF Championship.
Similarly, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...
of World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) was introduced in 1991 and was established when the recognition was awarded to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, thus being produced from the NWA title. WCW seceded from the NWA in 1993 and became a rival promotion to the WWF, growing into mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
prominence along with them and eventually being involved in a television ratings war
Monday Night Wars
Monday Night Wars is the common term describing the period of mainstream televised American professional wrestling from September 4, 1995, to March 26, 2001. During this time, the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw went head-to-head with World Championship Wrestling's Monday Nitro in a...
. Meanwhile, due to WCW's secession from the NWA, WCW opted to recognize Ric Flair's NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign at the time of the secession as the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship
WCW International World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling International World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling . "WCW International" referred to a fictional international subsidiary of World Championship Wrestling...
, which was then used for a fictitious WCW subsidiary until it was decommissioned in 1994. Ultimately, WCW was bought-out
Buyout
A buyout, in finance, is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" control of the target company....
by the WWF, and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship was unified
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...
with the WWF Championship in 2001. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
become the final WCW Champion and the subsequent WWF Champion, defeating The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
respectively.
Undisputed Championship
An Undisputed Championship is a professional wrestling term for a champion who has obtained all of the major individual championships in his field during his era...
in professional wrestling with no other prominent world title to dispute the claim until 2002. The WWF was renamed to WWE and its title became the WWE Undisputed Championship while WWE was divided into franchises
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
or "brands" known as Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
and SmackDown, which act as complementing promotions under WWE. The WWE Undisputed Championship was then designated to a single brand, becoming simply the WWE Championship after the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
was created, spun off from the WWE Undisputed Championship, and established while being designated to the other brand. The World Heavyweight Championship was thus indirectly produced from the NWA title.
In 2006, WWE became home to another world title that had also spun off from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship; the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
. Originally of Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
(ECW), the ECW World Heavyweight Championship was first introduced in 1992 in Eastern Championship Wrestling, the precursor to ECW. However, it was officially established in 1994 and produced from the NWA title when the promotion seceded from the NWA and became Extreme Championship Wrestling after Shane Douglas
Shane Douglas
Troy Alan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly...
relinquished the NWA World Heavyweight Championship immediately after winning it and instead proclaimed himself the ECW World Heavyweight Champion. After ECW closed in 2001, its assets were subsequently purchased by WWE, and in 2006, the franchise was relaunched as a WWE brand complementary to Raw and SmackDown with the title being recommissioned and designated to the brand. The brand and title would continue to operate until 2010.
In Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA), a promotion founded in 2002, NWA titles held a dominant role through an agreement, which allowed the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to be operated within the promotion after TNA's NWA affiliation had ended in 2004. The agreement was abruptly voided in 2007 and Christian Cage was stripped of the title by the NWA.
TNA then introduced the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...
and awarded the recognition to Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
while also recognizing NWA reigns recorded in TNA. Also founded in 2002, Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
(ROH) is a promotion that grew from the independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
of professional wrestling to become one of the major organizations. Originally introduced as the ROH Championship in July 2002, the title became established as 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...
a year later in May 2003.
Nomenclature
The name of the promotion is often preceded to the term "world heavyweight championship" as the complete name of the title. Examples of this included the ECW World Heavyweight, WCW World Heavyweight, and WWF World Heavyweight Championship. However, some are also correctly known simply as the "World Heavyweight Championship" without bearing the name of an organization. In some cases, this occurs in organizations where other World Heavyweight Championships are also competed for, as was the case in the AWA during 1960s and 1970s, the NWA and WCW in the early 1990s, and in WWE today.Due to the term "world heavyweight championship" being applicable to any World Heavyweight Championship in general or to a specific one in particular, this often creates confusion over which championship is being referenced when the term is used. This is often the case when noting the accomplishments of Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, who is recognized by WWE as being a 16-time World Heavyweight Champion. The actual reference is made to Flair's accumulated NWA, WCW, and WWE Championship reigns.
Other championships have also been referred to as simply "world titles" despite not being World Heavyweight Championships. These often include championships with various classifications, including stipulation-based
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....
or weight class. Examples of such championships include the ROH World Television Championship
ROH World Television Championship
The ROH World Television Championship is a professional wrestling world television championship owned by the United States–based Ring of Honor promotion. It is currently the third ranked championship in ROH. With the introduction of the ROH World Television Championship, the television type...
and NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship is a currently inactive professional wrestling championship promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance . For the majority of its existence it has been promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where it was known as the Campeonato...
.
Other championships have also been referred to as simply "heavyweight titles" despite not being World Heavyweight Championships. This is because they include the heavyweight class but are not considered world-wide. Examples include the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, the World Wide Wrestling Federation U.S.A. Heavyweight Championship, the WWF North American Heavyweight Championship
WWF North American Heavyweight Championship
The WWF North American Championship was a relatively short-lived title in the World Wrestling Federation from 1979 until 1981. It is considered to be the spiritual predecessor to the WWE Intercontinental Championship after Pat Patterson was awarded the Intercontinental Championship as a result of...
and the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship.
Promotions can also recognize subordinate titles to World Heavyweight Championships that are often designated as regional, national, or international championships. Examples of these subordinate titles include the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship
NWA North American Heavyweight Championship
The NWA North American Heavyweight Championship is the second most prestigious title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was created in 1994 after World Championship Wrestling withdrew from the NWA. There were other versions of this title before this one was created...
, WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
, and WWE Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
, which are regional, national, and international subordinates respectively.
Active world championships
| Championship | 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... |
Date Est. Date of establishment The date of establishment or date of founding of an institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point... |
Current champion | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NWA World Heavyweight Championship NWA World Heavyweight Championship The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and... |
NWA 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... |
Adam Pearce Adam Pearce Adam Pearce is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is the current NWA World Heavyweight Champion in his fourth reign and the NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. He is also a former PWG Champion.... (July 31, 2011) |
||
| 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... |
ROH Ring of Honor Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011... |
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... (June 26, 2011) |
||
| TNA World Heavyweight Championship TNA World Heavyweight Championship The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division... |
TNA Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact... |
Bobby Roode (October 26, 2011) |
||
| World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
WWE (SmackDown) |
Mark Henry Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic... (September 18, 2011) |
||
| WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
WWE (Raw WWE RAW WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States... ) |
CM Punk CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion.... (November 20, 2011) |
Other notable active world championships
- AAA World Heavyweight ChampionshipAAA World Heavyweight ChampionshipIWC World Heavyweight Champion GPCW SUPER-X Monster Champion Mexican National Heavyweight Champion UWA World Light Heavyweight Champion-External links:*...
- Known as the "Megacampeonato AAA" in the MexicanMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
promotion Asistencia Asesoría y AdministraciónAsistencia Asesoría y AdministraciónAsistencia Asesoría y Administración is a lucha libre professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico...
. The title was established in 2007 with the unification of multiple championships. Promoted as the organization's top title, it is billed as the first premier world title out of MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The current champion is Jeff JarrettJeff JarrettJeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
.
- CMLL World Heavyweight ChampionshipCMLL World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe CMLL World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship promoted by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and has been in existence since 1991...
- A heavyweight Consejo Mundial de Lucha LibreConsejo Mundial de Lucha LibreConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...
title since 1991. Unlike other world titles such as the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, it is not the premier championship in the promotion due to the greater number of lighter weightCruiserweight (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...
wrestlers. The title is currently vacated.
- CZW World Heavyweight ChampionshipCZW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and copyrighted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was created and debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event.The championship is generally contested...
- Combat Zone WrestlingCombat Zone WrestlingCombat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
's top title. Claims its status as a World Heavyweight title after it was defended in Japan, Germany, England, Mexico, Ireland and Italy as well as the United States. The championship changed hands in all of those countries except Japan. The current champion is Devon Moore.
- FIP World Heavyweight ChampionshipFIP World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe 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...
- Full Impact Pro Wrestling's top title. Became a World Heavyweight Championship following a defence of the title by Roderick StrongRoderick StrongChris Lindsey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Roderick Strong. Strong currently competes in several independent promotions, most notably Ring of Honor , Full Impact Pro , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla .He initially debuted as The Jester on the Floridian...
against British wrestler PACBen SatterlyBenjamin "Ben" Satterly is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Pac , who is currently working for Dragon Gate, and Dragon Gate USA. He is noted for his exceptional high flying style which has earned him the nickname "The Man That Gravity Forgot"...
at a Ring of Honor show in Liverpool, England. The title is currently vacant.
- IWA Undisputed World Unified Heavyweight Championship - The top title in the International Wrestling AssociationInternational Wrestling AssociationThe International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...
. The championship was established in 2000 as the IWA World Heavyweight Championship. The current champion is Chris AngelChris Angel (wrestler)Chris Angel is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in the International Wrestling Association, where he became the only local wrestler to win the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship in his debut and first to win the IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight...
.
- PWG World ChampionshipPWG World ChampionshipThe 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 top championship in the Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
promotion Pro Wrestling GuerrillaPro Wrestling GuerrillaPro 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...
. Claims its status as a World Heavyweight title after it was defended in Kent, England and Essen, Germany on the European Vacation tour of 2006. It has since been defended in Takamatsu, JapanTakamatsu, Kagawais 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...
and ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The current champion is El GenericoEl GenericoRami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name El Generico. Sebei uses the gimmick of a luchador from Mexico...
.
- UWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipUWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe UWA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally promoted by Universal Wrestling Association until it closed in 1995 and since then been defended on the Mexican independent circuit...
- The original title of the Universal Wrestling AssociationUniversal Wrestling AssociationThe Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...
in Mexico. The organization closed down in 1995, but the title has since been defended in other various promotions. The current champion is Dr. Wagner, Jr.Dr. Wagner, Jr.Juan Manuel González Barrón is a Mexican Luchador Enmascarado who is best known under the ring name Dr. Wagner, Jr.. As Dr. Wagner, Jr...
- WSL World Heavyweight Championship - The top title in Wrestling Superstars Live. It was introduced in 1996 when Dale Gagner and Jonnie Stewart formed an organization known as AWA Superstars of Wrestling, infringingCopyright infringementCopyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
on the AWA name. Finally, in April 2007 WWE filed a lawsuitLawsuitA lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against them, as WWE owned all AWA properties due to their purchase after the AWA's closure. In October 2008, the courtCourtA court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
ruledCourt orderA court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
in favor of WWE. Gagner and Stewart were forced to rename their organization. The current champion is Keith WalkerKeith WalkerKeith Walker is an American professional wrestler who competes in North American and international promotions including Ring of Honor, Harley Race's World League Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah....
- WWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWWA World Heavyweight Championship (Mexico)The WWA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship promoted by the Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling based promotion World Wrestling Association since 1986...
- A World Wrestling AssociationWorld Wrestling AssociationThe World Wrestling Association is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora, Jr....
title in Mexico. Not to be confused with the other promotions of the same name. The current champion is Rayo de Jalisco, Jr.Rayo de Jalisco, Jr.Rayo de Jalisco, Jr. is the ring name of a Mexican Luchador Enmascarado whose real name has not been revealed, per Lucha Libre traditions. Rayo de Jalisco, Jr...
- WWC Universal Heavyweight ChampionshipWWC Universal Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the top title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. The championship was established in July 1982, as the WWC World Heavyweight...
- The top title in the World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling CouncilThe World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
. The championship was established in July 1982 as the WWC World Heavyweight Championship. It achieved its current name after a match billed to decide "The Champion of the Universe" between WWC World Heavyweight Champion Carlos Colon and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair. The current champion is CarlitoCarly ColonCarlos Edwin "Carly" Colón, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by his ring name Carlito. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Entertainment , but was released from his contract on May 21, 2010. In his native Puerto Rico, he is known as both...
.
- WWP World Heavyweight Championship - The top title in the South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n World Wrestling ProfessionalsWorld Wrestling ProfessionalsWorld Wrestling Professionals is a South African professional wrestling promotion created in 2002. The internationally-televised promotion is owned by Mark Beale and Abdul Kader, and is heavily influenced by American mainstream wrestling....
. The championship was established in 2004. The current champion is TornadoSteve DebbesSteve Debbes, better known by his ring name Tornado, is a South African professional wrestler performing for World Wrestling Professionals. He is the current 2-time WWP Heavyweight World Champion and the longest-reigning title holder in the championship's history.-Early life:Steve Debbes was a...
.
- Zero1 World Heavyweight ChampionshipZERO1 World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Zero1. It is one of Zero1's top two singles titles, along with the NWA United National Heavyweight Championship. It was first introduced on December 15, 2007...
- A top title in the JapanJapanJapan 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...
ese Pro Wrestling Zero1. It was first introduced in December 2007, when Pro Wrestling Zero1 ended its business relationship with AWA Superstars of Wrestling. The Superstars of Wrestling Champion from Pro Wrestling Zero1 was stripped of the title though Pro Wrestling Zero1 continued to recognize the entire reign that started two months earlier as being the Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship. The current champion is Kohei SatoKohei Satois a Japanese professional wrestler contracted with Pro Wrestling ZERO1. Sato is also a former mixed martial artist.-In wrestling:*Finishing moves*Briging German suplex*Cross Armbreaker*Pole Star *Signature moves...
.
Inactive world championships
| Championship | Promotion | Date Est. | Date retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWA World Heavyweight Championship AWA World Heavyweight Championship The American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE... |
AWA American Wrestling Association The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo... |
|||
| ECW World Heavyweight Championship ECW World Heavyweight Championship The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment... |
ECW Extreme Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001... WWE |
|||
| WCW World Heavyweight Championship WCW World Heavyweight Championship The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling... |
WCW World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and... WWE |
|||
| WCW International World Heavyweight Championship WCW International World Heavyweight Championship The World Championship Wrestling International World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling . "WCW International" referred to a fictional international subsidiary of World Championship Wrestling... |
WCW World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and... |
Other notable inactive world championships
- CWA World Heavyweight Championship (1979–1981) - A Continental Wrestling AssociationContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
title. Not to be confused with the CWA World Heavyweight Championship of the Catch Wrestling Association.
- CWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipCWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe CWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association....
(1973–2000) - A Catch Wrestling AssociationCatch Wrestling AssociationThe Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...
title. It was a world title out of EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and changed hands in four countries and three continents, with both Europeans and North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
ns having held the title.
- ICW World Heavyweight Championship (1978–1984) - An International Championship WrestlingInternational Championship WrestlingInternational Championship Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Lexington, Kentucky that operated from 1978 until 1984. It was run by WCW Hall of Famer Angelo Poffo, the father of Randy Savage and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo...
title. The title was retired when the promotion closed down in 1984.
- IWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipIWA World Heavyweight Championship (International Pro Wrestling)The International Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of the Japanese professional wrestling promotion known as International Pro Wrestling...
(1968–1981) - An International Pro WrestlingInternational Pro WrestlingInternational Pro Wrestling , also known as International Wrestling Enterprise, was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association in the United States and also had tie-ins with promotions in Europe...
title. It was billed as being the first world title out of JapanJapanJapan 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...
. The title was defended and changed hands in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on separate occasions.
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1964–1971) - A World Championship Wrestling Australian title. Not to be confused with the IWA World Heavyweight Championship of International Pro Wrestling. The promotion is also not to be confused with World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
.
- MWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipMWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe MWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Kansas City, Kansas-based Midwest Wrestling Association...
(1940–1948) - A Midwest Wrestling Association title. This early world title was the direct predecessor to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship of the National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe 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...
. The Midwest Wrestling Association joined the newly formed National Wrestling Alliance in October 1948 and the MWA World Heavyweight Champion Orville BrownOrville BrownOrville Brown was a professional wrestler. Born in Sharon, Kansas, Brown was a former NWA Champion, and was recognized as the first NWA champion in 1948. Brown's pro-wrestling career ended on November 1, 1949, when he suffered severe injuries in an automobile accident.-Biography: Orville Brown was...
was then recognized as the first World Heavyweight Champion in the National Wrestling Alliance.
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipUSWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from the American Wrestling...
(1988–1997) - a United States Wrestling AssociationUnited States Wrestling AssociationThe United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
title. It consisted of the AWA World Heavyweight Championship and WCWA World Heavyweight Championship. While the owning promotions of both championships would end their titles' connection with the USWA Unified World Heavyweight title, the USWA continued to recognize the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship.
- WCWA World Heavyweight Championship (1966–1990) - A World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
title. It was originally introduced as the NWA United States Heavyweight title of TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and later became known as the NWA American Heavyweight title. It became the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA) World Heavyweight Championship when World Class Championship Wrestling ended its business relationship with the National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe 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...
in 1986.
- World Heavyweight Championship of OmahaWorld Heavyweight Championship (Omaha)The World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship sanctioned by a group of National Wrestling Alliance promoters led by the NWA affiliate in Omaha, Nebraska. These promoters chose to recognize Édouard Carpentier as world heavyweight champion following...
(1957–1963) - An early world title of Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. It was unified with the AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipAWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
in 1963.
- World Heavyweight Championship of the Pacific Northwest (1946–1952) - An early world title of the Pacific NorthwestPacific NorthwestThe Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. It was unified with the NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
in 1952.
- NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Heavyweight Championship (National Wrestling Association)The World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of the National Wrestling Association , an offshoot of the National Boxing Association...
(1929–1949) - A National Wrestling AssociationNational Wrestling AssociationThe National Wrestling Association was an off-shoot of the National Boxing Association, formed to sanction professional wrestling. This NWA is not the same organization as the National Wrestling Alliance, which was formed in 1948....
title. Not to be confused with the National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe 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...
. This early world title was unified with the National Wrestling Alliance's world title in 1949.
- WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1957–1968) - An early world title in the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos 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...
-based World Wrestling AssociationWorld Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)World Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles. The promotion was established in 1959 originally as the North American Wrestling Alliance...
. Not to be confused with the other promotions of the same name such as the Indianapolis-based WWA.
- WWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWWA World Heavyweight Championship (Indianapolis)The WWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Indianapolis-based World Wrestling Association from the promotion's formation in 1964 until the late 1980s.-Title history:...
(1964–1991) - An IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
-based World Wrestling AssociationWorld Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)The World Wrestling Association was an Indianapolis-based pro wrestling promotion which was operated by Dick "The Bruiser" Afflis and his business partner Wilbur Snyder. The WWA was affiliated with the larger American Wrestling Association and recognized its champions, though the WWA also had its...
title. Not to be confused with the other promotions of the same name such as the Los Angeles-based WWA.
- WWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe World Wrestling All-Stars World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling All-Stars. It was the primary championship in the WWA. The title was sanctioned by WWA as their world title and defended in multiple countries...
(2001–2003) - A World Wrestling All-StarsWorld Wrestling All-StarsThe World Wrestling All-Stars was a professional wrestling promotion founded by Australian concert promoter Andrew McManus in 2001. The promotion was operated by McManus' International Touring Company. WWA was one of several promotions to come into existence shortly after the closings of Extreme...
title. It was unified with the NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
in 2003.
- XPW World Heavyweight ChampionshipXPW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe XPW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Xtreme Pro Wrestling promotion.XPW's first World Champion was crowned in a Battle Royal match that saw Damien Steele and John Kronus as the last two remaining wrestlers compete in a single fall...
(1999–2003) - An Xtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme Pro Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion formerly owned by Extreme Associates CEO and director Rob Zicari, who appeared on shows under the name Rob Black. Zicari appeared on-camera as owner alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focuses on hardcore wrestling,...
title. It was established in October 1999 and became inactive in March 2003 when the promotion closed.
List of World Heavyweight Champions
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Indicates the current champion |
As of ,
| Wrestler | # Of Reigns | Combined Days | WWE | WHC (WWE) | ECW | WCW | NWA | ROH | TNA | AWA | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Sammartino Bruno Sammartino Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign... |
2 | 4040 | 4040 | ||||||||
| Hulk Hogan Hulk Hogan Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... |
12 | 3362 | 2185 | 1177 | |||||||
| John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... |
12 | 1163 | 1058 | 105 | |||||||
| Pedro Morales Pedro Morales Pedro Morales is a retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He began his wrestling career as a teenager in 1959 and continued through to the late 1980s... |
3 | 1447 | 1027 | 420 | |||||||
| Kurt Angle Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion... |
11 | 838 | 297 | 82 | 6 | 463 | |||||
| Sting Sting (wrestler) Steven James "Steve" Borden , better known by his ring name Sting, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling... |
14 | 838 | 296 | 216 | 326 | ||||||
| Buddy Rogers | 5 | 591 | 18 | 573 | |||||||
| Alberto Del Rio/Dos Caras, Jr. | 3 | 617 | 84 | 533 | |||||||
| Randy Orton Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand... |
9 | 558 | 420 | 138 | |||||||
| Edge | 11 | 548 | 139 | 409 | |||||||
| Christian/Christian Cage | 6 | 525 | 33 | 247 | 245 | ||||||
| Yokozuna | 2 | 280 | 280 | ||||||||
| Undertaker | 7 | 445 | 238 | 207 | |||||||
| The Big Show/The Giant | 5 | 348 | 78 | 152 | 118 | ||||||
| Goldberg Bill Goldberg Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft.... |
2 | 258 | 84 | 174 | |||||||
| CM Punk CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion.... |
7 | + | + | 160 | 143 | 55 | |||||
| Jack Swagger | 2 | 186 | 82 | 104 | |||||||
| Jeff Hardy Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion... |
5 | 172 | 42 | 28 | 102 | ||||||
| Rob Van Dam Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... |
3 | 156 | 22 | 21 | 113 | ||||||
| Rey Mysterio | 3 | 140 | 0 | 140 | |||||||
| Ivan Koloff | 1 | 21 | |||||||||
| Stan Stasiak Stan Stasiak George Stipich , better known by his ring name Stan Stasiak, was a Canadian professional wrestler and fifth World Wide Wrestling Federation Champion. He is the father of professional wrestler Shawn Stasiak.-Career:... |
2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | |||||||
| Dolph Ziggler | 1 | 0 | <1 | ||||||||
| Eddie Guerrero Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions... |
1 | 133 | 133 | ||||||||
| André the Giant André the Giant André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride... |
1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Randy Savage Randy Savage Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a... |
9 | 573 | 520 | 53 | |||||||
| 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... |
7 | 710 | 654 | 56 | |||||||
| Stone Cold Steve Austin Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler... |
6 | 529 | 529 | ||||||||
| Chris Jericho Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer... |
6 | 219 | 98 | 106 | 15 | ||||||
| Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... |
4 | 624 | 396 | 28 | |||||||
| Adam Pearce Adam Pearce Adam Pearce is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is the current NWA World Heavyweight Champion in his fourth reign and the NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. He is also a former PWG Champion.... |
5 | + | 139 | ||||||||
| Ric Flair Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world.... |
20 | 3783 | 118 | 564 | 3101 | ||||||
| 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... |
3 | 622 | 462 | 160 | |||||||
| Low Ki Low Ki Brandon Silvestry is an American professional wrestler. He is best known under his ring names Low Ki, Senshi in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Kaval in World Wrestling Entertainment. He is a former one-time PWG World Champion and a former ROH Champion... |
2 | 88 | 56 | 32 | |||||||
| Homicide | 1 | 56 | 56 | ||||||||
| Samoa Joe Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.... |
2 | 827 | 645 | 182 | |||||||
| 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... |
2 | + | 198 | ||||||||
| Mark Henry Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic... |
2 | + | 70 | ||||||||
| The Rock | 9 | 394 | 297 | 97 | |||||||
| David Arquette David Arquette David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and... |
1 | 12 | 12 | ||||||||
| Kevin Nash/Diesel Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster... |
6 | 455 | 358 | 97 | |||||||
| Jeff Jarrett Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control... |
13 | 58 | 1006 | + | |||||||
| Tommy Dreamer Tommy Dreamer Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment... |
2 | 49 | 49 | ||||||||
| Johnny Nitro/John Morrison | 1 | 69 | 69 | ||||||||
| Kane Kane (wrestler) Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury.... |
3 | 246 | 1 | 154 | 91 | ||||||
| The Sandman | 5 | 446 | 446 | ||||||||
| Sid Vicious/Sycho Sid Sid Eudy Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation... |
4 | 174 | 97 | 77 | |||||||
| Mr McMahon Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE... |
2 | 41 | 6 | 35 | |||||||
| The Miz | 1 | 160 | 160 | ||||||||
| Sheamus | 2 | 161 | 161 | ||||||||
| John Bradshaw Layfield John Layfield John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News... |
1 | 280 | 280 | ||||||||
| Triple H Triple H Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley... |
13 | 1156 | 539 | 617 | |||||||
| The Great Khali | 1 | 61 | 61 | ||||||||
| Bob Backlund Bob Backlund Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion... |
4 | 2138 | |||||||||
| The Ultimate Warrior Warrior (wrestler) Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior... |
1 | 293 | |||||||||
| Batista | 6 | 544 | 37 | 507 | |||||||
| Brock Lesnar Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog... |
1 | 355 | 355 | ||||||||
| Mick Foley/Mankind Mick Foley Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he... |
4 | 110 | 47 | 63 | |||||||
| Matt Hardy Matt Hardy Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... |
1 | 127 | 127 | ||||||||
| James Storm James Storm James Allen Cox is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm. Since 2002, Storm has been employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he, along with A.J... |
1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
See also
- World Tag Team ChampionshipWorld Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in World Wrestling Entertainment . It served as the premier title for tag teams in WWE from 1971 until 2002 when a second WWE Tag Team Championship was established...
- Championship (professional wrestling)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...
- List of early world heavyweight champions in professional wrestling
- Undisputed ChampionshipUndisputed ChampionshipAn Undisputed Championship is a professional wrestling term for a champion who has obtained all of the major individual championships in his field during his era...