World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
Encyclopedia
World Wrestling Association (WWA) was a professional wrestling promotion
based in Los Angeles
. The promotion was established in 1959 originally as the North American Wrestling Alliance (NAWA). It was run by Mike LeBell.
(NWA) during an NWA World Heavyweight Championship
match between Édouard Carpentier
and Lou Thesz
in 1957. Carpentier defeated Thesz when Thesz was deemed unfit to continue due to back injury, and while some NWA territories recognized Carpentier as champion, the NWA voided his victory. The dispute resulted in some territories seceding from the NWA, which led to the formation of the North American Wrestling Alliance in Los Angeles. Carpentier was then officially recognized as the NAWA World Heavyweight Champion on July 1959. NAWA also chose to include Carpentier's disputed NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign from 1957 as part of the NAWA World Heavyweight Championship.
The promotion was renamed to World Wrestling Association in 1962. Owner Mike LeBell ran shows at the Olympic Auditorium. LeBell eventually hired Gory Guerrero
, who helped him run shows for two years.
When the promotion changed its name in 1962, it resulted in the title being renamed the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to reflect the new acronym. However, the title remained active until 1968 when the WWA rejoined the NWA and became the territorial promotion known as NWA Hollywood Wrestling, choosing to recognize the NWA World Heavyweight Championship over the former title. NWA Hollywood Wrestling continued to operate until folding on December 26, 1982.
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...
based in 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...
. The promotion was established in 1959 originally as the North American Wrestling Alliance (NAWA). It was run by Mike LeBell.
History
The promotion's origin was attributed to events that occurred in the various promotional territories of the National Wrestling AllianceNational 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) during an 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...
match between Édouard Carpentier
Édouard Carpentier
Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz was a Québécois professional wrestler better known by his ring name Édouard Carpentier. In a career that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s, he garnered several world championships.-Early life:...
and 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...
in 1957. Carpentier defeated Thesz when Thesz was deemed unfit to continue due to back injury, and while some NWA territories recognized Carpentier as champion, the NWA voided his victory. The dispute resulted in some territories seceding from the NWA, which led to the formation of the North American Wrestling Alliance in Los Angeles. Carpentier was then officially recognized as the NAWA World Heavyweight Champion on July 1959. NAWA also chose to include Carpentier's disputed NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign from 1957 as part of the NAWA World Heavyweight Championship.
The promotion was renamed to World Wrestling Association in 1962. Owner Mike LeBell ran shows at the Olympic Auditorium. LeBell eventually hired Gory Guerrero
Gory Guerrero
Salvador Guerrero Quesada , better known as Gory Guerrero, was one of the premier Hispanic professional wrestlers in the early days of Lucha Libre when most wrestlers were imported from outside of Mexico. He wrestled primarily in Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre between the 1940s and 1960s...
, who helped him run shows for two years.
When the promotion changed its name in 1962, it resulted in the title being renamed the WWA World Heavyweight Championship to reflect the new acronym. However, the title remained active until 1968 when the WWA rejoined the NWA and became the territorial promotion known as NWA Hollywood Wrestling, choosing to recognize the NWA World Heavyweight Championship over the former title. NWA Hollywood Wrestling continued to operate until folding on December 26, 1982.
Championships
| Championship | Notes |
|---|---|
| WWA World Heavyweight Championship | |
| WWA World Tag Team Championship NWA Americas Tag Team Championship The NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California.... |
Alumni
- Freddie Blassie
- Edouard CarpentierÉdouard CarpentierÉdouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz was a Québécois professional wrestler better known by his ring name Édouard Carpentier. In a career that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s, he garnered several world championships.-Early life:...
- Terry FunkTerry FunkTerrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
- Chavo Guerrero, Sr.
- Ray MendozaRay MendozaJosé Díaz Velazquez was a Mexican Luchador, or professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Ray Mendoza. Diaz had great success in the National Wrestling Alliance, where he was a five time World Light Heavyweight Champion, as well as the first Mexican to hold the championship...
- Pedro MoralesPedro MoralesPedro 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...
- Roddy PiperRoddy PiperRoderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...