World heavyweight championship (professional wrestling)

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This article is incomplete. Please help to improve the article, or discuss the issue on the talk page. (August 2011)
This article is about the generic term as used in professional wrestling. For amateur wrestling, see FILA Wrestling World Championships.
The "Big Gold Belt" used to represent the World Heavyweight Championship (established 2002) contested in the professional wrestling promotion WWE (being held by CM Punk). The belt is inscribed with the legend "World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion". This belt design has formerly been used to represent the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

In professional wrestling, the world (heavyweight) championship - alternatively, the global, international or universal (heavyweight) championship - is the name given to certain championships by promoters. A wrestler holding a championship with this name is referred to as the world (heavyweight) champion.

The name is usually (but not always) given to the championship that is presented as being the most prestigious of those contested within a promotion.

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Nomenclature [edit]

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, 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.

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.

History [edit]

The belt used to represent the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (established 1948) recognised by the National Wrestling Alliance, an alliance of professional wrestling promotions (being held aloft by Adam Pearce). The flag of Australia and Canadian Red Ensign can be seen on the belt's strap.
The belt used to represent the International Wrestling Grand Prix Heavyweight Championship (established 1987) contested in the professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling (being held by SoCal Val).
Globe icon.
 The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2012)
Main article: List of early world heavyweight champions in professional wrestling

Most of the well-recognized world heavyweight championships today are derived from the first recognized version held by Georg Hackenschmidt 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.[1] Ultimately, WCW was bought-out by the WWF, and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the WWF Championship in 2001.[2][3] Chris Jericho become the final WCW Champion and the subsequent WWF Champion, defeating The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin respectively.[4]

The belt used to represent the CZW World Heavyweight Championship (established 1999) contested in the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling (being worn by Chris Hero).
The belt used to represent the TNA World Heavyweight Championship (established 2007) contested in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (being worn by Rob Van Dam).

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.[5] The WWE Undisputed Championship was then designated to a single brand, becoming simply the WWE Championship after the World Heavyweight Championship (WHC) was created in 2002, spun off from the WWE Undisputed Championship. The WHC was awarded using the Big Gold Belt that had previously represented the WCW Championship, linking it to the latter as a spiritual successor, as acknowledged by the WWE.[6]

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.[4] 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.[7][8] 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.[9] TNA then introduced the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and awarded the recognition to Kurt Angle while also recognizing NWA reigns recorded in TNA.[10][11] 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.[12] Originally introduced as the ROH Championship in July 2002, the title became established as the ROH World Championship a year later in May 2003.[13][14]

Examples of active world heavyweight championships [edit]

This is a non-exhaustive list of active professional wrestling championships currently or formerly named the "world heavyweight championship" or "world championship" (alternatively, "global", "international" or "universal").

Championship Home promotion Home country Date Est. Current champion Date won Notes
AAA World Heavyweight Championship AAA Mexico 02007-09-16September 16, 2007 El Texano, Jr. 02012-12-02December 2, 2012
AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship AJPW Japan 01989-04-18April 18, 1989 Suwama 02013-03-17March 17, 2013 The "Triple Crown" refers to the three championships that were unified to create the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship: the PWF World Heavyweight Championship, the NWA International Heavyweight Championship, and the NWA United National Championship.
CMLL World Heavyweight Championship CMLL Mexico 01991-06-09June 9, 1991 El Terrible 02012-01-01January 1, 2012
CZW World Heavyweight Championship CZW United States 01999-03-27March 27, 1999 Masada 02012-03-10March 10, 2012
FIP World Heavyweight Championship FIP United States 02004-09-25September 25, 2004 Jon Davis 02013-02-01February 1, 2013
GHC Heavyweight Championship Noah Japan 02001-04-15April 15, 2001 Kenta 02013-01-27January 27, 2013 In full, the Global Honored Crown Heavyweight Championship.
IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship IWA United States (Puerto Rico) 02000-10-28October 28, 2000 Bonecrusher 02012-01-29January 29, 2012
IWGP Heavyweight Championship NJPW Japan 01987-04-29April 29, 1987 Kazuchika Okada 02013-04-07April 7, 2013 In full, the International Wrestling Grand Prix Heavyweight Championship.
NWA World Heavyweight Championship N/A United States 01948-01-05January 5, 1948 Rob Conway 02013-03-16March 16, 2013 The NWA World Heavyweight Championship has no home promotion; rather, it is contested in promotions that are members of the National Wrestling Alliance. The lineage of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship can be traced to the world heavyweight championship reigns of Georg Hackenschmidt in 1905 and Frank Gotch in 1908, thus making it the oldest active world heavyweight championship. It has served as the foundation from which several other world heavyweight championships have originated.
PWG World Championship PWG United States 02003-08-30August 30, 2003 Adam Cole 02012-12-01December 1, 2012
ROH World Championship ROH United States 02002-07-27July 27, 2002 Jay Briscoe 02013-04-05April 5, 2013
TNA World Heavyweight Championship TNA United States 02007-06-17June 17, 2007 Bully Ray 02013-03-10March 10, 2013
UWA World Heavyweight Championship N/A Mexico 01977-08-15August 15, 1977 Dr. Wagner, Jr. 02004-06-18June 18, 2004 The UWA World Heavyweight Championship was originally contested in the Universal Wrestling Association, which closed down in 1995. The UWA World Heavyweight Championship therefore no longer has a home promotion but continues to be defended in various other promotions.
World Heavyweight Championship WWE United States 02002-09-02September 2, 2002 Dolph Ziggler 02013-04-08April 8, 2013 The title was established as having spun off from the WWE Undisputed Championship as the successor to the NWA and WCW World Heavyweight Championship after the Undisputed Championship became exclusive to a single WWE brand. Originally introduced for the Raw brand of WWE, the World Heavyweight Championship moved to the SmackDown brand in 2005 and has since moved between both brands on multiple occasions, mainly as a result of the WWE Draft.[15]
WWA World Heavyweight Championship WWA Mexico 01986-09-04September 4, 1986 Rayo de Jalisco, Jr. 02003-03-21March 21, 2003
WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship WWC United States (Puerto Rico) 01982-07-21July 21, 1982 Super Fenix 02013-03-03March 3, 2013 Originally known as the "WWC World Heavyweight Championship". The championship was renamed December 1983 after a bout between WWC World Heavyweight Champion Carlos Colon and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair billed as being to determine the "Champion of the Universe".
WWE Championship WWE United States 01963-04-29April 29, 1963 John Cena 02013-04-07April 7, 2013 The title was established as the "WWWF World Heavyweight Championship" when it spun off from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship after Capitol Wrestling Corporation seceded from the NWA and created the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). The WWWF reaffiliated with the NWA in 1971 but ended its relationship with the organization in 1983 and was renamed to World Wrestling Federation (WWF) while the title became known as the "WWF World Heavyweight Championship". This was changed to "WWF/WWE Undisputed Championship" upon unification with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in 2001, subsequently abbreviated to simply "WWE Championship" upon the creation of the World Heavyweight Championship.[16]
wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship wXw Germany 02001-07-01July 1, 2001 Axel Tischer 02013-03-03March 3, 2013 The wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship was as on 5 2010 June wXw World Heavyweight and wXw World Lightweight Championship was unified in a unification match. The history prior to 5 June 2010 is the the wXw World Heavyweight Championship.
Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship ZERO1 Japan 02007-10-26October 26, 2007 Akebono 02012-03-02March 2, 2012

Examples of inactive world championships [edit]

This is a non-exhaustive list of inactive professional wrestling championships named the "world (heavyweight) championship" (alternatively, "global", "international" or "universal").

Championship Home promotion Home country Date Est. Date retired Notes
AWA World Heavyweight Championship AWA United States 01960-05-18May 18, 1960 01990-12-12December 12, 1990 The title was established in 1960 when the American Wrestling Association was formed from former National Wrestling Alliance territories. Unilaterally, the AWA awarded the recognition to the National Wrestling Alliance's World Heavyweight Champion Pat O'Connor, declaring him the inaugural champion. The AWA subsequently ruled that the title had been forfeited to the organization's Verne Gagne. The chain of events resulted in the AWA World Heavyweight Championship becoming the first of many world titles to have spun off from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The AWA and the title became inactive in 1990 and was officially decommissioned in 1991 with Larry Zbyszko as champion.
CWA World Heavyweight Championship CWA United States 1979 1981 Not to be confused with the CWA World Heavyweight Championship of the Catch Wrestling Association.
CWA World Heavyweight Championship CWA Germany 1973 2000 Not to be confused with the CWA World Heavyweight Championship of the Continental Wrestling Association.
ECW World Heavyweight Championship ECW
WWE		 United States 01992-04-25April 25, 1992 02010-02-16February 16, 2010 Originally of the Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion, the title spun off from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship when Shane Douglas, after being crowned the NWA champion, rejected the NWA title in favor of the newly declared ECW World Heavyweight Championship. It remained inactive after Extreme Championship Wrestling closed in 2001, but was recommisioned in 2006 by WWE for the ECW brand. The brand and the title would continue to operate until 2010 with Ezekiel Jackson as champion.[17]
IWA World Heavyweight Championship IWA Japan 1968 1981 Billed as being the first world title out of Japan. Not to be confused with the IWA World Heavyweight Championship of World Championship Wrestling.
ICW World Heavyweight Championship ICW United States 1978 1984 Abandoned upon the closure of ICW.
IWA World Heavyweight Championship WCW Australia 1964 1971 Not to be confused with the IWA World Heavyweight Championship of International Pro Wrestling.
MWA World Heavyweight Championship MWA United States 1940 1948 This early world title was the direct predecessor to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship of the National Wrestling Alliance. The Midwest Wrestling Association joined the newly formed National Wrestling Alliance in October 1948 and the MWA World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown was then recognized as the first World Heavyweight Champion in the National Wrestling Alliance.[18][19]
USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship USWA United States 1988 1997 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 WCCW United States 1966 1990 Originally introduced as the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship of Texas and later renamed the NWA American Heavyweight Championship. It became the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship when World Class Championship Wrestling ended its business relationship with the National Wrestling Alliance in 1986.
WCW World Heavyweight Championship WCW
WWF		 United States 01991-01-11January 11, 1991 02001-12-09December 9, 2001 It spun off from the NWA World Heavyweight Championship when NWA Champion Ric Flair was recognized as the first WCW World heavyweight champion in January 1991, during which WCW was in the process of separating from the NWA. Flair held both titles briefly before leaving WCW over a creative dispute in July of that year. The title was unified with the WWF Championship in 2001 with Chris Jericho as champion.
WCW International World Heavyweight Championship WCW United States 01993-07-18July 18, 1993 01994-06-23June 23, 1994 After WCW and the NWA ended their business relationship, WCW used the Big Gold Belt that had represented the NWA title to create the world heavyweight championship of WCW International, a fictitious subsidiary of World Championship Wrestling. It was unified with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in 1994.
World Heavyweight Championship NWA United States 1929 1949 Not to be confused with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship recognised by the National Wrestling Alliance, with which it was unified in 1949.
World Heavyweight Championship N/A United States 1957 1963 An early world title of Omaha, Nebraska. It was unified with the AWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1963.
World Heavyweight Championship N/A United States 1946 1952 An early world title of the Pacific Northwest. It was unified with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1952.
WWA World Heavyweight Championship WWA United States 1957 1968 Not to be confused with the other promotions of the same name.
WWA World Heavyweight Championship WWA United States 1964 1991 Not to be confused with the other promotions of the same name.
WWA World Heavyweight Championship WWA Australia 2001 2003 Unified with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 2003.
XPW World Heavyweight Championship XPW United States 1999 2003 Abandoned upon the closure of XPW.

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "International World Heavyweight Championship". Solie.org. Retrieved 2009-06-15. 
  2. ^ "WWE Entertainment, Inc. acquires WCW from Turner Broadcasting". World Wrestling Entertainment Corporate. 2001-03-23. Retrieved 2008-05-24. 
  3. ^ WCW World Champion - Chris Jericho at WWE.com
  4. ^ a b "WWWF/WWF/WWE World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved 2007-03-18. 
  5. ^ "WWE Entertainment To Make RAW and SMACKDOWN Distinct Television Brands". 
  6. ^ WCW World Championship title history WWE.com Accessed December 23, 2012.
  7. ^ "NWA World Title Tournament - August 27, 1994 in Philadelphia". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2007-06-15. 
  8. ^ "History of the ECW World Title". WWE. Retrieved 2007-06-13. 
  9. ^ "NWA/Trobich strips TNA/Cage/Team 3-D of NWA branded Championships". 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  10. ^ "Title Histories". TitleHistories.com. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
  11. ^ "wrestlinginfoarchiveTNA". wrestlinginformationarchive.com. Retrieved 2007-11-18. 
  12. ^ "Wrestling-Titles". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2011-01-04. 
  13. ^ "ROH: Crowning a Champion". Retrieved 2011-01-04. 
  14. ^ "ROH: London, England". Retrieved 2011-01-04. 
  15. ^ World Heavyweight Championship History - WWE.com
  16. ^ "WWE Championship History". WWE.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10. 
  17. ^ ECW Championship History - WWE.com
  18. ^ Duncan, Royal and Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories, Fourth Edition. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  19. ^ "M.W.A. World Heavyweight Title (Kansas City)". Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved 2008-08-03. 
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