NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version)

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NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco)
Details
PromotionNWA San Francisco
Big Time Wrestling
Date establishedNovember 1960
Date retiredJanuary 1981
Other name(s)
  • AWA United States Heavyweight Championship
Statistics
First champion(s)Ray Stevens
Most reignsRay Stevens (9 reigns)
Longest reignBill Watts
(385 days)
Shortest reignDusty Rhodes
(promotion closed after Dusty Rhodes wins title)

The NWA San Francisco United States Championship was a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship that was defended in NWA San Francisco and, later, Big Time Wrestling. The title, which originated as the American Wrestling Alliance United States Championship and was renamed in 1968, existed from 1960 until 1981.[1]

Title history[edit]

Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes:
American Wrestling Alliance United States Heavyweight Championship
Ray Stevens 1 November 1960 Awarded
Bob Ellis 1 November 11, 1960 San Francisco, CA
Ray Stevens 2 May 1961 San Francisco, CA
Vacated July 1962 Stevens broke his ankle in cart racing.
Pepper Gomez 1 July 1962 Windsor, ON defeated Freddie Blassie.
Ray Stevens 3 February 23, 1963 San Francisco, CA
Wilbur Snyder 1 April 20, 1963 San Francisco, CA
Ray Stevens 4 June 29, 1963 San Francisco, CA
Dominic DeNucci 1 January 25, 1964 San Francisco, CA
Ray Stevens 5 February 29, 1964 San Francisco, CA
Kinji Shibuya 1 October 25, 1964 Honolulu, HI
Bobo Brazil 1 October 16, 1965 San Francisco, CA
Kinji Shibuya 2 November 13, 1965 San Francisco, CA
Bill Watts 1 February 19, 1966 San Francisco, CA [2]
Ray Stevens 6 March 11, 1967 San Francisco, CA
Bearcat Wright 1 December 2, 1967 San Francisco, CA
Kinji Shibuya 3 February 17, 1968 San Francisco, CA
Bearcat Wright 2 April 13, 1968 San Francisco, CA
King Curtis Iaukea 1 July 4, 1968 ?
Ray Stevens 7 September 14, 1968 San Francisco, CA Promotion rejoins the NWA in 1968 during Stevens' reign.
Renamed NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version)
King Curtis Iaukea 2 May 10, 1969 San Francisco, CA
Ray Stevens 8 June 7, 1969 San Francisco, CA
Vacated August 1969 Stevens broke his leg while racing.
Pat Patterson 1 August 9, 1969 San Francisco, CA Defeated Pedro Morales to win vacant title.
Ray Stevens 9 July 11, 1970 San Francisco, CA Lost a match to Patterson in Anchorage, Alaska on September 22, with Patterson announced as the new champion to the local audience. It's unclear whether this result was announced by the promotion to its audience at large as having occurred or having been overturned.[3]
Paul DeMarco 1 June 5, 1971 San Francisco, CA
Peter Maivia 1 July 31, 1971 San Francisco, CA
Paul DeMarco 2 September 18, 1971 San Francisco, CA
Rocky Johnson 1 November 5, 1971 San Francisco, CA
Pat Patterson 2 February 12, 1972 San Francisco, CA
Held Up December 7, 1972 Title held up after match against Great Mephisto
Great Mephisto 1 February 17, 1973 Defeated Patterson after several rematches failed to end with winner.
Pat Patterson 3 April 28, 1973 San Francisco, CA
Moondog Mayne 1 December 29, 1973 San Francisco, CA
Peter Maivia 2 October 12, 1974 San Francisco, CA
The Brute 1 January 15, 1975 San Francisco, CA [4]
Pat Patterson 4 April 5, 1975 San Francisco, CA
Angelo Mosca 1 July 7, 1975 San Jose, CA
Pat Patterson 5 September 7, 1975 Sacramento, CA
Mr. Fuji 1 February 7, 1976 San Francisco, CA [5]
Vacated February 12, 1977 Fuji left the area.
Pat Patterson 6 March 12, 1977 San Francisco, CA Defeated Alexis Smirnoff in tournament final.
Alexis Smirnoff 1 April 16, 1977 San Francisco, CA
Dean Ho 1 July 16, 1977 San Francisco, CA
Bob Roop 1 September 17, 1977 San Francisco, CA
Vacated December 1977 Bob Roop fired.
Dean Ho 2 January 14, 1978 Won tournament.
Don Muraco 1 April 1, 1978 San Francisco, CA
Moondog Mayne 2 May 27, 1978 San Francisco, CA
Roddy Piper 1 June 24, 1978 San Francisco, CA
Moondog Mayne 3 July 14, 1978 ?
Vacated August 13, 1978 Mayne killed in auto accident.
Buddy Rose 1 September 16, 1978 San Francisco, CA Defeated Dean Ho in tournament final.
Vacated 1979 Rose suspended.
Ron Starr 1 March 3, 1979 San Francisco, CA Defeated Roddy Piper in tournament final.
Buddy Rose 2 May 11, 1979 San Francisco, CA
Ron Starr 2 June 8, 1979 San Francisco, CA Defeated Johnny Mantell when Rose refused to wrestle.
Bob Sweetan 1 October 23, 1979 San Francisco, CA
George Wells 1 December 29, 1979 San Francisco, CA
Ed Wiskoski 1 June 7, 1980 San Francisco, CA
Ron Starr 3 August 9, 1980 San Francisco, CA
Bob Sweetan 2 October 13, 1980 San Francisco, CA
Vacated October 1980 Sweetan left the area.
Dusty Rhodes 1 November 8, 1980 San Francisco, CA Defeated Dick Slater for the vacant title.
Title Retired January 1981 Promotion closed; Mid-Atlantic version becomes the undisputed NWA US Championship after this date

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  2. ^ Hoops, Brian (February 19, 2017). "Daily Pro Wrestling History (02/19): Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker at No Way Out 2006". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  3. ^ Burseth, Steve (September 23, 1970). "Fans Eclipse Wrestlers". Anchorage Daily Times. p. 18. Patterson won the match, thus regaining the heavyweight championship belt from Stevens, but left the ring before the decision was announced. The referee, left too, to investigate a foul by Patterson alleged by the crowd, but never returned to inform the announcer of the decision.
  4. ^ Hoops, Brian (January 15, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/15): Big John Studd wins 1989 Royal Rumble". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  5. ^ Hoops, Brian (February 7, 2017). "On this day in pro wrestling history (Feb 7): Bobby Roode & Austin Aries wins tag gold". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 15, 2017.