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WWF International Tag Team Championship

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WWF International Tag Team Championship
Details
PromotionWorld Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation (WWWF/WWF)
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)
Date establishedJune 1, 1969 (original)
May 24, 1985 (second)
Date retired1972 (original)
October 31, 1985 (second)
Other name(s)
  • WWWF International Tag Team Championship (1969-1972)
  • WWF International Tag Team Championship (1985)
Statistics
First champion(s)Rising Suns
(Mitsu Arakawa and Toru Tanaka)
Final champion(s)Tatsumi Fujinami and Kengo Kimura
Most reignsAs tag team (2 reigns):

As individual (3 reigns):

Longest reignThe Mongols
(Bepo and Geeto Mongol)
(1st reign, 368 days)
Shortest reignBruno Sammartino and The Battman
(0 days)[a]
Oldest championTarzan Tyler
(43 years, 343 days)
Youngest championBepo
(22 years, 244 days)
Heaviest championThe Mongols
(Bepo and Geto Mongol)
(563 lbs combined)
Lightest championKengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami
(463 lbs combined)

The WWF International Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1969 to 1972 and in the renamed World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling for a short time in 1985.

Reigns

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Over the championship's 16-year history, there were eight reigns between seven teams composed of 13 individual champions. The Rising Suns (Mitsu Arakawa and Toru Tanaka) were the inaugural champions. As a team, The Mongols (Bepo and Geeto) has the most reigns at two times, while individually, Geeto has the most reigns at three times. The Mongols' first reign was the longest at 368 days, while Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci's reign was the shortest at 14 days. Tarzan Tyler was the oldest champion at 43 years old, while Bepo was the youngest at 22 years old.

Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami were the final champions with a reign that lest for 159 days, before the title was deactivated for the second time in its history.

Names

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Name Years
WWWF International Tag Team Championship June 1, 1969 – 1972
WWF International Tag Team Championship May 24, 1985 – October 31, 1985
Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific team—reign numbers for the individuals are in parentheses, if different
Days Number of days held
Championship change is unrecognized by the promotion
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days
1 The Rising Suns
(Mitsu Arakawa and Toru Tanaka)
June 1, 1969 Japan 1 190 Were announced as having won a (fictitious) tournament in Japan to become the first champions.
2 Tony Marino and Victor Rivera December 9, 1969 House show New York, NY 1 188 This was a two-out-of-three falls match.
Bruno Sammartino and The Battman December 13, 1969 House Show Pittsburgh, PA 1 Defeat the Rising Suns (Mitsu Arakawa and Toru Tanaka) to win the championship; the title change four days prior in New York City was not recognized in Pittsburgh. Despite this match, Victor Rivera and Tony Marino continued to be recognized as champions in all areas of the WWWF territory outside of Pittsburgh.
3 The Mongols
(Bepo and Geto)
June 15, 1970 House show New York, NY 1 368 This was a two-out-of-three falls match. The Mongols began defending the championship solely in Pittsburgh beginning in February 1971.
4 Bruno Sammartino (2) and Dominic DeNucci June 18, 1971 House show Pittsburgh, PA 1 14 This was a two-out-of-three falls match.
5 The Mongols
(Bepo and Geeto)
July 2, 1971 House Show Pittsburgh, PA 2 133  
6 Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler November 12, 1971 House Show Pittsburgh, PA 1 36 Graham and Tyler additionally held the WWWF World Tag Team Championship during this reign, having previously won that title on June 3, 1971.
7 Geeto Mongol (3) and Johnny DeFazio December 18, 1971 House show Pittsburgh, PA 1 197    
Deactivated July 2, 1972 The championship was abandoned when the WWWF's local Pittsburgh partner promotion was sold to the National Wrestling Federation.
8 Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami May 24, 1985 IWGP and WWF Championship Series Kobe, Japan 1 159 Defeated Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch in a tournament final to win the revived championship. [1]
Deactivated October 31, 1985 The championship was abandoned when the WWF ended its partnership with NJPW.  

Combined reigns

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By team

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Record two-time champions The Mongols (Bepo (left) and Geeto (right))
Rank Team No. of
reigns
Combined
days
1 The Mongols
(Bepo and Geeto)
2 501
2 The Rising Suns
(Mitsu Arakawa and Toru Tanaka)
1 190
3 Tony Marino and Victor Rivera 1 188
4 Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami 1 159
5 Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler 1 36
6 Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci 1 14
Bepo Mongol and Johnny De Fazio 1 14

By wrestler

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Rank Wrestler No. of reigns Combined days
1 Geeto 3 698
2 Bepo 2 501
3 Mitsu Arakawa 1 190
Toru Tanaka 1 190
5 Tony Marino 2 188
6 Victor Rivera 1 185
7 Kengo Kimura 1 159
Tatsumi Fujinami 1 159
9 Luke Graham 1 36
Tarzan Tyler 1 36
11 Bruno Sammartino 2 14
Dominic DeNucci 1 14
Johnny De Fazio 1 14

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ The WWWF/WWF (now WWE) did not recognize the title reign of Bruno Sammartino and The Battman and instead recognized the reign of Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci as the shortest at 14 days.

References

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  1. ^ Hoops, Brian (May 24, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 24): Harley Race wins NWA title due to interesting circumstances, Ric Flair beats Kerry Von Erich in Japan". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by World (Wide) Wrestling Federation Tag Team Championship
1969–1972
Succeeded by
Preceded by New Japan Pro-Wrestling Tag Team Championship
1985
Succeeded by