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NWF Heavyweight Championship

From Wikipedia, in a visual modern way
NWF Heavyweight Championship
Nwf-h.png
Details
PromotionNational Wrestling Federation
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date established1970
2002
Date retired1981
2004
Other name(s)
  • NWF World Heavyweight Championship
    (1970–1976)
  • NWF Heavyweight Championship
    (1976–1981, 2002–2004)[1]

The NWF Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling World championship used as part of the National Wrestling Federation and later New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

History

The NWF (National Wrestling Federation) Heavyweight Championship was created by wrestling promoter Pedro Martinez for his NWF promotion in New York in 1970. The title was mainly defended in the New York/Eastern Canada area, until then-champion Johnny Powers took the belt with him on a tour of Japan with Tokyo Pro Wrestling. Powers would eventually lose the title to Antonio Inoki, who would take the belt with him when he founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Inoki became the wrestler most associated with the title due to his high-profile defenses of the title, defeating the likes of Stan Hansen, André the Giant, Tiger Jeet Singh, and Ernie Ladd while champion. Recognized as a four-time NWF Heavyweight champion, between the years of 1973 and 1983, Inoki was champion for all but six months. Inoki's fourth reign was actually due to the decision to hold up the championship, following a defense against Stan Hansen on April 17, 1981 that ended in a no contest. Inoki later regained the title on April 23, 1981 by defeating Hansen in a rematch. He retired the NWF title immediately after the match due to his desire to enter the 1983 IWGP League.[2]

Then as part of a NJPW storyline, the NWF Heavyweight championship was revived in August 2002. Mixed martial arts fighter Kazuyuki Fujita held a tournament to crown a new champion to rival the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. The tournament participants were announced to be wrestlers with a background in MMA, including Fujita, Yoshihiro Takayama, Tsuyoshi Kosaka, and Tadao Yasuda. Takayama won the tournament on January 4, 2003, beating Kosaka with a knee kick in the finals to become the first revived champion in over two decades. Takayama later lost the NWF Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura exactly a year later to unify the NWF and IWGP titles. Nakamura formally announced his vacating of the NWF Heavyweight title on January 5, 2004, retiring the belt for a second time during its history.[3]

The title history was viewable on NJPW website until removed for unknown reasons.

Discover more about History related topics

National Wrestling Federation

National Wrestling Federation

The original National Wrestling Federation (NWF) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970 to 1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin. The revived promotion closed in 1994.

Johnny Powers (wrestler)

Johnny Powers (wrestler)

Johnny Powers was a Canadian professional wrestler. He competed in several North American and International promotions including National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), American Wrestling Association (AWA), Maple Leaf Wrestling, National Wrestling Federation, International Wrestling Association and the World Wide Wrestling Federation feuding with then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino during the early 1960s NWA's Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski and AWA's Verne Gagne.

Antonio Inoki

Antonio Inoki

Muhammad Hussain Inoki was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. He was best known by the ring name Antonio Inoki , a homage to fellow professional wrestler Antonino Rocca. Inoki was a twelve-time professional wrestling world champion, notably being the first IWGP Heavyweight Champion and the first Asian WWF Heavyweight Champion – a reign not officially recognized by WWE.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling

New Japan Pro-Wrestling

New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co., Ltd. (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares of the company. Naoki Sugabayashi has served as the promotion's Chairman since September 2013, while Takami Ohbari has served as the president of the promotion since October 2020.

Stan Hansen

Stan Hansen

John Stanley Hansen II is an American retired professional wrestler.

André the Giant

André the Giant

André René Roussimoff, better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess growth hormone. It also led to him being called "The Eighth Wonder of the World".

Ernie Ladd

Ernie Ladd

Ernest Ladd, nicknamed "The Big Cat", was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. A standout athlete in high school, Ladd attended Grambling State University on a basketball scholarship before being drafted in 1961 by the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL). Ladd found success in the AFL as one of the largest players in professional football history at 6′9″ and 290 pounds. He helped the Chargers to four AFL championship games in five years, winning the championship with the team in 1963. He also had stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers. Ladd took up professional wrestling during the AFL offseason, and after a knee injury ended his football career turned to it full-time in 1969.

G1 Climax

G1 Climax

The G1 Climax is a professional wrestling tournament held each August by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. Though it has sometimes been held as a single-elimination tournament, it is usually held as a round-robin, with winners from two pools wrestling in the final to decide that year's winner. In its current format, the tournament lasts four weeks. The winner of each pool is determined by a points system; two points for a victory, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss, no contest or double decision.

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993.

Kazuyuki Fujita

Kazuyuki Fujita

Kazuyuki Fujita is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a one-time GHC Heavyweight Champion. He has most recently fought in Road FC, but is also known for his work in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1, Rizin Fighting Federation, and World Victory Road.

IWGP Heavyweight Championship

IWGP Heavyweight Championship

The IWGP Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix . The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IWGP tournament. It was unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on March 4, 2021 to form the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.

Reigns

Original version

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
N/A Unknown information
(NLT) Championship change took place "no later than" the date listed
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days
1 Johnny Powers 1970 (NLT) Live event Los Angeles, California 1 [Note 1] Defeated Freddie Blassie to become inaugural champion.  
2 Waldo Von Erich October 23, 1971 Live event Akron, Ohio 1 15 Title held-up on November 7th, 1971 after a match with Dominic DeNucci in Akron, OH.  
3 Waldo Von Erich November 13, 1971 live event Akron, OH 2 19 Defeats DeNucci in rematch.  
4 Dominic DeNucci December 2, 1971 Live event Cleveland, OH 1 28    
5 Waldo Von Erich December 30, 1971 Live event Cleveland, OH 3 162    
6 Ernie Ladd June 9, 1972 Live event Cleveland, Ohio 1 15    
7 Abdullah the Butcher June 24, 1972 Live event Akron, Ohio 1 [Note 2]    
8 Victor Rivera September 1972 (NLT) Live event N/A 1 [Note 3]    
9 Abdullah the Butcher October 1972 (NLT) Live event N/A 2 [Note 4]    
10 Johnny Valentine October 19, 1972 Live event Cleveland, Ohio 1 49    
— Vacated December 7, 1972 — — — — After a match against Johnny Powers, Valentine left the NWF in January 1973
11 Jacques Rougeau January 24, 1973 Live event Buffalo, New York 1 [Note 5] Defeated Waldo Von Erich in finals of tournament for the vacant title. [4]
12 Johnny Valentine August 1973 (NLT) Live event N/A 2 [Note 6]  
13 Johnny Powers October 1973 (NLT) Live event N/A 2 [Note 7] Powers took the title to Japan for a tour with New Japan Pro-Wrestling  
14 Antonio Inoki December 10, 1973 World Title Challenge Series Tokyo, Japan 1 429   [5]
— Vacated February 12, 1975 — — — — Inoki vacated the title as refusal of an NWF ordered defense against Tiger Jeet Singh.
15 Tiger Jeet Singh March 13, 1975 Big Fight Series Hiroshima, Japan 1 105 Singh defeats Inoki for the vacant title. [6]
16 Antonio Inoki June 26, 1975 Golden Fight Series Tokyo, Japan 2 1,688 Ordered by the NWA to stop referring to belt as a world title at annual NWA meeting on August 7, 1976. [7]
17 Stan Hansen February 8, 1980 New Year Golden Series Tokyo, Japan 1 55   [8]
18 Antonio Inoki April 3, 1980 Big Fight Series Tokyo, Japan 3 434  
— Vacated April 17, 1981 Big Fight Series II Kagoshima, Japan — — Vacated after a defense against Stan Hansen ends in a no contest. [9]
19 Antonio Inoki April 23, 1981 Big Fight Series II Tokyo, Japan 4 [Note 8] Defeated Stan Hansen to win the vacant title. [10]
— Deactivated 1981 — — — — Inoki vacated the title following the match to enter the NJPW IWGP League.  

Revived version

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
Defenses Number of successful defenses
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days Defenses
1 Yoshihiro Takayama January 4, 2003 Wrestling World 2003 Tokyo, Japan 1 365 7 Defeated Tsuyoshi Kosaka in a tournament for the revived title. [11]
2 Shinsuke Nakamura January 4, 2004 Wrestling World 2004 Tokyo, Japan 1 1 0 Nakamura officially unifies NWF title with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. [12]
— Unified January 5, 2004 — — — — — Championship merged with IWGP Heavyweight Championship, no longer promoted as a separate title

Discover more about Reigns related topics

Johnny Powers (wrestler)

Johnny Powers (wrestler)

Johnny Powers was a Canadian professional wrestler. He competed in several North American and International promotions including National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), American Wrestling Association (AWA), Maple Leaf Wrestling, National Wrestling Federation, International Wrestling Association and the World Wide Wrestling Federation feuding with then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino during the early 1960s NWA's Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski and AWA's Verne Gagne.

House show

House show

A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as to test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and gimmicks that are being considered for the main televised programming and upcoming pay-per-views.

Freddie Blassie

Freddie Blassie

Frederick Kenneth Blassman was an American professional wrestler and manager, known by the ring name "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Renowned as "The Hollywood Fashion Plate", he was a one-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, and was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994. He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestling heels, or villains, of all time.

Waldo Von Erich

Waldo Von Erich

Walter Paul Sieber was a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for performing under the ring name Waldo Von Erich, playing the character of a villainous Prussian Nazi. He was billed as the brother of Fritz Von Erich, making him a kayfabe member of the Von Erich family.

Akron, Ohio

Akron, Ohio

Akron is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Cleveland. At the 2020 census, the city proper had a total population of 190,469, making it the 125th largest city in the United States. The Akron metropolitan area, covering Summit and Portage counties, had an estimated population of 703,505.

Dominic DeNucci

Dominic DeNucci

Domenico A. Nucciarone was an Italian-American professional wrestler and trainer better known under his ring name of Dominic DeNucci. He held over a dozen championships around the world in the 1960s and 1970s. His wrestling students included Mick Foley, Shane Douglas and Brian Hildebrand.

Ernie Ladd

Ernie Ladd

Ernest Ladd, nicknamed "The Big Cat", was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. A standout athlete in high school, Ladd attended Grambling State University on a basketball scholarship before being drafted in 1961 by the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL). Ladd found success in the AFL as one of the largest players in professional football history at 6′9″ and 290 pounds. He helped the Chargers to four AFL championship games in five years, winning the championship with the team in 1963. He also had stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers. Ladd took up professional wrestling during the AFL offseason, and after a knee injury ended his football career turned to it full-time in 1969.

Abdullah the Butcher

Abdullah the Butcher

Lawrence Robert Shreve, better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling matches of all time. Over his time in wrestling he was given the moniker of "Madman from Sudan".

Source: "NWF Heavyweight Championship", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 28th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NWF_Heavyweight_Championship.

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Further Reading

WWWF United States Tag Team Championship

IWGP Heavyweight Championship

Yuji Nagata

Minoru Suzuki

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

Naomichi Marufuji

IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship

All Asia Tag Team Championship

Karl Anderson

Kota Ibushi

Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP Intercontinental Championship

List of IWGP Tag Team Champions

List of IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions

List of NEVER Openweight Champions

Chase Owens

Great-O-Khan

IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
Notes
  1. ^ The exact date the championship was won is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 324 and 688 days.
  2. ^ The exact date the championship was lost is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 1 and 98 days.
  3. ^ The exact date the championship was won is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 1 and 98 days.
  4. ^ The exact date the championship was won is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 1 and 47 days.
  5. ^ The exact date the championship was won is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 1 and 218 days.
  6. ^ The exact date the championship was won is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 1 and 319 days.
  7. ^ The exact date the championship was won is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 1 and 319 days.
  8. ^ The exact date the championship was won is uncertain, which means that the reign lasted between 1 and 15 days.
See also
References
  1. ^ IWGP王者・中邑の対戦相手は“帝王”高山善廣！/1月4日東京ドーム公開記者会見 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
  2. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  3. ^ Tanabe, Hisaharu. "N.W.F. Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  4. ^ Hoops, Brian (January 24, 2020). "Pro wrestling history (01/24): WWF Royal Rumble 1999". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  5. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (December 10, 1973). "NJPW World Title Challenge Series 1973 - Tag 9 - TV-Show @ Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  6. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 13, 1975). "NJPW Big Fight Series 1975 - Tag 20 - TV-Show @ Hiroshima Prefectural Gymnasium in Hiroshima, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  7. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (June 26, 1975). "NJPW Golden Fight Series 1975 - Tag 24 - TV-Show @ Kuramae Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  8. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (February 8, 1980). "NJPW New Year Golden Series 1980 - Tag 31 - TV-Show @ Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  9. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 17, 1981). "NJPW/WWF Big Fight Series II - Day 13". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  10. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (April 23, 1981). "NJPW WWF Big Fight Series II - Tag 17 - TV-Show @ Kuramae Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  11. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2003). "NJPW Wrestling World 2003 - TV-Show @ Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  12. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (January 4, 2004). "NJPW Wrestling World 2004 - TV-Show @ Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
External links
Sporting positions
Preceded by New Japan Pro-Wrestling's top heavyweight championship
1973–1981
2003–2004 		Succeeded by
Categories

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