The title was reactivated in May 1997 and promoted by a handful of NWA-affiliated independent promotions, until it was vacated in October 2017.
In October 2018, the title was renamed the "NWA National Championship", reactivated, and the NWA (now a promotion, instead of a sanctioning body) held an 8-person tournament to crown a new titleholder.[2]
In 1985, Jim Crockett Promotions purchased the weekend TBS timeslots for wrestling from the WWF, producing its own version of the "World Championship Wrestling" TV show. JCP had also purchased Championship Wrestling from Georgia (taking over its Saturday morning time slot, as well), and began recognizing CWG's championships. Eventually, Crockett held a unification match between his company's NWA United States Champion Nikita Koloff, and NWA National Champion Wahoo McDaniel, which Koloff won. The National title was deactivated afterwards.[1]
In May 1997, the title was reactivated and promoted by various NWA-affiliated, independent promotions across the United States. During this period it was considered the third most important heavyweight title in the NWA, after the World and North American titles.
In October 2017, Billy Corgan's company Lightning One, Inc., purchased the National Wrestling Alliance's intellectual and physical properties.[4][5] At that point, all pre-existing NWA affiliation agreements with other promotions were ended; most NWA-branded championships (including the National) would be vacated in the months that immediately followed. The only two championships not vacated were the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, and NWA World Women's Championship. Corgan transformed the NWA from a governing body, to a wrestling promotion—one seeking to proudly revive and preserve the mood, look, and feel of the 1970s/1980s, Georgia/Mid-Atlantic era of wrestling.
In October 2018, the NWA announced the National title would be rebooted on the NWA 70th Anniversary Show, with an eight-man, championship tournament featuring: Jay Bradley; Colt Cabana; Sammy Guevara; Mike Parrow; Scorpio Sky; Sam Shaw; Ricky Starks; and Willie Mack. The championship was officially renamed the "NWA National Championship".[2] A new title belt was commissioned: its design was a faithful restoration of the 1970s, Crockett/Mid-Atlantic Wrestling version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship belt, with a few modern tweaks. In effect, the National title has become the second most important heavyweight title in the NWA.[6]
Belt designs
There have been six belt designs used to represent the NWA National Heavyweight Championship.
Reigns
The NWA currently recognizes 94 individual National Championship reigns.[7]
This was a no disqualification match. While most records show that Orndorff held and defended the title uninterrupted during this reign, some records show that Killer Karl Kox won the title sometime in December 1982, losing it to Tommy Rich in February 1983 before being regained by Orndorff in March.
Armstrong wrestled under a mask as "Mr. R" (thought to be Tommy Rich under the mask) and pinned Ted DiBiase to win the championship when DiBiase was distracted by Rich standing at the announcers' podium at ringside.
The Spoiler joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during this reign and was continued to defend the championship as the "National Heavyweight Championship" on WWF events in Georgia.
On May 5, 2002, Shinya Hashimoto defeated Hernandez in a championship match in Tokyo. The championship was returned to Hernandez after Hashimoto refused it. The NWA later claimed that Hashimoto and Hernandez's match in Japan was not for the championship.
Arrick Andrews announced that he had suffered a knee injury in a hunting accident that would keep him out of wrestling for 8 months, and forfeited the championship.
Won the vacant title after defeating Blake Troop, Burchill and Zyon in a four-way match. Aired on tape delay as a special episode of Powerrr on April 9.
