- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version)
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NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit) Details Promotion NWA Detroit Date established September 3, 1953 Date retired October, 1980 Other name(s) - NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Chicago)
Statistics Most reigns The Sheik (12 reigns) First champion(s) Verne Gagne Longest reign The Sheik
(1,300+ days)Shortest reign Pampero Firpo & Bobo Brazil (7 days) Oldest champion The Sheik (53 years, 298 days) Youngest champion Gino Hernandez (19 years, 147 days) Heaviest champion Abdullah the Butcher (430 lb (200 kg; 31 st)) Lightest champion Verne Gagne (215 lb (98 kg; 15.4 st)) The NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight Championship was a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title. It was known as the Chicago version from 1953 until 1959 and was later renamed the Detroit version from 1959 until 1980.[1] While the National Wrestling Alliance recognized only one World Heavyweight Champion, there were a number of different versions of the United States Championship recognized in various NWA territories across the country. Most NWA promotions had some version of an "American" or "United States" titles and, like these other titles, the Detroit version was the primary singles championship within the NWA Detroit promotion. Over the course of its existence, the title was held by well known names such as Bobo Brazil, The Sheik, Wilbur Snyder, Johnny Valentine, and multi-time AWA World Heavyweight Champions Verne Gagne and Dick the Bruiser.
Title history
Wrestler: Times: Date: Location: Notes: NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Chicago Version) Verne Gagne 1 September 3, 1953 Chicago, IL Awarded the title Wilbur Snyder 1 April 7, 1956 Chicago, IL Hans Schmidt 1 October 19, 1956 Chicago, IL Wilbur Snyder 2 February 19, 1957 Chicago, IL Dick the Bruiser 1 December 14, 1957 Chicago, IL Verne Gagne 2 April 12, 1958 Chicago, IL splits his own version into Minneapolis version, later renamed AWA United States Championship Wilbur Snyder 3 November 15, 1958 Chicago, IL Angelo Poffo 1 December 27, 1958 Cincinnati, OH Renamed NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) Wilbur Snyder 4 May 2, 1959 Detroit, MI Dick the Bruiser 2 May 23, 1959 Detroit, MI Bob Ellis 1 June 2, 1960 Windsor, Ontario Dick the Bruiser 3 June 11, 1960 Detroit, MI Bobo Brazil 1 January 28, 1961 Detroit, MI Dick the Bruiser 4 February 28, 1961 Detroit, MI Fritz Von Erich 1 December 1, 1961 Detroit, MI Wilbur Snyder 5 1962 ? Dick the Bruiser 5 June 2, 1962 Detroit, MI Lord Athol Layton 1 August 4, 1962 ? Fritz Von Erich 2 June 9, 1963 Detroit, MI Lord Athol Layton 2 July 20, 1963 Detroit, MI Fritz Von Erich 3 October 19, 1963 Detroit, MI Johnny Valentine 1 June 13, 1964 Detroit, MI The Sheik 1 February 6, 1965 Detroit, MI Bobo Brazil 2 August 1967 ? The Sheik 2 October 1967 ? Bobo Brazil 3 July 29, 1971 Detroit, MI Pampero Firpo 1 August 12, 1972 Detroit, MI Bobo Brazil 4 August 19, 1972 Detroit, MI Pampero Firpo 2 October 28, 1972 Detroit, MI Bobo Brazil 5 December 23, 1972 Detroit, MI The Sheik 3 December 30, 1972 Detroit, MI Bobo Brazil 6 January 13, 1973 Detroit, MI The Sheik 4 January 27, 1973 Detroit, MI Johnny Valentine 2 July 7, 1973 Detroit, MI The Sheik 5 July 21, 1973 Detroit, MI Johnny Valentine 3 1973 ? The Sheik 6 September 1973 ? Tony Marino 1 March 2, 1974 Detroit, MI The Sheik 7 March 16, 1974 Detroit, MI Bobo Brazil 7 January 25, 1975 Detroit, MI Awarded when Sheik no-shows title defenses Abdullah the Butcher 1 February 8, 1975 Detroit, MI Bobo Brazil 8 April 19, 1975 Detroit, MI The Sheik 8 July 5, 1975 Detroit, MI Mark Lewin 1 September 27, 1975 Detroit, MI "Bulldog" Don Kent 1 November 1, 1975 Detroit, MI Mark Lewin 2 December 1975 ? Vacated February 14, 1976 Title vacant Bobo Brazil 9 April 21, 1976 Awarded when Brute Bernard was injured before tournament final The Sheik 9 May 15, 1976 Detroit, MI Pampero Firpo 3 July 17, 1976 Detroit, MI Don Kent 2 October 16, 1976 Detroit, MI Gino Hernandez 1 January 8, 1977 Detroit, MI The Sheik 10 April 2, 1977 Detroit, MI Ox Baker 1 September 1977 Detroit, MI The Sheik 11 between 1977 & 1980 ? Mighty Igor 1 between 1977 & 1980 ? The Sheik 12 May 3, 1980 Detroit, MI Title Retired October 1980 Promotion closes, Sheik takes title to International Championship Wrestling See also
References
Categories:- National Wrestling Alliance championships
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championships
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