Puroresu System Wiki
Register
Advertisement


The NWA International Heavyweight Championship was a singles title recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance through its partnership with the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance, and later by All Japan Pro Wrestling. It is one of the three titles that were unified into the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in 1989. From 1981 to the creation of the Triple Crown, All Japan considered the NWA International title to be its top singles championship.

Under Rikidozan the belt had a design similar to Lou Thesz's original NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt during the 1950s, but after Rikidōzan's death, the belt given to Giant Baba had the design seen on the belt part of the Triple Crown until 2013. The original design was later used on the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the UWFI belt (which was the original Lou Thesz belt), and a belt later given to Kazushi Sakuraba for the show.

Title history[]

# Wrestler Reign Date Length Location Notes
1 Rikidozan 1 August 27, 1958 1936 Days Los Angeles, California, USA  
Vacated December 15, 1964 Minato, Tokyo Vacated following Rikidōzan's death from stab wounds suffered one week earlier in Tokyo, Japan.
2 Giant Baba 1 November 24, 1965 944 Days Osaka Defeated Dick the Bruiser for the vacant title.
3 Bobo Brazil 1 June 25, 1968 2 Days Nagoya  
4 Giant Baba 2 June 27, 1968 889 Days Tokyo  
5 Gene Kiniski 1 December 3, 1970 291 Days Osaka  
6 Giant Baba 3 December 19, 1970 16 Days Los Angeles, California, USA  
Vacated September 2, 1972 Vacated when Baba left the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance to start All Japan Pro Wrestling.
7 Bobo Brazil 2 December 1, 1972 3 Days Yokohama Defeated Kintaro Ohki for the vacant title.
8 Kintaro Ohki 1 December 4, 1972 3052 Days Hiroshima  
Vacated April 13, 1981 After the JWA closed in 1973, Ohki took the belt to South Korea from where he defended it. He vacated the title on April 13, 1981 under orders from the NWA.
9 Dory Funk Jr. 1 April 30, 1981 193 Days Matsudo Won tournament for the vacant title when Bruiser Brody was injured and unable to wrestle in the finals. Defeated Terry Funk for his first title defense instead.
10 Bruiser Brody 1 October 9, 1981 247 Days Tokyo  
11 Dory Funk Jr. 2 November 1, 1981 171 Days Tokyo  
12 Bruiser Brody 2 April 21, 1982 497 Days Osaka  
13 Jumbo Tsuruta 1 August 31, 1983 1065 Days Tokyo  
14 Stan Hansen 1 July 31, 1986 82 Days Tokyo  
15 Jumbo Tsuruta 2 October 21, 1986 523 Days Tokyo  
16 Bruiser Brody 3 March 27, 1988 23 Days Tokyo  
17 Jumbo Tsuruta 3 April 19, 1988 364 Days Sendai  
Unified April 18, 1989 Unified with PWF Heavyweight Championship and NWA United National Championship to create the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship.

Gallery[]

Advertisement