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List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions

List of professional wrestling champions

Summary

List of professional wrestling champions

The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. It is the promotion's premier title.

NWA currently recognizes 103 individual World's Heavyweight Championship reigns. The inaugural champion was Orville Brown. The longest reigning champion is Lou Thesz, who held the title from November 27, 1949 to March 15, 1956, for a total of 2,300 days (6 years, 3 months, and 16 days); Thesz also holds the record for longest combined reigns at 3,749 days. Shane Douglas has the record for the shortest reign as champion, for less than 1 day. Ric Flair holds the record for most reigns with 8. The youngest champion is Chris Candido who won the title at the age of 22, while the oldest champion is Tim Storm, who won it at the age of 51.

Silas Mason is the current champion in his first reign. He won the title by defeating Thom Latimer at NWA 77th Anniversary Show on August 16, 2025, in Huntington, New York.

Title history

Names

NameYears
NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipJuly 14, 1948 – October 21, 2014
NWA World's Heavyweight ChampionshipOctober 21, 2014 – present

Reigns

  • National Wrestling Association World Heavyweight title, having defeated Bill Longson on 48/07/20 in Indianapolis, IN
  • National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight title, awarded on 49/11/27 when champion Orville Brown is injured in an automobile accident on 49/11/01 before a unification match scheduled on 49/11/25 in St. Louis, MO
  • Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium version of the world title, defeating Baron Michele Leone on 52/05/21 in Los Angeles, CA."}}

Promoters in northeast refuse to recognize Rogers' one-fall loss to Thesz and start World Wide Wrestling Federation with Rogers as the first WWWF World Heavyweight champion"}} |

Combined reigns

†
Indicates the current champion
The reign is shorter than one day.
RankWrestlerNo. of
reignsCombined days123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627283031323334353637384041424344454647484950525354555657585960
33,749
83,119
71,800
11,563
21,559
21,309
11,131
51,078
61,006
1903
2866
1573
2551
Blue Demon Jr.1505
1501
2469
1424
1421
1419
1414
{{sortnameEC3dab=wrestler}}1370
1350
2321
Tyrus1288
2245
Whipper Billy Watson1239
{{sortnameStingdab=wrestler}}2216
3196
1196
2179
1172
"Thrillbilly" Silas Mason †1+
2152
1149
1147
1145
{{sortnameKahagasKahagas}}1134
2119
1119
3107
197
{{sortnameRavendab=wrestler}}188
184
179
176
162
159
{{sortnameAbyssdab=wrestler}}156
150
149
149
148
{{sortnameSabudab=wrestler}}138
319
118
17
14
{{sortnameRhinoRhyno}}12
11
1

Footnotes

References

References

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  6. Hoops, Brian. (June 30, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (June 30): CM Punk wins WWE World title, Buddy Rogers beats Pat O'Connor for NWA world title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
  7. Hoops, Brian. (February 11, 2017). "On this day in pro wrestling history (Feb 11): AJ Styles wins the IWGP Title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
  8. 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.
  9. Hoops, Brian. (July 20, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history: Brisco beats Race for NWA title, Gagne beats Crusher for AWA title, Robinson vs. Gagen". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
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  15. "Today the world lost one of the toughest men ever to walk God's green earth. RIP Harley Race! 8X NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. The entire sport of professional wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Harley.".
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