NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship
Championship belt
Details
PromotionNWA Mid-America
Date establishedMay 25, 1939
Date retiredJuly 27, 1974
Statistics
First champion(s)Joe Gunther
Most reignsLen Rossi (7 reign)
Longest reignTojo Yamamoto (512 days)
Shortest reignSiki Samara (<1 day)

The NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title for lighter wrestlers, board-controlled by the National Wrestling Alliance since December 1949.

It originally was used by various promotions across the Southeastern United States, most prevalently in NWA Mid-America based Tennessee. In August 1974, it was renamed the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version).

The title was revived by the NWA in December 1999, and is used in the NWA Mid-South promotion, based in Humboldt, Tennessee.[1]

Title history

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days
1 Joe Gunther May 25, 1939 (NLT) GCCW show New Orleans 1 N/A Recognized in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. [2]
— N/A — —
2 Tommy Ward March 20, 1950 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A Recognized in Florida and Georgia.
— N/A — —
3 Karl Kowalski September 18, 1950 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A Recognized in Georgia.
— N/A — —
4 Henry Harrell April 19, 1952 GCCW show Jackson, Mississippi 1 N/A Defeated Tex Riley in a tournament final.
5 Herb Welch July 1952 GCCW show Knoxville, Tennessee 1 N/A
6 Al Galento August 21, 1952 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 N/A
7 Tex Riley October 1952 GCCW show Kingsport, Tennessee 1 N/A
8 Jesse James N/A GCCW show N/A 1 N/A
— N/A — —
9 Red Roberts January 1953 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A Recognized in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
10 Ray Piret March 17, 1954 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 1 341
11 Sonny Myers February 21, 1955 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 1 155
12 Frank Jares July 26, 1955 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 1 301 [3]
13 The Masked Bat May 22, 1956 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 1 7
14 Frank Jares May 29, 1956 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 2 56
15 Jesse James July 24, 1956 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 2 14
16 Frank Jares August 7, 1956 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 3 20
17 Herb Welch August 27, 1956 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 2 23
18 The Great Malenko September 19, 1956 GCCW show Mobile, Alabama 1 27
19 Herb Welch October 16, 1956 GCCW show Mobile, Alabama 3 132
20 Tor Yamata February 25, 1957 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 1 112
21 Cyclone Anaya June 17, 1957 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 1 65
22 Mario Galento August 21, 1957 GCCW show Mobile, Alabama 1 N/A
— Vacated September 1957 — — — — Vacated due to Galento not defending.
23 Cyclone Anaya September 1957 GCCW show N/A 2 N/A
24 Tor Yamata October 1, 1957 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 2 41
25 Ray Stevens November 11, 1957 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 1 N/A
26 Tor Yamata January 1958 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 3 N/A
27 Herb Welch March 17, 1958 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 3 N/A
— N/A — —
28 Fred Blassie May 1958 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A
— N/A — —
29 Ray Stevens June 1958 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 2 N/A
30 Corsica Jean July 22, 1958 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 1 N/A
31 Ray Stevens October 1958 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 3 N/A
— Vacated October 1958 — — — — Stevens left the territory.
32 Yvon Robert 1958 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 1 N/A
33 Jesse James January 12, 1959 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 3 261 [4]
34 Jackie Fargo September 30, 1959 GCCW show Mobile, Alabama 1 89
35 Mike Clancy December 28, 1959 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 1 360
36 Bill Monroe December 22, 1960 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 5
37 Len Rossi December 27, 1960 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 1 207
38 Don Greene July 22, 1961 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 170
39 Len Rossi January 8, 1962 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 2 41
40 Taro Sakuro February 18, 1962 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 109
41 Joe Lanza June 7, 1962 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 N/A
— N/A GCCW show — N/A
42 Jackie Fargo August 1962 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 2 N/A
— N/A GCCW show — N/A
43 Hans Steiner September 1962 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A
— N/A GCCW show — N/A
44 Len Rossi May 1963 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A
45 Frankie Cain May 1963 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 1 N/A
— N/A GCCW show — N/A
46 Alex Perez January 1964 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A
47 Rocky Smith November 1964 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A
48 Alex Perez February 8, 1965 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 2 N/A
49 Rocky Smith November 1965 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 2 N/A
— Vacated December 16, 1965 GCCW show — — — Held up after a match against Hiro Matsuda
50 Rocky Smith December 23, 1965 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 3 26 Defeated Matsuda in a rematch.
51 Alex Perez January 18, 1966 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 3 80 [5]
52 Al Costello April 8, 1966 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 1 20
53 Karl von Brauner April 28, 1966 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 90
54 Jackie Fargo July 27, 1966 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 3 N/A
— N/A GCCW show — N/A
55 Len Rossi April 1967 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 4 N/A
56 The Great Yamaha August 19, 1967 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 12
57 Len Rossi August 31, 1967 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 5 201
58 Tojo Yamamoto March 19, 1968 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 512
— N/A GCCW show — 0
59 Siki Samara August 13, 1969 GCCW show Mobile, Alabama 1 0 Samara was awarded the title.
60 Jimmy Jones August 13, 1969 GCCW show Mobile, Alabama 1 7
61 Siki Samara August 20, 1969 GCCW show Mobile, Alabama 2 0
62 Siki Samara August 20, 1969 GCCW show Mobile, Alabama 2 N/A
— N/A GCCW show — N/A
63 Len Rossi March 1970 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 6 N/A
64 Sputnik Monroe July 1, 1971 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 1 N/A [6]
65 Len Rossi August 1971 GCCW show N/A 7 N/A
— Vacated 1973 GCCW show — — — Rossi suffers a broken ankle.
66 Tommy Gilbert 1973 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 1 N/A
67 Lou Thesz 1973 GCCW show N/A 1 N/A
68 Tommy Gilbert 1973 GCCW show N/A 2 N/A
69 Ron Garvin December 1973 (NLT) GCCW show N/A 1 N/A
70 Tommy Gilbert January 1974 GCCW show Birmingham, Alabama 3 N/A
71 Lou Thesz March 18, 1974 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 2 23
72 Tommy Gilbert April 10, 1974 GCCW show Nashville, Tennessee 4 5
73 Jerry Lawler April 15, 1974 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 1 49
74 Ricky Gibson June 3, 1974 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 1 7
75 Jerry Lawler June 10, 1974 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 2 14 [7]
76 Jackie Fargo June 24, 1974 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 4 14
77 Jerry Lawler July 8, 1974 GCCW show Memphis, Tennessee 3 12
78 Jackie Fargo July 20, 1974 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 5 7
79 Jerry Lawler July 27, 1974 GCCW show Chattanooga, Tennessee 4 N/A
NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  2. ↑ "Southern Junior Heavyweight Title (U.S.)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  3. ↑ Hoops, Brian (July 26, 2015). "On this day in history - Demon Vs. Santo, Gagne Vs. Kiniski". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  4. ↑ Hoops, Brian (January 12, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/12): The Outsiders win WCW Tag team titles". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  5. ↑ Hoops, Brian (January 18, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/18): Ivan Koloff defeats Bruno Sammartino for WWWF title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ Hoops, Brian (July 1, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (July 1): Ric Flair stripped of WCW title, Von Erich win WCCW Tag titles". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  7. ↑ F4W Staff (June 10, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (June 10): Harley Race beats Ric Fair for NWA title, Jerry Blackwell turns babyface". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 10, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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