World Middleweight Championship | |||||||||
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Details | |||||||||
Promotion | National Wrestling Association | ||||||||
Date established | August 7, 1928 | ||||||||
Date retired | 1940 | ||||||||
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The National Wrestling Association (NWA) World Middleweight Championship was a professional wrestling title sanctioned by the National Wrestling Association, an offshoot of the National Boxing Association (NBA). The title existed from 1928 through 1940, and is said to have connecting lineage to what would become the National Wrestling Alliance's World Middleweight Championship. The title had a weight range of 155 lb (70 kg) to 160 lb (73 kg).
No. | Overall reign number |
---|---|
Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
Days | Number of days held |
N/A | Unknown information |
(NLT) | Championship change took place "no later than" the date listed |
No. | Champion | Championship change | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | ||||
1 | Albion Britt | April 20, 1936 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 245 | Britt defeated Ted Christy in a tournament final to become the first NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion. Subsequent title reigns are recognized by the National Wrestling Association. | [1] |
2 | Dude Chick | December 21, 1936 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 623 | [2] | |
3 | Sgt. Bob Kenaston | September 5, 1938 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 203 | [3] | |
4 | John Swenski | March 27, 1939 | Live event | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 1 | 84 | [4] | |
5 | Leroy McGuirk | June 19, 1939 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | [5] | ||
— | Vacated | 1947 | — | — | — | — | The championship is vacated in Los Angeles sometime after February 1947 and a 40-man tournament is held to crown a new champion. McGuirk, however, continues to be billed as champion in other territories. | |
6 | Billy Varga | September 29, 1947 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 56 | Varga defeated Danny McShain in a tournament final to win the vacant championship. | [6] |
7 | Martino Angelo | November 24, 1947 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 133 | ||
8 | Leo Wallick | April 5, 1948 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 30 | ||
9 | Gorilla Ramos | May 5, 1948 | Live event | Bakersfield, California | 1 | 40 | ||
10 | Maurice La Chapelle | June 14, 1948 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 21 | [7] | |
11 | Danny McShain | July 5, 1948 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 42 | ||
12 | Billy Darnell | August 16, 1948 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 210 | ||
13 | Billy Varga | March 14, 1949 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 2 | 119 | ||
14 | Danny McShain | July 11, 1949 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 2 | 49 | ||
15 | Red Berry | August 29, 1949 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 8 | ||
16 | Johnny Demchuck | September 6, 1949 | Live event | San Diego, California | 1 | 20 | ||
17 | Sonny Myers | September 26, 1949 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 1 | 57 | ||
18 | Ivan Kalmikoff | November 22, 1949 | Live event | San Diego, California | 1 | 57 | Kalmikoff defeats Danny McShain, who is billed as champion, at a January 4, 1950 title defence in Bakersfield, California. | |
19 | Billy Varga | January 18, 1950 | Live event | Bakersfield, California | 3 | 44 | ||
20 | Leo Garibaldi | March 3, 1950 | Live event | Los Angeles, California | 1 | 87 | ||
21 | Billy Varga | May 29, 1950 | Live event | Hollywood, California | 4 | 43 | ||
21 | Leo Garibaldi | July 11, 1950 | Live event | San Diego, California | 2 | 42 | ||
22 | Baron Michele Leone | August 22, 1950 | Live event | San Diego, California | 1 | 310 | ||
23 | Leo Garibaldi | June 28, 1951 | Live event | Salt Lake City, Utah | 3 | 97 | [8] | |
24 | Red Berry | October 3, 1951 | Live event | Los Angeles, California | 2 | 196 | ||
25 | Rito Romero | April 16, 1952 | Live event | Los Angeles, California | 1 | 39 | ||
26 | Danny McShain | May 25, 1952 | Live event | Los Angeles, California | 3 | <1 | The championship is unified with the NWA World Middleweight Championship and ceases to exist. | [9][10] |