WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship

Professional wrestling championship

This article is about the championship that was in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE) from 1960 until 1976. For the championship currently defended in WWE, see WWE United States Championship.

WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship

One version of the belt that represented the championship in the 1960s and 1970s

Details
Promotion| World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF)
Date established| April 20, 1960
Date retired| March 1, 1976
Other names

* NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Northeast version)
(1960–1961)

| Statistics

First champion| Buddy Rogers
Final champion| Bobo Brazil
Most reigns| Bobo Brazil
(7 reigns)
Longest reign| Bobo Brazil
(1,837 days)
Shortest reign| The Sheik
(21 days)
Oldest champion| Bobo Brazil
(46 years, 225 days)
Youngest champion| Pedro Morales
(28 years, 77 days)
Heaviest champion| Bobo Brazil
(270lb (122kg))
Lightest champion| Johnny Barend
(230lb (100kg))

The WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship was a singles title used sporadically in the World Wide Wrestling Federation between 1960 and 1976. During the variable periods in which it was used, the title served as the promotion's secondary singles championship to the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. Three years after the title was retired for good, it was replaced by the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship as the promotion's secondary title.

## History

[edit]

Prior to the Capitol Wrestling Corporation leaving the National Wrestling Alliance and becoming the WWWF, the company hosted a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship for several months in 1960-1961. The only known holder of this title was Buddy Rogers, who vacated the title upon winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Pat O'Connor in Chicago in June 1961.[1]

This title has no connection to the current WWE United States Championship and WWE Women's United States Championship, the lineage of which dates back to the NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Championship originally created in 1975 in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling.

## Reigns

[edit]

Over the championship's 16-year history, there have been 14 reigns between six champions and three vacancies. Buddy Rogers was the inaugural champion. Bobo Brazil held the record for most reigns at seven times, as well being the last champion. Brazil's seventh reign is the longest at 1,837 days, while The Sheik's second reign is the shortest at 21 days. Brazil was the oldest champion at 46 years old, while Pedro Morales was the youngest at 28 years old.

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  | Buddy Rogers | April 20, 1960 | —  | —  | 1  | 436  | Rogers was recognized as the inaugural holder of the Northeast version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. Defended the title against Arnold Skaaland on this day on a card in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  | [1]
—  | Vacated | June 30, 1961 | —  | —  | —  | —  | Buddy Rogers vacated the championship after defeating Pat O'Connor for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.  |
2  | Bobo Brazil | April 6, 1963 | House Show | California | 1  | 63  | The championship was renamed to the WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship during this reign.  | [2][1]
3  | Johnny Barend | June 8, 1963 | House Show | Philadelphia, PA | 1  | 31  |  | [2][1]
4  | Bobo Brazil | July 9, 1963 | House Show | Philadelphia, PA | 2  | 64  |  | [2][1]
5  | Johnny Barend | September 11, 1963 | House Show | Landover, MD | 2  | 41  |  | [2][1]
6  | Bobo Brazil | October 22, 1963 | House Show | Quakertown, PA | 3  | 1,335  |  | [2][1]
7  | Ray Stevens | June 18, 1967 | House Show | [Note 1] | 1  | 67  |  | [2][1]
8  | Bobo Brazil | August 24, 1967 | House Show | Trenton, NJ | 4  | 29  |  | [2][1]
9  | The Sheik | September 22, 1967 | House Show | Detroit, MI | 1  | 429  |  | [2][1]
10  | Bobo Brazil | November 24, 1968 | House Show | [Note 1] | 5  | 57  |  | [2][1]
11  | The Sheik | January 20, 1969 | House Show | Boston, MA | 2  | 21  |  | [2][1]
12  | Bobo Brazil | February 10, 1969 | House Show | Washington D.C. | 6  | 687  |  | [2][1]
—  | Vacated | December 29, 1970 | —  | —  | —  | —  | The championship was vacated after Bobo Brazil sustained an injury.  | [2][1]
13  | Pedro Morales | January 7, 1971 | House Show | Los Angeles, CA | 1  | 32  | Defeated Freddie Blassie in a tournament final to win the vacant championship.  | [2][1]
—  | Vacated | February 8, 1971 | —  | —  | —  | —  | Pedro Morales vacated the championship after winning the WWWF Championship.  | [2][1]
14  | Bobo Brazil | February 19, 1971 | House Show | Harrisburg, PA | 7  | 1,837  | Brazil was awarded the title by the WWWF.  | [2][1]
—  | Deactivated  | March 1, 1976 | —  | —  | —  | —  | Bobo Brazil was the final champion after the WWWF abandoned the title on March 1, 1976. Seven weeks later on April 21, Brazil won the NWA Detroit version of the title.  | [2][1]

## Combined reigns

[edit]

Record seven-time and longest reigning champion, Bobo Brazil Rank  | Wrestler  | No. of
reigns  | Combined
days

|
|
|

1  | Bobo Brazil | 7 | 4,072
2  | The Sheik | 2 | 450
3  | Buddy Rogers | 1 | 436
4  | Johnny Barend | 2 | 72
5  | Ray Stevens | 1 | 67
6  | Pedro Morales | 1 | 32

## See also

[edit]

* United States portal

* WWE United States Championship
* World Wrestling Entertainment
* Professional wrestling in the United States

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b The location of the championship change has not been found documented.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "United States Heavyweight Title - World Wide Wrestling Federation ( 1963 - 1970s ) World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2003/07 - )". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (1994). "United States: 19th Century & Widely defended Titles - NWA, WWF, AWA, IWA, ECW, NWA WWWF United States Heavyweight Title [McMahon]". Wrestling Title Histories (3 ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 27\. ISBN 0-9698161-1-1.

## External links

[edit]

* WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship

* v
* t
* e

WWWF United States Heavyweight Champions

1960s|

* Buddy Rogers
* Bobo Brazil
* Johnny Barend
* Ray Stevens
* The Sheik

1970s|

* Pedro Morales

* v
* t
* e

Championships and accomplishments in WWE

Championships|

| Current|

| Raw|

* World Heavyweight
* Women's World
* reigns
* Intercontinental
* reigns
* Women's Intercontinental
* World Tag Team
* reigns

|

SmackDown|

* Undisputed WWE
* reigns
* WWE Women's
* reigns
* United States
* reigns
* Women's United States
* WWE Tag Team
* reigns

NXT|

* NXT
* reigns
* Women's
* reigns
* North American
* reigns
* Women's North American
* Heritage Cup
* Tag Team
* reigns

Evolve|

* Evolve
* Women's

Speed|

* Speed
* Women's Speed

ID|

* ID
* Women's ID

Shared|

* WWE Women's Tag Team
* reigns

Former|

| World|

* WCW (reigns) (2001)
* ECW (reigns) (2006–2010)
* World Heavyweight (original version) (reigns) (2002–2013)
* Universal (2016–2024)

|

Women's|

* WWE Women's (original version) (reigns) (1956–1990, 1993–1995, 1998–2010)
* Divas (reigns) (2008–2016)
* NXT UK Women's (2018–2022)

Secondary|

* NWA United States Television (1957–1962)
* United States Heavyweight (1960–1976)
* North American Heavyweight (1979–1981)
* International Heavyweight (1959–1963, 1982–1985)
* Canadian (1985–1986)
* European (reigns) (1997–2002)
* NXT United Kingdom (2017–2022)

Tag team|

* NWA World Tag Team (Northeast version) (1957–1961)
* United States Tag Team (1958–1967)
* International Tag Team (1969–1971, 1985)
* WWF Women's Tag Team (1983–1989)
* Intercontinental Tag Team (1991)
* World Tag Team (original version) (reigns) (1971–2010)
* WCW Tag Team (reigns) (2001)
* NXT UK Tag Team (2019–2022)
* NXT Women's Tag Team (2021–2023)

Weight class-specific|

* Junior Heavyweight (1965–1972, 1978–1985)
* Light Heavyweight (reigns) (1981–2002)
* Cruiserweight (reigns) (2001–2007)
* NXT Cruiserweight (reigns) (2016–2022)

Other|

* Martial Arts (1978–1989)
* Hardcore (reigns) (1998–2002)
* Million Dollar (1989–1991, 1995–1996, 2010, 2021)
* 24/7 (reigns) (2019–2022)

Accomplishments|

* Money in the Bank
* Awards
* Slammys
* NXT Year-End
* WWE Year-End
* Battle royals
* André the Giant Memorial
* Royal Rumble
* WrestleMania Women's
* Tournaments
* Cruiserweight Classic
* Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
* King of the Ring
* Mae Young Classic
* Mixed Match Challenge
* NXT Breakout
* Queen of the Ring
* Crown Jewel
* Women's Crown Jewel
* Grand Slam champions
* Triple Crown champions

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*[Ref.]: Reference(s)
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