| WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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TheWWWF United States Heavyweight Championship was a singles title used sporadically in theWorld 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 theWWWF World Heavyweight Championship. Three years after the title was retired for good, it was replaced by theWWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship as the promotion's secondary title.
Prior to theCapitol Wrestling Corporation leaving theNational Wrestling Alliance and becoming the WWWF, the company hosted a version of theNWA United States Heavyweight Championship for several months in 1960-1961. The only known holder of this title wasBuddy Rogers, who vacated the title upon winning theNWA World Heavyweight Championship fromPat O'Connor in Chicago in June 1961.[1]
This title has no connection to the currentWWE United States Championship andWWE Women's United States Championship, the lineage of which dates back to the NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Championship originally created in 1975 inMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling.
Over the championship's 16-year history, there have been 14 reigns between six champions and threevacancies.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, whileThe Sheik's second reign is the shortest at 21 days. Brazil was the oldest champion at 46 years old, whilePedro Morales was the youngest at 28 years old.
| 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 | |||||||
| National Wrestling Alliance:Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) | |||||||||||
| 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 againstArnold Skaaland on this day on a card inBridgeport, Connecticut. | [1] | |||
| — | Vacated | June 30, 1961 | — | — | — | — | Buddy Rogers vacated the championship after defeatingPat O'Connor for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship. | ||||
| National Wrestling Alliance:World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) | |||||||||||
| 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 afterBobo Brazil sustained an injury. | [2][1] | |||
| 13 | Pedro Morales | January 7, 1971 | House Show | Los Angeles,CA | 1 | 32 | DefeatedFreddie Blassie in a tournament final to win the vacant championship. | [2][1] | |||
| — | Vacated | February 8, 1971 | — | — | — | — | Pedro Morales vacated the championship after winning theWWWF 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] | |||
| National Wrestling Alliance:World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) | |||||||||||
| — | 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 theNWA Detroit version of the title. | [2][1] | |||
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| 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 |
