NWA United National Championship/Champion history
NWA United National Championship/Champion history
Title history[]
| #: | Name(s): | Reigns: | Date: | Location: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Lewis | 1 | October 1970 | St. Louis, Missouri | Won a tournament to crown the first champion. |
| 2 | Pantera Negra | 1 | October 23, 1970 | Los Angeles, California | |
| 3 | John Tolos | 1 | November 20, 1970 | Los Angeles, California | |
| 4 | Ray Mendoza | 1 | December 4, 1970 | Los Angeles, California | |
| 5 | John Tolos | 2 | March 1971 | n/a | Tolos returned the championship when the NWA decided the referee used a fast count during his title defense against Mendoza. |
| 6 | Antonio Inoki | 1 | March 26, 1971 | Los Angeles, California | |
| Vacated on December 13, 1971 when Inoki is fired from theJWA, the promotion to which he had brought the title from the United States. | |||||
| 7 | King Krow | 1 | January 1972 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | DefeatedSailor Thomas in a fictitious tournament final. |
| 8 | Seiji Sakaguchi | 1 | February 11, 1972 | Los Angeles, California | |
| 9 | The Sheik | 1 | September 6, 1972 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| 10 | Seiji Sakaguchi | 2 | September 7, 1972 | Osaka, Japan | |
| 11 | Johnny Valentine | 1 | February 3, 1973 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| 12 | Akihisa Takachiho | 1 | March 8, 1973 | Sano, Japan | |
| Deactivated on April 14, 1973 when the JWA closed. | |||||
| 13 | Jumbo Tsuruta | 1 | August 28, 1976 | Tokyo, Japan | DefeatedJack Brisco in anAJPW tournament final to revive the championship. |
| 14 | Billy Robinson | 1 | March 5, 1977 | Akita, Japan | |
| 15 | Jumbo Tsuruta | 2 | March 23, 1977 | Miami, Florida | |
| 16 | Dick Murdoch | 1 | February 23, 1980 | Kagoshima, Japan | |
| 17 | Jumbo Tsuruta | 3 | March 5, 1980 | Kuroiso, Japan | |
| 18 | Abdullah the Butcher | 1 | October 13, 1980 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| 19 | Jumbo Tsuruta | 4 | January 22, 1981 | Nirasaki, Japan | |
| 20 | Harley Race | 1 | August 1, 1982 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| 21 | Jumbo Tsuruta | 5 | October 24, 1982 | Kitami, Japan | |
| Vacated on June 17, 1983 so Tsuruta could focus on winning theNWA International Heavyweight Championship. | |||||
| 22 | Ted DiBiase | 1 | October 14, 1983 | Sasebo, Japan | DefeatedJerry Lawler in a tournament final via forfeit; wrestledGenichiro Tenryu for his first title defense instead. |
| 23 | Michael Hayes | 1 | January 28, 1984 | Athens, Georgia | |
| 24 | David Von Erich | 1 | February 3, 1984 | Dallas, Texas | |
| Vacated on February 10, 1984 when Von Erich dies of an apparent heart attack. | |||||
| 25 | Genichiro Tenryu | 1 | February 23, 1984 | Tokyo, Japan | DefeatedRicky Steamboat in a tournament final. |
| Voluntarily vacated in February 1986 when Tenryu is pinned byYoshiaki Yatsu in a tag team match. | |||||
| 26 | Genichiro Tenryu | 2 | April 26, 1986 | Ōmiya-ku, Japan | Defeated Ted DiBiase in a tournament final. Tenryu won thePWF Heavyweight Championship on March 9, 1988. |
| 27 | Stan Hansen | 1 | July 27, 1988 | Nagano, Japan | Also won the PWF Heavyweight Championship. |
| 28 | Jumbo Tsuruta | 6 | April 18, 1989 | Tokyo, Japan | Retained the NWA International Heavyweight Championship and won the PWF Heavyweight Championship and the UN Championship. |
| Title was unified with Tsuruta's NWA International Heavyweight Championship and with Hansen's PWF Heavyweight Championship and UN championship to create theAJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. | |||||
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