NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship

The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Created in 1943, the title is competed for by junior heavyweight wrestlers.[1]

For the title contested in Iowa, see NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (Iowa version). For the title contested in Los Angeles, see NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles version). For the Pro Wrestling Zero1 recognized title, see NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (Zero1). For the title initially known as the "NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship" in Florida, see NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship.
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship belt (2022–present)
Details
PromotionNational Wrestling Alliance
Date establishedMay 1943
Current champion(s)Colby Corino
Date wonAugust 26, 2023
Statistics
First champion(s)Ken Fenelon
Most reignsDanny Hodge (7 times)
Longest reignDanny Hodge (1,450 days)
Shortest reignFred Blassie and Hiro Saito (<1 day)

History

The first NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion was Ken Fenelon, who was awarded the title in May 1943 by Paul "Pinkie" George, the promoter of the local National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) promotion. For the first few years of its existence, the title was contested largely in Iowa, where George's NWA promotion was based.[2] On July 18, 1948, the NWA was established by George and his partners as a governing body for various regional wrestling promotions in the United States, after which the World Junior Heavyweight Championship became the property of the alliance. At the founding meeting of the NWA governing body in Waterloo, Iowa, Billy Goelz was recognized as the governing body's World Junior Heavyweight Champion; the governing body additionally retroactively recognized all previous holders of the Iowa championship as former NWA World Junior Heavyweight champions.

Between 1948 and 1952, the title was unified with other junior heavyweight titles. After becoming champion in December 1948, Leroy McGuirk defeated the National Wrestling Association's World Junior Heavyweight Champion Billy Goelz in 1949 to unify the two titles. McGuirk vacated the title in February 1950 after being blinded in a car accident, forcing him to retire. Verne Gagne won the vacant title in November 1950, defeating Sonny Myers in the finals of a tournament, after which he was presented with the title belt by McGuirk.[3] Gagne lost the title to Danny McShain one year later in November 1951. In May 1952, McShain unified the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship with the Los Angeles version of the World Junior Heavyweight Championship by defeating Rito Romero.

Danny Hodge (pictured in June 1972 during his sixth reign) held the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship a record seven times.

In 1960, Danny Hodge had a heated feud with Angelo Savoldi over the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. During a bout between the two men on May 27, 1960 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Hodge's father Bill Hodge Sr. entered the ring and legitimately stabbed Savoldi.[4]

In 1973, Wrestling Pro of the Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling (GCCW) promotion faced Ken Mantell for the championship. During the match, the referee was knocked out and Wrestling Pro won the match, but a second referee appeared and awarded the victory to Mantell. The promoter Bob Kelly declared Wrestling Pro as the new champion and awarded him a title belt. However, Wrestling Pro was recognized as champion only in the GCCW territory and did not receive universal recognition from the NWA.[5] 49 days after his initial loss, Mantell defeated Wrestling Pro to claim both versions of the title.

In March 1976, Hodge vacated the title after being injured in a car accident, marking the end of his record seventh reign as champion.[6]

In December 1979, after the title was vacated, Steve Keirn defeated Chavo Guerrero in the finals of a tournament to win the title. However, Keirn was recognized as champion by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as the Los Angeles and Florida NWA territories, but not by the NWA as a whole. The title Keirn held was later renamed the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship.[7][8]

In 1983, the title had splintered into two different lineages. The NWA recognized champion was The Cobra, who worked for NJPW. The Cobra held the title from November 3, 1983 until July 28, 1985, when he lost it against Hiro Saito. However, he regained the title that same day. The Cobra's second reign as champion continued until August 1, 1985, when NJPW separated from the NWA. During the course of The Cobra's reigns, Les Thornton was recognized as champion by Georgia Championship Wrestling. The Georgia title was vacated when Thornton joined the NWA's rival the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Following Thornton's move to the WWF, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) awarded the title to Hector Guerrero on July 13, 1984, with JCP claiming that Guerrero had won a tournament for the championship in Los Angeles, California. Guerrero later lost the championship in a match against Mike Davis and, at Starrcade '84, Davis lost the title to Denny Brown. When NJPW separated from the NWA in August 1985, NWA vice president Shohei Baba recognized Davis as the official champion. In May 1988, champion Nelson Royal left JCP while holding the title, after which the championship began being defended in independent promotions until it was abandoned in December 1989.

In 1996, The Great Sasuke won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship as part of the eight-man "J-Crown" tournament.

In 1995, the championship was re-established by Japan's Wrestle Yume Factory (WYF) promotion, with Masayoshi Motegi being the first champion under the WYF banner. In 1996, the J-Crown tournament was held to unify eight different championship belts from five different organizations, including the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.[9] The tournament to determine the first J-Crown Champion was held over four nights, from August 2 to August 5, 1996, the same dates that NJPW's annual G1 Climax event took place, promoting two major tournaments on one tour.[9] Jushin Thunder Liger is credited with coming up with the idea for the J-Crown.[9] The inaugural champion was The Great Sasuke.[9] While Último Dragón was J-Crown Champion, the titles appeared on World Championship Wrestling (WCW) programming, as Dragon also held the WCW Cruiserweight Championship and the NWA World Middleweight Championship at the time.[9] When Liger was champion, he lost the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship to Yuji Yasuraoka on June 6, 1997, in Tokyo, Japan. Liger, however, continued to defend the J-Crown with seven titles instead of eight. As part of their introduction of a new WWF Light Heavyweight Championship, the WWF demanded that the then current J-Crown Champion Shinjiro Otani return the WWF Light Heavyweight belt. Otani dissolved the J-Crown on November 5, 1997, by vacating all of the component titles except for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, with the other belts being restored to their home promotions. After the dissolution of the J-Crown, the Junior Heavyweight title was returned to the NWA, who kept it vacant until March 1999, when Logan Caine won a tournament to become champion.

In 2011, The Sheik was the NWA World Heavyweight Champion but was stripped of the championship for refusing to defend against Adam Pearce.[10] The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Craig Classic vacated the title in protest. Pro Wrestling Zero1 did not recognize the vacancy and declared Classic as the real champion.

In 2014, NWA re-established its working relationship with NJPW. The champion at that time, Chase Owens, defended the title on several NJPW events. During the working relationship, Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask IV held the title. On May 1, 2017, Billy Corgan's company, Lightning One, Inc., purchased the NWA, including its name, rights, trademarks, and championships. As a result, the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship was vacated.[11] Corgan's ownership took effect on October 1, 2017.[12] The title remained vacant until March 2022 when Homicide won the title on night two of the 2022 Crockett Cup.[13]

Title history
Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
Days Number of days held
<1 Reign lasted less than a day
+ Current reign is changing daily
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days
National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)
1 Ken Fenelon May 1943 N/A N/A 1 N/A[Note 1] Fenelon was awarded the title by Paul "Pinkie" George, founder of the Iowa-based local National Wrestling Alliance promotion.
2 Marshall Esteppe May 30, 1945 House show Toronto, Iowa 1 216 This match was promoted by Paul "Pinkie" George's Iowa-based National Wrestling Alliance promotion. [14]
3 Larry Tillman January 1, 1946 House show Des Moines, Iowa 1 69 This match was promoted by Paul "Pinkie" George's Iowa-based National Wrestling Alliance promotion.
4 Ken Fenelon March 11, 1946 House show Des Moines, Iowa 2 301 This match was promoted by Paul "Pinkie" George's Iowa-based National Wrestling Alliance promotion.
5 Marshall Esteppe January 6, 1947 House show Des Moines, Iowa 2 77 This match was promoted by Paul "Pinkie" George's Iowa-based National Wrestling Alliance promotion.
6 Ray Steele March 24, 1947 House show Des Moines, Iowa 1 35 This match was promoted by Paul "Pinkie" George's Iowa-based National Wrestling Alliance promotion.
7 Marshall Esteppe April 28, 1947 House show Des Moines, Iowa 3 323 This match was promoted by Paul "Pinkie" George's Iowa-based National Wrestling Alliance promotion.
8 Billy Goelz March 16, 1948 House show Des Moines, Iowa 1 159 This match was promoted by Paul "Pinkie" George's Iowa-based National Wrestling Alliance promotion. During this reign, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is officially formed as a wrestling governing body, with the championship becoming property of the alliance and expanding out of Iowa.
9 Al Williams August 22, 1948 House show Waterloo, Iowa 1 14
10 Billy Goelz September 5, 1948 House show Waterloo, Iowa 2 114 The NWA withdrew its recognition of Goelz as champion on December 28, 1948.
11 Leroy McGuirk December 28, 1948 1948 NWA Convention Des Moines, Iowa 1 406 McGuirk previously defeated John Swenski on June 19, 1939 in California to win a version of the World Middleweight Championship; recognized as junior heavyweight champion by the NWA during its 1948 convention. McGuirk later defeats Billy Goelz to unify the National Wrestling Association's World Junior Heavyweight Championship into his NWA title.
— Vacated February 7, 1950 — — — — The championship was vacated after Leroy McGuirk retired due to being blinded in a car accident.
12 Verne Gagne November 13, 1950 House show Tulsa, Oklahoma 1 371 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. Gagne defeated Sonny Myers in a tournament final to win the vacant championship.
13 Danny McShain November 19, 1951 House show Memphis, Tennessee 1 637 This match was promoted by NWA Mid-America. McShain unified the Los Angeles version of the world title into the NWA title, defeating Rito Romero on May 25, 1952 in Los Angeles, California. Whitey Whittler defeated McShain by disqualification on October 17, 1952 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to claim a disputed version of the title; Red Berry additionally defeated McShain by disqualification on November 11, 1952 in Dallas, Texas to claim a version of the title. McShain defeated Whittler on November 14, 1952 in Oklahoma City and Berry on November 27, 1952 in Galveston, Texas to end their respective claims.
14 Baron Michele Leone August 17, 1953 House show Memphis, Tennessee 1 602 This match was promoted by NWA Mid-America.
15 Ed Francis April 11, 1955 House show Tulsa, Oklahoma 1 365 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
16 Mike Clancy April 10, 1956 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1 350 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
17 Fred Blassie March 26, 1957 House show Nashville, Tennessee 1 <1 This match was promoted by NWA Mid-America.
— Vacated March 26, 1957 — — — — The championship was vacated after the match between Freddie Blassie and Mike Clancy ended with a controversial finish.
18 Mike Clancy April 9, 1957 House show Nashville, Tennessee 2 217 This match was promoted by NWA Mid-America. Clancy defeated Fred Blassie to win the vacant championship.
— Vacated November 12, 1957 — — — — The championship was vacated after Mike Clancy defeated Jackie Fargo by disqualification.
19 Mike Clancy November 19, 1957 House show Nashville, Tennessee 3 101 This match was promoted by NWA Mid-America. Clancy defeated Fred Blassie to win the vacant championship.
20 Angelo Savoldi February 28, 1958 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1 97 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
21 Dory Funk June 5, 1958 House show Amarillo, Texas 1 36 This match was promoted by NWA Western States.
22 Angelo Savoldi July 11, 1958 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 2 224 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
23 Ivan the Terrible February 20, 1959 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1 14 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
24 Angelo Savoldi March 6, 1959 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 3 84 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [15]
25 Mike DiBiase May 29, 1959 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1 84 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
26 Angelo Savoldi August 21, 1959 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 4 336 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
27 Danny Hodge July 22, 1960 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1 1,450 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
28 Hiro Matsuda July 11, 1964 House show Tampa, Florida 1 125 This match was promoted by Championship Wrestling from Florida.
29 Angelo Savoldi November 13, 1964 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 5 161 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
30 Danny Hodge April 23, 1965 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 2 214 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
31 Lorenzo Parente November 23, 1965 House show Unknown 1 42
32 Danny Hodge January 4, 1966 House show Little Rock, Arkansas 3 10 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
33 Lorenzo Parente January 14, 1966 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 2 29 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
34 Joe McCarthy February 12, 1966 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1 80 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
35 Danny Hodge May 3, 1966 House show Little Rock, Arkansas 4 1,361 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
36 Sputnik Monroe July 13, 1970 House show Shreveport, Louisiana 1 28 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
37 Danny Hodge August 10, 1970 House show Tulsa, Oklahoma 5 283 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. Some sources list the match as taking place on September 14, 1970 in Shreveport, Louisiana. [2]
38 Roger Kirby May 20, 1971 House show New Orleans, Louisiana 1 113 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
39 Ramón Torres September 10, 1971 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1 84 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
40 Dr. X December 3, 1971 House show Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1 108 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
41 Danny Hodge March 20, 1972 House show Shreveport, Louisiana 6 639 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
42 Ken Mantell December 19, 1973 House show Jackson, Mississippi 1 542 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. [2]
† Wrestling Pro September 17, 1974 House show Mobile, Alabama 1 49 This match was promoted by Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. Wrestling Pro was only recognized in the Alabama territory. [2]
† Ken Mantell November 5, 1974 House show Mobile, Alabama 1(2) 221 This match was promoted by Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. Mantell defeated Wrestling Pro to end the Alabama branch of the championship.
43 Hiro Matsuda June 14, 1975 House show St. Petersburg, Florida 2 262 This match was promoted by Championship Wrestling from Florida.
44 Danny Hodge March 2, 1976 House show Shreveport, Louisiana 7 13 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
— Vacated March 15, 1976 — — — — Danny Hodge vacated the championship after being injured in a car accident.
45 Pat Barrett September 28, 1976 House show Shreveport, Louisiana 1 65 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State. Barrett defeated Nelson Royal in a tournament final to win the vacant championship.
46 Ron Starr December 2, 1976 House show New Orleans, Louisiana 1 4 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
47 Nelson Royal December 6, 1976 House show New Orleans, Louisiana 1 566 This match was promoted by NWA Tri-State.
48 Chavo Guerrero February 24, 1978 House show Unknown 1 42
49 Nelson Royal April 7, 1978 House show Unknown 2 79
50 Al Madril June 25, 1978 House show Houston, Texas 1 398 This match was promoted by Houston Wrestling.
51 Nelson Royal July 28, 1979 House show Unknown 3 134
— Vacated December 9, 1979 — — — — Nelson Royal vacated the championship upon retiring from wrestling.
† Steve Keirn December 10, 1979 House show Los Angeles, California 1 53 This match was promoted by Hollywood Wrestling. Keirn defeated Chavo Guerrero in a tournament final to seemingly win the vacant title, but the NWA did not recognize Keirn as champion. Keirn received recognition from the NWA territories Championship Wrestling from Florida, Hollywood Wrestling, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling; this version was later renamed the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship.
52 Ron Starr February 11, 1980 House show Tulsa, Oklahoma 2 19 This match was promoted by Mid-South Wrestling. Starr defeated Les Thornton to win the vacant championship. After his victory, Starr received recognition from the NWA as champion over international champion Steve Keirn.
53 Les Thornton March 1, 1980 House show Tulsa, Oklahoma 1 331 This match was promoted by Mid-South Wrestling. Thornton won the championship by forfeit after Ron Starr failed to appear for the match.
54 Jerry Stubbs January 26, 1981 House show Mobile, Alabama 1 5
55 Les Thornton January 31, 1981 House show Dothan, Alabama 2 127
56 Terry Taylor June 7, 1981 House show Roanoke, Virginia 1 13 This match was promoted by Southern Championship Wrestling.
57 Les Thornton June 20, 1981 House show Roanoke, Virginia 3 88 This match was promoted by Southern Championship Wrestling.
58 Jerry Brisco September 16, 1981 House show Miami, Florida 1 30 This match was promoted by Championship Wrestling from Florida
59 Les Thornton October 16, 1981 House show Knoxville, Tennessee 4 22 This match was promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions.
60 Joe Lightfoot November 7, 1981 House show Bayamón, Puerto Rico 1 7 This match was promoted by Capitol Sports Promotions.
61 Les Thornton November 14, 1981 House show San Juan, Puerto Rico 5 192 This match was promoted by Capitol Sports Promotions.
62 Tiger Mask May 25, 1982 Big Fight Series Shizuoka, Japan 1 313 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. In 1983, some North American promoters declared the title vacant due to Tiger Mask wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation, which was not a member of the NWA; however, during the annual NWA convention, the NWA announced that Tiger Mask was still recognized as the official champion and ordered its territories to recognize him as champion. [16]
— Vacated April 3, 1983 — — — — The championship was vacated after Tiger Mask suffered an injury.
63 Tiger Mask June 2, 1983 IWGP Championship League 1983 Tokyo, Japan 2 71 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Tiger Mask defeated Kuniaki Kobayashi to win the vacant championship.
— Vacated August 12, 1983 — — — — The championship was vacated after Tiger Mask retired.
64 The Cobra November 3, 1983 Toukon Series Tokyo, Japan 1 633 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The Cobra defeated Davey Boy Smith to win the vacant championship. During this reign, Les Thornton was recognized by some promoters in the United States as world champion due to The Cobra working for the World Wrestling Federation.
† Les Thornton November 14, 1983 N/A Manila, Philippines 6 201 Georgia Championship Wrestling announced that Thornton had won a (fictitious) tournament to become champion.
— Vacated June 2, 1984 — — — — American promoters vacated their version of the championship after Les Thornton joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) ahead of its takeover of Georgia Championship Wrestling. Thornton continued to bill himself as champion, defending the title on WWF events in Georgia as the "WWF Lt. Hvywt Championship".
† Hector Guerrero July 13, 1984 N/A Los Angeles, California 1 81 Jim Crockett Promotions announced that Guerrero had won a (fictitious) tournament to become champion.
† Mike Davis October 2, 1984 House show Albuquerque, New Mexico 1 112 This match was promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions.
† Denny Brown November 22, 1984 Starrcade '84: The Million Dollar Challenge Greensboro, North Carolina 1 248 This match was promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions.
65 Hiro Saito July 28, 1985 Burning Spirit in Summer Osaka, Japan 1 <1 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
66 The Cobra July 28, 1985 Burning Spirit in Summer Osaka, Japan 2 4 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
— Vacated August 1, 1985 — — — — The championship was vacated after New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the promotion which The Cobra performed for, pulled out of the NWA.
67 Denny Brown August 1, 1985 N/A N/A 1(2) 14 Brown had previously won a disputed version of the championship at Starrcade '84 by defeating Mike Davis; Brown received official recognition as champion by NWA vice president Shohei Baba, promoter of All Japan Pro Wrestling, on August 1 after New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which had controlled the championship since 1982, withdrew from the NWA.
68 Gary Royal August 15, 1985 House show Kansas City, Kansas 1 31 This match was promoted by Central States Wrestling.
69 Denny Brown September 15, 1985 House show Atlanta, Georgia 2(3) 321 This match was promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions. The match between Brown and Gary Royal later aired on NWA World Championship Wrestling via tape delay. [2]
70 Steve Regal August 2, 1986 House show Atlanta, Georgia 1 30 This match was promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions. [2]
71 Denny Brown September 1, 1986 House show Greenville, South Carolina 3(4) 187 This match was promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions. [2]
72 Lazor Tron March 7, 1987 House show Atlanta, Georgia 1(2) 215 This match was promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions. The match between Lazor Tron and Denny Brown later aired on NWA World Championship Wrestling via tape delay. Lazor Tron previously won a disputed version of the championship under the ring name Hector Guerrero. [2][17]
— Vacated October 8, 1987 — — — — The championship was vacated after Lazor Tron left Jim Crockett Promotions.
73 Nelson Royal October 16, 1987 House show Columbia, South Carolina 4 280 This match was promoted by Jim Crockett Promotions. Royal defeated Denny Brown for the vacant championship; the match between Royal and Brown later aired on NWA World Wide Wrestling via tape delay. Royal takes the title to Knoxville, Tennessee's USA Championship Wrestling promotion in May 1988. Masanobu Fuchi, All Japan Pro Wrestling's reigning World Junior Heavyweight Champion, received disputed recognition as the new champion; however, Royal continued promoting the title until 1989, when it was abandoned.
74 Scott Armstrong July 22, 1988 House show Knoxville, Tennessee 1 1 This match was promoted by USA Championship Wrestling. [2]
75 Nelson Royal July 23, 1988 House show Hazard, Kentucky 5 8 This match was promoted by USA Championship Wrestling. [2]
76 Scott Armstrong July 30, 1988 House show Chattanooga, Tennessee 2 20 This match was promoted by USA Championship Wrestling. [2]
77 Nelson Royal August 2, 1988 House show Knoxville, Tennessee 6 108 This match was promoted by USA Championship Wrestling. USA Championship Wrestling closed in October 1988; Royal later founded Atlantic Coast Wrestling in the Carolinas and continued to bill himself as world champion. [2]
78 Les Anderson November 18, 1988 House show Unknown 1 209 This match was promoted by Atlantic Coast Wrestling. This reign is recognized by the NWA but not Pro Wrestling Zero1 as part of their NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship history.
79 Rock the Hunter June 15, 1989 House show Unknown 1 27 This match was promoted by Atlantic Coast Wrestling. This reign is recognized by the NWA but not Pro Wrestling Zero1 as part of their NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship history.
80 Les Anderson December 25, 1989 House show Unknown 2 1 This match was promoted by Atlantic Coast Wrestling. This reign is recognized by the NWA but not Pro Wrestling Zero1 as part of their NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship history.
— Deactivated December 26, 1989 — — — — The championship was abandoned after Atlantic Coast Wrestling closed.
81 Masayoshi Motegi August 30, 1995 Wrestling Bargain Sale Jump! Fly! Sho! '95 Tokyo, Japan 1 338 This match was promoted by Wrestle Yume Factory. Motegi defeated El Hijo del Santo in a tournament final to revive the championship. [18]
82 The Great Sasuke August 2, 1996 G1 Climax 1996 Tokyo, Japan 1 70 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The Great Sasuke won an eight-man tournament to decide the first holder of the J-Crown, a combination of eight titles categorized junior heavyweight or lower (including the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship). These titles were still considered separate, as opposed to one unified championship, and continued to be defended separately on occasion. [18]
83 Último Dragón October 11, 1996 Osaka Crush Night! Osaka, Japan 1 85 This match was promoted by Wrestle Association R. [19]
84 Jushin Thunder Liger January 4, 1997 Wrestling World 1997 Tokyo, Japan 1 183 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. [20]
85 El Samurai July 6, 1997 Summer Struggle 1997 Sapporo, Japan 1 35 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. [20]
86 Shinjiro Otani August 10, 1997 The Four Heaven in Nagoya Dome Nagoya, Japan 1 87 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. [21]
— Vacated November 5, 1997 — — — — The championship was vacated when the J-Crown was dissolved upon the request of the World Wrestling Federation. All of the component titles were returned to their home promotions.
87 Logan Caine March 5, 1999 House show Parkersburg, West Virginia 1 237 Caine defeated Viper in a tournament final to win the vacant championship.
— Vacated October 28, 1999 — — — — The championship was vacated after Logan Caine failed to appear for a title defense against Vince Kaplack.
88 Vince Kaplack October 28, 1999 House show Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1 78 This match was promoted by Pro Wrestling eXpress. Kaplack defeated Chris Hero, who was serving as a replacement for Logan Caine.
89 Tony Kozina January 14, 2000 House show North Versailles, Pennsylvania 1 190 This match was promoted by Pro Wrestling eXpress.
90 Rockford 2000 July 22, 2000 House show Surrey, British Columbia, Canada 1 35 This match was promoted by NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling.
91 Tony Kozina August 30, 2000 N/A N/A 2 39 Kozina was awarded the championship by NWA officials after Rockford's victory over him was reversed.
92 Vince Kaplack October 14, 2000 NWA 52nd Anniversary Show Nashville, Tennessee 2 175
93 Rocky Reynolds April 7, 2001 House show Pennsboro, West Virginia 1 27 This match was promoted by NWA Southwest.
94 Mike Thunder May 4, 2001 House show North Richland Hills, Texas 1 109 This match was promoted by NWA Southwest.
95 Lex Lovett August 21, 2001 House show Tampa, Florida 1 53
96 Jason Rumble October 13, 2001 NWA 53rd Anniversary Show Saint Petersburg, Florida 1 112 Rumble defeated Lex Lovett, Jimmy Rave, Brandon K, and BJ Turner in a five-way match.
97 Rocky Reynolds February 2, 2002 House show Titusville, Pennsylvania 2 14 This match was promoted by Pro Wrestling eXpress.
98 Jason Rumble February 16, 2002 House show Malden, Massachusetts 2 49
99 Rocky Reynolds April 6, 2002 House show Parkersburg, West Virginia 3 56
100 Jimmy Rave June 29, 2002 House show Cornelia, Georgia 1 42 This match was promoted by NWA Wildside. Rave defeated Rocky Reynolds and Jeremy Lopez in a three-way match.
101 Star August 10, 2002 House show Columbia, Tennessee 1 7
102 Jimmy Rave August 17, 2002 House show Columbia, Tennessee 2 154
103 Brother Love January 18, 2003 House show Greenville, Mississippi 1 140
104 Rocky Reynolds June 7, 2003 House show Parkersburg, West Virginia 4 56
105 Chris Draven August 2, 2003 House show Parkersburg, West Virginia 1 161
106 Jerrelle Clark January 10, 2004 House show St. Petersburg, Florida 1 281
107 Jason Rumble October 17, 2004 NWA 56th Anniversary Show Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 3 312 Rumble defeated Jerrelle Clark and Vance Desmond in a three-way match.
108 Black Tiger IV August 25, 2005 House show Columbia, Tennessee 1 178
109 Tiger Mask IV February 19, 2006 Circuit 2006 Acceleration Tokyo, Japan 1 446 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. [22][23]
110 Mike Quackenbush May 11, 2007 Chapter Two Portage, Indiana 1 1,275 This match was promoted by Fight Sports Midwest. [23]
111 Craig Classic November 6, 2010 November Coming Fire Fort Pierce, Florida 1 247 This match was promoted by NWA Florida.
— Vacated September 20, 2011 — — — — Classic relinquished the title in protest of The Sheik being stripped of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Classic brought his own version of the title to Pro Wrestling Zero1, which is referred as the "New Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Championship".
112 Kevin Douglas October 7, 2011 House show Charlotte, North Carolina 1 373 This match was promoted by NWA Revival. Douglas defeated Chase Owens in a tournament final to win the vacant championship.
— Vacated October 13, 2012 — — — — Kevin Douglas was stripped of the title for no-showing a scheduled title defense on October 13, 2012 against Chase Owens. A one-night tournament was held in Kingsport, Tennessee in lieu of the Douglas-Owens match.
113 Chase Owens October 13, 2012 House show Kingsport, Tennessee 1 301 This match was promoted by NWA Smoky Mountain. Owens defeated Matt Conard and Zac Vincent in a three-way tournament final.
114 Jason Kincaid August 10, 2013 House show Kingsport, Tennessee 1 69 This match was promoted by NWA Smoky Mountain.
115 Chase Owens October 18, 2013 House show Houston, Texas 2 78 This match was promoted by NWA Houston.
116 Ricky Morton January 4, 2014 House show Kingsport, Tennessee 1 62 This match was promoted by NWA Smoky Mountain.
117 Chase Owens March 7, 2014 House show Church Hill, Tennessee 3 246 This match was promoted by NWA Smoky Mountain.
118 Jushin Thunder Liger November 8, 2014 Power Struggle Osaka, Japan 2 156 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. [24]
119 Steve Anthony April 13, 2015 Casino Royale Las Vegas, Nevada 1 163 This match was promoted by Vendetta Pro Wrestling.
120 Tiger Mask IV September 23, 2015 Destruction in Okayama Okayama, Japan 2 178 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. [25]
121 Steve Anthony March 19, 2016 Road to Invasion Attack 2016 Nagoya, Japan 2 112 This match was promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. [25]
122 John Saxon July 9, 2016 House show Pensacola, Florida 1 275
123 Arrick Andrews April 8, 2017 House show Dyersburg, Tennessee 1 41 This match was promoted by NWA Mid-South.
124 Mr. USA May 19, 2017 House show Franklin, Kentucky 1 85 This match was promoted by NWA New South.
125 Barrett Brown August 12, 2017 House show Dyersburg, Tennessee 1 49 This match was promoted by NWA Mid-South.
— Vacated September 30, 2017 — — — — The championship was vacated after the NWA terminated its contracts with its licensees.
National Wrestling Alliance/Lightning One Inc.
126 Homicide March 20, 2022 The Crockett Cup
Night 2		 Nashville, Tennessee 1 237 Homicide defeated Austin Aries, Colby Corino, and Darius Lockhart in a four-way match to win the vacant championship. [26]
127 Kerry Morton November 12, 2022 Hard Times 3 New Orleans, Louisiana 1 347 [27]
128 Colby Corino August 26, 2023 NWA 75th Anniversary Show St. Louis, Missouri 1 60+

Combined reigns
Most combined days at a record-setting 4,134 days & record 7-time champion Danny Hodge
† Indicates the current champion
Rank Wrestler No. of
reigns		 Combined days
1 Danny Hodge74,134
2 Mike Quackenbush11,275
3 Angelo Savoldi5902
4 Nelson Royal6846
5 Mike Clancy3768
6 Denny Brown3(4)756
7 Danny McShain1637
The Cobra2637
9 Chase Owens3626
10 Tiger Mask IV2624
11 Baron Michele Leone1602
12 Hiro Matsuda2548
13 Ken Mantell1(2)493
14 Jason Rumble3473
15 Les Thornton6429
16 Leroy McGuirk1406
17 Al Madril1398
18 Tiger Mask2384
19 Kevin Douglas1373
20 Verne Gagne1371
21 Marshall Esteppe3370
22 Ed Francis1364
23 Jushin Thunder Liger2339
24 Masayoshi Motegi1338
25 Ken Fenelon2301
26 Kerry Morton1290
27 Jerrelle Clark1281
28 Steve Anthony2275
John Saxon1275
30 Vince Kaplack2253
31 Craig Classic1247
32 Homicide1237
Logan Caine1237
34 Tony Kozina2229
35 Jimmy Rave2196
36 Rocky Reynolds4181
37 Black Tiger IV1178
38 Chris Draven1161
39 Billy Goelz2159
40 Brother Love1140
41 Roger Kirby1113
— Mike Davis1†112
42 Mike Thunder1109
43 Dr. X1108
44 Shinjiro Otani187
45 Mr. USA185
Último Dragón185
47 Mike DiBiase184
Ramón Torres184
49 Hector Guerrero/Lazor Tron1(2)81
50 Joe McCarthy180
51 Chavo Guerrero Sr.279
52 Lorenzo Parente271
53 The Great Sasuke170
54 Pat Barrett169
Larry Tillman169
Jason Kincaid169
57 Ricky Morton162
58 Colby Corino †160+[28]
59 Lex Lovett153
— Wrestling Pro1†49
60 Barrett Brown149
61 Arrick Andrews141
62 Dory Funk136
63 Ray Steele135
El Samurai135
65 Gary Royal131
66 Steve Regal130
67 Sputnik Monroe128
68 Al Williams114
Ivan The Terrible114
70 Joe Lightfoot17
Star17
72 Jerry Stubbs15
73 Ron Starr24
74 Scott Armstrong21
Les Anderson21
76 Hiro Saito1<1
Fred Blassie1<1
77 Rock the Hunter1N/A

Notes
  1. The exact date that Fenelon won the championship is uncertain, which means the reign lasted between 730 days and 760 days.

See also

References
  1. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  2. "National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  3. Schire, George (2010). Minnesota's Golden Age of Wrestling. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-873-51620-4.
  4. Hornbaker, Tim (2020). National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Professional Wrestling. ECW Press. pp. 224–225. ISBN 978-1-554-90274-3. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021.
  5. "NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship – NWA Ringside". www.ringside.nwaondemand.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  6. Sullivan, Kevin; et al. (2020). WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. DK Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-241-48806-5. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021.
  7. "N.W.A. International Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
  8. "N.W.A. World Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  9. Clevett, Jason (November 4, 2004). "The legend of Jushin "Thunder" Liger". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  10. "Breaking News! NWA World Title Stripped". NWA Wrestling on Facebook. July 11, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  11. Johnson, Mike (2017-05-01). "Exclusive: Billy Corgan finalizes deal to purchase..." Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
  12. Johnson, Mike (2017-10-02). "Corgan's reign as NWA owner begins, full details". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  13. Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 2022). "NWA The Crockett Cup 2022 - Tag 2". Cagematch.net. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  14. Hoops, Brian (May 30, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 30): Inoki beats Andre to win MSG League, Garea & Calhoun win WWWF tag titles, Gagne vs. Funk Jr., UFC booker wins title". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  15. Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary. "NWA World Junior Heavyweight title history". Solie.org. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  16. Hoops, Brian (May 25, 2015). "On this day in pro wrestling history (May 25): Rockers last match in AWA, Tiger Mask wins NWA Jr. Heavyweight gold, Russian amateur wrestler beats Vader". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  17. Hoops, Brian (March 7, 2020). "Daily Pro Wrestling history (03/07): Bruno Sammartino vs. Giant Baba". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  18. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Championship - title reigns - 30.08.1995 - 02.08.1996: Masayoshi Motegi". Cagematch.net. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  19. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Championship - title reigns - 11.10.1996 - 04.01.1997: Ultimo Dragon". Cagematch.net. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  20. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Championship - title reigns - 04.01.1997 - 06.07.1997: Jushin Thunder Liger". Cagematch.net. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  21. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Championship - title reigns - 10.08.1997 - 05.11.1997: Shinjiro Otani". Cagematch.net. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  22. Hoops, Brian (February 19, 2017). "Daily Pro Wrestling History (02/19): Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker at No Way Out 2006". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  23. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Championship - title reigns - 19.02.2006 - 11.05.2007: Tiger Mask". Cagematch.net. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  24. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Championship - title reigns - 08.11.2014 - 13.04.2015: Jushin Thunder Liger". Cagematch.net. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  25. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Championship - title reigns - 23.09.2015 - 19.03.2016: Tiger Mask (2)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  26. Kreikenbohm, Philip (March 20, 2022). "NWA The Crockett Cup 2022 - Tag 2 - Pay Per View @ Fairgrounds Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee, USA". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  27. MacDonald, Josiah (November 12, 2022). "NWA Hard Times 3 live results: Trevor Murdoch vs. Tyrus vs. Matt Cardona". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  28. As of October 25, 2023.
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