NWA United States Heavyweight Championship



In the Classic Era, the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship was a title in the Heavyweight class of the National Wrestling Alliance.

History
At the start of the Classic Era, the National Wrestling Alliance allowed for territories to establish their own version of the Championship. The World Wide Wrestling Federation would eventually have their own as well for a brief time, claiming its lineage from their former NWA Capitol Wrestling territory.

In 1974, Jim Crockett Promotions decided to have their own version as well, taking over as the top regional title for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship, though the Mid-Atlantic title would continue on until 1986. At the time of JCP's decision to have a US Champion, NWA Big Time of Detroit, NWA Big Time of San Francisco, and even Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto had theirs. JCP's tournament for the title would be won by Harley Race in Tallahassee on January 1, 1975.

In 1977, Maple Leaf Wrestling would see their champion, the Sheik depart and recognition of the JCP title would begin, with the understanding of Sheik not agreeing to a unification bout with Ric Flair. The Sheik would also be the Big Time Detroit US Champion when that league folded in 1980. In 1981, Dusty Rhodes was US Champion in Big Time San Francisco, but then that league folded. At this time, Flair was again US Champion out of JCP, soon losing it to Roddy Piper who was now the undisputed US Champion representing the NWA.

In 1988, JCP was sold to Turner Broadcasting and would eventually become known as World Championship Wrestling. In 1991, the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship was rebranded as the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. At the time of this rebrand, Lex Luger was Champion.

The official lineage of the title begins in 1975 with the JCP version only being counted.

List of Champions

 * Harley Race (1975)
 * Johnny Valentine (1975)
 * Terry Funk (1975)
 * Paul Jones (1975-76)(1976)(1976)
 * Blackjack Mulligan (1976)(1976)(1976-77)(1978)
 * Bobo Brazil (1977)
 * Ric Flair (1977)(1978)(1979)(1980)(1980-81)
 * Ricky Steamboat (1977-78)(1978-79)(1984)
 * Mr Wrestling (1978)
 * Jimmy Snuka (1979-80)
 * Greg Valentine (1980)(1982-83)(1983)
 * Roddy Piper (1981)(1983)
 * Wahoo McDaniel (1981)(1982)(1982)(1984-85)
 * Sgt Slaughter (1981-82)(1982)
 * Dick Slater (1983-84)
 * Magnum TA (1985)(1985-86)
 * Tully Blanchard (1985)
 * Nikita Koloff (1986-87)
 * Lex Luger (1987)(1989)(1989-90)(1990)
 * Dusty Rhodes (1987-88)
 * Barry Windham (1988-89)
 * Michael Hayes (1989)
 * Stan Hansen (1990)