NWA Roster in 1956: Full List of Wrestlers, Teams, Champions

National Wrestling Alliance: Rosters History Database

On this page you find the full NWA Roster in the year 1956. This includes the list of all NWA Wrestlers, division between Men and Women Rosters, active Tag Teams & Stables, the current reigning Champions, as well as Managers, Announcers, Authority figures, Producers and other personalities in National Wrestling Alliance.

Our complete Pro Wrestlers Database allows you to travel through time and see the NWA Roster by Year or any specific Date in history. Simply use the filters below! You even have the option to view a breakdown of the rosters split by Face and Heel divisions.

See Roster by Date

1956

NWA: All (66)

"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers

Ted the Wrestling Bear

Toots Mondt

Verne Gagne

Vincent J. McMahon

Men

Women

Teams

Champions

NWA World Heavyweight Championship	Lou Thesz Won: November 9, 1956 St. Louis, MO \| House show During this reign, Édouard Carpentier was awarded the title when Lou Thesz could not continue the match due to a back injury, but in some territories Thesz continued to be recognized as NWA World Heavyweight Champion, while in others Carpentier was billed as the champion. Thesz then won a rematch against Carpentier. After some controversies, these two title changes were not recognized.	52+ days
	Whipper Billy Watson Won: March 15, 1956 Toronto, Ontario, Canada \| House show	239 days
	Lou Thesz Won: November 27, 1949 Awarded of the title when Orville Brown suffered career-ending injuries in an automobile accident on November 1, 1949. During this reign, Leo Nomellini defeated Lou Thesz and both wrestlers continued to claim the title, then Thesz defeated Nomellini in a rematch. These two title changes were not officially recognized.	2300 days

NWA Louisiana State Championship

Jack Curtis

Won: November 4, 1955 Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Live Show

423+

days

NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship	El Medíco Won: November 23, 1956 Houston, Texas \| House show	38+ days
	Bull Curry Won: March 26, 1956 Fort Worth, Texas \| House show	242 days
	Don Evans Won: March 19, 1956 Fort Worth, Texas \| House show	7 days
	Bull Curry Won: February 21, 1956 Dallas, Texas \| House show	27 days
	Danny McShain Won: February 10, 1956 Houston, Texas \| House show	11 days
	Rocky Columbo Won: February 8, 1956 Texas \| House show It is not clear who Columbo defeated to win the championship	2 days
	Duke Keomuka Won: December 6, 1955 Dallas, Texas \| House show	64 days

NWA United States Heavyweight Championship	Hans Schmidt Won: October 19, 1956 Chicago, Illinois \| House show	73+ days
	Wilbur Snyder Won: April 7, 1956 Chicago, Illinois \| House show	195 days
	Verne Gagne Won: September 3, 1953 Chicago, Illinois \| House show Gagne was awarded the championship	947 days

NWA Texas Tag Team Championship	Ray Gunkel & The Amazing Zuma Won: October 22, 1956 Ft. Worth, Texas \| House show	70+ days
	Gene Kelly & Len Crosby Won: September 18, 1956 Dallas, Texas \| House show	34 days
	Ray Gunkel & Herb Freeman Won: September 11, 1956 Dallas, Texas \| House show	7 days
	Duke Keomuka & Tony Martin Won: July 27, 1956 Houston, Texas \| House show	46 days
	Mike DiBiase & Danny Plechas Won: June 30, 1956 Houston, Texas \| House show Win 4-team tournament.	27 days
	Vacant Won: June 27, 1956 championship vacated for undocumented reasons	3 days
	Mike DiBiase & Danny Plechas Won: June 12, 1956 Dallas, Texas \| House show Defeated Don Evans and Duke Keomuka.	15 days
	Vacant Won: June 4, 1956 championship vacated for undocumented reasons	8 days

View All Reigns

NWA Mid-Southern Tag Team Championship	George Becker & Jack Witzig Won: September 17, 1956 Charlotte, North Carolina \| House Show Defends Charlotte version in Nashville.	105+ days
	Jim Austeri & Tiny Mills Won: June 26, 1956 Nashville, Tennessee \| House Show	83 days
	Leo Garibaldi & Chick Garibaldi Won: June 1, 1956 Tennessee \| House Show Defends Charlotte version in Nashville.	25 days
	Vacant Won: November 26, 1954	553 days

NWA World Tag Team Championship

Pat O'Connor & Tony Baillargeon

Won: June 20, 1953 Saint Paul, Minnesota | House show

1290+

days

NWA International Tag Team Championship

Ivan Kalmikoff & Karol Kalmikoff

Won: October 1, 1955 Minnesota | House show

Claim the title "after winning tournaments in Canada, South America, and various European countries" (Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN, 55-11-01); start claiming World Title sometime after 56-01-03 and defeat another claimant team Lord Athol Layton & Bobby Managoff on 56-03-06 in Minneapolis, MN.

457+

days

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship		Mike Clancy Won: April 10, 1956 Oklahoma City, OK \| House show	265+ days
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship		Ed Francis Won: April 11, 1955 Tulsa, OK \| House show	365 days

NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship

Frank Stojack

Won: August 10, 1953 Spokane, Washington | Live event

1239+

days

NWA World Middleweight Championship		Rolando Vera Won: October 19, 1956 Monterrey, Nuevo León \| Live event	73+ days
NWA World Middleweight Championship		El Santo Won: January 1, 1954 Mexico City, Mexico \| Live event	1022 days

NWA World Welterweight Championship

Blue Demon

Won: July 25, 1953 Mexico City, Mexico | EMLL 20 Aniversario

1255+

days

NWA Women's Championship

The Fabulous Moolah

Won: September 18, 1956 Baltimore, MD | Live Event

During this reigns the following title changes took place: Bette Boucher, then The Fabulous Moolah, then Yukiko Tomoe, then The Fabulous Moolah, then Evelyn Stevens, then The Fabulous Moolah; however, WWE recognizes Moolah's reign as being uninterrupted until 1984. The title was known as the NWA World Women's Championship until May 19, 1984, when Moolah sold the rights to the championship to the WWF, and the title was renamed to WWF Women's Championship.

104+

days

NWA Women's Championship	The Fabulous Moolah Won: September 18, 1956 Baltimore, MD \| Live event Won a 13-Woman Battle Royal to win the vacant title.	104+ days
	Vacant Won: January 1, 1956 In 1956, the NWA promoters of New York, New Jersey and Baltimore stopped recognizing June Byers as champion and she was stripped of the championship by the Baltimore Athletic Commission.	261 days
	June Byers Won: August 20, 1954 Atlanta, GA \| Live event The commission stopped the 2 out 3 Falls Match between Burke and Byers at the end of the second fall, stripped Burke of the title and awarded it to Byers.	499 days

NWA Minnesota Women's Championship

Shirley Strimple

Won: December 30, 1955 St. Paul, Minnesota | House Show

Defeats Lorraine Johnson to win the vacant championship.

367+

days

NWA World Ladies Tag Team Championship	June Byers & Mars Bennett Won: August 15, 1956 Live event The titles history is unrecorded from 1956-07-30 to 1956-08-15, and then from 1956-08-15 to 1957-02-01.	138+ days
	Penny Banner & Bonnie Watson Won: July 30, 1956 Live event The titles history is unrecorded from 1956-03-01 to 1956-07-30, and then from 1956-07-30 to 1956-08-15.	16 days
	Daisy Mae & Golden Venus Won: March 1, 1956 West Virginia \| Live event The titles history is unrecorded from 1956-03-01 to 1956-07-30, and then from 1956-07-30 to 1956-08-15. Mae & Venus were recognized as champions only in West Virginia.	151 days
	Penny Banner & Lorraine Johnson Won: May 11, 1955 Ohio \| Live event The titles history is unrecorded from 1955-05-11 to 1956-03-01, and then from 1956-03-01 to 1956-07-30. Banner & Johnson won a tournament to be crowned champions, but it isn't known who they defeated to win the titles.	295 days

Extras

The profile of each NWA wrestler features their Career History, Ring Names, Face / Heel Turns, Accomplishments, Pictures, Bio and more information and statistics.

Also, check out these useful articles we put together:

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Davey Castegnaro · 9 minutes ago
2 things:

1. What an absolutely beautiful Tribute Episode to PAC on Dynamite tonight. They've done beautiful Tribute Shows for Mr. Brodie Lee, Jay Briscoe & The Butcher. But tonight I think was easily the best tribute show they've ever put on. Props to AEW and the entire AEW Locker room!! I will always remember tonight's episode for as long as I live!

2. Since their contracts supposedly expire October 1st (tomorrow), Max Caster & Anthony Bowens are free agents.
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Keith Meyer · 23 hours ago
Layla diggs ain't injured anymore cuz she is in the Battle Royal for next week in NXT for the number one contender for that XT women's champion
- 4 Up 3 Down
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Haley McCrary · 1 days ago
Shawn Spears is inactive I haven't seen him in a hot minute same with niko vance
- 4 Up 2 Down
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MrAicrow · 1 days ago
So, Keanu Carver is in some hot water it seems
- 3 Up 2 Down
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zay · 1 days ago
Again, im not sure if this is correct but Jacob and The Usos are most definitely faces, especially after last night, Roman's still a heel tho
- 2 Up 3 Down
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Wright · 1 days ago
Solo Sikoa is billed at 113 kg (250 lbs) after his NXT run.
- 4 Up 2 Down
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Nkrst · 1 days ago
Jaida Parker debuted on RAW as a heel and joined the 946
- 6 Up 2 Down
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smah · 1 days ago
i know it's weird but oba should probably be moved to mid card for now. he isn't feuding with roman or any other upper carders at the moment. i'm sure he will eventually but right now he's feuding with the vision, specifically bronson reed and bron breakker. either that or move the vision (or at least just those two, maybe not logan and theory) up to upper card.
- 2 Up 7 Down
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Roy · 1 days ago
also like i said… if 946 is heel, the bloodline is either face or tweeners, more of tweeners i feel.
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Roy · 2 days ago
jaida parker debuts on raw as a heel
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Jackson Conley · 2 days ago
I KNEW THAT WHEN THEY WENT INTO THAT ROOM SOMEBODY WOULD JOIN 946! Just not this way! Wow. Just wow. WWE is doing pretty good now.
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Gwenykka Smith · 2 days ago
Welcome to RAW, Jaida Parker! I do believe we are close to a Naomi return now.
- 3 Up 2 Down
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MrAicrow · 2 days ago
Jaida Parker is on Raw as a member of 946

Gonna be awkward between her and Jey
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Draysin Martin · 2 days ago
Jaida Parker is Officially on The Red Brand & apart of 946
- 5 Up 3 Down
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DJ Aphrodite Henrys Bartholomews The Second Cometh · 2 days ago
Commentary Swap Joe Tess and Wade to Raw and Michael and Corey to Smackdown
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Wayne Desjardins · 2 days ago
I retired form here but I just wanna say rip pac🕊
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Haley McCrary · 2 days ago
I just heard the news rip pac will never be forgotten
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Constance Affinito · 2 days ago
Rest in peace, Neville! It really came as a surprise
- 4 Up 2 Down
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Roy · 2 days ago
PAC put on a great show against andrade last night, unfortunately we never wouldve thought it was going to be his last. He did it for his fans and family, sure as hell did it for the Death Riders too. RIP PAC
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Max · 2 days ago
I can’t believe it Pac/Neville has died wrestled an amazing match at all out no one could of predicted that was his last day 😭😭😭
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