AWA World Heavyweight Championship

On this page, you find the full Title History for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, with all Championship Info, Statistics, the Belt Design changes through the years, and the full list of Title Reigns, along with dates, events, and reign durations.

The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was a World Title contested in American Wrestling Association, by men wrestlers.

The championship was first established on May 18, 1960, and the inaugural champion was Pat O'Connor.

The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was retired on August 1, 1991, when it was unified into the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, with the final champion being Larry Zbyszko.

AWA World Heavyweight Championship: Title History

For the Title History of the championship in which this title was unified into, see the page for the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship.

AWA World Heavyweight Championship: Title Reigns

N.	Image	Champion	Reign
	Deactivated into the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship August 1, 1991 The championship was deactivated when AWA closed in August 1991.
		Vacant December 12, 1990 The title was held up when Larry Zbyszko left the inactive AWA for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Official kayfabe reason was that Zbyszko refused to defend the title on a tour of Japan.	232 days
38		Larry Zbyszko 2 April 8, 1990 Saint Paul, Minnesota	248 days
37		Masa Saito 1 February 10, 1990 Tokyo, Japan	57 days
36		Larry Zbyszko 1 February 7, 1989 Saint Paul, Minnesota \| House show Zbyszko won a battle royal, last eliminating Tom Zenk to win the vacant title.	368 days
		Vacant January 20, 1989 Jerry Lawler was stripped of the championship after the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) split from the AWA.	18 days
35		Jerry "The King" Lawler 1 May 9, 1988 Memphis, TN \| House show Lawler later defeated Kerry Von Erich on December 13, 1988, in Chicago to win the WCCW World Heavyweight Championship to become the first (USWA) Unified World Champion.	256 days
34		Curt Hennig 1 May 2, 1987 Daly City, CA The title was held up immediately due to controversy over interference by Larry Zbyszko but returned to Hennig days later after the AWA Championship Committee found no no evidence of interference. On February 16, 1988, the title was again held up after a no-contest between Hennig and The Grappler in Portland, OR. Hennig regained the title on March 5 in Portland, when his replacement, The Assassin, defeated The Grappler. AWA recognized Hennig's title reign as continuous.	373 days
33		Nick Bockwinkel 4 June 28, 1986 Denver, Colorado \| House show Bockwinkel was awarded the championship when Stan Hansen left the AWA.	308 days
32		Stan Hansen 1 December 29, 1985 East Rutherford, NJ \| House show Hansen defended the title on All Japan Pro Wrestling cards in July 1986.	181 days
31		Rick Martel 1 May 13, 1984 Saint Paul, Minnesota \| House show	595 days
30		Jumbo Tsuruta 1 February 22, 1984 Tokyo, Japan \| House show	81 days
29		Nick Bockwinkel 3 October 9, 1982 Chicago, Illinois \| House show The title was held up on December 27, 1982, after a match with Jerry Lawler, and was restored to Bockwinkel after defeating Lawler in a rematch on January 10, 1983. The AWA retroactively recognized Bockwinkel's title reign as continuous.	501 days
28		Otto Wanz 1 August 29, 1982 Saint Paul, Minnesota \| House show	41 days
27		Nick Bockwinkel 2 May 19, 1981 Bockwinkel was awarded the championship. On 18/4/1982 Hulk Hogan defeats Bockwinkel for the title, Bockwinkel was restored the title by AWA president Stanley Blackburn due to Hogan having used a foreign object during the match.	467 days
26		Verne Gagne 10 July 18, 1980 Chicago, Illinois Gagne retired from active wrestling while still the champion.	305 days
25		Nick Bockwinkel 1 November 8, 1975 Saint Paul, Minnesota \| House show	1714 days
24		Verne Gagne 9 August 31, 1968 Minneapolis, MN \| House show	2625 days
23		Doctor X 1 August 17, 1968 Bloomington, Minnesota \| House show	14 days
22		Verne Gagne 8 February 26, 1967 Saint Paul, Minnesota \| House show	538 days
21		Mad Dog Vachon 5 November 19, 1966 Omaha, Nebraska \| House show	99 days
20		Dick The Bruiser 1 November 12, 1966 Omaha, Nebraska \| House show	7 days
19		Mad Dog Vachon 4 November 12, 1965 Denver, Colorado \| House show Mr. Wrestling defeats Mad Dog Vachon for the title on 12/11/1965, AWA president Stanley Blackburn nullified the previous title change, as Mr. Wrestling's legs were on the rope during the pinfall. Vachon defeated Mr. Wrestling in a rematch for the title.	365 days
18		The Crusher 3 August 21, 1965 Saint Paul, Minnesota \| House show	83 days
17		Mad Dog Vachon 3 May 22, 1965 Omaha, Nebraska \| House show	91 days
16		Mighty Igor Vodic May 15, 1965 Omaha, Nebraska \| House show	7 days
15		Mad Dog Vachon 2 October 20, 1964 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| House show	207 days
14		Verne Gagne 7 May 16, 1964 Omaha, Nebraska \| House show	157 days
13		Mad Dog Vachon 1 May 2, 1964 Omaha, Nebraska \| House show	14 days
12		Verne Gagne 6 December 14, 1963 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| House show	140 days
11		The Crusher 2 November 16, 1963 Saint Paul, Minnesota \| House show	28 days
10		Verne Gagne 5 August 8, 1963 Amarillo, Texas \| House show Fritz Von Erich's Omaha Championship was not at stake. On September 7, 1963, Gagne defeated Von Erich in Omaha to unify both titles.	100 days
9		Fritz von Erich 1 July 27, 1963 Omaha, Nebraska \| House show Von Erich won both the AWA Championship and the Omaha Championship.	12 days
8		Verne Gagne 4 July 20, 1963 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| House show Gagne won both the AWA Championship and the Omaha Championship.	7 days
7		The Crusher 1 July 9, 1963 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| House show The Crusher also won the Omaha version of World Heavyweight Championship from Verne Gagne on February 15, 1963, in Omaha, Nebraska.	11 days
6		Verne Gagne 3 August 21, 1962 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| House show	322 days
5		Mr. M January 9, 1962 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| House show	224 days
4		Verne Gagne 2 August 8, 1961 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| House show	154 days
3		Gene Kiniski July 11, 1961 Minneapolis, Minnesota \| House show	28 days
2		Verne Gagne 1 August 16, 1960 Gagne was awarded the championship after Pat O'Connor failed to defend the title.	329 days
1		Pat O'Connor 1 May 18, 1960 O'Connor, NWA World Heavyweight Championship since 1959, was recognized as the first AWA World Champion in May 1960, but was given 90 days to defend the title against Verne Gagne or be stripped of the title.	90 days

AWA World Heavyweight Championship: Names & Belt Designs

- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipJune 28, 1986August 1, 1991
- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipMay 19, 1981June 28, 1986
- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNovember 8, 1975May 19, 1981
- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipAugust 31, 1968November 8, 1975
- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipFebruary 26, 1967August 31, 1968
- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNovember 12, 1965February 26, 1967
- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipOctober 20, 1964November 12, 1965
- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipMay 18, 1960October 20, 1964

AWA World Heavyweight Championship: Statistics

Promotions History
Promotion from to
PromotionAWA May 18, 1960 August 1, 1991

Promotion	from	to
PromotionAWA	May 18, 1960	August 1, 1991

Promotion American Wrestling Association
TerritoryWorld Tier 2
DivisionPrimary
GenderMale
Date EstablishedMay 18, 1960
Date RetiredAugust 1, 1991
Unified Into USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship

First ChampionPat O'Connor
Final ChampionLarry Zbyszko

Most Number of Reigns

Rank	Wrestler	Reigns
	Verne Gagne	10
	Mad Dog Vachon	5
	Nick Bockwinkel	4
	The Crusher	3
	Larry Zbyszko	2

Most Combined Days

Rank	Wrestler	Days
	Verne Gagne	4677
	Nick Bockwinkel	2990
	Mad Dog Vachon	776
	Larry Zbyszko	616
	Rick Martel	595

Longest Reigns

Wrestler	Reign	Days
Verne Gagne	August 31, 1968 - November 8, 1975	2625
Nick Bockwinkel	November 8, 1975 - July 18, 1980	1714
Rick Martel	May 13, 1984 - December 29, 1985	595
Verne Gagne	February 26, 1967 - August 17, 1968	538
Nick Bockwinkel	October 9, 1982 - February 22, 1984	501