Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship Explained

Championshipname:Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship
Promotion:Mid-South Wrestling Association
Created:June 23, 1969
Mostreigns:Bill Watts (9 reigns)
Firstchamp:Chuck Karbo
Longestreign:Bill Watts
(days)
Shortestreign:Nikolai Volkoff
(1 day)
Oldest:The Great Zimm (At least 43 years, 90 days)
Youngest:Ted DiBiase (22 years, 320 days)
Heaviest:Ernie Ladd (325lb)
Lightest:Terry Taylor (225lb)
Pastnames:
  • NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State)
  • MSWA North American Heavyweight Championship

The Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in the Mid-South Wrestling Association from 1979 until the promotion became the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986. The title was retired then in favor of the UWF Heavyweight Championship. The promotion was originally a member of the National Wrestling Alliance referred to as NWA Tri-State, hence the title was originally the Tri-State version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship from 1969 to 1979.

Title history

width=20%Wrestler:width=5% Times:width=17%Date:width=15%Location:width=43%Notes:
NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version)
Chuck Karbo1June 23, 1969Wins a tournament to become the first champion.
Danny Hodge1August 15, 1969Little Rock, AR
Chuck Karbo2October 6, 1969
Danny Hodge2October 21, 1969Little Rock, AR
Chuck Karbo3October 23, 1969
Tarzan Baxter1October 31, 1969Oklahoma City, OK
The Spoiler1February 17, 1970Little Rock, AR
Danny Hodge3March 1970
The Spoiler 2March 20, 1970Oklahoma City, OK
Bill Watts1April 12, 1970Tulsa, OK
Dusty Rhodes1May 21, 1971Shreveport, LA
Bill Watts2October 1971Sometime before October 19, 1971.
The Stomper1March 1972
Bill Watts3April 19, 1972
Dale Lewis1May 15, 1972Shreveport, LA
Bill Watts4May 22, 1972Shreveport, LADeclared vacant in the Tri-State area in August 1973 when Watts leaves the area; Watts continues to defend in Florida and Georgia.
Tri-State version while Watts was in Georgia/Florida
Tank Morgan1November 12, 1973Shreveport, LADefeats Dewey Robertson in tournament final for Tri-State Version.
Rip Tyler1February 11, 1974Shreveport, LA
Apache Bull Ramos1April 1974
Buddy Colt1May 3, 1974[1]
Bob Armstrong1June 8, 1974
Armand Hussian1July 29, 1974Shreveport, LA
Skandor Akbar1December 1974Shreveport, LA
Buddy Colt2February 1975
Bill Watts5February 21, 1975
Danny Miller1May 14, 1975Jackson, MS
Dick Murdoch1June 5, 1975New Orleans, LA
Killer Karl Kox1October 28, 1975Shreveport, LA
Bill Watts6November 26, 1975Jackson, MSDefeats Kox to end the dispute. Has been recognized as champion in Florida and Georgia to unifies the Tri-State version.
The Spoiler3November 9, 1976Shreveport, LA
The Brute1November 23, 1976Awarded after defending title for The Spoiler.
Ted DiBiase1December 1976
The Great Zimm1February 1977Shreveport, LA
Dick Murdoch2March 1, 1977Shreveport, LA
Stan Hansen1May 2, 1977Tulsa, OK
Bill Watts7June 20, 1977Tulsa, OK
Dick Murdoch3August 4, 1977
Jerry Oates1August 1977Albuquerque, NM
Dick Murdoch4November 6, 1977Shreveport, LA
Ernie Ladd1February 14, 1978Shreveport, LA
Paul Orndorff1May 29, 1978Tulsa, OK
Ernie Ladd2June 1978
Paul Orndorff2June 1978
Stan Hansen2July 1978
Paul Orndorff3July 29, 1978Baton Rouge, LA
Ernie Ladd3August 15, 1978
Ray Candy1November 17, 1978Shreveport, LA
Ernie Ladd4December 25, 1978Wins by forfeit.
Mr. Wrestling II1February 16, 1979Atlanta, GABecame MSWA Title in August 1979.
Renamed Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship
Mike George1September 5, 1979Shreveport, LAWrestling II is still/again billed as champion in Georgia as of October 19, 1979.[2]
Bill Watts8December 4, 1979Baton Rouge, LA
Mike George2December 6, 1979?Title returned.
Bill Watts9January 5, 1980Alexandria, LA
Mike George3January 19, 1980Alexandria, LA
Ted DiBiase2February 1, 1980Shreveport, LA
The Grappler1September 19, 1980Shreveport, LA
Jake Roberts1June 30, 1981Shevreport, LA
Paul Orndorff4July 4, 1981New Orleans, LA
Ted DiBiase3November 1, 1981Lake Charles, LA
Paul Orndorff5January 6, 1982Shreveport, LAAired on Mid-South TV January 9, 1982. This match had a special stipulation where disqualification would count as a pinfall. Orndorff wins the match due to outside interference by Bob Roop.
Ted DiBiase4January 6, 1982Shreveport, LAAired on Mid-South TV January 9, 1982. DiBiase regained the belt via disqualification when Orndorff attacked him with the belt immediately after the match.
Bob Roop1March 17, 1982Shreveport, LA
Junkyard Dog1June 21, 1982New Orleans, LA
Ted DiBiase5June 23, 1982Shreveport, LA
Stagger Lee (Junkyard Dog)2November 25, 1982New Orleans, LA JYD lost loser-leaves-town for 90 days match & returned as masked Stagger Lee.
VacatedFebruary 1983Vacated when Stagger Lee "left the area" (Junkyard Dog's 90-day suspension ended). Mr. Olympia won a 12-man tournament for the vacated title on March 21, 1983, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The decision was reversed, and the title held up, when it was revealed that the pin was counted with Junkyard Dog face-down on the mat.
Junkyard Dog3April 16, 1983New Orleans, LA Defeats Mr. Olympia in rematch
Butch Reed1July 16, 1983New Orleans, LA[3]
Magnum T. A.-October 12, 1983Shreveport, LAJunkyard Dog was the special guest referee appointed by Mid-South match maker Grizzly Smith. Junkyard Dog was supposed to be Reed's opponent as the fans had picked the Dog in an applause contest to face Reed for the title but Reed instead refused to defend the title against the Dog and instead picked Magnum T. A. who was in the same applause contest. Butch Reed filed a protest with Mid-South and Mid-South would reverse the match decision on October 24, 1983, citing that Butch Reed did not have the authority to pick his own opponent, therefore that match never happened, the next title match of Magnum T. A. vs Nikolai Volkoff was also stricken from the record, and the title was returned to Reed. That announcement was aired on Mid-South TV October 29, 1983.
Nikolai Volkoff-October 24, 1983New Orleans, LAMid-South would strike this match from the record on October 24, 1983. That announcement was aired on Mid-South TV October 29, 1983.
Butch Reed2October 24, 1983New Orleans, LAAired on Mid-South TV October 29th, 1983. Title returned after Magnum's victory is reversed.
Junkyard Dog4October 26, 1983Shreveport, LAAired on Mid-South TV October 29th, 1983. Dusty Rhodes was the special guest referee appointed by Mid-South.
Mr. Wrestling II2March 12, 1984New Orleans, LA
Magnum T. A.1May 13, 1984Tulsa, OK
Ernie Ladd5October 16, 1984Shreveport, LA
Brad Armstrong1December 5, 1984Shreveport, LA
Ted DiBiase6January 16, 1985Shreveport, LA[4]
Terry Taylor1March 13, 1985Shreveport, LA
The Nightmare1May 22, 1985Shreveport, LAAired on Mid-South TV May 30th, 1985.
Dick Murdoch5August 10, 1985New Orleans, LA
Butch Reed3October 14, 1985New Orleans, LA
Dick Slater1January 1, 1986Tulsa, OK
Held up after match against Jake Roberts on January 31, 1986, in Houston, Texas.
Jake Roberts2February 14, 1986Houston, TXWins rematch.
Dick Slater2February 23, 1986Oklahoma City, OK
Hacksaw Jim Duggan1March 16, 1986Oklahoma City, OK Defeats Buzz Sawyer, who was defending for Slater.
Title retired in May 1986 as Mid-South Wrestling Association becomes the UWF.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: On this day in pro wrestling history: Low Ki Vs. Dewitt, Punk wins OVW title, Mutoh wins IWGP belt, Bret wins NA title, Dibiase & Dr. Death, Sheik, Watts, Fargos. May 3, 2015 . February 11, 2017 . F4W Staff . Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
  2. Web site: On this day in pro wrestling history: Gagne vs. Crusher loser leaves town, Von Erichs vs. Freebirds, Young Bucks vs. Machine Guns . September 5, 2015 . February 16, 2017 . Brian . Hoops . Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
  3. Web site: On this day in pro wrestling history (July 16): Dusty Rhodes Vs. Ernie Ladd, Reed Vs. JYD, Bash in Huntington Beach . July 16, 2015 . February 11, 2017 . Brian . Hoops . Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.
  4. Web site: Pro wrestling history (01/16): Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton win WCW Tag Team Titles . January 16, 2019 . January 18, 2019 . . Brian . Hoops.

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