NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title (Iowa Version)
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (Iowa Version) was a professional wrestling championship that was recognized in the Iowa-based National Wrestling Alliance Promotion between 1945 and 1948. Both the title and the promotion predates the National Wrestling Alliance that was created in 1948 as an actual alliance between wrestling promoters around the midwest which included the founder Paul "Pinkie" George's Iowa NWA Promotion. At the annual meeting, Billy Goelz, the reigning NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion in Iowa, was recognized by the new NWA as a sanctioned World Heavyweight Champion alongside Orville Brown who held the Iowa version of the NWA World Heavyweight Champion as well. As a result, this title was officially retired while Goelz would defend the main NWA title until losing to Leroy McGurik on December 28, 1949 in a unification match for the National Wrestling Association World Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Title History
Reign | The reign number for the specific champion listed |
---|---|
Location | The city in which the title was won |
Event | The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title was won |
† | Indicates the title changes not recognized by the NWA |
+ | Indicates the current reign is changing daily |
No. | Wrestler | Times | Date | Days held | Location | Event | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ken Fenelon | 1 | May 1945 | N/A | N/A | Fenelon was awarded the title by Pinkie George, founder of the NWA. | [1] | |
2 | Marshall Esteppe | 1 | May 30, 1945 | 216 | Toronto, IA | |||
3 | Larry Tillman | 1 | January 1, 1946 | 69 | Des Moines, IA | |||
4 | Ken Fenelon | 2 | March 11, 1946 | 301 | Des Moines, IA | |||
5 | Marshall Esteppe | 2 | January 6, 1947 | 77 | Des Moines, IA | |||
6 | Ray Steele | 1 | March 24, 1947 | 35 | Des Moines, IA | |||
7 | Marshall Esteppe | 3 | April 28, 1947 | 77 | Des Moines, IA | |||
8 | Billy Goelz | 1 | March 16, 1948 | 159 | Des Moines, IA | The National Wrestling Alliance national version was founded on July 20, 1948; At the first annual meeting in Waterloo, IA., Goelz was recognized as NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion. | [2] | |
References
- "NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title (Iowa)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
- "NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com.