NWA World Middleweight Championship

Current Champion

Mistico, 2005

Since the first day of 2005, Mistico has reigned as NWA World Middleweight Championship.

History of Championship

The NWA World Middleweight Championship dates back to the early 1920s. The NWA name only existed to establish it as a world championship; since the 30s, it has been property of EMLL (much later CMLL.) It's one of the oldest active wrestling championships in the world.

For most of it's existance, the NWA World Middleweight Championship been held by Mexican wrestlers and defended in Mexico. In 1994, the title was sold to Ultimo Dragon, who brought it to Japan to be defended first by himself, and later as a chaampionship belt for his promotions. When Ultimo Dragon left Japan to join WWE in 2003, he sold the belt back to CMLL. CMLL held onto for a year, before doing a decision match with no particular build up.

On 01/01/05, Mistico beat Averno for the NWA World Middleweight Championship, using it as a launch point for his rise to the top of the promotion. Mistico winning was not an upset, but it signaled his transition from a momentarily favored young wrestler to a new permanent star. The match was well recieved, and the two met many times the rest of the year in rematches of the initial title match (which has never been shown on television.)

Champions Listing

#	Champion(s)	Defeated	Date	Location
unknown how first champion decided - awarded based on previous championship?
01	Gus Kallio	?	????.??.??	?
02	Ocativo Gaona	Gus Kallio	1939.02.19	Mexico City
03	Tarzan Lopez	Ocativo Gaona	1940.02.04	Mexico City
04	Black Guzman	Tarzan Lopez	1941.12.16	Mexico City
05	Tarzan Lopez [2]	Black Guzman	1942.02.11	Mexico City
06	Gory Guerrero	Tarzan Lopez	1946.02.23	Mexico City
07	Mike Kelly	Gory Guerrero	1948.04.12	Mexico City
08	Tarzan Lopez [3]	Mike Kelly	1949.05.28	?
09	Sugi Sito	Tarzan Lopez	1950.09.21	?
10	Enrique Llanes	Sugi Sito	1951.09.24	Mexico City
championship vacated on 1952.02.06 for unknown reasons
tournament for vacant championship
11	Tarzan Lopez	?	1952.07.13	?
12	Sugi Sito [2]	Tarzan Lopez	1953.06.20	Mexico City
13	El Santo	Sugi Sito	1954.01.01	Mexico City
14	Rolando Vera	El Santo	1956.10.19	Monterrey
15	Rene Guajardo	Rolando Vera	1960.10.13	Monterrey
16	Antonio Poza	Rene Guajardo	1961.12.02	Mexico City
17	Rene Guajardo [2]	Antonio Poza	1962.04.18	Mexico City
18	Rayo de Jalisco	Rene Guajardo	1962.10.25	Mexico City
19	Benny Galant	Rayo de Jalisco	1964.05.30	Mexico City
20	Rayo de Jalisco [2]	Benny Galant	1964.09.25	?
21	Rene Guajardo [3]	Rayo de Jalisco	1965.04.09	Mexico City
22	Jerry London	Rene Guajardo	1966.05.14	Mexico City
23	Rene Guajardo [4]	Jerry London	1966.07.01	Monterrey
24	Ray Mendoza	Rene Guajardo	1967.03.11	Mexico City
championship vacated on 1967.05.11 for unknown reasons
decision match for vacant championship
25	Rene Guajardo [5]	Apollo Curiel	1967.07.29	?
26	Rayo de Jalisco [3]	Rene Guajardo	1969.04.18	Mexico City
27	Solitario	Rayo de Jalisco	1969.08.15	Mexico City
28	Masio Koma	Solitario	1970.08.28	Mexico City
29	Anibal	Masio Koma	1970.12.06	Mexico City
30	Rene Guajardo [6]	Anibal	1973.03.30	Mexico City
championship vacated 1974.??.?? for unknown reasons
decision match for the vacant championship
31	Anibal [2]	El Cobarde	1974.09.20	Mexico City
championship vacant around 1975.09.?? due jump to UWA
tournament for vacant championship
32	Perro Aguayo	Ringo Mendoza	1975.07.04	Mexico City
33	Faraon	Perro Aguayo	1976.10.22	Mexico City
34	Perro Aguayo [2]	Faraon	1977.03.11	Mexico City
35	Ringo Mendoza	Perro Aguayo	1977.07.03	Guadalajara
36	Joe Palardy	Ringo Mendoza	1977.10.12	Acapulco
37	Faraon [2]	Joe Palardy	1977.11.25	Mexico City
38	Ringo Mendoza [2]	Faraon	1978.02.17	Los Angeles
39	Perro Aguayo [3]	Ringo Mendoza	1978.04.09	Guadalajara
40	Ringo Mendoza [3]	Perro Aguayo	1978.06.23	Mexico City
41	Tony Salazar	Ringo Mendoza	1978.08.13	Mexico City
42	Ringo Mendoza [4]	Tony Salazar	1979.02.07	Acapulco
43	Satoru Sayama	Ringo Mendoza	1979.09.9	Guadalajara
44	Satanico	Satoru Sayama	1980.03.28	Mexico City
45	Cachorro Mendoza	Satanico	1980.04.17	Monterrey
46	Sangre Chicana	Cachorro Mendoza	1980.06.15	Moneterrey
47	Tony Salazar [2]	Sangre Chicana	1980.06.15	Moneterrey
48	Sangre Chicana [2]	Tony Salazar	1981.03.13	Mexico City
49	Ringo Mendoza [5]	Sangre Chicana	1981.04.03	Mexico City
50	Faraon [3]	Ringo Mendoza	1981.11.29	Guadalajara
51	Cesar Curiel	Faraon	1982.04.02	Mexico City
52	Satanico [2]	Cesar Curiel	1982.10.25	Mexico City
53	Jalisco	Satanico	1983.02.20	Guadalajara
54	Satanico [3]	Jalisco	1983.04.13	?
55	Lizmark	Satanico	1983.06.03	Mexico City
56	Satanico [4]	Lizmark	1983.12.02	Mexico City
57	Grand Cochise	Satanico	1984.08.18	Mexico City
58	Satanico [5]	Gran Cochise	1984.09.14	Mexico City
59	Grand Cochise [2]	Satanico	1984.09.30	Guadalajara
60	Gran Hamada	Grand Cochise	1984.11.18	Mexico City
61	La Fiera	Gran Hamada	1985.04.05	Mexico City
62	Chamaco Velaguez	La Fiera	1985.07.20	Puebla
63	Grand Cochise [3]	Chamaco Velaguez	1986.05.18	?
64	Kung Fu	Grand Cochise	1986.10.17	Mexico City
65	Dandy	Kung Fu	1987.07.17	Mexico City
66	Kung Fu [2]	Dandy	1987.10.06	Mexico City
67	Atlantis	Kung Fu	88/06/10	?
68	Emilio Charles Jr.	Atlantis	88/07/17	?
69	Atlantis [2]	Emilio Charles Jr.	88/07/28	?
70	Emilio Charles Jr. [2]	El Dandy	88/08/12	Mexico City
71	El Dandy	Angel Azteca	89/04/28	?
72	Atlantis [3]	El Dandy	90/08/01	Acapulco, Mexico
73	Mano Negra	Atlantis	93/03/03	Acapulco, Mexico
74	Oro	Mano Negra	93/05/23	?
75	Mano Negra [2]	Oro	93/07/03	Puebla, Mexico
76	Corazon de Leon	Mano Negra	93/12/07	Mexico City
77	Ultimo Dragon	Corazon de Leon	94/11/05	Tokyo, Japan
Ultimo Dragon vacates title '98 due to arm injury
eight man tournament for vacant title
78	the Great Sasuke	Tokyo Magnum	99/02/07	Yokohama, Japan
79	Ultimo Dragon [2]	the Great Sasuke	03/05/05	Sendai, Japan
Ultimo Dragon vacates title 03/05 due to WWE jump
80	Averno	Zumbido	04/09/03	Mexico City
81	Mistico	Averno	05/01/01	Mexico City
	1	Averno	05/01/30	Guadalajara
	2	Averno	05/02/11	Arena Mexico
	3	Averno	05/02/21	Puebla
	4	Averno	05/10/16	Guadalajara
	5	Averno	06/01/16	Puebla
title change
successful title defense
championship matches which were announced, but results were not found

Sources:

Gallery of Former Champions

Atlantis

Oro, '93

Sources

Wrestling-Titles.com