NWA World Middleweight Championship: Difference between revisions
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NWA authorized EMLL to hold a tournament to determine a new champion. Anibal won the vacant championship on September 20, 1974. He was given a new championship belt, Guajardo still holding on to the previous one. Anibal himself quit EMLL around January 24, 1975, signing with Promociones Mora to immediately face Guajarado in a "champion" versus "champion". Like Guajardo, Anibal held onto the belt and proclaimed himself still champion. The precedent set with Guajardo meant Anibal was automatically stripped for the 'unification' match, and it is not considered an official defense. (The reality was the show drew an estimated 21,000 fans to see who was the real champion.) Anibal defeated Guajardo by disqualification when Guajardo knocked out Anibal with an illegal punch. | NWA authorized EMLL to hold a tournament to determine a new champion. Anibal won the vacant championship on September 20, 1974. He was given a new championship belt, Guajardo still holding on to the previous one. Anibal himself quit EMLL around January 24, 1975, signing with Promociones Mora to immediately face Guajarado in a "champion" versus "champion". Like Guajardo, Anibal held onto the belt and proclaimed himself still champion. The precedent set with Guajardo meant Anibal was automatically stripped for the 'unification' match, and it is not considered an official defense. (The reality was the show drew an estimated 21,000 fans to see who was the real champion.) Anibal defeated Guajardo by disqualification when Guajardo knocked out Anibal with an illegal punch. | ||
Guajardo didn't honor that as a title change due to the finish and defended it once more before losing the title in Monterrey two months later. Guajardo later regained it in October. | |||
Despite losing, Rene Guajardo would again defend his version of the title again on March 3rd against Dory Dixon in Ciudad Juarez. | Despite losing, Rene Guajardo would again defend his version of the title again on March 3rd against Dory Dixon in Ciudad Juarez. | ||
{{TitleHistoryStartShort}} | {{TitleHistoryStartShort}} | ||
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{{TitleDefenseIffy|-|[[El Solitario]]|[[1974]].[[11.20]]|[[Tampico]]|<Ref>KO 1127</ref>}} | {{TitleDefenseIffy|-|[[El Solitario]]|[[1974]].[[11.20]]|[[Tampico]]|<Ref>KO 1127</ref>}} | ||
{{TitleHistorySpan|"unification" match with Anibal's claim}} | {{TitleHistorySpan|"unification" match with Anibal's claim}} | ||
{{ | {{TitleDefenseLine|DQ LOSS|[[Anibal]]|[[1975]].[[01.29]]|[[Palacio de los Deportes, Iztacalco, Distrito Federal]]|<ref>Box Y Lucha 1164, Halcon 185</ref>}} | ||
{{TitleDefenseLine|-| | {{TitleDefenseLine|-|[[Dory Dixon]]|[[1975]].[[03.03]]|[[Ciudad Juarez]]}} | ||
{{TitleHistorySpan|2nd "unification" match with Anibal's claim}} | |||
{{TitleHistoryLine|-|[[Anibal]]|[[Rene Guajardo]]|[[1975]].[[03.21]]|[[Plaza de Toros La Monumental, Monterrey, Nuevo León]]|<ref>Halcon 142, Halcon 185</ref>}} | |||
{{TitleDefenseLine|-|[[El Vikingo]]|[[1975]].[[04.27]]|[[Ciudad Juarez]]|<ref>Halcon 150</ref>}} | {{TitleDefenseLine|-|[[El Vikingo]]|[[1975]].[[04.27]]|[[Ciudad Juarez]]|<ref>Halcon 150</ref>}} | ||
{{TitleDefenseLine|-|[[Ángel Blanco]]|[[1975]].[[05.18]]|[[Arena KO]]|<ref>KO 1152</ref>}} | {{TitleDefenseLine|-|[[Ángel Blanco]]|[[1975]].[[05.18]]|[[Arena KO]]|<ref>KO 1152</ref>}} |
Revision as of 11:31, 5 November 2020
Current Champion
El Averno was the 85th champion, having won it on November 30, 2007 in Arena Mexico. The championship is current inactive.
History of Championship
The NWA World Middleweight Championship dated 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.
Corazon de Leon won the championship on December 7, 1993 by defeating Mano Negra. Negra had defeated Bestia Salvaje in a hair match the night prior, but suffered an ankle injury during the match. Leon attacked the hurt ankle, beating Negra in the same straight falls via anklelock. This would be the last time this title would change hands in a CMLL ring for over a decade.
For most of it's existence, 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 championship belt for his promotions. When Ultimo Dragon left Japan to join WWE in 2003, he sold the belt back to CMLL. CMLL did nothing with it 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 received, 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.)
Black Warrior won the belt from Mistico, as part of the lead up to their mask match, and to provide big rematches after Mistico won the mask. Mistico was finally able to get the belt back on Kid's Day, 2007.
Averno won the belt back from Mistico in November of 2007. Despite holding the belt for almost 3 years, defenses were rare and the championship was rarely considered.
On August 12, 2010, CMLL announced a change with the NWA group of championships. The current physical title belts were all retired, replaced by newly belts with a different design. The old belts are now part of CMLL's mobile museum, though copies of them have turned up elsewhere.
CMLL referred to the new championships as the CMLL Historic Championships and said the former NWA champions would be the first champions of the new belts. Outside not getting the physical belt back, that appeared to satisfy the NWA's complaints about using their trademarks. However, since within weeks of that press conference, CMLL had changed course. The championships were referred to as NWA World Historic Championships.
This title has not been revived by NWA Mexico.
Champions Listing
Sources:
- ↑ a repint article in Lucha Libre (dated 1939-01-10) talks about Kallio defending the title against Gaona soon, says he's been champ seven years
- ↑ Lucha Libre 19
- ↑ Matt Farmer, title for title for the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship
- ↑ CMLL
- ↑ Lucha Libre 338
- ↑ Halcon 44
- ↑ Punk 58 has this as September 28?
- ↑ Lucha Libre 309
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ Lucha Libre 310
- ↑ Lucha Libre 310
- ↑ Lucha Libre 101
- ↑ Lucha Libre 310
- ↑ El Informador 1954-09-12
- ↑ Lucha Libre 149
- ↑ Rolando Vera defeated El Santo in Arena Coliseo Monterrey on 1956.08.19, but the Mexico City commission rules it not to be a title match after the fact, declaring Santo had defended the title too many times recently and Vera had lost in two previous title challenges. The commission attempted to return the belt to Santo, who refused it. The title was vacant going into a rematch two months later - SuperLuchas
- ↑ [Lucha Libre 310]
- ↑ SuperLuchas
- ↑ El Informador 1957-09-15
- ↑ El Informador 1959-07-19
- ↑ Arena 193
- ↑ Lucha Libre 125
- ↑ previously listed as 1962.04.18, which cannot be accurate given the correct date for the previous title change
- ↑ Lucha Libre 166
- ↑ Lucha Libre 28 lists May 1 (not May 30th) as the title match, though does not list a result
- ↑ Lucha Libre 36, Superluchas
- ↑ Lucha Libre 48 - no date is specified, but possibly the 7th
- ↑ Lucha Libre 50
- ↑ Lucha Libre 59, may be off a week
- ↑ Lucha Libre 76
- ↑ Lucha Libre 93, date could be off a week
- ↑ Lucha Libre 94
- ↑ Lucha Libre 103
- ↑ Lucha Libre 104
- ↑ Lucha Libre 107
- ↑ Lucha Libre 120
- ↑ Lucha Libre 167; Lucha Libre 311 also has the date and specifies it was in Arena Coliseo Monterrey
- ↑ SuperLuchas
- ↑ Lucha Libre 152
- ↑ Lucha Libre 311; Lucha Libre 157 has it as 10.10
- ↑ Lucha Libre 158
- ↑ Lucha Libre 165; Guajardo first won by DQ, match was restarted, Guajarado won agian
- ↑ Lucha Libre 220; 170 seems to imply a 01.12 date
- ↑ SuperLuchas - previously listed as 03.11
- ↑ Lucha Libre 220
- ↑ Lucha Libre 202
- ↑ Date listed as 07.29 previously, Lucha Libre 205 has it as September
- ↑ SuperLuchas
- ↑ Lucha Libre 220
- ↑ El Siglo de Torreon 1968-04-41
- ↑ Lucha Libre 311
- ↑ Lucha Libre 311
- ↑ Lucha Libre 311; likely in Arena Coliseo Monterrey
- ↑ DJ Spectro, Lucha Libre 311; win by DQ
- ↑ Lucha Libre 289
- ↑ El Informador 1969-07-06
- ↑ SuperLuchas
- ↑ Lucha Libre 305
- ↑ El Informador 1969-10-05
- ↑ Lucha Libre 351 lists this location, but match isn't listed on the poster for this date
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ DJ Spectro
- ↑ CMLL
- ↑ Box Y Lucha 1052, Halcon 29
- ↑ Halcon 44, Halcon 63
- ↑ Box Y Lucha 1071, Halcon 42, Halcon 43
- ↑ Halcon 43
- ↑ Halcon 63; match went to a draw
- ↑ Matt Farmer; Guajardo quits EMLL in April 1974 to start a rival promotion but attempts to continue defending this title following the precedent of Gori Guerrero a decade prior with the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship. A Guajardo defense on July 5th in Monterrey leads to NWA stripping the title 12 days later. Guajardo continues defending the belt until the introduction of the UWA championships
- ↑ Matt Farmer, Halcon 117
- ↑ SuperLuchas
- ↑ Halcon 159
- ↑ Halcon 159
- ↑ Arena Box y Lucha 719
- ↑ Halcon 161
- ↑ Halcon 167
- ↑ Matt Farmer, Punch 58
- ↑ Informador 1975-10-12, Halcon 173
- ↑ The Gladiatores
- ↑ Halcon 181
- ↑ El Informador 1976-02-08
- ↑ El Informador 1976-05-23
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ El Informador 1976-11-14
- ↑ El Informador 1976-12-26
- ↑ El Informador 1977-04-10, Mendoza apparently beat Adorable Rubi the previous shot to win a title shot.
- ↑ El Informador 1977-05-15
- ↑ El Informador 1977-06-05
- ↑ El Informador 1977-07-03 lists title match
- ↑ El Informador 1977-11-06
- ↑ SuperLuchas; previously listed as 11/25]
- ↑ LA Times
- ↑ 93.0 93.1 93.2 93.3 93.4 93.5 93.6 93.7 93.8 Halcon 347
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ previously listed as 08.13. Listed as a title match with Ringo defending on the lineup, title change date not confirmed
- ↑ El Informador 1978-10-08
- ↑ Box Y Lucha
- ↑ SuperLuchas
- ↑ Cronicas Y Leyendas de Lucha Libre
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ El Informador 1979-09-09
- ↑ Cronicas Y Leyendas
- ↑ Box Y Lucha 1406
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ ricardo aguilar hidalgo
- ↑ El Informador 1980-04-27; this had been listed as 04.17 in Monterrey, but the poster for 04.27 indicates Satanico is still champion
- ↑ El Informador 1980-05-18
- ↑ Box Y Lucha 1437
- ↑ El Informador 1980-07-13
- ↑ El Informador 1980-09-07
- ↑ ricardo aguilar hidalgo @ box y lucha
- ↑ luchablog photolog (2013-09-16 00.26.32)
- ↑ El Informador 1981-08-16
- ↑ El Informador 1981-11-29
- ↑ El Informador 1982-02-14
- ↑ luchablog photolog (20130915_234949)
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ El Informador 1983-02-20
- ↑ Cronicas y Leyendas
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ El Siglo de Torreon
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ Box Y Lucha 1618
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ SuperLuchas
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ Box Y Lucha 1746
- ↑ El Informador 1986-07-13
- ↑ Matt Farmer
- ↑ luchablog photolog (20130916_021147)
- ↑ luchablog photolog (2013-09-16 03.25.29)
- ↑ SuperLuchas
- ↑ billed as Atlantis' 33rd defense
- ↑ billed as Atlantis' 35th defense
- ↑ billed as Atlantis' 36th defense - Lucha Libre Weekly #26
- ↑ billed as Atlantis' 38th defense - Lucha Libre Weekly #26
- ↑ billed as Atlantis' potential 42nd defense
- ↑ WON 2000-12-18, a match for western Canada promotion ECCW, city not listed
- ↑ WON 2000-12-18
Rene Guajardo & Anibal branch
Guajardo left EMLL in 1974 to work as an independent, a decision that would eventually lead to LLI. Guajardo was NWA Middleweight Championship at the time, though the championship had basically become an in-house EMLL title. Guajardo, following the precedent set by Gori Guerrero over the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship a decade prior, declared only the NWA could decide when he was no longer champion and kept the physical belt. He proceeded to defend the championship against fellow recent EMLL departure El Solitario multiple times. The NWA eventually ruled Guajardo invalidated his claim on the NWA championship by defending the belt on non-NWA shows. That ruling means Guajardo technically vacated the championship by accepting the first defense on July 5th, though he continued to promote champion until a January 29, 1975 'unification' match.
NWA authorized EMLL to hold a tournament to determine a new champion. Anibal won the vacant championship on September 20, 1974. He was given a new championship belt, Guajardo still holding on to the previous one. Anibal himself quit EMLL around January 24, 1975, signing with Promociones Mora to immediately face Guajarado in a "champion" versus "champion". Like Guajardo, Anibal held onto the belt and proclaimed himself still champion. The precedent set with Guajardo meant Anibal was automatically stripped for the 'unification' match, and it is not considered an official defense. (The reality was the show drew an estimated 21,000 fans to see who was the real champion.) Anibal defeated Guajardo by disqualification when Guajardo knocked out Anibal with an illegal punch.
Guajardo didn't honor that as a title change due to the finish and defended it once more before losing the title in Monterrey two months later. Guajardo later regained it in October.
Despite losing, Rene Guajardo would again defend his version of the title again on March 3rd against Dory Dixon in Ciudad Juarez.
# | Champion(s) | Defeated | Date | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
- | Rene Guajardo | ||||
- | El Solitario | 1974.07.05 | Plaza de Monumental, Monterey, Nuevo Leon | [1] | |
- | El Solitario | 1974.07.?? | Nuevo Laredo | [2] | |
- | El Solitario | 1974.11.10 | Arena Lopez Mateos | [3] | |
- | El Solitario | 1974.11.20 | Tampico | [4] | |
"unification" match with Anibal's claim | |||||
DQ LOSS | Anibal | 1975.01.29 | Palacio de los Deportes, Iztacalco, Distrito Federal | [5] | |
- | Dory Dixon | 1975.03.03 | Ciudad Juarez | ||
2nd "unification" match with Anibal's claim | |||||
- | Anibal | Rene Guajardo | 1975.03.21 | Plaza de Toros La Monumental, Monterrey, Nuevo León | [6] |
- | El Vikingo | 1975.04.27 | Ciudad Juarez | [7] | |
- | Ángel Blanco | 1975.05.18 | Arena KO | [8] | |
- | Cesar Valentino | 1975.10.09 | Xalapa | [9] | |
- | León Negro | 1975.10.12 | ? | [10] | |
- | Rene Guajardo | Anibal | 1975.10.19 | Plaza de Toros La Monumental, Monterrey, Nuevo León | [11] |
title change | |||||
successful title defense | |||||
championship matches which were announced, but results were not found |
Sources:
The UWA World Middleweight Championship was announced soon after the last title change, supplanting the role for this unrecognized championship. Guajardo would again beat Anibal (though by countout), implicitly carrying the lineage of this championship into the new title.
Gallery of Champions
Gallery of Title Belts
Sources
V | National Wrestling Alliance Championships (with lucha libre history) | E |
---|---|---|
World Welter (Akantus), NWA-Mexico: Mexico Light (Skayde), Mexico Welter (Vaquero Fantasma) | ||
Dragon Gym: International Junior Heavy (Último Dragón) | ||
Defunct: Middle, Light Heavy, Americas Tag | ||
Reference: Jr. Heavy, Heavy | ||
CMLL established titles: Historic Welter (Volador Jr.), Historic Middle (Carístico), Historic LH (Stuka Jr.) |