NWA World Middleweight Championship
Current Champion
 Averno, 85th 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:
- ↑ http://www.cronicasyleyendasdelaluchalibre.com/?p=4677
- ↑ http://www.cronicasyleyendasdelaluchalibre.com/?p=3781
- ↑ 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
- ↑ would've been Atlantis' 42nd Defense
Gallery of Champions
 Tarzan Lopez, 3rd, 5th, 8th & 11th Champion |
 Sugi Sito, 9th & 12th Champion |
 Enrique Llanes, 10th Champion |
 El Santo, 13th Champion |
 Rolando Vera, 14th Champion |
 Rene Guajardo, 15th, 17th, 21st, 23th, 25th & 30th champion |
 Antonio Posa, 16th Champion |
 Rayo de Jalisco, 18th, 20th & 26th Champion |
 Benny Galant, 19th Champion |
 Jerry London, 22nd Champion |
 Ray Mendoza, 24th Champion |
 El Solitario, 27th Champion |
 Masio Koma, 28th Champion |
 Anibal, as 29th Champion |
 Anibal, as 31st Champion |
 Perro Aguayo, 32nd, 34th & 39th Champion |
 El Faraon, 33rd, 37th & 50th Champion |
 Ringo Mendoza, 35th, 38th, 40th, 42nd & 49th Champion |
 Joe Palardy, 36th Champion |
 Tony Salazar, 41st & 47th Champion |
 Satoru Sayama, 43rd Champion |
 Satanico, 44th, 52nd, 54th, 56th & 58th Champion |
 Cachorro Mendoza, 45th Champion |
 Sangre Chicana, 46th & 48th Champion |
 Cesar Curiel, 51st Champion |
 El Jalisco, 53rd Champion |
 Lizmark, 55th Champion |
 Gran Cochisse, 57th, 59th & 63rd Champion |
 Gran Hamada, 60th Champion |
 Chamaco Valaguez, 62nd Champion |
 Kung Fu, 64th & 66th Champion |
 El Dandy, 65th & 72nd Champion |
 Atlantis, 67th, 69th & 73rd Champion |
 Emilio Charles Jr., 68th & 70th Champion |
 Angel Azteca, 71st Champion |
 Mano Negra, 74th & 76th Champion |
 Oro, 75th Champion |
 Corazon De Leon, 77th Champion |
 Ultimo Dragon, 78th & 80th Champion |
 The Great Sasuke, 79th Champion |
 El Averno, as 81st Champion |
 Mistico, 82nd & 84th Champion |
 Black Warrior, 83rd Champion |
 Mistico, as 84th Champion |
 El Averno, as 85th Champion, with old belt |
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.) | ||
