MWA World Heavyweight Championship
{{short description|Professional wrestling championship}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox pro wrestling championship
|championshipname=MWA World Heavyweight Championship (Kansas Version)
|promotion={{nobr|Midwest Wrestling Association}}
|created=January 1940
|titleretired=October 1948
|mostreigns=Orville Brown (11)
|firstchamp=Bobby Bruns
|longestreign=Orville Brown (673 days)
|shortestreign=Bobby Bruns (5 days)
}}
The MWA World Heavyweight Championship was an Americanprofessional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Kansas City, Kansas-based Midwest Wrestling Association (MWA). It was the direct predecessor of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Championship, and a successor of sorts to the early world heavyweight championships. The title was created in 1940, and first held by Bobby Bruns that January.
- At an unknown period, Brown won the Kansas Heavyweight Champion and had a match against 4-time World Heavyweight Champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis.
- On November 8, 1933, Brown defeated Chief Chewchki in St. Louis, Missouri in 7 minutes. On April 11 and May 16, 1934, he fought George Zaharias (of Colorado) and "Ray Steele" (Peter Sauer) in the same city to thirty-minute draws.
- On May 29, 1936, Brown was specified by Jim Londos in the Houston Post as the strongest grappler he had ever faced, and that he had wrestled him "a few nights ago" to a two-hour draw in Detroit. On September 21, 1936 Brown was named one of the top twenty contenders for the World’s Heavyweight Championship in Houston, Texas by the members of the National Wrestling Association.
- On June 1, 1937, Bruns unsuccessfully challenged World Champion Everette Marshall at the Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio. The match ended in 44:48 when Bruns was laid out and unable to recover.
- In September 1937, John Pesek was awarded Londos' National Wrestling Association world title.
- On October 28. 1937, Brown lost an important Columbus, Ohio match to Everette Marshall, the recognized holder of one of the World Championships. It drew 10,000 people, setting a city record. He lost one other, but then managed to tie Marshall in a third match on December 16.
- On January 1, 1938, Brown wrestled Pesek to a 90-minute draw. On August 17, 1938 Pesek was stripped of the NWA world title and immediately awarded the MWA world title (Marshall's old title) instead.
- On November 10, 1939, Bruns defeated Maurice Boyer in Bridgeport, Connecticut for the World Light Heavyweight Championship (the Jack Pfeffer version).{{cite web|title=Orville Brown - biography|work=Puroresu Dojo|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/personalities/brown_orville/bio.html|accessdate=2008-08-03}}
The title lasted until the MWA joined the newly formed NWA in October 1948, with the MWA champion, Orville Brown, recognized as the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion.{{cite book | author=Duncan, Royal and Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories, Fourth Edition | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2006 | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}{{cite web|title=M.W.A. World Heavyweight Title (Kansas City)|work=Puroresu Dojo|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/mwa/mwa-h.html|accessdate=2008-08-03}}{{-}}
Title history
=MWA World Heavyweight Championship (Kansas)=
;Key
| class="wikitable"
!Symbol !Meaning |
| #
|The overall championship reign |
| Reign
|The reign number for the specific set of wrestlers listed. |
| Event
|The event promoted by the respective promotion in which the title changed hands |
| —
|Used for vacated reigns in order to not count it as an official reign |
| class="wikitable sortable" width=100%
!width=0%| # !width=23%|Wrestler !width=0% |Reign !width=15%|Date !width=5%|Days !width=13%|Location !width=15%|Event !width=40% class="unsortable"|Notes |
| align="center"|{{sort|01|1}}
|{{sortname|Bobby|Bruns}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1940|1|18}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=1|day1=18|year1=1940|month2=6|day2=13|year2=1940}} |Defeated fellow contender Orville Brown to win the vacant championship.[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/personalities/brown_orville/bio.html Wrestling-Titles: Orville Brown - biography]: "On Nov. 10, 1939 at Bridgeport, Conn., Bobby Bruns defeated Jack Pfefer's world light heavyweight champion Maurice Boyer. From that point forward in New England and the Atlantic Coast, the title changed to a heavyweight title and Pfefer billed Bruns as heavyweight world champion .. On Jan. 18, 1940, Bruns defended this title in a clean win over Brown."[http://www.legacyofwrestling.com/Bruns.html LegacyOfWrestling Bobby Bruns Wrestling History]: "On January 11, 1940, Bruns beat Andy Mexiner in two-straight falls in Kansas City. A week later, he returned to the Memorial Hall to wrestle Orville Brown for the vacant World Heavyweight Title, recognized by the state of Kansas and by promoter George Simpson. He won the first in 40:30 and then the 3rd in 5:00 to capture the championship."[http://www.legacyofwrestling.com/OrvilleBrown.html LOW Orville Brown Wrestling History]{{cite web | url=https://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/daily-pro-wrestling-history-0119-ric-flair-wins-wwf-title-1992-royal-rumble-302116 | title=Pro wrestling history (01/19): Ric Flair wins WWF title in 1992 Royal Rumble | date=January 19, 2019 | accessdate=January 18, 2019 | work=Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online | first=Brian | last=Hoops}} |
| align="center"|{{sort|02|2}}
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1940|6|13}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=6|day1=13|year1=1940|month2=4|day2=17|year2=1941}} | |
| align="center"|{{sort|03|3}}
|{{sortname|Lee|Wyckoff}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1941|4|17}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=4|day1=17|year1=1941|month2=10|day2=16|year2=1941}} |{{cite web | url=https://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/daily-pro-wrestling-history-0417-wcw-spring-stampede-1994-309086 | title=Daily pro wrestling (04/17): WCW Spring Stampede 1994 | date=April 17, 2020 | accessdate=April 17, 2020 | work=Wrestling Observer Newsletter | first=Brian | last=Hoops}} |
| align="center"|{{sort|04|4}}
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|2 |{{dts|1941|10|16}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=10|day1=16|year1=1941|month2=3|day2=5|year2=1942}} | |
| align="center"|{{sort|05|5}}
|{{sort|Zaharias|Tom Zaharias}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1942|3|5}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=3|day1=5|year1=1942|month2=6|day2=25|year2=1942}} | |
| align="center"|{{sort|06|6}}
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|3 |{{dts|1942|6|25}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=6|day1=25|year1=1942|month2=10|day2=26|year2=1942}} |Ed Lewis won a disputed decision over Brown on November 5, 1942. |
| align="center"|{{sort|07|7}}
|{{sort|Lewis|Ed "Strangler" Lewis}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1942|11|26}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=10|day1=26|year1=1942|month2=1|day2=14|year2=1943}} |Defeated Brown in a rematch. |
| align="center"|{{sort|08|8}}
|{{sort|Wycoff|Lee Wyckoff}} |align="center"|2 |{{dts|1943|1|14}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=1|day1=14|year1=1943|month2=2|day2=18|year2=1943}} |{{cite web | url=https://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/daily-pro-wrestling-history-0114-christian-wins-nwa-world-title-301651 | title=Pro wrestling history (01/14): Christian wins NWA World Title | date=January 14, 2019 | accessdate=January 18, 2019 | work=Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online | first=Brian | last=Hoops}} |
| align="center"|{{sort|09|9}}
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|4 |{{dts|1943|2|18}} |align="center"|{{sort|{{age in days nts|month1=2|day1=18|year1=1943|month2=5|day2=1|year2=1943}}|The date the championship was lost has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between {{age in days nts|month1=2|day1=18|year1=1943|month2=5|day2=31|year2=1943}} days and {{age in days nts|month1=2|day1=18|year1=1943|month2=5|day2=1|year2=1943}} days}} | |
| align="center"|10
|{{sort|Wycoff|Lee Wyckoff}} |align="center"|3 |{{dts|1943|05}} |align="center"|{{sort|{{age in days nts|month1=5|day1=31|year1=1943|month2=6|day2=17|year2=1943}}|The date the championship was won has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between {{age in days nts|month1=5|day1=31|year1=1943|month2=6|day2=17|year2=1943}} days and {{age in days nts|month1=5|day1=1|year1=1943|month2=6|day2=17|year2=1943}} days}} | |
| align="center"|11
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|5 |{{dts|1943|6|17}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=6|day1=17|year1=1943|month2=12|day2=3|year2=1943}} | |
| align="center"|12
|{{sort|Swedish|The Swedish Angel}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1943|12|3}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=12|day1=3|year1=1943|month2=12|day2=9|year2=1943}} | |
| align="center"|13
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|6 |{{dts|1943|12|9}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=12|day1=9|year1=1943|month2=5|day2=4|year2=1944}} |Dave Levin defeated Brown in a one-fall match on April 27, 1944 in Kansas City, Kansas, and laid claim to the title. However, Brown claimed that the title could only change hands in a two-out-of-three falls match. |
| align="center"|14
|{{sortname|Dave|Levin}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1944|5|4}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=5|day1=4|year1=1944|month2=6|day2=29|year2=1944}} | |Defeated Brown in a rematch. |
| align="center"|15
|{{sort|Wycoff|Lee Wyckoff}} |align="center"|4 |{{dts|1944|6|29}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=6|day1=29|year1=1944|month2=8|day2=16|year2=1944}} |
| align="center"|16
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|7 |{{dts|1944|8|16}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=8|day1=16|year1=1944|month2=6|day2=20|year2=1946}} | |
| align="center"|17
|{{sortname|Bobby|Bruns}} |align="center"|2 |{{dts|1946|6|20}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=6|day1=20|year1=1946|month2=8|day2=8|year2=1946}} | |
| align="center"|18
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|8 |{{dts|1946|8|8}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=8|day1=8|year1=1946|month2=3|day2=14|year2=1947}} | |
| align="center"|19
|{{sort|Christy|Vic Christy}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1947|3|14}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=3|day1=14|year1=1947|month2=3|day2=30|year2=1947}} | |
| align="center"|20
|{{sort|Graham|Roy Graham}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1947|3|30}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=3|day1=30|year1=1947|month2=4|day2=10|year2=1947}} | |
| align="center"|21
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|9 |{{dts|1947|4|10}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=4|day1=10|year1=1947|month2=12|day2=19|year2=1947}} | |
| align="center"|22
|{{sort|Carlson|Tug Carlson}} |align="center"|1 |{{dts|1947|12|19}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=12|day1=19|year1=1947|month2=12|day2=26|year2=1947}} | |
| align="center"|23
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|10 |{{dts|1947|12|26}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=12|day1=26|year1=1947|month2=4|day2=29|year2=1948}} | |
| align="center"|24
|{{sortname|Bobby|Bruns}} |align="center"|3 |{{dts|1948|4|29}} |align="center"|{{age in days|month1=4|day1=29|year1=1948|month2=5|day2=4|year2=1948}} |Won the title by disqualification. |
| align="center"|25
|{{sortname|Orville|Brown}} |align="center"|11 |{{dts|1948|5|4}} |align="center"|{{sort|{{age in days nts|month1=5|day1=4|year1=1948|month2=10|day2=1|year2=1948}}|The date the championship was won has not been documented which means the championship reign lasted anywhere between {{age in days nts|month1=5|day1=4|year1=1948|month2=10|day2=1|year2=1948}} days and {{age in days nts|month1=5|day1=4|year1=1948|month2=10|day2=31|year2=1948}} days}} | |
| align="center" style="background: #dddddd;" colspan=8|{{sort|26|The title was retired after the MWA joined the National Wrestling Alliance in October 1948, and Brown was recognized as its first champion.}} |
Reigns by combined length
;Key
| class="wikitable"
!Symbol !Meaning |
| style="background-color:#bbeeff"|¤
|The exact length of at least one title reign is uncertain, so the shortest possible length is used. |
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Rank !Wrestler !# of reigns !Combined days | |||
| align=center|{{sort|01|1}} | {{sortname|Orville|Brown}} | align=center| 11 | align=center style="background-color:#bbeeff"| {{sort|2409|2,409}}¤ |
| align=center|{{sort|02|2}} | {{sort|Wycoff|Lee Wyckoff}} | align=center| {{sort|04|4}} | align=center style="background-color:#bbeeff"| {{sort|0282|282}}¤ |
| align=center|{{sort|03|3}} | {{sortname|Bobby|Bruns}} | align=center| {{sort|03|3}} | align=center| {{sort|0282|201}} |
| align=center|{{sort|04|4}} | {{sort|Zaharias|Tom Zaharias}} | align=center| {{sort|01|1}} | align=center| {{sort|0112|112}} |
| align=center|{{sort|05|5}} | {{sortname|Ed|Lewis|Ed Lewis (wrestler)}} | align=center| {{sort|01|1}} | align=center| {{sort|0080|80}} |
| align=center|{{sort|06|6}} | {{sortname|Dave|Levin|Dave Levin (wrestler)}} | align=center| {{sort|01|1}} | align=center| {{sort|0056|56}} |
| align=center|{{sort|07|7}} | {{sort|Christy|Vic Christy}} | align=center| {{sort|01|1}} | align=center| {{sort|0016|16}} |
| align=center|{{sort|08|8}} | {{sort|Graham|Roy Graham}} | align=center| {{sort|01|1}} | align=center| {{sort|0011|11}} |
| align=center|{{sort|09|9}} | {{sort|Carlson|Tug Carlson}} | align=center| {{sort|01|1}} | align=center| {{sort|0007|7}} |
| align=center|10 | {{sort|Swedish Angel|The Swedish Angel}} | align=center| {{sort|01|1}} | align=center| {{sort|0006|6}} |
=Splinter titles=
== MWA World Heavyweight Championship (Ohio)==
{{Professional wrestling title history top|active=no}}
{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 1
|champion = John Pesek
|reign = 1
|date = {{dts|March 26, 1931}}
|days = {{age in days nts|March 26, 1931|January 1, 1933}}
|location = Columbus, Ohio
|event = Live event
|notes = Starts the claimed when World Champion Gus Sonnenberg ignores his challenge, defeated Marin Plestina to be officially recognized by MWA.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 8.5
|type=vacated
|date = 1933
|notes =Stripped the title when Pesek starts wrestling for Jim Londos group.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 2
|champion = Everett Marshall
|reign = 1
|date = {{dts|June 29, 1936}}
|days = {{age in days nts|June 29, 1936|December 29, 1937}}
|location = Columbus, Ohio
|event =
|notes = Recognized by MWA when defeated Ali Baba for the World Heavyweight Championship. Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 3
|champion = Lou Thesz
|reign = 1
|date = {{dts|December 29, 1937}}
|days = {{age in days nts|December 29, 1937|February 11, 1938}}
|location =St. Louis, Missouri
|event =
|notes = Also recognized World Champion by AWA. Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 3
|champion = Steve Casey
|reign = 1
|date = {{dts|February 11, 1938}}
|days = {{age in days nts|February 11, 1938|September 30, 1938}}
|location = Boston, Massachusetts
|event =
|notes = Recognized by MWA and AWA, both belts are presented to him. Retroactively recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance as the real World champion. Retroactive Alliance recognition switched to NWA World Heavyweight Championship when Casey left the country in September 1938.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 8.5
|type=vacated
|date = September 1938
|notes =Recognition withdrawn by MWA when he left the country..
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 4
|champion = John Pesek
|reign = 2
|date = {{dts|October 17, 1938}}
|days = {{age in days nts|October 17, 1938|June 21, 1940}}
|location = Columbus, Ohio
|event =
|notes = Awarded by MWA when NWA recognize Everett Marshall as the World Champion.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 5
|type=vacated
|date = {{dts|June 21, 1940}}
|notes =Vacated due to Pesek's inactivity.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 6
|champion = Orville Brown
|reign = 1
|date = {{dts|June 27, 1940}}
|days = {{age in days nts|June 27, 1940|December 3, 1942}}
|location = Columbus, Ohio
|event =
|notes = Current World Champion in Kansas, defeated Dick Shikat for the vacant title.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 7
|champion = Ed Lewis
|reign = 1
|date = {{dts|December 3, 1942}}
|days = {{age in days nts|December 3, 1942|January 28, 1943}}
|location = Columbus, Ohio
|event =
|notes = Current World Champion in Kansas.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 8
|champion = John Pesek
|reign = 3
|date = {{dts|January 28, 1943}}
|days = {{age in days nts|January 28, 1943|January 1, 1949}}
|location = Columbus, Ohio
|event =
|notes =
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 9
|type=vacated
|date = 1949
|notes =Vacated due to Pesek's inactivity.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|number = 10
|champion = Don Eagle
|reign = 1
|date = {{dts|May 5, 1950}}
|days = {{age in days nts|May 5, 1950|May 5, 1950}}
|location = Cleveland, Ohio
|event =
|notes = Defeated Frank Sexton for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship version in Ohio.
}}{{Professional wrestling title history middle
|sort number = 11
|type=deactivated
|date = May 5, 1950
|notes =lineage continued under AWA World Heavyweight Championship version in Ohio.
}}
{{BundleEnd}}
See also
Footnotes
{{reflist|group=Note}}
References
;General references
- {{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2006|edition=4th | chapter= (Missouri) World Heavyweight Title| pages=255| isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}
- {{cite web | url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/mwa/mwa-h.html| title=Midwest Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship [Kansas] | publisher= wrestling-titles.com | accessdate=March 24, 2015}}
;Specific references
{{reflist}}
{{Central States Wrestling championships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mwa World Heavyweight Championship}}