The NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, Western States Sports.

The title was in use from 1969, when it replaced Amarillo's version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, through the promotion's 1981 closure.

The title was revived in 2015 by NWA Vendetta Pro Wrestling, with a new champion being crowned via a tournament held in Santa Maria, California. This was an eight-man, single-elimination tournament, won by "Loverboy" Matt Riviera. Though created as a "new" title, all previous champions have received recognition.

The original title was not related to the NWA Western States Heritage Championship, which was used in Jim Crockett Promotions from 1987 to 1989, though the 2015 version does use the same title belt design, and as such, is often referred to as the Western States "Heritage" Championship.

Title retired once again as of September 8, 2017 when titleholder Rik Luxury defeated Vendetta Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Apostle Judah Mathew to unify the two titles into the new Vendetta Pro Wrestling Western States Heavyweight Championship.

Title history Silver areas in the history indicate periods of unknown lineage. An indicates that a title changes occurred no later than the listed date. Wrestler:Times:Date:Location:Notes:Dory Funk, Sr.1June 12, 1969Amarillo, TexasTex McKenzie1November 13, 1969Amarillo, Texas The Beast1November 24, 1969Amarillo, Texas Ricky Romero1February 2, 1970El Paso, Texas Title vacated on February 20, 1970 when Romero wins the Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Championship.Terry Funk1March 19, 1970Amarillo, Texas The Beast2March 1970 Terry Funk2May 7, 1970Amarillo, TexasBull Ramos1July 1, 1970Lubbock, TexasTerry Funk3July 7, 1970Amarillo, Texas Pak Song1July 16, 1970Amarillo, Texas The Spartan (Ricky Hunter)1February 25, 1971Amarillo, Texas The Spartan (Ricky Hunter)2April 14, 1971Amarillo, Texas Terry Funk4April 29, 1971 Amarillo, Texas Mr. Wrestling (Gordon Nelson)1June 21, 1971 Amarillo, Texas Terry Funk 5June 28, 1971Abilene, Texas Ciclón Negro1July 6, 1971Odessa, Texas Terry Funk6August 3, 1971Odessa, Texas Pak Song2August 5, 1971Amarillo, Texas Terry Funk7August 12, 1971Amarillo, Texas Ciclón Negro2August 26, 1971Amarillo, Texas Dory Funk2September 9, 1971Amarillo, Texas Title vacated when Funk is injured during the match. Ciclón Negro and Terry Funk wrestle to a draw for the vacant title on September 16, 1971 in Amarillo, Texas.Ciclón Negro3September 30, 1971Amarillo, Texas Lord Alfred Hayes1December 2, 1971Amarillo, Texas Duke Myers1March 13, 1972Abilene, Texas Lord Alfred Hayes2March 20, 1972Abilene, Texas Ciclón Negro4June 13, 1972Odessa, Texas Lord Alfred Hayes3June 20, 1972Odessa, Texas Ciclón Negro5June 29, 1972Amarillo, Texas Lord Alfred Hayes4July 6, 1972 Amarillo, Texas Dory Funk3August 16, 1972Lubbock, Texas Lord Alfred Hayes5August 21, 1972Abilene, Texas Ciclón Negro6August 31, 1972Amarillo, Texas Terry Funk8November 1972 Karl Von Steiger11972 Ricky Romero21973 King Curtis Iaukea11973 Ciclón Negro7July 6, 1973Abilene, Texas Terry Funk9July 10, 1973 Kung Fu Lee1October 18, 1973Amarillo, Texas Title held up Against Terry Funk.Terry Funk10October 25, 1973Amarillo, TexasBuck Robley1January 24, 1974Clovis, New Mexico Terry Funk 11March 3, 1974Clovis, New Mexico Karl Von Steiger2March 1974 Bob Backlund1March 9, 1974Amarillo, Texas Dick Murdoch1May 10, 1974 Bob Backlund2May 22, 1974Lubbock, Texas Karl Von Steiger3May 23, 1974 Amarillo, Texas Dick Murdoch2May 30, 1974Amarillo, Texas Title vacant in June 1974 after winning the NWA International Title.Siegfried Stanke1July 4, 1974Amarillo, Texas Akio Sato1August 16, 1974 Siegfried Stanke2August 24, 1974 Bob Backlund3September 4, 1974 Killer Karl Kox1September 10, 1974Odessa, Texas Bob Backlund4September 11, 1974Lubbock, Texas Jim Dillon1September 19, 1974Amarillo, TexasTerry Funk12October 17, 1974 Amarillo, Texas Title vacated when Funk left for Florida in April 1975.Bobby Jaggers1June 11, 1975Lubbock, TexasRay Candy1July 30, 1975Lubbock, Texas Bruiser Brody1October 17, 1975Lubbock, Texas Scott Casey1December 18, 1975Amarillo, Texas Jerry Brisco1April 16, 1976Amarillo, Texas Scott Casey2June 4, 1976Lubbock, Texas Tank Patton1October 13, 1976 Abilene, Texas Super Destroyer1February 24, 1977Amarillo, Texas Doug Somers1April 7, 1977 Amarillo, Texas Bull Ramos2September 1977 Wichita Falls, Texas Ricky Romero3December 15, 1977 Amarillo, Texas Roger Kirby1April 14, 1978 Ricky Romero4July 21, 1978 Title vacated.Bob Morgan1February 28, 1980Amarillo, Texas Larry Lane1March 6, 1980Amarillo, Texas Bob Morgan2March 7, 1980Amarillo, Texas Title vacated.Ricky Romero5August 27, 1981Amarillo, Texas Title retired in 1981 when the promotion closed. Revived in 2015 by Vendetta Pro Wrestling.Matt Riviera1January 17, 2015Santa Maria, CaliforniaJeff Jarrett1May 15, 2015King City, CaliforniaMatt Riviera2May 17, 2015Chowchilla, CaliforniaRicky Ruffin1October 30, 2015Santa Maria, CaliforniaRik Luxury1May 20, 2016Santa Maria, CaliforniaOn September 8, 2017, Luxury defeated Apostle Judah Mathew to claim his Vendetta Pro Wrestling Heavyweight title, unifying it with his NWA Western States title to form the Vendetta Pro Wrestling Western States Heavyweight Championship

2015 NWA Western States Championship Tournament

January 17, 2015 - Santa Maria, California

See also List of National Wrestling Alliance championships NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version) NWA Western States Heritage Championship NWA Western States Tag Team Championship

References