The National Wrestling Association championship passed from Steele to Bronko Nagurski to Sandor Szabo to Bill Longson to Yvon Robert to Bobby Managoff to Bill Longson to Whipper Billy Watson back to Lou Thesz.
The National Wrestling Alliance championship passed from Dunn to Ed Virag to John Grandovich to Ed Virag to Roy Dunn to Bill Longson to Ray Steele to Dave Levin to Orville Brown to Sonny Myers to Orville Brown.
The original National Wrestling Alliance championship (Dunn-Virag-Grandovich-Virag-Dunn) was a local Kansas championship, whereas the later lineage (Longson-Steele-Levin-Brown-Myers-Brown) has its origins in Longson's NWAssociation championship. In between the two was Orville Brown who as Midwest Wrestling Association Champion had be recognised as NWA champion.
Meanwhile the AWA Boston title was now held by Gorgeous George and the Los Angeles and Philadelphia promoters recognised Baron Michelle Leone.
In 1948, a new National Wrestling Alliance was formed in Iowa and recognised Orville Brown (below) as the first champion. He was scheduled to face National Wrestling Association champion Lou Thesz in a title unification.
The new NWA would not only be a title sanctioning governing body, but a network of promoters in different states, each recognising a travelling champion.
Brown, however, was injured in a car accident and Lou Thesz became the first National Wrestling Alliance champion, with a lineage back to George Hackenschmidt as he was also the 42nd world champion.
Thesz also defeated rival claimants Gorgeous George, Baron Michelle Leone and later Karl Gotch, to become aside from Danno O'Mahoney, the first undisputed world heavyweight champion since the days of Frank Gotch.
The National Wrestling Alliance championship passed from Dunn to Ed Virag to John Grandovich to Ed Virag to Roy Dunn to Bill Longson to Ray Steele to Dave Levin to Orville Brown to Sonny Myers to Orville Brown.
The original National Wrestling Alliance championship (Dunn-Virag-Grandovich-Virag-Dunn) was a local Kansas championship, whereas the later lineage (Longson-Steele-Levin-Brown-Myers-Brown) has its origins in Longson's NWAssociation championship. In between the two was Orville Brown who as Midwest Wrestling Association Champion had be recognised as NWA champion.
Meanwhile the AWA Boston title was now held by Gorgeous George and the Los Angeles and Philadelphia promoters recognised Baron Michelle Leone.
In 1948, a new National Wrestling Alliance was formed in Iowa and recognised Orville Brown (below) as the first champion. He was scheduled to face National Wrestling Association champion Lou Thesz in a title unification.
The new NWA would not only be a title sanctioning governing body, but a network of promoters in different states, each recognising a travelling champion.
Brown, however, was injured in a car accident and Lou Thesz became the first National Wrestling Alliance champion, with a lineage back to George Hackenschmidt as he was also the 42nd world champion.
Thesz also defeated rival claimants Gorgeous George, Baron Michelle Leone and later Karl Gotch, to become aside from Danno O'Mahoney, the first undisputed world heavyweight champion since the days of Frank Gotch.
National Wrestling Alliance and National Wrestling Association NWA unified and undisputed world heavyweight wrestling championship
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/0/9/1809845/1304638.jpg)
42. Lou Thesz
43. Whipper Watson (left)
44. Lou Thesz
45. Dick Hutton
43. Whipper Watson (left)
44. Lou Thesz
45. Dick Hutton
Dick Hutton lost the NWA championship to Pat O'Connor in 1959 and he to Buddy Rogers in 1961. During these reigns, respectively Minnesota and New York promoters broke away from the NWA and Pat O'Conner became the first AWA champion (to be stripped of the title and presented to Verne Gagne) and Buddy Rogers became the first WWWF champion, having lost the NWA title to Lou Thesz. Rogers would lose the WWWF title to Bruno Sammartino and this is the WWE title we know today.
Thesz would lose the NWA title for the last time to Gene Kiniski in 1966.
The NWA also commissioned a new 1950s-1960s championship belt as seen below on Pat O'Connor and Buddy Rogers, Lou Thesz and Gene Kiniski.
Thesz would lose the NWA title for the last time to Gene Kiniski in 1966.
The NWA also commissioned a new 1950s-1960s championship belt as seen below on Pat O'Connor and Buddy Rogers, Lou Thesz and Gene Kiniski.
A new era was beginning, the 1970s era...of the National Wrestling Alliance.....