The 1970s were a transitional decade for the NWA. It begun very much on the tailend of the Lou Thesz era, and began with the start of the Ric Flair era.
Gene Kiniski, the man who beat Thesz, lost to Dory Funk Jr and he to Harley Race who dropped the belt to Jack Brisco who was presented with the new "domed globe" title belt.
Funk and Brisco were very much champions in the Lou Thesz model, technical, scientific, tough wrestlers, who relied on grappling holds, while subsequent champions who traded the belt with Harley Race - such as Terry Funk, Shohei Baba and Dusty Rhodes were more colourful entertainers.
Race may have been a brawler but still retained an aura of authenticity whereas Dusty Rhodes did not.
Rhodes lost the belt to a young Ric Flair and he to Harley Race but again a new era was to begin.
When Ric Flair defeated Harley Race for his second world title at the inaugural Starrcade, he began a whole new era for wrestling.
Starrcade featured the greatest NWA stars on one bill and also made JCP synonymous with the NWA. JCP's world tag team champions were now THE world tag team champions, and JCP's US champion was now THE US champion.
Flair traded the belt with veterans like Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes as well as relative newcomers like Kerry Von Erich and Ronnie Garvin.
But he was elevated to immortality when he engaged in a series with Ricky Steamboat, a technical masterclass regarded by many as the greatest matches of all time and placing Flair and Steamboat on a part with the likes of Lou Thesz.
Flair came away with the title before losing to a young Sting from whom he soon regained the gold.
During these 8 or so world title reigns Flair also wrestled the WWF champion Bob Backlund and AWA champion Rick Martel. He defended the title all over the world including Puerto Rico and Japan and became a travelling champion in the mould of Lou Thesz and Harley Race.
During his later reigns JCP was rebranded as WCW and often the NWA title was referred to as the NWA title. Starrcade 1991 was the first event where the initials NWA were never uttered on a major card by the company despite being held in NWA heartlands of St Louis.
Gene Kiniski, the man who beat Thesz, lost to Dory Funk Jr and he to Harley Race who dropped the belt to Jack Brisco who was presented with the new "domed globe" title belt.
Funk and Brisco were very much champions in the Lou Thesz model, technical, scientific, tough wrestlers, who relied on grappling holds, while subsequent champions who traded the belt with Harley Race - such as Terry Funk, Shohei Baba and Dusty Rhodes were more colourful entertainers.
Race may have been a brawler but still retained an aura of authenticity whereas Dusty Rhodes did not.
Rhodes lost the belt to a young Ric Flair and he to Harley Race but again a new era was to begin.
When Ric Flair defeated Harley Race for his second world title at the inaugural Starrcade, he began a whole new era for wrestling.
Starrcade featured the greatest NWA stars on one bill and also made JCP synonymous with the NWA. JCP's world tag team champions were now THE world tag team champions, and JCP's US champion was now THE US champion.
Flair traded the belt with veterans like Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes as well as relative newcomers like Kerry Von Erich and Ronnie Garvin.
But he was elevated to immortality when he engaged in a series with Ricky Steamboat, a technical masterclass regarded by many as the greatest matches of all time and placing Flair and Steamboat on a part with the likes of Lou Thesz.
Flair came away with the title before losing to a young Sting from whom he soon regained the gold.
During these 8 or so world title reigns Flair also wrestled the WWF champion Bob Backlund and AWA champion Rick Martel. He defended the title all over the world including Puerto Rico and Japan and became a travelling champion in the mould of Lou Thesz and Harley Race.
During his later reigns JCP was rebranded as WCW and often the NWA title was referred to as the NWA title. Starrcade 1991 was the first event where the initials NWA were never uttered on a major card by the company despite being held in NWA heartlands of St Louis.