A Historical Look at the NWA Worlds Title in the United Kingdom
The National Wrestling Alliance Worlds Heavyweight Championship through out the years was always looked as the title that dwarfed them all. Long before multi-million dollar cable tv contracts and pay per view the Worlds Heavyweight Championship quite literally unified the world. The dome globe has traveled abroad even touching down in The People’s Republic of China this year for the first time.
Interestingly enough, the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship did not have a lot of traction in the United Kingdom. But for years when the UK was focused on its World of Sports, it had little to no time to grow an affinity for brand across the pond. In researching title histories you won’t find the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship traveling to the UK. 45 years after its creation, the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship would finally be defended in the United Kingdom on March 11th 1993. A month after defeating The Great Muta for the title at Superbrawl in Asheville North Carolina, Barry Windham would be the first NWA Worlds Champion to defend in the United Kingdom. Dustin Rhodes would take the Champion to a time limit draw.
Jeff Jarrett would be the first NWA Champion to defend in Scotland. Oddly enough it wasn’t a TNA event, it was World Wrestling All-Stars. Representing the National Wrestling Alliance, Jeff Jarrett defended against Nathan Jones at their PPV: The Retribution on June 12th 2002. Previously Jarrett was the face of WWA prior to the start up of TNA. The belts would eventually be unified, but this was the only match where the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship would be defended one on one.
The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship wouldn’t return until 2008. Blue Demon Jr. defended the title twice internationally between television taping in Hollywood. One of those defenses was against long time rival Solar at the Todos x Todos Lucha Libre London event on December 9th 2008. Four years after the NWA Worlds Championship was in the United Kingdom, “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce was scheduled for three defenses on October 28th, in Wales, October 29th in Kent, and October 30th in Essex. However his three defenses became two, the first against Danny Garnell on October 28th 2011 in Tonbridge and Zack Sabre Jr. in Basildon on October 30th.
Oddly enough Gary Steele was the first British born wrestler to become the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, winning the title in 1999 however he never had an opportunity to defend the title in his home country. That feat would belong to “The National Treasure” as he kicked off his Aldis Crusade in the UK with seven matches, spread out between EPW, Pro Wresting Choas, IPW: UK, Pro Wrestling Ulster, Coventry Pro Wrestling, and Big League Wrestling. Nick Aldis returns to the United Kingdom on December 22nd 2018 to defend the Legendary 10lbs of Gold for World Association of Wrestling against Ricky Knight Jr., IPW’s Undisputed II on December 23rd and PCW’s Endgame on December 29th against opponents to be named later.