NWA International Heavyweight Championship

Lore & Background

It is one of the three titles unified into the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in 1989. In 1983, Giant Baba would elevate the title further in the eyes of many when he, as the reigning PWF Heavyweight Champion, declared Jumbo Tsuruta to be the new 'Ace' of All Japan after Jumbo won the NWA International Heavyweight Championship from Bruiser Brody. Following the withdrawal of All Japan from the NWA, the International title was briefly sanctioned by the Pacific Wrestling Federation until the unification of the Triple Crown could be completed.

In Their Own Story

The arena in Tokyo hummed with the low roar of ten thousand voices. The ring lights cut through the haze, catching the gold of the NWA International Heavyweight Championship as it hung from the top rope, swaying gently. The champion climbed the turnbuckle, the leather strap of the belt catching the light one more time, and the crowd's chant swelled into a single, sustained wave. Across the ring, the challenger squared his shoulders, knuckles wrapped in white tape, and the referee's bell rang. The ropes stretched. The canvas cracked under a boot. For the next thirty minutes, the belt would change hands—or it wouldn't. Either way, the name on the leather would carry a new story out of the arena and into the mythology of the promotion.

Reader's Guide

Under Rikidōzan the belt had a design similar to Lou Thesz's original NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt during the 1950s, but after Rikidōzan's death, the belt given to Giant Baba had the design seen on the belt part of the Triple Crown until 2013. The original design was later used on the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the UWFI belt (which was the original Lou Thesz belt), and a belt later given to Kazushi Sakuraba for show.

Did You Know?

• The title was one of three unified into the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in 1989.
• In 1983, Giant Baba declared Jumbo Tsuruta the new 'Ace' of All Japan after Tsuruta won this title from Bruiser Brody.
• The belt's original design was later used on the PWF Heavyweight Championship and the UWFI belt.