Big Gold Belt
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The Big Gold Belt is a nickname given to a historic professional wrestling championship belt. It was originally designed on order by Jim Crockett Promotions to give to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair. The belt has three gold plates and was the first to feature a name plate onto which the champion's name was etched. The original belt simply stated "World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion" without indicating any designated promotion.
The Big Gold Belt has represented and can refer to one or more of the following championships:
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1985 – 1993) WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1991)
- In 1985, the Big Gold Belt was made to replace the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt that had been used since 1974.
- In January 1991, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) wanted to recognize Ric Flair as their world champion in conjunction with the NWA's recognition. Therefore, the belt represented both companies' recognition of a world champion.
- From March 21 to May 19, 1991, Tatsumi Fujinami was recognized as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion following a disputed victory over Ric Flair. However, WCW refused to recognize Fujinami's victory, which resulted in Flair keeping the belt and remaining the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
- In July 1991 Flair and WCW parted ways while Flair was still champion. The belt was property of Flair as he had originally placed a $25,000 deposit on it that was required of anyone holding the belt. Flair kept the belt after parting ways with WCW due to WCW Vice President Jim Herd refusing to pay the deposit with additional interest back. WCW stripped Flair of their recognition of world champion and introduced a new belt to represent the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
- Flair soon signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and wore the Big Gold Belt there. WCW ultimately bought the belt back from Flair and it once again was used to represent the NWA World Heavyweight Championship due to an agreement between the NWA and WCW.
- WCW International World Heavyweight Championship (1993 – 1994)
- In September 1993, when WCW and the NWA parted ways, the Big Gold Belt was used to represent the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship, the supposed world championship of a fictitious subsidiary of World Championship Wrestling called WCW International.
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1994 – 2001)
- The Big Gold Belt represented the WCW World Heavyweight Championship once again in 1994 when the WCW International and WCW World Heavyweight Championships were unified.
- After the WWF purchased WCW in 2001, the belt continued to represent the WCW World Heavyweight Championship during the WCW/ECW "Invasion". The title then began to be referred to as the WCW Championship for short. At Survivor Series 2001, the WCW/ECW Alliance was dismantled and the WCW Championship became unbranded, referred to only as the World Championship. The title was finally unified with the WWF Championship at Vengeance 2001.
- WWF Undisputed Championship (2001 – 2002)
- Following the unification of the WCW and WWF Championships, the Big Gold Belt and the WWF Championship belt were collectively used to represent the Undisputed Championship until a single new belt was introduced to represent the title in April 2002.
- World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) (2002 – present)
- The Big Gold Belt returned to represent the newly created World Heavyweight Championship in September 2002 and continued to be used until March 2003 when a similar new belt began to be used to represent the title. Originally introduced on the Raw brand, the World Heavyweight Championship is now defended on the SmackDown brand and is currently held by Edge.
