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| TNA World Heavyweight Championship |
Kurt Angle holding up the TNA World Heavyweight Championship belt. |
| Details |
Current
champion(s) |
Samoa Joe |
| Date won |
April 13, 2008 |
| Promotion |
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| Date created |
May 14, 2007 |
| Statistics |
| Most reigns |
Kurt Angle (2 reigns) |
| First champion(s) |
Kurt Angle |
| Longest reign |
Kurt Angle (180 days) |
| Shortest reign |
Sting (2 days) |
| Oldest champion |
Sting (48 years, 208 days) |
| Youngest champion |
Samoa Joe (29 years, 27 days) |
| Heaviest champion |
Samoa Joe (290 lb (130 kg)) |
| Lightest champion |
Kurt Angle (250 lb (110 kg)) |
|
The Total Nonstop Action (TNA) World Heavyweight Championship is the primary professional wrestling championship in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
[edit] History
[edit] The start of the company
In 2002, Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett formed TNA, in the process negotiating a licensing deal with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that granted them rights to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Tag Team Championship.
TNA withdrew from the NWA in 2004, but secured the right to continue to use the two NWA championships until 2014. TNA were permitted to use the titles any way they saw fit, without requiring approval of the NWA Board of Directors. While these titles were still defended in several NWA territories and federations, control of the titles was exclusive to TNA.
[edit] Title creation—NWA title vacated
On May 13, 2007 the NWA announced that it had ended their ongoing business relationship with TNA and stripped Christian Cage and Team 3D of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and NWA World Tag Team Championship respectively before the TNA pay-per-view event Sacrifice could take place.[1] Despite this, TNA continued to recognize its TNA title holders as NWA champions until May 14 when the new TNA titles were officially commissioned and used during television tapings.[2][3] The TNA World Heavyweight Championship was then unveiled on TNAwrestling.com on May 15 and immediately given "World" status by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.[4] On TNA programing past NWA Champions in TNA are now referred to as TNA World Heavyweight Champions instead of NWA World Heavyweight Champions. For previous World Heavyweight Champions in TNA see List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions.
[edit] Current champion
The current champion is Samoa Joe, who is in his first reign. He defeated Kurt Angle on April 13, 2008 at Lockdown in a steel cage match.
[edit] Title history
- † indicates reigns not recognized by TNA.
| Wrestler: |
Reign: |
Date: |
Location: |
Notes: |
| Christian Cage |
1† |
May 13, 2007 |
Orlando, FL |
Cage was stripped of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship before TNA Sacrifice.[1][5] As a result, Cage is referred to only as World Heavyweight Champion at Sacrifice.[6][7] |
| Kurt Angle |
1† |
May 13, 2007 |
Orlando, FL |
This was a Triple Threat match at TNA Sacrifice, also involving Sting.[8][5] |
| Vacant |
May 14, 2007 |
Orlando, FL |
Angle was stripped of the title by Jim Cornette due to the controversial finish of the match at Sacrifice. A new undisputed TNA World Heavyweight Champion is set to be crowned at Slammiversary.[6][7] |
| Kurt Angle |
1(2) |
June 17, 2007 |
Nashville, TN |
This was a King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary, also involving Christian Cage, Chris Harris, Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles.[9] Angle was officially named the first TNA World Heavyweight Champion by the promotion. |
| Sting |
1 |
October 14, 2007 |
Duluth, GA |
Won at Bound for Glory.[10] |
| Kurt Angle |
2(3) |
October 16, 2007 |
Orlando, FL |
Won on Impact!, aired October 25.[11] |
| Samoa Joe |
1 |
April 13, 2008 |
Lowell, MA |
Won at Lockdown. |
[edit] List of individual reigns
As of June 11, 2008.
[edit] List of combined reigns
As of June 11, 2008.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
