NWA World Welterweight Championship

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this is the version of the championship last promoted by NWA Mexico; the CMLL replacement championship is listed under NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship

Current Champion

Último Samuray is the champion. He defeated Impostor Jr. on December 6, 2015 at the Houchen Community Center in El Paso, Texas to win the championship.

History of Championship

The NWA World Welterweight Championship was nominally a Mexico based championship, having actually been created before the formation of the NWA (and EMLL joining the NWA.) Due to legal threats from the NWA, CMLL stopped using those initials in association with this championship in 2010, referring to it only as "World Welterweight Championship".

The championship appeared to be forgotten after it was vacated in 1992. Misterioso was the champion of the time, by left in the mass exodus to AAA. CMLL had recently created it's own CMLL World Welterweight Championship in 1992 and had be considering merging the two championships. Instead, they just allowed this championship to stay empty.

Three years later, Negro Casas won a match for the vacant championship over El Hijo del Santo, as part of their infinite rivalry. However, CMLL was still not intending to use the belt; Negro won the belt to provide another champion for the J-Crown Octuple Junior Tournament and Championship. The championship changed many times as part of the tournament and the length of the championship.

After the J-Crown broke up, the championship ended up as a possession of various Ultimo Dragon promotions and off-shoots. It was widely reported Dragon purchased the NWA World Middleweight Championship from CMLL around this period, so the same may be true with this title. This belt was used as part of Ultimo Dragon's Toryumon promotion during it's early years, until it was ultimately replaced by the promotion's own championships.

When this championship was dropped for Toryumon, it disappeared for three years before resurfacing in as part of Ultimo Dragon's personal shows in Mexico. Hajime Ohara won the vacant championship, defeating the reigning Mexican National Welterweight champion La Mascara. Ohara continued defending the championship on Dragon's occasional shows in Mexico and Japan. He wrestled as a rudo in Mexico, but was obviously Dragon's protege and top remaining student.

Ohara briefly lost this championship to Super Delfin and won it back, mostly unnoticed by the lucha libre audience. While the championship was mentioned in Ohara's CMLL matches (usually second or third on the card), it was treated as a title belonging to Ultimo Dragon's Dragon Gym shows, and not used for any CMLL feuds or rivalries.

This status quo came to an end in November of 2007. Ohara was suddenly in the semimain matches and feuding with (and losing to) La Sombra. After two weeks of trios matches, Sombra was given a title shot and won the championship. At age 18, La Sombra is believed to have become the youngest NWA World Champion of all time. It's also an indication CMLL received ownership of the belt back from Ultimo Dragon. Both Dragon and Ohara have disappeared from CMLL lineups, and the championship has stayed with CMLL.

As typical with CMLL based championships in this period, the champion had short feuds to set up title defenses, but no long term challenger to fend off. Sombra's match against Ephesto at the close of December was one of the best bouts of the year, but that match was set up with just a couple weeks of build. Still, this championship helped distinguish Sombra from the many other high flying tecnicos of similar level. Sombra's reign marked him as an upcoming top star, much like Mistico's first NWA World Middleweight Championship run did for him.

Mephisto's championship win came as a surprise. The title match was a special attraction for CMLL's return to running regular shows in Arena Coliseo Acapulco, and there was no hint of a pending change. After, it became clear the change was motivated by the upcoming debut CMLL Universal Tournament; CMLL had 15 eligible champions. Sombra still had half of the CMLL World Tag Team Championship, so Mephisto winning created a 16th champion to fill out the tournament. However, Mephisto was obviously over the weight limit for welterweight. While weight limits had long been ignored, this championship reign was an especially egregious case.

On August 12, 2010, CMLL announced a change with the NWA group of championships. The current physical title belts were all retired, replaced by newly belts with a different design. The old belts are now part of CMLL's mobile museum, though copies of them have turned up elsewhere. CMLL referred to the new championships as the CMLL Historic Championships and said the former NWA champions would be the first champions of the new belts. Outside not getting the physical belt back, that appeared to satisfy the NWA's complaints about using their trademarks. However, within weeks of that press conference, CMLL changed course. The championships were referred to as NWA World Historic Championships.

As part of the Lucha Future June 2011 tour of England, Blue Demon Jr. held a singles match between Casandro and Dr. Cerebro to decide his version of this title.

Champions Listing

# Champion(s) Defeated Date Location
8 man tournament to determine initial champion
1 El Santo Pete Pancoff 1946.03.15 Arena Coliseo DF
1 Tuffy Trues 1946.05.31 Arena Coliseo DF
2 Jack O'Brien El Santo 1947.02.14 Arena Coliseo DF
1[1] Gory Guerrero 1949.04.08 Mexico City
3 Gory Guerrero Jack O'Brien 1949.04.29 Mexico City
4[2] Bobby Bonales Gory Guerrero 1951.07.11 Arena Coliseo
5 El Santo [2] Bobby Bonales 1952.09.26 ?
6 Blue Demon El Santo 1953.07.25 Mexico City
1[3] El Espectro 1956.04.22 Arena Canada Dry, Guadalajara, Jalisco
7 Karloff Lagarde Blue Demon 1958.01.31 Mexico City
1[4] Milo Millán 1962.04.01 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
2[5] Antonio Montoro 1963.04.26 Arena Mexico
3[6] Blue Demon 1964.07.18 Arena Puebla
4[7] Huracan Ramirez 1964.09.26 Arena Mexico
5[8] Black Shadow 1965.01.17 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
8 Huracán Ramírez Karloff Lagarde 1965.08.05 Cuernavaca
9 Karloff Lagarde [2] Huracán Ramírez 1965.09.24 Mexico City
10 Vento Castella Karloff Lagarde 1967.05.07 Mexico City
11 Karloff Lagarde [3] Vento Castella 1967.06.10[9] Mexico City
1[10] Huracan Ramirez 1967.06.20 Arena Mexico Arena Mexico
2[11] Vento Castella 1967.08.27 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
3[12] Blue Demon 1969.07.25 Arena Mexico
12 Alberto Munoz Karloff Lagarde 1971.07.11 Mexico City
vacates championship on 1973.10.25 for unknown reasons
decision match for vacant championship
13[13] Mano Negra Karloff Lagarde 1973.12.14 Arena Mexico
1[14] Fishman 1974.09.29 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
2 Huracán Ramírez 1975.02.12 Palacio De Los Deportes - Mexico City
14 Blue Demon [2] Mano Negra 1975.06.29 Mexico City
1[15] Alberto Munoz 1975.08.24 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
2 Karloff Lagarde 1975.09.26 Arena Mexico
3[16] Fishman 1975.11.07 Arena Mexico
15 Fishman Blue Demon 1976.04.09 Arena Mexico
1[17] Mano Negra 1976.07.25 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
16 Mano Negra [2] Fishman 1976.11.19 Mexico City
1[18] Perro Aguayo 1978.02.12 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
2[19] Américo Rocca 1979.03.25 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
17 Americo Rocca Mano Negra 1979.04.30 Arena Mexico[20]
1[21] Lizmark 1979.06.15 Arena Mexico
2[22] Lizmark 1979.08.19 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
3 Kato Kung Lee 1979.10.19 Arena Mexico
4[23] Kato Kung Lee 1979.11.18 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
18 Kato Kung Lee Americo Rocca 1980.01.19 Mexico City
1[24] Américo Rocca 1980.02.17 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
19 El Supremo Kato Kung Lee 1980.05.04 Pista Arena Revolucion[25]
20 Lizmark El Supremo 1980.06.04 Arena Coliseo De Acapulco
1[26] Américo Rocca 1980.07.27 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
2[27] El Supremo 1980.08.16 Pista Arena Revolucion
3[28] Mocho Cota 1980.11.25 Arena Coliseo
4[29] Américo Rocca 1981.02.08 Arena Coliseo
5[30] El Supremo 1981.03.31 Arena Coliseo
6[31] Américo Rocca 1981.04.12 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
7[32] Americo Rocca 1981.06.10 Arena Coliseo Acapulco
8[33] Mocho Cota 1981.06.20 Pista Arena Revolucion
21 La Fiera Lizmark 1981.10.23 Mexico City
22[34] Americo Rocca [2] La Fiera 1982.07.18 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1[35] La Fiera 1983.04.24 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
2[36] Mocho Cota 1983.09.11 Arena Coliseo de Guadalajara
3[37] Talisman 1983.09.24 Pista Arena Revolucion
4 Enfermero Jr. 1983.09.28 Arena Neza
23 Mocho Cota Americo Rocca 1984.01.27 Arena Coliseo DF
24 Chamaco Valaguez Mocho Cota 1984.07.26 Arena Isabel De Cuernavaca
1[38] El Dandy 1984.11.25 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
Chamaco Valaguez wins NWA World Middleweight Championship on 1985.07.20, vacates this championship
championship filled thru unknown means
25 El Dandy ? 1985.11.17 Mexico City
1[39] Black Man 1986.01.01 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
26[40] Javier Cruz El Dandy 1986.04.07 Arena Coliseo De Monterrey
1[41] Negro Casas 1986.05.25 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
27 El Dandy [2] Javier Cruz 1986.08.24 ?
28 Americo Rocca [3] El Dandy 1986.11.02 Mexico City
1[42] El Dandy 1986.12.12 Arena Mexico
2 Rodolfo Ruiz 1987.08.28 Arena Presidente - Mexico City
29 Solar II Americo Rocca 1988.06.30 Cuernavaca
1 Bestia Salvaje 1988.07.17 Pista Arena Revolucion
30 Fuerza Guerrera Solar II 1988.10.04 Mexico City
1[43] Aguila Solitaria 1988.12.18 Arena Coliseo
2 Pantera II 1989.01.11 Arena Naucalpan
31 Aguila Solitaria Fuerza Guerrera 1989.06.02 Mexico City
32 Fuerza Guerrera [2] Aguila Solitaria 1989.09.21 Arena Puebla
1 Pantera II 1990.05.04 Arena Coliseo DF
2 Americo Rocca 1990.07.04 Arena Coliseo De Acapulco
3 Americo Rocca 1990.07.19 Arena Isabel De Cuernavaca
4 Octagon 1990.09.02 Pista Arena Revolucion
5 Octagon 1990.11.28 Arena Coliseo De Acapulco
6 Gallo Tapado 1991.03.01 Arena Mexico
7 Huracan Sevilla 1991.04.29 Pista Arena Revolucion
8 Misterioso 1991.06.02 Pista Arena Revolucion
33 Misterioso Fuerza Guerrera 1991.12.08 Arena Mexico
championship vacant when Misterioso jumps to AAA on 1992.06.19
16 man tournament for vacant championship
34 Negro Casas El Hijo del Santo 1995.12.01 Arena Mexico
1[44] Shocker 1996.01.26 Arena Coliseo
2[45] Great Sasuke 1996.07.07 Arena Coliseo
next 3 title matches are part of the J-Crown Unification Tournament
35 Shinjiro Ohtani Negro Casas 1996.08.03 Tokyo
36 Ultimo Dragon Shinjiro Ohtani 1996.08.04 Tokyo
37 The Great Sasuke Ultimo Dragon 1996.08.05 Tokyo
defended as part of the J-Crown Octuple Championship
38 Ultimo Dragon [2] The Great Sasuke 1996.10.11 Osaka, Japan
39 Jushin Liger Ultimo Dragon 1997.01.04 Tokyo
40 El Samurai Jushin Liger 1997.07.06 Sapporo, Japan
41 Shinjiro Ohtani El Samurai 1997.08.10 Nagoya, Japan
vacates championship on 1997.11.05 as part of vacating most of J-Crown Octuple Championship
championship ends up in Toryumon; decision match for vacant championship
42 Dragon Kid Dr. Cerebro 1999.02.06 Nagoya, Japan
1 Judo Suwa 1999.02.07 Yokohama, Japan
43 Judo Suwa Dragon Kid 1999.04.25 Kawasaki, Japan
1 SAITO 1999.10.10 Kobe, Japan
2 Keni'chiro Arai 1999.11.19 Nagoya, Japan
3 Genki Horiguchi 2000.03.25 Iwate, Japan
4 Dragon Kid 2000.06.04 Kobe, Japan
44 Keni'chiro Arai Judo Suwa 2000.07.22 Tokyo
1 Genki Horiguchi 2000.08.24 Korakuen Hall - Tokyo
2 Yasushi Kanda 2000.10.12 Kobe, Japan
championship vacated on 2000.12.15 after loss due to interference versus Susumu Mochizuki
7 man tournament for vacant championship
45 Keni'chiro Arai [2] Yasushi Kanda 2001.01.29 Tokyo
46 Susumu Mochizuki Keni'chiro Arai 2001.05.27 Kobe, Japan
1 Genki Horiguchi 2001.07.15 Kumamoto, Japan
2 Ricky Marvin 2001.08.14 Korakuen Hall - Tokyo
3 Dragon Kid 2001.08.18 Nagoya, Japan
47 Ryo Saito Susumu Mochizuki 2001.09.30 Tokyo
1 Genki Horiguchi 2001.12.10 Komazawa Olympic Park - Tokyo
2 Genki Horiguchi 2002.02.03 Fukuoka, Japan
3 Ricky Marvin 2002.04.09 Yamagata, Japan
48 Genki Horiguchi Ryo Saito 2002.04.27 Kobe, Japan
1 Ryo Saito 2002.04.28 Nagoya, Japan
2 Keni'chiro Arai 2002.06.01 Ishizawa, Japan
championship vacated on 2002.06.23 after no contest versus Dragon Kid
decision match for vacant championship
49 Ricky Marvin Super Nova (Japan) 2002.07.07 Kobe, Japan
50 Genki Horiguchi [2] Ricky Marvin 2002.07.24 Kumamoto, Japan
51 Darkness Dragon Genki Horiguchi 2002.07.28 Shimonoseki, Japan
1 Dragon Kid 2002.08.25 Hokkaido, Japan
2 Ryo Saito 2002.10.08 Osaka, Japan
3 Dragon Kid 2003.02.27 Kobe, Japan
championship vacated on 2003.03.21 due to injury
decision match for vacant championship
52 Yossino Genki Horiguchi 2003.03.22 Sapporo, Japan
1 K-Ness 2003.06.29 Hyogo, Japan
2 K-Ness 2003.08.10 Hokkaido, Japan
3 Susumu Yokosuka 2003.09.08 Osaka, Japan
4 brother YASSHI 2003.12.22 Osaka, Japan
5 Super Shisa 2004.02.26 Kobe, Japan
championship vacated on 2004.06.20 to focus on winning the Ultimo Dragon Gym championship; wrestlers leave to form the Dragon Gate promotion (replacing this title with the Open the Brave Gate championship) and this title remains with Ultimo Dragon
decision match on a Toryumon Mexico show for vacant championship
53 Hajime Ohara La Mascara 2006.05.13 Arena Mexico
1 El Hijo del Fantasma 2006.09.10 Arena Coliseo DF
2 El Hijo del Fantasma 2006.10.12 Korakuen Hall - Tokyo
3 Ultimo Gladiador 2006.11.29 Arena Lopez Mateos
54 Super Delfin Hajime Ohara 2007.01.20 Osaka, Japan
55 Hajime Ohara [2] Super Delfin 2007.02.10 Osaka, Japan
1 La Mascara 2007.05.13 Arena Mexico
2 Chris Sabin 2007.05.26 Ontario, Canada
championship reverts to CMLL ownership at this point
56 La Sombra Hajime Ohara 2007.11.27 Arena Mexico
1 Euforia 2008.01.01 Deportivo Los Soberanos, Torreon, Coahuila
2 Misterioso II 2008.03.26 Arena Coliseo Acapulco
3 El Mephisto 2008.06.02 Arena Puebla
4 Sangre Azteca 2008.08.04 Domo de la Feria, Leon, Guanajuato
5 Sangre Azteca 2008.08.10 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
6 Ephesto 2008.12.07 Arena Mexico
7 El Mephisto 2009.01.19 Arena Puebla
57 Mephisto La Sombra 2009.05.27 Arena Coliseo Acapulco
1 Mistico 2009.07.13 Arena Puebla
2 Valiente 2010.01.26 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
3 La Mascara 2010.04.27 Arena Mexico
vacant on August 12, 2010 when CMLL creates their NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship in response to NWA Mexico declaring ownership of this championship
decision match for vacant championship on NWA Mexico endorsed show
58 Cassandro Dr. Cerebro 2011.06.25 The Roundhouse - London, England
NWA Mexico ceases to exist; championship continues to be defended on Mama Lucha (Casandro) promoted shows in El Paso
59 Magno Bobby Zavala & Cassandro 2015.02.15 Houchen Community Center - El Paso, Texas
1 Boby Zavala 2015.03.15 Houchen Community Center - El Paso, Texas
championship vacated on April 26, 2015 due to Magno signing with WWE
decision match for vacant championship
60 Impostor Jr. Boby Zavala 2015.05.31 Mercado Mayapan - El Paso, Texas
1 Hermes Jr. 2015.09.13 Houchen Community Center - El Paso, Texas
61 Último Samuray Impostor Jr.[46] 2015.12.06 Houchen Community Center - El Paso, Texas
 
 
title change
successful title defense
championship matches which were announced, but results were not found

Sources:

  1. SuperLuchas - Guerrero won the match, but was DQed by the commission for using a punch. The referee was also suspended for missing it. Guerrero, EMLL and the NWA protested the decision and a rematch was held three weeks later.
  2. SuperLuchas
  3. El Informador 1956-04-22
  4. El Informador 1962-04-01
  5. double pin draw - SuperLuchas
  6. Lucha Libre 40
  7. Lucha Libre 50
  8. Lucha Libre 67
  9. SuperLuchas
  10. SuperLuchas
  11. El Informador 1967-08-27
  12. SuperLuchas
  13. Box Y Lucha - lists this as title defense, not a vacant title match
  14. El Informador 1974-09-29
  15. El Informador 1975-08-24
  16. DJ Spectro
  17. El Informador 1976-07-25; Mano Negra appears to have beaten Karloff Lagarde in a #1 contenders match the previous week
  18. El Informador 1978-02-12
  19. El Informador 1979-03-25
  20. SuperLuchas
  21. http://www.cronicasyleyendasdelaluchalibre.com/?p=4677
  22. El Informador 1979-08-19
  23. El Informador 1979-11-18
  24. El Informador 1980-02-17
  25. SuperLuchas
  26. El Informador 1980-07-27
  27. ricardo aguilar hidalgo @ box y lucha
  28. Matt Farmer
  29. SuperLuchas
  30. ricardo aguilar hidalgo @ box y lucha
  31. El Informador 1981-04-12
  32. ricardo aguilar hidalgo @ box y lucha
  33. luchablog photolog (2013-09-16 00.28.46)
  34. El Informador 1982-07-18
  35. El Informador 1983-04-24
  36. SuperLuchas
  37. Box y Lucha #1609, called 'umpteenth' defense
  38. El Informador 1984-11-25
  39. El Informador 1986-01-01
  40. Arena KO Magazine 1708, p10, via DJ Spectro; previously listed as 04.07. Article mentions title rematch to take place 06/13 in Arena Mexico
  41. El Informador 1986-05-25
  42. luchablog photolog (20130916_021147)
  43. SuperLuchas
  44. WON 1996-02-05
  45. WON 1996-07-29
  46. Relevos Suicidas: Cassandro (hair) & Impostor Jr. (title) vs Peluchin (mask) & Último Samuray (mask). Wrestler who got the pin over a rival would leave the match.

Gallery of Champions

Jack O'Brien, 2nd Champion
Blue Demon, 6th & 14th Champion
Karloff Lagarde, 7th, 9th & 11th Champion
Huracan Ramirez, 8th Champion
Vento Castella, 10th Champion
Alberto Munoz, 12th Champion


Mano Negra, 13th & 16th Champion
Fishman, 15th Champion
Americo Rocca, 17th, 22th & 28th Champion
Kato Kung Lee, 18th Champion
El Supremo, 19th Champion
Lizmark, 20th Champion


La Fiera, 21st Champion
Mocho Cota, 23rd Champion
Chamaco Valaguez, 24th Champion
Javier Cruz, 26th Champion
Solar II, 29th Champion
Fuerza Guerrera, 30th & 32th Champion


Ultimo Dragon, 36th & 38th Champion
The Great Sasuke, 37th Champion
Jushin Liger, 39th Champion
Dragon Kid, 42nd Champion
Hajime Ohara, 53rd & 55th Champion
Super Delfin, 54th Champion


La Sombra, as 56th Champion
Cassandro, 58th Champion
Magno, 59th Champion
Impostor Jr., 60th Champion
Último Samuray, 61st Champion


Gallery of Title Belts

Original Belt
2nd Belt


Sources

V National Wrestling Alliance Championships (with lucha libre history) E
World Welter (Akantus), NWA-Mexico: Mexico Light (Skayde), Mexico Welter (Vaquero Fantasma)
Dragon Gym: International Junior Heavy (Último Dragón)
Defunct: Middle, Light Heavy, Americas Tag
Reference: Jr. Heavy, Heavy
CMLL established titles: Historic Welter (Volador Jr.), Historic Middle (Carístico), Historic LH (Stuka Jr.)