FWA British Heavyweight Championship
Encyclopedia
The British Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling
championship
contested for in the XWA
. The championship was originally created and contested for in the Frontier Wrestling Alliance
(FWA) but moved to XWA when the former company became defunct. It has also been contested for in Ring of Honor
(ROH) due to a working relationship between them and FWA.
The championship has been known as:
, who defeated Paul Glory in a tournament final on the 11 July 1999. Jody Fleisch was the first person to win the belt twice after being stripped of it, while American
wrestler Christopher Daniels
was the first non-British person to win the belt and go on to defend it on foreign soil.
Originally the belt was mostly defended under two out of three falls match rules, as was the tradition in British wrestling. This changed on 12 April 2005, when champion Alex Shane
signed a cast-iron contract to make new FWA British Title rules official and permanent making all future championship matches simply one fall.
On 13 May 2006 the FWA British Heavyweight Title belt was stolen from the Morecambe Dome immediately following the FWA event at the venue during an FWA versus All-Star Wrestling
show. Due to being stolen a new belt had to be created. When the FWA was forced to retire in its interpromotional war with International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
, the XWA carried the lineage of the championship simply renaming it the British Heavyweight Championship and using the same physical belt. However, in April 2009, XWA founder Greg Lambert announced the creation of a new British Heavyweight Championship that did not bear the FWA initials and gave the original belt back to Alex Shane
in time for the resurrection of the FWA.
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Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
championship
Championship (professional wrestling)
A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...
contested for in the XWA
XWA (professional wrestling)
XWA is a British professional wrestling promotion, based in the English north west seaside town of Morecambe, Lancashire, dealing primarily in the professional wrestling industry...
. The championship was originally created and contested for in the Frontier Wrestling Alliance
Frontier Wrestling Alliance
Frontier Wrestling Alliance is a British professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1993 as the Fratton Wrestling Association it soon became the Frontier Wrestling Alliance six years later and until 2007 when it lost a scripted inter-promotional feud with International Pro Wrestling: United...
(FWA) but moved to XWA when the former company became defunct. It has also been contested for in Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
(ROH) due to a working relationship between them and FWA.
The championship has been known as:
- FWA British Heavyweight Championship (1999 – 2007)
- British Heavyweight Championship (2007 – current)
History
The first Champion was Mark SloanMark Sloan
Mark Sloan is a British professional wrestler. Sloan is best known for his work with the Frontier Wrestling Alliance due to founding the promotion and being head trainer in the company's training academy, FWA Academy....
, who defeated Paul Glory in a tournament final on the 11 July 1999. Jody Fleisch was the first person to win the belt twice after being stripped of it, while American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
wrestler Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
was the first non-British person to win the belt and go on to defend it on foreign soil.
Originally the belt was mostly defended under two out of three falls match rules, as was the tradition in British wrestling. This changed on 12 April 2005, when champion Alex Shane
Alex Shane
Alexander Daniel Spilling is a British professional wrestler who is best known by his ring name "The Ascension" Alex Shane. Spilling also works as a promoter and wrestling teacher.-Early career:...
signed a cast-iron contract to make new FWA British Title rules official and permanent making all future championship matches simply one fall.
On 13 May 2006 the FWA British Heavyweight Title belt was stolen from the Morecambe Dome immediately following the FWA event at the venue during an FWA versus All-Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling is a British Professional wrestling promotion also known as All Star Promotions, Superslam Wrestling and Big Time Wrestling and originally known as Wrestling Enterprises , run by Brian Dixon and based in Liverpool, England...
show. Due to being stolen a new belt had to be created. When the FWA was forced to retire in its interpromotional war with International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom is a British professional wrestling promotion. Daniel Edler is the majority owner, chairman and founder of the company. The company was established in 2004 and since their foundation they have held monthly shows in Orpington, Kent...
, the XWA carried the lineage of the championship simply renaming it the British Heavyweight Championship and using the same physical belt. However, in April 2009, XWA founder Greg Lambert announced the creation of a new British Heavyweight Championship that did not bear the FWA initials and gave the original belt back to Alex Shane
Alex Shane
Alexander Daniel Spilling is a British professional wrestler who is best known by his ring name "The Ascension" Alex Shane. Spilling also works as a promoter and wrestling teacher.-Early career:...
in time for the resurrection of the FWA.
Title history
| # | Wrestler | Reigns | Date | Days held | Location | Event | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Sloan Mark Sloan Mark Sloan is a British professional wrestler. Sloan is best known for his work with the Frontier Wrestling Alliance due to founding the promotion and being head trainer in the company's training academy, FWA Academy.... |
Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... , Hampshire Hampshire Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force... |
No Surprises | ||||||
| Alex Shane Alex Shane Alexander Daniel Spilling is a British professional wrestler who is best known by his ring name "The Ascension" Alex Shane. Spilling also works as a promoter and wrestling teacher.-Early career:... |
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... , West Midlands West Midlands (county) The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The... |
Black Country Chaos | ||||||
| Guy Thunder | Hertford Hertford Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180. Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000... , Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and... |
Live event House show A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and... |
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| Vacant | N/A | |||||||
| Justin Richards | Halifax, West Yorkshire Halifax, West Yorkshire Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece... |
Evil Intentions | ||||||
| Vacant | Bolton, Greater Manchester | When Thunder Strikes | ||||||
| Doug Williams Doug Williams (wrestler) Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams... |
Portsmouth, Hampshire | High Potential | ||||||
| Flash Barker | Walthamstow Walthamstow Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Urban Legends | ||||||
| Jody Fleisch Jody Fleisch Jerome Fleisch is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jody Fleisch. He is best known for his work with the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, One Pro Wrestling and Real Quality Wrestling... |
Portsmouth, Hampshire | No Surprises | ||||||
| Vacant | N/A | |||||||
| Jody Fleisch | Bethnal Green Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,... , London |
British Uprising | ||||||
| Christopher Daniels Christopher Daniels Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also... |
Walthamstow, London | London Calling | ||||||
| Doug Williams | Philadelphia, PA | Night of Champions | ||||||
| Alex Shane | Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... , West Midlands |
British Uprising 3 | ||||||
| Hade Vansen Hade Vansen Hade Vansen is an English professional wrestler who was under a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment until he was released from his contract on January 9, 2009.-Career:... |
Hoddesdon Hoddesdon Hoddesdon is a town in the English county of Hertfordshire, situated in the Lea Valley. The town grew up as a coaching stop on the route between Cambridge and London. It is located southeast of Hertford, north of Waltham Cross and southwest of Bishop's Stortford. At its height during the 18th... , Hertfordshire |
New Frontiers | ||||||
| Robbie Brookside Robbie Brookside Robert Edward Brooks , better known by his ring name Robbie Brookside, is a British professional wrestler. He has toured all over the world during his career including such countries as the United States, Japan, Germany, and Mexico... |
Morecambe Morecambe Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay... , Lancashire Lancashire Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston... |
Summer Classic | ||||||
| Jonny Storm Jonny Storm Jonathan Whitcombe is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jonny Storm. He has worked for many independent promotions across the United Kingdom, including the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, Real Quality Wrestling and One Pro Wrestling... |
Morecambe, Lancashire | War On The Shore 3 | ||||||
| Stevie Knight Stevie Knight Stevie Knight is an English professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:He began training in April 1991 and started putting up rings and taking photographs for promoter Max Crabtree. He made his professional debut in June 1991 at Whitby, Yorkshire, at the young age of 14... |
Morecambe, Lancashire | Vendetta 2008 | ||||||
| Sam Slam | Morecambe, Lancashire | Last Fight at the Prom 2008 | ||||||
| Spud James Curtin James Curtin , better known by his ring name Spud, is a British professional wrestler. Curtin, known for his small stature, is considered the smallest mainstream wrestler in the United Kingdom.... |
Morecambe, Lancashire | Last Fight at the Prom 2009 | ||||||
| Johnny Phere | Morecambe, Lancashire | War On The Shore 6 | ||||||
| Alex Shane Alex Shane Alexander Daniel Spilling is a British professional wrestler who is best known by his ring name "The Ascension" Alex Shane. Spilling also works as a promoter and wrestling teacher.-Early career:... |
|Morecambe, Lancashire
|War On The Shore 6
|
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|}
See also
- XWA British Flyweight Championship
- British Heavyweight ChampionshipBritish Heavyweight ChampionshipThe British Heavyweight Championship is a top British wrestling championship found throughout the country's circuit.Many versions of the British Heavyweight Championship exist in the independent circuit of the United Kingdom at any given time but the scene is usually dominated by one companies...